Try to keep it under control ...

I am seriously geeked for the movies coming out this summer. There are 5 comic book movies and three that have my geek superpowers all a flutter. In the next few months a new X-Men movie, Green Lantern, Thor, Captain America, and Transformers 3. I have already detailed my dork love for the Green Lantern with the countdown clock located on the right side of this page but combine that with Captain America and Thor and I may cause a public spectacle.

Here is the Thor movie trailer:



A Norse god cast out of Asgard for defying his father Oden. The God of Thunder cast down to "Midgard" (earth) and finds a way to protect the people with his massive hammer Mjolnir. Thor beats up the bad guys, throws around his hammer, gets the girl, and teams up with Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers to save the world. Can't wait. I want my own hammer but the wife is against this because he wants me to be a grown up on some level. I don't agree.

Next up Captain America:



The world is at war struggling against the evil Nazi army and the desires of Hitler to take over the world. The US wants to develop super soldiers but the test are very experimental. Steve Rogers is a scrawny kid looking to serve his country but he is does not pass the medical exams but do not fret he is picked up for the super solider project. Rogers takes the serum and is transformed into Captain America. The government is not ready to put Cap into battle because he is untested and all the research that went into the super solider serum cost a pill of 1930's cash so Cap is set to Europe as part of the USO Tour. Cap wants to fight on the front lines but instead he is given a goofy red, white and blue costume to inspire the troops. One thing leads to another and Captain America is kicking Nazi and (because they are really running the show) HYDRA butt.

The summer of comic book movies begins May 6th with Thor

The Destroyer of Worlds Cometh ...

This is my boy!!!!!!

So my wife is pregnant with our first child. From the moment I found out I was excited. My only thought was "Holy crap I am going to be a Dad!!!". That was about 6 months ago and now I can feel my baby boy kicking in my wife which has made this experience all too real. My only concerns right now are of money and resources. Money will be tight and we don't have all the stuff a baby needs to be health and happy. We will be purchasing many items over the next few months ( a stroller, clothes, etc.) and friends and family seem to be eager to make donations to the Baby South Fund. I am confident we will make it but only time will tell.

What I am most worried about is that it has been around 6 and a half months and I have yet to freak out. At what point to I sit down and realize that in about 3 months I will have a little boy looking up at me relying on me for every need. His name will be Jake and he will look up and me and think "Hey Dad ... now what?". What will I say? How will I answer the call to care for this child? Probably in the way I deal with most problems: I will make a list (be it mental or on paper) and figure out the best course of action. I hope that I have my moment of panic because I think that it is necessary to put this monumental event in my life into perspective. That and I want to get it out of the way so I don't go nuts when the doctor or nurse hands me my little boy.

The best part of all this lack of freaking out is that my wife is keeping a level head about all this. She is getting huge, she is uncomfortable, and she is tired but she seems excited to meet her boy. If she has had or has yet to have her moment of panic I don't know but she will be ready for this child and I will likely just do as I am told because you don't mess with Mom when it comes to her boy.

I got an iPhone!!!!!!

My life has changed forever ... or at least until my 2 year contract runs out and I pick up an Android phone. My wife relented on her 3 year protest against my getting a cell phone data plan and I celebrated my new-found freedom with an iPhone 4 and a conservative $15 data plan. It was and has been a glorious change to my everyday life. I now have the option at any moment to connect to the internet via 3G speeds and sample to plethora of information that is available.

The wife was against spending money on the ability to scroll through a seeming pointless stream of tweets, Facebook posts, and unimportant email that could be accessed with a conventional computer. She thought and still thinks that a person could live a long and happy life without knowing that the drummer for the rock group Def Leppard only has ONE ARM! and that many rocks on Mars have been given strange names such as Yogi, Scooby Doo, and Indiana Jones! With out those all important tweets I would have to continue throughout life with out that pointless info floating around in my head. Besides I need all the useless info I can get my hands on just in case I have to go to one of my wifes office parties. I will someday impress a lawyer with the fact that in the original Wizard of Oz novel, Dorothy wore SILVER slippers! and sound waves travel through a hippos jaws, allowing it to hear underwater.

At this point this is about my survival from all things boring. Before if I was bored I would be alone with my own thoughts or I would have to talk to another human being (the horror!!!). Now I can surf the net from my smoking iPhone and be content with my purchase because my wife gave up and let me have a data plan. I love it when the "no" turns to "whatever" and I can claim a win even though the wife just caved in and let me do what I wanted to do three years ago.

GL Movie Countdown

The Green Lantern movie has just wrapped principal shooting in Louisiana. On June 17, 2011 the movie will be released and the greatest summer of comic book movies will be half over. May 6th 2011 the movie "Thor"hits the big screen with "Captain American" set for a July 22 2011. The summer of 2011 will be the most important summer of my life. I will have to plan my lawn moewing and other yard care activities to allow for enough free time to take in each of these sure to be cinimatic masterpieces.

I have placed a countdown timer to the right to keep you updated as to how long you must wait to see Hal Jordan wield the most powerful weapon in the universe ... a power ring that is only limited by the limits of the wearer's imagination.

N.B.A. Free-Agent Season Is Almost Here - NYTimes.com

N.B.A. Free-Agent Season Is Almost Here - NYTimes.com

Its the biggest story in sports since the whole conference expansion stuff from a couple of weeks ago. It will be awesome if all of sports media stresses and puts all their focus behind yet another story just to see nothing happen. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh are holding NBA free agency hostage because their decision on where to play next season will define the NBA for the next 4 to 7 years. But in all likely hood LeBron James will return to Cleveland and to only players to switch teams will be Carlos Boozer because his wife doesn't like Utah.

Lazy Sunday

Nothing is better than a lazy Sunday. Sitting on the couch in a pile-of-us watching some guy who eats bugs and random animal organs. It wasn't long and Kelly is asleep, snoring, and defenceless so I will poke her. From the crusty look on her face she didn't like that. Now it is all elbows and attiude. Kelly is fun to bother ... I love the lazy Sunday. I poked her agian.

More of my Shows cut

"BREAKING NEWS"

 “NCIS” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” will air back-to-back on Tuesdays.

* CBS has picked up NBC cast-off “Medium” and will pair it with fellow psychic drama “Ghost Whisperer” Friday nights.

* David Mamet-created “The Unit” is not a closer, and has been sliced off the schedule after four years. Long-running “Without A Trace” has vanished. Gone after one season each are “Eleventh Hour” and “Worst Week.”

* CBS’s top-rated freshman hit “The Mentalist” will be paired with CBS’ top-rated veteran “CSI” on Thursdays, where it will take on ABC’s “Private Practice.”

I am happy that NCIS gets a spin off because it is a cool show that could be interesting. Following a government undercover team on the west coast reminds me of a "CTU" type team from 24. The picking up of Medium does nothing for me I don't watch the show because the concept looks weak and the lead character is ugly ... mix in a dentist at some point. 

The canceling of The Unit, Without A Trace and Eleventh Hour is very troubling. I like each of these shows and will miss following the exploits of the secret military team, the FBI backed doctor and the FBI missing persons unit. These were quality shows and were not watched by the masses because they were, in the case of The Unit, too aggressive or in the case of Without A Trace and Eleventh Hour, just another FBI investigative show. Regardless my DVR needs more shows to record in the fall.

Goodbye John Connor

I am not your normal TV viewer. The shows I tend to watch have a huge change of being canceled. This year it is Life and now Terminator: The Sara Connor Chronicles. Both shows are kind of odd with quirky lead characters. In Life, Detective Charlie Crews is an odd detective that observes his surroundings and solves crimes. He is looking for the people who framed him for a murder that took 10 years of his life but gave him millions when it was proved that he was innocence and he sued the city. In Terminator, robots from the future are trying to kill John Connor so he will not lead the resistance against the evil government computer gone rogue "Skynet". Both shows were compelling for their own reasons and get canceled because they were probably too complicated to follow. In the past shows such at Jericho, New Amsterdam, the Black Donnellys, the 4400, and both Stargate series on the SCI-FI network were also compelling but found the chopping block.

The big fact with all of these shows is the "shifted viewing" or watching the show at a later date on TIVO or a DVR or online received high numbers but the actual TV live viewership was low. Advertisers only care about live TV viewership because they haven't been able to wrap their minds around the value of online or DVR viewership. This needs to change because the technology is shifting and if the advertisers want to sell their products they need to embrace the concept of watching shows on Hulu.com, TV.com or on a DVR. Networks need to learn how to sell shows that have solid online and DVR followings instead of canceling quality show and ticking off the home viewer.

Today is a Happy Day

I have been stressing because my new phone doesn't perform like I want it to. Every phone I have owned has been able to display the date and time when the phone is locked. The Nokia E71x, for some reason, doesn't have this feature. I use my phone like a watch and this feature not being available could cause undue stress in my life. After slaving over the inter webs I was able to find a fix in the form of an app entitled "cclock". The inventors of the app say the proper pronunciation of the program is "see-clock" like being able to "see the clock". Apparently this is a common issue with Nokia phones.

I have found a new sense of peace in my life now that I have the ability to push a button and see a clock. I don't know why this has such an effect on my day to day life and my attitude toward my fellow man but those days are behind me and the sun is some how brighter.

I did this with my phone

On Saturday I picked up a new phone the Nokia E71x. So far it is a solid phone with lots to offer a guy with basic needs. I enjoy the full qwerty keyboard, the wifi' and the basic but functional web browser. Even better I am able to blog while watching 24 and cuddling with the wife. Overall I am happy with the phone and look forward to becoming more acquainted with the phone. I am concerned with some minor issues like not being able to view the clock when the keyboard is locked and the way the WIFI takes severl attempts to connect but other than that that phone looks to be a winner.

I am Goofy Looking ........

I am not proud of this picture of me struggling to lift weights at crossfit:

1: Bad Hair

2: What am I looking at?

3: No discernible chin

4: Arms are too close together

5: Huge forehead

The Lady likes it but she thinks almost everything I do is cute so she is not a good source of objective criticism. I love here but I don't get what she see's in me. I mean I am a great guy ... don't get me wrong ... but that is what I look like. I am not wearing a mask or a fat suit. I know it is scary.

I am too tired to care ...............

Brett Farve is going to have what was to be a secret meeting with the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings to discuss the QB coming out retirement to lead the Vikings to a winning season and an early first round exit. This would make it the second time Farve has un-retired after that cry fest he had when he left Green Bay.

What I hate is he doesn't seem to be a guy who can make a decision. "I am out, I'm in , No I am out , wait ...I'm coming back". This is getting into boy-who-cried wolf territory. He is a solid quarterback and will help any team he is on but I could do without all the emotion and dramatic events that surround the life and times of Brett Farve. All the starts and stops to his desires when it comes to his career have caused damage to his Hall of Fame Legacy because he waisted all the public admiration for him and his accomplishments when he blubbered through the press conference when he retired the first time.

I Love Buttons!!!!!!!!!!

I am 31 years old and I have to admit hat I love buttons. Red ones, yellow ones, blue ones and green ones. I love buttons of every color. Not just any buttons but buttons that do things. The buttons found on clothing is not the buttons to which I am speaking. I work with buttons all day long. I push them and stuff happens. Cd's play, commercials fire, and sound bytes play which make people laugh. I found this picture today and it made me get a little excited:



I know it is a picture of knobs but I think I like knobs too. The type of knobs that do stuff. Not door knobs but volume and pitch knobs. Very cool stuff. Here is a link to more buttons and knobs.

This is the Best Song of the Day

The band is Iglu & Hartly and the song is "In This City". It is a basic pop song but I can't stop listening to it.

Watch it here.

This is their second single from their debut album. Their first song is a pile of steaming garbage. The band formed at the University of Colorado where they soon dropped out and went back to California. Their web site is weird and from their self written bios they were drunk or high when they were trying to describe their musical direction.

This SUCKED!!!!!!!!

The NBA just finished up their All-Star weekend and again the weekend left little to be remembered. The league unveiled their new feature the H-O-R-S-E competition but it was sponsored by Geico so missed shots had the contestants spelling G-E-I-C-O. I get that money runs the world but selling every aspect of a game leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The Geico brand sponsorship was apparent by the banners plastered all over the court and surrounding the playing area but to change the contest to spell out the sponsors name was a little much for me. I turned the channel because it was obvious this was an after thought that wasn't even part of the actual All Star broadcast.

As for All Star Saturday Night ... I skipped the skills challenge, team competition featuring the WNBA, and the 3 points shoot out along with the introductions to All Stars because really who cares. The overall skill in the NBA is disappointing as was displayed in the skills challenge with Mo Williams trying multiple times to bounce a ball through a tire 4 feet away. That was painful as was the rest of the night that I caught up with by fast forwarding through the night’s festivities by the use of the DVR. God Bless the DVR!!!!

The dunk contest was underwhelming as it is most years. Last year was entertaining because the players brought out some interesting props like Dwight Howard as Super Man and other big time dunks. This year Howard went back to the Super Man idea but didn't do anything new to top last year and showed his lack of creativity. As for his dunk on the 12 foot hoop ... it was interesting but he did a pedestrian style dunk which lacked the flair and showmanship that everyone expected. Besides the guy is athletic and 7 foot tall … I hope he can dunk on a 12 foot rim.

The All Star game went to the West 146 to 114. All I saw was the end because if you didn't catch the drift of the post I don't care for the All Star game. At the end the West players all cleared out so Labron James could dunk the ball and Chris Paul took a half court shot to end the game. The game is a dunk fest and usually ends up with players trying to show off but throwing the ball out of bounce more that finding a team mate for that spectacular dunk. The joke of a showcase was topped off with the naming of Kobe Bryant and Shaq and the Co-MVP's and the former Lakers acting like they are friends after a very uncomfortable hug. Everyone knows they hate each other and that they both blame each other for the implosion of the Lakers team that should have won 5 titles.

I am interested in seeing the ratings on the All Star game. All Star Saturday night which I blew through on my DVR got huge ratings:

NBA All Star Saturday Night drew a stellar 3.5 U.S. rating and 5.8 million viewers on TNT Saturday night, up 11% in ratings and 12% in viewership from a 3.1 and 5.2 million for the same event last year. The event finishes as the highest rated, most viewed All Star Saturday Night in history.

This shows to me that the recession has forced America to stay home an watch TV and because Saturday night is horrible for TV the nation had little to chose from and settled for a basketball competition rather than watching COPS of Fox. America could have read a book or bonded with the family instead they watched a boring, long worn out display of basketball.

Now with the Mid-season weekend off for the majority of the NBA the league can get back to work with some real basketball. Hopefully it can be more interesting than All Star Weekend.

Obama Nation

So Obama is the new President come January. I am reading headlines about Obama as "The World President" and "Obama victory sparks cheers around the globe ", "Obama's transcendence is beyond race" and it goes on and on. Obama made history and beat the life out of John McCain but this celebration will be short lived because of the economic problems, the two wars and the expectations that he will have to measure up to. The historic election better spawn a historic presidency or the advantage the Democrats gained in the House and Senate will be replaced during the mid-term elections. I hope Obama does what he promises and works to fix all economic problems and repair our nations reputation with other countries around the world.

But it is politics so it will be self serving and lead to partisan fights that will bog down the process. If Obama can rise above the muck of Washington he will be successful and reward all those who voted for him in 2008.

Makes Me Laugh

I am Back and I am Bored!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't posted in a long time. Blogging everyday is tough. Blogging three times a week is tough. Blogging when bored is easy. He is some stuff I am reading:

Obama is advertising in online video games:

http://jalopnik.com/5062960/barack-obama-advertising-inside-online-racing-video-games-attempts-to-pick-up-crucial-xbox-360-vote

I thought a netbook would have been a good idea when we were talking laptop. he is a description of what a "Netbook" is:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10063963-33.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Time Magazines asks "Who Decides if you are over weight?"

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1703763_1703764_1848703,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

Lifehacker says create an attack plan to eliminate household clutter:

http://lifehacker.com/5062958/form-an-attack-plan-for-a-cluttered-messy-home

and this is a freaking awesome looking phone:

http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=3483


That is all I got. It feels good to blog.


Now back to work!!!!

VP Attacks

In some ways I feel bad for Sarah Palin and in other ways I don't. I feel bad because no one is giving her a chance but she has thrown herself into hardcore politics which means everything is on the table and is up for public scrutiny. This morning reports have it that her social security number has been stolen and there are further attacks on her husband, her pregnant daughter, and on her being from a small town.

With all the negativity resent polls have 52% of US voters having a positive opinion of the Alaskan Governor. The McCain campaign came out this morning calling for a end to the smearing of Sarah Palin.

Me, Myself, and I?

Check out this story from the NY Times. The first line:

Why do we capitalize the word “I”? There’s no grammatical reason for doing so, and oddly enough, the majuscule “I” appears only in English.

You may find it intresting because ... wull .... you know ... you graduated.