Thursday, May 31, 2012

Hitting "Reply All" isn't that embarrassing

So last week my man-crush here at work sent out an email that was work related.  He is also a closet sci-fi/fantasy geek so I replied "all I care about is the fight for Kings Landing "(we talk about Game of Thrones every Monday).

I mistakenly hit "Reply All" instead of plain old "Reply."  He emails me back telling me to watch that reply all button.  I tell him please, I have done way many more embarrassing things in my life than publicly state I am a geek.  More importantly I now know who all the other geeks- professed and silent- in the office are as they all replied back to me with some kind of comment on the show.

Tuesday morning I swear it was like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.  First I almost hit a raccoon, then I definitely hit a fox (which I felt really bad about hoping it was not the mother who was going through our backyard with her two kits) and then had to stop twice for a near herd of deer.  I was just waiting for Marln Perkins to voice over "And now Jim will shoot the driver with a tranquilizer..." 

Apparently today is World No Tobacco Day.  Yeah, that so aint happpen' with me, epic fail.  As I have said before, they will pry the tin of Skoal from my cold, rigorous hand.

Some talking head was on BBRG tv yesterday commenting on how when the Texas S&Ls went under in the early '90s, all the other states helped bail them out.  He was saying that is what should happen in Europe.  Well yeah, I could envisage that happening-if Europe was a federal system!  It aint, I highly doubt it will become one so I don't see how countries in Europe will willingly bail out other countries banks.  Comparing Texas S&Ls getting bailed out y the rest of the U.S in the '90s to Europe today is apples and oranges- apple and oranges I say.


Am I the only one who thinks Mitt Romney makes Al Gore look like a lively, warm and personable guy?  Seriously, the guy is so forced and even more robotic than Al.  He is like Data except without the positronic brain.





Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Talk is sheep

So the summer has begun.  We had the boys this long weekend which meant we took in two movies, used the grill and did yard work.

Saturday morning I had the list of errands to do and took the boys with me when the hot sex on a stick painter showed up.  We ended up doing a few more things- namely getting the boys hybrid bikes (road and trial) for here at our house and my oldest got a fishing pole and tackle kit as he wants to fish on the canal at the back of the property.

Saturday night we tool in  Men In Black 3.  I thought it was just ok, rather nondescript.  The husband found it very boring and the boys liked it. There were a few funny scenes but the whole time paradox thing kinda annoyed me.  A time fracture really isn't a normal sci-fi trope.

Sunday we were kind of lazy and we went and saw Battleship.  I have to say I think it was a better action flick than MIB3 and I am surprised it only got a roughly 30% on Rotten Tomatoes.  I may be biased as I got to see Taylor Kitsch in nothing but a towel and he is totally smokin'.

Sunday night I almost blew up the house using the grill.  I made grilled flat bread using the pizza stone over charcoal.  That is not what almost blew up the house though.  On the propane side  I was supposed to grill hamburgers and hot dogs.  I preheated the grill, went inside to refresh my wine glass and came back out to see the propane side roaring and smelling like burning plastic only to see the frackin' line from the grill to the tank on fire!  I ran inside got the fire extinguisher and  put the whole thing out, reached under and turned off the tank and turned it off.  That shook me a bit.  So of course I drank more wine.

We got into watching "Total Blackout" on SciFi.  That is one messed up show but is really funny.  I think they have a rule that they have to have at least one really fey gay man in each episode.  I would love to get the husband and I on it as a team as he would be really entertaining.

So I just read that a newspaper in Spain, El Pais, is saying that Spain may get another year to meet the debt to GDP requirements.  Ok, if I was Greece that would totally make me say fuck you to the rest of the Eurozone and quit.  Maybe that is the goal.  Yet all the talking heads are preaching fire and brimstone for the Greeks if they default and leave.  Really?  Are you fucking kidding me?  How much worse can it get in Greece than the depression they are already suffering through?  At least if they are out and reissue the drachma they will be in charge of their own fate as opposed to having to give up their sovereignty to Germany.

I got no training in this past weekend which I am kind of bummed about as I have somewhat foolishly committed doing an Olympic triathlon in July with the husband.  "I'll give it a whirl" is what I think I said when we discussed it.  That means in about 8 weeks I will be swimming 1.5 kilometers, biking 40 and then running 10.  Wish me luck.

We had dinner last week with friends in the city.  We got on the topic of how the husband has been making his own mulch, how we compost  in touch with our inner Earth Mother.  Out of the blue the husband stated how he would like to get sheep.  I am all or that as I think it would be neat and we could make our own sheep's milk cheese and the husband could shear them, spin yarn form their wool and knit those hats you see all the Peruvians selling on the streets of NYC.  I told the boys this weekend and they agreed it would be a pretty cool idea to get some sheep.  We have the acreage so we could probably support a limited number- like two to three.  We clearly need to do some more research on the subject.  It also means we will definitely be fencing in the whole grassy area of the property next spring.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Damn- I missed St. Matthias Day

Monday was St. Matthias Day.  St. Matthias is the patron saint of luck.  I should have bought a ticket to Power Ball or Mega Millions.

I rode the bike at the gym this morning.  I am not sure the Star-Tec eSpinners are right about how far you ride. I was on it for forty minutes and supposedly I rode 15.2 miles.  That pace seems a bit fast for me honestly.  Don't get wrong- I posted it on Run Keeper, lol, but I am not confident I actually biked that far in that time span.

No Soccer Coach at the gym this morning but it did open on time.

I happened to read about a professional baseball player throwing his batting helmet at an ump.  Big no no and I wanted to see who it was.  Brett Lawrie.  I of course googled images of Brett and he is pretty darn cute. 

30 Seconds to Mars- the Nickleback of alt rock?  I ask that because I really think that are not that good of a band.  Maybe when they did an anthem for some animated owl movie that turned me against them but no, I just think they are an annoying, shitty band.

So it would appear that the French trans-sexual Christine Lagarde in her capacity as head of the IMF made a rather disconcerting statement regarding Greece earlier this evening.  I am paraphrasing when I say her comment was the IMF has to be technically prepared for a Greek exit from the euro.  Hello- that is a bell ringing.

I personally think- as I am in no way licensed to give investment advice to the general public- that the whole hullabaloo over Facebook is another bell ringing.  It just seems like it is going to end badly for all especially when you have a state-owned enterprise company as large as General Motors saying they are pulling their ads as they show no benefit.

Monday I left work early to go and catch my youngest son's last home track meet.  IT was raining, he was in the second to last heat for his 100 yard "dash" but I am pretty sure he was totally thrilled I made it.  He had that look in his eyes when he saw me before his race and a huge grin on his face.  I asked him if was surprised I made it and he hesitated and said no, he knew I would.  Friday I am leaving work early to hopefully catch my oldest sons' last tennis match.

The husband is doing a triathlon this Saturday.  I will be there to drive and cheer him on.  I may do one on July and an Olympic at that- have not really decided yet.


364 years and still going strong...

Small, local businesses are really hit or miss.  For example, we are getting a new washer and dryer installed- or so I thought.  Having owned homes before I thought I knew the drill.  I had the husband get the plumber on the calendar a month ahead of time before we needed him as all plumbers are scatter-brained.  The husband was excellent on communicating with the plumber and this is the guy that did the bathroom for us when we did it over.  He is very good at plumbing and reasonably priced.  Last night I get home only to find out the plumber says he can't install the appliances today or even this week.  WTF??  I was livid but there really is nothing we can do even though I vented that we should tell hi to fuck off and find someone.  It is not my fault he didn't finish some other job- he knew for a month he ha dour job.  His poor planning is not my problem.  I really want to write in the memo space on the check when we pay him "Fuck off and die!  I hope you fucking choke on this money."  but I most likely won't write that.

On the other hand we are getting the house painted as we are pretty sure it has not been painted in over two decades.  The husband scored big on the painter.  The guy is hot!  He is, to quote the husband, "Sex on a stick."  Ukrainian, blond, tall, amazing guns, hot ass that looks good in painters jeans and a great chest in a white tee shirt.  I told the husband after meeting him that we should offer him a cash bonus if he paints shirtless and lets us take lots of pictures.

The whole JPM situation is a shit show.  Some things I have picked up from it are for the "hedge" to have lost that much money that quickly can only really mean they had massive- like LEH size- leverage; it had to be 30-40x.  The other thing is there is no way in hell it was a hedge.  It was a prop bet on the markets and it went wrong.  They had to be a huge portion of the index and you don't do hedges that large.  Also it was not a hedge because whatever they were supposedly hedging would have mad even more money than they lost.  I also have to believe it shows how flawed Dodd-Frank was which makes sense since that was written by the lobbyists employed by all the banks.

Which leads me to my next point- Glass-Steagal.  We need it back.  If you think it can't happen then you need to look at Queen Elizabeth II's recent address to Parliament  She advocated splitting retail banking from investment banking.  It will happen.

Yesterday marked the 364th anniversary of the signing of the Peace of Westphalia.  Ironic no, considering all that is going on in Europe right now.  My stance on the euro has not changed and I clearly was two years early.  Greece will be out within a month and the euro gone by year end.

I went to the gym yesterday morning only to have to wait 15 minutes as no one was there to open it.  I find it irksome that I make the effort (along with probably 12 other people) to be there at 6 AM and the person responsible is  not dong the same- and they get paid- albeit I am sure it is a pittance.  So that cut my workout short but at least Soccer Coach was there.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Proper form at all times

So what is the proper etiquette in the gym when you see someone with really, really bad form- like so bad it makes you cringe?   I ask because for the last several months I have seen this guy at the gym who's form is probably worse than my college roommate's form- and his was bad.

The guy is probably around my age- if he were younger once could call him "lanky" or even "awkward" and that would describe him to a tee.  But since he is around me age we'll call him skinny. 

Anyhow the guy does the same exact exercises every day and I am sure he is getting frustrated he is not getting very good results.    I have almost told him several times that his form is terrible and if he fixed it he would see much better and quicker results.  Then I step back and think if he wanted to know he would ask or he would be using a trainer at the gym.

Speaking of the gym, this morning not only was orange Nikes there but there was also another hottie- we'll call him Soccer Coach.  Bit taller than me, huge calves, dark haired beauty.  Soccer Coach because he was wearing a tee shirt that identified him as "coach" and it was for soccer.

Could everyone please stop with the bullshit that Bankia (over in Spain) was partially nationalized?  That is akin to saying someone is partially pregnant.  The fact that the Spanish government only holds 45% of the company now does not matter.  They are now the largest shareholder and they are calling the shots.  The whole situation proves once again how important semantics are.

Speaking of semantics, yesterday I red how the Japanese government was taking over Tepco- you know them, they own the Fukishima reactors- to prevent the company becoming insolvent.  Really?  Something tells me the company was so close to insolvency already that it was all to save face.

Ron Paul and Paul Krugman faced off on BBRG tv last week and it was a very good discussion.  I am of the camp that Ron Paul won but it was pretty close.  I have to give Paul Krugman credit for openly admitting that  we are in a depression.  I think he is the first to do so on national television.

I really enjoy Instagram.  The one negative is I asked the husband for a digital camera for Christmas- which he got me and it is a nice one.  But I find myself using the camera on my phone all the time for the stuff I post there and I feel some regret that I don't use the gift.

Speaking of Instagram a friend who follows me there commented that the photos I like often border male porn.  My reply was he is bordering creepy stalker, lol.  I also told him I am married, not dead.  We both agreed that it is a fun app for amateurs like us.  I told him if the husband ever joined I'd most likely block him.  My reasoning is the husband is an avid collector of photography and I really would not want to get some art critique of photos I have snapped with my phone camera and posted for fun.

I also discussed Instagram with Mr. Barrett.  He is a tumblr guy but the apps are similar enough.  He commented that a photographer he knows was a bit derisive of Instagram.  I told him I understand why as it is a threat to his profession.  I feel similar about all the on-line trading sites out there.  I like to think that what I do actually takes some skill set that not just anyone of the street possesses.  With Instagram everyone can dream they are the next Thomas Ruff, Cindy Sherman, James Caseofbeer, Vik Munoz or Ansel Adams (that last one is for my straight friends).

I am really sick and tired of many people in my line of work who constantly try to "normalize" things.  It is a form of laziness they have picked up from those in the dismal science and think everything can and should be normalized.  Hello?  Markets are rarely to never "normal."

I got yelled at scolded reprimanded last week about wearing sneakers at work.  Really?  Don't get me wrong- I toe the line for my boss when I am told to but I am fairly certain there is not a single shred of evidence or model you could test for heteroscedasticity (just cuz I like that word and remember it from my econometrics classes- it really doesn't apply here) showing that what I am wearing on feet has any correlation or impact on the direction of financial markets.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Time for a title change

So Mr. Barrett was up visiting this past weekend and we got on the topic of our blogs. 

He casually mentioned he thought I might consider changing the title of mine.  He has referred to me as Darth Jersey since we first met at The Green Lantern on Go Shirtless and Drink For Free Night.

It is not a long story nor complicated but I just don't feel like going through it all.

It got me thinking that he was right as I have not actually resided in Hoboken for almost three years now.  Also if you are reading this and have not yet figured out I am gay and have sons from a previous marriage to a woman(I tried to live a straight lifestyle- it didn't work out) then do you really care what the title is?

Delusional

Ok so it's been a while- get over it, there are worse things in life and if you really are dependent upon my posts for some kind of fulfillment you may need help....meow.

Most recent happenings:  Took the boys up to my brother's in Massachusetts for their cousins First Communion.  No we did not make the ceremony as I was concerned entering the Church would cause a fire- you know from the lightning bolt striking.  We did have a nice brunch though with the family and then retired to my bro's house for some relaxation, Battleship, Wii and other activities.  Meanwhile I went with the bro and sister-in-law to see their new home- it is not a new house, it is an amazing old home in town they bought.  I got to give my sparkly, gay recommendations on kitchen design and other interior design things such as paint color.  I think it was a win for me as I gave both of them something they were trying to get out of each other- a banquette for her and a flush door for him.

Then it was back to their current abode for grillin', chillin' and drinking.  The boys had a blast and I am always amazed at how great they are with their younger cousins as I was admittedly a big douche bag to my younger cousins.  Clearly they got it from their mother's side...

This past weekend Mr. Barrett came up for a visit.  It is always god to see him and he gave me some excellent tips on geeky sci-fi/fantasy fiction I will be reading soon.  He got to do some birding with the husband and he even spotted some birds in his guide that were not yet checked off.

Saturday night we took him to the quintessential gay Jersey shore scene- The Parasite The Paradise in Asbury Park.  It was actually quite a bit of fun.  I had not been there in almost 7 years (the last time I was there I ended up in a threesome- TMI?) and it has changed a little.  The husband had not been there in almost twenty years and he was stunned at the changes.

I of course made an ass of myself on the dance floor but isn't that the whole point of a dance floor?  The husband told Mr. Barrett as we drove there (after they had done some tequila shots to celebrate Cinco de Mayo) that he had to make out with at least three guys.  Mr.Barrett did not but more importantly he had a lot of fun and got to fist pump (apparently that is not legal in the nation's capital?).

We also took in The Avengers.  It was a great flick for an overcast. rainy Saturday afternoon.  It was well paced and I did not realize it was almost two and a half hours long.  The only down side is neither Chris Evans or Chris Hemsworth gave a full frontal scene or even a crotch shot.  Still- two thumbs up.

We are also finally getting the new washer and dryer installed next week.  They have both been delivered and are sitting int he basement.   We also decided to splurge and get a utility sink installed next to them- I am soo over the husband washing paint brushes int he kitchen sink.

Ok, so Greece is most likely out of the euro soon.  They are close to putting into power some seriously scary, bad people who espouse (what I considered) dead ideologies  France has thrown out their government.  Serbia has as well.  If one can try to look at the whole situation objectively there is really only one end game- which I stated almost two years ago- the euro is going away. 

Ok here's the quote:   "I think freedom means freedom for everyone,"  and the follow up is:  "I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish."  Who said it?  No it was not President Obama today.  It was former Vice-President Dick Cheney almost two years ago.  Why do I bring this up you ask?  Real simple.  With President Obama today saying same-sex marriage should be legal I have to wonder what the GOP response will be.  I am going to guess it will be all The Bible (also known as The Greatest StoryEver Told) says marriage is defined as one man and one woman line.  One would think that the party that supposedly believes in as little government involvement as possible and freedom at any cost would agree that the government should not be dictating to adults who are of age who they can enter into marriage with.  The hypocrisy is truly astounding.  One could almost infer from their position that freedom is really only for white, Christian males- sometimes women too but not in the are of reproductive rights.  If the GOP does not come down on the side of freedom and limited government I am going to have to assume my assessment of the party after watching their debates was correct:  They are crazy and are no better than the mullahs in Iran or the Taliban in Afghanistan- religious zealots who want to impose their idea of morality upon the rest of society at all costs.  It almost makes one wish there was a separation of church and state here....

I am this close to giving up on my delusional belief I will get my black belt.  I just cannot do it currently.  I am getting old and I have to say getting my ass out of bed at 4:10 every morning to go to the gym and getting home at 6:45 makes for one long day.  I was planning an getting back into the dojo- sweep the leg!- yesterday but decided I better check and make sure the schedule had not changed.  Well it did and now I would have to go almost every night of the week to achieve that goal.  I just can't do that right now.  The husband said he may have an idea but we have not fully discussed it yet as he started to give me grief and I asked hm when was the last time he went to the dojo- Cobra Kai never die!- and that abruptly ended the conversation.