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No, I am not saving a lot of money by changing my car insurance to Geiko.
I have some good news. Very good news. I don't want to say too much yet, but let's just say that it will occur in about nine months, it will make moM very happy, and Kim just called me up to tell me how excited she is.
And, no, it has nothing to do with what you think it does.
I'll tell y'all more either today or Monday -- whenever I get the pertinent e-mail returned.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
McCain for President!
I think that, in the event of a 269-269 deadlock on Election Day, this article makes a McCain presidency seem not so farfetched (because of the Constitutional quirk that a 269-268-1 vote does not mean that the 269 is victorious). I'm not as gaga over McCain as most moderates, but there's a strong case to be made that a McCain presidency would be the best possible outcome to this election: It would satisfy both most of the conservatives and most of the anyone-but-Bushers.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Really, I'm not trying to raise my comment counts. I mean it.
But this very much bothers me. (Strange, strange follow-up here.)
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Google search of the week.
The SMP website is now nos. 4, 5, and 8 when one does a search for "Silhouettist." Good job, Google.
I thought I was going to receive the honorific.
But apparently someone else is crazier.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Fact that probably fewer people know than you would think of the day.
I got an e-mail from an intellegent, politically interested woman at work this morning. The bottom of the e-mail was a forwarded alert from Fox News (yes, she's a Republican) that said "SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE REHNQUIST HOSPITALIZED WITH THYROID CANCER," and above that, she had typed in, as a question to me, "Is Rehnquist Republican or Democrat?" Of course, judges are theoretically neither one party or another, but her question was clear, and it made me wonder: If given the name of the most well-known Supreme Court justices (Rehnquist, Ginsburg, Thomas, O'Connor, Scalia), could the average American pick whether they are largely known as conservative, moderate, or liberal?
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Idea of the week.
Put the Cardinals on the cover of the next Sports Illustrated. Cover headline: "The 2004 World Series: The Curse of the Bambino v. The SI Cover Curse."
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Silhouettist Music Press Update of the Week.
I have now sold enough music to cover what I paid (shipping inclusive) for the most expensive of my SMP purchases, the tabloid-paper-printing (and very large) used HP LaserJet 4V. Good job, handbell music purchasers. Keep up the spending.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Congruence.
I was taking a walk at Home Depot1 at lunch today, and I heard Sixpence's "Tonight," which isn't my favorite Sixpence song, but I've never heard it outside of my CD, so cool. A mere 20 minutes later, I was at a different store, and I heard Aimee Mann's "Build That Wall," which isn't my favorite Aimee Mann song, but I've never heard it outside of my CD, so cool.
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Draw your own conclusions.
This postseason, the Yankees are 6-1 in games Olerud has started and 0-3 in games he has not.
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1 Wanted to take a walk; raining outside; Home Depot closest big building.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Intentional bad idea of the week.
Around 1:00, I sent out about 30 9"x12" envelopes at work. I was unable to find a glue stick, so I decided, "Hey, why don't I lick all those 30 9"x12" envelopes shut. After all, that's why the glue is on the envelopes, right?" So now it is 4:00, and I can still very, very strongly taste envelope on my tongue, despite going through 16 oz. of a 20 oz. Coke to try to get rid of the glue flavor. At least it was not 60 9"x12" envelopes.
Inadvertent bad idea of the week.
I forgot to record "Gilmore Girls" last night. I am very sorry, Kimberly. At least it was apparently a subpar episode.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Sucky injury of the week.
See. Now I don't know who to cheer for any more.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Spam subject line of the, oh, heck, year.
Actually from my boss's e-mail, which I'm checking for him while he's at a conference: "Jesus Loves You. Refinance Now!"
Zoom zoom.
As my Honda Accord has passed the 70,000 mile mark, I (and maybe Kim too, or maybe not; who knows) have decided to buy a new car sometime about a year from now -- ideally when they start massively discounting '05s. The problem: While Opie gets two choices for his new vehicle, and while Kim knew from before she bought her Sunfire in 1999 what car she'd be buying after that (either a Camaro or a Firebird), I have no restraints at all, other than these vague self-imposed ones:
- Must not cost substantially more than I paid for my Accord three years ago.
- Must not feel substantially smaller than my Accord (note: I did not say "must not be").
- Must not be as big as a full-sized SUV or as a minivan because that's just too much.
- Must not have substantially fewer doors than my Accord sedan.
- Must have a decent reliability history and decent crash-test scores.
I don't know for sure that all the following vehicles meet all these requirements, but regardless, in alpha order, here's the five cars I'm most seriously considering:- Honda Accord (worked well the first time, but, you know, kinda boring)
- Honda Element (looks awesome, but only four seats)
- Pontiac Vibe (looks awesome, plus we have $1000 from our GM card; reliability's iffier, though)
- Scion XB (looks awesome [but moM and I are the only people in the world who think so] and it's inexpensive [but can't get cruise control even if I pay extra])
- Toyota Matrix (looks cool, reliable import, but since it's based on the Corolla, it might be too small)
So. Give other suggestions.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Bunching and routing.
Ranks of the six Big 12 North teams in Saragin's Predictor Ratings:
33, 37, 41, 48, 50, 53
Ranks of the five non-Baylor Big 12 South teams in Saragin's Predictor Ratings:
2, 5, 10, 17, 19
Big 12 North's record against the Big 12 South this year:
1-6
Revised conference record predictions for the Big 12 North:
Colorado: 3-5
Iowa State: 3-5
Missouri: 3-5
Kansas: 3-5
Kansas State: 3-5
Nebraska: 3-5
Colorado will win the six-way tiebreaker and then lose the Big 12 Championship Game, leaving them with a 6-6 record and ensuring that no Big 12 North team will play in a bowl game.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Question that I was not yet expecting to have at this point.
From my e-mail ten minutes ago: "Do you offer retailers discounts for music they are buying for re-sale? Sincerely, [Dude's Name], [Name of Handbell Music Distributor That I've Actually Heard Of, If Not Jeffers-Big]." I mean, yes, I would, but, you know, I have no idea how much of a discount that would be, nor do I know how to figure that out. Crap. But crap in a good way. I think. Kinda.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Good deed of the week.
Because of the shortage of flu vaccine this year, as a healthyish 27-year-old, I will forgo my flu shot this year. No need to thank me; I'm just doing my service for the young and elderly of America.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Two-minute warning.
Dear Self: You are procrastinating on the opening of Silhouettist Music Press: perhaps because the site isn't as perfect as you'd like it to be, perhaps because you'd like to see more music available before it's opened; perhaps because you're worried whether or not all the effort that's gone into the creation of the company (and about $200 in costs, which, yes, is on the pretty low side for starting a company, but still) is going to pay off; perhaps because procrastination is a skill you've learned very well and by practicing it you help to ensure you don't forget how to do it.
Well. No more. You are going to send out an e-mail today during a lateish (1:30 Eastern) lunch to the 20 or so people who requested your arrangement of Joplin's "Bethena" off the Handbell-L last month, and in that e-mail you are going to introduce them to Silhouettist Music Press. Tomorrow, after you have an audio sample of your new bell tree solo online, you are going to send an e-mail to the 30 or so people who requested your bell tree solo "Bluebirds' Autumn Flight" off the -L a few months ago, and in that e-mail you are going to introduce them to Silhouettist Music Press. Friday, you will be either very happy, or very sad, or somewhere in between.
But, sir, practically by definition, on any given day wouldn't I be very happy, or very sad, or somewhere...
Quiet, you! Now go tell all the people who read your weblog to look at your commerical website one last time for any stupid mistakes you might have made, stupid.
Yes, sir.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
Iowa State Cyclones: Losers in the Dr Pepper Big XII Championship Game.
No, no, really. I think it's actually kinda possible, if only because Iowa State has a weaker-than-weak (at least for the Big XII) remaining schedule. Here's a breakdown on how it will probably, um, you know, break down:
Colorado: One loss already (a game they should have won against Missouri). Will probably lose at least two of three to Texas at home, Oklahoma State (much better than #22) at home, and at Texas A&M. Probable Conference Record: 5-3
Missouri: No losses yet, but a game at Texas, Oklahoma State at home are likely losses, and they'll will probably lose at least one-of-two road games at Nebraska and at Iowa State. Probable Conference Record: 5-3
Kansas: Two losses already, with Oklahoma and Texas to come. Certain Conference Record: bad
Kansas State: One loss already. Oklahoma’s a loss, as is probably two-of-three against Colorado on the road, Missouri on the road, and Iowa State at home. Probable Conference Record: 4-4
Nebraska: No losses yet. Oklahoma’s a loss. Likely to do no better than split their three remaining road games (Iowa State, Kansas State, Texas Tech) and their home game against Colorado. Probable Conference Record: 5-3
Iowa State: One loss already. Colorado at home’s probably a loss. At Baylor and Kansas at home better be wins. Crapshoot with the other four games, but will probably split them. Probable Conference Record: 4-4
But let’s have fun and turn one of those ISU losses upside-down. That would give ISU a 5-3 record, and in all likelihood, that'd put them in a three-or-so-way tie for the top of the Big XII North. And if the tiebreakers just happen to fall their way...
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
'Tis closer.
To being done. All that's really left now is a redesign of the shopping page and the new/upcoming music page (which, for now, will look exactly like the shopping page). Please find stupid errors I have made.
oh so lovingly written by
Matthew
