StewStuph

We had Krispy Kreme doughnuts delivered to our office this morning.  As I was picking up a wonderful, warm, soft doughnut with a napkin, I was being careful not to grab it too hard.  I didn't want to ruin the  pastry ring with a grip too tight.  I also didn't want too much of the delectable surface covering to attach to the aforementioned grasping material.  Unfortunately, my grip was too minimal.  As I swung my arm towards my face, in an effort to stuff it, the heavenly torus slipped it's bounds and gravity forced it to the floor.  It was like slow motion, my jaw gaping as the pastry projectile sailed the short distance to the carpet below.  As it landed, top down, a small weeping sound escaped my already open mouth.  A quick thought passed through my head, "FIVE SECOND RULE!"  Then I remembered I was not three years old and regretfully retrieved the mid morning treat and placed it in the trash, all the while, making sure no cow-orkers...

Yesterday, I took the boys to meet a friend at a local park.  While waiting for this friend to show up, my son asked me if he could get the soccer ball from the car.  So I gave him the keys and he went to the parking lot to retrieve the ball.  Upon his return he tried to toss the keys to me.  His launch was either too powerful or the trajectory was not calculated correctly, maybe even both.  Sitting on the bench, watching the keys sail past me, high in the air and then hearing a thud above my head as the keys landed on the roof of the building, I must have had a look of shock. As you can see, it is a flat roof building, so the keys would not be sliding off.  I immediately said something to the effect of, "look at what you have done to us."  The wife was out of town, so rescue from her was beyond possibility.  Also, the roof was approximately 11'-2" above the ground, no way I could jump up to the roof.  I walked around the building hopi...

I watch a lot of "fail" videos.  Recently, while watching the "Fails of October," I thought to myself, "Are we, as a species, getting dumber, or are there just more cameras now than ever before and all of this has been going on in some form or another for a long time?" Some other thoughts also occurred to me while watching the video. I don't want to be a rally car driver I don't want to be a rally race spectator I don't want to ride a motorcycle on the highway Maybe we should ALL have dashcams Sometimes you need less speed Sometimes you need more speed If I am doing something potentially dangerous/stupid, make sure nobody is recording video

Whatever, I am one of those. Last night at the last little league game of the fall season, some of the kids were standing on the top of the backrest of the aluminum bench.  The coaches told them not to do that.  Later, when our team was in the field there were only two kids in the dugout.  Both coaches watching the game.  One kid, the coaches son, was standing on the back of the bench. I got up from my seat and told him to get down, he scooted down the bench and grinned at me.  I must have told him 3 or 4 more times as I followed him down the bench.  Finally I had enough and yelled "COACH!" His dad turns around, yells, the kid falls, one leg on the back side of the bench, the other on the front, the third smack dab on the top of the bench.  I wonder if he was wearing his protective equipment.  His mom came over from the bleachers and gave him a talking to as he pouted, hiding under the bench.

I am in love again.  Actually, I have loved you ever since I met you, but lately, I have been with another.  Admittedly it was my first love that has been occupying my time.  That relationship has waned over the last twelve years.  Sure there were things I appreciated, the simplicity and willingness to do many different things.  There were also things I disliked, the complicated nature, making routine tasks difficult.  Sure, your appearance has changed since I first met you and your inner workings more have become more complicated, making you harder to understand.  I guess that is why I am glad I was away from you for so long.  Now I am back with my latest love.  It makes me feel alive inside again.  My new love left me for a few months, though I longed to be in it's glow the whole time I was away.  You make things easy for me.  Every moment I spend with you makes me appreciate you more.  You may not be as flexible as my p...

I am probably not the first to notice this.  Probably not the first to mention it in a blog, but I still found it interesting.   John Hughes was one of the greatest directors of the 1980's.  This evening I was watching Weird Science .  At the end of the movie Lisa goes to Gary and Wyatt's school to be a teacher.  We see a scene from outside the school. I thought to myself, that looks like the school from Sixteen Candles , another John Hughes classic.  As luck would have it, Sixteen Candles was playing next on AMC.  So I waited for the scene and sure enough it was the same school. Not only was it the same school, it was the exact same footage!  Note the people in the scene.   So which came first?  Sixteen Candles was released in 1984 and Weird Science in 1985.  However, I wonder if Hughes used this footage in any of his other films.  I know he did not use it in The Breakfast Club .  I will have to pay cl...

While walking around New Hanover Regional Medical Center I witnessed a few odd things.  Let's start with a simple computer security vulnerability. The above is a computer in a waiting area for volunteers and vendors to use.  Sure, you first need a PIN.  However, the password is written on a sticky note on the monitor.  The password is just two capital letters, NH.  Don't get me started on their use of "PIN number." Next we get a visit from captain obvious. A rolling PVC linen cart that has each of the three shelves labeled.  Really, the bottom shelf is labeled "BOTTOM SHELF" with an arrow pointing at the shelf that is, well, the bottom shelf.  Same for "TOP SHELF" and "SECOND SHELF."  Not shown in this picture is a handle used for pushing/pulling the cart.  I watched a worker grab the cart, not from the handle, and pull the cart to another room.  In the worker's defense, the handle was NOT labeled. Then I saw th...

What a great weekend.  It started off Friday night with a nice DVD night at home.  We watched Nebraska , which was also playing at NCMA , but we decided to stay in for the night.  Interesting film, a little slow in parts, funny in others, and a nice examination of intra-family dynamics and brings questions of, how much do we REALLY know about our parents. Saturday morning we were up early to meet the Cub Scouts at Durant Nature Park for what I thought would be a simple hike. Turns out the Webelos leader set up a nice nature program with the Raleigh Parks and Rec department.  The kids had a chance to learn about what kind of wildlife lives in the park, take samples from the lake and hike along the trails to continue the conversations about local wildlife. We got back from the hike in time to watch the Arsenal match at Goodison Park against Everton .  Not a great result for me on either count.  I was hoping for a win for Arsenal, and spectacular p...

A busy weekend is ahead.  Early morning hike Saturday, Arsenal on TV, Chevelle downtown, Sunday pick-up soccer. Tomorrow morning I plan to join our local Cub Scout Webelos for a nature hike at Durant Nature Park .  When I first moved to Raleigh in 2002 I lived in the townhouses near the park.  I have many memories of time spent there with my kids on the playgrounds and hiking the trails. And I'll never forget Cameron's winter dip in the lower lake.  How I wish I had video. Arsenal play Everton tomorrow also.  Once again I find myself in the uneasy position of hoping for both an Arsenal win and a Tim Howard clean sheet. Later that night I am finally going to see Chevelle live.  I have waited since 1999 to see them live.  The last time I had tickets, February 11, 2000, certain "circumstances" kept me from seeing their set. Sunday morning is my usual pick-up soccer game with the locals.  After that I am sure I will fall asleep on the co...

Well, they can talk as long as they are not talking OVER the music.  This morning I was driving to work, flipping around the satellite radio stations.  Stopping on the 80's station I heard Mark Goodman and decided to wait to see what would play next.  I heard the beginning of the song.  Everybody Wants to Rule the World  by Tears for Fears.  Mark Goodman would not shut up.  Talking about NFL on some other radio station, this that and anything to fill the time up until the last moment before the singing was to begin.  I am sure it takes talent to fill that air and get out just in time, but some of us appreciate the entire song, and not just the portions with the vocals. After that song I went to Alt Nation and Christian James Hand was on the air.  He announced the next song and got out of the way, let the whole song play, unencumbered by his voice. I wonder if it is a matter of the way DJ's worked in the 80's as compared to today. ...

This weekend saw the beginning of the Barclay's Premier League .  Of particular interest to me, Arsenal played Saturday and defeated Crystal Palace.  Off to a good start for The Gunners.  You can read the match report here . The Carolina Railhawks played again at Wake Med Soccer Park.  An early lead was relinquished and eventually The Railhawks were down a goal.  The Railhawks came back to equalize only to give up a penalty kick in stoppage time of the second half.  You can read the match report here . On a more personal note, my own adventures begin tonight, weather permitting.  The team for which I have played with since 2007 or 2008 has finally disbanded.  This summer I played for another team and will continue this season.

I am not a big throwball fan (American football), but this has me hoping for a Carolina Panthers win.  The day after a win, Krispy Kreme is selling original glazed doughnuts for $3.99.

I listen to music all day at work.  I've been listening to music while I work my entire career.  It started in high school drafting class.  While working our teacher let us put on headphones and draw.  Through college and at all of my jobs I have listened to music constantly.  I created a playlist on Google Music All Access Music . A monthly subscription is $9.99, but i found very worthwhile.  Like any good drug dealer  sales person, Google will let you try it free for a month.  This playlist is stuff that I listened to growing up.  Current track list 121 songs for a total play time of 8:44:13.  Perfect for a day of work.  Just put it on shuffle and let it go.

I am expecting a delivery from FedEx tomorrow sometime.  I hope my package is treated with more care than those in this video.

Automobiles are becoming increasingly sophisticated each year.  Our American society can be a very litigious one.  Car manufacturers realize this and in an attempt to keep us safe, and themselves out of the court room, they crowd car instrument panels with warning lights to alert drivers of potential hazards.  Below are just a few symbols and what they mean. This is a new feature on a select few cars.  When this symbol is illuminated, it is alerting you to the fact that the vehicles Rear Thrusters are engaged. While it should be common sense, a car is no place to play.  This is a simple reminder that beachballs should not be tossed about the passenger cabin. Although rare, this is a simple reminder that you are diving one of two conjoined cars.  This task is made more difficult when each vehicle has it's own independent power and/or drivetrain. Many cars now have sensors mounted in the rear of the vehicle.  They are helpfu...

In listening to this playlist , this is the first song I have skipped:   Shiny Happy People . if you were around in the early 90's I am sure you remember the album Out of Time .  This album, released in the US March 12, 1991, was the second for the Warner Bros. label.  It would also contain R.E.M.'s first #1 hit, Losing My Religion .  While this album marked a turn in a new direction for R.E.M., playing more acoustic instruments, the signs were there for a long time that the band had the desire to play in that fashion. However, there is that one spot on the album, the one misfit, the one that doesn't Belong .  Almost as if someone from China came Half A World Away to live in Texarkana .  Maybe they wouldn't understand the Country Feedback .  Perhaps feeling Low , they would search for another Radio Song .  Then again, some of the songs can be uplifting and bright and bring about a sense of being Near Wild Heaven .  While others are dar...

I'm lying in bed with my tablet Chromecasting to my TV the playlist I recently created.  I am up to Green .  Their first release with Warner Bros. Records.  I am reminded of my youth when I would put in my cassette tape of Green at night and listen as I would fall asleep.  It was not as obvious then as it is now that they were playing unique instruments, a foreshadowing of things to come.  On songs like You Are The Everything, Peter Buck's mandolin shines like a star against the night sky in its beauty and clarity.  Also present is Mike Mills playing accordion.  The sound sweeps through the song in, what is to me, a soothing rhythm. It is now, with a broader audience and presumably more pressure, that the band continued to make their music in their image.  This was the first album I bought of theirs and it sparked a lifelong love of music.

During the last game of the Summer Heat season last night I was compared to Tim Howard .  Let's get this straight.  I was playing in an adult, recreational, coed league.  Flattered though, I was NOT playing in the World Cup for our nation, nor was I playing for Everton in the Premier Leagu e.   Still, the clean sheet felt good.

Going through my playlist that I mentioned yesterday , I am reminded of the diversity of instruments R.E.M. played from an early time in their career.  While listening to Wendell Gee  I distinctly recognize the banjo being played.  This is the first song from their catalog, that I can pick out, uses an instrument other than guitar, bass, drums, piano/keyboard.  A big deal was made of Peter Buck's mandolin playing when Losing My Religion was released.  Evidence shows us that R.E.M. were using non-conventional rock instruments in the early 80's.  More on this subject to come as I progress through the catalog of great music.

This past weekend, I made a playlist on Google Music All Access.  I typically play R.E.M. on CD in this exact order when I feel like listening to all of their studio releases.  This playlist also includes tracks released with their "best of" collections.  If you have 14 hours to kill, take a listen to the progression and evolution of one of the best bands of all time.

Smallpools  is giving away a new track, Killer Whales.  You can get it here .

The past couple of days I have been working in Revit.  No production work, just template file, typical details and families.  A select few at work have been working "behind the scenes" to streamline and improve our processes.  Hopefully we can convince the powers that be to do more projects in Revit and fewer in Autocad.  We have been putting in a big effort, sporadically, over the past several months.  Now we are waiting for our efforts to prove their worth.

Time passes and music passes with it.  Some bands are a quick flash, while others are long term endeavours that shape music and are reshaped by the music around them.  I would like to talk about about a couple of bands that are no more that I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy to this day. If anyone knows me at all, they know that I am on the verge of being an R.E.M. fanatic.  I can still recall the first time I heard and recognized an R.E.M. song.  I was either 12 or 13 riding in the car with my mom down Shipyard Blvd. just past Independence Blvd as the sun was setting in front of us.   The One I Love was on the radio and I was really enjoying the guitar from Peter Buck and the passion in Michael Stipe's voice.  The DJ came on after the song and remarked at how mean the song was.  It was at that time that I understood what he was talking about and I also realized that there can be hidden, multiple meanings in the world around us.  At that t...

Well, the World Cup has ended.  Germany defeat Argentina in extra time yesterday to claim their 4th title. The next World Cup will be 2018 in Russia.  The title is a little misleading, soccer is definitely not over, though many Americans would say it ended with USA's defeat in the knockout round.  Premier League starts soon along with all the other European leagues.  MLS is in the middle of it's season.  The Railhawks kicked off their fall season this past Saturday.  It seems there is almost always some soccer happening somewhere in the world. Well, soccer is over for Louis Suarez for the next three months.

I don't usually post selfies, but I had a request to put these up.

Last night after returning from The Railhawks US Open Cup match , either myself or  +Gina Beaudry  ran over a toad in our driveway.  This morning when I go out to take Maynard for his morning ritual I see this I'm not sure if the ants are consuming the toad for the nourishment of their tiny insect bodies, or constructing a temple to the fallen amphibian.

Last night  The Railhawks  fell to FC Dallas in the quarterfinal round of the  Lamar Hunt US Open Cup .  The final score was 5-2, but that does not indicate the drive and passion The Railhawks showed in the game.  I arrived late after my own paltry soccer match ended to see that The Railhawks had already scored.  Unfortunately, before I could even make it to the concession area, FC Dallas had equalized.  Goals were traded once more, including a Railhawks penalty, before FC Dallas put two more past Scott Goodwin late in the match to secure their place in the semifinal round. This was the end of  a 23 game home unbeaten streak for The Railhawks.  Carolina return to action this Saturday against new  NASL  side  Indy Eleven  at Wake Med Soccer Park.

Great bit on the winner of the World Cup, at least when it comes to arm folding. Is it me, or does Arjen Robben look like a James Bond villain? In case you don't read the article , the winner is Benoit Assou-Ekotto. I wonder what awkward thing FIFA will have the players do in 2018.

Tonight is the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinal match between The Carolina Railhawk s and FC Dallas .  A win tonight would extend their home unbeaten streak and allow them to host a semifinal match at home. FC Dallas was once owned by Lamar Hunt , which makes this tournament special to them.  Railhawks coach Colin Clarke is a former employee of FC Dallas and now looks to continue his good run this season in The Cup.  This tournament has special meaning to all involved. Let's hope I don't have to record another penalty shootout like this .

July 4, 2014 Not sure you can call this camping.  Sure, we woke up in tents, made breakfast and eventually returned to sleep.  However, most of the day was spent in Munising celebrating the holiday. Having a house in town as a home base has it's advantages. The first of the festivities was a parade. Maynard had his usual reaction to fire trucks. After the parade we made our way to the bay shore for lunch and other activities. There was also a water fight put on by the Munising Fire Department.  Two teams of fire fighters shooting each other.  The kids come out in the bathing suits and the fire fighters spray them in between fight rounds.  Quite a sight to see. Surprise attack on the crowd. Hiding from the water, making faces.  +Joshua Stewart   +Derp Noobington   Dinner was back at the house and consisted of whitefish and asparagus on the grill.   As the sun set, the temper...

July 3, 2014 The previous night left me shivering in my sleeping bag.  Again,  +Gina Beaudry  had warned me, but I was woefully unprepared for that night.  I believe the temperature dipped into the upper 40's.  In any case, it's July!  Where I am from the nights are warm. Going to the camp kitchen for breakfast I am greeted by this creature, the first of many throughout our time here. It was decided that this day would be spent mainly around the campground.  There were kayaks, canoes and paddle boats.  Some of the party took some time to do some fishing.  It was a relaxing "free day" for all. Like Father Like Son A camp game classic, Octo-Ball!