tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63973263982534845992024-02-07T08:23:40.395-06:00a geeks stab at ITRoy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-72191280599468423332012-01-18T17:04:00.000-06:002012-01-18T17:05:21.531-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcq6WdmK2uCoexp9HIvcDHmaZmTLUA8M7k-6mdZQ0-CGioFT-oNx6Jo_SazEUbM61NXRmHHi0sEHHiUc3FKhTmRJn63lKQ7Qf96__qp1BEOhvdUjIIdL3nU7wRvjen1EixgKVZrfzqLUW/s1600/blacklist-645.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcq6WdmK2uCoexp9HIvcDHmaZmTLUA8M7k-6mdZQ0-CGioFT-oNx6Jo_SazEUbM61NXRmHHi0sEHHiUc3FKhTmRJn63lKQ7Qf96__qp1BEOhvdUjIIdL3nU7wRvjen1EixgKVZrfzqLUW/s400/blacklist-645.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699111960473256978" /></a>Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-91320955847019147182011-07-23T00:11:00.001-05:002011-07-23T00:16:06.596-05:00ThoughtsPoliticians may be one step below used car salesmen; but journalists are another twelve steps below that.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-13924731180460628502011-07-06T15:22:00.003-05:002011-07-06T15:37:24.589-05:00UghRealizing how somewhat karmic, ironic, and possibly hypocritical this post will sound after my last one, I'm still writting it.<br /><br />I could use some prayers for guidance. I'm not going to go into great detail other than to say I'm at a crossroad professionally; and I need some direction.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-34360875278410009482011-06-20T21:40:00.002-05:002011-06-20T22:06:55.549-05:00Gone Too FarI realise that there are homeless people. I realise there are people that need money for food. I also realise that the Bible tells us to take care of these people. That being said, I'm about to sound heartless; and I apologise in advance.<br /><br />You know what? There are homeless shelters. And don't give me that crap about how it feels degrading to have to go to a homeless shelter for food, because to me its more degrading by far to beg a total stranger for money. The Bible says to take care of these people; well I do by giving to my church that feeds the homeless, and by paying taxes that fund the shelters. What more do you want from me. I tolerate these people. I've even been known to give them some change. I've also been told to F U when I didn't. What gives these people the right to insult me, when they've spit on the money I've indirectly offered to them. They don't need food; the only thing they can't get from the shelter is drugs. I've tolerated this as far as I can, because something happened yesterday that crossed the line. Dad and I went to a restaurant for lunch for Father's Day. It wasn't a fancy restaurant, but it wasn't fast food. It was the kind of place that had a nice dining room with a waitress that takes your order. We had no sooner sat down, hadn't even been greeted by the waitress yet, and one of those people came up to our table, dilated pupils and all, with some sob story about needing gas money. We didn't give her anything, but Dad offered to buy her a meal there. She didn't take him up on the offer. Is it not bad enough that I have deal with these people in the parking lot? Do I now have to have a nice family meal interrupted by these drug addicts. Isn't there some law that keeps them from going inside and begging. I tell you I'm not going to go back to that restaurant any time soon. What's next? Will they start calling me at home? I don't even know how she got in there; but it pissed me off. If you're not willing to take advantage of the services our government offers, then you have no right to harass me; not when I'm trying to have a meal. And don't give me that bull about her being less fortunate that me, and I should be thankful that I have a meal because she didn't. Why? Because I am thankful that I'm not in that situation. I am thankful that I have meals; but she was offered a meal and she turned it down. She must not have been that hungry.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-64333127436127882862011-06-19T16:57:00.002-05:002011-06-19T17:20:55.826-05:00Loss Of An Old FriendI visited my high school alumni web page yesterday, to see if there was any talk of a reunion in a couple of years. We had a 10 year, but not a 15. Anyway, there is a directory, where you can go in and say what you're doing now. I read about some old friends, and then got the notion to look a few names up on Google. I hung out in a group of five my senior year. We all became very close; but lost touch after graduating; well two of us did anyway. Two were brother and sister, and the brother had married the third one of our group. I saw them at our 10 year reunion. His sister was in a different class, so she wasn't there, but we got the update that she was getting married in a few months. Anyway, to reduce the likelihood of getting someone with the same name in my search, I picked the two that married each other to search for. While there are probably more out there with the same name, the chances of two married people sharing both names with two other married people are slim. The first page that came up on Google was for the American Cancer Society, and there were a list of donors with the married couple's names. And honestly, I didn't even notice that it was for the ACS until I went back to that page later on. The second page was something called young survivors; where I found a copy of an obituary from April of 2008. It turns out that the sister got breast cancer (at least that's what I gathered from some of the posts) and had died. She was only 29 years old. I did some more searching, and found the obit on our local newspaper's site; though she was living in Houston at the time. There was a guest book to sign, but it had already expired and had been archived. <br /><br />The whole thing floored me. She was my date to Homecoming my senior year; although we had gone as friends. We had all gone as a group. I've been sad since I found out. I mean it's not like I still knew her. I hadn't talked to her in over 15 years. But I think of all of those friends often; and wonder what they are up to now. I would always picture her smiling and making people laugh; because that's what she did; she made people feel better. It was fitting that she had become a doctor. The obit said that she had not had any children, but she had been married for 4 and half years. She was too young. God bless her and her family.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-16741536379981775492011-06-16T17:09:00.005-05:002011-06-16T17:47:06.482-05:00I'm A Genius, If I Do Say So MyselfArchimedes discovered a way to measure the volume of odd shaped objects, when he noticed the water level rising in his bathtub when he climbed in. To this day, the volume of odd shaped objects is measured by measuring the water displacement when the object is placed in water. I had a similar epiphany this morning.<br /><br />We had some bad storms last night, and the power went out about 11:00. I woke up this morning to find the power still off. Worried that the food in our fridge would spoil, I got our big cooler out and put the contents of the ice maker tray and the perishables from the fridge in it. As I was getting the ice from the freezer, I saw the enormous amount of frozen meat that I was going to have to cook tonight to keep from spoiling. While the cooler will keep refrigerated things cool, it won't keep meat frozen; and once meat thaws, you can't refreeze it. So I was faced with two options; put the meet in the cooler and cook it when I get home, or leave it in the freezer all day on the off chance that the power comes back on right after I leave for work. It was cool enough in the freezer that the meat would stay just as cool in there as it would in the cooler, even if the power was still off when I got home, so I left it in the freezer.<br /><br />While I was taking my shower, it occurred to me that the power coming on right after I leave for work, and the power still being off when I got home were not the only possibilities. What if the power didn't come back on until 3:30? What if the meat got warm enough to thaw, and then refroze before I came home? I'd never know. Then my ingenious epiphany came to me. I reached into the cooler, and found a chunk of ice that had been at the bottom of the ice maker tray. You could still make out the shapes of the cubes, but they were fused together in a round chunk, sized and shaped kind of like a baseball. I placed the baseball chunk of ice in the ice maker tray, and turned off the ice maker. If the freezer gets warm enough to thaw the meat, the ice will melt. When the ice refreezes, it won't be shaped like a baseball, but like flat sheet in the shape of the bottom of the ice maker tray. If I come home and the power is on, I look at the ice. If it's like I left it, I'm OK; if it's shaped differently, I need to cook the meat.<br /><br />Now, I know that this isn't too accurate. The meat might thaw at a different rate than the ice, but at least I'd know something.<br /><br />I came home and found the power on, and the ice still shaped as I left it. The stove clock said 7:55. And since it says 12:00 just after the power comes back on, I could deduce that the power was restored about an hour after I left for work. In hind site, that might have been all I needed to know to figure out the meat was OK. But since I don't know how well insulated the freezer is, and I don't know how long the power has to be off before meat starts to thaw, the ice was a better indicator.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-14027869142174257902011-05-31T13:06:00.004-05:002011-05-31T13:10:13.744-05:00Two More Shirts; 3rd and 10th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1qE4esiEkI7eOW9b6yvg2ghtQ0xQ5guLYWDyfR6-AS7ZPoZNUJqfF5cOB5M9LOmZkcWZYQLUpCiHTgBvKeylYsqF98Zbv-T1mC4yV43S24FTLoqTArfm5Vrl0WsMI-dx__CDLuse6JYS/s1600/73254.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1qE4esiEkI7eOW9b6yvg2ghtQ0xQ5guLYWDyfR6-AS7ZPoZNUJqfF5cOB5M9LOmZkcWZYQLUpCiHTgBvKeylYsqF98Zbv-T1mC4yV43S24FTLoqTArfm5Vrl0WsMI-dx__CDLuse6JYS/s400/73254.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612943430610215874" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcmMG6rkIkVPSkmbeKbqFjdLLYCKZkPaYDiOJOhZTQYveEyIyK8rp78b5IF9ZpL7Sp59bvg4xFVTozfJVl1l3LcDYVX-Q0WDmi9qhGalaCcHfIKL9vMRamLK-nDnYNh30x6KJFxBO4dOU/s1600/73255.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcmMG6rkIkVPSkmbeKbqFjdLLYCKZkPaYDiOJOhZTQYveEyIyK8rp78b5IF9ZpL7Sp59bvg4xFVTozfJVl1l3LcDYVX-Q0WDmi9qhGalaCcHfIKL9vMRamLK-nDnYNh30x6KJFxBO4dOU/s400/73255.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612944017627048242" /></a>Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-80703358894976103072011-04-22T12:10:00.003-05:002011-04-22T12:44:23.105-05:00Opening CreditsAs old TV series are released on DVD's, it has become more apparent that, at least in the 80's, action footage is recycled from episode to episode. You don't notice it as much when the episodes are a week apart, but when you have the ability to watch several back to back, it becomes more obvious. I noticed this awhile back, and it has become sort of a recurring conversation between me and my wife. <br /><br />I recently started watching CHiPS again. My wife commented the other day, while watching a segment where Ponch and Jon were merging from an on ramp to the highway, that "they sure use that footage a lot." My reply was, "yes, once a week for 6 years, it's the opening credits sequence."<br /><br />In her defense, my wife doesn't care for my taste in old 80's TV shows. She tolerates them, but doesn't care to watch them. That being said, she often sees parts of them if she's in the room doing something when I'm watching them.<br /><br />And there is a trend with TV shows now days where opening credits have been replaced with just a graphic with the name of the show, and the actual credits are displayed during the first minute or so of the show. This allows them to pack more into an episode, by not taking up time with opening credits. More likely, it allows them to have more commercial breaks, without reducing the content of the episode.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-24612322637459412512011-04-19T16:58:00.002-05:002011-04-19T16:59:59.567-05:00R.I.P.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHEpoqongMkmtWXbcV1g53MfwAHE-AFXsWySWptBRVr-35Lg3xUBMZE1za9EcrhWrjK7QqM2f6q1rWkqGhi4XitXsVICDJJvtwwXsZ09v0QEgTSQtxzGiIx5m69y596WnbJQvVmYBx9BP/s1600/sja_k9_promo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHEpoqongMkmtWXbcV1g53MfwAHE-AFXsWySWptBRVr-35Lg3xUBMZE1za9EcrhWrjK7QqM2f6q1rWkqGhi4XitXsVICDJJvtwwXsZ09v0QEgTSQtxzGiIx5m69y596WnbJQvVmYBx9BP/s400/sja_k9_promo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597417667082139538" /></a><br /><br /><br />In Memory of Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen). You will be missed.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-68227368082007167662011-04-15T13:01:00.002-05:002011-04-15T13:27:50.226-05:00More MehIf I can get through May, I think I'll be able to relax again. I know, just three months ago, I was saying, If I can just get through March, I'll be able to relax again. The difference this time is that I said "I think."<br /><br />I'm traveling more this year. If nothing changes, I will be on more planes this year than any other year in my life. Maybe, I should say, I'll be on planes more days this year than any other year in my life. I say this simply because, three of the trips I have are all non-stop flights both ways, and I can only think of one time in my life prior to this year, where I was on a non-stop flight. And it was only non-stop one way. So in the past one trip would mean 4 planes, where this year, one trip means 2 planes for all but one of my planned trips.<br /><br />My favorite airline is now Airtran, as opposed to my previous favorite, Delta. Unfortunately, I will also be flying United and Delta this year. Airtran has been consistently arriving early to my destinations. And that whole upgrade to business class for $49 is well worth it for someone who is 6'2". You get lots of extra room and you get more drinks, even before you take off. The minute you sit down, there is a flight attendant taking your drink order. In addition you get to check two bags for no additional cost (almost worth it for that alone). You also get to go through the employee security line, which for Baltimore International Airport means, you go through the shorter line that doesn't have the look-at-you-naked booths and the touchy-feely TWA people. And snacks; I almost forgot snacks. You get a choice of a good, quality snack; not just peanuts. You can get chips, cookies, etc. my favorite is the twice backed potato sticks, that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. You are also the first on and off of the plane.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-53960069176332847272011-04-08T12:28:00.003-05:002011-04-08T12:36:00.808-05:00Dogs With LasersDiane bought a laser pointer to play with the dogs. The youngest dog is amazed by it, and is constantly jumping and pouncing on it. He even tries to eat it. Our idea was to give the dogs a little exercise using it, but knowing how OCD the dog is, I feel sorry for him. He really wants to catch it and eat it, and he seems so frustrated when he can't. last night, we put a treat on the floor, and ended the game by putting the red dot on the treat. Hopefully it gave him the satisfaction he needed.<br /><br />The oldest dog doesn't care for it. In fact the only thing that has changed for him, is that he tends to hide behind my chair because the youngest dog is jumping around so much that it scares him.<br /><br />I thought it would be fun to put the red dot on the older dog, to see if the younger one attacks him. It didn't work. Probably for the best.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-3177528718494809172011-04-08T12:17:00.002-05:002011-04-08T12:28:54.503-05:00This Is Why We Can't Have Nice ThingsNot all of the time, but easily most of the time, if I spend a lot of money on something, it usually stops working, or something goes wrong with it very quickly. Last Saturday, I took the new lawn mower out for a spin. The back yard had not been mowed yet this year, and needed it more, so I decided to start with the back. The lawn mower cut beautifully. It ran well, was comfortable, had plenty of power. It was the best mowing experience of my life for 20 minutes. Then the engine died, and it wouldn't restart. Of course the place I bought it is only open until noon on Saturdays, and since I was heading out of town on Monday morning, I didn't even get to call them about it until yesterday. They came to pick it up today to fix it. The good news is that they tried to start it and gave it a once over before taking it with them, and they couldn't figure it out. So at least I didn't look like an idiot. The day it happened, I was sure it was something that I had done wrong, so I reread the manual, and even checked some of the troubleshooting tips (which are written for morons by the way, and didn't help a bit). Hopefully it's some easy fix, and I will have it back soon. I guess it's back to the old lawn mower for tomorrow.<br /><br />Also on last Saturday, I decided to change the light bulbs in our garage, that had suddenly a week earlier, decided to all go out at once. I broke one of the fixtures trying to put the first bulb in, so decided to wait for a day when everything I touch wasn't breaking.<br /><br />Also on last Saturday, during the middle of all of this, our Internet went down. Spent about 30 minutes on it, before deciding it was a service issue, which fixed itself a few hours later.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-3716777586888928562011-03-30T15:55:00.006-05:002011-03-30T16:18:21.260-05:00Handy ManI'm finally getting around to finishing the window replacement project on our house. Our house has a total of 18 windows. We had the first 9 (the ones facing the street) replaced 5 or 6 years ago. Over the next two years, I replaced 5 more after realizing how easy it was to do, and at a small fraction of the cost. Last weekend, I started down the home stretch of the last 4. Well, 3 of the 4, since 3 are larger and grouped together. Friday, I left work early so I could start before dark, since it was supposed to rain all day on Saturday. I got one of them in. Then Saturday, between storms, I got the second one in. I need to buy more caulk before I can do the third one. They look nice, but they are confusing my dogs. The old windows were warped, and painted shut. These open, and allow us to reach out and pet the dogs. One of them loves it, but the other one is disturbed and confused by it. He likes the attention, but can't understand how we can be in the house, and pet them outside at the same time. As an IT guy, it sounds funny to say I worked on computers all week, then spent most of the weekend installing windows.<br /><br />I also bought a new riding mower on Saturday, which was delivered yesterday. I can't wait to use it. The old one has issues, and while it still kind of runs and cuts grass, it doesn't cut evenly. In addition, it's extremely loud since one of the members of our household knocked the muffler off by hitting a tree stump. I'm not saying who, as neither of us remember doing it; but it happened. And lastly, I have to disconnect the battery on it after each use, because something continues to run and drain the battery when it's parked. I've checked every inch of it, and can't find it. So, the new one is a Husqvarna; which apparently is a well known brand up there with John Deer; although I'd never heard of them before a couple of weeks ago. It has a much tighter (18 inch) turning radius, as well as many other features that the old one didn't. It even has a drain plug for the oil; which may not sound like a big deal unless you've owned my recent riding mower, which required you to turn the mower upside down, and pour the oil out of the same hole you put the oil into. Not fun on a large riding mower.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-81966952411119437202011-03-24T14:44:00.002-05:002011-03-24T14:46:48.856-05:00Two More Shirts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEsolIFRY0yxuAqlsScadIMT7sqZTx95H_Ma6hucdlme7vbV6TRsXRc5drLJekhQ0CxPmKwQRZB_QWIkk8PwAjlrh_40aEaiXcWEqRYaaEHtemRWD1fQ6d0MkqxjXuiydAAkOfG7BWW4F/s1600/69863.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEsolIFRY0yxuAqlsScadIMT7sqZTx95H_Ma6hucdlme7vbV6TRsXRc5drLJekhQ0CxPmKwQRZB_QWIkk8PwAjlrh_40aEaiXcWEqRYaaEHtemRWD1fQ6d0MkqxjXuiydAAkOfG7BWW4F/s400/69863.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587735022895625426" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKafZ8-hXp0eElFnGIHjl_cesyid0ya368_yvTPNP82riEzvoEv023l7T0mxi4rofY1WmOHhpKLGK1GmFI30tNAzFJ09O4prm0Q99QFXVuKLtXbz6WJl9XewrxKf5ZVh8IpqPHNDC0IL5s/s1600/69862.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKafZ8-hXp0eElFnGIHjl_cesyid0ya368_yvTPNP82riEzvoEv023l7T0mxi4rofY1WmOHhpKLGK1GmFI30tNAzFJ09O4prm0Q99QFXVuKLtXbz6WJl9XewrxKf5ZVh8IpqPHNDC0IL5s/s400/69862.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587735133397457618" /></a>Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-22113457651504678392011-02-23T08:16:00.003-06:002011-02-23T08:37:41.863-06:00R.I.P.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUJyRbokYyJZATnDCEWyhZux9gIY3W_UJBqYe-VmKey_JDxqCyyM-553omZh_kYyKQyYF7QxSUNsyJxB_2r14j_gDx0TPkAhjj8YqT6RefCQhj8CQzJaW2Tj4Jrg0zgFqbokeWfTMOVNS/s1600/brigadier_doctor-who.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 245px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUJyRbokYyJZATnDCEWyhZux9gIY3W_UJBqYe-VmKey_JDxqCyyM-553omZh_kYyKQyYF7QxSUNsyJxB_2r14j_gDx0TPkAhjj8YqT6RefCQhj8CQzJaW2Tj4Jrg0zgFqbokeWfTMOVNS/s400/brigadier_doctor-who.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576889407771238514" /></a><br /><br />In Memory of Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney). You will be missed.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-40150583307977016972011-02-17T09:19:00.002-06:002011-02-17T10:01:16.719-06:00Sometimes Being An Alabama Fan Is ShamefulI know that every team has their group of fans who are extremists, and publicly make idiots out of themselves, making the normal fans look bad. But recently an Alabama fan, who lives near Auburn, dumped a large concentration of an controlled substance herbicide, on Toomer's Corner in Auburn. Toomer's Corner is one of those landmarks for Auburn University, that is rich in tradition. There are several live oaks that are over 100 years old there. The students roll the trees after a big game win. It's a tradition. Some idiot Alabama fan has ruined that. These tree's that have lived over 100 years cannot be saved, and will soon die. Students are being told not to drink the water, because the amount of herbicide used was so great, that they are afraid it has polluted the water table there. This idiot fan is now facing federal charges, and is being called a terrorist; and rightfully so. This is a college football rivalry folks; not a war. You don't go causing permanent damage for the sake of a prank. Do you know what actions sparked this? Some Auburn fans put a Cam Newton jersey on the statue of Bear Bryant after the Iron Bowl. They didn't paint it on, they didn't break the statue, they didn't poison the water table. They played a simple prank. The idiot fan called into a local sports talk show, bragging that he did this. Of course, he said that the main reason he did this was because he read a newspaper article that stated that the Auburn fans rolled the trees in celebration after it was announced that Bear Bryant had died. Well you know what? This idiot fan was from Texas, and had only just moved here a few years ago. He chose to be a Bama fan after moving here. He read the article after moving here. He wasn't even a fan when this supposedly happened. He just moved here, chose an allegiance, read what was most likely an inaccurate article about Auburn fans rejoicing in a man's death, and decided to take action. The worst thing is, he probably didn't think about how dangerous it is, and now he's facing federal charges, and being labeled a terrorist. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve what comes to him, but it's sad to think that he thinks it's just a prank. I mean, why else would you call into a radio show and confess it like he did. No, I take it back; the worst thing about this is that some extremist Auburn fan is going to retaliate doing something equally stupid and dangerous. And it's the schools that are suffering. The schools that have no part of this, and don't condone such behavior. They are the ones facing possible destruction of property.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-29369936158474263412011-02-17T08:47:00.002-06:002011-02-17T09:10:04.112-06:00Making StatementsI don't know a whole lot about Michael Bay as a person. I've seen a handful of movies by him, but other than that, nothing. I do know that he made a move recently, that was one of the loudest slaps in the face I've seen; and that ranked high in my book. Megan Fox played the female lead in the two recent Transformers movies. Fox is very attractive; but let's face it, she's not the sharpest crayon in the box. Despite her inability to act, she keeps getting cast in roles because of her looks. Fox recently compared Bay to Hitler. Bay then decided not only to replace her for the new Transformers movie, but he replaced her with a Victoria's Secret model with NO ACTING EXPERIENCE. This was a risky move that may come back and bite him, but I applaud the statement he made. Without saying anything slanderous, he told the world what he thought of Fox's contributions to the acting world.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-71116993473722653302011-02-16T15:25:00.002-06:002011-02-16T16:05:53.299-06:00Learning New ThingsUntil today, I thought Chris Cooper and Brett Cullen were the same actor. I didn't realize they were two different people. This is the third time this has happened to me. The first being Bill Pullman and Jeff Daniels, and the second being Ving Ryames and Michael Clarke Duncan.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-82351472280374328072011-02-07T16:56:00.005-06:002011-02-07T16:59:50.697-06:00My Superbowl 2011 Half Time Show ReviewAt least maybe Christina Aguilera won't feel so bad.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-1953506920746790522011-02-01T10:25:00.002-06:002011-02-01T10:55:33.114-06:00Comic AuthorsComic book authors should be required to read the entire series of a title that they have been assigned to before they begin writing; so at least when they completely change something to fit their need, they can explain the continuity errors they've created.<br /><br />One series I read as a kid, had this great thing called a "no prize." The entire series was written by one author, so continuity errors were few; however, they did creep in occasionally. This author had a great since of humor about it, and created the "no prize." At the end of most comics they have a couple of pages where they print fan letters, and responses. So when people wrote in to point out continuity errors, this author encouraged the fans to write an explanation that resolved the error. He would then pick his favorite, print it in the letters to the author section, and give them the "no prize." The name was because, you didn't actually get a tangible prize. What you did get was a chance to be a part of the process, and the writer agreeing with you, thus giving some canonical credibility to an explanation that resolved a continuity error. This also gave a positive spin on the whole "point out the author's mistake" thing.<br /><br />DC comics has run into continuity errors on a much larger scale. This is due to long runs of titles, constant changes in authors, and crossovers beyond anything that could easily be managed. Their solution was\is limited run cleanup series usually having the word "Crisis" in the title. In the first one, they proposed the idea of multiple universes, where most things are the same, but where there are subtle differences. These universes would cross occasionally, combine in some cases, and end up with people from one universe staying in another. This gave them the ability to explain away ageless characters, changes in origins of characters, and bringing dead characters back to life. Cause lets face it, nothing sells comics better than killing off a major character; while nothing kills comics better than a major character no longer being alive.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-8590395213964149072011-01-28T15:12:00.005-06:002011-01-28T15:34:45.517-06:00Lots of StuffI just realized my last four posts were all pictures; albeit pictures I wanted to share. Sorry about that. This one's no different, but at least I have words in here too.<br /><br />I have two new additions to the buzz word list; "antioxidants" and "gluten free."<br /><br />I saw a picture of a dog at the animal shelter, that I think is mine. I wouldn't put it past him to sneak out and go there to get free food. Where he got the other collar, and how he changes it out is beyond me. But he's a sneaky bugger.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgVDBKzZOCwHPyxaFpz__HmRcquexnM6zCOOx5lOGs0gxBCCdNmBob30UQWvmniOwXqPOgI1BQbhRqWG62v9Tg-sI9AVJdm94Z49GKIcm41iWN72P4QKjU2ID6nqkmZ4MoW8X4MMD0hcq/s1600/Animal+Services+Snow+January+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgVDBKzZOCwHPyxaFpz__HmRcquexnM6zCOOx5lOGs0gxBCCdNmBob30UQWvmniOwXqPOgI1BQbhRqWG62v9Tg-sI9AVJdm94Z49GKIcm41iWN72P4QKjU2ID6nqkmZ4MoW8X4MMD0hcq/s400/Animal+Services+Snow+January+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567348634659526882" /></a><br /><br />Lots of changes going on at work again. Positions dissolving, merging, and going away. At first I was worried where I would end up during all the reorgs. Now I'm just hoping that 1) I keep a job; and 2) I don't get a pay cut. As for a title and responsibilities, I'll be thankful for anything that satisfies at least the first one; and preferably the second one. As for the rest, I've gone numb. I have never felt comfortable in charge. My comfort zone has always been second in charge; but somehow I ended up over it all. I've done well enough to get merit raises, and I'm told by many what I good job I'm doing; but it doesn't change the fact that it's just not my cup of tea. The reorg threatens a design that would make my current position redundant. And while there is a low self esteem part of me that is going to feel like I failed with any change that even hints as a demotion; the reduction in stress would really be worth it in the long run. As I think of the things I wouldn't be responsible for anymore, I feel a sense of ease. But I know myself, and I know that IF there is a change that causes me to feel as though I've been demoted, I'm going to be bothered by it. Well at least I should know a little more in a couple of weeks.<br /><br />Egress OutRoy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-1585866165807468932011-01-28T15:02:00.005-06:002011-01-28T15:04:23.130-06:00Me Wants These T-Shirts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3vProVE8-3I4O0SXvdaKhxWYq45ebfirRdMz-pmXNKOYOt_48pQEN_nhCgMM2rWv6So0BmwKK_TWj0g-UyDHRdKggQeEYmKjLqbGnGRTgzFU9Pxfg8Q6OoIVTnHw3M8YkpzSs_7MMmdZ/s1600/67582.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3vProVE8-3I4O0SXvdaKhxWYq45ebfirRdMz-pmXNKOYOt_48pQEN_nhCgMM2rWv6So0BmwKK_TWj0g-UyDHRdKggQeEYmKjLqbGnGRTgzFU9Pxfg8Q6OoIVTnHw3M8YkpzSs_7MMmdZ/s400/67582.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567345215368673538" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDiCRCLsNLubNxTUoxmqvPsalr54RxKl9X2Cd4zBM1_D7iIRtK9D5WClNb1uXUHW-rdZ7Okusx7KO6U1RUkmK2NumslVfIUOCoD6mqezL-j-U7yU84Zg8fmUm4G4vTTp4T7CpcI4p4GF7/s1600/67583.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDiCRCLsNLubNxTUoxmqvPsalr54RxKl9X2Cd4zBM1_D7iIRtK9D5WClNb1uXUHW-rdZ7Okusx7KO6U1RUkmK2NumslVfIUOCoD6mqezL-j-U7yU84Zg8fmUm4G4vTTp4T7CpcI4p4GF7/s400/67583.jpg.size-300_square-true.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567345281510796082" /></a>Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-55075153412213897252011-01-26T14:55:00.000-06:002011-01-26T14:56:07.982-06:00Nuff Said<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHygmb2ZVrx-ClQNCfgkqiQeQHWBKeKC9eLSN-bOQIsA7wuFxHO0SalsVnYq9sEzNtSTd2QJN7UElLbkf6r1KiyguT9hJUzoueTKDXCgpbp6-DZp77IWULCoNtvi98PH47mwb4r7lCfOd6/s1600/Capture.PNG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHygmb2ZVrx-ClQNCfgkqiQeQHWBKeKC9eLSN-bOQIsA7wuFxHO0SalsVnYq9sEzNtSTd2QJN7UElLbkf6r1KiyguT9hJUzoueTKDXCgpbp6-DZp77IWULCoNtvi98PH47mwb4r7lCfOd6/s400/Capture.PNG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566601272265191410" /></a>Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-73472967219293121642010-12-29T11:30:00.004-06:002010-12-29T12:01:06.482-06:00Marketing Pet Peeves, Part 2Someone please tell me what makes these "HD."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkptMBMLgLrPMxzomuo3TUg2DxJ_nbrB_6-HK0G1bQUq1urxvdGyBDBwXt3hvsKl19ohio2Ux6Ep3ZH8rnyRwZnhNtSarlZBCbV_WR67Wi2dOVHKcD7r50mMlbwRbjo2O2u0Q6Iecn_9FG/s1600/75450202206_450x450_a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkptMBMLgLrPMxzomuo3TUg2DxJ_nbrB_6-HK0G1bQUq1urxvdGyBDBwXt3hvsKl19ohio2Ux6Ep3ZH8rnyRwZnhNtSarlZBCbV_WR67Wi2dOVHKcD7r50mMlbwRbjo2O2u0Q6Iecn_9FG/s400/75450202206_450x450_a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556158089084466738" /></a><br /><br />This is what I was talking about before. If we go by the definition of the actual buzz word, the only "HD glasses" would be prescription glasses for someone with something other than 20\20 vision. Let's face it; these are Ambervision, repackaged.Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6397326398253484599.post-20852414881512976102010-12-29T11:22:00.004-06:002010-12-29T11:24:34.613-06:00Neat Pictures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnz6A3ZKehWLA329jzp6UaMAx1bgh7pzbEBAwrLWFJlt8Ci6vmXougDWPQyjmAL21qThgyEgDfGvuXADe0NcBVUb-2GD-41umTf0Z7g0iHHkP-r-A-KpCtv9_LfQ4NPm_0fVqDGAtwWHd/s1600/IOTDSupermanFacebook-thumb-550x487-49019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 354px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnz6A3ZKehWLA329jzp6UaMAx1bgh7pzbEBAwrLWFJlt8Ci6vmXougDWPQyjmAL21qThgyEgDfGvuXADe0NcBVUb-2GD-41umTf0Z7g0iHHkP-r-A-KpCtv9_LfQ4NPm_0fVqDGAtwWHd/s400/IOTDSupermanFacebook-thumb-550x487-49019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556156320766922258" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1Mr1D7Ex0Os7c_6te3_7OrupikwIcEcYEIdcZIJWQl9K9gQPtIyFAwrayOQq3BDgZhP4yLWq0sRtOd_7Gn92Oe8yWimiX4I3PcPDi3_3Xtj6K7PZuG2vQSMcifaLPa_dlA588CnCCsBX/s1600/ImageDarthBatman-thumb-410x509-45122.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 322px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1Mr1D7Ex0Os7c_6te3_7OrupikwIcEcYEIdcZIJWQl9K9gQPtIyFAwrayOQq3BDgZhP4yLWq0sRtOd_7Gn92Oe8yWimiX4I3PcPDi3_3Xtj6K7PZuG2vQSMcifaLPa_dlA588CnCCsBX/s400/ImageDarthBatman-thumb-410x509-45122.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556156199382560914" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsAa7NEs90p9QaefMm-wIlFuU0BpQ2mwVQrfEwImnOXIEBAd0ar3NXdQf9DoDCZpu70RGideByFgksJVIE5pyJTy7mXLR_fYd4QlAyN0ZCjuak_muW9bPm9ygy_4kQJa46KEF8mzFa6Mw/s1600/ImageFireflyStarTrekCasts-thumb-550x413-44539.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsAa7NEs90p9QaefMm-wIlFuU0BpQ2mwVQrfEwImnOXIEBAd0ar3NXdQf9DoDCZpu70RGideByFgksJVIE5pyJTy7mXLR_fYd4QlAyN0ZCjuak_muW9bPm9ygy_4kQJa46KEF8mzFa6Mw/s400/ImageFireflyStarTrekCasts-thumb-550x413-44539.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556156100484913394" /></a>Roy O'Dowdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13239036756993818734noreply@blogger.com1