It’s coming. I’m worried. I used to live in Louisiana and my wife has family there. And they’re going to be right in the middle of this huge storm that is bearing down on them. Last time I had to deal with a hurricane, I was right there in the middle of it. It feels weird not looking over my shoulder this time. It’s not coming for us. But it is coming for family.

Heck, last time I sat at the front door and watched it go by.¹ At least it looks like this time the evacuations are going right. People are leaving. Just not my family.

I hate having my hands tied. I feel useless. But if you guys are reading this,² leave now. Please.

1. No theater seating, but still, it was quite the sight. [«]
2. As I know you do. [«]

Posted by Saphrym

I constantly talk about acceptance on my blog. I truly believe in it. But I can’t accept some bugs. That’s right. I said bugs. With the weather like it is right now I have a few thousand different varieties of them swarming my porch. And I hate most of them. I think I’ve seen 5 different types of spiders. I’ve also seen about 3 different kinds of wasps. Those are two of my least favorites. Moths are a pain, but mostly only when they get inside the house.¹ I used to hate ants, but that’s when we lived in an area where they had the “fire” variety. Only black ants are around here. And I haven’t found them inside just yet.

Yeah, the spiders. I think those are the worst. At least in my eyes. I’ll walk outside, feel a spider web and then suddenly feel something crawling on my head.² It freaks me out.

So why am I writing this? Because of last night. A spider. It stared at me. I’m not kidding. This thing was huge and spiky. I haven’t really seen many spiky spiders. This one looked like a piece of thorny bush or something. I didn’t think it was a spider until I counted the legs. 8. Yep. Spider. And it’s tiny beady eyes were looking right into mine.

That part wasn’t so bad. It was when it jumped on my shoulder that I screamed like a little girl. It died quickly. Why? Because I’m a speciest. Although I was curious. I wanted to know what kind of spider. I haven’t found out yet. The spider was no longer recognizable. Oh well. Hopefully there won’t be a next time. But I think I’m going to bring some bug spray with me for now on. I really don’t want a spiky spider jumping on me anymore.³

1. Although I own a cat and have some moth traps in our closets, so they don’t bug me nearly as much now. [«]
2. Of course, normally there’s nothing there except the web. [«]
3. Heck, I don’t want ANY spider jumping on me anymore. [«]

Posted by Saphrym

People have asked us how we met and normally we tell the very long story of coincidence. It’s a great story. But I’ll put it the short way: If not for a very specific set of circumstances, we never would have met. We never would have been in the same building at the same time. We never would have danced together that night. And we enver would have had the parting kiss that launched our life together.

So, since she never truly comments on my blog or in various forums, I’m going to tell you a little bit about her:

She’s the kindest person I know. Sure, she can get angry, but it happens about once a decade. This is a pro and con because she tends to let people walk all over her. Is there a such thing as too nice? She’s also the hardest worker I know. Employers would be lucky to have her because she works hard and shows a tremendous amount of loyalty to those who give her the chance to prove herself. She is my other half. I know I could get corny saying the whole, “You complete me,” thing, but it’s true. My weaknesses are her strengths. She’s from a German/Italian family. She loves stuffed mushrooms. Her eyes glow when she’s happy. She has a cute pout. She’s constantly stealing my pens.¹ I could go on and on. And I have in the past.

Wanna know more? Visit the husband category here at my blog. Those are some of my favorite posts. Why? Because most of them are about my wife.

Tell me a little something about your significant other. What little details do you carry without you through the day?

This post inspired by Fragile Heart’s tag: Monday Madness: Hot seat

1. It feels more like a game than true theft though. Fun to go find them. [«]

Posted by Saphrym

Remember Craygor? If not, here’s a reminder. He’s a Spore creature. Well, the creature creator can also record videos and upload them to YouTube.¹ So I decided to take advantage of that:

Isn’t he cute in a frightening dragon sort of way?²

I really am looking forward to this game. Of course, most of my regular readers already know that. I’m looking forward to leading a new race from amoebas to galactic conquerors.³

1. Nifty, huh? [«]
2. Actually, the art of Spore makes it hard to make anything truly frightening. But I still like it. And Craygor is my favorite of my own creations so far. [«]
3. And since they are digital creatures no pet supplies will be needed. [«]

Posted by Saphrym

Well, it’s back to being slow, but I’m getting there. I hit another plateau. But I decided to try something.¹ I splurged over the weekend. I ate like double the calories I was supposed to eat. It worked. I went right back on the Diet Power diet and although I gained 2 pounds during the splurge, I lost another 5 pounds after it. So I’m down to 270. Only 15 pounds left until I’ve lost a total of 100 pounds.²

1. No, not diet pills. I never use those. [«]
2. Yay! [«]

Posted by Saphrym

Ok. Last time I’m doing this for a bit, but since I’m a parent who will have a teenager in just a few short years, I felt like putting this up here so I’d still be able to reference it later. I also thought it quite funny from a parent’s perspective.

My son came home from school one day,
With a smirk upon his face.
He decided he was smart enough,
To put me in my place.

Hey, hot shot, are you crying?
Why are you on your knees?
Are you asking God to help you out,
Instead of the C.S.D.?”

- Anonymous

Posted by Saphrym

The following has been passed around from teacher to teacher for quite some time. However, it got me to thinking, why should only the teachers read this? I think everyone needs to know what teachers make, don’t you? Thanks to Lady Rose of Diet Pulpit for sending it to me and reminding me how much I love this particular story. So here it is for everybody:

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: “Those who can, do.. Those who can’t, teach.”

To stress his point he said to another guest; “You’re a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?”

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, “You want to know what I make?” She paused for a second, then began:

“Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner. I make kids sit through 50 minutes of class time when their parents can’t make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental. You want to know what I make?”

She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.

“I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write. Typing isn’t everything. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math. They use their brain, not a calculator. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America. Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.”

Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.

“Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn’t everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. Do you want to know what I make? I make a difference. What do you make Mr. CEO?”

He went silent.

(I have no idea who originally wrote this. If anyone does, feel free to let me know. But I make no claims on it whatsoever. I just felt it needed to be shared with more than just teachers.)

Posted by Saphrym

Ok. So it’s not Thursday. Shoot me. I just felt like taking a photo.

Posted by Saphrym

Ok, so this is old news as it was at the recent E3, but I just saw it a few minutes ago. It sums up the game rather nicely, and I wanted it here to archive it. I also have a few friends who read the blog and also like Spore. So this is for them too:

Posted by Saphrym

(WARNING: The following will be boring intellectual speak. So feel free to skip to the end of the italics portion.)

What is debate?

In a true debate, definitions of the terms involved must be accepted and consistently used throughout the debate. For instance, if you’re debating about technology as a communication tool, then definitions for “technology”, “communication”, and “tool”¹ must be agreed upon by all parties or else they will be debating about different things.

I’m sorry. I know. I got a little technical there. It happens sometimes. But I wanted to stress the importance that definitions must be settled upon for debate. I get tired of seeing people in different forum communities trying to say they are “debating” topics² when all they are doing is calling each other “sissies” and talking about their moms. It gets rather ridiculous. A true debate does not require name calling to be “won.” Actually, in a true debate, there is no name calling. Go figure.

A true debate is a learning experience. Why? Because both sides have to learn something about the other side in order to have a successful debate.

Let’s try an experiment:

I’m going to provide you with a debate topic. I want you to think about that topic and choose a side that fits you the best. Then I want you to argue for the other side of the argument in the comments.

Here’s the topic:

Resolved: Shopping on the Internet is actually safer than shopping at a brick and mortar store.

So, now you must pick the affirmative or the negative of that statement. Do you agree with it or disagree with it? If you agree, I want you to argue as if you disagree. If you disagree, I want you to argue as if you agree.³

When you’re done commenting on this topic, feel free to try the same experiment over in my Thinker forum. I’ve already started another debate there. Feel free to start your own also.

1. He said “tool!” [«]
2. Such as the best place for tacos, games, foreclosure help, or 10 penny nails. [«]
3. Hope I haven’t confused you. [«]

Posted by Saphrym