funny URLs

Okay, it's been awhile since I've posted. 

And today, it's just a matter of copying and pasting so that's what I'll do. 

This is from something that I read on HostGator's website, one of several tips for choosing a domain name -  so yes, be mindful!

Tip #5 – Avoid unintentional domain hilarity

One final caveat when it comes to choosing a domain name is to carefully review your final selection before hitting the “Register” button for any inadvertently inappropriate language that might pop up.

To see what I mean, consider the real-life URLs for the following legitimate company names:

• Pen Island – “www.penisland.net”
• IT Scrap – “www.itscrap.com”
• Who Represents – “www.whorepresents.com”
• Experts Exchange – “www.expertsexchange.com”
• Speed of Art – “www.speedofart.com”
  
  

innocuous movie quotes

Some of my favorite movie quotes seem like the most innocuous ones. I imagine that when they were first written into the script (or perhaps, they were improvised by the actor), they weren't meant to be the most memorable. As opposed to the moments in movies where you get the feeling that the creators just knew that they were filming the line that was going to be remembered by audiences forever: "No, I am your father!" - Darth Vader, and "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" - Rhett Butler, as examples.

The ones that come to mind first that I think are rather innocuous are: 

"But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career." - Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) in Taken 

"I mean, I'm not gonna be ignored, Dan." - Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) in Fatal Attraction  

"You're gonna need a bigger boat!" -  Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) in Jaws

Reading what I find on the Internet now, it appears that that last line by Roy Scheider was in fact improvised by the actor... what brilliance! One of the greatest lines ever! And like the others, now a part of our cultural lexicon.

the beautiful nurse

My apologies if this post gets schmaltzy... but it is Valentine's Day and maybe I'm feeling especially lonely. 

A relative was admitted to the hospital a couple of days ago. I was with her in the emergency ward when she was going to be moved upstairs to another room (she will be fine, BTW). Before she was moved, I went into the hospital cafeteria to have lunch, having been told which room to later find my relative. And it was in the cafeteria where this nurse caught my eye. 

She was sitting a couple of tables away from me. She was rather understated in her appearance with her medium length brown hair tied back and she looked smart in her fashionably framed glasses. Her attention was on her smartphone as she ate. I sat at one side of the room against a wall facing her. 

I forced myself not to full-on stare because one, that would have been rude and unsettling, and two, I always get caught when I do that. Not knowing the nature of how hospital employees dress, I wasn't sure what her job was there. She looked absolutely lovely. 

I've never been one to have an 'approach' no matter how casual in nature. So when I was done eating, I got up and left. Besides, I had a relative's well-being to worry about.

I headed up to the room where my relative was supposed to be moved to and as I walked down the corridor, a nurse asked me which room I was looking for. I gave him the number, and he stepped aside to unveil my relative. Her assigned room had been changed. And while we were settling into this new room, she was told that she was being relocated once again. So soon thereafter, we were being moved to yet another floor in another wing of the hospital. 

The details of what happened next I don't recall, but at my relative's new room, her nurse and a trainee showed up at some point. It's in my mind that the trainee flashed a big, friendly smile when she looked at me. It took me awhile to realize that this oh-so-lovely trainee was the very same girl from the cafeteria! 

The time spent waiting with my relative in her room passed much more quickly as I relished any attention she got from both the training nurse and her trainee. There were the IVs and bits of conversation. I again tried not to stare.

I foolishly believed that as long as my relative was at the hospital, she would have the same nurse and trainee her entire stay. But when I arrived the next day, alas, the training nurse was still the nurse, yet no sign of the trainee. Bummer. 

Today, same thing - no sign of the trainee, although the nurse was different. However when I went down to grab lunch today, I thought I might have seen her. I'm just not sure. I'm not impressed with myself that I'm not sure. The woman I saw wasn't sitting alone this time, but rather talking with several others. And she wasn't dressed in the same nursing uniform, and wasn't wearing glasses. The sunlight was flashing through the window that was behind her from opposite the direction I was looking. Maybe it was wishful thinking on my part that it was her. Or maybe there's a sameness in how the young nurses pull their hair back. I wasn't sitting closely enough to overhear any real conversation, but I think I heard her say something that included the words: "my boyfriend." Best I assume it was a different woman! 

Sadly enough, it has occurred to me that this lovely nursing trainee must be half my age, or thereabouts. That is particularly worrisome now that I have an ominous milestone coming up very soon. Still, it feels good to feel giddy and alive at the sight of a beautiful woman like this. My imagination came up with the scenario that she is working as a model while she puts herself through nursing school.

I tried to steal a few glances at her fingers to see if she wore any special rings (she wasn't) and read her nametag when she got close enough up in my relative's hospital room. Hmmm... isn't that the same name as an NFL quarterback? And that's as much as I'm going to tell about her name! 

Besides insecurities about my age compared to hers (and of course, I'm no Michael Douglas, Bill Wyman, Hugh Hefner, etc.), I'm still trying to find my career direction. Right now, it's somewhere in Internet marketing and network marketing. If I succeed there, maybe I'll have the confidence and wherewithal  to go after what I really want relationship-wise. And here I was enjoying the long odds of my eating in the cafeteria that first day at the time I did, sitting where I sat, and then my relative being moved twice until she was settled into a room that this nursing trainee was assigned to. 

the Kennedy Center has Heart after all

My previous post, which I've since deleted, on this blog told of me relocating to another blog, which I've since decided to part ways with. Didn't feel quite right. Anyway, the posting I had linked to at that blog is now copied and posted here; I'll be doing the same with some of the other musings I'd written there. 

I wrote around two and a half years ago about how one of my all-time favorite bands Heart wasn't a part of the tribute to Paul Simon at the Kennedy Center Honors during his year of induction. Ahhh... Heart - is it wrong of me to find much of their appeal due to the Wilson sisters, Ann and Nancy? I mean, it's not just my ears that find them pleasing. Anyway...

At the same time I ordered three Tim Ferriss 4-Hour books, I also got Kicking & Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul, and Rock & Roll, written by Ann & Nancy Wilson, with Charles R. Cross. As much as I was looking forward to the practical knowledge I was sure to get from Tim Ferriss, I had been anticipating a tome from the Wilson Sisters for even longer. Are there pictures included? Yes there are; here is my favorite:

Ann and Nancy are seated in front; parents and older sister in the back.
 Such a beautiful family! 

It took me awhile to be able to order this book, but I finally did. I had read the reviews on Amazon; I remember one in particular that criticized it for spending too much time recalling the early family years of the daughters as young children plus all of the moving because it was a military family, and not enough on Ann and Nancy's time as professional musicians. Hogwash! I found myself getting more caught up in imagining and living their lives as a young family. Through the hardships of being uprooted so very often, I loved the feeling of being with them and even knowing them, if that's possible. 

If you're familiar with the name S. Ennis, it's probably because Sue is often credited as a co-writer of many of Heart's songs. Well, it was fun to read about how she and Ann first met in school. They go way back, and on through to adulthood, all three of them. And there's even mention of John Mellencamp, whom ironically I mentioned in my aforementioned post on Gold Mountain Musings, Heart-less at the Kennedy Center. 

So, on to the title of this post: the Kennedy Center has Heart after all. If you saw this past December's broadcast of the Kennedy Center Awards, you'll know that the seminal rock band, Led Zeppelin, was inducted. In attendance were the three surviving members: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones. And yes, what I'm getting to is Ann & Nancy got be participate in the tribute this time around! Besides the influence of the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel on their musical aspirations, was the even more obvious influence of Led Zeppelin. Heart has performed Zeppelin covers since their early days. Read Kicking & Dreaming, and you'll learn how early on - I wonder if Plant recalls just how early!

The late John Bonham's son, Jason, played drums during Ann & Nancy's performance. Of course, Jason is no stranger to playing their songs anyway, having performed with Plant, Page, and Jones many times already. I loved the added touch of Jason wearing a bowler hat, and that being carried through to all of the singers in the vast chorus that joined the performance towards the end. Very nice! 

beyond comprehension

How I wanted to bury my head and not even think about what happened on Friday in Newtown. There's no way I can come up with what to write in my little blog that will convey the emotions and sorrow that adequate convey how I am feeling, how we are all feeling, for the loss. 

It is times like these where one's faith can give one the strength to cope. Should there be an underlying belief that our times on Earth are but a small fraction of the entire existence of our souls, then we can tell ourselves that those lost are truly in a better place now. And that when each of our times come, there will be a reunion of the most intensely emotional and loving nature. The precious lives that were taken from us on Friday are now basking in the love of the Creator and their cherished loved ones. I am of the belief that that is the case regardless of faith, or even lack of faith - that God truly loves ALL of His children, even those that don't believe in Him, and that our times on Earth are but a small chapter of our existences. There is an eternity to bask in the Love of our Creator, even if we don't recognize it now.

That is the only way I can cope with this horrific tragedy, all those that have come before, and those that are yet to happen. Not just the tragedies of such senseless violence, but all that happen in this realm of existence.

turning 50

My best friend from grade school turned 50 yesterday. 

I had to give it some thought because my own date with that milestone will be here soon enough. I recalled how it was much easier for me when I turned 40 than when I turned 30. Why? Because when I turned 30, I still had dreams and aspirations and was therefore disappointed that none of them had yet come to fruition. So how could turning 40 have been any easier when I still had not achieved any of those goals? Easy! Because by then I had gotten rid of my dreams and aspirations! 

Which reminds me of a story I once read in Reader's Digest many, many years ago. It was a true story sent in by a reader: 

A worker in a store was tasked with matching a paint chip color brought in by a customer. After numerous failed attempts to mix a new paint color that would pass muster with this very particular customer, the worker waited until the customer wasn't looking... and then painted the chip! 
 

oh boy, a quarterback controversy!!!

Ever since I started my nutritional cleanse and detox, particularly the initial 30-days, I've not been posting about my beloved 49ers. No dedicated posts about each game; all I can recall remarking about was the issue with the replacement refs. Which may actually come back and bite us (meaning the Niners) because the Seahawks are a threat to win the division still. Darn referee lockout! 

I've been laying low here on this quarterback controversy matter, choosing instead to comment on easier topics such as abortion. But here goes with some of my musings about the Smith vs. Kaepernick conundrum we find ourselves in: 

Where to start? Well, first of all, for all those too young to remember the great Montana vs. Young battle and have been thinking that you'd like to know what a QB controversy feels like, here you go! Not at the same level, of course, being that both Joe Montana and Steve Young are in the Hall-of-Fame, but really, quarterback controversies are not all that fun. Sure, it's better to have too many good players than not enough, but it's one heck of a sticky situation to have to deal with. 

You're dealing with human beings with human emotions, not just commodities. These are hyper-competitive athletes with pride that also happen to be very public personalities. They exist in fish tanks for all to see. That's why Coach Harbaugh has been trying walk a very narrow tightrope; he needs to make sure that his two quarterbacks are going to be able to perform their very best if and when they are called upon. 

I am quite happy to see the outpouring of support for Alex Smith, especially in light of what he's been through with the 49ers. The hurdles he has faced since being drafted are well documented: different coaching staffs and different playbooks almost every single year, rosters that could use improvement, an injury that led one coach to question his toughness that later required surgery and a lost season, probably many more. And still Smith soldiered on and remained loyal to the Niners. And he was among the tops of the league in many categories this season no less! 

His improvements could be traced to one man: Coach Jim Harbaugh. He built up Alex Smith's confidence and played to Smith's strengths. He, more than anyone else previous, was responsible for Smith no longer being seen as a bust, but a viable team leader and bona fide NFL starting quarterback. 

Yet then again, there is 2nd-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He was drafted by the 49ers during Harbaugh's tenure; apparently he was Harbaugh's personal choice, selected by the team at his bequest. Kap is Harbaugh's guy. More of a gunslinger, more instinctual and willing to improvise, a stronger arm, more willingness to run and faster than Smith - he's like a wild Mustang with smarts! 

So what to do? I can fully understand the contingent that prefers that Smith get back his starting job, lost in the first place only because he suffered a concussion. In a heart-warming way, people believe he should get the opportunity to complete his journey and maybe lead the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance and perhaps even a Super Bowl victory. A triumph of the greatest magnitude! 

And it's not just about sentimentality - these Smith supporters would also argue that Smith has the necessary experience and skills to put the team over the top that Kap lacks at the moment. They see yesterday's loss as what would have been a victory had Smith been the starter. 

On the other hand, I can recall that for many seasons, there has been an outcry for the Niners to get the speedy type of receivers that were fast enough to take the lid off of the coverage; that is, extend the field and make the long passing game an actual threat. Either Smith lacks the arm strength and accuracy, or he is not willing to pull the trigger because it's not in his personality. So even having the speed won't mean much if the quarterback won't make the corresponding throws. 

Hence, Colin Kaepernick. He's got the arm and the willingness to throw it far downfield. He just lacks the experience right now. Plus, he's more natural at throwing passes that can be caught in stride - my gosh, I can recall countless times when Smith threw passes during broken plays where the ball didn't lead the receiver and were even at their feet. 

Sooo... what choice would I make? If Kap were my guy, it would eventually stink for Smith either way. It would be a tough gig for him to know that unless he leads the team to a Super Bowl victory this year, he'd be out. There is no easy way to make the change. On the human and loyalty level, I'd have Smith start, but on a strictly football level, I believe that Kaepernick has the set of skills that I'd want for now and into the future. He'll just have to learn real fast this late into the season and I think he can. thought he played pretty well yesterday, I really do. Some mistakes for sure, but mistakes were made by many, including the coaching staff. If they had to lose a game, yesterday's wasn't the worst one to lose. If Kap and the rest of the team can learn and improve upon it, things can still work out. 

Projecting into the future even more, then, if Kap establishes himself, there is no way that Smith will want to remain with the 49ers as a backup. Therefore he'd want to move on, and after his latest starts where he was extraordinarily accurate and effective, well, he made one heck of a case for himself with other teams. Unless they wanted to take the chance that they would be able to outbid everyone else for his services should he be let go by the Niners, then he ought to be available for a trade - and he should be able to garner some great compensation. A high draft pick perhaps? But this is thinking way too far ahead. Let's see how this season goes. Alex may yet be the one who leads the 49ers to their 6th Lombardi trophy.