An interesting sports day indeed ...

MJ, a man who spent his entire career dunking on 7 foot centers and hitting game winning jump shots, gets denied by an old white guy from Wisconsin ...

Roddick wins, Agassi loses at Wimbledon ... is there a changing of the guard going on in American Men's Tennis? ...

Miami decides to join the ACC, despite the fact that a change in the original plan has neutralized the financial incentives and Virginia Tech, the Canes' biggest football competitor, had already accepted their invitation to join the ACC ...

Another Dallas Cowboys' player finds himself in the middle of trouble after being shot at a strip club. It appears he was a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but isn't it funny how trouble seems to follow the 'Boys around? ...

Mario Lemieux may play one more season ... is that grumbling of another MJ return that I hear? ...

... And baseball still sucks.

(This may also be found at TheDustin Daily)

"Man, one of us should get married every week!"

I don't know how that would work, but judging from how much fun we've had the last couple of weeks from ending Thunder's days as a bachelor and then seeing him his first night as a married man, I'd say Dan makes a very good point. Amber and BJ's (Thunder) pre-marital activities and the wedding were so much fun. They single-handedly turned a bunch of loser couch potatoes into instant partyers.

I have to personally thank them for including me and giving me an opportunity to get away from my computer. I even got to enjoy some real human interaction for a change. On a serious note, it was really special for me to be a part of something so incredible. I want, so badly, to be able to put into words how I've felt the last few days but I don't think I've really had enough time to let it all sink in. Plus, I'm still trying to deal with the loss of being able to watch TV on a Sony Wega anytime I want. Anyway, maybe something will come to me in the next couple of days, or next year on June 27th, when we're all partying at Ri Ra's celebrating Amber and BJ's first wedding anniversary in our blue shirts. Until then, Congratulations BJ and Amber! I wish you the best, and I'll see you tomorrow night for dinner!!!

Sometimes I lie awake at night, unable to calm my thoughts. My mind will wander, find a road it likes and then hit the gas, heading down the road at 90 mph, which is fast for a mind like mine.

It can be any kind of road, my thoughts do not discrminate. Sometimes the road leads to things like Bobblehead Dan, an article for TheDustin Daily, or maybe just a random post like this one. Sometimes, I'm headed for that proverbial crossroad, a major decision in my life that I'm struggling with. I never reach the end of the road or choose which direction to go just lying there. I have to get up. I have to start that project, I have to write that article, I have to make that decision.

Tonight, I'm writing this, wondering if the same thing ever happens to you. I'm wondering if our thoughts parallel, if they intersect. I'm wondering if I might ever run into you while driving down the road at 90 mph. I'm wondering if,perhaps, you had too much sweet tea too late and you can't get to sleep either.

I realized tonight that after moving into BJ's room, I have basically kept everything the way he had it. I even kept his nifty little corner desk which gets on my nerves from time to time. That's ok, it's just a "lame duck" desk until I have the funds available to purchase a fine desk from a popular swedish furniture company whose nearest location is Woodbridge, VA. Sure, my other desk is where his bookshelf used to be and his bookshelf is where his file cabinet used to be, but overall things look the same (a. Did this guy actually take any of his furniture? Aren't I just keeping it in storage for him for free? ... b. Who keeps a file cabinet in their bedroom?).

So I've decided I might try to shake things up a bit. I'll probably need to buy a new bookshelf and a new desk first, but I'm gonna start brainstorming design ideas right now so that when the time comes, I'll be ready to place the new furniture in its appropriate location and rid myself of the old furniture.

Being a poor college student, it's rare for me to go out and buy an album after hearing just one song. After hearing Where is the Love by the Black Eyed Peas, though, I think I'll be headin out to More Better Purchase tomorrow.

Absolutely Ridiculous ....

How can my stupid little fictional news site compete when things like that are happening in the real world?

I've been writing a lot lately, but it's mostly been semicolons, parentheses, and those little curly brackets. I realized today the weather was a lot better than the weather robot said it would be, and in doing so I also realized that all I had to do was step outside for a moment to notice that. But I'm proud of what I accomplished the last couple of days so I'm forcing myself to take a vacation before my vacation. Tomorrow there will be no programming, no writing, no backlit reading. Tomorrow will be about me, a beautiful girl and, weather permitting, some laundry and a book by the pool. After that, I'm off to Myrtle Beach for the weekend. I can hear it now, "hip hip ... when you're on a holiday..."

And in case you gave up on him because he didn't have internet access, JDawg's post today is hilarious!

This won't be as well written as I want it to be because I've spent an entire day coding and "writing". You can find the fruits of my labor at a new website that I'm officially unveiling right now ... TheDustin Daily.

I welcome all criticism, concerns, suggestions ... but considering the amount of work I put into it, and the potential that it has, please hold strong comments for a couple of days. Then let loose!

Yeah, let's give the government the power to Remotely Destroy Our Computers!!! Why don't we just go ahead and give them the ability to blow up our cars when we run a red light too, that'll solve all of our problems.

"She replied with a smile marked by a fearlessness that made it seem like she knew I couldn't hurt a fly."

I remember the first day I caught her kicking the back of my chair. I turned around and told her, rather unconvincingly, that she'd better stop or else. She replied with a smile marked by a fearlessness that made it seem like she knew I couldn't hurt a fly. Every so often I would return her chair kicks with a lazy stretch of the arms, fully extending my fingers to blindly poke her in the eye or pick her nose. "You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose", Mr. Skipper used to say. But what about an angel, can you pick an angel's nose?

I didn't go to a lot of classes freshman year, but the one I tried hardest to make it to was English. I knew there was something there waiting for me everyday that could put a smile on my face. I couldn't quite put a finger on exactly what it was back then, but four years later, I think I have a pretty good idea.

MTV's Sway on Jewel's new look: "Use what you got to get what you want, Girl".

If you know who Sway is, you know why it's funny.

In other random Tuesday Tidbits, you might be wondering what 3234Q watches on Tuesdays now that Smallville is in reruns. Well thanks to Fox, we have a new Tuesday obsession at 9pm, Keen Eddie, a show about a NY cop sent to England. We're still getting acclimated to the show, but it's fun to watch.

Also, after finally getting through the societal train wreck that was The Real World: Las Vegas, MTV wasted no time in giving us what we really needed, Americans In Paris, also known as The Real World: Paris. Given the current political climate, I'd venture to say this is no coincidence, nor was it coincidence having a housemate that states on the second episode, "I hate the French, I hate everything about the French". Did he really have to be from Georgia, though? As if Southern men don't have enough to overcome. Anyway, suffice it to say that our Tuesday evenings will continue to be well spent in front of the tube, possibly consuming pizza, chinese food or various other substances that completely disrespect our bodies. God Bless America!

I'll admit, I tend to suffer from a slight case of road rage which can be brought out by either someone riding my tail or just doing something stupid in general. Usually I'm able to keep my road rage in check but this time was different. This guy was riding my tail, swerving and swayin about like he was waiting for the right time to go by me. Then, he finally decides to make his move and he blows past me at what seemed like 180mph.

Well this really made me mad. I just couldn't let this guy get away with thinkin he was all big and bad at my expense. I put the pedal to the floor and used all the horses to catch up to him, barely slowing down for even the deadliest of turns. He must have seen me in his rear view because his easy going speed turned into what looked like a bout of the high speed jitters. He started swervin and swayin again, this time to try to keep me from going by him. Well I was past the point of your minor case of road rage so I went ahead and tagged him.

I got up beside him and looked over at his prissy "just waxed" car and decided I've gone this far, I might as well go all the way. I gave my steering wheel a little nudge to the right and gave his car door a taste of rubber. After he repaid me with a little love tap. I decided to end it right there. With a sharp turn to the right we both went spinning across the blacktop, finally coming to a screeching halt.

We sat there for a moment, trying to figure out our next move when suddenly I noticed some other cars coming around. I straightened out my wheel, looked over at the enemy and said, "I'll see you at the finish line, Kurt." Then I leaned over and pressed the reset button. That was, after all, a points race in NASCAR Thunder 2003.

Thunder: So what time you guys gettin up in the mornin?
thedustin: Well I might actually get up early cause I've got some work to do.
Thunder: What's early for you? 8? 9?
dan the man 10's early for me.

It's not our fault you decided you had to be all grown up and get a job and stuff. Heck, I'm stayin in school forever man, you might as well join me.

It's been about two months since we upgraded to digital cable in ole 3234Q. Since then we've lost a roommate, graduated from college (how'd that happen?), and started summer school or summer work. Anyway, I thought I'd take a moment to comment on how digital cable has affected all of our lives here in 3234Q.

The impact of digital cable was immediate. BJ and I were in such a rush to get it up to the apartment and get it connected that I accidently locked my keys in the car. Luckily I had a spare key handy. The funny thing is, that was the first time I've ever locked my keys in the car, though someone has done it for me before. But thanks to that someone, I decided to keep a spare key handy and I was able to retrieve my keys without any major hassle.

Moving on, within the first two or three nights we ordered our first "OnDemand" movie for a paltry $3.95, actually free if I ever send in the coupon they gave us. We watched I Spy with Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson. It must've been a worthwhile purchase because we now own the movie on DVD. Unfortunately, Thunder was not here to watch it with us, but it's only fair because he had gone to see it without us in the theater.

That was our only OnDemand purchase so far, but digital cable offers free OnDemand channels, including Comedy Central, TechTV, A&E Biography, and a few more, but the selection of shows you're able to watch leaves something to be desired. These days I don't really expect much from something that's "free", so the novelty of the feature alone is enough to be excited about.

While it seems like upgrading to digital cable might encourage more tube-watching, I would contend that it can actually make tube watching more efficient - something I'm particularly interested in as a budding Industrial Engineer. You see, the "Guide" feature with digital cable is one of the best I've ever seen - it even allows you to search for shows by title. This means that those of you not trying to watch whatever show is re-airing on MTV for the millionth time will be able to schedule your day around when that episode of Inside Fame featuring Garth Brooks will be showin up again on CMT. The show descriptions are much better and more up to date than TV Guide, and you can even check out most shows almost a week in advance (a must have for Soap Opera enthusiasts - well I'd think so anyway, I don't really know for sure).

Most importantly, though, digital cable has affected each of us on a personal level. Dan and BJ have a newfound enthusiasm for European soccer, BJ now knows even more stupid sports facts (ESPN Classic, Fox Sports World, Fox Sports A-Z), Dan stays in touch with his inner child (Cartoon Network), and I have found a comfortable place to exhibit my inner (ok ok, outer) dorkdum over at TechTV.

Watching TV in digital clarity has given me a new outlook on life. Whenever I want to feel like I'm in the Coliseum, I just flip to the Travel Channel that Roman architecture just pops right out of the screen into my living room. If I want to see what it will be like when my baby is born, TLC has their cameras there and that baby is on my couch, blood, guts and all. Have a cravin' for those cooky British accents, BBCAmerica's got all kinds. There's absolutely nothing I can't do with digital cable. Well, except find something to watch on Saturday.

The humor on the internet is out of control.

Please excuse my incessant posting, the world is just too funny.

I always wanted one of those Segway things, but if the President can't use it, what makes me think I can?

Every few months or so, my British friend Laura, sends over a package filled with all the Cadbury's Flakes a boy could ever ask for. The last package was more of a variety pack and she even included a competitor's brand of flakes. Well, after depleting my supplies of Cadbury's Flakes (wink wink), I was saving my Galaxy Ripple for a special occasion. I think that special occasion has arrived ... I miss Beth. So I'm going to jump right in and let this chocolaty goodness comfort me, hopefully until I see her again, though it's not likely.

But ... I have one minor concern. Does this make me a girl, my reliance on chocolate for comfort? Or is it even a moot point considering my DVD collection includes but is not limited to: Serendipity, Shakespeare in Love, A Walk To Remember (ahh-ehm), and Lilo & Stich?

I guess it doesn't really matter, I just hope I get to see Beth soon.

Has anyone heard more of the new Train cd other than 'Calling All Angels'? I'd really like to know how it is.

Good idea or bad idea? You decide: Friendster

The wheels are coming off. Nuts and bolts are popping up all around me and everything is rolling down the hill with no end in sight. I could be exaggerating, but then again, how else do you deal with people around you telling you your thoughts, your humor, your every whim, your smallest, yet dearest dreams, aren't relevant. I've struggled for a long time over what all of this should be, what I always wanted it to be. The biggest thing that's standing in my way is that I'm letting the wrong people influence everything. Everything that I say, everything I laugh at, everything that I want to share , held in tightly because I'm too afraid of what the people closest to me might say, how they might react, how it will affect them.

But really, it's not their fault. See, you don't have a web journal so your friends and family will read it. They have way too much invested in your life. No matter how well you craft your words, everything you say affects the people that are close to you, and their reaction affects you. It could be a stupid story about soap, it could be a heartfelt post about a fallen idol, it could be about your worst fears and the simple joys of falling in love. What I'm writing right now is probably causing a few people to think, "Is he really that upset about what I said?" [The answer is No]. And that's the thing. None of this is meant to be read by the people you interact with everyday. Those people know what's going on. They told you that joke, they've heard that cry, they've felt those fears, they've seen that joy. Anything they don't know, you should tell them, that's why they're your friends. Web journals are meant for the people who don't know you, who don't necessarily have a need to know you until something you say puts you on common ground with them.

So I've gone about this all wrong. I wanted to create something that I could enjoy with my friends, but I also wanted a place to share my thoughts. I wanted people who didn't know me to take a look inside and tell me what they think. Maybe some people have and they don't like what they see. Maybe I'm past the point where I can do both; they don't seem to mix very well. I want my friends and family to read this, but I don't want to feel like I have to write to meet their approval. I don't want to have to always be funny. Some things aren't funny, nor should they be. Some things can't be derogated by your second hand opinions, your crass sense of the world. I'm never going to win the Pulitzer Prize for blogging. I want to write just to write, to practice - to feel better and to get better, not worse.

So what does all of this mean? It means that, starting today, I'm actively working to rid myself of the fears that plague my writing. I love that my friends can come here and that we can joke and laugh about stuff, and when I'm not so close to them geographically, I'll probably appreciate it even more. But it's time for me to start writing as if no one was there or as if everyone was there. No faces in the crowd, no voices in the dark, just me and the keyboard and rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-tat.

Apparently, the neighbors below us like to watch TV late at night, and apparently having the volume rather loud is their way of getting back at us for walking loudly.

As far as I can tell, most of the literally 5 people that visit thedustin.com like HollaBack v2.0. However, one very important visitor didn't like the idea of leaving "entry specific" comments. Therefore, I have added a new "community" feature to thedustin.com and named it after that very special visitor. I'm officially introducing JohnnyConvo v0.1, a message board type commenting system built specifically for thedustin.com and it's most important viewer, Johnny H. For those of you who missed it, it's in the far right column on blueskyday. More details to come later.

Quote of the day:
"I bet they teach those kids dumb jokes like there are only 10 kinds of people in the world; those who understand binary and those that don't"
Courtesy of T-Rav [referring to computer camp]

Buy the T-Shirt

Johnny H thought it would be more entertaining for me to write about how he thinks Jewel is selling out rather than wax poetic about bar soap, so I'll try.

So Jewel has this new song Infatuation Intuition that sounds completely different than pretty much anything else she's ever done. In fact, when you hear this song, it makes it hard to remember that this girl broke bones in her hand last year falling off a rodeo horse and that she dates a rodeo jock.

So the video seems to pretty much fit the style of the song as it depicts a scantily clad Jewel in front of an electronic sign that flashes "Bling-bling" and "$ $ $". Well, I guess the initial reaction would be to say that Jewel is selling out. But I've heard people (Dan) say that it seems like the video is sort of parodying the pop-star lifestyle/image that exists in today's music and I would agree, so the video argument doesn't hold a lot of water. Besides, I've seen several Jewel videos that I would consider "sexier", though she doesn't show quite as much skin as in this one (think "You Were Meant for Me", and "Foolish Games").

The song itself is a little trickier. The sound is a lot different, and according to what I've read the change in sound was intentional (goal: a more "dance" sound), which can either be called "selling out" or "evolving" depending on who you ask. Lyrically, I think it's typical Jewel because, while the music maybe trendy, the lyrics speak more to how one would stay true to themselves and "follow their heart" rather than do what the industry thinks or wants them to do.

I think I'd probably have to listen to more of the album to come to a real decision, and that's research I'm not willing to do right now. I will say that her sound is definitely different, but I'm not sure it's "selling out". I don't see anything wrong with trying to mix it up a little, especially if you can do it well.

It's becoming an annual tradition for the fellas (including johnny h) and I to develop and play the NBA Finals Drinking Game. Last year we even had the NBA Western Conference Finals Drinking Game because that series was just too great to pass up (Lakers/Kings in 6/7 games? "Best drinking game series of all time" as Bill Walton would say). Anyway, we've had two games now to stew over the guidelines for this year's Finals Drinking Game and an even series at 1-1 means we're guaranteed at least 3 more games.

Here are the rules and example of what to look for:

- Anytime a player over the age of 34 steps on to the floor for either team, drink once
Open up for Dikembe, Mr. Robinson, Steve "I can't stop at 4 rings" Kerr, Danny "All my hair jumped on the" Ferry, and Kevin "Played with 'Nique" Willis, just to name a few.

- Anytime Dikembe scores over Tim Duncan, drink once
Like a couple of those prayer hook shots he trew up that magically went in in Game 2.

- Anytime you catch Dikembe giving the "No No No" finger, drink twice
You'll know it when you see it.

- Anytime Tim Duncan dribbles over half court, drink twice. Anytime he dribbles behind his back or between his legs, drink once.
If I have to explain this one, chug.

- Whenever ABC goes to the "Crotch Cam" (aka Floor Cam)
Another time when you'll definitely know it when you see it.

- Anytime Bill Walton uses 2 or more adjectives in the same sentence, drink once for every superfluous adjective.
"Jason Kidd possesses an amazing, spellbinding, keen eye for the court." In this example you would drink twice - amazing is the allowed adjective, spellbinding and keen are superflous.

- Everytime Tony Parker refers to Tim Duncan as "Timmy" in an interview, drink once for every reference
"My job is to just get the ball to Timmy, and let Timmy make things happen."

- Anytime Bill Walton says something and your first thought is "What the?", drink in direct proportion to your befuddlement
"They're having a harder time scoring than a high school nerd." (Tom Tolbert actually said this, but it was the only good example I could think of, and this would otherwise be classic Bill Walton).

- Anytime Bill Walton uses a superlative to descripe something, drink once
"That was the worst inbound pass in the history of the NBA"

- If ABC goes to the "Boom Cam" and it's just a shot of a girl from the waste up
This rule courtesy of T-Rav

The whole idea of soap more or less tickles me. First of all, it's this hard waxy bar that, when you apply water becomes a soft, lathery goodness. How do they do that? I mean I know how they do that, we made soap in high school chemistry but I don't really remember and plus that soap looked dirtier than me and how am I going to wash myself with something that's dirtier than me?

"Rabbit trail" as Mr. Skipper used to say. But seriously, I mean soap smells so good and it gets you clean? That's so amazing! Or is the degree of cleanliness just masked by the pleasant smell? Do you feel clean if you use odorless soap?

Well speaking of clean, then you have to consider how you use the soap. I like to use the bar of soap directly on my body, but some people think that's gross, especially if you share soap with someone. But really, it's soap isn't it? Doesn't it kill off whatever bacteria or third world country disease that touches it? Am I just too naive about soap? I guess using a washcloth as a go between does sound a little "cleaner", but for some reason I never jumped on the washcloth bus. That's why, if you ever take a shower in my bathroom I never offer you a washcloth. I don't think I actually have any.

I would be remiss if I didn't also mention liquid soap. Certainly a large percentage of the soap buying public has made the switch to liquid soap as every major brand now offers some form of liquid soap/body wash. Liquid soap/body wash poses a slight problem for me since I'm not acclimated to using a washcloth. As a self-proclaimed "soap conservationist", I think liquid soap/body wash is kind of wasteful because it encourages people to use more than you need and it isn't self-contained like bar soap.

For the longest time the most challenging aspect of using bar soap for me was figuring out how to best use the bar of soap when it became too small and fragile to effectively clean my body. As I mentioned earlier, I'm a soap conservationist, so I never felt comfortable just throwing the soap, no matter how small, down the drain. I then developed this method of "converging soap bars". Whenever it's time to start a new bar of soap I spend up to 1-2 min at the beginning of my shower melding the old bar to the new bar. This way, I don't waste the last little bit of every bar of soap I use, just the little bit of the last bar of soap that I use.

Well, those are my thoughts on soap. Of course, in the context of this article "soap" refers to shower/bath soap. Hand soap is a completely different issue that may have to be addressed in the future. Next week, the evolution of toothpaste and the utensils used for teethbrushing.

Man, has my writing sucked lately or what?!? I just wrote about Luther Vandross! Luther Vandross, everyone. I'm about 2 seconds away from deleting that. Someday I'll write something mildly enteraining. You'll see.

On Tuesday Luther Vandross' record label released his latest album. On April 16th he had a stroke from which he has yet to regain full conciousness. I bring this up because I just heard the song "Dance With My Father", the title track off his new album and I think it's absolutely amazing. Being a singer doesn't make Luther Vandross any more important than you or I, but when someone creates something that touches you in such a powerful way it makes you want to give something back. Consider this me sending out my prayers to Luther Vandross, his family, and anyone else who has a loved one fighting for their life.

So even though I'm not technically "in the market" for a new cell phone because of unexpected scheduling of my first paycheck, I spent quite a bit of time researching what's out there so I'll be prepared to spend my money when it finally comes in. From reading "user" reviews I discovered that all cell phones suck, they all drop calls, they all have poor menu systems and the technical support is nowhere near adequate - at least in comparison to the "user's" previous cell phone. That sounds like convincing evidence to just stay with what I've got, but really I find it means that a) people hate change, but love complaining and b) people will gripe about the stupidest, most mundane things.

But my research didn't stop with user reviews. After reading official product reviews I found that the best new phones only work on GSM, a standard popular in Europe and elsewhere, but one that hasn't quite caught on here yet. So basically that means you can have a really cool phone, but you'll never get a signal, and if you do you'll have to pay out the wazoo for it.

So will any of this stop me from buying a new cell phone? I don't know, I still think it's time for something new but after reading some of the stuff I read tonight, it might just be better to stick with what I've got. Then again, how could I deny myself the opportunity to joint he masses of unhappy people?

(For the first time ever, you now have the opportunity to "vote off" one of my posts. If you think this post is stupid, boring, senseless, any or all of the above just give me a "vote of no confidence" in hollaback and I'll erase it from these pages.)

Well, Sammy Sosa was caught playing with a corked bat and the sports world has been turned upside down. Well, that small part of the sports world that still watches and gives a hoot about baseball. Sammy says he picked up the bat mistakenly and that it was a bat he uses in practice to "put on a show for the fans". I've always liked Sammy, so I don't want my remarks to be too scathing, but we have to look at this with some scrutiny.

First of all, those fans are entertained because they think you're hitting the ball out of the park, not a champagne bottle stopper. There's a reason no one lines up to watch me hit home runs with a wiffle ball and bat, because every average joe can do that. Secondly, Sammy, you were in a 2-15 slump since coming back from injury and I'm sure that little "mistake" could've been just what you needed to get your confidence back. Hey, I don't blame you and I applaud that you're not hiding from your "mistake", but don't play us all for fools.

I would like to point out that corked bat or no corked bat you still have to make contact with the ball and that's something I'd never be able to do. So while I am a little disappointed in Sammy, I still acknowledge his talent and I hope he uses this as a springboard to come back stronger than ever.

Speaking of baseball, I was wondering if anyone knew why BallPark Franks are the best hot dogs out there? (I know the answer, I'm wondering if you do)

You know what they say ... "Every Snackster has its day"



And by the looks of things lately, this Snackster's days are numbered.

3234Q with special guest former roommate BJ has been immersed in a John Cusack movie marathon the last couple of days. The fun isn't quite over, but so far we've watched
Say Anything and High Fidelity