Science is NEAT! saturday.

Hooray! Woolly mammoth hair yields 'fantastic' DNA - Jurrassic Park takes one step closer! Boo! Microsoft to extend XP sales for five months - Just when we're used to XP not sucking, they go and kill it off. At least it was given 5 more months to live. Huh? Robot Maker builds artificial boy - A NAMBLA joke would be too easy. Awesome... 'Hot' Ice Could Lead To Medical Device - I have no idea what it means, but I think Icy-Hot might sue for copyright infringment.

I have to come clean...

This is the first time in a few weeks that I've had more than 20 minutes to myself at work. The bank is getting their fair share of work out of me for once. I have to come clean about something...I'm not ashamed to admit this, but I'm not proud either. It's kinda un-hetero, but whatever. so here I go.... I like Enrique Iglesias' "Do you know (the ping pong song)"...there, I said it.... ....I like it so much that I've played it on repeat multiple times over the last week. I have a few people to blame, but that list will remain locked in the angst vault that motivates me to write. ok, now I can go breathe easier. I've outed myself. I've ended my self-hating ways. I'm done now.

"Kid Movies"

By Dave White...reviewing "The Game Plan"

If you've spent a long time daydreaming about that special day when someone would put a new twist on Kindergarten Cop and The Pacifier, then your dream has finally come true. And if I had an elementary-school-aged female child in my life, I'd be first in line with her at the multiplex. To see Dragon Wars. Because kids don't need any more movies in their lives that remind them of how special they are and how dumb adults need to be educated on matters of responsible parenting. Kids need giant monster-fighting movies.

Cannabrothagetanamen?!?

Contrarian: The Office US v. UK Debate

Ok, it's not a surprise that I have opinions and lots of them. Spend 5 minutes with me and it's not hard to see the quiet passion rumbling underneath. (although that's probably last night's burrito, but you get what I mean) So it should surprise you that I have an opinion on "The Office". I've been called a contrarian because of my passionate and well established view that "The Office UK" is the superior of the two shows. I've never been so hurt in my life........ok, excessive. It did make me think a little. I had a killer taco salad today, in case anyone is wondering. So, I decided to watch the first season of "The Office US" and attempt to remain as unaffected and prejudice free as possible. It took me until episode three to make me laugh. Literally, the first three episodes are a disgusting "High School Musical" versioin of the original. The good: Rainn Wilson pretty much makes the show. His take on the office psychopath/uber-nerd pretty much exceeds that of his UK counterpart. Not that Garreth is out done, just that he is that good. Episodes 4-6 of season 1 are fun and I laughed a lot. Mission accomplished. I am a fan. To call the US version superior would be foolish. It's less documentary looking, it spends more time interviewing "the office members" instead of just allowing the ultra-awkward moments to just seep through your bones. That being said, I watched last night's season opener and laughed start to finish. And here's the answer to the light versus dark beer, Les Stroud versus Bear question... The US office is better because of volume. It's the same reason why Arrested Development is only my second favorite show next to Scrubs....lack of episodes. The Office US is working on its fourth season and with that comes experiementation and character development. Dwight putting the cat into the freezer and clawing its way through a bag of frozen french fries is pretty much the funniest thing I've ever heard. "I'm not responsible for that!"

Reading Was Rawked; Lancaster Was Lit Up

I went in a time machine on Thursday and Sunday nights. I went back to a time where the power to ROCK! reigned. My friend Ross King, asked me to play a few shows and I, of course, complied. (And by "asked me" I mean "I begged him"...for the record). Leading up to the gigs, I told the Mrs. that cleaning, eating, and over-all relationshiping would be put on the back burner. She was elated.....not. Thursday night, we played to a crowd of 50 (a generous estimate). We, of course, rawked and rawked hard. We played songs from his new record, which, of course, rawks. I actually never played acoustic and sang harmonies before, but it worked out quite well. I met Michael from community church fame. We had a good time discussing Arrested Development and Scrubs. I mean, he could drown puppies for fun, but love those two shows and you're hip like flip to me. Sunday Night wasn't as good sonically, but from the rockin' stand point we gave them what they were looking for. The Hempfield UMC crew have a NICE church. Their youth group was easily 100+ kids. They had a video introduction for Ross based on "Apocalypto". It was as awkward and as awesome as it sounds. anywho, I miss playing. I wish I could do it more. At least I have motivation to do the album.

Being a Tease...

The Moral: It's never a good idea to travel alone, much less with no back-up plan in case something goes wrong. I mean, yes, if you're going to Paris you can probably do that solo. But the wilderness? You need a hiking buddy, preferably one you can eat if it comes down to that.

I like Dave White a lot.

Let the Biggens Out! Let the Biggens Out!

Ok, seriously. Nearly a week since my last post. Unheard of. To be fair to me, I've been both simultaneously busy with work (like I've never been before) and preparing for the mother of all gigs. I'll be posting about both events in the near future. In the mean time...enjoy:

"Saturday" Means Recap and Stream of Consciousness

Okay, since I seem to be getting a consistent group of people reading this everyday. (yes, believe it or not, I track that sort of thing...Hello, visitor!) I decided to give you a brief summation of the last few weeks of my life. Saturdays are normally a chance to sit back and watch the minions work. I usually catch up on reports and emails and extra-curricular activities. This falls under the obvious latter category. I started classes a couple weeks ago. I am working towards a B.S. in Business Administration. This degree has eluded me for way too long and honestly my work experience should have counted towards 3/4ths the degree already. In the long run, I will start my MBA as soon as I finish the Bachelors. This process will consume the next 3-4 years of my life, but I have never been more primed to make it happen. This probably has to do with the new motivation of being married. Funny how that works. Church has been immensely stimulating. Our summer series on God's Attributes has been wonderful. I am taking notes constantly through out the sermon. I've never in my life had the blessing of TWO amazing preachers. The Gospel is so alive. Every church has its strengths and weaknesses, that's for sure, and I don't want to make a point to call out places of worship that I've previously attended; However, there is something to be said about strong leadership with a strong, forward-looking vision. And this is a separate rant really, but there are certain things that Mega Churches can accomplish that small churches cannot. Bemoaning the Bill Hybels of the world really seems counterproductive in the Kingdom. Should everyone get a free pass? no, certainly not. Intelligent, critical assessment of places of worship are extremely necessary as they are important.

5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

My favorite part of this Matthew 7 scripture is so often missed because people focus on the defense of the first half. "and THEN you will see clearly" in other words, once you yourself have overcome the thing causing your brother to stumble, HELP YOUR BROTHER!. I'm not exactly sure how I piece those two thoughts together, other than that God is quite possibly disappointed by the way we choose to worship Him. He's probably disappointed in a lot of things about us. The SUVs that destroy our environment, the sweat shop factory clothing that we wear, the destructive, sin trap that is the Internet, and so on and so on. The point is: We're all carbon producing, resource consuming, ego maniacs that focus on ourselves FAR before other people in the end. This isn't a call to arms against our behavior, that kind of Hope is only possible through Christ, it's just an honest assessment. We're all a lot more mediocre than we'd like to admit... (unless you're This Guy). But whatever, that's not really the point. I just want people to stop caring about Big Church, Little Church, Contemporary Worship, and Traditional Music. These things matter, but they are not the end game in the Kingdom. I know some really God Centered people in Texas that do community/church in unique and awesome ways and I know people that are quite happy with the flexibility, reach, and creative license that comes with their "mega" church. It's ALL good as long as people see that church is PARTICIPATORY. "Church isn't a building, it is a community of change" (John Kinyon). As we are called to Christ, we are called to the Ecclesia, and we are called to change/to be transformed/renewed. Anyway, that was a digression of epic proportions. Work has been much more exciting as of late. I say "exciting" because "tolerable" makes it sound like I'm simply "getting through" it all. That's not the case at all. I really do like trying to be the best I can be and working towards becoming a better skilled worker. Really, this is all training for something else down the road. That's meant to extremely broad. And lastly, the marriage...Things are great. Communication is always the key. The cure all: Scrubs Well, that's "all" for now.... Enjoy:

Rant Time Again: Lowermybills.com

I emailed their marketing department once, with no response. Does anyone really click on their obnoxious ads? You must REALLY need them to stop. Here is my email:

To whom this may concern: I can't stand looking at your ads with the dancing people that go back and forth; they are driving me crazy. I don't know what they have to do with lowering my bills, and I don't think you do either. If you're saying that somehow I'm supposed to dance my bills away, trust me, I've tried it and it doesn't work.

You leave me no choice but to have to assume that it is the handiwork of a summer intern with a flair for macro media, because otherwise I'll cry. And I certainly won't be alone in my sobbing, the children will be crying too. Please, think of the children. In the future I hope to not see the dancing people on your ads, because until then, my bills will remain high and I will not be shimmying, twisting, nor mash potato-ing with my wife with the false hopes that they'll be paid by some magical incantation of our swaying hips.

Sincerely,

Alex Burdine, concerned citizen.

Les Stroud: Canadian for "Big Balls"

In theory, I love the outdoors. In practice, I love air conditioning. The other night I had the chance to watch back to back to back episodes of Survivor Man. It was heaven.

Voter Enthusiasm

This is seriously how I feel right now.

The Human Torch Was Denied a Bank Loan...

Those familiar with my story won't be shocked by my daily frustrations with corporate life. Skill set, I know I'm equipped to manage and lead people. Emotionally, I'm a young pitcher on the mound for the first time at Yankee Stadium. Some days I'm cut out for this, other days it's like a Tsunami. It's not wonder why I seek medication...comfort food or feelings. Today is one of those days. 6 ft down...5 different people with shovels in hand...burrying me alive...with paper work, reports, and emails. It won't always be this way. However, stopping to take this kind of moment in is certainly helpful to encourage me to not want to stay here too long. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yet, even in a day, I can go from distraught to upbeat. The minions are good for that. good job, minions. Perhaps, the Human Torch will receive a counter-offer.

A Start to a Big Week

I'm not sure if you know this...but...this is a big week. Two of the most important men in America will be putting their money with their mouths are and facing off in what could be the BIGGEST EVENT OF THE DECADE. That's right: Kanye West and Fiddy Cent are both releasing albums tomorrow. If that weren't big enough news, Fiddy has announced that if Kanye's album outsells his album during the first week, he'll stop making music. Fiddy, you tease. If Tu-Pac is still making records after being gunned down a decade ago (according to a brother of mine he's living in Cuba now), I'm going out on a limb to guess that Fiddy, regardless of this week's outcome, will be still making money off records for years to come. I for one, will be checking on Billboard.com with baited breathe.

A Return to Sheenanigans...

After a rereshing day off yesterday, I return to the grind. As of 8pm last night I was really primed to come back and change my attitude. If I had to stop and think, I do like my job and I know that I can do it well. I possess all of the attributes appropriate to lead and manage, so I need to stop pretending like I need to be doing something else. Perhaps in the future I can focus on that "something else," like in 4 years when I project to be finished with my BA in Business Admin and my MBA. That would/will be a beautiful time. That will be a freedom I do not know right now. I was told that I was salted and bitter over the last few days of work. That's probably true. Thursdays are the worst. A full day that peaks at the release of the support staff schedule; one that seems to fall short every week. I'm not salty and I'm not bitter. As I posted on Wednesday, I don't want to live my life flavoring other people with that. So I am returning to the sheenanigans I knew before; before all the saltiness. I plan on getting up tomorrow and going running before we meet a friend for breakfast, and I plan on getting up every morning when the Mrs does so I can walk. I have already changed my attitude at work this morning and I will complete my job daily with a smile on my face. and I will finish this diet cola from Weis' Supermarkets to keep me awake. check the blogger alliance section in the side panel. There are some other blogs that I like to read or like to contribute to. Thanks.

A Pause (to reflect on the greatest post ever)

I don't want to be the cynical guy in the room. It's not a challenge anymore. I like having a critical mind, but I don't like looking at things so cynically. What's worse, I don't want reader's of this site to get comfortable with a certain style of my personality that comes out in writing, posting, relating. Here's what I'm trying to say, but can't seem to say: You, the reader, may know me, the blogger, and be used to my jokes, cynical remarks, and critical view of the world. This is great if that were my only shtick. I admit, sometimes I take things too seriously or not seriously enough. I criticise everything that isn't a sanctioned product of Alex and isolate people with harsh statements. Ok, still pretty murky. This is also known as "Alex only has 4-5 minutes to post something so he goes for laughs" side to me. It sometimes leads me to say things like "am I as awkward as you?". The point is, what happens when I post something contrite and heartfelt? Have I trained my readers to be completely cynical of even the writer's writings? Can you truly believe that I could be touched by something emotionally evocative? You see, if my actions are 95% humorous/cynical, I have a hard time believing that you could wade through what I've already established as status quo to find the nugget of truth. Or maybe this thought process is completely lost on you. Perhaps you really are that unaffected by all things cynical. If so, I applaud you and envy you, and this post has merely shown you that from one cynic to another, it's hard to believe (or wade through) what's already been. My hope is that this gives pause to some of you cynics out there. It's great to be the smartest guy (or the most cynical) in the room, but at the end of the day when your heart's on the line, will you receive a cynical response via the same crop of cynicism you've sewn.

So Busy. No Time for Funny.

except this:

Labor Day...and knowing is half the battle.

For those of you who are just waking up, I'd like you to know that I blissfully went to work today. 10-2. Not quite the long haul, but still. Who works on Labor Day? I spent the day talking with the minions and developing my alter-ego which of course, you don't need to tell me is lame. Everyone has one of those "collector" hobbies, this is mine. From 1984ish to 1992ish, my brothers and I would get GI Joes for Christmasi (that's christmas plural) and Birthdays. So do the math 4 brothers x 8 years x 5 yearly events = the GNP of a small micronisian country. We literally had/have an army. So check it out from time to time. I will be posting pictures and weekly updates on my collecting efforts. a.b. (GI Joseph)

The Anti-Blog

With 3 hours and 15 minutes left in my day, Billy Joel is taunting me via muzak with "Only the Good Die Young". I could post about how lots of people die young: good, bad or otherwise. I could post about the inhumanity of being forced to muzak for hours on end. Or, I could just go back to drinking my diet Canada Dry and wishing the day would speed up. Option "C" it is.