Mad Mike's Rants

Here We Go Again.....

2011-02-23T11:44:00.000-05:00

This is bad....oh well, what the heck....this morning I wrote a nice long post about re-entering this little corner of cyberspace which I have now neglected for nearly 3 years.....and then somehow very unceremoniously lost it...I dunno, but it seems a bit old school to blog like this now when everyone else is on twitter and facebook...admittedly, I have warmed to both, achieving true junkie status on FB but warming a bit less to twitter....not saying I don't like the blog, but unless there's a lot to be said, the "social networks," as they have been dubbed, do the trick pretty well with short, limited-length posts. But I digress. Social media has exploded over the last few years....I don't even remember what I did before I got on facebook. Probably wrote this blog, which now seems so last millennium compared to today's world...sure, there's still blogs...and there's nothing wrong with them....it just seems like when people started dropping their land lines....or not getting a landline in the first place...just saying. Abby Waynesdave, Avery Juan!!!!

On Cancer.....

2008-07-28T20:30:00.003-04:00

No, this isn't my audition to be one of Santa's next reindeer....

I heard today that syndicated columnist/pundit Robert Novak has a brain tumor and has been hospitalized for treatment. This adds another name to the list of a growing number of celebrities and other adults who have been diagnosed with brain tumors, notably among them Senator Edward Kennedy.

I'm not one to talk about it much unless asked, but I am celebrating 34 years this year in remission from brain cancer myself, and 23 years since I was declared "cured". In 1974 I was diagnosed with a grade 2 Astrocytoma. I didn't really know what it meant. I just know that I spent the better part of my childhood going from doctor to doctor and getting poked and prodded and stuck with needles and all the other (not so) fun stuff that goes with a cancer diagnosis.

I can't honestly draw conclusions about Novak's tumor because little has been said about it as of yet. As you probably know, Mr. Novak hit a pedestrian with his Corvette last week in DC. I don't condone his callous disregard (or outright contempt) for pedestrians(of which I am one)...on any other given day I'd be inclined to drag him out of his Corvette and beat him. But not now. I can't say that his tumor had anything to do with his hitting that pedestrian last week, as much as his contempt for pedestrians disgusts me and that he's made that point in the past. The only thing I can hope for him is a speedy recovery.

Here's to a speedy recovery, Mr. Novak.

MM

Cha cha changes......

2008-07-19T20:18:00.002-04:00

OK, so Mad Mike has taken leave of his 6th floor hellhole in Alexandria and moved to....Fairfax County. After all those years of swearing up down and sideways that I'd never move outside the beltway again....whaaaaaaaale.....there goes the neighborhood.

No, really....I got sick and tired of paying all my money to duh man....or duh woman...whoever my landlord/lady was....and finally got a spine and bought myself a condo.

so now the 6th floor window looking out over 395 is no more. And I'll work on changing whatever else needs to be changed when I get a round tuit.

So let's hear it for homeownership!!!

Re: They happen in threes....

2008-01-23T18:10:00.000-05:00

Somehow, I overlooked the death of another young actor, Brad Renfro, 25, who also died last week. So either Ledger's death completes the 3-fer of Melvin-Pleshette-Ledger, or Pleshette completed the 3-fer of Renfro-Melvin-Pleshette. Dunno....guess the younger generation probably wouldn't even recognize Melvin and Pleshette in it, and thus they are waiting on another young one to die. Whatever...anyway, I'm not going to sit here and continue to dwell on death.

RIP, all ye celebs and non-celebs who have recently passed.

MM

They happen in threes....

2008-01-22T19:47:00.000-05:00

I just heard that Heath Ledger died today. The actor, 28, apparently died in "an" apartment in New York City. Could have been a drug overdose.

It's creepy, but Ledger's death completes the 3rd link in another series of celebrity deaths:

Allan Melvin, 84, best known for his role as Sam the Butcher on "The Brady Bunch," as well as numerous roles on other TV shows, died January 17.

Suzanne Pleshette, best known for her role as Bob Newhart's wife on "The Bob Newhart Show," died January 20.

And now, Ledger.

I'm not much into this whole thing, but it is rather odd. I woke up this morning, read a short death notice from the Associated Press about Melvin's death in the Washington Post, and subconsciously wondered what the 3rd link would be. Ledger was probably the last person on my list. I was reading a message board earlier and saw a message titled "Take Britney, give Heath back!!"...I didn't read the message, but that sentiment makes sense on a number of levels, if you consider what Spears seems to have gotten herself into recently. I dunno....about the only movie I'm real familiar with of Ledger's is "10 Things I Hate About You." Not saying that Britney deserves to die any more than Ledger, or anybody else for that matter, but Ledger surely shouldn't have gone out the way he did. So anyway....

RIP, Heath Ledger

MM

Blah blah blahging.....

2007-10-26T23:34:00.000-04:00

I joined Facebook last week, somewhat on the advice of Lego friend Constantine. I guess, after updating my 'status' on Facebook several times throughout yesterday and today, I wonder how many people actually update their status constantly, or better yet, how many people actually give a rat's patootie where I am, how I am, or WHO I am at every waking moment of my life (Mom notwithstanding). If I were to blahg about it every day, here's today:

5 am: woke to clock radio, Mix 107.3 FM, Washington, DC
sometime before 6 am: hit the radio button to switch from that time where the radio stays on for only the hour after it comes on to staying on constantly. (it's an iHome clock radio/iPod dock; I usually fall asleep to the iPod and wake to the radio.)

rolled over and went back to sleep; got up sometime before 7 am to retrieve cell phone and 2 100 calorie packs of wafer-like Oreos. returned to bed, consuming one pack and playing Bubble Bash on the cell phone after updating Facebook status via said cell phone. finished first Oreo pack and then second.

about 7:30: got up and showered. Dressed and sorted some Lego on the bed. Moved to living room and turned on TV; Good Morning America followed by Live With Kelly and Jimmy Kimmel. Sorting lego and putting it in bags.

9:5?: Friend Fran calls to advise she has just gotten off at my exit. I advise will be down to meet her. Drive to Woodbridge ensues. We hit IKEA, followed by Costco, the Lego store, and Harry and David. I score sorting trays (read: drawer organizers) at IKEA; folding chairs, cookies and a case of Nesquick chocolate milk at Costco; and the newest rage from the Lego store: the Power Functions system set featuring a dinosaur you can build and guide it through your _______(fill in the blank) on a mad rampage.

about noon: Fran and I lunch at Red Lobster; she returns me to Alexandria a little before 2.

I unload my haul and go down for nap about 2:05; I'm down till about quarter to 5. Get up and turn on TV....Family Feud(Karn) on GSN; settle on local news on NBC affiliate eventually, after surfing through same old crap. Turn on computer; settle into chair and watch tv. veer over to Hardball on MSNBC briefly, then back to local news.

6:10: switch to CNBC (Mad Money)....Jim Cramer cracks me up. I stay with it for awhile, then the surfing thumb leads me to BBC America. I've developed this affinity for a sitcom called "My Family."

7: head to HBO on Demand; watch episode 8 of "Tell Me You Love Me"

8: switch to ABC; re-run of last night's Grey's Anatomy. I pay more attention to it than last night, but not by much....head to "bedroom" to sort clothes, deciding it's time to get rid of some of the stuff I never wear anymore, telling myself I can keep up to 20 t-shirts. I think in the end I got rid of only about 4 t-shirts, a pair of pants and maybe one other shirt. This lasts through most of Women's Murder Club and part of Men In Trees; at some time after 10 I come over to the computer (finally); check e-mail and update Facebook status and run through usual crowd of places on the web to visit.

11: switch to HBO, Real Time with Bill Maher. Miss most of it, due to web surfing. This is why we have HBO on Demand, so I can go back and see it again. Started this blahhhhg post and been writing ever since. Switched from Maher over to Showtime 2 a little after midnight; George Lopez is on. It is now tomorrow; going to post this, update Facebook and go to bed. I'll be shocked if anybody reads this.

MM

10 things that pi$$ me off

2007-10-25T19:25:00.000-04:00

Smokers
Republicans
Metro
Ann Coulter
Bill Oh Really
Fake People
Cliques
Bad/Improper Grammar
Snootiness
"Breaking News"

These are in no particular order. And I reserve the right to discuss them (or not) in future posts.

MM

Out of Curiosity.....

2007-10-24T19:22:00.000-04:00

I've been watching the coverage of the current wildfire situation in southern California, and I noticed that some of the live coverage on the cable nets is coming from XETV-San Diego...I wondered what was up, so I did a search of XETV. Turns out that XETV, though based in San Diego, is actually licensed to Tijuana, Mexico, just across the border from SD, and therefore, the X call letters. Turns out that XETV is also the FOX network affiliate in SD, making the calls seem perfectly apt, if not a little seemingly-vast-right-wing-conspiratorial.

MM

Thanks for the comments, but.....

2007-10-15T19:04:00.000-04:00

I think the only thing that bugs me more than the whole flip-flop thing is people who respond to my blog with nothing more than long, drawn-out explanations on subjects of no interest to me or those "Free Laptop Computer"-type offers. Of the 6 responses I read to my blog today, only one (thanks, Juicyfruit!!!) seemed at all genuine.

Having been out of the blogosphere for awhile now, I just wonder, is this typical for responses?

I'm off to finish the crocodile engine. May the brick be with you.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaackkkk!!!!!

2007-10-14T21:43:00.000-04:00

Today I was told by my Lego friends I need to catalog my life experience, in not so blunt terms.

So here I go again.....

Today, I went to the wamalug meeting and mostly sorted, but then built, 3/4 of a crocodile train engine. Or maybe it was 2/3...I dunno. Anyway, I built the middle section and one of the ends. As long as it took me to sort through all the pieces, it might as well have only been 2/3.

UPDATE!!!!! THE WHITE HOUSE BANS FLIP FLOPS!!! WOOHOO!!!

Sorry for being hideously behind, but I do recall hearing several months ago that the White House has now banned visitors from wearing flip flops. Now, whether that extends to Blah Blah and Jenna, I dunno. Heck, I don't even know if that policy is still in effect. Anyway...now, if I can just get the commuting public in the DC metro area to stop wearing theirs...

I REALLY need to get myself a life......

No, not really...I have a life. I work, eat, sleep, play with Lego, go to the movies, um, sleep, uh.....oh, and did I mention I CNT TYPE?

I'm tired. Night y'all.

Flip-flop Flap

2005-07-19T18:15:00.000-04:00

The Northwestern University Ladies Lacrosse team recently visited the White House to meet with President Bush. The entire team posed with the president for a group photo, where it was revealed that several of the team members had chosen to wear flip-flops with their skirts or dresses.

I don't have a problem with flip-flops per se, but quite honestly, is it really appropriate to go to the White House in them? Especially if one is there to meet the president? Maybe it's just me, but I don't think it would ever be appropriate to where flip-flops to meet with the president unless one happened to run into him on the beach. I understand it's summer in DC, and the heat and humidity make it oh so miserable, but really...flip-flops? and with dresses and skirts?

I've seen people in all sorts of footwear during my daily commutes....and I may seem like a bit of a hypocrite because I wear sneakers around my workplace. But quite honestly, I don't think it's appropriate to wear flip flops in the workplace, much less to the White House. I guess maybe I don't have much of a choice outside the workplace (i.e., during my commute) to require what people wear, but frankly, I don't think I should have to be subjected to seeing somebody's feet the way they are exposed by flip-flops.

The DUH file

2005-04-12T19:52:00.000-04:00

Martha Stewart's lawyers filed a request to have her ankle bracelets removed early, saying they're 'hurting her business.'

The judge turned down the request, stating that (house arrest) is supposed to be a hardship.

Hello and Welcome

2005-04-10T23:13:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Mad Mike's Pants....er...Rants!!!!

About me:

Age: 34
Occupation: Fiscal Specialist, US Department of Justice (If I told you any more, I'd have to kill you.) :)
Home: Alexandria, Virginia
Interests: Movies, Lego, Music except most Rap, Heavy Metal and Country

Why I'm here: Because I can be. Because I got a lot of stuff on my mind. Why are you here? Surely it's not because of me.