useless and pointless knowledge

It's True. They Do That

2009-05-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

I Thought This Day Would Never Arrive

2009-04-02T08:41:00.002-05:00

Meet CADIE

2009-04-01T16:29:00.000-05:00

Google went nuts for April Fool’s Day. This is hysterical.

They “invented” CADIE: Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity.

CADIE blog
CADIE Technical Specs
CADIE YouTube Page

Basically it is an Artificial Intelligence that will:

Respond to your email
Search your brain
Write your documents
Write your code
Recommend books
Recommend articles
Recommend Images
Add 3D to your browser
Show you ocean floor terrain maps
Tell you where to go

Most likely all or some of these links will be time sensitive, meaning that if you read them on any day other than April 1st you won't see what I'm referring to.

Amazon Kindle...To Embrace or Resist?

2009-03-20T11:32:00.010-05:00

"Resisting the Kindle" is article one in a series of two articles on The Atlantic.com, presenting the Pros and Cons of the Amazon Kindle.

This article presents the "against" argument and I think it is completely flawed. To be honest I think the author was stretching for a thesis simply to be part of a series of two articles examining the pros and cons of the Kindle.

"In Defense of the Kindle" is part two of the series which presents the "pro" or "in favor of" position on the device.

I think you could do away with almost the entire article and only read the response to the original article's discussion of Wallace Stevens and the loss of historical context at risk with the discontinued regular use of Bartlett's Quotations and it still pwns.

Please discuss. I would love to hear feedback on this.

100% Awesome

2009-03-06T09:04:00.002-06:00

2008-12-11T22:23:00.000-06:00

Today it snowed in South Louisiana for what I think is the third time in my lifetime. Check it out:

What Do You Need to Know?

2008-12-10T15:27:00.000-06:00

I've found another fantastic way for everyone to waste time at work! Isn't it amazing how skilled I am at finding these time-wasting methods?

Common Expressions and Sayings

This site has a list of expressions and their origins and meanings that we've most likely heard all of our lives and possibly even used without understanding fully.

Very informative. I came upon it while looking for the origin of the expression "all-singing, all-dancing".

Go Find Him on Them Internets

2008-12-05T09:04:00.000-06:00

I know many of us have been hit hard by the turn the economy has taken.

Not to worry. I'm working to find cost cutting measures for all of us. the first step in my cost cutting plan is to reduce the monthly cost of storage. So go ahead and plan to move your stuff from U-Haul and store it at Jones' Big Ass Truck Rental and Storage.

It All Makes Perfect Sense Now

2008-12-03T14:56:00.001-06:00

Politics Explained in simple terms.

2008-12-02T13:05:00.000-06:00

Apparently this is old, but I just saw it for the first time on Friday. This series of rejected cartoons is hysterical.

Kill Ten Minutes With the Living Dead

2008-12-02T13:02:00.001-06:00

Check out Zombie Haiku for an excellent dose of quiet reflection on the zombie apocalypse.

Be sure to read all of the imagined Zombie Haiku that could have been written by famous poets

One Sentence

2008-11-25T16:01:00.000-06:00

Excellent site featuring submissions which aim to tell a story in only one sentence.

One Sentence

Productivity Killers

2008-11-25T15:43:00.001-06:00

Check out this strangely addictive game I found via StumbleUpon:

Red Square

My best time is 21.32 seconds.

Do you ever wonder if there could be so many more geniuses around us if only everyone weren't so distracted by productivity burning things like this, YouTube, Hulu, etc.

2008-11-25T08:46:00.000-06:00

This is so cool. Someone riding a bike through a course made up to be a Guitar Hero World Tour song.

It's almost as good as the live action Super Mario Brothers level one reenactment.

30 Rock Is Awesome

2008-11-08T11:44:00.003-06:00

Tina Fey's Liz Lemon getting out of jury duty by wearing her Princess Leia costume on the stand.

The Internet is a Strange and Wonderful Place

2008-10-16T10:04:00.001-05:00

I Can Only Imagine What Things Are Like In New York

2008-10-10T08:32:00.003-05:00

I don't know if I've mentioned before that the accounting firm that I work for merged with a financial services and wealth management firm and now a number of the CPAs in the office do extensive work of that nature. The focus of many of our top tax people has shifted from tax work to wealth management. This shift was made much at the same time that we moved into a new building, our office being on the third floor now as opposed to the first, like we were before.

We have a pretty large office and it has two sides: an audit side and a tax/wealth management side. I sit on the tax/wealth management side, right in the middle of the top wealth management guys.

With the stock market looking something like this over the last month:

I've heard A LOT of jokes about people throwing themselves out of windows or climbing to the roof to jump.

I bet the jokes on Wall Street have an especially morbid tone these days.

More of This Please

2008-10-08T09:57:00.004-05:00

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal published an excellent article on the financial crisis and how it affects the average person.

This is what I've struggled with through the breaking news of this crisis. I knew it was a crisis because everyone kept telling me that it was, and I knew that we may be heading into a recession or a depression and I know how THOSE things affect me, but I never saw the correlation of the the financial market crisis and its direct relationship to my life. This article helps to break it down.

Why This 'Credit Crisis' Hits Everyone

Who Can We Blame For the Sub-Prime Crisis...Who's To Say?

2008-10-01T10:11:00.005-05:00

I don't usually like to post email forwards that I receive, but this one is at least interesting in light of the subprime crisis.

This is a NY Times article published in 1999; actually nine years ago, yesterday. The article is being floated around the internet in the form of an email forward in a slightly edited form. A few sentences and paragraphs have been omitted from the email version which do not change the message of the article entirely, but seem to have been removed in an attempt to rest the blame for today's crisis solely on the Clinton Administration. Certainly that administration had some part in it, but as the actual article illustrates, there were other interest groups who pushed for the policy change.

Emphasis is added by me.

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending
By STEVEN A. HOLMES
Published: September 30, 1999

In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.

The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

In addition, banks, thrift institutions and mortgage companies have been pressing Fannie Mae to help them make more loans to so-called subprime borrowers. These borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough to qualify for conventional loans, can only get loans from finance companies that charge much higher interest rates -- anywhere from three to four percentage points higher than conventional loans.

''Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990's by reducing down payment requirements,'' said Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman and chief executive officer. ''Yet there remain too many borrowers whose credit is just a notch below what our underwriting has required who have been relegated to paying significantly higher mortgage rates in the so-called subprime market.''

Demographic information on these borrowers is sketchy. But at least one study indicates that 18 percent of the loans in the subprime market went to black borrowers, compared to 5 per cent of loans in the conventional loan market.

In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.

''From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,'' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ''If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.''

Under Fannie Mae's pilot program, consumers who qualify can secure a mortgage with an interest rate one percentage point above that of a conventional, 30-year fixed rate mortgage of less than $240,000 -- a rate that currently averages about 7.76 per cent. If the borrower makes his or her monthly payments on time for two years, the one percentage point premium is dropped.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, does not lend money directly to consumers. Instead, it purchases loans that banks make on what is called the secondary market. By expanding the type of loans that it will buy, Fannie Mae is hoping to spur banks to make more loans to people with less-than-stellar credit ratings.

Fannie Mae officials stress that the new mortgages will be extended to all potential borrowers who can qualify for a mortgage. But they add that the move is intended in part to increase the number of minority and low income home owners who tend to have worse credit ratings than non-Hispanic whites.

Home ownership has, in fact, exploded among minorities during the economic boom of the 1990's. The number of mortgages extended to Hispanic applicants jumped by 87.2 per cent from 1993 to 1998, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. During that same period the number of African Americans who got mortgages to buy a home increased by 71.9 per cent and the number of Asian Americans by 46.3 per cent.

In contrast, the number of non-Hispanic whites who received loans for homes increased by 31.2 per cent.

Despite these gains, home ownership rates for minorities continue to lag behind non-Hispanic whites, in part because blacks and Hispanics in particular tend to have on average worse credit ratings.

In July, the Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed that by the year 2001, 50 percent of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's portfolio be made up of loans to low and moderate-income borrowers. Last year, 44 percent of the loans Fannie Mae purchased were from these groups.

The change in policy also comes at the same time that HUD is investigating allegations of racial discrimination in the automated underwriting systems used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to determine the credit-worthiness of credit applicants.

From the Desk of Luke Sonnier, CPA

2008-09-23T18:13:00.003-05:00

It is finally over. I passed the final part of the CPA Exam. I took Financial Accounting and Reporting on August 29th and got the score today. I passed with an 84.

I want to say thank you to everyone who supported me through this process. Constant studying and sacrifice was only possible with the support I received from everyone out there.

No News is Painful News

2008-09-19T09:17:00.005-05:00

Oh I'm dying over here. I found out that at least three states (Illinois, Virginia and California) have released scores for the Financial Accounting and Reporting section of the CPA exam, which is the section that I took for the third time on August 29th, and for which I have yet to receive a score.

Louisiana hasn't released scores yet, so now instead of checking the website for my score every hour and a half I'm checking every five minutes.

Good luck getting any work done today, Luke.

Babies, Babies Everywhere

2008-09-12T13:19:00.002-05:00

I'm super late in getting these to some of you folks. Others of you I emailed about them.

While we were on vacation back in August I went crazy with the video camera and got a lot of footage of Sam just being Sam. Check them out after the jump.

Really Bad Coffee

2008-09-12T13:13:00.003-05:00

A strong indicator that your office should switch to a different brand of coffee in the kitchen is the employees brewing coffee at home to bring to work in a thermos every day rather than take advantage of the free stuff you provide for them.

An even stronger indicator is when that coffee brewed in the morning, which wasn't finished because of a busy morning schedule is still being sipped on at 1:30 in the afternoon, even though it is ice cold because six-hour-old, cold good coffee is better than the fresh swill you're trying to serve them.

This is My Brave New World

2008-08-14T10:27:00.005-05:00

Sorry that I haven't been blogging over here at Useless and Pointless Knowledge much lately. Most of you probably know that my blogging is now primarily at The Daily Sam.

Other than studying for the FAR section of the CPA exam again, I'll be honest, not much has been going on in my life. However, I feel like I've been busier than ever. Lindsey and I spend as much time as possible with Dominic (pictured above with on-Luke) and Lexi (check out Lexi getting to know Sam here in my newest Flickr set) and all the rest of our family in the area.

Dominic and Lexi are Lindsey's brother Chris' children. They are a ton of fun, and Dominic thinks I'm pretty awesome (hint: it's because I am). We moved back home because we knew that when we had kids of our own we would want them to grow up around family, and so far we've really been able to encourage some great relationships between ourselves and the kids, and hopefully we can encourage the same between them and Sam. Soon enough, Sam will even have another brand new cousin who will live less than a mile away.

We are making every effort to give Sam a close and fulfilling family life. So far, it is really working. He is very loved and I think he knows it.

So Scott, take a look at the above pictures. This is what my life is now. My sock is dangling my friend! Come January you'd better be ready. Don't worry though...it has been nothing but a blast and I wouldn't change any of it.

Home Again, Home Again

2008-07-21T08:21:00.004-05:00

Hey guys, I just got back from a week long trip to Chicago for a tax training course. It was a really great trip and a good course. I learned a lot at the conference, but SO much of it was over my head. Once it has had some time to sink in I know it will be fine.

Anyway, while I was gone I wasn't able to update The Daily Sam as much as I would have liked to, but I have posted a picture for every day that I was gone now. Because I shorted you all on the daily pictures, check out this video I did yesterday.

Just in the week that I was gone Sam changed so much. His face is filling out and getting a little more round (and cute). He is gaining weight at a very good pace and looking really healthy. I hope you guys enjoy.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-05T01:02:00.006-05:00

Well, another 4th of July has come and gone and that can only mean one thing: the Annual Sonnier 4th of July Bar-b-que celebration must have been today!

Feel free to peek through my photos of the bbq in the slide-show below, or check out my Flickr set here. This year was a great success I think.

We moved the celebration from Crowley at Ganny's house to Kaplan where my Dad lives. The new location provided for a much more relaxed environment with so much more space. Now we just need to work on gaining access to the empty lot behind Dad's yard and getting a couple of 4-Wheelers and go-carts going. Nothing says holiday in Louisiana like excessive amounts of meat and booze coupled with high speed ATVs.

I think everyone had a great time. We had a number of missing faces this time around, but to all of those folks who couldn't make it: hopefully we will catch up with you next year!

Going Global

2008-06-25T20:44:00.004-05:00

In addition to photos of Sam, we've also been using our new video camera to get some cute videos. When I can, I have been posting them to My YouTube profile.

Just like with the Flickr pictures, I will probably be uploading regularly, so check back frequently.

I'm sure that I will add most (or all) of the videos to Useless and Pointless Knowledge, so don't worry...you shouldn't miss any.

Here is one of my favorites:

Check Out Sam!

2008-06-24T10:31:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone. Just thought I'd check in.

We are still in the hospital, but we expect to be discharged at some point today. I think it will just depend on when the doctor makes rounds. Sam is doing very well and is just as happy as can be. Lindsey is looking and feeling great. We all can't wait to go home.

I also wanted to offer you guys two ways to check out new pictures of Sam.

The Daily Sam is a new blog which will feature one new picture of Sam every day. Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed if you are interested, or simply check back every day.

The official address of The Daily Sam is http://dailysamuel.blogspot.com. If nothing else, be sure to bookmark it.

You can also just visit my Flickr page. So far I've created two sets of photos of Sam:

Day 1
Day 2

So please check out his pictures and leave comments. We love hearing your thoughts on Sam.

Baby Announcement

2008-06-22T21:04:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! We are still in the hospital so I'll keep this quick (Sam is feeding for the first time ever right now).

Samuel Luke Sonnier was born today, June 22, 2008 at 4:07 pm. He weighs 8 lbs 9 oz. and is 21 1/4 inches long.

Mom and baby are both doing very, very well. Everything went relatively smoothly during both labor and delivery. We will be at the hospital until Tuesday. Of course I will continue to update as things move along.

Here are the first pictures of the little man himself.

Back in the Saddle Again

2008-06-20T13:23:00.004-05:00

Well I finally got the score back from the exam I took three weeks ago on May 29th, and I didn't pass. As always it takes a score of 75 to pass and I scored a 73.

So it's back to the grindstone for me. I went ahead and ordered new study materials. I've been studying with the 2006 version of the Becker books and CD-ROMs. Those did the trick on all three other parts of the exam, but for this section it just isn't cutting the mustard.

This time around I'm going to try the Wiley 2008 materials. Maybe a fresh set of study materials will be beneficial.

Requiem For A Day Off

2008-06-18T08:31:00.000-05:00

Awesome.

Visit Portland, Oregon

2008-06-13T11:41:00.002-05:00

Hey guys, I've got cool news to report.

As if it wasn't flattering enough to be published in the book Signs of Life, which was a collection of photos from the Gulf Coast region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, now I have a photo published on the Schmap Northwest Travel Guide.

Schmap Northwest is an interactive online only travel guide for Oregon and Washington. While we were living in Portland, Lindsey and I went to the
Japanese Garden several times. It is really a beautiful garden park in the southwest section of town. If you ever find yourself in Portland I recommend that you visit.

The photo selected for the guide was taken on June 25, 2006 on a trip to the garden just before we moved. We went with Mom and Kim and it was a lovely day. If you are interested in more pictures of the garden you can check out my Flickr set here.

This is the photo included in the Schmap Northwest Guide.

You should also check out my photo on the Schmap Guide website under the Parks and Gardens section.

Good Reads

2008-06-11T14:41:00.003-05:00

If you like to read, but have found that you don't have a decent place to connect with other readers, to talk about the books you are reading and to get and give recommendations please check out Good Reads, and be sure to add me as a friend.

I didn't think I was very interested in the site at first, but after a month or two I went back to it and poked around a bit only to find that it is actually pretty cool. I find that I've got a number of friends and family members who read a lot but we never seem to talk much about what we're reading. I don't often give or receive recommendations.

Let me know what you guys think.

I Wouldn't Want to Come Out Either

2008-06-11T14:23:00.004-05:00

Well we went back to the doctor this past Monday (June 9th) and while everything is still happy and healthy, the news was slightly less than exciting.

Lindsey is dilated three cm and 50% effaced. These are good things, it means that everything is moving along quite nicely. The bummer is that there was no change from our prior appointment two weeks before that! The real bummer is that so far she doesn't seem to be having very many contractions. At this point, who knows when Sam is going to decide he's ready. He could pop out literally any day now...as in today...or tonight. But it could still be quite some time. There is just no telling because he gets to do things on his own time.

Our doctor, who has been really great throughout this whole pregnancy, told us that she doesn't induce labor until the baby is one week late (not really late, just that he still hasn't been born one week after the due date). This was a downer for Lindsey who is really uncomfortable this far into the summer as pregnant as she is, but the upside is that without a doubt he'll be here by June 26th! At a bare minimum we will have a baby in our arms in two weeks time. I find that reassuring, but then again I'm not the one carrying him around in my abdomen.

And who can blame Sam really? We've set up a pretty sweet nursery for him and gotten all kinds of great clothes and really cool stuff, but I'm sure all of that pales in comparison to the comfort of the womb. I suppose in the end that he will come out when he is good and ready.

We will keep you all updated. As I understand it Women's and Children's Hospital now has Wi-Fi, so I should be able to update everyone pretty well from the hospital. So everyone stay tuned in to my Twitter feed and as always keep checking Useless and Pointless Knowledge.

Daydreaming the Summer Away

2008-06-11T14:05:00.003-05:00

I am having a rough go of it right now. I can't seem to concentrate on anything at work! Between constantly thinking about my pending CPA exam results, and constantly waiting for the phone to ring with news of Lindsey going into labor, my mind is completely fried. Not to mention that fact that other than time off to study I haven't really taken any vacation time since tax season ended.

If I wasn't planning to take a week or two off after the birth I would use some of my banked overtime to just stay home and relax a little bit, but I really want to maximize my time home with Sam.

Also, I was able to ignore it a bit during tax season because I was so busy, and then again when I was studying because I need to focus, but now my desire to sit down and play Guitar Hero (any version) until my eyes bleed is back with renewed vigor. This has not been made any easier by the fact that I got to play Rock Band for the first time recently and I freaking LOVED it.

At first I thought that singing as part of a video game would be ridiculous, but it turns out that my years and years of sitting alone in my room as a kid, and later driving alone in my car singing along with song after song after song were just the right practice for Rock Band. I think I've been in training to play this game my whole life. It is so much fun.

Try singing along to Weezer's "Say It Ain't So" at the absolute top of your lungs, making sure to scream out the jam part at the end and tell me you aren't having fun. Or singing along to Radiohead's "Creep" as loud as you possibly can, being sure to sing the unedited album version as opposed to the radio-friendly alternate version with no curse words. It's hard not to enjoy it in my opinion.

The good news is that it is only a matter of time in each case.

Lindsey is due on June 19th, which is a week from tomorrow. See my next post for the most recent update about the pregnancy.

And I think the CPA exam results should start being released next week. Historically I've gotten my result in roughly three weeks, which would be next week.

Wouldn't it be wild to find out that I passed the exam and have my son born on the same day! It might just be too much in day, but in such a good way.

More New Stuff

2008-06-09T12:27:00.004-05:00

The real upside of blogs being so incredibly popular now is that people are developing a ton of cool widgets for them.

New at the top of my sidebar is a Good Reads widget. It turns out that Good Reads, has also created a blog widget, which is displaying the books I am currently reading.

Now in addition to tracking what movies I am renting and what music I am listening to, you all can see what I am reading. As you can see I am currently reading "When You Are Engulfed In Flames" by David Sedaris and "The Expectant Father" by Armin Brott (which I've been slowly perusing throughout the entire pregnancy).

For now (not sure if I will leave them there) you can also see widgets displaying the books I've read and the ones I want to read as well.

This is Pretty Cool

2008-06-05T08:49:00.003-05:00

Lafayette population now at 210,000

Lafayette Parish is really growing. Let's hope that the city and parish can keep up with the growing population and begin to offer more amenities typically found in larger cities.

I love living here so much, and I am very pleased to raise my son here, but there are so many things I miss about living in large cities. It would be great to get some of those little things that make city life so cool.

Red Light Violations

2008-05-21T09:34:00.003-05:00

The local Lafayette newspaper The Daily Advertiser recently revamped it's website. One of the new regular features is really cool.

Every day the Advertiser posts a local red light violation. The city has been installing cameras at red lights for a while now. The offending driver's license plate is photographed and a ticket issued.

Certainly I should be concerned about where Big Brother is taking this, and when the cameras first went up I was. Watching these videos though kind of makes you rethink things. Some of these people are just being reckless. Maybe they need someone to help them be more careful. What do you guys think?

Battlestar Lostica

2008-05-21T09:31:00.001-05:00

This is fantastic for anyone who is a fan of both Lost and Battlestar Galactica. Enjoy:

Staying Connected During Labor

2008-05-20T17:02:00.004-05:00

Once again I'd like to point out a new feature added to my blog. This one however, will do more than simply tell you guys what music I'm listening to on my Zune and which movies I'm renting from Netflix.

Over on the right at the top of my sidebar you will notice a heading which reads "Luke Sonnier says..." and beneath it there are five updates written at various times regarding my whereabouts. This is my Twitter feed.

From the wiki for Twitter:

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send "updates" (or "tweets"; text-based posts, up to 140 characters long) to the Twitter website, via short message service (SMS), instant messaging, or a third-party application such as Twitterrific or Facebook.

One very cool feature of Twitter is that when I send an update (which I can do on the Twitter.com website or via text message), members who are following my Tweets can choose to receive updates on their cell phones via text message alerting them to my new message.

I hate to ask all of you to go and open an account with Twitter, but I think this will be a great way for me to keep you all informed when Lindsey goes into labor and Sam is born. Rather than sending out a million text messages and making a million phone calls which I'm pretty much hoping to avoid, I can simply update Twitter via text message from the hospital and you guys will be in the know immediately. Obviously, do not sign up if you aren't interested. I just thought I would make the suggestion. We will still be making phone calls and updating people as much as we can in the traditional ways.

If you are interested, sign up at Twitter.com.

You can read the general FAQ on Twitter here.

And the FAQs on how Twitter works with your cell phone here.

Never The Same

2008-05-16T16:06:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to point out a really cool new feature on the blog.

Over at Jforsythe.com you can create a neat little widget which displays which movies you have at home from Netflix. You can see mine in the sidebar to the right.

Where it would have previously been Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Alias, and Criterion DVDs, I'm betting it's going to be a lot of Baby Einstein and Disney DVDs from here on out.

What Would It Look Like If Nothing Happened Today

2008-05-14T09:33:00.003-05:00

Wouldn't it be nice to turn on the news tonight, only to find out that nothing happened?

Jeremy, This Goes Out To You

2008-05-09T15:15:00.003-05:00

Do you guys remember those Bud Light Presents - Real American Heroes radio ads? I have a bunch of them in Mp3 format and this one came on while my Zune software was set to shuffle earlier.

I'd forgotten about it, but it made me think of my buddy Jeremy Broussard who has a deli meat slicer on his wedding registry, which I just think is 100% awesome. This guy takes deli meats very seriously, and I can't say I blame him.

So Jeremy, this goes out to you:

Get this widget

Track details

eSnips Social DNA

New Feature

2008-05-09T11:34:00.005-05:00

Check out the new banner above. That is my Zune Card.

With the new update to the Zune software (version 2.5), Microsoft has added this function which allows users to embed Zune Cards on web pages. So now you guys can see what I'm listening to.

If you guys are members of the Zune Social be sure to add me as a friend!

As with all new features, I'm sure there are kinks to be worked out. For instance, it appears that the tag is not refreshing with an regularity. Hopefully that is something Microsoft can work out soon. In any event, I think it's a pretty cool feature. They even added a Facebook application.

How Will You Spend Your Stimulus

2008-05-08T11:36:00.002-05:00

This is pretty funny.

How I Spent My Stimulus is a site which relates the purchases people across the country have made with their 2008 Economic Stimulus Package payments.

What about you guys? What do you plan to buy with your stimulus money? I bought a new computer with mine (I just got it a little early is all).

Your Mother Should Know

2008-05-02T17:06:00.002-05:00

How Viral Works

This is a pretty cool visual representation of how internet memes grow.

Warning, Your Next Few Hours at Work Are Going To Be Wasted

2008-05-02T10:44:00.004-05:00

Nerve.com and IFC.com have teamed up to rank the 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches of All Time.

From The State's "$240 Worth of Pudding" to SNL's "More Cowbell" and Monty Python's "The Spanish Inquisition" (did you expect the Spanish Inquisition to be on the list...NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!) you have to watch them. You won't regret it.

Dropping Hints

2008-05-02T08:42:00.006-05:00

This may not be your typical baby gift, but check this out:

The Sonnier Name in History is a book which is part of a new series at Amazon.com detailing the history of family names. I think this would be a great baby gift for Sam so that he can learn about his family name, don't you?

I'm really just kidding. This seems like a really great idea but I think it falls short of what many people might hope it to be. Apparently these books are compiled by Ancestry.com, each containing general statistics and other information about your family name. Reading the reviews on Amazon.com, it appears that some people are extremely disappointed while others are tremendously pleased. For $29.99 it may be a bigger gamble than it's worth.

Have any of you guys read one? Are they helpful? Interesting? Useless and Pointless?

The Economy Slump Hits Me In My Pockets...So Now I Care

2008-05-01T13:23:00.003-05:00

Do interest rates suck right now or what!

I made a big deposit in my Etrade account this month and was eagerly looking forward to today for my interest deposit (Etrade pays monthly interest earned on the last day of every month, so you can check it on the first). But when I check the deposit this morning it's less than last month's deposit, which was calculated on less money! So bummed.

So, How Much Do You Make?

2008-04-29T16:07:00.002-05:00

This is an interesting article from the always informative Ypulse. The idea in question is sharing your personal financial situation with your close friends. Etiquette and tradition seem to dictate that such conversations are tres gauche!, but I've noticed that people in my generation, and especially people in the next generation behind mine have no problem at all talking very casually about it. I find myself very on the fence about it.

If I had to make a decision I think I am all for talking about it. However, because I am married I find myself being much more careful because I'm not just talking about my personal finances, I am talking about our personal finances. If I were single, I imagine I would have very little problem talking openly about it.

Check out the article, and let me know in the comments section how you feel about letting your close friends know how much you make?

Somewhere in syndication lives a very memorable episode of "Friends" where Ross plans his birthday celebration at a fancy restaurant, and Rachel, Joey and Phoebe confess that they don't earn enough money for such elegant dinners. The wealthier of the group offer to pay for the not-so-wealthy to come along, and then the dreaded "charity case" emotions arise. Leave it to "Friends" to make such a delicate circumstance so comical. Of course, if the "Friends" clan had discussed their salaries in the first place, this sticky situation would have been avoided altogether.

Head on over to Ypulse to read the complete article.

Freak Like Me

2008-04-29T13:08:00.005-05:00

Have you guys seen the new trailer for The Dark Knight? It looks really great. I liked Batman Begins but I didn't love it the way most people did. I need to re-watch it. I haven't seen it since it hit theaters.

In any event, The Dark Knight looks WAY better. I can't wait.

Check it out in hi-res here:

A Taste For The Theatrical

Sounds Like Someone's Got A Case of the Mondays

2008-04-28T16:37:00.006-05:00

Ugh.

Well I had a great weekend but it did not end well.

I left work on Friday at 3:00 which is the ultimate upside of my job. Usually I leave at noon on Fridays, but I had some things to finish up before I left, and it took until 3:00. I ran a few errands and ended up home at a little after five. Then we had dinner with our friends Jeff & Erin and Jeremy & Amanda at Zea's (yes we went there twice in one week, and it was excellent both times). After dinner we watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall as previously reported.

For the rest of the weekend, take the jump.

On Saturday we did the typical homeowner thing and worked in the yard all day. I had to get the grass cut, and because Dad and I are planning to have a dump truck load of top soil brought into the back yard in an effort to raise it up and improve drainage, I had to remove all of the landscaping timbers I had in a few spots around the yard where my gardens once were (the gardens are on temporary hiatus until the CPA exam is passed and Sam is born). We decided to have a dinner and movie date, but decided at the last minute to invite a friend (Joe) and eat at Buffalo Wild Wings so it was more of a casual dinner thing. Then we decided to catch the movie with Elise. This time around we watched Baby Mama, the new Tina Fey comedy. It had some pretty funny moments, but all in all was not very good (which was a disappointment because I think the world of Tina Fey). Maybe wait to watch on DVD.

On Sunday Elise hosted a baby shower for Lindsey, which seems to have gone very well. I was not on the invite list (girls only) but we racked up on some great stuff which is really going to help out so much. Major thanks to everyone who attended and to those who were not able to make it. We really love all of our gifts. Special shout outs go to the very special Pendleton Woolen Mills Chief Joseph Collection Crib Blanket from Mom:

And also the Pendleton Woolen Mills Yona Sagonigei (Blue Bear) from Kim:

And finally the little tiny Converse Chuck Taylor Allstars from Scott:

which also came with a coordinating navy blue sweater vest:

If we put a neck tie and a pair of dockers on Sam he'll look just like Scott at a Speech & Debate tournament circa 1997. Totally sweet.

The reason I send special shout outs about those three presents is because they were painstakingly picked out and delivered in time for the shower despite everyone living far out of state at the moment. Thanks so much guys.

While Lindsey was at the shower, I hung out with Jeff and Jeremy again at my house. We did what any group of serious geeks would do while all of their wives/finaces were busy doing something else. We ordered a pizza, drank some beer and played Risk.

I had never played before so it was a learning experience for me. I admit, I really enjoyed it and cannot understand why I didn't start playing years ago. We weren't able to complete the game (it's still set up on my dining room table) but I'm doing pretty well for a first-timer. I've got control of Australia (which according to Hurley on the latest episode of Lost is the whole key to the game) and I control all of Asia. Not bad for a noob. Now I only hope those words don't come back to bite me in the ass when we resume the game.

Click to see high res version.

For some reason though, yesterday afternoon when everyone was gone I got a terrible headache that would not go away. I thought for sure that a good night's sleep would fix me up, but I woke up this morning and still felt bad.

I was a total zombie at work most of the day today, until about 2:00. I drank another cup of coffee (my third of the day) and that seemed to do the trick. I feel a lot better now.

You Should See...

2008-04-26T01:02:00.002-05:00

...Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

We watched it tonight with a few friends and it was great.

Childbirth Preparation

2008-04-23T10:51:00.002-05:00

Last night Lindsey and I went to a class at Women's and Children's Hospital on Childbirth Preparation. I don't think Lindsey learned much (being an RN and all), so the class was mostly for my benefit.

The class is described as follows:

The purpose of this class is to teach the couple about labor and delivery. Topics will include admission procedure, pain interventions, labor and the coach's role, delivery of the baby and a tour of one of our Labor/Delivery/Recovery Suites. Classes fill quickly, so enroll early and ask to take a class during your 7th month of pregnancy.

I think Lindsey wanted to be sure that I am familiar and comfortable with all of the terms involved, the hospital itself, and that any questions I have are addressed. All in all I feel like I learned a bit. I've been doing a lot of reading about pregnancy over the last eight months and so have learned quite a lot that way, but I am certainly no expert. It was nice to have a professional (one that I'm not married to) in front of the class talking about everything that we should expect.

Ready, Set, Go

2008-04-23T10:32:00.002-05:00

The new computer is finally up and running well. I've got all of my external drives hooked up to it, virus software installed and updated, essential programs set up, MP3 collection sounding wonderful, bloatware removed, start-up configuration altered to my specifications, etc. It is in working order for the time being and now all I have to do is fine tune it as I go.

Pictures after the jump.

My favorite part about the TV is that I am aiming to run it as an entertainment PC in the living room. It doesn't have all of the specs it would need to be a true entertainment PC, but it has what I want I need to have it do the things I am interested in. Chief among these was the ability to get a clean, crisp picture on my TV. I got a 19-inch monitor with the computer for basic use when I don't want it on the TV:

But I wanted to be able to sit on the couch and use the computer in comfort. So I made sure to get a bluetooth keyboard and mouse:

It's only been a day or so, but I already love this decision. The mouse and keyboard work like a charm. Because the TV we've got has a VGA input, I can get an incredible picture, with text clear and large enough to read across the room. This is only going to become more important as entertainment moves online more and more. Last night I watched an episode of Arrested Development at Hulu.com for free with a great picture, and all I had to do was surf to it from the couch.

I ordered standard Dell speakers with the PC:

but I run the sound through my home stereo to get surround sound while watching TV or movies, or when listening to music.

I loaded my MP3 collection in Windows Media Player 11 yesterday, and was blown away at the speed. The whole collection is about 141gb. The load time for the computer to find all of the files and import them into WMP 11 was less than 10 minutes. I've done this on older computers and it has taken closer to 20 or 30. Needless to say I was thrilled.

Finally, here are a few pictures of the computer itself.

Computing the Specifics

2008-04-22T09:41:00.003-05:00

Well, as soon as I got the new computer out of the box and hooked up last night we had to leave to meet some friends for dinner (Zea's hummus was totally worth it), so I wasn't able to spend as much time with it as I hoped, and I wasn't able to upload all of the pictures for an unboxing post. Don't worry though they are coming.

I've got a dentist appointment this morning at 11:00 (having a cavity filled.....shame shame) and I'm thinking of taking the afternoon off of work afterward to fiddle around with the new computer.

I decided on a Dell Optiplex 755. I was originally looking at Dell XPS 720s, but I talked it over with the guys in our IT department and they assured me that the Optiplex would meet all of my needs (heavy video and audio storage and playback) and be much less expensive than the 720. The Optiplex also comsumes WAY less power and won't generate as much heat or noise, which is great because it is in my living room.

The best part of the whole deal is that my company let me order through their account. This allowed me to get an amazing discount because they order so much from Dell.

Full spec list after the jump.

OptiPlex 755 Minitower
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor E8500 (3.16GHz, 6M, VT, 1333MHz FSB), Genuine Windows® XP Professional, SP2, x32, with Media, English

OptiPlex 755 Minitower
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor E8500 (3.16GHz, 6M, VT, 1333MHz FSB)

Memory
4.0GB DDR2 Non-ECC SDRAM, 800MHz, (4DIMM)

Keyboard
Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse, Black, English

Monitors
Dell 19 inch UltraSharp™ 1908FP Flat Panel, Adjustable Stand, VGA/DVI

Video Card
256MB ATI Radeon 2400 XT, Dual Monitor DVI or VGA (TV-out), full height

Boot Hard Drives
250GB SATA 3.0Gb/s and 8MB DataBurst Cache™

Floppy Drive and Media Reader
Dell 19 in 1 Media Card Reader

Operating System(s)
Genuine Windows® XP Professional, SP2, x32, with Media, English

Mouse
Mouse included in Dell Wireless Bluetooth keyboard/mouse Package

Basic Systems Management Mode
Intel® vPro™ Secure Advanced Hardware Enabled Systems Management

Removable Media Storage Devices
16X DVD+/-RW SATA, Roxio Creator™ CyberlinkPowerDVD™

Speakers
Dell™ A225 Speakers, Black

Wireless
Dell 1505 Wireless-N PCIe Card, Full Height

Additional Hard Drives
250GB SATA 3.0Gb/s and 8MB DataBurst Cache™

Hardware Support Services
5 Year ProSupport for IT and 5 Year NBD Onsite Service

Return to Blogging???

2008-04-21T09:33:00.004-05:00

Ahhhhhhhhh.........

Do you guys hear that? It's the sound of thousands of accountants nationwide collectively rejoicing. Another tax season has come and gone. Now we get to kick up our feet and take it easy for the next eight months. Well, not exactly but things do lighten up.

With a return to a somewhat normal life, I've been reflecting on things and realized that I would like to make an effort to get back to blogging. I think this is only going to become more important as we get closer to Sam's arrival because of the friends and family we have that are spread across the country.

Also, I am finally going to have a computer at home again. Months ago my laptop, the only decent computer in my house just decided to bite the bullet. It was too old and worn down to bother with fixing, so we didn't. Instead we decided to go without a home computer while we saved up for a nice new one. Today is the day of the arrival of the nice new one. I will try to do a step by step unboxing with pictures tonight, and hopefully before the night is out I can blog my next post from it.

One of the things I would like to start working on is to take a page from my buddy Bobby's book and start a blog for daily pictures of Sam, once he is born. Bobby started Anne of the Day for his newborn daughter Anne Louise, which I think is a great idea. It seems that most of my family is a good distance away these days, and we are all guilty of not getting together as often as we should, despite all of our intentions to the contrary. I think a daily picture update will be the perfect way for everyone to start the day.

With time on my hands and a computer conveniently located at home I hope to see all of you back here at useless and pointless knowledge on a regular basis again!

Meet Samuel

2008-04-06T11:40:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone! It's been a long time. I hope some of you are still out there checking in every now and then. I have a special friend I would like you all to meet. Check out the images in the slide show below to see Samuel Sonnier. He is soon to be the newest addition to the Sonnier family and we cannot wait.

Yesterday we had our a 4-D ultrasound done. If you aren't familiar with 4-D ultrasound you can read up on it here.

Sam currently weighs 3 lbs 6 oz. Compared to the average at the twenty nine week mark (which is closer to 2 lbs 12 oz.) he is a big boy! I guess that makes him ten ounces over the average.

We also have a video of the whole ultrasound. I am trying to get it converted from DVD to a format which will allow me to post it online so that I can share it here as well. That will be for the die-hard Sam fans only I imagine.

For the casual fan, you do not have to go through all 80 pictures above if you are pressed for time. I've selected my top twelve favorites for you to view below.

Dog Diary vs Cat Diary

2008-02-27T12:53:00.002-06:00

This is probably something you all have seen already. It arrived in my inbox as one the common forwards received occasionally. But this is too good not to post.

DOG DIARY

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

CAT DIARY

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre
little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the
other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.

Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I
nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The
only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to
disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a
mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this
would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what
I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about
what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was
placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I
could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my
confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this
means, and how to use it to my advantage.

This morning I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of
my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try
this again tomorrow-- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches.
The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and
seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The
bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the
guards regularly . I am certain that he reports my every move. My
captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so
he is safe. For now...

Cat

Happy Birthday: "In the Aeroplane Under the Sea"

2008-02-12T09:28:00.000-06:00

Neutral Milk Hotel's landmark indie masterpiece "In the Aeroplane Under the Sea" celebrated its ten year anniversary this past Sunday, February 10th.

To celebrate, check out a couple of articles about the album and the band.

Head over to Stereogum for a great collection of videos showcasing performances of a few tracks.

Then, check out this wonderful piece at Pitchfork in which Dan Snaith of Caribou, Tim Kasher of Cursive, Josh Jones of The Evangelicals, Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal (my favorite) and others share their thoughts on the impact and influence of one of the best albums to ever be made by anyone from Louisiana.

Great Finance Article

2008-02-07T09:26:00.000-06:00

I will include a small portion of it here, but click the link to SavingAdvice.com to read this article which pretty much hits the nail on the head regarding our much heralded Economic Stimulus Plan.

Just Call Me Unpatriotic
February 7, 2008
By Jennifer Derrick

If you haven’t heard, the government is devising an “economic stimulus package” to jump start the economy. While the details aren’t yet final, it appears that the majority of American workers and retirees will be getting some rebate money from Uncle Sam. The latest figures to be tossed around are $1,000 per couple, $500 per individual and $300 per child.

I am not excited about receiving my rebate check. Why? Why wouldn’t anyone be excited about free money? First of all, I’m very aware that this is not “free” money. Uncle Sam is going to want it back at some point. It’s unclear at this time whether or not we’ll be expected to report this on next year’s taxes as “income,” increasing the amount we’ll owe. If Uncle Sam doesn’t collect next year, at some point taxes will have to increase to repay this stimulus plan. You don’t just hand out $193 billion (especially when the country’s debt load is already in the trillions) and not expect that back at some point. At some point, the budget will have to be balanced and you can bet that the government is going to come looking for that “free” money they gave you.

Second, I don’t like the attitude that comes with this rebate. The government is urging us to spend the money as soon as it lands in our mailboxes. You’re downright unpatriotic if you don’t spend it. You’re not doing your part, they claim. Do your part, spend the check and save the economy. Not one word has been uttered about saving it or using it to pay down debt. All I’ve heard is that we should all go out and make a purchase that we would not have otherwise made. Um, just thinking out loud here, but isn’t spending everything we make, as soon as (or before) we make it, part of what got the economy into this mess in the first place? Wouldn’t it be wiser for the government to advocate that citizens take some of that money and reduce their debt or save it to ensure their futures? These actions help the economy too, although more in the long term than in the short term, which is all that politicians in an election year care about. These politicians want to, by November, be able to claim that they saved the economy by passing this rebate plan. That can only happen if we spend the money. If we save it or pay down debt, some politician ten years from now might be able to say that the economy is better off thanks to the rebate plan of 2008, but who will care then?

Continue reading at SavingAdvice.com

Idiots

2008-01-23T09:23:00.001-06:00

This picture was included in one of those office emails that make their way around. I got a kick out of it and thought I'd post it here.

That is a plugged in power strip floating on flip flops, in the pool. Good job guys. Your Darwin Awards await you.

Update, More Pictures

2008-01-18T23:15:00.000-06:00

See below for the new scanned copies of our ultrasound pictures.

It's A Boy!!!

2008-01-18T12:12:00.000-06:00

We had our week 18 ultrasound this morning. The good news is it's a boy. The great news is he looks healthy. We were able to verify today that:

- the brain looks fine and properly developed (maybe my biggest relief...I didn't know I was so nervous about that until I found out it was ok and the relief washed over me)
- all four chambers of the heart were functioning properly (amazing to watch)
- the spine looks good (so cool to see!)
- no cleft lip
- bones in the thigh and arms looked good
- placenta looked right
- umbilical cord had proper blood flow

Essentially as the doctor said, the risk for developmental disorders drops to about 50% having seen what we were able to see today.

Neither of us had much preference concerning the sex of the baby going into today's appointment. I am glad to have a child to carry on my family name, effectively making me immortal. That's always nice. But I know I would have been thrilled either way.

See below for pictures. I've only got eight right now but will have more later. He gave us some on a disc (the ones I am posting now) and some were printed. I will scan the printed copies tonight, hopefully.

Names we are considering at this point are

- Samuel Allen
- Thomas Luke
- Charles Allen

He is completely chilling here, resting on his back. As you can see his hand is all up in his mouth.

I have to be perfectly honest, I have no idea what we're looking at here. I think maybe he was laying on his back and is in the middle of rolling over onto his side, turning away from us.

Clearly.

In case you needed clarification.

Skeletor plotting his next attack on He-Man. Skull Mountain not included.

Isn't that a cure little face? I can't wait to do a 4D ultrasound (probably in 12 weeks or so). You can see very detailed features on those.

Isn't that a cool picture?

Here he is hiding behind the placenta. You can see his foot resting on top of the placenta. He got a little shy at the end. To his credit the doctor was being pretty intrusive, and I'm not sure he knocked before he just came in and started taking pictures. Like the paparazzi.

You Guys Are In Trouble

2008-01-10T14:25:00.000-06:00

Don't you guys know that when you see something funny you are supposed to let me know? Maybe no one actually saw this. That must be it, because if someone had seen this, surely they would have told me about it.

So since no one has seen it, check out this Saturday Night Live sketch "Two A-Holes Work Out With A Trainer"

What is Your Brain?

2008-01-02T15:19:00.001-06:00

Please, everyone check out this link to an article which helps to let you know whether you use the right-side of your brain more, or the left-side, and leave a comment to let us know which way the dancer was spinning. (via kottke.org)

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T15:08:00.000-06:00

I spent my New Year's Eve at a friend's house celebrating the way everyone does: a small group of my closest friends with lots of fireworks, food, booze, and Guitar Hero. It was an awesome night and I would not have wanted it to be any different.

I've only played Guitar Hero twice now. Once on New Year's Eve and once before. I'll come right out and tell you I'm no wunderkind. I suck at it. I'm sure with practice I could be mediocre at best, but today I suck.

If you have ever played the game, you know it is not necessarily easy. You have no idea. Check out this story about a video gamer who watched a true savant play the most difficult song in the game. Then check out the video after the jump of another kid doing the same thing. (via Kottke.org)

Can You Feel It?

2007-12-19T12:11:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays indeed! Check out this score on the Regulation portion of the CPA exam, which I took on November 30th:

How do you love that? It takes a 75 to pass. I'm walking on air right now.

I've now got three parts complete, with only one left. I am going to try to take the final part, Financial Accounting and Reporting in the middle of February I think. I've already taken that one once and didn't do well because I didn't study properly. But I think I can manage this time.

Music Videos are Still Made

2007-12-13T14:03:00.000-06:00

I've long known that "Elephant Gun" by Beirut (from the Lon Gisland EP) was the best song released in 2007. That is a gimme. What I didn't know was that there is a video for the song which is almost as amazing as the song itself.

Take the jump to check it out and to see what I thought was the second best song of the year.

Spoon's "The Underdog" from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga has also long been a serious favorite of mine. It also has a fantastic video.

Not So Fast Y'all

2007-11-28T23:48:00.000-06:00

This probably won't be available on YouTube for much longer because of copyright issues, but please check out this Family Guy clip while you can. I laugh uncontrollably every time I watch it.

One of Those Ideas You Wish Were Yours

2007-11-27T10:48:00.000-06:00

I love JoshSpear.com. Such a cool site to keep up with what's happening in design and art. He finds cool stuff and tells you about it. I've written about his site before when he posted about Luke Chueh.

Read on after the jump for his latest cool recommendation.

Yesterday he wrote about two sites I hadn't heard of before: Wants For Sale and Needs For Sale. Apparently Wants For Sale came first, its purpose being:

Aimed at providing the couple a chance to acquire objects of their material fancy through the sale of artistic renderings of said wants at the exact cost of said item, Justin and Christine were able to afford everything ranging from a slice of pizza to an iPhone.

The new site Needs For Sale has a more charitable purpose:

All of the paintings Justin and Christine sell go to help various causes; for instance, Habitat for Humanity says that a $100 donation buys a kitchen sink, so the site has a painting of a kitchen sink on sale for $100.

So give a little cash, get some cool art and depending on what you buy, help a good cause. These may make good Christmas presents.

Healthy Update

2007-11-21T10:41:00.000-06:00

We had our second visit to the doctor's office today and everything still seems good. We were able to hear the heartbeat which was a huge relief. Once the heartbeat has been detected, the rate of losing the pregnancy drops to about five percent (I think that's what the doctor said). So we are much relieved to have heard it. It was pretty amazing.

Follow the jump for another illustration of the baby at ten weeks.

Lindsey will be ten weeks pregnant tomorrow. We've had some confusion over the placement of the date of conception. Apparently tomorrow is the day the doctor is using as the ten week mark, so that's what we'll go with (which places the due date at June 19th). That was the initial date used at our first appointment. The confusion arose due to the size of the baby when we had the ultra sound done. The doctor who did the ultrasound placed the date of conception about four days earlier than our doctor did. Apparently they only change the due date if there is a discrepancy of ten days or more. So, June 19th it is.

One Time...

2007-11-19T13:32:00.000-06:00

(Blog stolen from a friend)

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, even if we don't speak often, please post a comment with a memory of you and me. It can be anything you want, either good or bad.

When you're finished, post this little paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people remember about you.

The Ipod of Reading

2007-11-19T09:37:00.000-06:00

I've long been a defender of both technological advances in every aspect of daily life, and the tactile pleasure provided by reading a book (who can forget the audio book debacle back in May 2005?). One problem I've mulled over constantly as I've slowly digitized my entire CD collection into MP3s, and now that I am in the process of doing the same to digitize my DVD collection as MPEGs is what could ever possibly help to do the same for books? How can I replace a wall filled with books with one hand-held device? I'd do it if there were a good solution available. I think that solution might be here. If not here, it's close.

There is something almost indescribable about books that almost anyone who reads a lot will tell you they do not want to give up. That is, the touch and feel and enjoyment of reading a book. Add to that the eye strain that accompanies reading from almost any kind of screen and you will find that the digitization of books seems difficult at best.

If you visit the Amazon.com homepage today you will see a letter from CEO Jeff Bezos discussing many of the same concerns. It seems amazon has created a new product which it hopes will move the act of reading into the 21st century. Meet Kindle.

I hope to see some reviews pop up on Cnet and other places soon so that we can get a feel of how the Kindle is going to be received, but just doing a little bit of reading about it, and watching a few promotional videos, I so want one. Its going on my wishlist without a doubt.

Selling Out Is Not Possible

2007-11-19T08:51:00.000-06:00

If reading different, various takes on the topic of art, "selling out", etc. is something you enjoy, I present a companion piece to the Dave Eggers essay I posted here last year.

Here Kevin Barnes, lead singer of the Athens, Georgia band Of Montreal preemptively defends against the backlash he expects for recently taping a commercial for T-Mobile. This is not the first time Of Montreal has come into the spotlight on account of this issue. We've already talked about their Outback Steakhouse commercials.

Courtesy of Stereogum:

Selling Out Isn't Possible
by Kevin Barnes

Are you a sell out? Yes. Don't let it bother you though, cause apparently I am also a sell out, and so are your parents and everyone you've ever known. The only way to avoid selling out is to live like a savage all alone in the wilderness. The moment you attempt to live within the confines of a social order, you become a sell out. Once you attempt to coexist you sell out. If that's true, then selling out is a good thing. It is an important thing. If we didn't do it, we'd be fucked, quite literally, by everyone bigger than us physically who found us fuckable.

The pseudo-nihilistic punk rockers of the 70's created an impossible code in which no one can actually live by. It's such garbage. The idea that anyone who attempts to do anything commercial is a sell out is completely out of touch with reality. The punk rock manifesto is one of anarchy and intolerance. The punk rockers polluted our minds. They offered a solution that had no future. Of course, if the world would have ended before Sandinista! was released then everything would have been alright. It didn't. Now we have all of these half-conceived ideas and idiot philosophies floating around to confuse and alienate us. I think it is important to face reality. It is important to decide whether you are going to completely rail against the system or find a way to make it work for you. You cannot do both -- and if you attempt to do both you will only become even more bitter and confused.

When I was younger, and supported my parents, I chose to float between the two. A lot of people choose to do this. There are so many confused young people running around now polluted by this alloyed version of the tenets of the punk rock manifesto. Of course they're confused. It isn't possible to be in chorus with capitalism and anarchy. You must pick one or the other. Very few people are willing to do it, though. The worst kind of person is the one who sucks the dick of the man during the daytime and then draws pictures of themselves slitting his throat at night. Jesus Christ, make up your mind! The thing is, there is a lack of balance. When capitalism is working on a healthy level, everyone gets their dick sucked from time to time and no one gets their throat slit. It's impossible to be a sell out in a capitalist society. You're only a winner or a loser. Either you've found a way to crack the code or you are struggling to do so. To sell out in capitalism is basically to be too accommodating, to not get what you think you deserve. In capitalism, you don't get what you think you deserve though. You get what someone else thinks you deserve. So the trick is to make them think you are worth what you feel you deserve. You deserve a lot, but you'll only get it when you figure out how to manipulate the system.

Why commercialize yourself? In the art industry, it's extremely difficult to be successful without turning yourself into a cartoon. Even Hunter S. Thompson knew this. God knows Duchamp and Warhol knew it. Some artists are turned into cartoons and others do it themselves. I prefer to do it myself. at least then I can control how my cock is photographed. Why should it be considered such an onerous thing to view the production of art as a job? To me, the luckiest people are the ones who figure out a way to earn a living doing what they love and gain fulfillment from. Like all things in this life, you have to make certain sacrifices to get what you want. At least most of us do. If you're not some trust-fund kid or lotto winner, you've got to slave it out everyday. People who wanna be artists have the hardest time of it 'cause we are held up to these impossible standards. We're expected to die penniless and insane so that the people we have moved and entertained over the years can keep us to themselves. So that they can feel a personal and untarnished connection with our art. The second we try to earn a living wage or, god forbid, promote our art in the mainstream, we are placed under the knives of the sanctimonious indie fascists. Unfortunately, there isn't some grand umbrella grant that supports indie rockers financially and enables us to exist outside of the trappings of capitalism.

The thing is, I like capitalism. I think it's an interesting challenge. It's a system that rewards the imaginative and ambitious adults and punishes the lazy adults. Our generation is insanely lazy. We're just as smart as our parents but we are overwhelmed by contradicting ideas that confuse us into paralysis. Maybe the punk rock ethos made sense for the "no future" generation but it doesn't make sense for me. I like producing and purchasing things. I'd much rather go to IKEA than to stand in some bread line. That's because I don't have to stand in a bread line. Most people who throw around terms like "sellout" don't have to stand in one either. They don't have to stand in one because they are gainfully employed. The term "sellout" only exists in the lexicon of the over-privileged. Almost every non-homeless person in America is over-privileged, at least in a global sense.

Obviously, I've struggled with the concept. I've struggled because of the backlash following my songs placement in TV commercials. That is, until I realized that the negative energy that was being directed towards me really began to inspire my creativity. It has given me a sense of, "well, I'll show them who is a sellout, I'm going to make the freakiest, most interesting, record ever!!!" ... "I'm going to prove to them that my shit is wild and unpolluted by the reach of some absurd connection to mainstream corporate America."

I realized then that, for me, selling out is not possible. Selling out, in an artistic sense, is to change one's creative output to fit in with the commercial world. To create phony and insincere art in the hopes of becoming commercially successful. I've never done this and I can't imagine I ever will. I spent seven years not even existing at all in the mainstream world. Now I am being supported and endorsed by it. I know this won't last forever. No one's going to want to use one of my songs in a commercial five years from now, so I've got to take the money while I can. It's the same with pro athletes. You only get it while you're hot and no one stays commercially viable for long. It's not like Michael Vick is going to be receiving any big endorsement deals anytime soon. As sad as it may seem, one of the few ways most indie bands can make any money whatsoever is by selling a song to a commercial. Very very few bands make enough money from album sales or tour revenue to enable themselves to quit their day job.

Next time you see a commercial with one of your favorite bands songs in it, just tell yourself, "cool, a band I really like made some money and now I can probably look forward to a few more records from them." It's as simple as that. We all have to do certain things, from time to time, that we might not be completely psyched about, in order to pay the bills. To me, the TV is the world's asshole boss and if anyone can earn some extra bucks from it and they're not Bill O'Reilly, it's a good thing.

Hallelujah!

2007-11-16T08:37:00.000-06:00

As if the news I shared with you guys yesterday wasn't spectacular enough, check this out.

That "76" you see in the lower right corner is my score on the BEC section of the CPA exam, which if you remember I took on October 1st. The required score to pass is a 75, so that means I PASSED!!!! Woot-Woot!!!

I have to say, I wish I'd blown it out of the water a little bit rather than passing by one point, but passing is passing in the end. Also, the simple fact that I passed it on the first try without any retakes is pretty awesome. Only 10% of candidates typically pass these exams on the first try.

Today is a very exciting day indeed.

Next up is Regulation, which I take on November 30th. That section includes Individual, Partnership and Corporate tax, and business law. Wish me luck!

News!

2007-11-15T11:14:00.000-06:00

By now most of you know that I am going to be a daddy! I haven't mentioned it here yet because I wanted to be sure that everyone we hoped to tell in person was told before we really put the word out. Also, it's still very, very early. Lindsey will be nine weeks pregnant on this coming Monday, November 19th.

We had our first ultrasound a few weeks ago, and I hope to post the picture as soon as I can. My scanner isn't currently hooked up, and I forget to mess about with it when I get home every night. We were able to see the heartbeat and everything appears to be healthy and normal. Our next appointment is next week, and I will try to keep updates frequent. Here is a picture of the stage of development we can expect the fetus to be in currently:

Week Nine

* Baby has begun movement - While still too small for you to feel, your little one is wriggling, shifting, and dancing already! Makes you almost wish for a window to peek in whenever you want!
* Most joints are formed now - and trust that your little one is practicing bending and flexing.
* Fetus will curve its fingers around an object placed in the palm of its hand - This is amazing to see! At only nine weeks, if you happen to have an ultrasound, you may observe your infant fascinated by everything he or she can lay their fingers on (mainly other fingers, toes, ears and nose!
* Fingerprints are already evident in the skin
* Average size this week -- length 0.9 inch (2.3cm), weight 0.07 ounce (2gm)

Facts via Pregnancy.org
Photo via Baby Center

A New Look

2007-11-14T23:44:00.000-06:00

What do you guys think of the new look of the blog? It's actually not all that different. I saved the old template in case I want to go back. I'll see how I feel about this one for a while.

Awesome

2007-09-26T00:35:00.000-05:00

Did you guys catch the series premier of Chuck on Monday night?

I just watched it and really liked it. The pilot episode is directed by McG (director of Charlie's Angels) and it was pretty damned cool.

If you missed it, you can check it out at NBC.com.

NBC looks to have a great slate of shows this year with Heroes returning (the season premier was very good) and Bionic Woman (which premiers Wednesday night). Not to mention the return of the always good The Office, My Name is Earl, and Scrubs.

I never thought I'd say it, but I'm excited about the fall television season. And those are just the shows I like on NBC!

What Do You Call It?

2007-09-18T09:12:00.000-05:00

I'm often a guy who likes to roll with the punches. When I have differences with someone, I can easily chalk that up to differences in personality and preference and be done with it.

There is a guy at work though, who won't let this one issue slide by like that. Every time someone refers to their evening meal as "dinner" he corrects them (always in a joking manner), pointing out that he believes it is called "supper". For a while we've simply gone back and forth about what it is called, and the discussion usually ends with the following argument: "What was the Jesus' final meal called?" And of course everyone knows it is called the Last Supper. This is supposed to be the nail in the coffin of any argument to the contrary.

This discussion has been going on intermittently since I started working here a year ago. I finally decided to put the issue to rest today.

I looked up the definition of the words, "lunch", "dinner" and "supper" and compared them. Here is the email I sent to the six people in the office who are most often involved in the discussion:

Turns out, what the meal is called depends on how big it is. If the meal at midday is the largest, main meal of the day then that meal is called dinner, if it isn’t the large main meal then its just lunch. If the meal in the evening is the largest, main meal then that meal is called dinner, if it’s a light meal then its supper.

din·ner (dĭn'ər) Pronunciation Key
n.

The chief meal of the day, eaten in the evening or at midday.
A banquet or formal meal in honor of a person or event.
The food prepared for either of these meals.
A full-course meal served at a fixed price; table d'hôte.
_____________________________________________________________

lunch (lŭnch) Pronunciation Key
n.

A meal eaten at midday.
The food provided for a midday meal.
_____________________________________________________________

sup·per (sŭp'ər) Pronunciation Key
n.

A light evening meal when dinner is taken at midday.
A light meal eaten before going to bed.
A dance or social affair where supper is served.

So dinner is whichever meal is the largest of the midday or evening meal. I think that explanation makes perfect sense, but I suspect that most people simply called each meal one thing or another based solely on the time of day.

What do you guys call your midday and evening meals?

A Year?

2007-09-12T00:20:00.000-05:00

Turns out the firm I'm with has a very heavy load of corporate clients and September 15th is the filing deadline for those on extension (a lot of them are on extension). Between that and the ordinary day to day crap I overlooked the fact that September 7th was the one year anniversary of the purchase of our home.

I'm not surprised that I missed it. The last year has totally flown by. I can't believe it's been a whole year.

A Tale of Two Lukes

2007-09-06T10:59:00.000-05:00

A very long time ago I wrote to you guys about music and the way that one occasionally responds on some basic, primitive level that is virtually unexplainable. You can read the original post here. It's still a post I feel strongly about.

While that post in particular was written about music, I've found over time that the same holds true for all forms of art. To clarify, for the remainder of this post I'm going to use the word art to refer to all works in all mediums: paint, pencil, ink, music, film, architecture, design, literature, poetry, etc.

I don't know much about art at all. I would venture to say that I know embarrassingly little. I often miss symbolism, implied meaning, and artist's intent that other educated people pick up on pretty easily. I think there was a time in my life when I had great passion about these things and so gave them much more attention, thus becoming better at recognizing and interpreting their meaning. Then I graduated from college, joined the rest of the cubicle army and haven't had the time to devote to the arts that I used to. Over the years my ability to enjoy and interpret have diminished.

The real bummer about this is that the majority of my friends are either artists or very like-minded fans of art. Writers, poets, filmmakers, painters, musicians, designers, these are the people I spend time with. Needless to say I spend a lot of time feeling rather dim.

However, I do know instantly when I like something. I may not be able to tell you exactly why I like it, but I respond to it and I Know that I like it.

This happened recently with a work by my friend, Elise Sonnier. I've always really enjoyed her work for a number of reasons, and her most recent series has been very interesting. She had a show here in Lafayette recently and there was one piece in particular that I responded to very strongly. I know in my head why I like it so much but I can't really put it into words. Thankfully, I can revisit that feeling a lot now because it's hanging in my house. Awesome.

She doesn't have the painting I'm referring to online, but this is another of her works that I like:

Today I've experienced another response similar to that. I was reading JoshSpear.com, a blog that specializes in basically all things media, which I read daily. One of his most recent posts was a piece about artist Luke Chueh in reference to an upcoming show in Los Angeles. So I read the piece and followed the link to Chueh's website (which I recommend you do as well, as soon as you finish reading this dreadfully long post).

I fell in love immediately. Looking through the index of his work, there are some I love (most of them) and others I don't love as much (very few), but I really like his aesthetic. Again, I don't know why but this is something I am enjoying very much.

I think this one is my favorite.

Coincidentally, it just so happens that my birthday is this month. September 28th is the magic day, as I'm sure you all are aware because your calenders are undoubtedly marked with large red circles indicating such. If anyone can figure out how to get their hands on a print of almost any of Luke Chueh's work, this would be a very very good idea for a birthday gift. I would love to have one or more of his paintings in my home.

Labor Day Weekend - Bed & Breakfast in Jackson, La

2007-09-04T12:49:00.000-05:00

This Labor Day Weekend, we stayed in Jackson, La at a Bed & Breakfast called Old Centenary Inn. It was very relaxing.

My Flickr Set

Random Photo

2007-09-04T12:20:00.000-05:00

Left to right: Luke Sonnier, Scott Sonnier, Zach Sonnier.

Taken sometime in 2003 I would guess. This is a polaroid that I found lying around in a box. I would venture to say this photo can be credited to Elise Sonnier.

Lafayette's Got Smarts

2007-09-04T11:55:00.000-05:00

These were taken on the way home from work last week.

Rather than take care of moving these gigantic tanks (not sure what they are or what they are used for) late in the evening or even better in the middle of the night when there is no traffic, these guys decided to move it at 5:00 pm on Kaliste Saloom, one of the busiest streets in the city at the absolute busiest time of the day.

Sometimes I don't understand our great city.

We're Going to March For the Sake of Marching If We Must!

2007-08-30T08:51:00.001-05:00

This is so ridiculous. I wish the UL police would simply release the video in question. If they have video evidence to dispute the claims of the girl and this ready-to-rally-and-raise-the-roof-Reverend (alliteration is fun) then why not release it and avoid allowing this situation to escalate any further.

My opinion: you DO NOT get in the face of any officer of the law (even one that you consider is "not a real cop, anyway") at any time at the scene of an incident. If the situation was unjust, address it in an appropriate manner with the appropriate authorities. Confronting a police officer at the scene is not a decent answer because body language and intent can be misinterpreted in the heat of the moment, resulting in the mess below.

via The Daily Advertiser

Activists vow protests for UL student
Read initial report, UL police chief's statement
Police brutality alleged during woman's arrest
Marsha Sills
msills@theadvertiser.com

A civil rights group is calling for the firing of a UL police officer, accusing him of excessive force and the unlawful arrest of a UL student last week.

The Rev. Charles Steele, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, vowed to protest on the campus until action is taken by the university in response to the claims of student Courtney Green.

Green was arrested Aug. 20 after she disputed why a university police officer pulled her boyfriend over for speeding and then tried to tow his car when he didn't have proof of insurance. Green questioned the officer and the situation escalated from there, with her allegedly being thrown to the ground and sprayed with Mace by the officer in an attempt to restrain her.

"We're not going to tolerate this kind of behavior," Steele said. "This is the organization that freed the world and never fired a shot."

Steele and the Revs. Byron Clay, regional vice president of SCLC, and Raymond Brown of the New Black Panther Party, held a news conference on campus Wednesday to show support for Green.

The charges against Green should be dropped, Clay said.

"Her civil rights have been violated and her human spirits, as well, have been violated," he said.

On Wednesday, Green said that the officer "snapped" after she questioned him and asked to see the radar that showed her boyfriend, Hiroji Pratt, had been speeding. She said that the officer grabbed her arm and pushed her to the ground and used mace to subdue her.

According to the police report, Green began walking aggressively toward the officer after he told her to walk away from the scene. When she didn't, the officer attempted to arrest her, but Green resisted, according to the report. A struggle followed and the officer stated that Green attempted to disarm him and struck him "causing the inside of my upper lip to bust."

Green disputes the officer's account of her actions.

"I think he snapped. I made a comment, 'You're not a real cop, anyway. ...' He snapped. I was never read my rights. ... I never struck him. I never resisted arrest because I was never under arrest," she said.

UL Police Chief Ray Lucas has said he has proof from the video on the officer's dashboard that backs up his officer's version of events. The officer's last name is Mattox, according to the report. However, Lucas would not release the officer's first name.

In reference to the SCLC's visit, he said, "I'd be happy to speak with anyone who makes an appointment."

When asked about the group's demands, Lucas said that the university issued a news release with its comments.

"That's the only comment that I can make at this time," he said.

In the release, Lucas defends the officer's actions and references the videotape taken from the officer's dashboard camera.

"After reviewing a videotape from the police unit camera, I have determined that the university police officer involved broke no department policies and acted within his authority following a traffic stop involving Courtney Green on Aug. 20, 2007," the release stated.

Lucas would not release the tape because it's evidence in the investigation. When asked if the officer has had other complaints made against him in the past, Lucas said, "I do not know. To my knowledge, none."

University police maintain that because Pratt was driving without proof of insurance, the officer was within the law to take Pratt's license plate and tow the vehicle.

Steele said that the SCLC will protest Green's arrest with marches and demonstrations until action is taken by the university. The group has 200,000 members and 72 chapters charged with bringing about social change through nonviolence in the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

"We'll return soon and start setting up camp and requesting meetings with the president and the deans," Clay said. "We'll be here to stay. We'll be here until the demands are met. We're prepared to bring in freedom soldiers. ... We demand that justice be done in this case."

Green is also protesting disciplinary action against her taken by the university. The university is requiring her to take an anger-management class.

In An Effort To Be Fair...

2007-08-28T13:13:00.000-05:00

...I'll give this the same attention that I gave the screw up.

via Yahoo News (Thanks to Joe for sending this in.)

Pageant Contestant Re-answers Question

This time, the question was a little easier for Miss Teen South Carolina. After being stumped by a Miss Teen USA pageant question on live television Friday night, Lauren Caitlin Upton's confused, mangled response has been drawing a lot of attention.

The 18-year-old got a chance to redeem herself Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show when she was again asked why one-fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a map.

"I would love to re-answer that question," Upton said. "Well personally, my friends and I, we know exactly where the United States is on our map. I don't know anyone else who doesn't. And if the statistics are correct, I believe there should be more emphasis on geography."

That was much better than her previous response, which included "U.S. Americans" and mentions of South Africa and "the Iraq."

A YouTube video of Upton has drawn a couple million hits and thousands of comments, many of them with harsh remarks for the Lexington High School graduate who plans to attend Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

Upton was taking her flubbed answer — and the attention — in stride.

"Everything did come at me at once. I was overwhelmed and I made a mistake. Everybody makes a mistake. I'm human," she said Tuesday. "I seriously think I only heard about one or two words of the actual question."

Upton's former principal Creig Tyler remembered her as a well-rounded student.

"She took college-prep and honors courses and performed well," Tyler told The (Columbia) State newspaper.

Miss Teen Colorado Hilary Carol Cruz won the crown. Upton was third runner-up.
___
NBC is owned by General Electric Co.
___
On the Net:
"Today" show:
http://www.msnbc.com/
Miss Teen USA:
http://www.missteenusa.com/

South Africa?

2007-08-27T13:50:00.000-05:00

"What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

I wish more than almost anything that I had found this clip and associated this quote from Billy Madison with it to post for you guys on my own. Alas, I did not because I'm just not that sharp. WWTDD.com did it first. Which is why WWTDD.com is awesome.

Holla If You Hear Me

2007-08-27T12:09:00.000-05:00

I finally got the results back from the two portions of the exam that I took in July and August.

If you recall, on July 13th I took Financial Accounting and Reporting. This test was a total monster, and was bigger and harder than I anticipated. Unfortunately I was pretty burned out on studying when I was supposed to be preparing for the test, and I only covered five of the nine chapters in the book. I guess I just ran out of time. Needless to say, I did not do well on this one. Again, the required score to pass is a 75 and I got a 64. Not very good, but I pretty much expected that, having not studied. No worries, I'll get it next time I guess.

Today I got the results from the August 3rd test that I took. That was my second go-round on the Auditing section of the exam (the one that I did not pass back in May), and let me tell you guys, I knocked it out of the park. With a required score to pass of 75, I got an 86! I cannot explain how good this feels.

Now I think I know the right way to study and I think I should be able to use that to my advantage on future exams. The pressure is on now however: once a candidate has passed one part of the exam, the other three parts have to be passed within 18 months. I think I can handle it however.

Next up I take Business Environment Concepts (This section covers knowledge of business structures, economic concepts, financial management, information technology, and planning and measurement (via Wiki)) on October 1st. I begin studying tonight.

Then on November 30th I take Regulation (This section covers knowledge of ethics and professional responsibility, business law, Federal tax procedures and accounting issues, Federal taxation of property transactions, Federal taxation – individuals, and Federal taxation – entities (via Wiki))

Random Photo

2007-08-24T09:13:00.000-05:00

And I still like mowing the grass, even today.

My Advice To You

2007-08-17T09:46:00.000-05:00

I'm reminded of this by You Ain't No Picasso's most recent post.

If you ever have the chance to see Beck play live, please take it. His is a show you will not regret attending. Here is why:

The puppets crack me up every single time.

Recovery

2007-08-12T14:49:00.000-05:00

There was a moment at home this morning when I was sitting in my comfortable office chair with sunlight spilling in through the window, my feet kicked up on my desk, a delicious cup of coffee in hand, reading the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly when I stopped to think to myself that life is pretty nice. There may be a lot of stressful negative things out there, but moments like this just feel so nice that all of life's struggles feel worth it.

Then I stood up and nearly fell down. That's when I realized that it wasn't necessarily the perfect moment I was feeling, but the Lortab I had taken 45 minutes earlier was really kicking in.

Surgery

2007-08-10T20:32:00.000-05:00

I finally had my wisdom teeth removed today. I went in at 1:00 pm and the last thing I remember is the anesthetist asking me if I was feeling a buzz. I said no, not really and then I asked the doctor a question. I'm not sure I even heard his answer. I was out.

The surgery went very well. It's 8:30 pm right now and I pretty much just woke up. They really loaded me up with pain killers because my teeth were severely impacted. I kept the teeth; they're huge.

That's the update. I just drank a bowl of soup and had a Lortab, so I think I'm going to lie down for a while.

I'm So Bored I Could Die!

2007-08-06T13:02:00.000-05:00

You guys will probably judge me; convinced that I watch this terrible show because I'm posting this. I did watch the first season just to give it a shot, but I really don't like it.

However, about six months ago I came across this clip on YouTube and it's stuck with me ever since. I love this scene. Hysterical.

Anyone Up For a Road Trip?

2007-08-06T12:51:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't want to visit Flea Market Montgomery? It's "just like a mini-mall", complete with missing ceiling tiles.

Check out this awesome commercial:

New Kanda Video: They'll Need Cocaine

2007-08-06T12:23:00.000-05:00

Check out this video for Kanda's "They'll Need Cocaine" from their album All the Good Meetings Are Taken. If you work in a particularly uptight office, or at a church or something it might not be safe for work.

They'll Need Cocaine

Add to My Profile | More Videos

More Closet Madness

2007-07-31T15:42:00.000-05:00

I mentioned a few days ago that new Trapped in the Closet chapters will be out soon.

If you're a fan, head over to Stereogum for a beautiful recap ("Oh shit!") by R. Kelly and a quick preview of Chapter 13.

Wes Anderson Day, Apparently

2007-07-30T11:21:00.000-05:00

Have you guys seen the trailer for the new Wes Anderson movie The Darjeeling Limited? It looks really cool. Check the trailer in High Def here.

Meanwhile, after the jump check out the short film version of Bottle Rocket that impressed Columbia Pictures enough to give Anderson the budget for a feature length.

Notable Events That Have Occured While My Head Was In The Sand

2007-07-30T00:36:00.000-05:00

I'm getting to the point now that I update so rarely I wonder if I can even sustain a blog anymore. Assuming anyone is still checking in with any regularity, here are a few notable events I missed while on hiatus.

June 28, 2007 - Scott and Elise fourth wedding anniversary. Happy anniversary you guys. Not only is my head buried in the sand as it relates to the blogosphere, but it is buried in relation to real life as well. I'm not sure what you did to celebrate, but I hope it was great. Congrats.

July 13, 2007 - Happy Birthday Scott and Donovan. I hope you each had a great one.

July 19, 2007 - Happy Birthday Mom. I hesitate to say your age because I know what a sensitive subject that can be, but it starts with a 5 and ends with an 0. Maybe that's discreet enough. I really hope it was a great one. The real beauty of it is that with every passing day I am convinced that age means less and less in today's society. Today's 50 is yesterday's 30. We've entered an era which allows our behavior to dictate our station in life rather than the opposite. Do as you please, and I hope you had a great time.

July 19, 2007 - Lindsey and Luke fourth wedding anniversary. We had a nice quiet anniversary this year. Nothing special, just a nice dinner. Hopefully we can do it up really nice for number five next year.

April - Have I mentioned here that Lindsey and I quit smoking? While we were trying I didn't want to say too much, in case we failed, but we started trying to quit back in March and I'm pretty sure we officially quit in April. I know for a fact that Lindsey hasn't smoked since April 21st or so. I'd say that I officially quit around the same time, but I have had one or two since then when drinking alcohol. In any case, we both went from a pack a day to pretty much 0 per day on average since March. We used the Pfizer drug Chantix, and both found it to be way easier than quitting smoking should have been. If you are interested in quitting, we wholeheartedly recommend this drug. Please. I kicked a 12 year pack a day habit and hardly blinked to do it. This is officially a wonder-drug.

That about wraps up everything that has been happening. I'd like to say that I am going to start blogging more regularly and keeping you guys more up to date, but I am still studying for the CPA exam and chances are I won't update nearly as often as I'd like to. On that front, I took FAR (Financial Accounting and Reporting) for the first time a few weeks ago and haven't gotten my results yet, and I will be taking Auditing for the second time on Friday, August 3rd. Hopefully two times will be a charm.