Welcome Winter

So this snaggle-toothed menace is Pugsey. Been here 2 months and already leaving a legacy of mischief. He is not the leafiest tree in the forest by any stretch of the imagination. He already tried to bite me. I didn't put him here for his looks. He just wants to say hi and he hopes you have a good holidays!

Well, he didn't really say any of that...I did.

Summer of Bores

All in all the last few months have been a bit on the lame side. Things have been so lame that I can actually laugh at this modeling pose by our friend Strongbad. Yes, I had nothing else to do but play his PC game and I had to get a snapshot of it.

Don't take me for being overly depressed. I just wish I could catch a break once in a while. Well, it's out of my hands. Bring on the fall/winter/spring. See ya round the block kids...

a letter to me from my Subconscious

Dear Sir,

Lately it has come to my attention that your present condition is something of a dispirited one. These are simply my observations of current circumstances and their overall effects on your well-being. I should like to assert my authority and expertise in evaluating your state of mind.

First things first - we never give up! No matter what, we keep going, keep moving, never letting go, not quitting, or even losing faith. Ever. The one thing you can always do is hope. Do not stop believing in the cause. You have a role to play in this cosmic theater. You have to continue trying your best.

Sure things can get a little crazy, a bit complicated, and downright not cool. But that’s what we have to deal with on a regular basis. You can do it. You will do it. Despite what you have to cope with at any given time, you know that there is always a person or group of people who are worse off than you are. Things can always get better. That is the truth.

I hope that you take this to heart. Do everything you can that’s good, and avoid all that seems to be negative and unprofitable. You are not alone. Remember that. I’m not talking about me, either. Family, friends, and others are on your side; they root and pull for you constantly. One day it will all pay off, and we can look back and learn from this chaotic fiasco.

That’s about the extent of what I meant to convey to you…make it count. Good luck!

Yours (obviously),inner self

30 seconds of me

* generic version
* rough draft

I am fairly reserved. I believe in the 3 P's - punctuality, practicality, and patience. I prefer moderation. My favorite thing to do is figure things out. I use my wits wisely. I like to help people out when they need it. I believe that God is our Father and we are His children. I also believe He has a plan for all of us. I think that Washington was our greatest President. Why? Because his Congress was the smallest. I don't favor war, but it is necessary at times to keep peace. I wish I had more money. Who doesn't? I'd rather have my own family, but still love the one I'm part of. When I was young, I wanted to be a Herpetologist (reptile expert). Now I think it would be cool to be a U.S. Marshall.

*possibly more than 30 seconds
*sorry, not perfect ya know

sweetJ speaketh

Seeing as how this is my blog, and I can put any old thing into it I so wish, what should it be?

Pictures? Done.
Poetry? Did it.
Video? Check.
Quotes? Uhuh.
Trivia? Yessir.
Games? You bet.
Opinions? Of course.
Secrets of the universe? Hmmm...
Shout-outs? Holla!
Tributes? Gotcha.
Personal info? Let's not get too crazy now-

I guess I am so boring that nothing cool enough can cut it on the blog board for me.
And no comments have been made yet either.
B u m m e r

8 l

Tribute

Ok haters, stop right now!

This post honors our man Michael Fred Phelps.

You got to give it up for a guy to do what he did. Yes, he is a freak in the water. An unbeatable freak at that.

Make no mistake-Spitz was awesome. WAS. It is time for the world to check themselves (swimmers at least). This was an unbelievable feat. Any and all witnesses will agree.

No, he probably couldn't have done it without a little help and a bit of luck. But he did it. No one else has even tried. My hats off to him. The training alone would have killed me. He managed to pull it off with the whole world watching. No pressure there. Would I race him on land? Maybe. In water? Not a chance.

You go Mike! See you in London, 2012...

WHOA! nellie!!

O.K., so what in the name of all things could prompt 2 posts in 1 day from yours truly?

This: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080814/ap_on_en_mo/film_harry_potter

I was surprised at the move the studio thought was the right thing to do. Move a HIGHLY anticipated film back 9 months - just so it can make more money in an opening weekend! So what that tells me is that #'s are more important than entertaining a loyal world-wide fan base.

(Shame)

I know, it's just business. But the movie is already done. It will probably leak out somehow before the new release date anyway. That's like a Dr. not giving out the perfect prescription for you until you get worse, so he can be more thanked and appreciated for saving your life instead of just making you feel better. I think a global petition is in order.

I don't buy into the whole "well, pushing it back will make it so the wait for the following films won't be as long"... I'm sorry...but is that black crap on a white page or what?! Maybe the filming should have been going on for the last movie before these "kids" hit retirement age. I sort of remember the last book having a minute (my-noot) portion where the whole gang is a lot older, but both parts of the 7th movie are gonna have stand-ins for the main stars for age purposes. I don't know if even the hollywood make-up greats can pull that off.

Let me bring it up right now. I'm not a die-hard Harry Potter fan, but I know ridiculous-ness when I see it. If you agree then let me hear you say it. Don't let me be the only one flappin my yappers for no reason...

respect to opinions!

(...)

No title today, but a post I can do.

Some out there have it in them to prefer that blogs be decorated with various images.

So I shall display...

To the side of this text is a pose by Heidi. She is a German Shepherd, obviously. She is the best dog in the world. Yes, that would be biased. In the pic she is probably getting ready to play ball. You can see it in her eyes. I did not ask permission to show her on my site. Why do I put this shot of canus familiaris up here just now? Think-

Summer is winding down. Another reference to the months of June, July, and August are "the dog days of summer". This mug of man's best friend is a reminder. The reminder is to enjoy it, baby!

2 VENTure

Is it that time again?! Yes, that's right. Medals, here we come. World, get ready.

Now for the latest:

The summer is winding down. Football is starting up. Kids are back in school. I'm moving again. Russia is in another nasty conflict. The "Dark Knight" is available online already. Brett Favre might actually take a few more snaps in a real game. John Edwards cheated on his wife. Those D-backs are hangin' in there at 1st place. Jesus loves you. The Little League World Series is in full swing. That earthquake which recently hit the L.A. area ... just a taste. Gas has gone down a bit. Rain is good for washing cars. Last, but not least, I ran 3 miles today!

* just try to get more random than that

"Favorites"

School's getting ready to start back up and I remembered this thing I did once.
While I was student teaching I created this "Favorites" list for my students (icebreaker).
I have filled in the blanks according to my mood. You know how we always change our minds.


1. song/singer- Marvin Gaye singing the Star Spangled Banner
2. color/flavor- chocolate marshmallows are the best!
3. movie/actor(actress)- Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta, Will Smith in I am Legend
4. athlete/sport- those AND1 mix tape tour street ballers are fun to watch
5. cereal- either corn pops, frosted flakes, or frosted mini wheats
6. TV show- used to be CSI, it was a great show for awhile
7. candy bar- charleston chew (hands down)
8. game- scrabble and boggle I guess
9. book/author- Rowling is the new Tolkien? Dr. Seuss rules
10. soft drink- just Hawaiian Punch
11. ice cream- DQ blizzards of course
12. video game- all time? maybe Final Fantasy X
13. gum/candy- mike and ikes rock my mouth
14. activity/hobby- shootin' hoops/shootin' pool
15. cartoon character/comic- I'm into Marvel mostly
16. school subject- social studies for everybody
17. store/brand- hate to say this, but Nike takes it (outlet)
18. restaurant- for grease-Rally's…for spice-Popeye's
19. smell- has to be fresh cotton candy
20. excuse- "there's always tomorrow"

*feel free to submit yours at your leisure

Ju$ diddlee poo

Yesssss...the Harry Potter teaser is now online (http://www.themoviebox.net/trailers/)
so check it out if you havent yet.

It's for kids though right? Really?
Im gonna throw out a number right now - how about 4,453,611,881
What number is that? Try the approximate amount, in dollars, that the first five HP films have grossed worldwide. But it's for kids though. I guess that's why almost 400 million copies of the books have sold worldwide so far. By the way, the average length for those books - 599 pages. Kids stuff huh?
What's really crazy is that J.K. Rowling is now the wealthiest female author on the planet (or so I'm told). Pretty good for a lady with only a couple kids, and young ones at that.

But the latest movie version promises to be quite a spectacle...and that's my point for the day!

m e m o r i e s

so I found my old rants/my first attempt at the blog game,
and it is here:

http://frodosadodo.blogspot.com/

not very good, but could be worse
cant believe it was that long ago...

To Tell The Truth

# of lies told today.....1

# of people lied to today.....1

# of people who belive this.....1


"I believe the best test of our integrity and honesty is when we personally enforce in our own lives that which ultimately cannot be enforced."
David A. Bednar, "Be Honest," New Era, Oct. 2005, 9

con-tin-ued

Yes, the Dark Knight is the movie of the year so far...by far - and here are those answers to last post's questions:

1. boxing

2. Niagara Falls (The rim is worn down about 2.5 feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute).

3. asparagus and rhubarb

4. strawberry

5. dwarf, dwell, dwindle

6. period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses

7. lettuce

8. shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts

9. It grew inside the bottle! (The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems).

crazy stuff huh
yeah

"I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs." - John Wooden

QUIZ'n

For no particular reason, here's a few things to figure out, if you can...

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4.What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. Only three words in the standard English language begin with the letters "dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them.

6. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

7. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

8. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S".

9. In many liquor stores you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

* I did not make these up myself.
* Answers will be on the next post.
-J

Soulful Sustenance

And so the sermon for this sabbath is self-mastery. Pay attention...

* According to Epictetus: "Evil does not naturally dwell in the world, in events, or in people. Evil is a by-product of forgetfulness, laziness, or distraction; it arises when we lose sight of our true aim in life. When we remember that our aim is spiritual progress, we return to striving to be our best selves. This is how happiness is won.

Know first who you are and what you're capable of. Just as nothing great is created instantly, the same goes for the perfecting of our talents and aptitudes. We are always learning, always growing. It is right to accept challenges. This is how we progress to the next level of intellectual, physical, or moral development. Still, don't kid yourself. If you try to be something or someone you are not, you belittle your true self and end up not developing in those areas that you would have excelled at quite naturally. Within the divine order, we each have our own special calling. Listen to yours and follow it faithfully."

Take it in people. Take it all in. Like fresh air in the lungs. There's more where that came from, for sure. Have a good week.

Intellegenti Pauca

So some stormy weather has hit here, but won't ruin the weekend plans I bet.

A little historical trivia for you:
today (July 11) marks the day of "the duel" between Vice President Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, back in 1804. Hamilton was hit by a bullet and died the next day (the 12th).

Today is the day to get the new Iphone (3G). Good luck with that - just a bunch of hype!

For all you basketball fans-who are into the Olympic teams-you might want to look up on YOUTUBE 'Ricky Rubio', who plays for Spain. He appears to be Pistol Pete Maravich reincarnated. Very cool stuff.
While you are perusing random videos, type in a search for 'Tony Jaa'. This dude is crazy! He is Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, & Jet Li on steroids.

I gotta go exercise and cook my chicken dish now...

Aude Sapere

1 month, 0 comments

How 'bout those IRS stimulus checks, huh. I wish Uncle Sam would realize the true definition of the word...

* stimulus: something that rouses a person or thing to activity or energy (financially?)
* some synonyms include-incentive, encouragement, inspiration

I was under the impression that there would be something to appreciate by way of a check in the mail. Another let down! One of many recently.

Anyway, another day, another adventure here in Mesa, AZ.


"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." - Proverbs 4:18

07/07

For today's post, I have opted to reveal my genuine opinion on the current state of our society...well, I'd hate for it to be incomplete and/or inaccurate, so I'll not get into it just now at the risk of getting interrupted. Sorry to disappoint.

Instead let us move onto bigger and better (and more positive) things:

Here's to celebrations

That's right, tomorrow is Independence Day. So get out the watermelon and the blankets and catch a nice display of mini sky fires. The D'backs will be smackin' around the Padres tomorrow(hopefully). Will Smith will be smackin' around the elements in his new (poorly titled) flick. I will be smackin' some ideas around as usual.
* Quick shout out to all the fellow bloggers...hey you out there...

Rules for Life - by Charles J. Sykes

I picked this up awhile back:

1. Life is not fair; get used to it.

2. The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem. The world expects you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

3. You will not make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone until you earn both.

4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure and he can terminate you.

5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger-flipping; they called it opportunity.

6. If you screw up, it's not your parents' fault so don't whine about your mistakes. Learn from them instead.

7. Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way by paying your bills, cleaning your room, and listening to you tell how idealistic you are. So before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room first.

8. Your school may have done away with winners and losers but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades, they'll give you as many chances as you want to get the right answer. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.

9. Life is not divided into quarters. You don't get summers off, and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

10. Television is not real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

11. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

More Rules for Life

12. Life is brutal, cruel, unfair and short. Tough.

13. Nothing in nature gives anyone partial credit for an effort that does not achieve results.

14. Unlike Major League Baseball, you are expected to get it right more than 25% of the time.

15. Enlightenment is not instantaneous. This is why all the wise people in your life -- your parents and professors -- are crusty, cynical, old people.

16. The Rules for Life are not posted anywhere and subject to change without notice. You are expected to always know and abide by the rules, even if the rules do not make sense or if you do not know what the current version of the rules are.

...To Chew On

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR. JAMES ALLEN:"

"Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision, your ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration."

* I'm starting off the 2nd half of '08 with a deep thought

Tales of a Man & his Yellow Folder

(just think of the feather in "Forrest Gump"...)

Chapter 1: 6 hours on a bus - roundtrip

Chapter 2: Another needle in the arm...easy money

Chapter 3: I need a drink!

Chapter 4: HQ stands for headquarters

Chapter 5: I love me a $5 sub

Chapter 6: it's not hot, it's just ridiculously warm

Chapter 7: Why there's bound to be another trip like this one

untitled aka title-less

Here's a link to a game if you need to kill some time: http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/boggleclassic.jsp?brand=clubhouse
I found it useful while I was in recovery. I donated plasma (for $) the other day, and then I started to feel like...poo...
Weird storm last night. Quick, hard rain.
Congrats to my bulldogs at Fresno State for winning College World Series.
Thats it for now. See ya round!

chillin'

takin time to lay low and get mellow
(for all you know, at least)
have a good one people!

2 days (of hell?)

What I did the past 48 hours: almost die!
Well, I took the written test for Phoenix Police on Friday, downtown. I passed but not by much. I made the round trip via Valley Metro.
The next morning-at the crack of dawn-it was time to take the physical agility test in south Phoenix. That was the first time I actually thought about ending my own life. Okay JUST KIDDING!
It was rough but I survived it. Now I have to get moving on my background information packet. With any luck, the process will be quick and I can be in the academy by September.
Just remember to never underestimate the looks of people...they can only be adequately judged by their hearts.

"A wretched soul bruised with adversity,
We bid be quiet when we hear it cry;
But were we burdened with like weight of pain,
As much, or more, we should ourselves complain."
-W. Shakespeare

out of shadow...into sunshine

Another day, another 6 laps, another top-notch quote. It comes to us today from good ol' Professor Clive Staples Lewis:

"God designed the human machine to run on himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

Amen Mr. Lewis!

a QUALITY friend

Let's say you have an extra $10. Tell one of your friends you owe him/her ten bucks (if they ask why, make up a reason). Once you give them the 10-spot, go tell another friend to ask the first friend for a fiver. Either the first friend gives them the 5 or not. It's not like they don't have it on them. A good friend will easily lay it on them. By not sharing a Lincoln freely, their character comes into question. Try it. Can work with girls & boys. Enjoy your summer.

Variety

No, I do not have a facebook page. No myspace one either. But what I do have is a nice thought for the day. As I was working on lap number 6 around the track today, I was remembering a quote that went a little something like this: "The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father's children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole." That, my friends, comes to us from none other than Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin...Have a nice day...

R.I.P.

It's been about 7 months now since the passing of a good dog and a good friend. Mugsy. One of a kind. You left Heidi all alone. You are missed.

Friday the 13th!...What's Happening?

If today is your birthday, then I hope it's a good one, and I wish you all the very best. And now a poem:

(ahem)
You smile upon your friend today,

Today his ills are over;

You hearken to the lover's say,

And happy is the lover.

'Tis late to hearken, late to smile,

But better late than never;

I shall have lived a little while

Before I die for ever.

--- Alfred Edward Housman

Simple, Sincere, Sentiment

What is the truly American ideal? Does it stand alone? Or is it a multiplicity of miniature virtues which combine themselves to form the most prodigious set of values any one could ever possibly attain?
Surely, a response in the affirmative provides us with hope for a better tomorrow; a future full of promise and unending potential. You may begin to wonder how any of this relates to you.
The universal truth is this: we are all a part of it. Regardless of what imaginings you will compile during the course of this brief rant, the fact of the matter is, life goes on. It always has and it always will. In a sense, it could resemble a train without a singular destination. The track never ends. We may get on or off this carrier at our leisure, but the course remains steady.
I suppose if I applied some of these principles for myself, I would be more of a virtuoso than I am at present. That is the beauty of intellect. There is no monopoly on it. The fountain of wisdom can spring forth from sources of precision and brilliance as well as origins so rough and chaotic as nature itself can fathom.
In order to find ultimate happiness, we must traverse the route of Alighieri. Hell must be overcome (demons conquered), the chasm of evil must be crossed, and only then will the essence of pure love wrap its wings around us and welcome us into an eternal glory, without flaws, and emanating an exquisite splendor.

What I’ve learned

When someone gives you the finger, wave back at them…with your bare bottom.
There is no excuse that hasn’t been used yet.
Kids are good when they eat, better when they play, and the best when they sleep.
If you want results, you might get the ones you don’t want.
There are many ways to make it through the day, but only one to get through the night.
You should do two things every day – laugh and cry.
You can have a good time with the right attitude.
I enjoy learning. Otherwise I couldn’t have made up this list.
You can get in trouble if you’re not careful.
You may think there is no point. There really is, you just don’t have to think about it.
There are some things that deserve to be left alone…like the coins in the fountain.
The intelligent man is the one with a happy wife, well-behaved kids, and nice car.
There are some personalities that will always be “in progress”.
If I had a dollar in my pocket – it would be clean for sure.
Be generous to everybody. Karma works.
I’ve climbed ropes, ladders, stairs, trees…I’m still not sure why.
Every creature has a purpose. At least that’s the idea.
I don’t need more things, just better things.
Sometimes I think I might live a long time. Other times I just don’t know.
Let me just say, pizza is good almost anytime of the day or night.
Even though I graduated college, I still feel like an idiot sometimes.
I never ate something I couldn’t pronounce.
A fool once gave me the wrong stinkin’ directions.
Give a man a compliment and you’ve just wasted it.
I made a deal that sounded good at the time. That’s what I get for making deals.
Never say something important to someone who is not paying attention to you.
Always trust God. He is the only one that can be totally trusted.
When you borrow money, it had better be for a good reason.
If a spaceship landed on Earth, and offered you a ride, make sure you have free time.
I may not be ready for anything, but I should be prepared for something.
Never give something away unless you absolutely don’t want it back…ever.
The office can be boring if you work there, but fun to visit and mock the workers there.
My favorite ingredient is marshmallow, of course.
Always feel good about yourself. You’re the only one who knows your secrets anyway.
The hardest thing about life is having to shave all the time.
If doctors suddenly quit, we would have to stop hurting each other.
I’m not afraid of fear. It’s a waste of time. And it’s not that scary.
Always have plenty of licorice (red) when you go to the movies.
I love people that love me. I’m one of them.
When I’m dead, too bad for you world!
What kind of fool cares about what other people know. I mean really.When that guy created the Internet, he knew he would be famous. You know…that one guy.

Pith

Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "Honesty is the first chapter in the Book of Wisdom." Nice. Raise your hand if you even knew there was such a book. Let us crack open this book, wherever it is, and be truthful with ourselves first. At what point did we forget about our ultimate purpose and destiny? Society is in a state of flux. The vicious cycles continue and appear to be spiraling downward. We need to take a stand against the negativity. Sure, we respect the ones who get caught up in the steady improvement of humanity. The only thing preventing you from providing for the welfare of your fellow men and women is you. Everyone can and should do something for this cause. Make your life meaningful. Help someone else to be happy. It's that easy. I dare you to prove me wrong.

17 words

Hot outside. Not so much inside. Bored. Hence the post. So what's up with you? Do tell...