The Daily Captcha

Agree to disagreement...

2010-07-20T13:58:00.006-05:00

While The Daily is not quite so anymore, on occasion I come across something that supports the cause and I am compelled to spew my opinions to the page. There have been many debates in my industry, and specifically with my Tech Weapon of choice. Yes folks, I am a Flash Dev at heart, and ever since the first time I made a semi-3D ball bounce across the stage, I was hooked. The irony, if I am using the term properly, is that I was using a Pre-Jolly Rancher Color PowerMac at the time, which brings this story full circle.

I too am sick and tired of the Mac Vs. PC debate, although I do enjoy the commercials. I recognize the power of a Mac, because I can hit the power button on my MacBook Pro and in less than 35 seconds be Googling my life away. Not sure why a PC manufacturer can't figure this one out yet, especially since the Pocket PC has a 7 second boot time. I fought the urge to get an iPod for 5 years, and a Mac much longer, but I finally wanted to see how I could utilize my skills and create some iCandy of my own and sell it in the app store. With Adobe announcing that I could now compile my Flash Applications to be sold and distributed on iTunes, I was planning all sorts of possibilities and build-app-get-rich-quick schemes. That didn't happen... because of Apple.

My gripe is more with Mr Jobs, and his lack of colorful turtlenecks, his lightly stone-washed beltless jeans, and the ugly sneakers that stick out like a Fashion Model at a Linux Conference. Not only that, but he is a titanium-plated pot that dares to call the kettle black by not only maintaining an Ultra-Club VIP list of a market place and establishing a very restrictive dress code to boot. Yes, I am talking about the 3rd Party letter crap that he pulled that makes everyone buy his hardware, write with his cryptic code, and eat up all of his iPoop or else you can get sell in his iMonopoly. I can go on about Flash and the HTML5 debate, but that will be saved for another rant.

I will extend an Olive Branch to the folks over at The Brads, because they make some really great comics, and although I don't completely support their point of view... I can relate quite well. I think it is good to find a passion, learn the facts, and pick a side... so while most people will have very little clue what I am analogyzering about above, at least you can relate to the simple fact that everyone should have an opinion.

"get opinion"

Read the Comic that inspired this posting...

rp

so, Koda Pants is gone... RIP

2010-06-24T13:03:00.007-05:00

With the passing of our very loved dog Dakota, aka Kodapants, aka, Koda P, aka rascalpants, we are contemplating when to buy a new pup and what breed... err umm... cocktail of breeds I should say. I have always, and will always want a British Bulldog. Even the animal form or icon of my Hell on Wheels is a British bulldog. Wouldn't I look superly awesomer than the next MINI driver with a spit dripping stump of an animal sitting in my passenger seat?

Well, apparently they are expensive... I mean Ferrari expensive... where they are handmade, don't really drive them much, and the parts have to be shipped from the smallest most remote town in Italy kind of expensive. I was not aware that this breed, 90% of the time, must "delivery" their pups via C-Section, which obviously puts the mom at risk and the breeder is out quite a bit of funds with every litter. And thankfully, a good breeder only allows the mums to have three litters because of the risks. But even with the health issues, and the cost to keep them healthy ( yeah.. I would insist on Pet Insurance with this one ), I still want one.

Anyway... doesn't look like I will be getting my bowling ball of a wing man anytime soon... as a matter of fact, I will most likely be trading in my Z4 M Coupe for something even more "responsible" by the time I get the lil hulk. I kinda like that name... Hulk... or maybe Princess.

humphf....

"bulldogs our"

rp

ummm, yeah...

2009-08-20T10:53:00.005-05:00

I don't really know how some will feel about this blog, but when the captcha popped up, I knew I had to fit it in somewhere. I had to battle the urge to stick it to em, and rant about where I think their own heads are located. But I believe no matter what comes out of this one, I am sure it will be taken a few different ways.

I think this is a good opportunity to have conservatives open their mouths and express how their point of view is superior, because apparently they hold the power to please all Americans. We see Town Hall Meetings with and moaning, grunting, and outright screaming at how they don't like the legislation that is being force onto them. But who can blame them, it is a very big plan that if pushed through, could have a huge impact on everyone involved.

Some say the Democratic Party is forcing Big Government to take over and control the situation, but as some ppl often say, it is not about the size of the Government, but how you use it. I personally think things are moving along at a pace that will satisfy everyone, and if some would just relax, I think they would really enjoy the benefits of the Obama Administration.

What do you all think?

"boning the G.O.P"

Yeah, you better read it again...

rp

okay, what now...

2009-08-19T09:33:00.004-05:00

Since the dreams of many Americans who want affordable healthcare are slowly spiraling down the toilet, by their own flushing, I think now is a good time to look at what we have in store for the next few years. Statistics show that at our current rate of non-action, our insurance premiums will almost double in the next 10 years, and the average family of 4 will be spending over $25,000 a year on healthcare premiums. I don't know about you, but I definitely cannot afford to be spending THAT much money on healthcare without finding other means of income. And since I pass out when I give blood, selling my plasma is probably not a good "option".

The foresight of the average Joe Conservative is about 3 feet in front of him, and he can't see the bus coming right at him. The benefits behind the new healthcare plan are much better for the average American family, who is struggling to pay for the private insurance and HellCare they currently receive. All of the false theories and rhetoric that are spewed daily by the ignorant right are putting normal everyday citizens in harms way. And some of the signs that are held up at the Town Hall Meetings that read, "No to HealthCare, Balance Our Budget" and "ObamaCare is Socialism" with a picture of him sportin' a Hitler mustache are just ridiculous. To suppose that our President and his plan to make healthcare affordable, God forbid, is the equivalent to Hitler and his Genocidal tendencies just shows how delusional these people really are. And Please... is anyone truly worried about our national debt??? If so, where were you and your "Hitler" and "Balance the Budget" signs when Dubbya was spending over $600 Billion to fight an invisible war on Terror?

PEOPLE... you voted for this... did you think he was only kidding about bringing about legislation to "change" our system?!? The nation is, to borrow an overly used analogy, at a crossroads, and we can either turn onto the 4 lane highway that at times might be busy, or we can continue on the backwoods gravel road with no directions and a broken compass. Something needs to be done about healthcare and as it currently stands, the hopes of a bill to make healthcare affordable are falling... or should I say dying.

"our fatality"

So what is your opinion on what to do next? If you don't like the current legislation, then what type of system would YOU propose?

rp

the secret is in the smoke...

2009-08-11T15:06:00.008-05:00

My last posting was about my second attempt at True BBQ and the successful results that make you want to spend countless hours cursing at a slowly extinguishing fire while burning your fingers off. This is the follow-up that didn't quite make the cut, but should have. While the brine was probably the reason the meat pulled apart so nicely, the sauce is probably the reason my Lil Bluey and everyone else keeps asking for more.

You see... here in the smack dab middle of our country, we take BBQ sauce very seriously. There are all sorts of variations and very strong opinions, but my personal favorite is a sweet, slightly tangy sauce with a nice spicy "elbow to the back or your throat" finish... much like the homemade rub I put on my Que. Our BBQ style here in KC is tomato-based and fairly thick, but I like to add a touch more Carolina Kick with bit more vinegar. Since we are a city filled with hybrid BBQ, using both pork and beef, we tend to think our Que is the best in the world. And of course... it is.

So here is my little recipe for a BBQ sauce that I think most will like, and many will love.

Casey-Style BBQ Sauce

3 T Organic Ketchup
2 T Brown Sugar
2 t Worcestershire Sauce
1 t Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 t Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 t Seasoning Salt
1/2 t Paprika
1/4 t Chipotle Tabasco Sauce
1/8 t Cumin
1/8 t Garlic Powder

This recipe makes about ½ cup for sampling or brushing on meat when done. To make this sauce a bit spicier, double the Paprika and Chipotle Tabasco Sauce.

To finalize this sauce for the table or jarring, pour a much larger batch into a large tin casserole container, and place in a smoker. Let this sauce smoke for about an hour or two along with your other meats. Stir the sauce about once every hour. To add even more flavor, place the container under the grates in the smoker to catch the fat drippings of the meat.

Recipe by Casey Hill of Kansas City

"meal retaliation"

rp

mind your P's and Que...

2009-08-10T12:56:00.010-05:00

So, after the maiden voyage of the BBQ Smoker, which I have yet to name, I wanted to pull off a come back with a Pulled Pork Shoulder. This would prove to be a fairly good challenge for me, and below you can see how it all turned out.

Now, there is a lot of confusion about pork shoulder and pork butt. You hear some ppl refer to the meat as one or the other, while others think that they are two different parts of the pig. So to clarify, when you get pulled pork from a restaurant, you are almost always getting meat from the shoulder of the pig, even though it sometimes says "Pork Butt". Well, the butt is not the ass... it is the "butt" or end of the pork shoulder. It is called pork butt, because at one point in time it was referred to as the Boston Butt. You can do your own Googlin' and find out more about the naming of this piece of tastiness.

Below is a video that I put together to show my particular smoker setup and the results of the day. I made some modifications to the smoker, even before I did the first re-season on it, because as some of you might know, I do a ton of online research so I know what I am doing... or at least so I can fake it ;)

The first thing I did was to take an old Air Bake cookie sheet and bend it 90 degrees, so I could attach it to the opening inside of the food chamber. Many ppl have found out the hard way that an offset style smoker like this has a ton of heat distribution problems, and I wasn't about to let some failed engineering spoil my smoking fun. I drilled some inch-wide holes in the sheet and staggered them, so that smoke and heat will pass further into the bottom part of the chamber. The main goal was to block the radiant and convection heat coming from the firebox, and without the means to weld a 1/4 inch sheet of steel there, the cookie sheet would have to do. I call it a "conflection" plate in the video, which I am still trying to find the definition of without much success. :)

The second thing I did was to put a few fire bricks into the bottom of the food chamber to even out the severe ups and downs in temperature that can sometimes happen to smaller smokers like this one. These where only $1.50 each at a local Stonework company.

A day before cooking the butt, I soaked it in a homemade brine solution for 12 hours. When it was done soaking, I made sure to wash it off thoroughly with cold water, and then cut inch deep slits and inserted some garlic cloves. I used a KC Style dry rub that I have pieced together from various recipes, and the main ingredients are brown sugar and paprika... the rest is up to you.

And without further Adieu...

I hope you enjoyed the movie, and if you have questions or comments, feel free to post them. The butt tasted absolutely perfect, even without sauce, and I was pleasantly surprised. If you want some for yourself, invite us over... and make sure to have lots of Sam Adams ready. :)

"over-all wowed"

rp

a trip to the misery...

2009-08-05T10:41:00.007-05:00

I have been meaning to drop a blog about our recent family excursion, and it wasn't until I read another few stories about summer vacation over at rockfathers.com that I remembered I forgot to remember to blog about "The Branson".

A vacation had been planned a while back to take a short road trip with all of The Beautiful Brown Eyed Girl's family to Branson, MO. The F-in-law was offered three conjoined penthouse condos on a fancy golf course, because of some stuff he had done for a friend. So we all decided it would be fun to go down to the bowels of Country Living and find out how the under-half lives.

With all road trips with kids, I am always a bit on edge, cause at any moment, a back-seat brawl can break out and turn the tension in the van (yes, we most definitely rented a van) to an all time high. Luckily for everyone, those were few, and most of the time I think the kids enjoyed the ride and so did I in the Captain's Chair of our short-term vessel.

In the 4 days we were there, we visited White Water (twice), Silver Dollar City, and rented a pontoon boat at Table Rock Lake. There were a few incidents of misfortune and family angst, like taking the kids on Thunderation at SDC right as we got there... that definitely set the tone of the day, and scared the crap out of the "olders". It took some stern words to get them back on even a very small ride, but we ended the day with a nice trip down the The Lost River of the Ozarks... and I ended up keeping one baseball-sized spot on my shorts dry... the rest... looked like I fell in the river. Nothing like driving an hour home sopping wet.

The last day of excitement was had at White Water again and we started off the day with everyone, including Zee Zee riding down the Ohana Falls slide. Even though he was clung to me "like a tick on a squirrel's ass" and looked like he was seeing his death, at the end of the first run, he "signed" for more, so we knew the little guy had fun. Later that day we trucked off to TR lake and putted around in the pontoon boat. THAT was probably the most fun we had as a group the entire trip. Beers, snacks, neked kids, and swimming in the murky muddy waters of a Missouri Lake. Wished we would have spent the whole day out there on the water.

All in all, our trip down to the Vegas of the Bible Belt was not the chaotic horror show it could have been, and was instead a great success.

"the missouri"

and for your viewing pleasure...

rp

fight for health...

2009-07-31T09:55:00.004-05:00

Other than the typical boo-hoo celebrity stories, chugfests for racism, and the totally insane Iran election aftermath, there really is only one other story that is making headlines each day. HR 3200, or otherwise known as "America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009" is an important issue that has brought me out of my blogging slumber.

There are two articles on CNN.com today, one written by a GOP rep. opposed to the bill, and another DEM rep. that is in favor of the bill. I recommend you read them both, but not until you finish the rest of my "spin". I have also been reading and responding on various FACEbookOFFs (coined that phrase BTW), and most of the opposition to the bill is based on not having choice or how this bill gives the GOV an unfair advantage over private insurance companies. I have to admit that some of these ideas did not start out in the caverns of my Cerebral Cortex, but are none the less valuable points that I will happily steal and recklessly expand upon.

CHOICE

If asking someone, who opposes the bill, what choice they currently have, you will get some kind of delusional response like "I can choose which Doctor and Healthcare Provider I want, and this new bill takes away that right...". To this I easily spew out, "Do you really think you have a choice in the matter?" Currently insurance companies dictate your healthcare, NOT your doctor, and definitely NOT you. You have no choice but to go "out-of-network" and pay double or triple the already unaffordable rates you currently pay. Since an insurance company is typically a "private" corporation, meaning not run by the GOV, the sole purpose is to make as much money for the shareholders as possible. Actually, by law, that is the only thing a corporation is supposed to do. The same thing goes for most hospitals and healthcare providers, but I digress. My point is that if your sole purpose is to cut costs and make money, how can you be providing the best care possible without limiting the services you pay for? You can't! It is more cost effective to have you take monthly pain killers, than to approve of a surgery that should bring an end to your problem. That is not a very good choice, now is it?

UNFAIR

Conservatives love preaching about how "big government is bad for business", and how this bill will give an unfair advantage to the GOV. "Small businesses will loose money!" "Millions of jobs will be lost!" "That's bad for business!" This is the same BS mantra that lost them the election, because we already have lost our jobs, and small businesses are closing their doors left and right. This bill will actually be better for the small business owners, because the cost of offering healthcare coverage to employees will no longer be the huge financial burden that it is today. Their profits will increase and in turn their business will grow, and new jobs will inevitably follow. How many Americans dream of starting their own business, but they can't because they so desperately need their insurance? They cannot risk having a health problem arise in their family, and not be covered by their existing plans. Sure, if something did happen, they will still have to pay out the whazoo, but at least the insurance companies can't immediately drop them from coverage. Not yet. So this holds back thousands of Americans who want to discover their dreams by starting their own business. This plan is GOOD for small business, this plan is GOOD for the entrepreneur, it is GOOD for the American Spirit.

Now I am not claiming the bill is perfect, and I actually can see how if implemented poorly, it could become a problem. But this plan is definitely much better for the 304 million that it will serve each day. And yes, this includes the 47 million low life, scrum of the earth, dirty rat infested uninsured (spit to the side), who don't even deserve to breathe the air Mother Nature has given the rest of us hard working, completely moral, tax-paying, holier than thou Americans.

I will gladly discuss and debate any of my above points, so please feel free to drop a comment or two in the suggestion box. But for my last point I want to ask a few questions to see if this gets anyone thinking. If we don't pass this bill, what will happen to our current failing HellCare System and how will this affect each and every one of us? If your employer can't afford to keep you around, what happens to your job? What happens to your family? What ever happened to the saying... "At least you got your health"? Without this bill being passed, can we even say that?

"controversial ribbing"

rp

the daily does V...

2009-07-01T09:45:00.014-05:00

I wanted to test out my new camcorder that I got for $60... and I also wanted to make up for lost blogs, so here is a special one for my minions-o-plenty.

Just an FYI... if you live close to a MicroCenter store, I would highly recommend this video camera if you want a simple device to capture footage for the web. It will not get you the quality you want for anything commercial... not even close actually. But for less than $100, you can't really beat this price. I already had an external 4GB SD card, so I was ready to grab about an hour or two of HD sized footage. Here is the camcoder in question.

And here is what is constantly playing in the minds of young humans...

As kids we tell each other some of the weirdest combinations of potty mouth jokes, but no matter how old you get, they still are pretty funny.

"vastly maturing"

rp

separation of church and state...

2009-05-28T11:40:00.006-05:00

Okay, this seems to be a topic that has a lot of ppl tossing their ideas around as to how to handle the issue of a child's parents abstaining from medical care, and a government entity forcing medical treatment on a child unwillingly.

The most recent article that I read

So it seems that after a court battle, the Hauser Family has consented to the chemotherapy, which apparently this medical procedure is against their religious beliefs. And a bit lower in the article it mentions a very similar case where a court ordered a young girl to go through the same type of treatment, which was also against her religious beliefs, and she ended up dying 2 years later anyway. So not only did Pamela have to endure a tourturous medical treatment, but in her eyes probably thought she was going to hell for it. How nice!

There are laws that protect children from illegal acts such as sexual abuse and child labor, but to my knowledge, I have yet to come across any laws that say it is illegal to obstain from medical treatment. Since when did we allow doctors to have more power than the Constitution of the United States. I have yet to read the statement, "In Doctors We Trust" in any historical document, so what would make a court of law order a procedure that might violate the First Amendment?

This is the same assinine thinking that has congressmen trying to pass laws that order young girls to get the HPV vaccine, even though they may never have sex.

Now i understand that there where two instances in that article where the children grew up and wished the State had actually stepped in and done something, and this is a HUGE grey area that I would love to discuss further. I mean no child deserves to endure 6 months of pain from an untreated gasoline burn, and that instance seems pretty extreme, but at what point do we allow a community, run and motivated by money, to force their values and beliefs onto everyone and prevent a true separation of church and state.

When will we, as a nation, truly start respecting ALL religions, instead of just the most popular one?

"at biblical"

rp

the parent trap...

2009-05-07T11:08:00.009-05:00

At what point in time did we all go insane?

Banning ED Ads on TV

The article isn't half as scary as the comments from some of these ppl. Lazy parenting is rampant in this country, and no wonder our kids grow up and need therapists. Its because kids have never been able to talk to their parents about anything other that superficial crap like sports and the weather. God forbid parents take a step in the right direction and actually discuss the topics of sex and violence with their children instead of making schools and the government lead the way.

No one said the conversation would be easy, but it would probably be a much more pleasant experience compared to discussing a teenagers options after getting pregnant at 13. You would be surprised by how mature a child is, and how willing they are to discuss these topics well before they stumble into them in real life.

The last thing that chaps my hide is that fact that Congressman is trying to pass this bill because the TV ads are "indecent". Are you kidding me. I get 100x more excited about the Herbal Essence Showergasm commercials than seeing two old people walking hand in hand with smiles on their faces. Indecent, seriously!?!?

I have to quote a few of the comments that where posted, incase you didn't have time to read all 3000 of them...

"I love how people describe the sanctity of their “family television time.” Here’s a tip, people: Commercials are avoidable, puberty is not."

yes, how we all think spending hours in from of the TV is good quality family time.

"OMG! I have to talk to my children about a natural and wonderful part of life? THE HORROR!"

"As parents of two pre-teen kids - we can’t thank you enough for trying to get these commercials banned during the hours of 6am-10pm. We shouldn’t have to explain these commercials to children these ages."

That fact that you have not explained it to them earlier shows your lack of maturity and responsibility towards parenting your child. Teachers shouldn't have to explain sex... parents should.

"What a bad message we are sending that sex is what makes us happy."

And with that, I am obligated to pass on this link...

Sex might be enjoyable

priceless!!!

"longation directum"

I don't know... it just sounded like an erection :)

rp

stop bailin, the boat aint sinkin...

2009-05-05T16:10:00.006-05:00

Just saw a nice news segment about some of our best and brightest crooks taking advantage of good ol' Joe The Plumber types like you and me. I don't have much to say about this, unless you wanna defend these corporate dirt bags.

Take a gander at the segment

We have put a ton of money into these company's and I have yet to hear a thank you.

"bailed appreciated"

rp

he's the bomb...

2009-05-01T15:53:00.004-05:00

It is the last day of the week, and I thought I would give a big shout out to my Millions of Minions(TM) that follow my every word... and don't forget to follow me on Twitter @dailycaptcha where I basically just tweet when i have a new The Daily Captcha posted, or have something stupid to say.

But back to the reason for the season... the cause for the pause... the big idea in my (something that rhymes with idea). My bro-in-law has made his way up the rank and file on www.teextile.com and has received some prime-time promotion space for his Tee Shirt design. Basically, he submits his original designs and then ppl vote... you get a certain number of votes, and your design gets a spot in the weekly 5 where ppl can purchase them. Each day one of the 5 gets center stage and a reduced price... $15 + $2 shipping for a limited run, artistically designed Tee... that deal cannot be beat.

I gotz me one... and I am demanding all yee to do the same... and then pass it on to the next group of ppl who catch your sneeze from time to time... lets give this boy a viral campaign that puts his name on the map. Or at least makes him a few bucks for a hair cut now and then. He is a starving artist and all.

The Snail Design is his work, but also go vote for his other designs if you like em... I personally think the Roadtrip one will be another hit like the snail.

GO BUY A SHIRT

So lets give a big hand to the man of the hour... tower of power... he will devour... punks don't be sour... now go take a shower...

"mr uranium"

rp

by 2100...

2009-04-22T13:39:00.004-05:00

Lots of bad things will happen it seems. As if the weather in Kansas was not already an enigma that makes you bring sun glasses, winter coat, shorts, and an umbrella with you at all times, we could possibly start having tornadoes in the winter?!?! Anyone reading this right now will most likely not live long enough to experience the kind of snowman a twister makes, but I'm not too sure I want my grand kids to see one either.

So what have I been doing lately to show I am a believer?

Well, after adding a second large recycle bin to the mix, I have noticed I only carry out one trash bag a week, compared to two or sometimes three. The other day, the Beautiful Brown Eyed Girl was chucklin' at me for separating the cardboard from the plastic case on some packaging... knowing full well I would have just pitched the entire thing into the trash just a few months back.

So what is keeping me more green these days? My inventor, the engineer, the Wynkyn in my inkyn... my oldest of course. I don't know how many times he and i have talked about global warming and what "we" are currently doing to this ball of spinning lakes and trees. I can attribute it to some books we regularly read, like Just A Dream by Chris Van Allsburg and also When Santa Turned Green by Victoria Perla. My other two kings are not quite old enough to understand their relative size yet... they still think everything revolves around them, instead of the other way around. Well, except maybe The Bluey, who still tries to recycle things like apples and oranges... so that others can eat them after he chews them up and spits them out on the floor. Sure do wish he would have "recycled" that lady bug a few months back. Nope... that one was swallowed.

So now that we know our planet is doomed... from either the Mayan's 2012 predictions, or from our own of mishaps in transportation and trash expulsion, what should we do to stop it?

The Experts have their opinions... what are yours?

"experts reflect"

rp

back to basics...

2009-04-20T13:22:00.003-05:00

With all of the political one liners being spewed out of everyone's mouth these days, it is hard for the "everyday person" to figure out what is happening in Washington. The Liberal Left-wing has their Huffington Post to give them the bio diesel to fuel their fire, and the Conservative GOP has the National Review Online to keep them locked and loaded. But after a while, it seems everyone is just repeating what someone else has said in the recent past... and I could have possibly done the same thing, but I highly doubt it... I am very original. :)

So let us look at the basic definitions of two very important ideas and how they relate to our healthcare system... Capitalism and Socialism.

Capitalism: An economic system in which wealth, and the means of producing wealth, are privately owned and controlled rather than state owned and controlled.

Socialism: A broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating public or state ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by economic equality for all individuals, with an egalitarian method of compensation.

Now, me being semi-enlightened, I can see the good in each system of life. But the main problem with comparing these two ideologies is that one is based solely on money, while the other is a broader idea that encapsulates a way of life. I went and paid for my business degree, so i fully understand that the market will correct itself based on macro- and micro-economic influences, so I am in favor of Capitalism when it comes to goods and services that I can buy. But I also feel that I have an obligation, as an American to help out disadvantages individuals, and I strongly believe that everyone should have equal rights to quality healthcare and education.

So... I believe that just like our school system, our healthcare system should be run by the government. And I believe that a hell of a lot more money should be put into the process to empower this movement of equality. And for all of those skeptics out there that will say that Universal Healthcare is a Socialist movement, and you don't want anyone deciding what healthcare benefits you receive or what doctor you can go see for your inflamed ingrown toenail... just think about your current healthcare insurance provider. Aren't they doing the exact same thing, and aren't they driving the cost of healthcare to vastly unaffordable levels?

Is Universal Healthcare a socialist movement? Are we afraid of this kind of mentality, and the restrictions that it will impose upon us? If you are, think about what other services that the government provides that are true socialist models... like the US Postal Service. For the majority of the time, it is a very accurate and smoothly run system, all controlled by the government. And if you don't like their services, you can always pay a bit more to send it via FedEx or UPS. Wow... is that the sweet smell of Capitalism and Socialism baking together? Can we have our cake and quadruple by-pass too?

So the question is... should it be my God-given right, as an American, to have the option to use a government run/funded program that provides quality healthcare?

I think you already know my answer... so I am looking for yours.

" caducei"

Here is a little help for you... Caducei

rp

im sore... again...

2009-04-16T12:10:00.005-05:00

When life speeds up to a frantic pace, sometimes its good to stop and smell the leather, sweat, and steel. For about 10 months, I was going to the gym about 4 times a week, and was feeling great. Then life happens, and you have to put some "luxuries" down and pick put much heavier things... like taking care of your loved ones. So, I stopped going for much longer than I thought I would. Then I got lazy, and remembered how much I loved hitting the snooze button and sharing those extra moments with the Beautiful Brown Eyed Girl.

Well, after a few days of gorging on burgers, fries, ribs, cake, and anything else that could maximize my caloric intake, I am back on the path to looser fitting pants and tighter fitting shirts. Today, I hit the weights, and luckily for me, I remembered that saying... don't try to jump in the ocean with too much weight in your hands... you will drown. Okay, you are right... I made that one up, and it sucks. But still... I have made my point.

"triceps building"

rp

a drug to stop addiction...

2009-04-15T10:05:00.009-05:00

Yeah, I know... the idea of it just sounds contradictory. And here is the line of text that puts this type of medication directly under The Daily Captcha scrutiny:

"Naltrexone will help you avoid drugs and alcohol only as long as you are taking it. Continue to take naltrexone even if you feel well. Do not stop taking naltrexone without talking to your doctor."

My question is... are we trading one drug for another? Doesn't this idea sound like a way to get humans addicted to drugs in a more profitable manner? Are we now trading a bartender for a pharmacist? I think it was this CNN headline that caught me off guard... "What if pills could relieve addiction? They can ". Aren't we now just addicted to the pills that make us stop wanting to take the pills?

Now, I work for a company that represents the Pharma industry, and there are thousands of medications that improve the lives of ppl everyday. I have yet to come across a drug that we market that seems to be an oxymoron instead of something to cure a condition. I can see how a "controlled addiction" could possibly be better than the risks associated with the alternative, but is this the right course of action? I am not nay-saying the drug industry, because they provide a needed product, but I am questioning the mentality of MD's to always try to cure chemically VS naturally. If you are in extreme pain because your spine is out of place, why choose to treat with pain killers? Does this treat the symptoms or the actual problem? Are we causing more problems by not looking at the entire picture? How many times have I use a question mark in this blog?

All I can think about is the Chris Van Allsburg book called "Just A Dream". It tells a story about a boy who travels to the future on his bed, and sees what the world has become. One page has a huge factory with towering pillars of smoke coming from it that make the boy's eyes start to burn and itch. And when he asked a worker what kind of factory it was, the worker responds in a cheerful voice that it is a great company that makes a medication to stop eyes from burning and itching.

Are we heading in the right direction? Can we do better?

"content today"

... but what about tomorrow?

rp

4 down... a whole nation to go...

2009-04-14T15:19:00.010-05:00

It seems Obama's decision to increase defense spending is finally justified. I mean think of the millions of fancy bullets the OSOKHOTDNSST (see this posting) will need to kill all of the pirates in the world. And God forbid one of them misses, we could send this great nation of ours into a depression.

"top-level bullet"

Now don't go getting all alarmed, pirates haven't quite invaded Key West, but they have seized yet another two floating cash cows off the coast of Somalia. It seems that it has become a popular hobby for the local thugs to drive out and ransack a ship right when it crosses into their coastal waters. I am not sure how easy it is for the pirates to ship-jack such a huge mass of steal and still get away with it, but maybe someone is passing along some insider information.

"steamship schedule"

This all seems to be a pretty good little operation they have going on, and with the lack of armed naval vessels patrolling the area, it makes for some easy money. I guess we are pretty lucky that neither Captain Jack Sparrow nor One Eyed Willie are commanding these pirate attacks, because maybe the OSOKHOTDNSST bullets would not have been delivered. I personally think I would have hung up a towel over the windows, so the big war cruiser already taking aim at me couldn't tell what I had up my ruffly sleeves.

"smugglers wisdom"

Now I tend to agree that we are the strongest, most willing, and the country with the biggest guns, but should we always be the ones to flex our arms at the hint of injustice? Are we the only nation capable of shooting pirates in the head? I am pretty sure Nazi Germany, Napoleonic France, and The Empire of Japan all were pretty damn good at killing people... and didn't 007 originally come from England? So why do countries always complain to America when the local bully shows up and takse away their lunch money. Aside from genocide, i'd say its high time someone else with pride covers the earths backside. Because no matter what we do, Americans are always to blame... and that is only 78% accurate. I know that we have the power as a country to do a ton of good, and to end all sorts of human suffering, but the job shouldn't always fall on our shoulders, just because we are the...

"least helpless"

You can thank me later for the abundance of captcha...

rp

inhumane...

2009-04-13T12:57:00.004-05:00

There are a few things in the news I can blog about, and instead of glorifying the "One Shot One Kill Heroes Of The Day Navy SEAL Sniper Team", or OSOKHOTDNSST as I like to refer to them, I am leaning towards the German woman who was almost a polar bear's afternoon Knackwurst.

Like most humans, my heart skipped a beat and I was immediately awestruck as I read the headlines and saw the photos of a woman being attacked by a polar bear at the Berlin Zoo last Friday. The thought of how painful and gruesome the experience must have been for the woman, I was, like most humans, sympathetic to the situation. Then of course I read the story... and discovered that she was NOT some zoo keeper who accidentally slipped into in the polar pool at the wrong time, but a visitor who jumped into the area and swam willingly towards the bears during feeding time.

I was not only appalled by how stupid the woman was, but I wanted a 4th OSOKHOTDNSST member to fire off another round that was aimed a tad bit to the north. Not to kill the cute, fuzzy, and lovable polar bears, but to thin out the human herd before she decides to mate with someone of equal or lesser brain matter. I mean, seriously!?!? You jumped into a polar bear cage. At the very least I hope you have a big scar on your ass that looks like the words "kick me, I'm stupid".

Now me, being slightly human, I have to admit I was glad to see she was not seriously hurt. The event could have gone much worse, so I have to laff when I think about it. And hopefully the next time anyone starts to think about voluntarily hopping into a cage with a 1500 pound predator, they just giggle about the idea and move onto the dolphin show.

"in humorous"

rp

points for style...

2009-04-03T12:42:00.004-05:00

First, I have to say thanks for the comments to my last post, and also for the heated debate about... you guessed it... political views. So this is a quick post on debating styles and points of view. I think that everyone who has a political stance on one topic or another gets their information from the same sources that tend to agree with their point of view. And of course my main sources for news are The Onion or Failblog.org. And only when I want to look at pretty pictures I turn to CNN.com.

Here is an observation that is not a new one, and I have probably talked about this before... Conservatives tend to get mean and use one liners and phrased pulled directly from the headlines of their pundit of choice. My fav radio station even taped an angry crowd of them chanting messages of hate during an Obama rally a few months back. And don't forget the Texas woman for claimed an Obama Hooligan carved a backwards "B" into her face. Now that REALLY sounds like something us hippie left-wing tree hugging "loons" would do to get our point across.

But I would have to say that each side does have its "loons"... and there are extreme cases found sprinkled along both political paths. The difference, from my point of view(which remember is fed by The Onion and Failblog.com) is that if you take the path to the left you find more people trying to control the well being of our society as a whole, verses the path to the right tends to want to control the morals of our society. The idea of the civil rights and freedoms that make our country so great, by allowing everyone to practice their religion of choice or lack of, seem to be stifled more by the conservatives imposing their moral "views" on un-like-minded liberals. They want the government to control us morally by telling us that Gay ppl have less of a right be get married, and that women should be forced to keep an unwanted child, but they want the government to look the other way when it comes to their bank accounts.

Again, this is all based on my personal view that a Utopian world of healthy, educated children happily roam our streets... in solar powered rocket ships.

"argue mean"

rp

writers block or alien abduction...

2009-04-02T13:21:00.004-05:00

I could give you a hundred excuses for the lack of daily captcha being spawned lately, but what started out as a way to express my views on politics and play around with an infinitely surprising security mechanism, has turned into a bit of a burden. Much like when a talk show format has turned a bit stale, or a television series needs new blood in the writers room, this blog is in need of a shake up. (R.I.P. "ER")

I'm looking for ways to keep this thing going, and also some feedback from anyone on the other end of this social experiment gone wrong. I used to have a few great hecklers in the crowd, but once the political content faded away, so did they. I mean there is nothing more fun than a flame war with someone who can't even come up with a good "fake" alias to combat my semi-educated ideas. Maybe I need to start blogging about race and religion or other fun topics that bring the shiny happy side out of people and make them want to drop a card in the suggestion box.

Well, I have been pretty busy with a lot of things lately, and I will definitely try to keep this thing going. So, to all of my thousands of loyal followers out there, I apologized for the...

"absent page"

rp

a noisy commute...

2009-03-26T16:37:00.004-05:00

A few times a day, I find myself surfing an ocean of asphalt with waves of steel and glass. Most of the time the water is fairly choppy and finding a good set happens on very rare occasions. If its not the huge breaks that stop right in front of your board, its the sharks that are surely in the water waiting for you to cross their path. No one wants a harsh wipe out and the idea of a shark bite is not that pleasant either... so its nice when that perfect wave does come along.

One thing that I have noticed though, is that the songs playing on the radio surely help you get a feel for the road, and sometimes they seem to mimic the traffic in front of you. Or better yet, changing the radio station to something more upbeat makes the cars in from of you want to get out of your way as if the Pied Piper tunes where telling the mice to move over to the right. Its like when NIN Hand That Feeds comes on right as the three tractor trailers need to merge over and there is nothing but empty lanes in from of you.

I love that feeling... The "D" seems to like it also, and with the changing of the weather from slick and crappy to cool and sunny, it makes for one hell of a ride.

"radio riding"

rp

PS. Drive Safe ;)

it tastes a bit stale...

2009-03-12T19:40:00.006-05:00

Its been a long time coming, and I have been trying pretty hard to come up with a concept that is not cheesy, over-done, unprofessional, boring as hell, too trendy, or flat out does not represent me and what I am capable of. I believe it was 2006 since the last time I added something of value to it, and it is high time, if I am going to achieve my goals, to redesign the lil bastard.

So I sit hear typing away and contributing to a completely different one instead. Maybe its because the concept is still not strong enough to brand ME. Its almost like I should just redirect them to this collection of ones and zeros transformed into quasi-meaningful banter. I mean if they were a regular subscriber to The Daily Captcha, I am sure they would be fighting each other trying to get me to build a very special one for them. With the charm of a used car salesmen, and the wit of hickory stump, this blog is just waiting to make me rich.

So yeah... its time to redesign my web site... the old one is played out... washed up... and smells of black skinny jeans, overly bright dresses, and pencil thin chinstrap beards. Hopefully I can come up with something a bit more imaginative... unlike this blog entry.

I have new ideas and concepts that are sure to wow the masses... right?

"new preference"

I guess I should get back to work then...

rp

thats just weird...

2009-02-27T13:19:00.003-06:00

I just got done with lunch with a client and to get my 1099 for my taxes for last year. I noticed that they said I made exactly $3K more than what I actually got paid. Then five minutes later, I decide to see what catcha has been waiting to tell me for quite some time. First one that came up...

"reaction $3,000"

yeah... that is just weird.

rp

those windows...

2009-02-14T08:01:00.008-06:00

I see them everyday.

I am lucky to be close enough each morning to gaze thru them and see how wonderful her's really is. Its magical to say the least and I'm blessed to have the love that comes from inside, wrapped around me. If the saying is true, and the eyes are indeed the windows to the soul, then my view... each day... is breathtaking.

"divine eyes"

Happy Valentine's Day

rp

contraditions in ink...

2009-02-10T16:58:00.004-06:00

When life sends you a flurry of "to-dos", other, smaller things seem less important. But remember that it is the little things in life that make it all worth it. Maybe I should take a huge risk and leave what is safe. Maybe I need another, permanent, reminder that life is short.

"safe painful"

Tattoos take inspiration to create... I want to feel inspired again.

rp

there is no place like home...

2009-02-04T16:30:00.005-06:00

"ansas facts"

1. Kansas starts with a capital K

2. It is "...in the middle of the middle of the middle of the Midwest" - Mac Lethal

3. Kansas City is considered to be in Missouri by the locals... not Kansas

4. I have lived in this state for about 25 years of my life

5. Mission Hills, KS is one of the wealthiest cities in the nation, and while i can toss a rock to it from where i live, i am not even close to being wealthy.

6. People from the KS typically don't have an accent... except when we say crick or ruff (creek or roof)

7. It has been scientifically proved that Kansas is actually flatter than a pancake.

8. You can see all 4 seasons in a single day if you lived in Kansas.

9. "Kansas, as bigoted as you think" is a funny bumper sticker... and its probably true

10. I'd like to move to a state/country some day that is NOT isolated by land... like Kansas.

rp

guest captcha appearance...

2009-01-28T11:51:00.004-06:00

As I was interacting with the webosphere i came across another Alien Captcha System. It was as if the captcha gods were telling me that there was indeed "small security graphic life" on other networks. At first i was afraid, but then i read it and agreed with what it was calling ME. I also liked the spunky way in which it stood out from the page. So i picked up the simplistic lil pixel pet and decided to give it a place to call its home.

"comedist"

rp

i have them... just need to realize them...

2009-01-27T14:18:00.006-06:00

There are many times throughout the year when I get a wild hair up my sub-dorsal region, and the ideas are flowing like a nose in Springtime. I will sit up at night contemplating the Ins and Outs of the idea but sit there like an idiot and refuse to write any of them down. But even if i did, with such a busy life consisting of a full family, daytime jobby-job, and a quasi-steady freelance schedule, it is hard to put the proper effort into anything. I could look back through some of my old notepads or random scrap papers floating around my various work bags (I have like 7 of them) and see just how stupid or more often than not, Genius, these ideas really are. Of course when I do happen to look over some of them, it is years down the road, and I have already missed the boat and the tidal wave has long since washed back out to sea.

Well, I got the sniffles big time right now, and I am hoping to realize this big idea sometime in the near future. It is actually something from the past that I was not the Brainchild of, but thought was a great idea just the same. It just so happens that my timing was off along with various other elements as well. I know the idea would work if given the right time and effort, so I need to figure out a way to turn a few hours a week into 20 or so. That or just stop messing around on YouTube watching MMA or MCS street races. Who wants to be my personal Drill Sergeant?

"idea thousands"

Yeah, that could be an "s" instead of an "a", but its my idea and i'll do what i want with it.

:)

rp

230 days...

2009-01-22T14:51:00.004-06:00

That seems like a pretty long time, but if you put it into perspective with other things in your life, it is only moments away. My Three Kings will have giggled, growled, and grown quite a bit by then, but seeing how quickly those little moments pass you by makes you realize how cliche' and correct the saying is about "flying time".

It has been fun to look through the travel books and picture what it would be like to be there... all "6 senses" on overload as you try to slow down or even stop that clock. Much like those moments with the little ones, you just want to hold onto them forever. Save them to a hard drive and hit the play button on them over and over again... seeing, feeling, and experiencing them the way they once were.

By the time Quad 9 rolls around a bit of everything will have changed... or evolved as i permanently see it. Its easy to be so excited for it to come, but sad at the same time knowing that the memories you are about ready to share will only be that... Memories. So make sure to hit that record button a few times on the way so you can sit around and watch them when you are 83.

With so many choices of wonderful things to do and places to stay... its almost hard to plan such a trip, but still very exciting to think about. Venice. Genova. Florence. They all would be so amazing to explore and before you know it... Ciao.

"italy count"

rp

Barack Obama is President...

2009-01-20T11:34:00.004-06:00

He was nervous... you could tell. But what human, taking the most powerful office on earth, would not tremble at the task ahead of them. In a time when wars are being waged and our nation's financial stability is waning, taking the office of The President of the United States is a courageous act to say the least.

His speech, like all that he has given in the past, was poetic and well crafted, and further showed me how our nation has come together to support The Right Choice. Yes We Can turned into Yes We Did, and now is the time to make that change happen. What will our 44th President do to lead our nation into a more prosperous era? I sit with a smile of hope on my face... and wait.

"spend presidency"

rp

a taste of their own medicine...

2009-01-19T14:48:00.005-06:00

I love it when something comes along and kicks a Big Company right where it counts. Blockbuster. They come in, they take over, and they create a small movie monopoly making a killing off of a 2-Day rental and destroying local small businesses in the process. Then along comes a web site like Netflix, and customers are no longer tied down to the Big Blue Box. But then again, sometimes you just want to go and pick up a movie... so you are forced back into the "blues" and have to pay $4 for a movie, and $47 for a box of Thin Mints. Its almost as bad as the movie theaters in that place. Well, no more will I need to set foot inside that place when i want to focus my eyes on a feature film.

If you have not heard of redbox yet, then you are missing out on what is currently a great way to spend a buck. For the average person, you go... you click the screen a few times, and you walk out with a DVD in hand. Simple... sometimes fast... and almost free. For the more advanced redbox fan boys like myself, you can reserve a movie online at a location of your choosing. And for the really special folk, you can partake in the Free Movie Mondays thing they got going on up in there. Granted, redbox is just another Big Corporation kicking the pants off of another with a brilliant and consumer friendly idea, but sometimes its the simple changes to a product or service that make it "just work".

Now there are a few caveats to the system that i have experienced. The first one, and the most annoying of them all is that the redbox less than a mile away from my house is ALWAYS RIDICULOUSLY BUSY! This seems to be the only one close to the county line between the "blue collar" Wyandotte County and the "well off" Johnson County. It is always bad when you walk into the McD's where it is located, and there is a short line of ppl... but the ones at the kiosk are a group of 17 all with free movie codes and no one has a clue about what movie they want and which of those codes they have already used in the past. Any other location i have been to takes less than 5 minutes to get in and out, even with a line.

So i stand there in line with the rest of the ppl in PJs and hoodies, and while the smell of freshly dipped french fries fills the air, some stranger wants to make very uncomfortable small talk. If i don't have my eyes three inches from my phone, busily typing away, it happens. "Wha mooovie ya gonna rent?" or "Have ya seeeen INSERT CLONED SLASHER MOVIE HERE". Now, i am probably more of an extrovert than most guys, but the same etiquette that rules in public restrooms should also apply to places like these. Movie choice is extremely personal and very subjective, so my opinion on whether or not Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a "good flick" is not only a stupid question, but prompts me to give you some really bad advice. Especially, since i have been standing in line behind you waiting for you to make a freaking decision. Why don't you try Pokemon 17: A Dorks day in Paradise... i really don't care, just get the hell out of the way, so i can snatch up my movie I had the forethought to reserve online.

There is only one situation that might require a question to the stranger standing in line behind you, and that happened to me just this week. If for some reason the group of ppl in front of you abandons the Kiosk mid-selection and you cruise up to the screen to see everything is unfamiliar... you are definitely allowed to turn around with a "WTF Expression" on your face and ask if they speak Spanish.

"rented fury"

rp

design does matter...

2009-01-14T12:19:00.006-06:00

I was recently asked to help write an article entitled "Why you should listen to your designer", by a colleague of mine. We have worked together on a few projects, and I just got done with a redesign on a project (a redesign for the new year) for one of his clients. It got me thinking about the value that we as consumers place on how something looks. The most obvious example of this is the iPod, iPhone, iBook, and iWhatEverAppleBuildsNext. There are many other companies (BMW, Sony, Kenneth Cole) out there that have beautiful products, but Apple has long understood that the way something looks, has a substantial impact on sales... and they are currently by a landslide, the best in the business.

So why is it so hard for a client to understand that their web site, their first impression to the world, should be anything but spectacular? And more importantly, why would a client not want to put the time, effort, and budget into making their web site do the hard work for them? This is especially important for a small business who has limited capitol to spend on marketing, because they are creating a one-stop, always available and ever expandable resource to sell their products and services. What is the first thing a prospect does when looking for information about a company or service? They go to the web site... and there are studies that show it only takes 1/20th of a second for a prospect to form a first impression. And based on that seed that is planted, the web site (company) either has to work very hard to change a negative impression, or quite effortlessly to turn that impression into a purchase. I believe this is called the "Halo Effect"... or something semi-meaningless like that.

So now i have to write up some information about why a client should listen to me as a designer... as an expert. I'll have to do some thinking on this one, but here is some interesting information about the first redesign i did 2 years ago for the above mentioned web site...

"The ROI measurements came from David's conversation with Dr. Don Nielson, in which he said that their own internal referral questionnaire showed that there were around 80 new patients in the first 6 months after the site launch. Of those 80, about 65 claimed that they visited the website which lead to their selection of Nielson Family DDS over other competitors in the area. Each new patient equates to 2 cleanings and 1/3 of a procedure each year. A cleaning is $120 and a procedure is about $300 or so. Each new patient could then equate to about $350 per year. With 65 new patients, you're in for about $22,000 annually..."

So if you are wondering how the design of your website effects your business... why not call up a designer and pick their brain for a bit. Sometimes we actually know what we are talking about...

"graphic experts"

rp

brrrrrr....

2009-01-13T17:01:00.004-06:00

Yeah... it is way to cold today in the land of AHHHHs... maybe we should live someplace else. I hope the next few days are a little warmer... cause this sucks.

"locality review"

rp

i swear, this never happens...

2009-01-12T15:44:00.004-06:00

Remember my dreams that is. It is extremely rare when i wake up and am able to remember anything from the previous night, even the really enjoyable things. I have been told that i have changed diapers, talked in my sleep, let the dogs outside, and probably many other things, and I have no recollection at all of any of these events. So why would my dreams be any different? Well, last night WAS different. I woke up and remembered quite a bit of detail about some very interesting dreams.

The first part of my dream that i remembered was going and getting my "hairs" cut at a fancy salon. I remember having this done before by a gentlemen, and this same entity was doing it again. But this time, half way through the cut, he asked for some help from another gentlemen, who proceeded to comb, clip, and snip away at my head until the event was over. The sub-cutter walked me over to the desk, hit a few buttons on the register and said "$49 please". I was like WTF and said excuse me... and he replied, "Oh my mistake, that will be $149". So in my dream i kinda flip my lid and start arguing with this fella, and saying, that it is normaly only $29, why does it cost $149 for two ppl to cut someones hair. I ask for the owner and he just shrugs me off and tells me the total like the last guy, and we say a few rude words to each other and start getting physical. Somehow i tackled him to the ground and start throwing punches, and his arms are growing like Freddy Kruger in the first Nightmare on Elm Street. He slowly tries to punch back and all the while i have that "running against the wind" feeling, like i cant quite accomplish something.

Then somehow i am teleported to another place and time... im am myself at the young age of 10 or 11, but I am walking around a neighborhood with my three sons and a few other random kids. Im not sure how Ziah and his foot long legs are keeping up, so dont ask ;) We are all out causing trouble like youngins do when they are bored and looking for adventure. The rag tag group does a few mischievious things before finally happening upon a very small man hole in the middle of the road. What happens next is the typical, i must be in a dream event, because we were able to make our way through this sewer system and up into this house, that was actually a facade for a very large school type building... yeah, i know... everything in dreams is like that... or so i am told. The place is dark, and we are creeping around the school/house/dark place and see some kind of troll with no legs being trained or taught something by a taller person. Then we run through this maze type building until we happen upon a bunch of very weird children. They seemed like a family or cult or something... maybe they are just the Duggar Family, i don't know, but they are creepy as hell, and are ready to alert the adult scary entities of our presence.

Weird things ensue, and as this chase type scene unfolds, I have changed into an adult again, and am now accompanied by my wife, and we make it to the front door, and I am handed a bottle of some tabasco or something from a child at the door. We all leave quickly... saying goodbye to the adult scary ppl and the children, and i pour out the bottle on their groceries full of their food supply as if to show the cult that I know they are trying to poison me. Fooled them i guess.

Some other shenanigans happen with a car on a jack falling on my middle sons head, and i have to lift it up and then start punching plastic ppl in the face for what has happened, and the against the wind feeling is pulling at me in full force, as....

I wake up... a bit exhausted and surprised that all of this information did not get purged the second i opened my eyes.

"awoke full"

rp

yes it does...

2009-01-09T13:54:00.006-06:00

Not sure why this one didn't have an exclamation point, but yes The Daily Captcha does rule.

"daily rules"

It is Friday... and I hope EVERYONE has a good weekend!

wOOOt.

rp

next stop...

2009-01-08T09:04:00.005-06:00

The Daily Captcha today is what i like to call a "one hit wonder". Not because it will play on the radio 27 times a day and have millions of screaming fans trying to have it sign their foreheads, but because it is a captcha that came up first when i loaded the page, and i liked it. So now the task ahead is to see how the hell i am supposed to relate it to the now... to the me... to the present state of being. Hmmmmm.

The captcha today has a great ring to it and made it an instant keeper, but the meaning of it is still unknown. Is it a place where your pituitary lays it head at night, or the title of a very thought provoking horror flick? Hmmmmm.

Am i heading in the right direction on this one? Is the meaning of it more existential, and i am supposed to relate how we are all just some fleeting day dream of a higher being, and as soon as she wakes up we will all vanish into our own subconsciousness? Hmmmmm.

Is The Daily Captcha going to be the topic of the next hilarious poem in a Jack Handy series... or maybe the beginnings of my own revelations on life with a hint of laughter. There are so many possibilities, i just can't decide. Hmmmmm. Maybe i am just over thinking it...

"brain ville"

rp

i could eat a...

2009-01-07T11:27:00.004-06:00

It's a new year... and as if it were a requirement, like paying taxes, everyone on earth has joined a gym. So the once under populated community center that i have been using and abusing for the last few years is once again full of new ppl to get in my way. I read on a co-workers FB status how mad he was with the "New Year's Resolution" crowd and how they were taking up all of the machines. Today was the first day that I experienced the same thing. And you can tell that these ppl have not been in the gym for quite some time, because they all have that timid "how the F does this machine work" look on their faces. Plus, none of them are wearing headphones, and are subjected to the music playing over the loud speaker which is a mix of elevator songs and a gallon of Niquil PM. I mean Sleepy 102 is NOT the station that should be played to motivate ppl who are trying to get into shape. They might as well pass out pillows, blankets, and leftover turkey sandwiches.

Yeah, so the music is terrible at this place, so my iPod is a must have to keep me from cuddlin up on a crunch mat for a few hours. I have noticed though that my music selections are getting a bit stale. The songs i used to love to listen to are now becoming white noise to muffle out my own grunts and moans while i work out. It is sad when a great song loses it meaning to you, and just exists. I do find myself swaying more towards the likes of NIN and Linkin Park tunes, cause those songs always seem to give you that spark to push past the boundaries of your own physicality. Toss in a "Down with the Sickness" or "When Worlds Collide" and motivation is just a few cranks of the volume away.

One other thing that i have noticed since i have started hitting harder on the heavy things is that my appetite has increased quite a bit. And thank God the tins, bags, and boxes of holiday goodies are either gone or as stale as the half sandwich that's been hiding in the back of the fridge. But this morning's two packets of oatmeal just didn't cut it, and i almost started chewing on my mouse pad to curb my appetite. If its not bolted down to the floor, i just might have it for lunch.

"attached eaten"

rp

captcha'd in the wild...

2009-01-06T11:34:00.004-06:00

I was facebooking for a few mInutes, and saw someone i sureLy needed as a friend. I am nOt sure how this person has eVaded me this long, espEcially since his son is already in one of mY previously mentiOned blogs ( welcome, lil guy ). So i do some clickity click to add him, and up pops my trUsty friend the captcha. The first one was something jibBerish thAt i couldn't pronounce, and I refreshed it. Up pops a winner and i type it in... but oBviously not before i snag that lil beast and save it for this gem of online entertainment.

So mY next question is this... is The Daily Captcha talking about me or him? hmmm...

"winner invited"

And if he denies my friendship request, we will know the answer.

:)

rp

what lies ahead...

2009-01-05T12:46:00.005-06:00

So it is officially 2009 and we have already celebrated a very significant event. The first birthday of the youngest King. The day had it's own set of touching and "memorable" events, and some of the highlights involved Ziah loving his lil Red Rody, eating the top off his own lil cake, and some tub-in-a-sink action that we were so happy to catch on film. Well, technically its not film, its a data card, but I'm old enough to remember and still say that word without realizing it.

Something else this year that my Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl and I are planning, is a trip to Italy to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary, on 9-9-09. A cosmic day it will be im sure, and hopefully we will be sharing it while relaxing and sipping on a Chianti somewhere on the Tuscan shoreline. We have never really been away from the US, other than Jamaica, and this will be a time to explore ourselves and each other in a country we will surely love.

The jobby job is about ready to kick it into high gear with all sorts of new challenges coming my way, so it feels good to shake out the cobwebs of 2008 and look forward to new opportunities. Our company and department continues to grow, and hopefully the "plan to expand" is realized. I love what i do, and even though im not working on the sexiest of projects, I still get to be part of the most influential and in my opinion the coolest industry or technology there is... the web.

The road ahead will have its curves and plenty of hills, but im really looking forward to it...

"year steeper"

rp

a redesign for the new year...

2009-01-02T15:07:00.005-06:00

The Daily Captcha today is a bit self-serving, because when it came up, I immediately thought it was a great way to promote a web site I recently designed. The client is Nielson Family Dentistry out of Olathe, KS and after a few years with the original design I did for them, they decided it was time for a face lift.

One of the first things i heard about what the client was looking for made me laff a bit, but I understood what they were wanting. They said they wanted their site to look more Web 2.0, and my reply was... that is like wanting your flowers to smell like corduroy. Even though they were mixing up sensory inputs a bit, I knew they wanted something that would look up-to-date and stay that way over a longer period of time. I added a nice way for them to dynamically update their content, and more easily update some of the design elements as well.

Visit their web site and let me know what you think... I believe they are much happier with their new site.

"quality dental"

rp

tilts head like a dog...

2008-12-30T14:43:00.005-06:00

Yep, you guessed it... i didn't get this one right. So it is like a free pass to talk about what ever my lil heart desires. It's like the Captcha Gods faxed me over a smudged message that I need to decipher. Well, i nay have the brain power today nor the patience to ponder this puzzle.

So. What should i talk about? How about my new phone, the G1. I seem to use it everyday for something a little bit extra special, so the mire $180 i spent on it seems to be turning into a positive ROI for the moment. The features and "fun to be had" are more than i ever expected out of a phone. It is a different breed of phone, and even though i have never extensively played around with an iPhone, i would say it is a good replacement for the over-hyped and "me too" device. It makes me smile to know that i am saving over $15 bucks a month on service, along with being able to download FREE apps for Android (the phone's OS) instead of paying the AppStore a buck here and there for something i just want to play around with for a bit.

What i have learned though, is that I could easily see how people can go way over their limit on texting. Luckily for me i only text a handful of ppl so far, so I don't really need to keep track of my monthly usage. But when the day comes that i am flirting with some overage, I'm sure someone will come out with a free app that sends me an alert to when i am coming close to that magic number. Until then, i will keep typing away on my fully physical QWERTY keyboard and try not to send anyone a message that looks like this...

"dalai rea, surh in full" or something like that

rp

open quotations...

2008-12-29T15:52:00.003-06:00

Sometimes you get in a mood at the end of the year where you look back and think about all that has happened. It normally comes on while waiting for the silence in the office to get louder. Your motivation to innovate and change the world comes to a screeching halt. What would normally take you just a few minutes to get done, soon becomes hours, and you can't quite figure out why simple tasks are taking so long.

And to make things worse, you are listening to songs and sounds that make you dive deeper into self-reflection as the lyrics changes their meaning each type they repeat. You look for something more up-beat, but that just makes you think about other ways to spend your time instead of working like you should be. But it is the music that has kept you going all this time. You listen to the subtle nuances of words mixed with beats and harmony and you listen to what your future might hold.

So now what? You look at the clock and the Day passed you by without waking you from your trance. Gee, thanks a lot... a good friend it is not. But now you can look forward to the Evening, and hoping to spend some time with loved ones and share a few moments with them that make you look back on this year and think to yourself how lucky you really are.

"close quotations"

rp

when captcha go to heaven...

2008-12-25T20:53:00.004-06:00

On this holiest of Holy Days, you all might be wondering the same thing, and asking everyone you know the same question. What happens to the captcha that no one can figure out, or that are shown to ppl like myself who hit the Refresh Button? You might be wondering if this lonely collective of captcha are sent to a sort of Purgatory for Pixels. Are they being missed by a family of phrases some where out in the metaverse?

Well, fear not everyone... these lost and lonely do have an everlasting land to lay their letters. They may not have fulfilled their destiny to protect the vast Internets of social media, but they, along with all of the words and phrases that have been "backspaced", are now spending eternity in the...

"caption clouds"

rp

does this plate make me look fat...

2008-12-23T16:45:00.004-06:00

Did I over eat or did someone else force feed me to eat and drink all that ham and beer? Or maybe that hunk of fudge just fell from the sky while I was looking up. Nope. Actually, I knew I would eat too much... I always do.

Well, i hope everyone has a happy holiday(s).

"entirely stuffed"

rp

temporarily branded...

2008-12-23T15:56:00.005-06:00

I have heard it said that men are much pickier than women about how they get their "hairs" cut, and I completely agree with this rumor. What separates a great looking haircut from a week's worth of hats can be measured in millimeters.

Now i wouldn't go so far as to say i went into the Barber Shop and came out of the Butcher Shop, but when she asked if everything looked good and started blow drying my hair, i was stuck between a laff and a yell. Now, i know i can be picky about a haircut, but looking in the mirror after she said that and seeing something closer to Wolverine's Do from the X-Men instead of a simple "messy cut" is infuriating. Especially, when i specifically told/showed her how much to take off.

Well, i had her "fix" the tufts of hair that made me look more like a cow than a "cutie", but i'm still a bit ticked off about the situation and my tip showed it. This was the second time i have had to endure this particular woman, and don't plan on being corralled by her again.

"cow casey"

rp

standing proud...

2008-12-22T17:00:00.004-06:00

Last night was my middle King's first "program" and he sang his lil heart out. And even though another little fella fall off the stands during Shiver Shiver Shiver, the program was a great success. And from 50 feet away he saw me and smiled big and i could hear him say, "Hi Dad". I was able to catch most of it on the camera, so that is great. Unfortunately, the entire family could not make it there, and it was recorded for them. So if we ever figure out what is wrong with the sound on the video, i might post it here... or Facebook.

"witness altoona"

And just to clarify this captcha a bit... when Luna was very little we used to read him a book called Altoona Baboona... and he was the "loona" in that book. Its a bit of a stretch, but good enough for me

:)

rp

and the saga continues...

2008-12-17T15:19:00.004-06:00

So the mystery crack in my windshield is about 1.5 feet and moving across my line of sight. It is a daily reminder of how much i hate SUVs and Big Rigs and the crap they flip up at you. And here is what i hate almost more than the huge trucks in my way... Car Dealers thinking they can charge more than double what a normal car specialists has been perfecting for years. I got a quick quote from the dealer, and the windshield alone was almost $100 more than the windshield specialist down the street, and that does not even include the cost of labor.

Unfortunately, i think the dealer will fight me for the warranty and ultimately win... so i am just going to the business down the street and paying about $300 for the entire thing. They were recommended, and hopefully i can also pass along a happy experience as well. I asked for a better windshield than the MINI OEM one, and it just so happens that was the same name on The Daily Captcha. So a Pilkington Windshield it is... i mean they ARE "first in glass".

"pilkington st"

Sorry this is just the Normal Blog Flavor, but the captcha gods sometimes send us boring ones that must be tasted.

rp

O the weather...

2008-12-16T11:30:00.009-06:00

...outside completely sucks.

I like the cold. I don't mind wind and rain, and Fall is my favorite time of year. But this snowy wet crap just gets everything dirty and makes salt marks all over the ground and all over my MINI. Oh, did I mention that the MINI is not at all fun to drive in the snow... not unless you have 6 ppl in there to weigh it down.

And now there is a mysterious crack in the windshield... I think it is just with the heater blasting and it being 2 degrees out there, it just split... I hate this weather. So here is a little something, in rhyme, that id like to poke in Old Man Winter's eye...

"The Cold Crud"

Drippy messy slushy slop
Soaking socks, go get the mop.
Sliding slipping cold brown snow
Grab the shovel, it must go.

What used to be so lush and white
The soft hiss in a silent night
Is now the mucky spew on the floor
Brrrr its cold, now shut the door!

"poem sharpe"

rp

heads up Bushy...

2008-12-15T16:35:00.006-06:00

It reminds me of a scene from Austin Powers... the footage of the "Iraqi Sharp Shoeter" (Copyright and Trademark now owned by me) just missing the head of our short-timer President is priceless. I think at least 60% of the nation would love to have been in that guys shoes and tried to hit the "mark".

It says a lot about a person who is so mad at a political leader that they take off their size 11s and have a go from 20 feet. I can see all of the Flash Game Developers out there now porting their already created shoot-em-ups into a launch a shoe at the Prez banner ad.

I have to give it too Dubya though... he would be my first pick in the neighborhood dodgeball game. Too bad he didn't pull off his own Wingtips and toss em back.

"dooling men"

And yes, I am aware that it is spelled incorrectly.

;)

rp

a completely different beast...

2008-12-12T14:34:00.005-06:00

So today i was reminded that not everyone thinks about a situation the same way. Of course we are all very different "individuals", which is a very unique word i must say, but even within the same job type there are ppl that just don't think about the details. We all know WHOM is in the details, so unless ye shall be blasphemous, then it would be a good idea if you are developing a web site, you should have some web design experience. Well, that is not always the case, and typically is the contrary in almost all decisions that are made about a web site.

Think about it this way... if you want a plumber to install brand new pipes throughout your entire house, don't you think that professional would be the one making at least 75% of the decisions? Its not like you can tell them that they should run all of the pipes on the outside walls so that their is more room for duct work on the inside ones. Your pipes would burst every winter. My point is that if you are hiring a professional to do a job, then trust their opinion when they make a recommendation.

Today we discussed a project with an ad agency (print house) that does very little work on the web, but now they are in charge of the creative concepting behind the web site that we are supposed to build for our mutual client. If you have ever worked with a print designer, it is very difficult for them to think about and express what they want to have happen from one static screen to the next. Print designers only think about layout, while transitions and user interaction is an after thought. We Interactive Designers understand that great user experience comes from including all of the senses possible (please don't lick my screen). Its not just about seeing that final resting visual, its about taking the user on a journey and telling them a story. So needless to say, this project will be a journey in and of itself, because its taking what was designed for print, and creating an engaging user experience.

"was print"

rp

inked infinitum...

2008-12-10T08:45:00.007-06:00

Ad infinitum... in Latin means "to infinity". Now when most people, or at least any Gen X or Y folks, hear that saying they immediately finish it with "...and beyond!". Well this entry is not about a small plastic space ranger with a very commanding voice. Monday, the 8th, my beloved and i added some "fresh paint to our Temples" and again, Chris at Timeless Tattoo in Westport has done an amazing job.

She designed a beautiful piece named "The Water Goddess", which is forever showing on the back of her neck. And even though the canvas was already a work of art, a little ink again showed her individuality and love for the natural processes of life. My piece is a bit less artistic, but has a multitude of meanings and a touch of humor. Its called "Forever Evolving", and as this year has shown, I am just that. The number eight and its visual representation of "infinitum" has shown itself quite often this year. We celebrated 8 years of marriage, and both gave gifts representing the infinity symbol. And on the 8th day of this month in the year 2008, I have the following code tattooed onto me in the same shape.

Now any good Flash Developer worth their salt will see that this code actually produces an error. When run, this code will never stop repeating the word Evolving, and in the programming world, this is called in infinite loop... and is very bad. So hidden underneath all the ink and flesh is a bit of humor for the nerd in me. So that is the newest edition to the Temple, and with most additions, you immediately contemplate what and where will i put the next one.

"newly created"

rp

Chiefs are not leaders...

2008-12-08T13:08:00.004-06:00

Anyone in the Kansas City area would agree with me that our professional football team is not looking so good. And even though we apparently put up a good fight against Denver yesterday, we still lost, which makes our record 2-11. I'm not really sure what the problem is with this team, and i wouldn't know. One thing i have learned is that the Chiefs always seem to put me in a bad mood. So this season, I have had very little interest in watching. Not only the Chiefs, but football in general.

"anti football"

rp

feelin lucky...

2008-12-04T16:16:00.003-06:00

Well when you see one like this, you just HOPE it is on the positive side and not the negative. But today I'm feelin lucky... so maybe i should just hop up and go buy a lottery ticket.

:)

"casey $20,000"

rp

yeah, i got one...

2008-12-03T16:51:00.004-06:00

This one has very little to do with anything, but it just reminds me a bit of me. I have a problem going with the grain, and at times i get a few splinters. And even now, when looking for a Next Generation phone, everyone is pointing me towards an iPhone, and something inside of me says i need to explore other options just in case. I mean it took me 5 years to finally break down and get an iPod. I have to admit the thing is rock solid and perfect at what it does best... play music.

As far as the phone goes, i am leaning back again towards the T-Mobile G1 which is basically the Google phone or "gPhone" as i read earlier. I played with it today at the store, and i was impressed. Yeah, it is not the glitz and glamour of the very stylish iPhone, but there is something to be said for the simplicity of the device. A bit chunky, yes, but still fits much better in my pocket than my current NEC flip phone.

Anyway... i am a bit of a grey sheep, and like the fact that i have strong opinions and a more than valid point of view. It can get me into trouble sometimes, but what fun is always following the rules and being like everyone else.

"attitude hazard"

:)

rp

its how i make em...

2008-12-01T11:26:00.005-06:00

It was the first captcha that loaded and a very rare thing indeed to find something so personal to write about. I think a lot has changed for me over the past year, and long holiday weekends like this past one would have made me go a tab bit stir crazy by Sunday afternoon. I don't think "the boyz" were any more well behaved and i know the crappy weather did not help either. I can't really say for certain if there was a specific thing that made me enjoy this Thanksgiving Holiday more than i usually do. Maybe just being with my beautiful Brown Eyed Girl and my Three Kings and allowing myself to be enveloped in their world was all i really wanted this year.

Yeah, there were just as many of those childhood blow ups and tantrums, but it is always nice to know that they are temporary... or at least they will morph into a slightly more different challenge soon. Part of them comes from me, so of course they are going to be cantankerous at times and defiant almost all of the time. But there were also some moments that took me by surprise and made me see the funny side of things instead of the red. I know i grabbed the opportunities to squeeze all of the hugs and cuddles i could get over the last few days, and i know they feel much better when i do. So i will try to continue this little streak as long as i can.

They will soon be of age and out the door, so i must keep reminding myself to slow down while they are speeding up. Remind myself that even though he might squirm at first, my oldest still likes to be picked up and hugged just as much as the youngest. And to of course let the middle one tell his "circle stories" a bit more often. And also to not be so protective of the little one cause he will need to get used to the bumps and bruises if he wants to keep up with "the olders".

It was a great weekend... and My Love and I are very blessed for...

"having sons"

rp

gobble gobble, oink oink.... mooooo...

2008-11-27T10:17:00.005-06:00

Turkeys hate this day. Its a mass celebration of the slaughter of their tasty feathered families. If they are lucky, they can be pardoned by one of 50 US Governors or become an Internet phenom/martyr like the ones that spent their last goggles behind Sarah Palin. Yep, its a sad day for very large poultry. But its their fault... they shouldn't taste so good and wash down nicely with whipped mashed potatoes and gravy. Plus, they are rather ugly creatures... the "hand made drawings" my kids make of them are much more appealing.

Pigs don't have much of a reprieve on this day either. Some families prefer to celebrate what we are all thankful for with some brown sugar glazed ham. That stuff, much like turkey, is great even days after the event on sandwiches and snacks.

But today the cows celebrate. For one day, they are not the main course or "tonight's special". People all over the country will be sleeping off a turkey hang over while the cows can celebrate and feel safe. At least until later that night, when everyone wants a hamburger.

"cattle paradise"

rp

some say...

2008-11-26T09:29:00.004-06:00

A tongue lashing in the form of simple words and phrases presented in a unique and ever expanding journal of thought... is really not something i ever thought i would be doing. I have always said, "I build the web... i don't use it". But it seems this is more entertaining than i thought it would be. In my industry there are thousands of books and magazines that all urge designers to find a creative outlet that is something other than what they do for a living. In fact i think most self help gurus would urge anyone to go out and do something creative as a hobby.

Well for now it seems i will stay on The Daily Captcha blog bandwagon and ride it down a few fun hills. I have found it does make me want to express myself in more ways than just creative coding. And it is slightly less painful and a bit less permanent than "ink". Its definitely not as fun as a tattoo, but the canvas is not as limited and it lends itself to the occasional mistake or two which can easily be updated.

My Beautiful Brown Eyed Girl recently told me that i was pretty good at writing, and even was so bold as to say that it is a gift. Well, i have to slightly disagree with that, but am still willing to give my opinionated, yet cheerful, point of view away on a daily basis. Here is a recent poem that I shared with the entire office, and as with some of these entries, it was well received.

"Mountain Don't"

If it was you
who did the Dew
please clean the spew
so the freezer looks new
on the floor under two

thank you

I normally don't like to rhyme and prefer to play with the percussion that presents itself from the puns i ponder. I love a good metaphor like child loves chocolate. Yeah... i know... that was a simile. And an analogy that further explains a well developed argument can be compared to ninja master teaching a pupil the fine art of tossing a throwing star. Or something like that...

"arsenal discovered"

rp

arrr... shiver me timbers...

2008-11-25T12:14:00.005-06:00

It seems everyone wants to be a pirate these days. If it was not for the braided hair and blackened eyed swashbuckler Johnny Depp, I'm not sure this craze would be happening. I mean Captain Jack Sparrow IS one of the more popular role models now-a-days with his semi-drunk, quasi-gay, and full-on sex appeal. I mean who wouldn't want to dress in knickers and wear boots, buckles, and belts that would put the 80's to shame. But other than that, why else is there so much fuss lately?

Well... I was reading in the news about actual pirates and how they have stolen a tanker ship full of oil. Immediately i am thinking, well that is just not very nice, but then the Robin Hood in me snaps my tights and thinks to myself... good for them. Thieves stealing from thieves always brings out the best headlines. So not only are we still fascinated with the lore of the pirates from the past, but even today, they are still around and causing a ruckus.

"active mutiny"

rp

now there is a first...

2008-11-24T16:41:00.004-06:00

This one will be short and sweet... and a bit "unusual". Monday is always hard to get one of these things off, but here is one that looked much different than all the others i have ever seen... and it is consistent with how often i can normally write these "daily" entries. So without a bunch of hoopla and puns...

"delivered usually"

rp

I don't even know what to say...

2008-11-21T13:11:00.007-06:00

Yeah, this might sound amazing to some, but when i saw the video, i didn't even know what to say. I was absolutely stunned that the Governor of Alaska, a woman who was running for the Vice President of the United States of American, could have allowed herself to be caught on video like this.

If you have not heard yet, Sarah Palin decided to do an interview at a Turkey Farm where apparently she was supposed to "pardon a turkey". I didn't see that part of the interview, but what i did see was her standing in from of the execution table while a guy was killing turkeys. How can you be so unaware of your surroundings that you don't even know a turkey is being killed... on camera... only a few feet behind you.

Take a look at the video.

I know things like this happen, but how can someone have so much bad luck on video. It is almost as bad as the fumblings of our 43rd President... good ol' W. I am so happy that America finally woke up and saw that our country was being run by idiots, and were about ready to put into office a similar brood of buffoons.

"whitehouse no"

rp

feeling more protected and on the cheap...

2008-11-20T20:32:00.005-06:00

I don't have much time to write and babble like i normally do... i should be working on a project right now. So i apologize if this one is a bit short and very self serving.

We have had the same insurance for the past 7 years, and summer has been with this provider since she first started driving. One day a work, we had a guy come in and woo us with pizzas and talk about switching to Travelers insurance. He had a lot of good things to say, that i barely heard through all of my scarfing and chewing, but I thought it would be a good idea to see if we could save some money by switching. Turns out we would be saving a ton of money, but we were both not very comfortable with the company. After a lot of deliberating and a few weeks of back and forth with 3 different agencies, we switched to American Family.

The agent is very down to earth and much like with State Farm, our previous insurance company, we only ever have to talk to this guy. The coverage is much better than what we had before in some areas, and we saved a lot of money by playing with deductibles and what not. All in all, we are very happy that we are switching.

So here is the advertisement... If we refer anyone to him, he gives us a free meal at the Torreon Mexican Restaurant as a thank you. So everyone that reads this blog entry, please look into contacting Matt Nixon at American Family... 913-362-0805. Pick up the phone... get a free quote... switch to him... and i get Enchiladas!

"mex thankful"

rp

fair weather friend...

2008-11-19T15:42:00.006-06:00

The captcha gods were not smiling on me today, and it took a bit more time to find something to write about. When you keep getting nonsense like "58 1/2 127th" it makes it mighty hard to find something to write about other than a short person's height and what street they live on. I'm sure there are not many people who want to read about that subject.

So there was a sigh of relief when this one finally popped up. It made me think of all of the blog entries i have written, and about the people who might happen upon this mystical journal of abstract words and phrases. I have a good idea about who(more like where) follows my blog from various sneaky ways, but It would be nice to have a comment from someone other than my beautiful Brown Eyed Girl and the every mysterious Anonymous.

I know i am very opinionated, but from my point of view it is much better to speak your mind and have a stance on something than to hide quietly in the corner and just "bitch and moan" under my breath. And yes... occasionally ol' Anonymous has a valid point of view, but lucky for me it is never the right one. (hehehe!) But I always love getting comments from anyone about anything, because at the very least it starts up a dialogue that everyone can learn from. And make sure to spread the word... tell your friends and enemies that there is a fun lil blog with a unique spin on "the everyday".

If you happen upon this entry and have a point of view, share it. Even if you feel like telling me I'm a patronizing liberal loud mouth... cause well... I AM!

"jeers publisher"

rp

before you know it...

2008-11-18T14:39:00.003-06:00

You always hear the phrase "before you know it..." followed by some kind of milestone that will be reached by your child. First it was giggling... then it was rolling over... then crawling... etc. Well my youngest just took cruising right into a full blown walking. He still needs some help from the couch and when he wants to get somewhere fast, he drops down into four wheel drive and does his trusty speed crawl.

There is something different about this one and how he is growing up. Maybe its because he is our last "planned" child (knock on lots of wood) , but we seem to be having a lot of fun with him. And even though he wakes a ton and gives his mom and dad plenty of things to sigh and roll our eyes at, he is definitely a keeper. Much like his two older brothers, he can grab the attention of the entire room and hold it with his always happy and very toothy smile. He is blessed with red hair and his mother wants him to keep it... I know how hard it is to grow up a Ginger Kid, and i apologize now for passing on my pasty white skin to both him and his much blonder older brother.

Well, Zee Zee before you know it you will be driving off to college or some other adventure, but for now, I'm happy to see you just walking and lighting up the room.

"hill rollin"

rp

look both ways before crossing...

2008-11-17T12:06:00.005-06:00

So, an ad agency in NYC named Taxi thought it would be a good idea to run an ad for Motrin during International Babywearing Week that portrayed the voice of a semi-Valley Girl mother who after carrying around her baby had back pain.

Seems like a good idea right? Maybe, but not when your execution alienates a lot of different demographics all in one pass. Here is the TV Commercial.

Now I work in advertising for a company that exclusively does work for Pharma, so i understand the wishy washy text that they had to use when they said things like "Wearing your baby seems to be in fashion" or "In theory it seems to be a great idea". I understand the ad probably had to go through 24 rounds of revisions just to make it to the web site. But this is like saying that in theory reading to your child is a great idea. NO! there is no "theory" about it... it is a scientific fact. Not in theory but in practice, there are numerous benefits to wearing your baby. And if you use the right sling, pouch, or wrap, there virtually is no pain... even if your lil ones are giants like mine.

So the commercial first gives you the impression that a mom who wears her baby is just doing so to be fashionable. Then makes many false claims that wearing your baby in a sling causes all sorts of pain. And finally the ad mentions that "it totally makes you look like an Official Mom" because you have a baby strapped to you. So i guess a baby is like a Prada bag you wear on your back that causes pain and if you don't do it you are officially NOT a mother. I can hear the engines redlining in almost every "mom" demographic right now

The fact that an agency did not understand the demographic they were trying to hit head on with these ads is just an example of "cool outweighing common sense". There are strategic approaches that must be taken, and for an agency to fail to see the whiplash response this ad might have in certain groups, gives experienced agencies, like the one i work for, a great example to show our clients what NOT to do.

Understand your audience... its much more important than the award you might take home next summer.

"untracked tribe"

rp

an accident waiting to happen...

2008-11-14T11:04:00.004-06:00

So yesterday got busy... AGAIN... and i didn't get a chance to blog... so today i found a fitting captcha for the event that started out yesterday on a bad note.

I was a few minutes from work, and I turned off the highway and onto the street that brings me to the area where i work. It is very busy street with 3 lanes per side and 45MPH speed limit. So I turn onto it cause there was no traffic coming my way. Head into the middle lane for a few seconds, then realize everyone in that lane and the left lane are slowing down. So i merge over into the right lane instead and bring my car up to speed. As I'm approaching a green light, going about 45 or so, I see a car pull out from their red light right into my lane about 50 feet in front of me. And normally when someone pulls into a flood of oncoming traffic, they speed up quickly so they don't cause an accident.

Well this woman had other plans. As I'm crapping my pants and stepping with full force on my brakes to try and not plow into the back of her, she slowly finishes her turn into my lane and goes about 15 miles an hour for a good 6 or 7 car lengths. Now if i was in any other vehicle that weighed more than my MINI, i would have destroyed her. But luckily for her, me, and my lil British Bulldog, i safely came to a screeching halt and through up as many gestures as i could to let her know i was less then pleased with her decision.

So this leads me to the question... whose fault would this have been? Mine, because i rear-ended her, or hers because she did not yield to oncoming traffic? Either way, that event ruined my morning, and almost my underwear.

"street legality"

rp

chaos theory for the armed...

2008-11-11T14:42:00.006-06:00

While living in NYC for a few years, my wife and i noticed a lot of weird behavior by the masses. There were major events that happened that interrupted daily life and sent people into mass hysteria. One such event was a predicted blizzard by the weather gods of media, and just like clockwork, the entire city went out and tried to buy shovels... On the news, you could see people walking out of the store with 4 or 5 of them as if they where disposable like plastic spoons. Funny thing about that event... we barely got a dusting of snow.

So similar events seem to be stirring in our society since the announcement of who will stand in our next Presidential Office. It looks like those US citizens who choose to bare arms are flocking to the closest Weapon-Mart and stocking up on all sorts of shiny objects that make things bleed. I guess i should stock up on a few semi-automatic assault rifles just in case Paul Reverse sends out a mass email letting us know "The British are Coming!"

Now don't misunderstand me... I think guns in the proper hands is quite the norm... but normally the proper hands holding the guns are not the normal ones who make holes in others... and that is just no fun for anyone.

"sociology day"

I had fun writing today... i hope you had just as much fun reading.

rp

Honey Im Home...

2008-11-10T17:08:00.005-06:00

Not much happening today on the captcha front... It gave me very little to work with, and i am a bit more impatient than usual today. It seems though that Obama was given a tour of his new home by Dubya today. I'm sure their conversations were very interesting, and i would love to see the look on Barack's face as Mr. Bush fumbled through his everyday happenings. I guess it is a chance for at least one person to start...

"understanding bushy"

rp

who wants to play the blame game...

2008-11-07T12:43:00.004-06:00

Yep, it is all her fault. This election would have gone to the Republicans if it wasn't for the fumbles and fuddles of that "sexy librarian" looking soccer mom from up north. How dare she destroy our hopes of continuing to be richer than the next guy and making sure all Americans believe in the values of the "right" religious point of view.

Or maybe we didn't send out enough SPAM with anti-Obama propaganda or yell out enough slurs and make people understand how "that guy" is nothing more than a egotistical pretty talker who wants to destroy America as we know it. How dare he promote the idea of Change and say that the last 8 years were anything but Patriotic Bliss.

I'm not sure who to blame, but it can't be the fact that Americans actually wanted him as a president. That would just be.... well UnAmerican. Or maybe its just me... and my way of thinking is a bit close minded and selfish. Hmmm.... NAH! it was definitely that Sarah Palin's fault that we didn't win. We never should have allowed her to be Robot John's running mate.

"oops recognize"

rp

what would you do...

2008-11-06T13:03:00.004-06:00

Checked my Inbox today, and filtered through all the Hate mail comments i receive from "Anonymous", and the other spam. Saw that i had a few Facebook messages/updates, and I hopped on over there. I saw i had a friend request, and as always, im like... "me! who wants to be my friend?"

So i take a look... see the name and pic... and im stuck. I am terrible with names, mainly because i purge that kind information right as i shake your hand. So this was no different, and even with the help of a picture, i wasn't quite sure if i remembered them. Look at their profile, and see that we had a few of the same friends, and went to the same high school and graduated in 1995. So immediately i feel like a schmuck for not remembering someone i probably sat next to in a few classes or passed in the hall ways a few times times a day. I know this has to be a common occurrence for ppl who use Facebook, but what is the netiquette for something like this? Do you ask WTF they are in a message, do you ignore the request, or do you just add them and move along with your day?

So this captcha, like most of them, stood out and made its way to the stage...

"connecting 95"

rp

lets see what this baby can do...

2008-11-05T09:23:00.006-06:00

Well to say yesterday was a good day is an understatement. A victory that sent a message to the rest of the world that indeed... we want change. Yeah, there is a huge mess to clean up after the last 8 year long frat party, but I, like many other Americans, believe we have put in place a leader who is willing to pick up the first mop.

And last night we as a Democratic party have picked up a few more seats in congress, and even though we don't have the Filibuster Proof numbers that would make it almost impossible to stop the right(left) legislation from going through, it is still a good sign for things to come. And it must be said that having those kind of numbers might not necessarily be a good thing for everyone involved. I mean there are millions of ppl who don't think the same way i do, so they should have SOME kind of say in how this country is run, right? Yeah, maybe not... hehe.

We will have a nice big fat Democratic government starting in 2009, with all THREE branches helping to make decisions and lead the way...

"dictate thirds"

rp

a look back...

2008-11-03T16:37:00.006-06:00

This election has been anything but boring, and some of the events that have shaped tomorrow's outcome will be remembered. So i decided to look for things that reminded me of these events, instead of the method i normally use to find something i to blog about. The first one that came up that gave me this idea was...

"mockery interview"

The interview between Gov. Palin and Katie Couric was priceless, and gave SNL more material in this election than they could possibly dream of.

"theatrical fight"

The debates this year were full of much of the same, but somehow they became very entertaining to me. Especially, how very little was answered by Jiggly John in the way of complete sentences. Im still looking for my Pork Barrel to come in them mail...btw.

"words hicks"

Another item i "reported" about was the Texas woman who lied about being attacked by a PRObama black man who carved a backwards "B" into her cheek. This along with the "shout outs" at the Palin Witch Hunts, errr i mean Political Rallies were blunders to say the least.

Well that is all for now... i like this topic and i might revisit it after the battle is finally decided, and the courts have elected our next president.

:)

rp

welcome, lil guy...

2008-10-31T16:24:00.005-05:00

I came across this one, and had to post it. Our good friends Sofi and Jon had their first child just recently. A bouncing baby boy named Kannon... pretty cute huh? They also took my wife's childbirth classes, which i am sure helped them achieve the birth they wanted. They seem to still be on the "new parent high"... i'll give em another week before they turn into zombies.

So congratulations, its...

"hudson time"

rp

a kink in the armor...

2008-10-31T09:19:00.004-05:00

Yesterday my second tallest king went into battle... he fought with all his might against superheros and fairies and even a giant witch. But unfortunately, his armor did not hold up as planned. There was a weakness in the armor that we knew about before we kicking the lil warrior out of the car. Luckily for him, he still has his arm... but that area of his protective suit has a kink. The part that protects his upper arm was ripped off... probably by a Rabies infected Hanna Montana or a sticky fingered Ghost. But most likely it was him diving for a dropped Jolly Ranger on the floor or something of that nature. So before he goes out tonight to defend his honor, the two blacksmiths in the family need to figure out how to keep that cardboard glued and stapled together.

"on corrugated"

rp

BOO!!! yeah, I was suprised too...

2008-10-29T15:47:00.007-05:00

It was perfect. It was exactly what i wanted to talk about. The Daily Captcha came at me like Ed McMahon on Sunday for "The Big Game" (quickly calls attorneys to make sure a Trademark violation was not made). No, it is not quite that time or year yet, and im not even very interested in Football with the Chiefs in a Spiral of Suck lately.

Its Halloween and the two oldest of the three kings wanted to be Knights this year. My eyes sparkled and my fingers danced as my imagination went into hyper drive. I have always wanted to make a suit of armor. Too bad i didn't have a metal forging bench and a 5000 degree fire to whack away at some glowy orange stuff, cause you know i would have. Instead the material that was chosen was.......... cardboard. No Wait! These suits of armor would look nothing like a UPS man who just got shoved into his own deliveries by neighborhood thugs. Even my kids thought they would look like a bunch or brown robots, but i would have the last laff.

I molded and taped, I sprayed and draped. Until the last piece of corrugation was fitted to my liking. My kings would have their armor, and hopefully battle "with gentle hands" on their day of glory (insert cool King Arthur sounds). I will take some pics of them the big day and try to post them later, but I had to tell everyone about it now, since the Captcha Gods showed me a sign.

"costumes seen"

rp

shut up... i was sick...

2008-10-28T11:25:00.003-05:00

After battling a flu for half the week, and waking up on Sunday with my left eye glued shut, I figured someone was telling me to slow down a bit. And now i have a mystery ankle issue that has come about as well. So I am a dry coughing, weird voice talking, right leg limping, red headed freak with happy case of Pink Eye. So this weekend i missed a few entries, and Monday i took off... so sue me!

And I am thinking that The Daily Captcha is sometimes a bit too hard to get to on the weekends... so if i do post on a Saturday or Sunday, consider yourself blessed.

"entries orphaned"

rp

wow... i repeat... wow...

2008-10-24T16:12:00.005-05:00

Politics is fun. Politics is the source of my daily entertainment lately, and there is nothing more fun than reading a headline like this:

Woman admits making up McCain sticker attack, police say

I'm not even sure what to think about this woman... I mean she does come from a very Red state and i would hate to stereotype people from TX, but when i found out where it happened, i thought to myself... "Figures". Yeah, I know... not all Texans are liberal hating, racist idiots, but since i live in a state full em them, i know one when i see them.

Here is what the 20 year old Todd had to say about the incident when first reporting it to the police.

"called her a lot of names and stated that 'You are going to be a Barack supporter,' at which time she states he sat on her chest, pinning both her hands down with his knees, and scratched into her face a backward letter 'B' on the right side of her face using what she believed to be a very dull knife."

After later confessing to the lie, she stated that she did not know how she acquired the large 'B' on her cheek. And the below quote says so much about this woman and and her politically incorrectness...

"Richard said the woman had described her alleged attacker as an African-American, 6 feet 4 inches tall with a medium build and short dark hair, wearing dark clothing and shiny shoes."

SHINY SHOES! I just had to LOL when i first read that statement. I love it... politics is so fun!

Read the story on CNN.com

"local tackled"

rp

boys got issues...

2008-10-23T08:45:00.000-05:00

He is the the middle child... the youngest of the older two... the king of the circle story... the master of prolonged goodnight kisses... the toe head with "steal blue eyes"... the boy with chocolate hopes and Chiclet smiles.

So what is the most important thing on a 3-year-olds mind? What is for "breakfast". I wish i had a taste of those simple days, when the only problems you faced were inside out jammies, older brothers, and play stoppage for bathroom breaks. Im sure these things were much harder as a 3-year-old, but it would be fun to go back... and wear a PB&J smile for the entire day.

"three-year-olds issue"

rp

its got a good ring to it...

2008-10-22T19:57:00.007-05:00

As I click thru all the possibilities for The Daily Captcha, there is really only one topic that keeps coming to mind. Music. Well, actually band names. I mean this lil gem of security and online wisdom comes up with some of the most unique word combinations around. What better way to name your band.

So tonight i collected the ones that i thought were unique and also something you might hear as the headliner at the local pub. So listed below are the band names and the type of music you might expect them to play.

"division excess"

Electronica and Techno beats

"reich hotel"

Germanic Death Metal band

"madame paralysis"

All chick punk band

"eskimos gold"

A Christian Rock band whose lead singer was once Sarah Palin.

:)

So, if you are starting a band, and need some inspiration, look to the oracle of cool... The Daily Captcha.

rp

blue moments...

2008-10-21T17:18:00.004-05:00

Swerving in and out of traffic on my daily commute, i always look at the backs of cars. You can tell a lot about a person by the kind of car they drive and more importantly the tailgate tattoos that so often appear. And with a presidential election just weeks away, it seems there are more and more evidence of these automobile tramp stamps.

So what does my car say about me? Well its pretty obvious what i do for a living... it says so right on my license plate. And to accompany that, I have two circular Obama magnets on either side of the plate... It looks pretty nice next to the new Shelby Racing stripes i recently got... or "Go Fast Stripes" as the Brits would say.

So back to the point of the blog... as I'm driving through traffic, making friends and enemies at every lane change and turn, I see bumper stickers for both McCan't and Obama. It's funny how quickly I would let an Obama Car over compared to a car with a Jiggly John sticker, and even funnier how i try to block those huge SUVs with the W04 stickers in the window. They are all just cattle... polluting our sky with their gases, and blocking our roads as they moooove through life without a care for anyone around them. We recently took a trip to Wichita and had to rent one of those monstrosities to make sure it was comfortable to travel with our three young kings. I almost stuck my two "Vote For Change" magnets on the back... just so i wouldn't be too stereotypical.

So The Daily Captcha is a salute to all the cars out there that show pride and support for Obama and Biden in a clearly Red State. Thanks for giving me...

"blue moments"

rp

to the rhythm...

2008-10-20T16:36:00.005-05:00

I love music... probably more than most people i have been told. There are a few genres that i don't care to listen too, but on average, i think i can find something amazing within each. I am really into a good rhythm and a strong beat. I like poetic lyrics that fall off the tongue with ease, and I even appreciate it when songs like Blues Travelers The Hook are sang so fast you cant even keep up. I work out to hardcore alternative and metal along with the stuff you here in the clubs. I like to drive to Dave Matthews Band and also with Nine Inch Nails. What ever mood Im in, i normally can find something to push me to a place i want to be... good or bad.

Today I didn't have time to listen to much. Only a few songs in the morning and a few on the drive home. I can really tell the difference in my mood as I starve for the undulation of Techno and Trance, or the raw energy of bands like Metallica and Disturbed. Hopefully tomorrow will bring about more time to fill my ears with pitch and prose. It makes a happier me.

"tempo love"

By the way... If i had to choose my favorite group of all time... it would definitely be DMB... and i would have A Typical Situation or Watchtower on repeat for days at a time.

rp

W. the review...

2008-10-19T19:48:00.004-05:00

Sen. Barack Obama was in town yesterday giving a speech to what i heard, were unending lines of supporters. We were going to try and make it down to the event, but with our 3 kings needing their own time to play and get some sleep, we decided that it would not work out. Instead we decided to head out and watch what looked to be a good movie with a nice Liberal slant.

Learning our lesson from the last time we attempted to see a movie, we went and purchased our tickets early. Had some dinner as a Royal Family and headed home to get them settled for the rest of their respective evenings. After the arrival of the sitter and the youngest making little a peep in the monitor, we were off to see W. the movie.

I am typically an Oliver Stone fan, and have enjoyed numerous evenings viewing his flicks. While somewhat entertaining, it was almost as if Mr. Stone forgot to share his "point". Movies like JFK and Born on the 4th of July were no less than cinema history, but this film seems way too much like the evening news. Its not like we didn't already know he was an idiot. So needless to say, this was no Oliver Stone...

"great classic"

rp

big apples in autumn...

2008-10-18T11:55:00.008-05:00

I absolutely love this time of year. Perhaps maybe because i was born in the fall, but the smell in the air, the cool breezes that whistle through the trees, and the changing colors all around makes me feel energized. This time of year in Kansas City is very beautiful, but it also makes me long for the two years we spent in New York City.

I loved the way the city came alive again, and people seemed happier because they were no longer feeling the heat and sweat of the person crowded next to them. I loved this time too, because i could break out all the jackets i like to wear, and sit comfortably on a patio enjoying a nice Porter or some other seasonal beer. I think i might have to do that tonight... an reminisce about the short time spent in the big city.

"gotham high"

rp

Yin and Yang...

2008-10-18T11:31:00.007-05:00

Yesterday got away from me. Most workdays are filled with the average number of meetings and fires to extinguish, but yesterday seemed to be filled with more chaos than usual. I sometimes have a problem remembering to eat lunch, and yesterday was one of those days. So Friday easily escaped without being stamped with The Daily Captcha. So this morning I thought i would make up for it.

Normally, The Daily Captcha is a process the involves clicking through a few captchas until i find one that is semi-interesting. I try to think about something i can relate to and post some textual ramblings, much like what you are reading now. Today is a bit different. I saw one that stopped me dead in my tracks. I am probably the only person on this blue and green ball that finds the random pairings of squiggly words as tiny works of art. I thought this particular one was just that. The contrast is very poetic and almost hard to even imagine. How could a paradise produce something so disgusting. It made me stop to think about other things that have a more hidden or raw side to them. Its the Yin and Yang theory, and all things good have an equally evil side as well. Money begets greed, love makes people crazy, and babies produce poop... lots of it. So this Daily Captcha is no different.

"honolulu sewage"

rp

paying the bills...

2008-10-16T13:59:00.004-05:00

"Click, Click, Click..." is the sound as i search for something to write about. Then it appears... the captcha that hits close to home. Im in advertising working for the number two web agency in Kansas City. Why tell anyone that you are the number "two" agency you ask? Because when i first started working her, we were still a fairly small fish in a very large pond, with only 40 some employees worldwide. We compete against, and more importantly outperform, billion dollar media giants because we specialize in one industry. Pharma. And we are proud to say that we are agency or record for Abbott Laboratories, and we work on many other national brands with those same billion dollar media giants.

There is really only one caveat to what we do here, and that is the hoops we have to jump through, the rules we have to follow, and the mountains we need to climb to get the work out to the consumer. Much like a drug itself, there are lots of people that need to review and scrutinize the media we produce for the web. So this captcha is something that all of us here at Intouch think about on a daily basis...

"abbott attorneys"

Lucky for me I don't have to include an ISI (Important Safety Information) or send it thru "MedReg", cause it might not have been posted until 2009.

;)

rp

as we speak...

2008-10-15T20:12:00.005-05:00

I think that saying is pretty funny when used in the form of writing... but we use it anyway because it sounds good. So as we speak, the debates are just now beginning. For the 3rd and last time, McCain will butt heads with Obama. Both of those names sound very powerful, and you can almost hear the thunderous music playing in the background as these two gladiators sharpen their swords and bang on their shields. You can't quite same that about Kerry... maybe that is the real reason he didn't defeat Bushy in the last election. Or maybe our nation was consumed in fear and drunk on its own so-called patriotism.

Well good luck to both challengers, and i hope some real answers are provided to what seems to be the same questions thrown out night after night. God Speed and ...

"campaign well"

Yeah, I know... it seems the captcha apps have a little November Fever as well :)

rp

whoops! did I say that out loud...

2008-10-14T11:32:00.008-05:00

I thought I would try to do a blog that had nothing to do with politics, but then I just couldn't help myself. Sometimes it is just too easy to look morally superior to the conservative right or should we call them the Third Reich? Yeah, that is a bit harsh to call all of them bigots, but the ones that are stupid enough to yell out slurs and worse... yell "kill 'em!" when referring to Barack Obama during a rally are just plain idiots.

And on the radio the other day the "sidekick" went out to a McCain/Palin rally and recorded the crowd. I have never heard so many people spewing hate towards someone based on completely false statements. Yeah, like Obama supports terrorism... come on! Its like they have their horse blinds up and can only see to the "right".

"limiting right"

I believe that facts can be skewed on both ends, but i believe Obama is the man that will lead our country in the "right" direction. And why is it that if someone has a political view that is contrary to the GOP that they are considered "un-American". Diversity in thought, belief, and especially faith is what makes our country so great.

rp

aint my hero no more...

2008-10-13T12:25:00.005-05:00

I read a short article earlier today about the 10 things that should be changed about the Heroes TV show on NBC. I agreed with almost all of it. Basically, the series went from being a bunch or humans finding their "inner selves" to a bunch of no named mutants who some how are keeping humanity in the dark to their powers as they shoot blue flames from their hands. Yeah, like that security cam footage wouldn't be on Youtube in five minutes.

With a confusing plot, unending story lines, and too many people just unable to die, the show's writers are like a band of disgruntled Marvel fans who forgot to take their ADHD meds. And I have to give a bit "WTF Shoutout" to the flying senator who has a new found imaginary friend.

"linderman seriously"

Kills some of them off would ya!

(cough) Hiro! (cough)

rp

the patron saint of...

2008-10-12T22:51:00.004-05:00

Yes, that is right. Its late on Sunday evening and I almost forgot to blog. Luckily for me I have been ordained, or something like that. I am really not sure why this honor has been bestowed upon me, but it has, and I will fulfill my destiny.

Send me your most interesting... send me your failed and confounded... send them all, for I have been blessed with a gift. Like the Pied Piper, they rally around my words and keep their heads high, strutting towards their final resting place. The captcha now have a home and I will take care of them. For I am...

"ST Casey"

The Patron Saint of Lost Captcha

rp

8 hours, 3 young children, and one van...

2008-10-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

In a few hours my beloved family and i will be hitting the road. Our quest is to say happy birthday and show off our beautiful offspring to my grandfather who just turned 90 years young. The road is long, and most of the time boring, but we will venture into the haze of mid-day and return as the moon and stars shine down on the path before us. Friends and co-workers have asked me if i was doing anything interesting this weekend, and with pride I announced the glorious adventure that awaits us. The look on their faces is priceless, as if to say... "Are you F'in nuts!". Others share stories of their own misadventures with kids in a car and they provide the only advice they can muster... "good luck".

I happened upon this masterful bit of pixels just yesterday and knew i had to share. Its the feeling of combined sorrow and hope for a fellow human as they are about to embark on the "road to hell"...

"travel pathy"

Its empathy... only with more dread.

rp

ode to Anonymous...

2008-10-10T15:05:00.006-05:00

Thank you my dear for sharing your thoughts
Your quotes and statements to rattle my pots
Have only shone the light for us to see
How conservatives give money to charity
And their money isn't "right" for you and me.

Its this way of thinking that leads me to believe
That Liberals are right and are destined to achieve
The highest power in the world and our great land
To a thinker, a visionary, a leader so grand
Thanks to you, Conservatives, give 'em a hand.

.............

I truly appreciate your comments and for actually reading this little social experiment gone awry. We may share a different point of view, but at least we can both read. Now lets work on the 40 some million who can't. Care to comment?

"comment any"

rp

Kansas, the new Blue State...

2008-10-09T10:20:00.005-05:00

As I drive around my neighborhood there is a sense of hope. I see what looks to be a lot more Obama supporters than there are McCain supporters. It feels good... it feels like "change" is actually coming to our nation. We have been held back like a child being shoved into a locker by a bully. Our nation of fear is now becoming a nation of change. Its like we have finally opened our eyes after 8 long years, and are now seeing that our proud country does not have to hide behind the "threat of terror"... that there is no big bad boogy man out to get us. Yes, we have conflicts with many other nations, but the last way to make someone agree with you is to punch them in the face until they say "uncle".

I see all of these Obama signs throughout the neighborhood, and this year i am hoping that Kansas has switched teams... that we as a state will leave the Repulican party and "Vote for Change" in the upcoming election.

"toto bailed"

Who am i kidding... Kansas will always be a Red State, so I better bail.

rp

one after another after another after...

2008-10-08T11:56:00.009-05:00

Another evening of rhetoric and catch phrases spewed out to the masses in hopes that some of them are stupid enough and don't realize that you can't fund government programs without taxes. Jiggly John had all sorts of them flyin out left and right... my Google searches couldn't keep up. Like, WTF are the references to earmarks and pork barrels? Is there any reason this guy can't just speak in normal sentences and explain his points? I have yet to see a Republican candidate speak in a way that doesn't sound like they are trying to fit as many political catch phrases into one sentence as humanly possible. It is as if they get their inspiration from some stupid form of graphic-based internet security device. :)

I personally think that Obama did a much better job of using normal "talking points" to explain how his plans will effect the middle class. Tax the rich and give to the poor... simple Robin Hood theory.

"taxes justification"

And just for fun, here are some other captchas that could be used in the next debate in case either candidate needs a one liner...

"pound packers"

"economic gloves"

"western millions"

rp

sleepless in Kansas City...

2008-10-07T12:34:00.003-05:00

If anyone knows of a way to make a 3 year old "want" to sleep, please... please! send the magic recipe. It seems like every night this beautiful blond little boy will emerge from his room countless times and mostly for no reason at all. My moonshine will wake up in the middle of the night and come wandering up the stairs, and start to talk to us well before we are in range of his voice. Most of the time it is because he is scared of something in his room, or has to pee in our bathroom, instead of the one 3 feet from his door.

I can't remember what the reasons where last night, but im tired, and a bit cranky. So this captcha is what seems to happen over and over again from the time we sing his good night songs to the moment he comes bounding up the stairs at 7am announcing the start of the day.

"night stopped"

rp

blah blah blah...

2008-10-06T10:15:00.004-05:00

The economy is in the crapper, along with my own personal stocks. The political machines are revving their engines louder and louder. The Kansas City Chiefs lose yet another football game.

It seems every Monday the news is always the same... the headlines always seem to spell out the same messages from the previous week. The only thing that seems to have changed recently, besides my socks, is the price of gas. I never thought i would be excited about "only" paying $3 a gallon. Maybe it was that statement McCan't made about how Nuclear Power would get rid of Big Oil. Way to go Jiggly John... keep up the good work!

"usual announcements"

rp

still recouping...

2008-10-05T20:28:00.004-05:00

As predicted in a previous post, I am still trying to recover from a fun night out. And since i am not feeling very inspired or the least bit witty as i ordinarily do, i am glad i found the below captcha.

"as ordinarily"

I aspire to be a tad bit more entertaining in my next few posts.

rp

fun to be had...

2008-10-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

As all you my loyal subjects know, it was my "birfday" this last Wednesday, and today we plan on going out and celebrating. It should be quite a time, and it seems we have a lot of people able to make it out. Certainly enough to hoist me up on their shoulders and parade me around the P&L (Power & Light District for the non-locals) for all to see. Anyone interested in paying homage, please feel free to join in.

The Daily Captcha is more of a prediction... I actually saw it on Friday while doing THAT daily search. But i knew, because i am omnipotent, i will most likely be doing the below the next day. So just in case you don't see a blog on Sunday... fear not... i am hopefully still alive and just resting.

"recoup birthday"

rp

its July 5th... better get ready for it...

2008-10-03T11:31:00.006-05:00

Im sure there is a term for it. Kinda like Moore's Law, Pavlov's Response, or "gravity" (yeah, like that's real). Its that phenomenon that happens every year, and with each passing year, it seems to happen earlier and earlier. Last year, i think we went right from Halloween directly into Christmas.

This year, in the month of September, i actually heard an ad on the radio promoting the coming of the Holiday season. Before the weather had even turned slightly cool, this one radio station, who is the "Official Holiday radio station of Kansas City", had the wacky idea of promoting an early Holiday event. Now i have heard of X-Mas in July sales and i completely understand that concept. But this is different, and it needs to stop.

Like i said, i am sure there is a fancy term for it... but at the moment this "Death to Halloween and Thanksgiving" should simply be know as...

"Christmas fully"

Its a stretch, but where is your Holiday spirit?

:)

rp

always question authority...

2008-10-02T09:00:00.004-05:00

I got a nice message from a family member this morning concerning the previous "day". It was nice to receive what i did, and I'm still not sure how i want to proceed with this relationship. But there was one mishap in the delivery that soured the moment for me. I'm pretty sure it was a mathematical miscalculation, or maybe jitters from the last 9 months of this anxious situation. Either way i am feeling a bit out of sorts this morning.

The moment made me think back on what started it all, and how WE are perceived by them as the ones who are in the wrong. Entitlement is an evil thing to show to a loved one, and to expect to be a part of a process when each other's ideas do not share a common ground is naive. Disrespectful? Maybe, but we have never been mainstream and we know what is best for our family.

On a slightly less related event, i have to say a few things about "religos" coming to my door and peddling their form of faith. A few days ago a group of ppl rang my door bell during the "witching hours". For those of you with young kids, i don't even need to explain how much of an interruption this is to a house full of family chaos. They politely asked me if we belong to a church, and i politely snapped back that we were Agnostic(not completely true) and we're not interested. I wish i would have said we were Wiccans or Pagans to see a better look on there faces, but im not as witty when i do my stand up act. Maybe THAT would have been disrespectful as well. But hey, we are the Hill's and we question authority... even in our own family. Maybe we should hang this sign on our door for all to see:

"the impious"

rp

its the most wonderful day... of the year

2008-10-01T10:46:00.005-05:00

Ahhh... the air is feeling brisk and the leaves are starting to turn. This is by far my favorite time of the year. And it just so happens to be my favorite month, because i was born in it... actually i was born exactly 32 years ago today at the very minute this blog was published. Yes... happy birthday to me. And happy birthday soon to my two grandfathers, one of which will be turning 90 years old this year and also my older brother. Hope everyone has a good day.

"favorite Oct"

Yeah, i cheated a bit... i found this a few days ago.

:)

rp