Decision Time

I have definitely not been writing here as often as I once did.  I don't know if it's the combination of kids and lack of creativity, or if I have a case of writer's block.  Maybe the depression of knowing that I'm the only one reading this stuff has finally gotten to me.

In any case, my domain name is up for renewal and I'm contemplating letting it go.  It's nice having my own spot on the net, true, but I could certainly have a free spot just as easy.  Especially considering the infrequency with which my eloquence graces these humble pages.

For example, I'm working now.  Contract gig for a former employer.  Definitely blog worthy news there, right?  Yeah, didn't even cross my mind to mention it here.

Or what about the crazy playoffs the NBA has seen this year?  When's the last time I even mentioned sports here?

Then there's the birth of my daughter which got nowhere near the airtime the birth of my son received. Cuz I'm lazy and don't write too often.  And when I do I do it on bleacherreport.com or helium.com.  At least I know someone is reading stuff there.  My readers here, geez I would have to all but ask for comments directly and maybe, just maybe someone would hit me up with some feedback.

My point is:  Should I do this anymore? Has Xpinionated seen it's run?!?!

Woman bites lover's penis off in car crash | Metro.co.uk

Woman bites lover's penis off in car crash | Metro.co.uk
That has to be some very major karma at play. 

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Prescription Follies

So I go to the pharmacy to renew my Advair prescription for long-term control of my asthma.  The pharmacist informs me I have no refills left.  They will need to contact the doctor to authorize some refills.  If you're like me, then you don't refill most things until you're out of them.  Ink jet cartridges, gas, milk, prescription medicines.  These are all things that do not make the list of 'Stock up on for a rainy day'.  Needless to say, I'm out of Advair (even as I write this, out of breath, wheezing, and generally unwell ;) and it's the middle of pollen season which in Georgia is basically an all out attack on the breathing impaired by so-called sweet Mother Nature.

My doctor's office informs my pharmacy that I will need to come in for an appointment in order to get a refill.  This is where I get overly confused.  If Advair were intended to, say, cure my asthma then I would understand the need for multiple doctor's office visits for a checkup.  But it is not.  It is intended to help control the condition, a condition which hath no cure by the way.  So pray tell me, why must I go to the doctor's office to pick up a long term medication (and by long term, I mean forever) intended to only mediate the symptoms for a disease I have had for at least 28 years of my life and for which disease there is no cure?

So I called my doctor's office and informed them that I needed to get my 'scripts refilled.  Sweet-voiced Mandy says that it has been quite a while since the original 'script was given out and the doctor would like to see me.  To which I reply, 'I can assure you I still have asthma.'  After all, I have a reckless and fearless two year old toddler and a nine week old baby who would love nothing more than to display their combined efforts at driving any reasonable adult crazy with love for their cuteness and despair for their toddlernoisiness.  To no avail go my pleas so I schedule an appointment for later today.  As I write this, I can only hope that my kids do their best to drive that entire staff crazy in protest to the healthcare industry practice of forcing office visits to renew prescriptions for incurable diseases.

A Day at the Department of Labor

I woke up this morning with every intent of raising hell.  After all, this was going to be my third trip to the unemployment office for the same issue.  I'm not gonna wait in your damn lines.  It will not be another three hour sojourn of staring at closed doors hoping the next time someone appears it will be my name beckoned.  Nope, not for this cat, not this time.

'Fill out your SSN and name and bring this back to me.'

Ok, so I punked out as I often do when psyching myself up to be rude and confrontational.  Plus, she was too darn nice especially compared to the first time I dealt with this particular steward of the office of the "No Longer Bountiful".  It's probably a sad sign when you recognize the department of labor staff.

There's the 1960's black elderly lady.  Never smiles.  Rarely uses a voice that can be heard halfway across the room, let alone halfway across a room full of cell convos, children, and 100 unhappy jobless folks.

There's the single, happy to help lady.  She's the one I imagine leads all attempts to round the troops up for happy hour and war stories.  Sh has also had the same outfit on for three of my four visits.

There's the huge hispanic (or maybe samoan) guy that walks around the computer termnals being used by first time filers.  Seriously, this is his job!  Of the four visits I've made encompassing nearly eight hours (and counting), this guy has provided assistance to, like, 10 people.  Really?  Really? I'm sure he has helped more that I haven't seen but as a graduate of the process for which he provides assistance, there just aren't a lot of places where one can go wrong.

But I digress.  I fill my form and throw my previous visits out there.

'Well you picked a good day, we're slow.'

Yippee!  I picked a good day to do what I had already been here twice to do.

For what it's worth, my wait is 15 minutes before happy hour girl cries my name, incorrectly.  She appears truly alarmed at my lack of received funds.  My spirits rise as I sense that maybe something will get done this time.  My first visit for no benefits received, I waited three hours, and at 4:30 pm 1960's black lady uttered my name.  I went back and after five minutes of her disappearing to make copies, she tells me the folks that would review my claim leave at 4:30 pm.  Bitches!!  My second visit was the asian guy with a minimal grasp of English, which is fine.  Considering that this is Gwinnett County, there are more ethnicities in a single square mile than bare boobs at Mardi Gras.  He is flabbergasted at what has become eight or nine weeks of unemployment insurance futility.  But my hope wanes as seems stuck on my former employer's official name.  Fast forward to today, the happy hour lady is going to help me.  She even has a new outfit on which has to be a good omen.

'Someone will call your name,' she says after thoughtfully telling me stuff about my claim that I already knew.  Oh Happy hour lady, et tu Happy hour lady?  Et tu?!

<SIDEBAR> Is there anything sadder than the cat trying to be hot at the unemployment office.  Sunglasses de Super Trooper don't make you look any more employed.  Silly perhaps, employed no.  Two places you don't need to try to pick up a mate, the unemployment office and the free clinic....

Finally, about 45 minutes later, the Asian man butchers my name to the point where he resorts to just spelling it.  I walk over to him, ready to go back into his cube and discuss in length my situation.

'You'll get your money tomorrow or Tuesday,' he says quickly.  Not sure why I wouldn't get it on Monday as opposed to Tuesday.

'Are you sure?' I say because well, this is the third time I've been to the place for this.

'Yes, we approved this morning.'  Uh, so why didn't they approve the first two times I strolled through..ah forget it.

UPDATE -- Money is coming in but is 53 bucks short every week.....Damn iT!

The 2009 Job Search

There was a time when if you lost your job, your next step was to go and apply for new jobs.  This is still logical to me.  However, every career resource, counselor, career coach, and 'they' in general now tell you to not spend your day applying for jobs on the internet.  Instead, they say network.

Get out and meet people. Go have coffee or lunch.  Here's the problem with that approach.  First, the networking approach is great if you're the kind of person that loves chitchat, loves to sit and talk, loves to make conversation.  But what if you're not that kind of person.  What if you have conversations with people because you have something very specific to say.  I love my family and friends dearly.  But they will probably tell you I am one of the least likely people they expect to get a just-to-say-hello phone call from.  Those same friends will tell you I'm just as amiable, friendly, and non-introverted as can be in a casual atmosphere.  I'm not comfortable talking to people if I know in the back of my mind I want something from them.

Two, getting out and meeting people costs money.  And well, I'm unemployed.  Going out for coffee and lunch to network isn't something I can readily justify.  Further, I hate the feeling that some of my employed friends feel the need to pay for things if I do meet them out.  I understand that's probably an ego thing that I should quickly get over but it's part of me.  I've spent a good part of my adult life asking for help from no one other than my parents and that I have kept to a very strict minimum, intentionally.  I pride myself on truly being grown and even the task of networking seems a little bit like asking for a hand.   I know it's illogical....

Third, most of the people that I have had the fortune to network with have, well, been unemployed themselves.  And I understand the networking mantra is that every connection counts but unemployed people getting together with other unemployed people is kind of like alcoholics gathering without a moderator.

Part of this post is frustration.  I'm tired of looking for a job.  I'm tired of trying to network.  I'm tired of feeling pretty useless.  Friends and family, do not worry.  This is a vent.  Though I do feel useless, I know I'm not useless and I know my place in this world not only for me but for my family and friends.  Still, a large part of my self esteem was, unbeknownst to me, tied to my being a head of household, to pulling my weight.

Kid 2 vs Kid 1

Kid number two is a beautiful little girl with gastrointenstinal issues.  Maybe Devin had the same 'unable to go but spend every waking moment pushing' syndrome too but I surely don't remember it.

Natalia has much more weight on her, real baby fat.  Devin had bones.  Bones and skin.  Of course Devin was an early arrival who had a lot of turbulence  on the trip so not really comparing apples to oranges here.

She's sleeping three to four hours a stretch so we can only hope that starts to increase.   The first week out of the hospital, after being a model patient, she cried for so long and so hard that we actually called the emergency nurse help line.  As we waited for their call back, Natalia decided to calm down and go to sleep.  Kind of like when you have a car problem and it never happens at the mechanic.

The little princess looks just like her brother, so much so that it's uncanny.

Lakers - The Greatest NBA Franchise!

It happens anywhere NBA fans congregate.  My team is better than your team.  Eventually, the discourse evolves into the past successes of the teams involved.  However, when the discussion involves to the greatest franchise the NBA has seen, there are only two teams that can be considered:  The Los Angeles Lakers and The Boston Celtics.

So how do we define the greatest franchise in NBA history?  Titles?  Playoff appearances?  Rivalries?  Overall win/loss records?  There are no standards for this sort of thing.  No guidelines that indicate what should and should not be considered in the discussion of the greatest of all time.  I think it would be best if all were considered.  Disclaimer:  I am an avid Lakers fan.

Most NBA fans are aware that the Celtics hold 17 NBA titles while the Lakers organization sits at 14 titles.  At first glance, the edge here would go to the Celtics with three more championship rings.  However, if you take a closer look, the bulk of their championships came in one fantastic time period with 8 in row in the sixties.  There is one crucial point that is often overlooked.  Winning the initial NBA Finals championship -- which was also their third straight title counting the two previous years in the NBL and BAA -- began a run in which the Lakers would win five of the first six NBA championships.  The Lakers franchise dynasty actually began before the Celtics dynasty emerged, contrary to popular (and reported) belief.

Including this season, the Lakers and Celtics have been staples in the postseason. The Celtics have made the playoffs 46 times in 63 seasons, an amazing 73% postseason appearance rate. They have been division champions 26 times, won 20 of the 31 Conference Finals they’ve appeared in, and currently rock a 17 – 3 finals record.

In comparison, the Lakers have made the playoffs in 56 of their 60 seasons, a 93% clip! The Lakers history (including the Minneapolis years) includes 28 division championships, 29 of 37 Conference Finals won, and a underwhelming 14-15 Finals record.

So with all these numbers crunched, it looks like we may still be knee deep in indecision. I think the final leverage comes in the definition of the word dynasty. As defined by dictionary.com: dynasty – a family or group that maintains power for several generations. The Celts have maintained power at several different stages in their NBA history. The Lakers have maintained power at all stages in their NBA history. Every twenty years or so, the Celtics seem to have a re-emergence – the 60’s, 80’s, and possibly the 2000’s. However, the Los Angeles Lakers were winning titles in the 40’s, 50’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 2000’s. Granted the Celts did win titles in ’74 and ’76 but they were hardly considered the dominant team of the decade. In fact, the only decade for which they can claim dominance is the 60’s. On the other hand, the Lakers can claim the 50’s, 80’s, and arguably the 2000’s as ‘their decade’.

With two teams so close in every way, it is definitely an argument that can go either way. In this author’s eyes, the Lakers are the greatest franchise in NBA history.

School Warns Parents Dead Daughter Can't Go to Prom

School Warns Parents Dead Daughter Can't Go to Prom
How disturbing it would be to receive a letter from your deceased daughter's school saying her lack of attendance is going to prevent her from going to prom!

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Robbery

"UNC, we the referees of the ACC have decided that in lieu of playing games, we will hand you the ACC Tournament title. With our favorite player, Tyler "Will be shit in the NBA" Hansborough, on the floor any and every call will be given to the baby blue."

Absolutely disgusting. There is no reason UNC should have won that game. VT outplayed, despite Raycom broadcasting's horrible (and noticeably biased) commentary, UNC from beginning to end. It's hard to beat the number 1 seed and the refs. How can one team have only had three fouls called against them with less than a minute left in the second half -- a team that has been playing from behind which usually results in a team being a bit aggressive? How can a VT lose by only three with ten less free throw attempts? Because VT outplayed UNC. Imagine what may have been had the game been called evenly? Tyler Hansborough shot one less free throw than the entire Hokies team.
As of 2:30 pm March 13, 2009, the officials for this game have been deleted from the box scores on Foxsports.com, sportsline.com, and espn.com. I wanted to look up some stats on their officiating tendencies but their names are simply not available. Odd.

After 15 minutes of searching, I found the trio responsible for this travesty of officiating:

Karl Hess, who has officiated 10 UNC games this year (the most for any team he's officiated this season)

Ray Natili, who has a more even keeled officiating resume across ACC teams.

Brian Dorsey, who also has an even keeled officiating resume across the ACC.

Interestingly enough, all three officials have worked more UNC games than VT games. Referee info provided by statsheet.com

Sign of the Times

Dr Sister Xpinionated In law works at a hospital in Newark, New Joisey. Talking of guns at lunch, she mentioned that the hospital has seen an influx of pistol whippings because no one can afford bullets. That is heeeeelarious.

Great Quotes from Daytime TV

Daughters: We never go on vacation
Mom: Uh, 6 months off.
Daughters: Rehab doesn't count, mom!

Shaq vs Stan Van Gundy

All-timer from an old-timer - CBSSports.com
Ok.  I've tried and tried again.  I've held on to the grudge for nearly five years.  Shaquille O'Neal left my beloved Lakers in a horrible fashion.   His jerseys were thrown into a corner in my closet awaiting my first bonfire.  No one in my household was allowed to call him Shaq for nicknames are reserved for friends and family and he was no longer either.  His commercials caused an abrupt channel change on my remote.   Nothing Shaquille O'Neal related was tolerated in the Xpinionated household. 

Alas, Shaq has worn me down.  No worries, I'm still a Lakers fan and will still call him all sorts of vulgarities should he attack the purple and gold family.  But as it stands, his last tirade against Stan Van Gundy, of all people, has won me over for now. 

I think it started with his formal apology to Kobe indirectly.  This occurred a while back when he finally acknowledged publicly that Kobe had nothing to do with the O'Neal trade admitting it was an executive decision.  Oddly enough, the media whose sources regarding Kobe's involvement in the O'Neal trade were never verified or substantiated have finally stopped including Kobe as a sidenote to O'Neals trade. 

Next was Shaq's slowing down of the Suns offense.   I was pleased to see them slow down though they have since picked it back up.  Add to that the dismantling of a their title contending team and you can see how the grudge could start losing momentum.

Then the all-star game.  The Jabberwockies.  Shaq and Kobe's playful one on one.  The maturity level showed by both. 

Lastly, I read about the war of words between O'Neal and Van Gundy.  This is just funny stuff.  Van Gundy sends a three sentence appetizer to Shaq.  Retorting Shaq gobbles the coach, his brother, his star player, Patrick Ewing, and generally anything loosely associated with Stan Van Gundy in a 537 word (minus the expletives) monologue that rivals anything the WWE/WWF has ever produced.

For all my grudges, loyalties, and misgivings I have to admit the guy is classic.  In his words:  "It's what I do.  I've been doing this since 1992.  If you don't believe it, Google me."

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The Bachelor - The He's Just Not That Into You Finale

Finally, The Bachelor gets good! After years of pseudo happy endings, we finally get the Jerry Springer finale we all longed for deep down.

The Bachelor: Hey, you know when I said forever and love....?
The Winner: Yes, twas the greatest day of my life
The Bachelor: Yeah, uh, my bad. I meant to say that to your home girl not you.
The Winner: I thought everything was perfect. You bastard.
The Bachelor: I can't stop thinking about shorty.
The Winner: Don't call me, don't text me.

And then Jason cries. Again. For the umpteenth time. There's no man crying on national TV. Yeah yeah...trying to get that sympathy pitch from the female demographic but you gotta know they hate you now. You took Melissa (how hot it was that she kept referring to herself in third person) and dragged her heart through the mud...on national TV. So no sympathy for you crying wooliewag!

Jason has to be the cryingest man ever to grace the airwaves. Every highlight ends with this guy crying. He cries more than the women he's playing.

Molly says she wants to know when Jason made the decision to choose Melissa. What she really wants to know is if that last night when she was giving it up to Jason, did he already know?

Molly's initial reaction? WTF! Then after a couple of minutes, wait....does that mean I win? Did he just ask me out for coffee or drinks?

The Bachelor: I made a mistake...I wanna be your lover!
The Runner-up: So what about Melissa?
The Bachelor: Uh I screwed her over....again, my bad
The Runner-up:
The Bachelor: Let's start over . . .
The Runner-up: Motherf***** please

That last bit was my interpretation but I'll wait and get her answer.......BOOOO.....she's giving him another chance. She basically rented him out to another chick for three months and now she's getting Molly's hand me downs (or tag backs or something). Oddly enough, Jason still hasn't answered the question of why he chose Molly over Melissa.

Wouldn't say we're floored? Entertained, perhaps. But floored? No. Chris Brown putting a beat down on Rihanna -- floored. Bachelor flip-flopping -- not so much floored. Historic? This host is full of 'em. There's nothing historic about a guy dating 30 women for three months and be looked at as a moral compass.......The annals of history are going to ignore this........

60+ degrees all week and now there's sleet...Mother Nature is on meth!

It's official. I hate HGTV....17 shows that are all the exact same EXCEPT they have different names. Hidden Potential. My House is Worth What? Blah Blah blah

Overheard on one of Devin's shows, "We wanted to be careful but we forgot to remember". Ah, if only adults could use excuses like we forgot to remember.....

I'm starting to have discussions and arguments with Dora the Explorer and the hyper monkey Boots. My sanity slips slowly but surely, week after week. I've actually considered sending a strongly worded email to the creators/writers of Franklin....I shouldn't care this much

I'm wishing on a star......kinda in a weird way...just rambling really...i can do that cuz there's nobody reading this....I wish there was...don't get me wrong...it looks like my biggest mistake was moving from blogger to my own hosted site.....my biggy pants was I?!?!

Joys of Fatherhood

For the past 4 minutes, lil man has been zipping and unzipping his dvd carrying bag thingy. He zips, gets to the end and goes, 'Heh, heh'. Then he zips it back and goes, 'Heh, heh'. That, my friends, is how easy a two year old can become preoccupied with the little wonders of the world.

Spending so much time with lately has been a joy, and a frustration, but mostly a joy. I understand him better. I think he listens (and obeys) me a little bit better. He definitely has become attached to me which could pose a problem once I acquire some gainful employment. It's amazing to me how he seems to treat me and Mrs. Xpinionated differently. He tends to be very needy with her. With me, he could go an hour without noticing me in the room, just playing or watching Dora or reading his books. Maybe it's because he's used to seeing so much of me now?

Oddly enough, it hasn't really hit me yet that I will be a father of two in a week's time. Natalia Elizabeth is scheduled to arrive around 11:30 am next Wednesday. I know Mrs. Xpinionated thinks that I'm not as into this pregnancy as I was with Devin. I admit that I haven't been as awed but I think that's to be expected. I also know that I tend to not get excited about things until the last minute. I'm sure next Wednesday will be just as awe inspiring the second time as it was the first time around.

One of the lessons I've learned in daddy daycare is that you don't give the kid his favorite food first at lunch.  In fact, when he's most hungry, you catch him with the food he likes least.  He's hungry enough to give in and eat it.  As he gets through it, then you start showing him the goods.  It's a win win.  The kid eats and I don't end up arguing with a two year old, which is worse than arguing with a woman -- just because of the lack of a two year old's vocabulary.  The two year old is still going to be more logical in most cases.  I should shut up now....

H-O-R-S-E cents: NBA sells slice of Americana to glue factory - CBSSports.com News, Fantasy, Video

Because H-O-R-S-E is like apple pie and virginity: innocent and fresh (not even sure what that meant, but you get the point).

H-O-R-S-E cents: NBA sells slice of Americana to glue factory - CBSSports.com News, Fantasy, Video

Heeelarious. 

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