Recent thoughts too long for Twitter

By Lou | Published: January 7, 2010

- I applied to play in PokerStars’ World Blogger Championship of Online Poker (WBCOOP).  I doubt they’ll accept my application, given how often I update this here blog.

- Speaking of PokerStars, I’m intrigued by the North American Poker Tour they recently announced.  There is going to be a stop at Mohegan Sun as part of that tour, so I’ll have to check it out.

- My favorite songs from 2009 (or that I discovered in 2009) are the following, in no particular order.

  • “If Rap Gets Jealous”  – K’Naan
  • “Stillness Is the Move” – Dirty Projectors
  • “Around the Bend” – The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
  • “Skinny Love” – Bon Iver
  • “Smith Hill” – Deer Tick
  • “Help I’m Alive” – Metric
  • “Eet” – Regina Spektor
  • “Black River Killer” – Blitzen Trapper
  • “Good Girls Go Bad” – Cobra Starship
  • “Won’t Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)” and “The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)” – The Decemberists
  • “Brother” and “The Fixer” – Pearl Jam

- I love my Blackberry Tour much more than either of my Palm Treos, but I wish there were an easy way to keep documents (spreadsheets, text files, etc.) synched on the Blackberry without spending $70 of Documents to Go Premium.  Do any other smartphones do this well without exorbitant costs?

- 9 months until my wedding. Wow

- Speaking of the wedding, the weight loss has begun.  I’m 212 right now, but I’d like to be 175-180 by then.  This week, I’ve started going back to the gym and cut out the crap from my diet.  I’m so very embarrassed about how out of shape I am right now.  I can barely get through a warmup without stopping for a breather.  But thanks for all of the positive comments on Twitter and Facebook so far.

- I still haven’t upgraded WordPress yet.

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World AIDS Day

By Lou | Published: December 1, 2009

Please, take a minute to remember that today is World AIDS Day.

Visit some of the following links and educate yourself.

http://www.aids.gov – USA
http://www.worldaidsday.org – UK
http://www.unaids.org/en – United Nations
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/ – The US Center for Disease Control, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention

In case you didn’t know why the pandemic of HIV/AIDS means so much to me, here it is. I’m posting my story below.    Please feel free to leave a comment for me, by clicking the “comments” link below. I’m happy to hear from you.

Some of you may know my story, but I tell it every year to promote greater understanding.  HIV is not just spread by unprotected sex and sharing needles.  My father was not a drug user or promiscuous and stupid. He was a victim of unfortunate circumstance.

My father was born a hemophiliac; his body did not produce a certain blood clotting agent that most people can produce.  During a surgery in 1983, he received a transfusion of that blood clotting factor.  This serum had been produced from a blood supply to which someone who was HIV+ had contributed.  Prior to 1985, donated blood and blood products (plasma, etc.) were not screened for blood-borne diseases like HIV, Hepatitis, etc.  My father contracted HIV from this transfusion, and developed AIDS by 1986. He spent the last two years of his life in and out of the hospital.  My mother and I spent much of our time there with him.

On February 18, 1988, he passed away due to complications of AIDS.  I was eight years old.  My life has never been the same.  My mother didn’t tell me that it was AIDS that killed my father until I was 12, fearing that I may be looked down upon by other children and their families.  In the 1980s, ignorance regarding HIV/AIDS was rampant.  I mean, the disease was still called GRIDS (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome) the year my father contracted HIV.  The strange thing is that, somehow, I knew what had killed my father.  AIDS was starting to become news, and I was old enough to begin putting the pieces together.  Nobody told me, but I knew.  But the confirmation was what I needed to make sure that I would be a lifelong supporter of AIDS charities, and help to spread knowledge and understanding.

Linking and writing every December 1st is the least I can do to honor the memory of my father, a man who has shaped my life so much while only being physically present for so little time.  So please, help to battle the stigma that is still associated with AIDS.  Be supportive and understanding whenever possible.  But most importantly, educate and protect yourself.

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Monday thoughts

By Lou | Published: March 9, 2009

- I’ve been away from the blog for a while, because my stream-of-consciousness thoughts are better suited for Twitter and Facebook status updates.  Find me on those service to keep tabs on me and my inane rambling.

- Speaking of keeping tabs, I found out that my mom has a Facebook page, has viewed my Facebook page, but did not request to be my friend.  She’s a cyber-stalker!

- Star Wars: the Force Unleashed has turned out to be $17 well spent.  I’m playing it through a second time, and still enjoying it.  It’s challenging (to me), but not impossible, and I always enjoy Star Wars universe storylines.

- Four weeks until baseball’s opening day.  One of my favorite days of the year.

- I’ve been heavily into politics over the last several months, adding many politics blogs to my regular reading. All of them are left-leaning blogs, where I find nuggets like this: The GOP Plan for the Economy GOP

- Ugh, I drank too much coffee today, and my stomach hurts.

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Friday thoughts

By Lou | Published: February 6, 2009

- Playing in a big poker tourney tonight.  I’m the defending champ, so I know there will be a bullseye on my back, so I’ll be playing the tightest, most conservative poker I can in the early rounds, and opening up later.  Position is everything.

- I love playing C-Lo.  Even my mom is hooked.

- Glenn Beck warns that Al Gore is creating a “Hitler Youth” (via Crooks and Liars)

- Is there a better rap album than Black Star?  I don’t think so.  There may be albums that are as good, but I doubt better.  Black Star definitely holds up well over time.

- I can’t decide what to hve for lunch.

- I get to see my two godchildren this weekend.  I could not be more excited about this.

- Most of time lately has been spent on http://ww.local2881.org.  I’m the defacto webmaster for my union now.  I’ve had fun and been tinkering around.  I just can’t figure out how to make the “Recent Posts” in the sidebar clickable links.  Because I’m using a WordPress template, it isn’t as easy as adding the appropriate HTML tag.

- I have a friend working on marketing the new Hitchhiker’s Guide book to be written by Eoin Colfer.  Today, he’ll be passing out towels at Comic-Con to promote their new forum: http://dontpanicforum.com/

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Super Bowl thoughts

By Lou | Published: February 2, 2009

As you probably know, I’m a huge Steelers fan.  Yesterday was one the greatest days of my life.  I got to watch the Steelers win with my new (one week old) nephew.  Also:

- My brother is going soft in his old age.  He cried no less than 3 times yesterday.

- I really should create a flickr set for photos of my nephew.  But most of them are from cameraphones.  I’ll put it on the todo list, along with updating to WordPress 2.7

- I’m very thankful I wasn’t wearing 3D glasses when Bruce Springsteen slid, crotch-first, into America’s living room.

- I also drank several Iron City beers yesterday, courtesy of my man Mike.  Thanks for the brewskies.

- I really thought Pittsburgh was going to lose after the Fitzgerald touchdown.  My faith wavered.

- Two years in a row, the Super Bowl was a great game, with the winning touchdown being scored with 35 seconds left.  I’m glad Super Bowls have gotten better since the multiple blowouts of the 1990s.

- I got to work early today to put Steelers logos on my boss’ and his boss’ computers.  It was excellent.

- I’m still a little in shock, but the best part of yesterday wasn’t the Super Bowl.  It was holding my nephew for several hours.  Seriously, I was handing out stiff arms to anyone who tried to take him away from me.

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Long time

By Lou | Published: January 9, 2009

Whoa.  It’s been a while.  Holidays and stuff.  I’ve still been Twittering my brief thoughts, but haven’t put a bunch of those thoughts together in a post for too long.  Here are some new(ish) thoughts.

- Count me among the people who anxiously await the day when there is a college football playoff.  There needs to be a definitive champion.  Is USC better than Florida better than Utah better than USC?

- I’m addicted to Facebook.  I’m 29.  I know it’s sad.

- I was going to attempt to plan a URI SAA reunion, but I think the current SAA is thinking about doing just that.  Maybe I’ll be their alumni liaison.  I miss my SAA buddies.  Good thing I have friended all those who are on Facebook.

- I hope Puleo doesn’t try to kill me when I start the Dan Puleo Fan Club Group on Facebook.

- I’m in another wedding party this weekend.  I’ve been in, like, a dozen wedding parties in my life.  That’s a lot of tuxedos.

- Is it spelled “tuxedoes” or “tuxedos”?

- I think I’m making inroads on getting my girlfriend to expand her musical tastes.  I’ve already hooked her into Paramore and The Ting Tings a while back, and Muse recently.  Now I think I’ve got her into Jamie Lidell and the Strokes.  What else should I make her listen to?  Hell, what else should I be listening to?

- Here are quick thoughts on what I’ve been listening to lately.

  • Rise Against – Appeal to Reason: Nice, hard-driving political rock.  I like it, but it sounds a lot like The Sufferer and the Witness.  Basically that’s the reason I don’t listen to a lot of hard rock or metal.  It all sounds the same after a while.
  • Jamie Lidell – Jim: An exceptional sophomore release.  I just want to get up, dance and sing along to this album.  Please buy yourself a Jamie Lidell album.  It is neo-funky pop dance music that is very very good.
  • Radiohead – In Rainbows: Radiohead is one of the few bands that actually make albums, not just a collection of singles.  The only downside is that after three consecutive listens, it feels like hipster elevator music.
  • Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line: Wow.  This one knocked my socks off.  I feel like a cross between Vampire Weekend (without the African influence) and Spoon (without horns and a better singer) and throw in a violin and cello.  I hope they come to Providence, because I need to seem them live.
  • MGMT – Oracular Spectacular: Very enjoyable electronic pop.  The frivolous feel of the music belies the serious nature of most of the lyrics.  It took me three or four listens to catch that.

- I tweaked my lower back yesterday.  This sucks.

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Webmaster? Me?

By Lou | Published: December 17, 2008

The president of my union local wants me to set up a website for our union members.  The main point is to provide contact information (e-mails, maybe phone numbers) and to update them regarding union news.  I’m guessing WordPress would be an clean, simple way to do this instead of trying to create one by hand, or worse, hiring someone to do it.  I mean, just because I’m the youngest, most technologically savvy of the executive board doesn’t mean that I’m smart enough to manage a website for an organization.  Sheesh.

Do you have any tips for me?  Is a WordPress blog a good way to communicate with members of an organization?  What your favorite WordPress theme that incorporates the color green?

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Feline thoughts

By Lou | Published: December 11, 2008

- I am not a cat person, I’m a dog person.

- However, I LOVE Cuttino “Cat” Mobley.  He was the best player on the 1997-1998 Rhode Island Rams men’s basketball team, winning Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year.  That team finished #11 in the country, after making the Elite Eight, and being seconds away from the Final Four.  He was a good NBA player over the last 11 years, playing for four different teams and averaging 16 points.  My favorite thing about Mobley was that he was a classy, approachable guy.  He never disrespected our University, or the game of basketball.  Unfortunately, he is retiring today.  There was no better time during my college career than that March in 1998 when all of my SAA friends and I hung on every second of the NCAA basketball tournament.

God speed, Cat.  Enjoy your life after basketball!

- I’ve been listening to some new music lately here are the quick reviews.

- Coldplay Viva La Vida: After 4 or 5 listens, I’m still not sure how to feel about this album.  I feel like there is a lot more production into this album than their previous ones.  I love the singles, but I’m almost ambivalent about the rest. I like it as a whole, but…I can’t place something about it which I don’t.

- The Killers’ Day and Age: Way better than Sam’s Town.  It’s like they took the songwriting of Sam’s Town and combined it with the catchy synth sound (albeit toned down a bit) of Hot Fuss.

- One of my girlfriend’s friends gave me two Kaiser Chiefs albums and I’m very excited about listening to them a bit, but they haven’t made it into the queue yet. I’ve been busy building a holiday music playlist for my office holiday party.

- This is the first year since 2003 that I’ve lost more playing poker than I’ve won. I’m terribly upset about this.

- I still hate Fantasy Football. It’s like I drug. It’s bad for me, costs me money, I feel worse after experiencing it, but still, I can’t quit it. Ugh.

- Vin and I can’t think of a song. We think it was in a commercial, but can’t find it. I even asked Metafilter, but nobody has provided an answer. Please help us, internets, you’re our only hope.

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Meeting thoughts

By Lou | Published: November 12, 2008

Being in long, large meetings makes my mind wander. Generally, I’m not so important that I am needed to be point man for every discussion that takes place, so my mind likes to meander a bit. Here are a few thoughts that popped up (and I jotted down) in my last meeting.

- Monogrammed shirts are ridiculous. Monogrammed shirts on fat guys with less than average concern for their appearance is hilarious.

- If you are an average state school, bachelor of science graduate who is not the absolute foremost authority in your field, please don’t use a one-dollar word when a 10-cent word will do.

- When stuck in a large, long, boring meeting and there is an attractive person at this meeting, do your best to sit with a line of sight to that person. At least you’ll have something to entertain you when you have a lull in your attention.

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Election thoughts

By Lou | Published: November 5, 2008

- I’m a complete political junkie. I watched election coverage from 6pm until 1:30am.

- Seeing reaction from around the country made we wonder if this was what it was like for my mother’s generation when Kennedy was elected. Al Gore was my Kennedy, but Obama is pretty close.

- I’m very happy that Obama won, but I was just as impressed with McCain’s concession speech. If he didn’t make that Faustian Bargain to try to appeal to the right-wing base, I think it would have been a much, much closer race. I’ve always liked McCain, he’s certainly a center-right politician, and we are a center-right nation. Why couldn’t he have just been himself from the beginning?

- I sincerely hope that President Obama can enact some real positive policies, and bolster the middle class like he has said he will.

- There are so many New England politicians rumored for positions in Washington under the next administration, I might even be running in a special election to fill a seat!

- My fantasy football team name has been changed from “Yes We Can!” to “Yes We Did!”

- In celebration of Election Day, some co-workers and I participated in a pub crawl on Monday night. Yes, a pub crawl on a Monday…that ended in karaoke. Good thing we had Election Day off.

- It just occurred to me that I never read political blogs outside of Rhode Island blogs. Leave a comment and suggest some for me.

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