"He just went sailing right out there!"

I wanted to post a little something about a truly classic movie: "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World." I was introduced to this movie by my wife when we were dating. She couldn't believe that I hadn't seen it and she insisted that we watch it. Well, almost three hours later, I was pretty disappointed. I really didn't think it was that great of a movie. Well, I've watched it multiple times since then and it gets funnier every time. A few years ago, Jenny and I found a DVD copy of the movie for $7. We snatched it right up.

This movie has the who's who of comedy from the 50s and 60s. Ever since I became familiar with this movie, I've started to notice references to it in other shows and movies. There is an entire scene from The Simpsons that is a parody of the last part of this movie. A few years ago they did a remake of it called "Rat Race." If you haven't seen this movie, drop me a line and I'll let you borrow it. However, I might require you make a deposit!

"Just hit the button marked 'booz'!"

Neglect

I've been thinking lately about how badly I've neglected my blog. It's not that I haven't wanted to post something. The fact is, I just didn't know what to write. I've noticed that there are a lot of blogs out there that get neglected. A few days ago I figured out why.
People neglect their blogs because they spend their time on Facebook. This got me thinking about other things that we neglect. What leads neglect? I think it's probably disinterest. We find something better or more interesting, so that's where we spend our time. It makes me sad to think about children that get neglected. Is it really because their parents have lost interest or found something that they think is better? As I sit here and watch my little guy running around, I think that's one of the saddest statements a parent can make. So, I'm going to end this post and go be interested in him.

PS - This post is not meant to say that if you are on Facebook you are neglecting your children. I wasn't meaning to lead to that point. Out!

I've been listening to this a lot lately. It was strange at first, and I wasn't sure I liked it. Now I can't get it out of my head, or my cd player.

Uncharted

I've been playing this game lately. It combines everything that I like in an action video game: puzzle solving, terrain traversing, and stopping a madman and his army of mercenaries in order to save the world. On top of that, the graphics are some of the most incredible I've ever seen. Yes, I confess, I like video games. A few years ago I decided to stop pushing away my geek side, and instead accept it. This game is for Playstation 3. I like playing Wii when I'm playing with other people, but for hard-core gaming, I'm all about the PS3. I also like the PS3 because, if you want, it can be turned into more than just a gaming system. Last Christmas, I pulled out the 60 gig hard drive and replaced it with a 500 gig hd. Since then, I've been working on loading all of my movies onto the PS3 so that with a few clicks of my remote I can be watching the movie of my choice. Oh yeah, and there's the whole ability to play blu-ray movies.

I've been able to play video games lately because I finished school, for now. I've graduated, but eventually I'll go back for my MIS. So, my time has been filled with spazzing out with the little guy, watching movies on weeknights with my wife, and generally feeling more relaxed. I like no school.

Communication

I've been thinking about this lately, and I've decided that communication is a pretty important thing. It seems that pretty regularly I am put in a position (is this vague enough?) where I am basically placed in the position of mind reader because of somebody's lack of communication skills. I get so anxious (and irritated) when whoever I'm with expects me to know what they're thinking, and then gets irritated when I have no idea what we are doing. Maybe this says something about me too. I'm not the type of person that likes surprises or not knowing what my short-term schedule is going to be. It seems like usually when I'm in one of these mind-reading situations, I get the most anxious when I don't know if the person I'm with is expecting to spend 30 minutes on a project or 4 hours. Yo, I might have other stuff to do! I can't tell what you're thinking! So, for all of you in blogotopia, please make sure you are communicating with those around you! I have to clarify, this post is not referring to my wife. In closing, here's a random picture for you visual types.

State of Irritation

Jenny and I have been discussing the State of the Union address this last week. In case you're looking at the title of my post and thinking that I'm about to bash on the address, you're wrong. Let me preface this by saying I'm not an Obama lover or apologist. However, I like to think of myself as somebody that doesn't blindly follow the first thing I hear. One of the things I've been hearing people knock on Obama for is the idea that he's not fiscally conservative. Here's some numbers for you. When Bush took office, the national debt was approximately $5 1/2 trillion. When he left office it was over $10 trillion. Don't talk to me about the current administration's spending. Bush doesn't even know what a budget is. One of the most basic principles of economics is that when the economy is in a recession, it's usually because there is a lack of cash in the market. One of the big ways to put cash into the market is through government spending! This is a principle that I have heard out of Republicans mouths again and again, but when a Democrat says it, Republicans are suddenly against it!
The Republicans talk about government staying out of business and then in the very next sentence they complain about government bailouts. Guess what? It is government staying out of business that allowed for companies to get so big that the economy couldn't afford to let them fail. This type of thinking is the equivalent of almost eating yourself to death and then complaining that you have to exercise and eat right to lose weight.
I am absolutely sick of how during the address the Republicans sat in their seats and pouted like little kids who can't get their way so they don't want to play anymore. You can sit and whine, or you can be part of the solution. It sounded to me like Mr. President already had a plan for all of the things he mentioned on Wednesday. What plans do the Republicans have? I haven't heard one yet.

Pathetic...

That's the word that I would use to describe my blogging habits lately. I've been putting a lot of my thoughts on twitter, simply because it seems to be a more convenient way for me to express what's on my mind at the moment. I'm sitting here thinking about what to say and I have the concept of defining moments in my head. We all have defining moments in our lives that we look back on and we can see how the rest of our life has changed as a result of that moment. I have a different view on this though. Do you ever run into those people where it seems that they interpret every moment in their life as a defining moment? These are the type of people that will react in an extreme way to anything and everything that happens in their life. I wonder if recognizing defining moments can be a defining moment. Have you ever been able to recognize that a significant event was about to happen before it ever happened? I think that those are the times in life when you really learn what it is to be alive. Wow, it's late. That must be why I've turned rambling philosopher all of a sudden. I'd better hit the kill switch before this gets out of control. On an unrelated note, Wii is fun, but PS3 is still best.