Stunning

In case there was ever any doubt, let's just state for the record that I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Sometimes the Truth Hurts

From Nick Webster's predictions about this weekend's EPL matches:

With only one loss in the top flight, Hull have defied all predictions. However haven't they yet had to dance with the 'Big Four.' If they sit back, Arsenal will pick them apart. If they pressure, Arsenal will pick them apart. If they try and play football, Arsenal will pick them apart. In fact they'll need a miracle not to be picked apart.

Now, I like Hull. I'm rooting for them to do well this season. But, man, they are going to get destroyed on Saturday.

The Travails of Modern Man

When I got home from Florida last week, I noticed that I was having some electrical problems in my home. The lights would flicker, the UPS my computer is plugged into would beep and chirp and sound all angry; hints that something bad is going on. Oh, and my cable didn't work, either; quite odd stuff.

The first thing I did was contact the cable company, and they had a service technician come out on Saturday. He discovered that the cable running to my house had actually melted at the connection point, and that the ground wire from the cable box was running live current. That didn't sound like a good thing, so my father came out and checked out my circuit box. It turned out that the electrical system inside my home was fine, but the power coming in from the electric company was too hot on one end of the circuit, with the voltage being too high.

So, I called the electric company on Monday and I guess a crew came out to check the situation on Tuesday, because I came home to find a large, long, temporary power cable running from the electric company's box on my property, all the way across two other properties, and into a larger feeder box down the street. At least my power problems were solved, as there was no more flickering or angry UPS system.

However, it turns out that problems were had by more than just me. Other people on my street had experienced the same problems, and my neighbor Greg even had his satellite receiver, AC compressor, and garage door opener fried by power spikes, costing him many hundreds of dollars to get fixed. So, while my situation wasn't good, it could have been a whole lot worse.

Ah, the joys of home ownership.

Best Desktop Wallpaper Ever!

Yeah, you know you're all jealous of my VF-1S Super Valkyrie painting. You can go ahead and admit it, I know it's true.

Orlando is hot and muggy in September

Greetings from hot and muggy Orlando, FL! I came down here last Monday for training. My company sent everyone in positions below the manager level down here for training for the week. I learned some stuff, stayed up too late talking with co-workers I know from around the country, and got a cold from my roommate. Fun.

However, because my older brother and his wife life in Orlando, I am staying over the weekend to visit them. I also had a chance to meet up with Matt Brown (who is my editor at AnimeDream.com), and Mark Sutherlin (who I know from back in STL, though he has moved to Orlando, now). The only big event day will be tomorrow; we are going to visit the Disney Animal Kingdom theme park. I've heard mixed things about it, but the regular Disney World doesn't appeal to me, and I want to see some funky animals. We'll see if we actually see any, though.

That Sounds About Right

(I thought this was appropriate for my 300th blog post)

60% Geek

Sarah Palin Facts

Admittedly, I don't really know anything about the governor of Alaska. However, I enjoy crazy internet memes as much as the next guy. So, when I came across this, I found it hilarious, in the same way that those Mike Huckabee/Chuck Norris videos were hilarious.

Going North

Greetings from Ithaca, NY. That is where I happen to find myself this week. I've never been anywhere in New York other than NYC, so it is good to get a first-hand view of how the rest of the state is. I must say, it appears quite normal. Also, people here appear about 100 times nicer than the NYC stereotype. And the airport! Ha, ha! I have to laugh because it is tiny. In fact, it is the same size as the airport in Fargo, ND, with only four gates. I can literally walk from the airport to my hotel, and they are not on the same property or anything. Funny.

Actually, I have had a new experience this week. When I flew into town on Monday night, I was met by a security officer from the company I am here to audit. See, I couldn't rent a car, because all the car rental places my company has contracts with were closed for the holiday. So, the manager I am working with from the client arranged a vehicle for me through the company security office. So I met the security officer at the airport, and he drove me in his truck to my hotel, where another security officer was waiting to hand me the keys to the Ford Explorer I am driving this week. The two security officers then proceeded into the hotel lobby with me, so there I was at the check-in counter flanked by a security officer on each side. I wasn't sure how to respond to that, actually; it was kind of weird. Nice people, though. I'd personally prefer my security detail to be a bit more intimidating, but you go with what you have, I guess.