Jamie is gone!
Topic: TV
Last night Jamie got voted out of Survivor...it's about time. That guy was starting to drive me nuts, I can only imagine what it was like being there with him (assuming the editing was proportional).

He created his own self-fulfilling prophecy...he was so paranoid about being voted out, that he caused his name to be written down instead of Gary's. Which brings me to something I was curious about...Gary has proof that Judd lied, and then lied again (about the immunity idol) but he has yet to bring it up. I would have pointed it out right away...as soon as we got back to camp after TC. But I guess Gary figured it would be better to work on getting Jamie voted out first because he was really starting to get on everyone's nerves and he was an easier target. I'm guessing that he'll use the idol thing next week since there isn't another easy target sitting out there right now.

Oh...so you're the answering machine?
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Work
I've been actively trying to avoid venting about work on here the last little while. I have gotten some really strange calls though this week.

But I think I've decided to start taking notes about some of the calls I've been getting and then documenting them here for future reference and laughs. I don't want to forget the crap I put up with at this job later on...I'd like to be able to look back and remember that even I can be a CSR!

So in that spirit...yesterday I was called an "answering machine" three times by separate callers. It was funny the first time, but then I kinda got annoyed afterward. Most people seem to have the same reaction..."oh, you're JUST the answering servce"...well, yes, we are the answering service, BUT we do so much more than that. Anyway, I decided to let it go, and not let that annoy me any more...if people want to be rude and ignorant then there is nothing that I can do about.

UFC results
Mood:  not sure
Topic: TV
Well...I think that Luke surprised a lot of people by doing as well as he did on the ground against Joe. I know I was impressed.

The fight ended up going to Joe, but I still think that Luke proved that he is a solid contender in the UFC. It was a great fight...stand up and ground.

The second fight from my eyes was Brad's all the way. The fight pretty much went whatever way that Brad wanted it to. If Rashaad took him down, Brad generally, and easily it seemed, got out control and then stood back up if he wanted to. Rashaad did rock Brad three times and sent him to the ground, but he could never do much after that. I think that the judges scored the fight wrong personally. I would have given the fight to Brad, but the judges saw it in favor of Rashaad.

Anyway...the coaches defend their belts in 2 weeks...and I plan on watching that. I can't wait for TUF 3!!

The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: TV
I've been watching this all season...I didn't see all of the first season, but only caught an episode here and there. This one is pretty good...I liked the fact that the cockiest guy on the show fought first and was beaten easily.

Also the two guys chosen dead last in their weight classes have made it to the finals. Luke is a madman, he is kind of a freak...but I think that is part of the reason I like him so much. He is the definite underdog of the match though...Joe Stevenson is a solid fighter. If Joe tries to stand up with Luke, I think Luke will tear him apart, but if the fight goes to the ground, Joe should win quickly.

The heavyweight match is between Brad and Rashaad (sp?), this is a tough one to call. I like both guys, Brad has very limited experience in MMA fighting and that might come into play in front of a large crowd and even bigger TV audience...but we'll have to wait and see. Rashaad is supposed to have a good ground game, but most of his fights seemed to stay standing up where he did pretty good. However, I think if this fight stays up, and Brad can control his nerves...I think he wins. If the fight ends up on the ground, I think Rashaad takes it.

We will see on Saturday...

Battlefront 2
Mood:  energetic
Topic: PS2/Games
I'm fighting my urges to rush out and get this game!! But I doubt that I will last long.

Socom 3 and Star Wars Battlefront 2 are the only two games I'm really interested in right now anyway...those are the two games I play the most although I did play some of my ESPN NFL 2k5 and GTA's.

I've still got a few McDonald's Monopoly Best Buy Bucks to spend, so I'll put them to good use.

My first TKD tourney
Topic: Sports
I went to the TKD Fall National tournament this weekend. It was held in Orlando...so it wasn't a bad trip for me.

I just crunched the numbers from the program that I picked up...there were almost 2000 contestants there...and at least that many spectators. It was crazy! But well organized...at least from my point of view.

I'm thinking now that I may try to go to a regional tourney now. I wasn't too into participating until I had actually seen a tourney. But I'm sure I could do well...and it might be nice to add some TKD trophies to my soccer ones! :)

She can talk!! Sorta.
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Life
I came home from work today and was checking on my birds. Baby...our littlest one was sitting on her eggs...sleeping. When I came over to the cage, she woke up, stretched a little, then waddled over to her water bottle.

She pecked at the ball at the bottom of the tube a few times and then looked at me and yelled. So I asked her if she was trying to tell me something and she pecked the ball a few more times and then looked at me and really screamed. So I checked the water bottle...and it was empty.

We had it covered by a towel and so we hadn't noticed that it was getting low. But she knew it was empty...and knew how to get it filled again. It was pretty funny to see that little bird be able to get her message across so easily!

Loss in SO
Mood:  down
Topic: Sports
The Lightning lost last night in a shoot out.

The TBL haven't scored in 16 penalty shots!! The lst time they scored one was in '97!! I think I know what they need to be working on in their spare time. Especially now that OT ties will be settled in an SO.

Socom 3 is here...
Mood:  energetic
Topic: PS2/Games
I wasn't planning on picking up Socom 3 for a little while...but...last week was customer service appreciation week, and we were given some gift certificates...so those went toward the game and a new memory card. I also saved another three bucks using the Best Buy bucks from McDonald's Monopoly game. So I saved $33 on it. Well worth it I think.

I have only had a chance to play a training mission and play a handful of rounds online...but so far it rocks.

Lightning lost ;(
Mood:  sad
Topic: Sports
I watched the Lightning vs Boston game last night. Even though the Lightning lost, they played well in spots...but that doesn't win games. They finally decided it was time to really start playing in the final 5 minutes of the third period, but they were already down 4-1, and only were able to score one more goal. Next time, maybe they should start the comeback eariler!

My first game of the seaon
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Sports
Last night I went to the Lightning game against the stinkin' Panthers. A friend of mine, Nate, and I scored some tickets 6 rows off the glass for about half price.

The Lightning won 2-1...the new rule changes have really sped up the games, it was over pretty quick.

Although I haven't seen a fight yet this season...I'm still waiting for that.

Hell yeah!!
Mood:  energetic
Topic: Sports
Unfortunately I had class during the banner raising and first period of the Lightning's first home game last night. So I taped it, but I was able to watch the second and third periods. It was really nice to have fresh hockey on tv again!!!

I'm watching the tape now, the ceremony was nice, and right now I'm about half way through the first period right now...the Lightning look like they haven't even missed a beat during the last year.

I can't wait to get back down to Tampa so I can go to some games!!

Hockey! Hockey! Hockey!
Mood:  energetic
Topic: Sports
I saw the other day on the Lightning's website that all of the regular season games will be on tv...either a national broadcast or on Sunshine!! That's great...at least I'll have the opportunity to see them all.

But I still need to try to get down there to see a few in person!

Summer Semester grades.
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Grad School
I forgot to report on my grades for the summer semester. I got an A- and a B. The A- came in the class that I was hoping to get a B in...so that was a nice surprise.

The B came in a class where the professor was a complete dumb ass. This woman has some supposed real world experience in IT. But she was going to fail my group because she couldn't figure out that her particular computers problems couldn't possibly be addressed in our documentation. If the installation manual for any given piece of software was taking in to account every possible error for every possible computer problem, no one would bother reading them, and then no one would bother printing them.

This woman knew that she was restricted on her computer from installing new software by the network administrator, but tried to blame us because our installation documentation didn't tell her how to contact some one to install it. Then she didn't have a data file that was not only required...but was the sole reason I had to write the damn program to begin with...it was part of step one in running the program. She still tried to run the program, and said that our program had errors. Yeah...user errors!!!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't have her in any other classes...if I do, I will walk out and drop the class. There is nothing that woman can teach me that I want to learn!

Can you believe it's been four years!
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Life
I spent yesterday on an emotional roller coaster...but mostly I was just a mess. We watched three or four things on 9/11, and I just can't help but feel like I'm watching it happen live on TV again. It still feels like it was just yesterday that I watched the WTC collapse onto itself, and that giant wall of smoke and debris looming down the streets of New York engulfing anyone not fast enough to stay ahead of it.

I hope that most Americans watched some of the specials yesterday, because it seems like so many have forgotten about it...and forgotten why we are in the middle east and what we are trying to accomplish.

It is so obvious to me...just by looking at the actions of the terrorists. The terrorists know full well what is going on in Iraq, and what they have to lose. If we are successful in establishing a stable democracy in the heart of the middle east, their way of life (if that is what it can be called) is history. Using the fall of the Taliban and Saddam as examples should be proof that the majority of Muslims in the middle east region would rejoice at the opportunity for freedom.

This is why the insurgency...they should be called what they are, terrorists...are flocking from all over to Iraq, because they can not afford to lose this battle. They have shifted the aim of their attacks away from US soldiers and onto the Iraqi citizens in a futile attempt to scare them from participating in their new government.

We can only hope that the Iraqi people are fully committed to the peace and prosperity that a stable democratic government will provide for them, and that they can see through the tactics of the cowards that try to stop the process. If they are successful, America and the civilized world will be a much safer place.