The last thing he needs?

Well, will you look at that—Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. Neat!

But while I find it incredibly exciting that the world has started to view the US in a more favorable light, I can’t help but think that this award is more a commentary on the Bush administration than a reward for any contributions Obama has made this far. Since, you know, he hasn’t even been in office all that long.

I wonder what the committee’s motivations truly were—was the other competition that lackluster? It doesn’t seem likely given the top favored candidate did some pretty impressive things (as mentioned in this article). Or do they believe that this award will be a powerful tool for Obama to further his agenda for peace? Probably, but I think in this regard the committee should have evaluated the actions and not the words.

I’m happy for Obama, but I think this award may be more of a hindrance than a help at this point of his presidency. It adds even more expectations to the ones he already has and arguably gives more ammunition to his critics that Obama is a man of just words.

-KP

How about some hooch in that coffee?

The psychology of sports is really something, isn't it? I’m not an angry individual—I’m really not. Sure, I get upset over some things… even seemingly pointless things, but I don’t get angry. Last night, however, I don’t think I could have expressed any more anger—-which seems rather silly since the Packers, Vikings, Brett Favre, Ted Thompson, or Ragnar don’t affect me in any objective way. But sports fans tend to be very personal about their teams and the drama that surrounds them.

Which, of course, can lead to heartbreak when the desired outcome isn't reached.

Heartbreak? Really? Over a football game?

That’s Packer Nation for you. You idolize a guy growing up and you feel betrayed when he craps all over you. And is that really unreasonable? Favre could have taken the high road when confronted with the “tyranny” of Ted Thompson. But he didn’t. He didn’t even come close.

Of course, I realize that the Vikings were the better team. It really didn’t come down to Favre vs. Rodgers like many were hoping. For me, it comes down to this: which team would have won last night if QB roles were reversed and Rodgers was a Viking and Favre still a Packer?

Unfortunately, the Vikes.

I have no doubt about that, given the way our offensive line acts like a bunch of Sally’s this year. On the flip side, however, who would you want as your QB for the rest of the season? I’m still going Rodgers. Sooner or later, all these so-called analysts will remember that the story of Favre is one of yin and yang, dark and light, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—-the game will come when he throws three or four picks and costs them the win. Hell, even multiple wins.

-KP

You mean the board game guy?

The Arlington Heights Daily Herald really isn't a mainstream news source but, for a list of reasons (both subjective and objective), I really got a kick out of this Milton Bradley interview.

Which got him suspended for the rest of the season, I should add.

Oh, Cubs.

-KP

Randomnicity (09.19.09 Edition)

Without introduction, let's get to this.

1. A few months ago I started reading this comic called Locke & Key which I quite liked because it had a distinct "Stephen King" feel to it all (and I really, really like Stephen King). Fast forward a few weeks when I browsed through Barnes & Noble's bargain bin section to find a novel published by the same author (Heart-Shaped Box). Shelling out my six hard-earned dollars, I picked it up and started reading.

The premise? Guy buys ghost over internet. Horror ensues. While it may sound like a somewhat lame premise, it really has given me full-fledged in-the-daytime-nightmares.

Not unlike the comic, this novel reminded me of Stephen King as well. So I Wikipedia'd the author's name (Joe Hill) and--wouldn't you know--he's the son of Stephen King!

2. Molly and I went down to Wrigley Wednesday night to see the Brewers play the Cubs. I love Wrigley--I love the history, I love the area, and I love notching a "W" on foreign soil.

3. My hair is getting ridiculously shaggy. Err, more ridiculously shaggy.

4. Congratulations, Prince, on RBI #127. Love it.

5. I cracked the hell up over this:



6. We finally got around to watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tonight. Wow, was I NOT expecting a nearly-three hour movie.

7. Are you watching Glee? If not, you are making a grave mistake. For realsies. Best new show of the season. LOL funny.

8. I think it now runs against the grain to admit to liking Michael Moore nowadays (is that a true assessment, or am I just imagining things?) but I really can't wait for his new documentary to come out.

Ok, time to make like a dork and go play video games on a Saturday night. After an entire summer of non-stop-on-the-go-weekends, this is actually refreshing.

Good night, all!

-KP

It's not a raise, but it's something.

There was a bit of a fire drill at work the other day with my one and only favorite client (I have plenty of descriptive words I could use but, again, I'll keep things G-rated). I'll spare you the boring details, but the end result was that I got this!

Of course, getting a free camera (free!) isn't enough to keep me from being critical of the darn thing. The camera is pretty much all style and mediocre substance (I think image quality is a little worse than my old camera, for instance). However, I barely know how to work all the settings so some of this still may be user error.

But, still--FREE. And it's tiny. (And I'm not a photographer). So I think, overall, this works out pretty well for me.

-KP

Cyber kisses are so delicious.

Fact: Women are not supposed to wear white dresses to another person's wedding.

Fact: I didn't know this before last week.

Fact: This is just crazy.

MoPo, JC, and I had a very interesting lunch conversation last week over this apparently malicious behavior--in which I largely judged this particular "etiquette" as completely absurd. Seriously, think about it: is anyone truly going to mix up the bride (who, you know, is wearing a wedding dress) with another female who is wearing a predominantly white colored dress? I doubt it. Perhaps someone doesn't get to dress up all that much and she really likes this white dress she found. Is that so wrong for someone to like what they wear?

Rest assured, I was informed that this level of innocence does not occur when it comes to females wearing white dresses to somebody's wedding. Apparently women are fickle creatures (keeping my language G-rated there) with nothing but hate in their hearts. There is no other explanation to explain this type of behavior.

This is why boys are better.

-KP

...and this just in.

I'm interrupting my all-afternoon recuperation nap to bring you this blog. Congratulations to Nick & Ashley, who are two of the best friends a guy could ask for.

I'm in the process of putting the pictures up here.

-KP

Emerging from the silence.

Hello, bloggers--it's been quite some time, hasn't it?

Work has been CR-AZY. Plenty of long hours, working a bit on weekends, and taking the bulk of the load to try and secure new business. I feel I've been doing some quality work but with wage and hiring freezes, of course, I don't really get rewarded or acknowledged by my bosses. To put it in perspective, by the time two of my colleagues celebrated their 2-year anniversary they had been promoted twice (and I still have only received a diddly prorated raise for my first 6 months of service). Don't get me wrong; I understand these are different times and there are plenty of people out there who wouldn't mind putting in 60 hour weeks.

So, besides work, what else is new?

I can't even tell you the last time I had a weekend to do absolutely nothing. Weddings and bachelor parties up the wazoo, the annual birthday bash and "camping" trip, and now we'll have a Brewer game or two to finish up the month of August (all of which are uber-fun). But it will be nice to get a weekend to do absolutely nothing (whenever that is), even though I'll complain of boredom when it does occur.

And to finish this post up (for now): Wow, trying to shake up the clubhouse a little bit? (Edit: and this too!) Molly and I are going to the game tonight (yeah, we're crazy driving up on a weeknight, but we had to take advantage of the Home Run Derby promotion--$28 tickets for $5... thanks, Prince!) and now I'm really interested to see how the team will react and perform. I have no delusions that we'll make it into the postseason, but having a winning record would be nice!

-KP

And though you fight to stay alive, your body starts to shiver...

I'm in one of those moods where I have no energy but still want to be active; I don't want to move but I don't want to sit still; I'm tired but I don't want to take a nap. Where does that leave me, except to be utterly and completely bored?

*sighs*

Life is rough, isn't it?

Given my mindset, here are some things I think I think:

*I think I'd be pissed if I was Farrah Fawcett, with my death being overshadowed by Michael Jackson's and what not.

*I think I really am sad that Michael Jackson passed away (cue MJ musical montage).

*I think I'm easily irritated at work. Remember when I got "transitioned" into a new job role a few months back? Well, I'm finally point of contact with the client and now feel that I'm just a glorified babysitter... and it's not cool like in Adventures in Babysitting. I can't punch anybody in the face, either (just to clarify: I never was trusted enough to babysit anybody).

*I think I haven't cut my hair since mid-April. I also think my hair hasn't been this long since high school.

*I think I need to stop reading books about zombies. Between World War Z, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and polishing off the fourth hardcover of The Walking Dead recently, every time I wake up in the middle of the night I swear I see zombies in the hallway.

*I think I feel like I haven't attended enough Brewers games this year, even though I've already been to eight.

*I think I'm looking forward to being up north for a week over the 4th of July.

*I think I'm still very, very bored.

-KP

TGI-almost-F.

It's been a pretty stressful week at work but thankfully there's been enough fun-filled evenings to even it out. Unfortunately, Molly and I are now 4-2 at Brewers games this year but I'm hoping that their late-game hitting today, although never with runners in scoring position, will carry over and produce some wins for the two games I'm seeing this weekend. Also? Whoever invented happy hour deserves a gold star.

I received my scans from ScanCafe late last week. Overall, I'm pretty impressed. Some of the pictures were taken under some less than ideal lighting situations and I tend to think those are the ones I view less favorably. But it's been a lot of fun revisiting the wedding photos and the pictures I took when I studied abroad. I'm going to send all of 'em to get scanned eventually, I think. Feel free to check out the test rolls I sent here.

-KP

The prettiest whistles won't wrestle the thistles undone.

I feel like you and I have become strangers. I don't call; you don't write. Let's rectify this.

1. I can't believe I haven't written about Star Trek yet. Blockbuster movie clichés aside (e.g. bad jokes, superfluous scenes that only exist for the popcorn factor) I really thought this lived up to the hype. I thought it was well shot, well written, and geeked out a little when they embraced the "reboot" aspect and blew up ******. I didn't even mind that they had ***** shackin' up with *****. I can't wait for the DVD release and I can't wait for the sequel. Whoever thought a Trek movie would gross over $200 million?

2. Interleague play and Miami aside, how awesome have the Brew Crew been lately? I've already matched my game attendance from last year (five games, 5-0 record last year; this year 4-1) and am going three times next week. Give me a shout if you're at the game Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday nights.

3. This is the second time in a row I've gone to a Decemberists concert and bought the CD of the opening band (last year it was Laura Veirs; this year it's Blind Pilot). I thought the Decemberists did a bang up job... it took a while for the "rock opera" that is The Hazards of Love to truly grow on me, but I think seeing it live really helped cement it as something special. Also? Best cover of "Crazy On You" I've ever heard.

4. I should be getting back the four rolls of film I sent to ScanCafe any day now. The scan "proofs" looked good before I submitted my final order (they were really just large thumbnails, however, so not a great judge of quality just yet) and I'm crossing my fingers that the true digitized images are going to be pretty high quality. I'll put 'em up on my Flickr page when I get them.

5. I have had way too many issues with malware and viruses this past year. I never have had a problem before now, even when I didn't know better. What gives?

6. We've been lucky enough to see Leslie & Jimmy twice in the last few weeks! Seeing them regularly is one of the things I miss most about living in Waukesha/Milwaukee...

7. We've got a new neighbor that lives below us. He's a a nice, young guy that had his wife and kid move here from India just yesterday (which isn't relevant to this story--I'm just sure that's a very exciting thing for him). However, he must desperately want DISH service as opposed to cable because, when the guy told him he couldn't get signal because of a rather large tree, he actually knocked on my door to see if they could install the dish on my deck. I think that's rather ballsy, don't you? I don't think I'd ever impose on someone like that, but maybe that's just me.

8. What's a GrooGrux King?

9. I collect a fair amount of television shows on DVD and it peeves me off like nothing else when they change packaging mid-run. For instance, the first four seasons of 24 had similar packaging (a bit bulky, but the same nevertheless) but they switched it to a more narrow style of box for the fifth and sixth seasons. It just doesn't look right altogether. And now what do they do? They release the seventh season in a box no wider than a standard DVD case! What gives? What's the aesthetic value in that?

10. I really need to get to a golf course and do some drinking--I mean, golfing! Yeah, swing the ol' club, the ol' 9-iron! In a very professional, golfer way!

-KP

"How come you never tortured me? You know, when I first started?"
"You were Bambi. Somebody had to teach you how to walk."
"Thank you for that. For being my teacher."
"No problem."
"Is there anything I can do to repay that favor?"
"Tell me my husband loves me more than he loves you."
"It's about the same."
"I'll take it."
-J.D. & Carla, Scrubs

A word on Ryan Braun.

If I were a kid, I'd idolize Ryan Braun. Hell, I think I will anyway.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Braun also made a couple of highlight-reel catches, including a fully stretched-out, diving catch of Skip Schumaker's drive into the corner to end the third inning.

"He came into the dugout and said, 'That's the greatest catch I ever saw,'" Macha said.

Braun confirmed that statement, but of course it was in jest, he said. At least, partially, if you know Braun.

"It's always fun to make a catch like that," said Braun, who remained on his back, on the dirt in foul territory for a moment, arms splayed. "I seriously considered doing a snow angel but decided against it."

-KP

PS: I can't believe it's been a month since my last blog. I really need to write something of substance.

Randomnicity (04.22.09 Edition)

1. Ok, I get it--the Brewers' pitching ain't all that great (get rid of Jorge Julio; sorry, buddy, you gotta throw strikes), but I really was expecting more out of the offense. The team's batting average could be, and should be, a lot higher.

2. As hypothesized, Mike's bachelor party was indeed legendary. Barney Stinson would be proud.

3. I'm still working with Noelle on our religion paper. It won't ever get published in a journal as prestigious as JMF but I'm still crossing my fingers we get it to a place where a more entry-level academic journal accepts it. Relatedly, I'm continually surprised how long it takes to make progress on this thing with a full-time job. I want it done but have a hard time keeping motivated when coming home from work.

4. I sent four rolls of film to ScanCafe. I'm crossing my fingers that they turn out good.

5. It'll be a busy couple of days... Mike and Melissa's wedding this weekend, hitting up the Brewers game Monday night, and going to Flight of the Conchords on Tuesday. Very excite!

-KP

PS: What is a one-trick pony? (I overheard it on ANTM... which MoPo is watching, NOT ME).

I'm published!

Hot off the presses! (Hint: search for my name).

This didn't feel real until Noelle sent me the PDF today. If anyone wants a copy of it, let me know and I'll email you.

How much does this frakkin' rock?

-KP

Randomnicity (04.12.09 Edition)

1. Attending the Brewers' home opener for the first time was an interesting, and mostly fun, experience. It definitely was an incredible finish--with the Brewers overcoming a one run deficit and scoring the winning run with a hell of a play at home plate. Yet, the tailgating experience was unlike any I've ever witnessed. I had suspected that people would be drinking more heavily than usual (is that even possible in Milwaukee?) but the aftermath was just ridiculous. The parking lot looked like a landfill. There was so much garbage and broken glass that it was a bit hazardous finding my way out of the parking lot. I'm glad most games aren't as crazy.

2. I'm watching the Brewers game on ESPN right now. I really hate the number of Cubs fans that show up in our park... I should not be hearing, "Let's go, Cubbies" at Miller Park. Also, Jeff Suppan: *sighs*.

3. Last night, we went with Frank and Maria to see Rent and it was pretty amazing. I have a lot of respect for the cast members, who still infuse their performances with so much enthusiasm and energy.

4. I realized something the other day that I find utterly fascinating. Sites like Facebook allow us to flaunt our individuality in a completely different way than we could have previously (e.g. profile pictures, photo albums, numerous sections to detail our personality traits to the online world). Yet, I've noticed a trend among new parents in that profile pictures and status updates become entirely about their child and no longer about them (with regards to profile pics, I'm talking here about kid-only pictures, not parent/child pictures). It's almost as if they have done away with their own sense of individuality and have replaced it with that of their kid's. To the sociologist in me, it's completely fascinating. Personally, it sort of frightens me.

5. As of today we have completely eliminated our credit card debt! I wrote the final check today and it will be in the mail tomorrow. Now the only debt we have remaining are our student loans and my auto loan. That is a pretty liberating feeling.

6. We essentially skipped Easter this year. After driving up for the Brewers game and then back down for Rent, I just didn't feel like making that round trip again on Sunday. Not quite sure how the parents felt about it, though.

7. I was getting bored with The Office in recent weeks but thought the two episodes last Thursday were pretty hysterical.

8. You may have read stories here about the obnoxious kid living above me (he liked to run around, jump, fall, and generally just give me grief). Thankfully, that family moved out. But what did I wake up to Saturday morning? A newborn wailing at 5am in the master bedroom directly above me. New neighbors--fun. *sighs*

9. We're drinking wine to celebrate being credit card debt-free. I'm going to go get another glass. Ok, I'm back. Mmmm.

10. I really don't want to go into work tomorrow. I like vacation days. I wish having a job was more vacation and less working. That'd be nice.

-KP

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. - Wayne Gretzky' - Michael Scott"
-On the dry erase board, The Office

Play ball, I say.

I feel like a kid the week before Christmas.

That's the closest I can come to describing my excitement for the baseball season to start, especially since we'll be going to the home opener. I don't even know how I will be able to concentrate at work--Friday just cannot come soon enough.

I was reading a Sports Illustrated article about CC Sabathia (he really is a spectacular person) while I was at the gym today. Not that I hadn't realized it before, but last year really was an amazing year to be a Brewers fan and Molly and I were lucky enough to see a lot of great games.

Among the highlights:

*CC Sabathia hitting a home run.
*Hell, just seeing Sabathia pitch throughout the second half of the season.
*Ryan Braun hitting the Brewers' only grand slam of the year in Yovani Gallardo's first game back from the DL, winning the game. I didn't even see him round the bases, too busy jumping up and down and high-fiving everyone around me.
*Ben Sheets shutting out the Padres in his pitchers duel with Jake Peavy.
*Witnessing the Brew Crew secure a .500 season, a winning season, and their 3,000th franchise win.
*Winning an NLDS game at Miller Park, playing in the playoffs for the first time since I was born.
*All of this in the company of some great friends, which really, makes all of the above worth remembering.

Here's hoping the success the Brewers have had in their exhibition games carries forward into the regular season!

-KP

Photos

I'm not one for regrets but if I could have a do-over on anything it'd concern digital photography. I didn't feel the need to buy a digital camera before studying abroad back in 2003; in the age of online photo sharing, I really want to put my pictures online (especially to serve as a 'backup' in case of fire, nuclear holocaust, or zombie attack) but only have an uber-sucky scanner. It doesn't satisfy me. Relatedly, I'll always be eternally thankful to MoPo's godparents for photgraphing our wedding free of charge (as their wedding gift to us, as they used to do it professionally) but, for similar reasons, I wish I had digital copies.

I've been doing some online researching and found this company that, provided you ship them your negatives, make a digital copy of your photos and spend up to three minutes touching up each picture if need be. You only have to buy 50% of what they scan and they then send you back all your negatives and a disc with the digital images you chose. All of this for what I consider a really decent price ($.24/image). I can't find a bad review about them online but am a bit hesitant to package up my negatives and send them on their merry way. I'm thinking about doing a trial run and only sending them a small batch.

Has anyone used this service or know anybody who has done something like this?

-KP

"I'm doing this thing where I take a slice of someone else's wisdom and use it in my own life."
"Seems coincidental."
"And yet I do it almost every week!"
-JD & Jordan, Scrubs

112

I just found $112 hiding behind my Battlestar Galactica DVDs. Strangely, I have no idea why I put it there or why I even had that kind of cash on me to begin with.

Suffice it to say, this is way better than finding that fiver in my winter coat this year!

-KP

Randomnicity (03.12.09 Edition)

1. I believe that certain behaviors indicate fundamental divisions in personality. Example: people who regularly back up into their parking stall. Why? Why do this? Especially when there are cars on either side of you, which means you're backing up into a narrower space than you'd have to deal with by just driving in normally and later on backing up into the aisle when you go to leave. I think it's just bizarre, man.

2. I can't wait for May 8th. Seriously, I think I may have watched the new trailer (the one in front of Watchmen) a dozen times already... perhaps more.

3. Speaking of Watchmen, I was ok with it. It didn't blow me away but it stuck to the source material, of which I am a big fan. Therefore I'm still not quite sure if I like the movie or if it was just a reflection of liking the graphic novel.

4. I promised Emily I would put up more pictures from my birthday. Here you go, pal. I've also uploaded them here. :)



5. Yeah, I think I'm going to start using Flickr instead of WebShots.

6. The Brewers' home opener also cannot come soon enough. Anyone else going? If so, let me know and perhaps we can tailgate together!

7. I think I got judged a few weeks ago for having a distaste for country music. I felt like I was in a bizarro world--shouldn't the judging be the other way around? Haha.

8. Funny story. Molly and her female family members are throwing a bridal shower for Mike's soon-to-be spouse. Molly's name, email, and phone number were listed on the invite for RSVP purposes. Yesterday she received a voice mail from one particular relative who had no idea who Molly was and thus introduced herself accordingly. My best guess is that, in all this time we've been hitched, some relatives of hers have never learned what her new last name is. Kind of amusing.

9. I've watched the Trek trailer again since writing about it in this blog. I guess a part of me will always remain pretty geeky.

-KP

"I see the world didn't end yesterday."
"Are you sure?"
-Watchmen

79,151

That's my Waiting List Priority number for Green Bay Packers season tickets.

I should have them by the time I'm dead.

Randomnicity (02.18.09 Edition)

1) April is going to be a very fun month in the lives of KP & MoPo. We'll be seeing Rent when it comes through Chicago; this is tremendously exciting in and of itself but the really cool thing about it is that original Broadway cast members Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal will be in it. The second exciting event? Seeing a little duo named Flight of the Conchords...



2) I went up north to go snowmobiling two weekends ago (for the first time in probably three years). It was so awesome that I tried doing it again this past weekend... except that there was an immense lack of snow on the trails (honestly, it was a longshot anyway given the weather but I thought I'd give it a chance). Instead of snowmobiling, however, the fates substituted a different "fun" experience--being pulled over by a state trooper for going a piddly ten over the speed limit. Seriously? You have nothing better to do than pull a guy over for doing the same speed as everybody else on the highway? Luckily I was only given a warning.

3) It doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere warm and exotic for vacation this year. We're opting instead to finally put a kabosh on all this credit card debt we accumulated by studying abroad (amongst other, less rewarding expenses). We've been whittling away at it pretty steadily for a while now but have also diverted a lot of our "discretionary" expenses to fun things like vacations, HD TVs, and new furniture. Suffice it to say, the prospect of being "bad debt-free" is pretty appealing.

4) By this time next month we'll be down to a single car payment as well. Wahoo!

5) We're going to the Food & Froth Fest this weekend with Leslie & Jimmy! I can't wait.

6) Growing up, I never thought I'd be more into a TV show than I was into Star Trek or The X-Files. But I've never, never spent as much time obsessing about a TV show as I do Lost. I'm very much a guy who doesn't like time to move too fast--I like to take things one day at a time. However, now I curse any day that isn't Wednesday (although Friday is ok--Friday has BSG). And while EW's Doc Jensen helps me through the week I'm also pretty sure his analysis of what in God's name is going on is what causes me to dream about Lost (as was the case last night). So even when I'm sleeping I'm still obsessing. *sighs*

7) Girl Scout cookies! YUM.

8) I poisoned MoPo last night. Apparently she has developed an allergic reaction to catfish because this is the second time her face has puffed up after eating it. But she's ok with a lot of other types of fish and shellfish. Strange.

9) I'm not sure if I've blogged about this before but I'm pretty sure The Walking Dead is currently my favorite comic.

10) I'm almost done reading The Worst Hard Time and it is pretty tremendous (it started off kind of slow but I was hooked after the first 50 pages or so). I'm not a germaphobe but this book is definitely turning me into a dustaphobe.

-KP

"I, (state the fake name you give to women), vow to always choose wet t-shirts over wet diapers. I vow to choose D-cups over sippy cups and perfect 10s over play pens. I will never jeopardize my dignity, paycheck or awesomeness through the heinous crime of reproduction."
-Barney, How I Met Your Mother

I. Cannot. Wait.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."

-KP

I suppose it could be worse.

The melodramatic part of me would start this blog entry by saying, "I lost my job today." But that's not fact. It's kind of how I feel, but it's not what actually happened since I'm still thankfully employed.

Instead, I'm the lucky one who is getting forcibly relocated to a different group in my department, complete with an entirely different set of responsibilities. I haven't hidden the fact that I've really enjoyed the position I've worked in since being hired--I owned a product that appealed to my sociological background and was exposed to a revolving wheel of new and different(!) research projects. Exposure to these new and different(!) things kept things interesting. Perhaps more importantly, however, was that I was good at what I did... good to the point where my (now former) manager told me today that I'm getting an 'exceeds expectations' on my yearly review. (I guess that deserves a "Yay!").

Rationally, it's most likely that my relocation isn't because of a lack of performance but because I have performed. It's also because I'm one of the very few in our department that has any amount of personal skills--not just the analytic mindset (basically I was compared against the stereotypical idea of a statistician, which is thought to be prominent in our department). However, the irrational side of me sees this as a demotion to more of a glorified babysitter role.

Time will tell if this move is as good to my career development as it's being spun by management. But today's a day I'm just overly frustrated and grumpy with the situation.

I still have a job, however. If anything, this move makes me feel like I have more job security than I did previously... they're not going to move a guy to this role (which is considered pretty damned important by the company), spend the time getting him up to speed to satisfy the client and keep them satisfied, only to let him go.

One would hope.

-KP

Crackdown

There's a lot of worry about corporate layoffs in today's economy and that extends to the company I work for, as well. No area is safe from cutbacks--not even Microsoft Outlook.

Farewell, RTA.

-KP

Geekin' out in T minus 90 minutes and counting...

The Dharma Initiative made a timely supply drop before tonight's season premiere.


-KP

You ever drunk Bailey's from a shoe?

I owe Frank and Maria my everlasting happiness for this gem.



-KP

Randomnicity (01.17.09 Edition)

1. It's that time of the year where I keep writing '08 instead of '09 on everything.

2. Look! Pictures!





I'll put more on Facebook/WebShots sometime in the next year.

3. I have been relentlessly playing Fallout 3. It's awesome.

4. I don't necessarily do New Year's resolutions but I am going to try and read more this year. Quite frankly, it took me 6 months just to read one book last year. I blame it on TV. But, even so, there you have it--more reading for KP in 2008. Er, 2009.

5. I've given up on the crappy coffee my employer supplies for us in the kitchenette. It's just horrible, horrible stuff and, after a year and a half of it, the fact that it's free doesn't matter anymore. Now I go down and get Starbucks from downstairs every morning. It's no Grind (which really just means I don't have Leslie to go get coffee with) but at least the coffee tastes good.

6. I have this extreme problem with overwatering houseplants. Example: I killed my cactus this week. How can you kill a frakkin' cactus?!

7. To all my fellow BSG'ers out there: isn't it great that show can still depress the hell out of you? Yet I must watch it. Because it's awesome.

8. Xbox 360 + Netflix may just be the best marriage ever.

9. MoPo and I are still trying to figure out what the hell we want to do for vacation this year. There's just too many places we want to go... we've thought about staying somewhere in the contiguous US, or going back to Oahu, or checking out my homeland of Nicaragua, or going to Mexico, or Canada, or St. Maarten/St. Martin. I think we're leaning towards splitting vacation time between St. Maarten/St. Martin (two countries, teeny, tiny island) and Canada (we have a friend that we've been meaning to visit for ages). However, I'm sure we'll change our mind six more times before actually going.

10. Obama inauguration! Huzzah! (Maybe Spider-Man will show up in RL, too?)

11. I have the perfect dinner planned for the season premiere of Lost. You just wait and see.

-KP

"Is he talking about what I think he was talking about?"
"If you mean time traveling bunnies, then yes."
-Locke & Ben, Lost

The Rake's Song

Words cannot convey how completely psyched I am about the Decemberists' new album, to be released in March. This week they put a song from it on their website. I got even more excited when I realized I already knew this song--Colin Meloy sang it when he did his acoustic tour last year. It's way dark--in a morbid yet humorous way--but amazing. Check out the lyrics:

I had entered into a marriage
In the summer of my twenty-first year
And the bells rang for our wedding
Only now do I remember it clear
Alright, alright, alright

No more a rake and no more a bachelor
I was wedded and it whetted my thirst
Until her womb start spilling out babies
Only then did I reckon my curse
Alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright

First came Eziah with his crinkled little fingers
Then came Charlotte and that wretched girl Dawn
Ugly Myfanwy died on delivery
Mercifully taking her mother along
Alright, alright, alright

What can one do when one is a widower
Shamefully saddled with three little pests
All that I wanted was the freedom of a new life
So my burden I began to divest
Alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright

Charlotte I buried after feeding her foxglove
Dawn was easy, she was drowned in the bath
Eziah fought but was easily bested
Burned his body for incurring my wrath
Alright, alright, alright

And that's how I came your humble narrator
To be living so easy and free
Expect that you think that I should be haunted
But it never really bothers me
Alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright

-KP

Sometimes I wonder why I say things.

A glimpse into the nature of our relationship:

KP: "I'm really excited about [next week's season premiere of] Lost."
MoPo: "I can tell."
KP: "You know, I may be more excited for Lost than I was for our wedding day."
*crickets chirp*

-KP

Things that make you go, "hmm."

So, driving the 10 mile commute to work this morning in rush hour traffic. I turn to my right and what do I see? A guy reading the newspaper.

While driving.

C'mon, man.

-KP

"You’re right, I have no excuses! I was totally over the line."
"Over the line? You — you’re — you’re so far past the line, that you — you can’t even see the line! The line is a dot to you!"
-Chandler & Joey, Friends

Economic Bliss

You heard it here first, ladies and gents: the economy is turning around! Just a few days ago my 401(k) was -42% YTD. But today? It shot all the way up to +2.9%! Such a drastic increase is undeniable proof that we are on the up and up!

Oh, wait. What?

We're only a few days into a brand new year, you say? You mean the "year-to-date" started over when 2008 became 2009? The +2.9% isn't indicative of a 45 percentage point increase, and all that money is still sitting at the bottom of the lake bed?

Nevermind then.

-KP

"I’m marrying a woman who’s not only hot but loves Star Wars. That’s the dream." [high fives air]
"What was that?"
"I was high-fiving fifteen year old me through the space-time continuum. [To invisible past-Ted] We did it. We did it, you masturbating little bastard!"
-Ted & Stella, How I Met Your Mother

Birthday Brinner

What better meal to celebrate your 26th rotation around the sun with than brinner? Thanks, MoPo!



Question: what is it about 26 that garners the "man, you're getting old" commentary from the peanut gallery? Discuss.

-KP

"You got brinner? Damn, Turkledawg!"
-Dr. Kelso, Scrubs