Story Time

So I am walking into work today from lunch, and these two guys were talking..one guy said that his mp3 player had been stolen off of his desk while he was gone this morning, only to a meeting. Now you have to realize, I work in a BIG office building, so anybody could have easily just walked by and snagged it. Makes me think about when I get up to use the restroom and leave my iPod on my desk.
Anyway, that little story reminded me of something that happened to me years ago.....
It was 1993-1994 school year and I was living up in DeKalb, IL attending Northern Illinois University (I use the term attending loosely, because really all I was doing was partying). I lived in the dorms, Grant Towers South to be exact - better known as Cabrini Grant. Anyway, one night I was down in one of the study rooms on the floor working on some homework (one of the rare times I did study, must have been early August or September) and listening to my Sony Discman. I always worked better with music so I would not be distracted by people outside and wonder what was going on. Well I guess at some time I heard somebody and walked out of the room to talk to them. I was down the hall about 50 feet and around the corner, for maybe 3-5 minutes. When I went back to the room, my Sony Discman was GONE!
At first I thought someone was playing a joke on me, so I asked all the people I knew if they did it. Well half of them were not even there, so then I started to get mad. How the HELL did someone walk in there in 3 minutes, without me seeing them? You have to realize, our building was in the shape of a Triangle, sort of, 3 main halls. so if you stood at one corner, you could see down 2 halls. I told the R.A. and there were other people standing around by this time. Then they called up Campus Police.
Well the police asked me what was missing, then asked me what CD was in the player. The answer I gave got some laughs and a few "Really?" responses, which I knew it would. I had been listening to Ozzy Osborne's "No More Tears" CD. Most of the people on my floor I guess did not like Ozzy. I am not a huge fan either, but that was a good CD, at the time.
"Dude, Ozzy Osborne?" asked Glen Hopkins, Mr. Music. I know, whatever, it was funny though.
They never caught who did it, or the Discman or Ozzy Cd for that matter. I had my thoughts about who took it, as did other people, but the guys were not answering their door at the time of the incident. Their door was DIRECTLY across the hall from the study room. So you don't have to be Columbo to figure out why we never saw anyone in the hall.

Moral of the story: Don't leave your media players out in the open, and if you do, make sure you have some cool music playing so you don't have to report that your Kenny G mp3 files were stolen.

Ricky? Michael?

So Ricky Williams (RB for Miami Dolphins) has signed on to play for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL whilst he serves his 1 yr suspension from the NFL for failing ANOTHER drug test. So as I was reading his story, I noticed he looked a lot like someone else I see on TV every week...Michael, from LOST.


I think Ricky Williams could have a career as a stunt double for LOST in his year "vacation" from the NFL, that is if the CFL doesnt work out for him.

Girlie Man
And you thought you had a bad weekend? Read THIS story about one of New Zealand's tough sports stars, and see how a woman bounced his ass out the door.

RESCUE ME

Finally! Rescue Me Season 3 premieres tonight on FX. I have been looking forward to this season. If you do not watch this show, you need to start watching. It is incredible.

Memorial Day

IMG_0284
Originally uploaded by eslinger24.

Well, yesterday was Memorial Day, and it was not our normal weather here in the Chicagoland area. Usually it is cool, and rains, yesterday was sunny and over 90 degrees!
We went to the Abraham Lincoln Veterans Cemetery for the Memorial Day ceremony. It was very nice, and crowded. My dad is buried here so it was nice to see his grave, along with the others, have an American flag next to it.

OK, I have to comment.....

SOX - CUBS
Last weekend Cubs catcher Michael Barrett landed a right hook on the Sox cathcer A.J. Pierzynski.... and MLB has handed down the punishments.

Cubs catcher Michael Barrett has been suspended for 10 games and fined an undisclosed amount for starting the bench-clearing brawl by punching Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski last Saturday in the second game of the intra-city series at U.S. Cellular Field. Sox outfielder Brian Anderson was suspended for five games and fined an undisclosed amount for his "aggressive and violent actions." Pierzynski was fined, but not suspended.

OK, Why was A.J. fined? For being the punching-bag for Barrett's right hook? A.J. walked away after being hit and didn't even retaliate, yet he was ejected from the game. I understand a lot of people do not like his attitude, but yo have to admit, he ignites the clubhouse and is a good team player.

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BRITNEY:
Not that this even effects my life, and I always knew she was stupid, but there are rumors that Britney Spears is ready to dump Kevin's ass.

Is anyone surprised at this? I mean, the dude left his pregnant girlfriend and a child, to be with Britney. I am not defending Britney at all, I think she is trash, but I mean, come on! Did she really think he was going to change? All she did was help him spread his seed even more. So now there are going to be 4 spawn of Federline running around this planet. I can't believe women actually let this guy have sex with them.

AMERICAN IDOL:
I was watching bits and pieces of American Idol Finale the other night, and you know how they like to show celebrities in the crowd? Well, let's see, who did they show?
Taye Diggs, Tori Spelling, Ben Stiller, and.... DAVID HASSELHOFF! AND, he was crying when Taylor won! What a wuss!


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SIRIUS radio:
I am listening to Sirius radio online whilst I pretend to work, and right now I am listening to Hair Nation - Ch 23. I have heard Van Halen, TNT, Gun's N Roses, DIO and currently KISS. I have to say, I think KISS has to be one of the WORST bands in the history of music. Seriously, I cannot stand listening to them!

Also - the DJ's on Sirius are pretty bad, and boring.

The funny thing is, today they keep plugging in audio clips from THIS IS SPINAL TAP, hilarious.
"It's like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black. "

The Heavens

Well I went to the cemetery today to see my father, and on the way out I noticed this tower and the way the clouds and sun where, it seemed like a perfect photo op. So here it is, turned out pretty nice, I think. I touched it up for contrast only. The ray of sunlight is natural and untouched.



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Last week on the way to work, it had just finished raining (had rained for about a week straight) and the clouds broke open to show me this beautiful shot below. It looked heavenly to me, kind of hazy, yet sunny, but also has the darkness behind it. Took this while I was driving too, so it turned out pretty good, IMO

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IT'S A WORK OF FICTION!!!

I just don't get it.... This movie is based on a work of FICTION! Is it just me, or is it really that hard to understand?!?!?!

These people need to realize that by complaining so much, they are actually contributing to the $$ going into Dan Brown's and Ron Howard's wallets. ANY publicity is going to make more people who have not read the book, want to go out and see the movie, and possibly buy the book.

Don't get me wrong, I have no beef against Dan Brown. His book Angels & Demons is a really good book, and IMO..more damaging to the Catholic religion. I have not read The DaVinci Code, but my wife is reading it now and thinks it is very slow, and not as good as A&D.

So I just think these people need to relax and realize it is not a book about denouncing the Catholic church....it is simply a fictional story that uses facts as a base for the storyline.

Done and DONE!

The Atlanta Braves beat the Marlins on May 17th by a walk-off 3-run homer by Chipper Jones. Their third win in a row against the Marlins that involves a last inning heroic. They need to get on their horse in order to catch the Mets! GO BRAVES!

The Media SUCKS!

Everytime I turn on the television, or even get on the internet, I am amazed at all the CRAP that the media giants consider "news"...

CNN reports about Brittney Spears' babyseat mistake, on the front page! Also on the front page in the link section... Nicole Kidman to wed Keith Urban. HOW IS THIS IMPORTANT NEWS TO ME?!?!?

Things I loathe about the media:
1. They consider celebrities to be of the utmost importance. Do I care that J. Lo is possibly pregnant? OH MY GOD, that changes my whole day!!
2. Local news is the worst for this, but it seems that the first 5 minutes of a broadcast are nothing but death, robberies and rapes. I know they go for the shock value, but it is downright depressing!
3. Why do they insist on force feeding us negative information? Numerous incidents regarding the war, poilitics... ALL NEGATIVE.. Who is in charge of what can and can't be put on the air? They always report about soldiers being killed in Iraq, or soldiers being charged with murder of a civilian, who just happened to be holding an RPG, BUT was probably part of the ambush that just took place against a US convoy. They rarely report on the good stuff that happens over there, or the lives that our soldiers save every day.
4. There is always a scandal. I am convinced that every news agency hires someone specifically for this job. To find out the dirt on ANYONE, then exploit it for no good reason. Everyone has secrets, but if you are a celebrity or in politics, you better hope the key to your skeleton closet is tucked away in a safe place.

I am just venting here, but it is so sad that our media is used to hide the truth from the american people. If you want to read about the truth in Iraq, go read the BBC website. It is definitely not biased for Americans, which is good. because it reports a LOT of stuff that CNN or FOX will not report in the U.S.

There, I said my piece. How's your mother?

Music Reviews

Ok, the month of May has so far been a good month for new album releases. Here are my thoughts on the three albums I have bought this month:

1. Tool - 10,000 Days: For anyone expecting the whole album to be at the same level as the single VICARIOUS, they can forget it. Don't get me wrong, this album is incredible in it's own way. Vicarious is a perfect track to open the album, and Jambi is a nice follow-up, fast and loud. After that, the album kind of incorporates the sound of Keenan's other band, A Perfect Circle. It has the usual 'sound' tracks that are on most of Tool's albums, however if you listen to this album with headphones on, you can really appreciate all the intricate sounds that are involved, pretty amazing in my opinion. Danny Carey plays the hell out the drums on this album, and I think he really makes the album stand out.
Notable tracks:
Vicarious - one of the best Tool songs ever, IMO.
The Pot - great vocals and awesome bass and drums.
Rosetta Stoned - fast, typical Tool sound
Right in Two - Could have been on Ænima, starts slow then builds. Very good song.

Overall this album is really good if you can listen to everything that is going on. Like I said, it sounds MUCH better on headphones.

2. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam: I was so excited for this album to come out after hearing World Wide Suicide, and I was not disappointed. I kind of got turned off to PJ after Vitalogy, but then when I heard Yield and Binaural, I was so impressed at how this band has grown. On their self titled album, they have grown even more. This album is very "relaxed" as my buddy McGone put it. And he is right. Yeah PJ has their usual political influences in their music, but it is not thrown at you like some bands do. This album is a great piece of work, McCready and Gossard play so well together, and seem to feed off of each other. Cameron on drums is great, and supplies superb backup vocals.
Notable tracks:
Life Wasted - the guitars battle it out - wonderful
World Wide Suicide - can't say enough about this song, LOVE IT
Severed Hand - probably the best rocking song on the album, behind WWS
Unemployable - I thought it reminded me of Urge Overkill, which is always good.
Big Wave - Love this tune, fast and play it loud!
Army Reserve - When this song starts, it does not sound like a PJ tune, and that is what makes it so good. Also love this tune.
Inside Job - melodic - perfect song to close out the album.

Overall, this album is really good. Any fan of Pearl Jam should own this album. McCready and Gossard put everything into this album and it shows.

3. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium: I am going to say it right now... BEST. CHILI PEPPERS. EVER! I will go so far as to say this is the best album of 2006. After 22 years, the Peppers have grown into a wonderful meld of musical genius. I have been a fan of the RHCP since Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and will be honest, some of their latest stuff was not to my liking. Californication was really good, showed the band growing, but there were a few songs I could do without. By the Way missed the mark with me, too mellow I thought. Stadium Arcadium could be viewew as a blend of the past 22 yrs, it has mellow songs, rocking tunes and of course, the funk that we came to love from Mothers Milk and BSSM. It is a double album, and the songs compliment each other perfectly.
Notable tracks - per album:
Jupiter (Disc 1):
Dani California - honestly, not the best song on here, but ranks up there in the top 5
Snow ((Hey Oh)) - wonderful guitar, perfect mellow tune. Could be a Top40 hit like UNDER THE BRIDGE
Hump de Bump - back to the funk - awesome
Torture Me - this is the BEST song on Jupiter. And who knew that Flea could play the trumpet!
Especially in Michigan - Anthony Keidis and John Frusciante rule this song.
C'Mon Girl - another wonderful melodic song, Flea is awesome on this song
Hey - similar to track 2 - Snow - John Frusciante's guitar puts me in a trance on this song

Mars (Disc 2):
Desecration Smile - sort of a POP sound to it, but good song
Tell me Baby - funk, bass reminds me of BSSM
21st Century - another perfect funk/rock tune
She Looks to Me - another ballad prefectly done by Keidis
If - this tune is amazing. Just Keidis and Frusciante - amazing harmony
Turn it Again - this song is the BEST song on Mars, IMO. The bass and guitar play off each other.

Overall, this may be one of the best DOUBLE albums I have ever purchased. In my opinion, John Frusciante put his heart and soul into this album, and it shows. Without him, this album would not be nearly what it is now. ANY fan of the RHCP should own this album. And if you only like some of their stuff, you need to get this album. Even though I did not care for their last album, and thought maybe they were getting too mellow, I had no second thoughts on getting this album. I had no problem with the mellow tracks on this album, I think it was the way the album was set up, it is a perfect blend of funk, rock and ballads. Of course, it could be that my tastes have grown also. Either way, BEST. RHCP ALBUM. EVER.

Water works

Last night I had the joyous job of trying to retrieve a plastic Mickey Mouse figure that, apparently, my oldest son Ryan flushed down the toilet. He was asking where Mickey was and kept saying "Mickey in da toilet. I fwushed him!" So the toilet was backed up but after about 10 minutes of working the plunger, it cleared and flushes fine now.

I am not sure if Mickey is really down there...for some reason I think he was too big to fit, but you never know. We looked all over the house and have yet to find him. We find Goofy, but no Mickey!

Molly

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Originally uploaded by eslinger24.

This is Molly, our 4yr old Golden Retriever. "Our first child" as we often joke. She is very good with the boys. Here she is sporting her pink bandana after a nice morning at the "spa" for a bath and light grooming. She is such a stinker, but we love her!

Ok, I have been pretty slow at posting lately, sorry. I just finished reading Angels & Demons by Dan Brown - that was an awesome book! I recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers.

Well this weekend my father-in-law and I are going to attempt to put 3 ceiling fans in the house. We need to cut holes in the ceiling and wire them up through the attic. Should be interesting! I will let everyone know how it went on Monday!

May 1st

Well, today is May 1st already! Wow. Brett is going to be 1 in 30 days! I can't believe it! BTW.. he took about 6 steps last night, so he is almost ready to walk! This is a great sign, given the spinal surgery he had in September of last year!
Anyway...today is the beginning of my workout plan. I have decided that I need to eat healthier and work out on a more diciplined level. Basically, stop eating junk food and work out smarter. Not a fad diet, just need to eat in moderation and get on a routine in the gym. So I will be posting updates here from time to time, nto to show off (if I even succeed) but more for me to make sure I do it and I can see the results in text. So wish me luck!

Today I am weighing at *GASP* 220 lbs !!! Yeah I have packed on the pounds lately. I am fat, and I dont mean ph-phat.