A Reasonable Design At Last

You may have noticed that I have switched around blog formats a couple times in the past month.  I’ve wanted to change it, and learned some new tricks to upload other designs from the web.  After a silly amount of time, I came to realize that there is not a single pre-made layout that I thought would suit my blog.  I had that scrapbook one for a while, but that wasn’t quite right, so I switched to a general one until I could figure out what to do. 

I finally decided to learn a bit about HTML and make my own.  Though I did start from a template I found online (Link Here), I edited most of the code to suit my needs.  After getting all the fonts and positioning just right, I decided I needed a little logo.  Again I browsed a bit online, and came to the conclusion that I should just draw my own.  The results of quite a bit of labor this week are before.  I must say I am quite happy.  I have a couple more ideas I plan to layer into this site, but I’m going to take a break for a while and get ready for China.   There will likely be no posts for a couple weeks, so I catch you on the flip side.

P.S.  I found one template that I liked quite a bit that I started modifying.  Here is a link.  I decided it was a little too girly and didn’t quite suit me.  But I did have some fun replacing all the little puzzle pieces with my drawn logo.

Thanks for reading.   

"It's Saint Patty's Day. It's all in good fun"

This wonderful holiday of greenness instills in me fond thoughts of Boondock Saints.  NOT Boondock Saints 2 which instills in me great remorse and the desire to hit myself repeatedly in the head until the knowledge of that movie goes away.  I thought I would just throw out some partially edited quotes for my reading audience.

Enjoy.  And if it you haven’t seen this movie, go find a copy right now.  Get mentally prepared for all the swearing, and just enjoy a great movie.   

Rosengurtie: Wait, rule of thumb? In the early 1900s it was legal for men to beat their wives, as long as they used a stick no wider than their thumb. 
Connor: [Sarcastic] Can't do much damage with that then, can we? Perhaps it should have been a rule of wrist? 

Detective Greenly: [giving his theory about the two dead Russians in the alley] This guy takes a blunt object, freakin', waah! Hits the guy with the bandages around his head, right? Why? 'Cause he's smart. He knows the guy with the bandages around his back, he ain't goin' nowhere. He's goin' freakin' nowhere. 
[to dead body] 
Detective Greenly: Where you goin'? Nowhere! 

Detective Greenly: Then he comes over here, jumps on this guy's back and crushes him to death... I feel something big here.  I wouldn't be surprised if we see more these turning up.

Paul Smecker: Brilliant. So now we got a huge guy theory, and a serial crusher theory. Top notch

Murphy: Ahh, F you! I'm sweatin' my butt off draggin' your stupid rope around. Must weigh thirty pounds. 
Connor: Shhh. We are doing some serious stuff here, now get a hold of yourself! 
Murphy: Oh, *f**k you*! I'm not the rope-totin' Charlie Bronson wannabe that's getting us lost! 

Paul Smecker: [walking through the hotel room] How many bodies, Greenly? 
Detective Greenly: Eight. 
[Smecker gives him a look] 
Detective Greenly: Ah, crap! I forgot about that one! Nine! Nine? 
Paul Smecker: While Greenly's out gettin' coffee, anybody else want anything? 

Paul Smecker: Now, you Irish cops are perking up. That's two sound theories in one day, neither of which deal with abnormally sized men. Kind of makes me feel like Riverdancing. 

Detective Dolly: So what's the symbology there? 

Murphy: We're sorta like 7-Eleven. We're not always doing business, but we're always open. 
Connor: That is nicely put. 

Connor: We haven't really got a system of deciding who, Roc. It's, uh... 
Rocco: Me! *Me*! I'm the guy! I know everyone! Their habits, who they hang out with, who they talk to! I've got phone numbers, addresses… I know where they live!  We could kill *everyone.* 
Murphy: So what do you think? 
Connor: I'm strangely comfortable with it.

Man in the street: OK? I'm ready to get busy too. You know, I'm ready to get *busy*. 

Z is for Zack

Is there a better way to end the alphabet?  I assure you there is not.  I thought it would be fun to close off this series of posts with some very random facts about the author of this blog.  Not knowing what they are at this point it time, I can predict that most will not surprise you, but the majority will none the less be fairly odd.

1. I’ve spent entirely too much time already thinking about Man Weekend 2010.  Despite the fact that I am going to be in China in less than two weeks, I’m already getting excited about the prospects of this year’s festival of manhood filled with fire, guns, competition, meat, and booze. 
2. I know exactly what I would ask for if I found a magic lamp with a genie granting me 3 wishes
1. Monetary:  I don’t want an abundance of wealth that I would have to worry about being taken or running out, or even tax implications.  I would simply like to be able to reach into my pocket and pull out the exact amount of money I want in any situation.  How awesome would that be?  Never having to worry about carrying money or balances.  “Hi, I would like to purchase that car.  How much will that be?... ok, here you go.”  I would like a hot dog please.  BAM. $1.50.  It would also be very convenient for traveling internationally as the power would clearly work for any currency.  “Here’s 800 yen… Here’s 50 Euros…. Here’s a goat.
2. Super Powers:  All of the powers of superman with the ability to turn them off and copy them to another person.  The powers of superman would clearly be awesome, but I feel like sometimes, you would just want to be normal.  I also think you would want to share your abilities with others, especially flying.  What good would it be if I can fly anywhere in the world and beyond if Liz and Wes couldn’t go with me?  Of course I would have to be very careful about who found out about my powers and almost no one could know my powers could be copied.  I’ll just have to deal with that problem as it comes up.
3. Set the genie free:  If genies exist, I can only assume that the Aladdin principles apply. 
3. In any social occasion, at almost any point, I would rather us play a competitive sport / activity than do what we are currently doing.  Sure I like sitting around and talking, or a good meal, or watching a movie, or a board game, but if any one in the room is up for a game of tennis, ping pong, football, ultimate Frisbee, basketball, etc.  Let’s go.
4. I’m George Costanza when it comes to public restrooms.  I’m not really exaggerating here.  The decisions I have made in past situations would probably shock you, but I’m not going into those stories here.  I will say that China is going to be an issue.  With some exaggeration, I’m thinking about just holding it.  Like George when he was in India. 
5.  I think I’m a darn good driver and would like so much to be a part of a car chase.  It doesn’t matter if I’m being chased or chasing someone else.
6. One thing I would love to do, but will most likely never get the opportunity, is get chased by some cops in an urban setting.
7. I spend more time than you could possibly imagine daydreaming about terrorists charging my current location with guns.  I know the exact plan that would execute to put myself in a position to counter-attack.  Though I am screwed in my office with high walls 3 stories up and my back to the door, I think I have a PK route from the front door of the office to the bottom floor if the elevators are out of service.  Clearly the stairs are a bad idea.  At the same time, I am always ready to flip some pews at church for cover.    
8. I can’t wait until I have my own place where I can build a workshop to forge.
9. From time to time I think to myself that I could build an alternate energy fueled rocket pack in my spare time.  I have to force myself to the reality that I would inevitably fail.
10. Enough people have commented me on my writing to make me want to write a book.  Though completely ludicrous to think I could get published, it’s fun to dream.  I am, however, strongly considering writing a short story to put on my blog.  How could I even begin to think about success in a book if my short story is crap?   
11. I am way too trusting of people.
12. I want to engage in a fist fight for noble reasons.
13. I am completely convinced that I am in no way meeting my potential in life.

Thank you all for reading along through the alphabet. I thought number 13 was a good number to end on cause well…. 14.  I’m not superstitious.   

Y is for Yearn

KRAMER: Do you ever yearn?
GEORGE: Yearn? Do I yearn?
KRAMER: I yearn.
GEORGE: You yearn.
KRAMER: Oh, yes. Yes, I yearn. Often, I...I sit...and yearn. Have you yearned?

GEORGE: Well, not recently. I craved. I crave all the time, constant craving...but I haven't yearned.

-Seinfeld

I had no idea what I wanted to blog about when I starting writing today.  Having nothing significant, I just typed a few random thoughts.  They seemed to blend well together into some sort of a poem.  Perhaps it is deep, but it is most likely crap.  Either way, I shall share it with the world. 

Just a blank canvas awaiting greatness.

Merely a decent quote amongst a sea of formless drivel.

I want to do better, I could do better, but I fail to be better.

If actions speak louder than words, to what volume can I assign hopes and dreams?

Perhaps I am muted.