Rock Beats Scissors

But comically huge stick beats hammer.  This is unquestionably the most funny robbery I've ever seen.  I can't adequately describe it, just watch and enjoy. 

Un.Be.Lievable

Going into this year's Holiday Bowl, I fully expected to see Nebraska blow out the Huskies.  I don't know where this defense has been all year but they held Nebraska to an amazing 7 points after being humiliated at home earlier in the season surrendering 56.  I'm still having a hard time believing what I just saw.  And for the record, I love Chris Polk.  That guy very well could end up being the best running back in UW history.  He's only a sophomore and he is dominant.  Behind a questionable line no less.  I think this will end up being the biggest upset of the bowl season.  What an unbelievable game.  Go Dawgs.

Ode To Lunch

After much deliberation this afternoon, I decided on a gyro for my lunchtime pleasure.  I couldn't have made a better choice.  For starters, when I walked down to Gyro's Place, there was a wonderful gentleman outside the Tully's who was kind enough to give me a sample of some freshly brewed Mocha Java.  Don't worry, it was a Tully's employee, not just some random guy on the street handing out coffee.  This was just a prelude to a good lunch. 

Fast forward to several minutes later when I am back at my desk with my gyro - as I devoured it like a starving man rather than the fat, out of shape tub I've become in recent months, I nearly fell to my knees and wept for joy as the tzatziki sauce ran down my arm and my taste buds were overwhelmed with deliciousness.  The lamb was cooked to perfection and was very juicy and flavorful and the pita was nearly unable to contain it's delicious cargo.  Despite being very full right now, I'm pretty sure that if someone were to set another one down in front of me I'd find room for it in my stomach somewhere.  That gyro made my whole day worthwhile.  Now I just need a power nap.

In unrelated news, also while on my lunchtime excursion, I witnessed a pick up truck with it's bed completely filled with nothing but rolls of toilet paper.  Sadly I was unable to get out my phone and take a picture of it in time so you'll just have to imagine it.  The point is, though, that I can think of but one word to adequately describe said vehicle & cargo - curious.  What need could there possibly be for that much toilet paper?  The quantity was enormous even if someone was supplying one of the downtown high rises.  Is it possible that I just witnessed the greatest toilet paper heist in recorded history?  Was someone planning on eating lunch at a mobile taco stand and simply preparing for the consequences?  These are questions that will never be answered and most likely will haunt me for the remainder of my days. 

Concussion

Yesterday I watched an episode of The Office in which Dwight was concussed and I realized something: head trauma is comedy gold.  The physical comedy staple - the blow to the groin- is pedestrian by comparison.  The kick in the crotch is the comedy of the masses while the frying pan to the face is much more cerebral (pun intended).  So if things are getting too serious in the office and you need to lighten things up, I recommend you smash a chair over the head of an unsuspecting co-worker.  I guarantee that would be an incident that would not soon be forgotten.

Christmas Eve In Seattle

You never know what you're going to see. Today it was a gentleman sleeping in the ferry terminal McDonalds with an open bible and some paintings of UFOs on the table in front of him. Interesting...

Great Steak

Yesterday for lunch I decided to try the recently opened Philly cheesesteak restaurant just a few blocks from my office, Great Steak.  I decided to try the Original Philly Cheesesteak accompanied by some cheese fries.  It's a little pricey, $5.99 for a 7" sandwich and $7.99 for a foot long.  But for that price, you do get a tasty sandwich, and the 7" version was packed with enough meat to satisfy my appetite.  While the sandwich gets the coveted Craw Fu seal of approval, the same can not be said of the fries.  By the time I got back to my office the fries were stone cold and completely flavorless.  What's worse is that the extra fifty cents that you pay for the cheese fries over standard fries only buys you a small container of liquid cheese - not enough to dip all the supplied fries in.  I'm not a big fan of fake cheese. 

So I can heartily recommend the sandwiches and will sample some of the other menu items in the future.  I think one of the sandwiches with provolone sound delicious.  But if you make a trip down there, make sure to get a different side.  They had a salad on the menu, I think that's probably you're best bet. 

The Ohio State University

Ever since the days of Maurice Clarett I have been saying the the Ohio State football program is dirty.  I knew that sooner or later they would get caught for some violation.  Now it's happened.  6 players have been suspended for receiving improper benefits, 5 will be suspended for the first five games next season and the 6th will only be suspended for one game.  At the moment it appears that the University will not receive any sanctions, however I still think it's just a matter of time before they dig up more violations.  A storm is brewing in Columbus Ohio.  I don't think we've heard the end of this yet.

Christmas Newsletter

Since everybody here pretty much knows what's happened to me in the last year, I'll spare you any more unnecessary reading.  Just know that next year should be a lot more fun and exciting.

I Hate Comcast

I really do.  The current saga began in early November.  I received an offer in the mail to upgrade to Comcast's triple play service (TV, internet, and phone) with the monthly rate for the first year lower than I'm currently paying for just TV and internet.  It seemed like a good idea to me so I called to sign up.  The first CSR I talked to said he couldn't give me that deal because it wouldn't lower my bill, but he transferred me to customer service to talk to somebody who might be able to.  The person he transferred me to was completely clueless and couldn't find, or at least claimed she couldn't find that deal.  Eventually she agreed to give me said deal, however the earliest she could schedule an installer to come out and hook everything up was December 4th, nearly a month later.  Fine, whatever, I just wanted to get off the phone by this time.  My time wasted getting this done:  just over 25 minutes.

As you may have guessed, December 4th came and went with no contact from Comcast or the installer.  At one point my phone rang one time but the caller hung up before I could answer.  It was from a blocked number so this may or may not have been the installer.  Since this time I have been looking at other options from Direct TV, Dish Network, and Frontier Communications.  The only problem is that I'm extremely lazy.  I don't want to interrupt my service and I really don't want to have to change my email address.  Comcast is over priced and has unquestionably the worst customer service I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with, but switching service is just such a pain in the ass.  I can't bring myself to call Comcast and spend another half hour on the phone talking with clueless people who hate their jobs and probably their miserable lives and really couldn't care less about my satisfaction.  Is it worth my time to email Comcast and threaten to cancel my service if they don't make things right, or should I just switch service without giving them another opportunity and just consider myself lucky that they didn't murder me which seems to be an increasingly common occurrence?

I welcome all advice and if there's one thing that you should take away from this, it's that Comcast blows. 

Web Filter

I've decided today that somebody needs to develop a web filter that automatically erases any references to certain topics when I surf the net.  For example:  what made this come to mind was one too many links popping up today regarding Wikileaks and Julian Assange.  I've heard enough about that and would like it to go away.  And go ahead and delete anything about Mark Zuckerberg while you're at it.  I don't want this filter to block any page that has these topics, simply delete these words from any page that I surf to.  All you web developers reading this, get cracking.  There's a cup of coffee in it for the first person with a working prototype.

Teriyaki

Today I decided to wander over to Happy Teriyaki for lunch.  They don't have the best teriyaki in town, but at least it's happy.  Anyway, I walked in the door today and noticed that all of the employees were Mexican and speaking Spanish and that Mexican music was playing.  I found this almost as disconcerting as the time I had a Mexican chef at Benihana.  Is it racist to want to get my Asian food from Asian people? 

Quote of the Day

"It's truly a gift to like cheap food." - Steve Leavitt

Take that all you food snobs.

Waffles

Today I surrendered to my waffle craving and headed over to Sweet Iron Waffles for lunch.  Looking over the menu, I decided the strawberry waffle was the one for me.  For $3.99 I received the pictured waffle.  Note the fork has been provided as a reference point for size.  As it turns out, four bucks doesn't buy you a very big waffle, so if you're going to eat there, you should have a contingency plan for additional food to fill you up.  I know what some of you are thinking - how did it taste - afterall, that's a very important factor to consider with any food purchase.  Well, it was ok.  I've had their bacon maple waffle before and thought, "meh" and that's why I haven't been back for more waffles in months.  Kind of the same thing here.  The waffle tasted kind of doughy and didn't have enough flavor to suite me.  I think it would have been better if it were a thinner, larger diameter, crispier waffle.  In addition, it could have used more strawberries and less whipped cream.  Overall, not great but certainly edible.  I'll probably return to this establishment on occasion but not frequently.  If you want some other opinions, here is what folks are saying on Yelp.

December Morning

As I was standing at the bus stop this morning, looking up at the clouds, seeing the dark ominous clouds in the distance, some whispy clouds closer, and a smattering of blue sky skattered about I realised something: it is damn cold outside today. I think that had I touched my ears they would have broken off.

Monsoon Season

Well, the heavens have opened above Seattle and the wrath of God has manifested itself in a class 5 kill storm. It's rain like this that makes me glad to live on the 4th floor. I am going to go out on a limb and predict that within a week the entire county will be under water and that in centuries to come Seattle will be mentioned alongside Atlantis in discussions of antedeluvian civilizations. And no, I am not over reacting.

Goodbye Dave

Saturday afternoon I took a trip down to Safeco Field to attend a memorial ceremony for Dave Niehaus.  It was a nice ceremony and a classy move by the Mariners organization to allow fans to come and say their goodbyes.  Even though I never met him, losing Dave is like losing an uncle.  He was there to make you love the Mariners even when they were terrible which, sadly, has been for most of the team's history.  I have to admit that I got a little choked up when they replayed the greatest moment in team history - game 5 of the 1995 ALDS.  It's sad that we will never again have the opportunity to hear that enthusiasm again.  Baseball just won't be the same without him. 

In my opinion, the most poignant statement of the afternoon came from Rick Rizzs:  he quoted Jackie Robinson who said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."  Rick went on to say that few people have impacted as many lives as Dave did.  Thanks for the memories Dave.

Ultimate Fighting

Tonight I went over to a friend's house to watch UFC 124.  As many of you already know, I have virtually no interest in watching fighting of any kind, this was purely a rare social event for me.  And for those who have heard my rant about fighting before, get ready to hear it again.  As I watch any fight, whether boxing, mixed martial arts, or even wrestling, I'm constantly reminded that it is nothing more than modern day gladitorial combat.  Sure there are a few people who will admire the technique and athletic ability of the fighters, however for the vast majority of viewers it is pure, unadulterated blood lust.  The crowd absolutely goes nuts whenever someone gets hurt.  It's barbaric.  Roman leaders put on shows of gladiatorial combat, dangerous chariot races (NASCAR is the modern day equivalent), battle re-enactments, feeding Christians to lions, etc in order to placate the masses and distract them from the issues of the day.  It's a shame that society has not progressed any in 2,000 years.  Blood lust is alive and well.

Going off on a tangent, while I was watching Georges St. Pierre batter Josh Koscheck until his eye swelled shut, I couldn't help wondering if the original St. Pierre was the patron saint of tight pants.  I assume he was.

The Mission

What does it mean if every time I attend church I get this song stuck in my head?

Holiday Bowl

The Washington Huskies have been rewarded for their improved, yet still mediocre, season with a trip to the Holiday Bowl.  Unfortunately for the Huskies, they will be matched up with the also unfortunate Nebraska who beat the bejezuz out of the Huskies 56-21 earlier in the season.  Not much of a reward for Nebraska who finished the season with a respectable 10-3 record and a #18 ranking.  The earlier meeting was as much of a one sided domination as I have seen any college team other than Washington State take.  What's worse is that it was a home game for the UW.  There's no reason to think it won't be a worse beating in a neutral location.  Still, if anyone were to offer me free tickets and transportation to/from warm San Diego I'd be there yelling myself hoarse.  And even if it turns into the severe beating I'm expecting, it's still better than not being in a bowl.  Hopefully the extra practice and extra television coverage will help the team be more experienced next year and help with recruiting.  I'm hoping that this is a sign of better things to come next year and into the future.