Wow, just 1 more day until Terry Goodkind goes mainstream with the Legend of the Seeker! Check it out:
http://www.legendoftheseeker.com/
With a little bit of luck, they'll do a decent job with this one. Check back in a couple of days for the review!!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
CP, you da man!
How can you argue with the success that Portis is having this season? As the league's leading rusher, he's having one hell of a season. He's now won the FedEx Ground Player of the Week twice, and is up for it again. Go ahead, vote for him again! You know you want to!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Big Bang Theory
Busy day for posting today...
I got a group of co-workers together a couple days ago and we all went out to see a taping of The Big Bang Theory. It was a pretty enjoyable 3.5 hours. For starters, the show is awesome, and you can tell how talented the actors are by watching them during the taping. There were quite a few scenes that were nailed on the first take, which was pretty impressive. In fact, the whole process had the feel of watching a play, minus the fact that they had to reset the pretty elaborate stage a few times, move the cameras, etc. Between takes, they had a host who kept us all entertained - he was quite good.
A couple points of note:
I got a group of co-workers together a couple days ago and we all went out to see a taping of The Big Bang Theory. It was a pretty enjoyable 3.5 hours. For starters, the show is awesome, and you can tell how talented the actors are by watching them during the taping. There were quite a few scenes that were nailed on the first take, which was pretty impressive. In fact, the whole process had the feel of watching a play, minus the fact that they had to reset the pretty elaborate stage a few times, move the cameras, etc. Between takes, they had a host who kept us all entertained - he was quite good.
A couple points of note:
- I have seen a couple forums asking about whether the laughter is canned - I can tell you that it is not. In fact, when someone said their name during the laughter, they had to redo a take to get the laugh track right.
- Kaley Cuoco is even hotter in person than she looks on TV. Wow.
- The cast was all very gracious and stuck around to sign autographs and answer questions after the show. I wish I had brought something with me for them to sign!
There were a few negatives about the experience, too. First of all, the chairs for the audience are extremely uncomfortable. And, sitting there for nearly 4 hours got a little tedious. Also, make sure you eat before you go. Taping starts at 7 PM, and, while they do provide pizza, it's 1 slice per person, so you're not exactly going to make a meal out of it.
Blackberry Bold | Coming Soon!
Hey All,
My new phone is getting closer to store fronts! The Bold (Blackberry 9000) is scheduled to be released on November 4. Since I'm doing absentee voting this year, the release of the Bold has just made the top of my list of reasons to be excited about election day! Here is some confirmation:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/10/22/blackberry-bold-receives-technical-acceptance-at-att/
http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=26072
AT&T still has not updated their site, so I can't pre-order one just yet, but that's coming soon (I have to imagine)!
My new phone is getting closer to store fronts! The Bold (Blackberry 9000) is scheduled to be released on November 4. Since I'm doing absentee voting this year, the release of the Bold has just made the top of my list of reasons to be excited about election day! Here is some confirmation:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/10/22/blackberry-bold-receives-technical-acceptance-at-att/
http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=26072
AT&T still has not updated their site, so I can't pre-order one just yet, but that's coming soon (I have to imagine)!
Vote the Redskins Ticket
Just thought I'd get my voice out there to remind everyone that Pro Bowl voting has started, so get out, vote early, vote often, and vote the Redskins ticket!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
What an UGLY loss!
Wow, the Donkeys just plain stunk last night! That was one of the ugliest losses I've seen since I moved to Denver. The entire team played poorly, so you can't attribute this to O or D. Hopefully Shanahan gets the Broncos back in gear over the next two weeks so that they come back strong from the bye week!
Monday, October 20, 2008
What an UGLY win!
Don't get me wrong, I'll happily take the W, but come on! That was about as ugly as a victory can get.
A couple of notes:
* I would have liked to see Captain Chaos play a little better. Cooley seemed a little timid with the ball after his fumble last week. Chris, if you're out there, you know you're a great player, so take back that confidence! Cooley did lay down some big blocks and opened up some big holes, so please bear in mind that I am ONLY talking about when he had his hands on the ball. It kind of went unnoticed, but he did have another fumble - fortunately, the ball went out of bounds, so that was a nice break.
* Portis' fumble sucked, but what an impressive showing from our Defense! 7 straight goal line stands? Unbelievable! It was hard to see them sneak around our D on the 8th play, but somewhat inevitable. Great job Defense - especially London Fletcher who made 3 of those goal line stops himself!
* Plackemeier definitely helped the punt unit - too bad we had to lean on him so much!
* Campbell getting hurt in the first quarter definitely seemed to slow down our offense. Fortunately, Portis stepped up (175 yards!), which opened up the passing game a little bit.
A couple of notes:
* I would have liked to see Captain Chaos play a little better. Cooley seemed a little timid with the ball after his fumble last week. Chris, if you're out there, you know you're a great player, so take back that confidence! Cooley did lay down some big blocks and opened up some big holes, so please bear in mind that I am ONLY talking about when he had his hands on the ball. It kind of went unnoticed, but he did have another fumble - fortunately, the ball went out of bounds, so that was a nice break.
* Portis' fumble sucked, but what an impressive showing from our Defense! 7 straight goal line stands? Unbelievable! It was hard to see them sneak around our D on the 8th play, but somewhat inevitable. Great job Defense - especially London Fletcher who made 3 of those goal line stops himself!
* Plackemeier definitely helped the punt unit - too bad we had to lean on him so much!
* Campbell getting hurt in the first quarter definitely seemed to slow down our offense. Fortunately, Portis stepped up (175 yards!), which opened up the passing game a little bit.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Shaun Alexander et al
The 'Skins added a couple new faces to the roster this week just before the deadline. Shaun Alexander should bolster an already solid Redskins Running Back group, especially while Ladell Betts recovers. This should help ease the pressure on him to return too soon from his injury. I'm also glad to see that the Redskins picked up a new punter, but I have to wonder if Plackemeier is the right guy for the job. And we'll see if Reed Doughty's replacement can help take some of the work, especially on Special Teams. At least Chris Horton has proved to be a valuable addition to a very strong secondary, already having taken Doughty's starting job, but still hard to see a great player like Doughty out on IR. Best wishes to a speedy recovery and seeing him back in Burgundy and Gold next season!
The Price is WRONG
Just kidding!
I did go to a taping of the Price is Right yesterday. It was pretty cool, but definitely a long afternoon...
They recommend arriving at least 3 hours early. We got there 2.5 hours early and were numbers 304, 305 and 306. They only allow 325 into the theater, so we kind of lucked out! Once you get your number, they line you up and check your ID a couple times and take your picture for identification purposes. Then they move the line to the side of the building where you sit for another good period of time while they do the opening spiel and determine who the contestants will be. If you go, make sure you are loud and energetic during the "interview" process - it's about 6 seconds of time for you to make your impression on the guy who determines who goes on stage. Then you go stand in line for the metal detector. They tell you no cell phones, cameras, etc. But, if you bring one, they'll just tag it at "security" and let you pick it up later, so don't leave yours in the car - you'll need something to do! Then, you go stand in ANOTHER line to get into the theater. Once they let you in, you wait in line to get seated - the earlier you arrive, the closer to contestants row you will be. The taping itself takes about 2 hours - there's a lot of down time between takes where Drew talks to the crowd.
All in all, it was a pretty good time, but definitely something that you have to be pretty pumped up (drunk?) for!
I did go to a taping of the Price is Right yesterday. It was pretty cool, but definitely a long afternoon...
They recommend arriving at least 3 hours early. We got there 2.5 hours early and were numbers 304, 305 and 306. They only allow 325 into the theater, so we kind of lucked out! Once you get your number, they line you up and check your ID a couple times and take your picture for identification purposes. Then they move the line to the side of the building where you sit for another good period of time while they do the opening spiel and determine who the contestants will be. If you go, make sure you are loud and energetic during the "interview" process - it's about 6 seconds of time for you to make your impression on the guy who determines who goes on stage. Then you go stand in line for the metal detector. They tell you no cell phones, cameras, etc. But, if you bring one, they'll just tag it at "security" and let you pick it up later, so don't leave yours in the car - you'll need something to do! Then, you go stand in ANOTHER line to get into the theater. Once they let you in, you wait in line to get seated - the earlier you arrive, the closer to contestants row you will be. The taping itself takes about 2 hours - there's a lot of down time between takes where Drew talks to the crowd.
All in all, it was a pretty good time, but definitely something that you have to be pretty pumped up (drunk?) for!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Blackberry Bold
I have been desparate for a new phone for a long time. Now that I am being forced to switch over to AT&T (thanks work), I figured I should get the latest and greatest from them. Since I can't type on an iPhone (thank you fat fingers), I've decided to wait for the much delayed Blackberry Bold. This is the first Blackberry with 3G, but AT&T can't seem to bring it to market. Sigh. Hopefully it will come soon. Especially since Verizon will be launching the Blackberry Storm this fall - that's the first touch screen Blackberry to hit the market, and it will also have 3G. AT&T is looking to have another botched release... With the iPhone, they rushed it out before it had been fully tested. Now, they're waiting so long that people are losing interest.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Economy
Who knows what the future will bring? A year ago, I was sharply critical about the government's actions and the media's response to the financial crisis that was just starting to hit. My feeling was that the government should do things to inspire consumer and investor confidence and that the media should be wary of portraying a slightly down economy as the next coming of the great depression. Look where we are today. Consumer confidence has steadily declined over the last 18 months, investors have fled from the market, and the media is still talking about how this is the next Great Depression.
No, the economic layout is definitely not rosy. No, we have not yet hit rock bottom. Yet, we need to take action to move things in a positive direction. Shore up our ailing banks to ensure that no more go the way of WaMu and Wachovia. As much as I dislike Bush and the way that he has led our country for the past 8 years, there is one quote of his that I feel is appropriate for times like this. "We must take swift and decisive action". With those words we have made more blunders with the international community than probably any other 7 words in the English language. Yet, in these circumstances, particularly at this time of year, we must act swiftly and decisively to restore confidence in the system. Now, in the 4th quarter, retail outlets nationwide are expecting lower than usual spending for the holiday season. Some companies use phrases like "1 day in December equals the month of May" to describe the importance of holiday shopping. If the American public continues on in fear, this holiday season could be disastrous for business. And what's bad for business, in this case, is bad for everyone.
No, the economic layout is definitely not rosy. No, we have not yet hit rock bottom. Yet, we need to take action to move things in a positive direction. Shore up our ailing banks to ensure that no more go the way of WaMu and Wachovia. As much as I dislike Bush and the way that he has led our country for the past 8 years, there is one quote of his that I feel is appropriate for times like this. "We must take swift and decisive action". With those words we have made more blunders with the international community than probably any other 7 words in the English language. Yet, in these circumstances, particularly at this time of year, we must act swiftly and decisively to restore confidence in the system. Now, in the 4th quarter, retail outlets nationwide are expecting lower than usual spending for the holiday season. Some companies use phrases like "1 day in December equals the month of May" to describe the importance of holiday shopping. If the American public continues on in fear, this holiday season could be disastrous for business. And what's bad for business, in this case, is bad for everyone.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Hail to the Redskins!
Hopefully yesterday's hard fought win will bring some of the doubters on board with the solid Redskins program this year. But, we still have another big division road game coming this weekend. A win in Philadelphia will certainly help our cause, too!
Friday, September 26, 2008
My Beloved Redskins
You know, it's hard to believe that the Redskins are being counted out by just about every columnist in the nation. Granted, they are, currently, in last place in the NFC East. However, considering that their record is 2-1, there's nothing to be ashamed about and it certainly seems a bit premature to panic!
Consider this:
* The Redskins are in arguably the toughest division in football, yet played a close game against the 3-0 defending Super Bowl champions in their first game under their new head coach.
* They then took on the Saints. Granted, the Saints are 1-2 team, however, another 7 points and they'd be 3-0. Their win came against the 2-1 Buccaneers, who are hardly slouches this year. And the Saints other loss came against Denver, considered one of the top teams in the AFC, which was decided by only 2 points.
* Finally, the Skins defeated the Cardinals in week 3. In recent years, the Cardinals have been at the bottom of the abysmal NFC West. This year, however, they are at the top of a much improved division. They have wins against the 49ers (another 2-1 team) and the Dolphins (who just stomped the Patriots).
Not exactly a slouch schedule to start the season. And now they have back-to-back divisional road games. If they can emerge from the next 2 weeks at 3-2 (hopefully better), they'll have positioned themselves as a legitimate contender. Only time will tell if that will be enough to get them back into the good graces of the media, but one thing is certain. The Redskins, despite a very difficult start to the season, have set themselves up to go into their bye week (week 10) well over .500 and with a lot of momentum. Of course, games against St. Louis, Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh will help out on that front...
Looking ahead to Dallas, Jason Campbell is coming off of 2 straight weeks with a passer rating over 100, is 61 of 93 so far this season with no INTs. And, the best game of his career came against the Cowboys last year.
The Redskins secondary is getting back to full strength; Shawn Springs, Carlos Rodgers, Reed Doughty, Fred Smoot, and the new up-and-coming Chris Horton represent a solid defensive back corps. And while Jason Taylor has gone down with a leg injury (recover quickly), the Redskins D-Line should prove capable enough to create a little pressure on Romo. Finally, the Redskins linebackers have the speed and size to take on Witten 1 on 1, which should help take away the check down from Romo.
Don't be so quick to count out the Skins just yet; the Burgundy and Gold are back in the hunt!
Consider this:
* The Redskins are in arguably the toughest division in football, yet played a close game against the 3-0 defending Super Bowl champions in their first game under their new head coach.
* They then took on the Saints. Granted, the Saints are 1-2 team, however, another 7 points and they'd be 3-0. Their win came against the 2-1 Buccaneers, who are hardly slouches this year. And the Saints other loss came against Denver, considered one of the top teams in the AFC, which was decided by only 2 points.
* Finally, the Skins defeated the Cardinals in week 3. In recent years, the Cardinals have been at the bottom of the abysmal NFC West. This year, however, they are at the top of a much improved division. They have wins against the 49ers (another 2-1 team) and the Dolphins (who just stomped the Patriots).
Not exactly a slouch schedule to start the season. And now they have back-to-back divisional road games. If they can emerge from the next 2 weeks at 3-2 (hopefully better), they'll have positioned themselves as a legitimate contender. Only time will tell if that will be enough to get them back into the good graces of the media, but one thing is certain. The Redskins, despite a very difficult start to the season, have set themselves up to go into their bye week (week 10) well over .500 and with a lot of momentum. Of course, games against St. Louis, Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh will help out on that front...
Looking ahead to Dallas, Jason Campbell is coming off of 2 straight weeks with a passer rating over 100, is 61 of 93 so far this season with no INTs. And, the best game of his career came against the Cowboys last year.
The Redskins secondary is getting back to full strength; Shawn Springs, Carlos Rodgers, Reed Doughty, Fred Smoot, and the new up-and-coming Chris Horton represent a solid defensive back corps. And while Jason Taylor has gone down with a leg injury (recover quickly), the Redskins D-Line should prove capable enough to create a little pressure on Romo. Finally, the Redskins linebackers have the speed and size to take on Witten 1 on 1, which should help take away the check down from Romo.
Don't be so quick to count out the Skins just yet; the Burgundy and Gold are back in the hunt!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Stateside Reception
We ended up with about 75 people at our reception in my grandmother's backyard. Great turn out, great weather, and of course, great times had by all. Thanks to everyone who was able to make it - we certainly appreciated having you there!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
I'm a married man!
Hey Everyone,
I know that this is a bit belated, but I am now a married man, as of August 31. Here are the pictures from the wedding: http://casner.shutterfly.com/829.
I know I said I would try to keep this blog going, so I'll get back on that sometime soon. In the meantime, we just got back from our honeymoon and have a ton of family coming into town for a little stateside celebration!
I know that this is a bit belated, but I am now a married man, as of August 31. Here are the pictures from the wedding: http://casner.shutterfly.com/829.
I know I said I would try to keep this blog going, so I'll get back on that sometime soon. In the meantime, we just got back from our honeymoon and have a ton of family coming into town for a little stateside celebration!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
No Doggy Bags...
Hej,
Last post from Sweden. Wow. Hard to believe that 3 months have passed already!
There are seven of us flying home to various US destinations tomorrow (Denver, Austin, Atlanta, Salt Lake, and Indianapolis), plus European colleagues flying off to other projects around the world (France, Australia, England, and Brussels), so we went out to dinner last night. We had traditional Swedish fare, which apparently I am getting used to. I had a Swedish dish called gubrora (without the accent marks, it just doesn't look right). Basically, it translates to "man mix". It's basically egg salad with anchovies. Probably a once in a life time experience for me, but it wasn't bad. I also had Swedish meatballs (the real kind, not the Americanized version).
When it was all said and done, my eyes were bigger than my stomach, so I asked for the leftovers to be boxed up. And was abruptly ridiculed by my European colleagues. Apparently doggy bags are solely an American thing - one that they thought was only done as a joke in TV shows, for that matter. So, when going out to eat in Europe, err on the side of "too small" rather than "too large, but I'll take the rest home". :-)
It is a little bittersweet leaving here. Mostly sweet. But I did make some good friends out here, so don't be surprised if Ashleigh and I end up with some visitors with funny accents. :-)
See you all soon!
Jared
p.s. I think I will just keep the blog going from the US, if anyone is interested...
Last post from Sweden. Wow. Hard to believe that 3 months have passed already!
There are seven of us flying home to various US destinations tomorrow (Denver, Austin, Atlanta, Salt Lake, and Indianapolis), plus European colleagues flying off to other projects around the world (France, Australia, England, and Brussels), so we went out to dinner last night. We had traditional Swedish fare, which apparently I am getting used to. I had a Swedish dish called gubrora (without the accent marks, it just doesn't look right). Basically, it translates to "man mix". It's basically egg salad with anchovies. Probably a once in a life time experience for me, but it wasn't bad. I also had Swedish meatballs (the real kind, not the Americanized version).
When it was all said and done, my eyes were bigger than my stomach, so I asked for the leftovers to be boxed up. And was abruptly ridiculed by my European colleagues. Apparently doggy bags are solely an American thing - one that they thought was only done as a joke in TV shows, for that matter. So, when going out to eat in Europe, err on the side of "too small" rather than "too large, but I'll take the rest home". :-)
It is a little bittersweet leaving here. Mostly sweet. But I did make some good friends out here, so don't be surprised if Ashleigh and I end up with some visitors with funny accents. :-)
See you all soon!
Jared
p.s. I think I will just keep the blog going from the US, if anyone is interested...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Indiana Jones
Hej,
Finally got around to seeing a movie in the Swedish theaters. Can't say it's too much different from seeing a movie in the US. The biggest difference was that the seats are assigned. At first, I found that a little wierd, but it actually was quite nice to not have to race to be the first into the theater to grab seats. The theater layout was more like a playhouse than a movie theater - we sat up in the balcony, but the seats were nice and because of the angles, it felt like there was no one in front of us. And, it was Indiana Jones, so, how could it have gone wrong??
This week will be a little hectic around the office as I prepare to roll off this project, but I fly home on Friday, which is quite exciting.
Talk to you all soon!
Jared
Finally got around to seeing a movie in the Swedish theaters. Can't say it's too much different from seeing a movie in the US. The biggest difference was that the seats are assigned. At first, I found that a little wierd, but it actually was quite nice to not have to race to be the first into the theater to grab seats. The theater layout was more like a playhouse than a movie theater - we sat up in the balcony, but the seats were nice and because of the angles, it felt like there was no one in front of us. And, it was Indiana Jones, so, how could it have gone wrong??
This week will be a little hectic around the office as I prepare to roll off this project, but I fly home on Friday, which is quite exciting.
Talk to you all soon!
Jared
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
16 days...
... until I come home! Not as if I am excited or anything... :)
I actually just got word that I would be allowed to get on the flight I have booked for May 30, so I am definitely coming home then!
I actually just got word that I would be allowed to get on the flight I have booked for May 30, so I am definitely coming home then!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Quick Trip Home
Hej All,
Sorry for the lengthy delay between posts. I got the opportunity to jet home for a few days, so I jumped at the chance. Because of it, I was able to make it to my sister Sarah's college graduation in Ohio over the weekend, which was great!
Of course, I didn't even tell Ashleigh that I was coming home, and gave her quite a scare when she walked in the door from work the other day! She hadn't even looked up yet when I said "Hi". She nearly leapt out of her shoes upon hearing a man's voice in the house when she wasn't expecting it. But, I think she liked the surprise, overall... :-)
Sorry if I didn't get to see you on this trip home; it was just a whirlwind trip. I'm still on track to permanently return to the US on May 30th, but I'll keep you posted on that. Hope all is well!
Jared
Sorry for the lengthy delay between posts. I got the opportunity to jet home for a few days, so I jumped at the chance. Because of it, I was able to make it to my sister Sarah's college graduation in Ohio over the weekend, which was great!
Of course, I didn't even tell Ashleigh that I was coming home, and gave her quite a scare when she walked in the door from work the other day! She hadn't even looked up yet when I said "Hi". She nearly leapt out of her shoes upon hearing a man's voice in the house when she wasn't expecting it. But, I think she liked the surprise, overall... :-)
Sorry if I didn't get to see you on this trip home; it was just a whirlwind trip. I'm still on track to permanently return to the US on May 30th, but I'll keep you posted on that. Hope all is well!
Jared
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Swedish Sunlight
Hej,
At 9:30 last night, it was still dusk. At 3:45 this morning as I was walking home from the bars, it was already getting light out. Ugh. I can't imagine how I am going to get any sleep by the time the end of May rolls around, especially with as bright as my apartment is. I am going to have to rig up some curtains or blinds here pretty soon...
Jared
At 9:30 last night, it was still dusk. At 3:45 this morning as I was walking home from the bars, it was already getting light out. Ugh. I can't imagine how I am going to get any sleep by the time the end of May rolls around, especially with as bright as my apartment is. I am going to have to rig up some curtains or blinds here pretty soon...
Jared
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