“The three little sentences that will get you through life. Number 1: Cover for me. Number 2: Oh, good idea, Boss! Number 3: It was like that when I got here.” – Homer Simpson
Author Archives: Jonathan
Sidney Crosby
“I want to be the best, so whatever comes with that, I’ll have to accept.”
— Sidney Crosby, professional hockey player
Working from Home
Well, I’ve been doing it for over two months now so it’s time to make an evaluation of working at home. At first it was just like being at work, lots of people interaction via Skype Video and Instant messaging. After a while though, and especially after a two and a half week vacation that interaction went away and I was reduced to doing the tasks that were assigned to me via my company’s task managment system. Sometimes you feel forgotten, sometimes it’s great because it’s so relaxed, but in general you have focus on the important things, such as the extra time and money saved from the commute. I usually say that if I had a choice, I would not work from home, but would rather just live like a few minutes from work. But living with my family and my expenses, that is not the best option. So it looks like we have found a happy medium.
Top 10 Things I don’t like about Soccer
10. You can’t use your hands
9. A 1 goal lead is an insurmountable lead.
8. If you try to talk soccer with a non-American, they call you names behind your back.
7. The fake falls to get penalties called.
6. The fake falls to kill time in the closing minutes.
5. The MLS will never be able to compete with the rest of the world.
4. The players not on the field have to wear special shirts over their uniforms.
3. Overtime is not sudden death, despite the incredibly low scores.
2. Penalty shots are at the referee’s discretion and very often result in the final outcome of the game.
1. The final tiebreaker is penalty kicks.
Ice Skating 101
I’ve now been ice skating three times and it’s hard to quit now after getting over the worst part of it. I find it quite different than what I was expecting. My first thought was that ice is slippery and I would fall immediately. So I grasped the wall with all of my strength as a self defense tactic to stop me from falling. I almost gave up completely. I had been on the ice 15 minutes and my left arm was dead tired from supporting all of my weight. My foot ached because I roll it to the side when I walk and I could not sustain pressure evenly distributed across the soul of the shoe. I thought I was done. The instructor told me to try hockey skates next time. And sure enough that worked.
The second time was different. I was able to keep my skates straight. Still I supported too much of my weight as I continued to do what the instructor told me to do: Take small steps. I went in 20 feet intervals taking baby steps and it was quite exhausting. I hadn’t exercised in weeks not to mention skating uses muscles you never have used before. I continued with the baby steps to the third session, staying near the wall and circling the rink 5 times in the hour I was there. Towards the end I was able to maintain my balance and take the baby steps without holding the wall, which was a moral victory for me.
I have yet to fall on the ice. I think that overcoming the fear of falling is important in learning to skate. But that’s a story for a different day.
French
My opinion of the French language is that, after learning and being able to speak Spanish, it is difficult. One I first started, I found that every word I said in French, I wanted to say in Spanish. It’s like there is some part of your brain that automatically channels English words into whatever language mode you are tuned in to. After studying French for another 2 months, this channelling is now to French, so when I speak Spanish it wants to come out in French.
There are many things you can do to learn a language. The most obvious is to do an immerision in the country whose language you are trying to learn. Other ways include (in order of prevalance), taking a class, Rosetta Stone (not imitation software), chatting on IM with a native speaker, reading a book at your level, and watching movies and listening to music. Memorizing songs can be particularly useful.
My opinion of Rosetta Stone is that it works, through sheer repetition. Some people say that it’s no good because you don’t have the interaction of a teacher, but the way I look at it is that it’s like going over exercises in a class, but you get to answer every question, and there is no need for the mundane task of correcting students and repeating answers because it is all done automatically. One bad thing I think is that it doesn’t require you to think ‘on your toes’. This is what conversation and teaching practice can do that the software program cannot.
Why I am learning French? I’m not sure, I speak Spanish, and France is close to Spain. Also I enjoyed my trip to Europe and I like learning and going to school. So that’s it…c’est tout.
Dead Poets Society
“Oh captain, my captain”
MC quote
“If you believe in yourself enough and know what you want you’re gonna make it happen.” — Mariah Carey, ‘Make It Happen’
Madden 11 Online
Madden 11, is the EA Sports current football game release. Most of the game I like, but I have a beef about one particular facet of the game, the online game. I have played online once this year, and I refuse to play again. The simple reason I just found out what to call it while querying a forum this morning. It’s called “glitch to win”. Every year, a certain percentage of players have the immense amount of time and dedication to figure out how to beat most gamers on the long bomb. It doesn’t matter if you drop nine players into coverage defensively. It doesn’t matter if you practice and you are all over the wide out. They know how to complete the pass. EA refuses to fix this year in and year out. So the first time I played online, I expected nothing better. Sure enough, in the third quarter, I had my defensive backs in a cover 3. The opponent went deep. My defender was all over the WR, but sure enough my opponent completed the pass. I quit. Why does EA let this happen? I have not played online since and I might just continue taking on the computer because this is not the only glitch. As the posting on the forum said: “Don’t glitch to win, it’s not life or death”.
Shake Your Foundations
You gotta see me leanin’ on the bar, I got my head in a whiskey jar, Feelin’ good ‘cos the city’s alive, I’m gettin’ ready to rock and jive, I get up and I slide across the floor, You wanna come and I’ll meet you at the door, No one can stop us ‘cos we’re feelin’ too right, We’re gonna steal our way around tonight – “Shake Your Foundations” – AC/DC
Homer – Whiskey Bottle
“Just squeeze your rage up into a bitter little ball and release it at an appropriate time, like that day I hit the referee with the whiskey bottle. Remember? When daddy hit the referee?” – Homer Simpson
The NFL
As much as I dislike the re-structuring of the NFL schedule to move the Pro Bowl from two weeks after the Super Bowl to the week before, I am still pleased with the continued domination of the AFC over NFC. I remember those years when the NFC had won something like 15 straight Super Bowls and it was frustrating and a little bit embarrassing for a Steelers fan. Finally though the tables have turned and once again the AFC has bragging rights.
I think there should be some incentive to the Pro Bowl though. Like major league baseball for example, the winner boasts home field for the World Series. What could the pro bowl do? Perhaps eliminate the coin toss for opening kickoff and replace it with the choice given to the Pro Bowl winner’s conference.
Also, I don’t think you can have an “all-star” game and still call it an all-star game without playing the leagues very best players. The current structure sidelines the Super Bowl teams players, so what does that leave? The best of the rest. Are we as die hard football fans deserving of “the best of the rest”? I don’t think so. I would love to hear the rationale of the NFL for structuring it this way, but for once I do not agree with the NFL agenda. I like the playoff system, I like the divisional structure as well. The only other thing I don’t agree with is playing highly important playoff games in 20 degree whether or in snow. These guys are professionals and are extremely talented. Do they really deserve to play through in the freezing cold? Why not play all the playoffs in neutral fields in favorable climates, or even indoors? I know the NFL fans are tough and crazy, but in negative windchills is ridiculous. Commissioner Goodell, fix the Pro Bowl, make it worth something. Still though I can’t complain too much with today’s result of yet another AFC win.
Homer1
“Lisa, if the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn’t, it’s that girls should stick to girls sports, such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing and such and such. ” – Homer Simpson
One Guy’s Opinion: Mac vs. PC
I like the Mac. I like Safari, iPhones, iPods, and MacBooks. I like the aesthetics and the user experience. I fondly remember my Apple iic, and I’m convinced that Apple builds a superior product. But one question: Why is Apple competing in a market dominated by Microsoft and PC’s? They’re just making live difficult for all of us computer users. Will they ever dominate the market like Microsoft? probably not. Is Apple making any money? probably not. I just got a MacBook and I like it, but I have no idea how convert and manipulate files to PC nor do I want to do that. It’s like VHS and BETA. But everyone is buying both systems instead of choosing one. It’s like Bluray and HD DVD. But Toshiba didn’t back down and make life easier on us. Apple, I have one thing to say: Good job, bravo, but the game is over, go home…
gmail is terrible
This is just a plea asking that you not get gmail. I have had it up to neck with gmail and finally I’m switching over to yahoo. What’s wrong with it? First, the site is not intuitive, it groups your emails in a way that you can’t understand. Why can’t they just open a new tab for each email like yahoo? Second, the firebug fix. My computer at work is slowed by gmail, and I don’t really want to go into my firebug settings every time I get a new computer. What is firebug? Well you don’t need it if you’re not a web developer, but I am a web developer. If google doesn’t care if their workforce and colleagues are happy with gmail, why would they care about anybody else? Finally, it doesn’t even look nice. Why does it take so many google geniuses (might I add the Google blew me off when I was looking for a job) to make this basic looking site that looks like a 1995 HTML newsgroup?
