A source of constant frustration...

One of the things that i have to deal with on a daily basis has kind of reached a critical mass with me.

I can't stand people who do not want to learn new things.

I freely admit that I am a bit more "techy" than most of the people I work with.  I routinely scan tech blogs like Gizmodo and TechCrunch to keep up with the newest things, things that won't even come out for years that get me excited.  Having said that, there are many things out there that would make people's lives so much easier, but their aversion to learning new things keeps those awesome tools out of their hands.

I am routinely frustrated with my co-workers fear of learning Google Docs.  Google docs makes my life easier in so many ways, but I am constantly bumping into roadblocks because people just don't want to learn anything new.  We are still content with sending 10 different copies of spreadsheets, documents and emails back and forth, day in and day out, until no one knows what copy is current and we all get frustrated...easily solved by switching to Google Docs.

Even small things, such as using Excel to build a spreadsheet instead of embedding a table into Word (gah) fall well short of the people I have to work with on a daily basis.  I regularly have people approach me at work to ask them how to do the SIMPLEST things in Excel.  I never mind helping them, but people just don't actively search for ways to do things that will make their lives easier!  Very few people out there actually say to themselves, "There has GOT to be a better way to do this!" and go out and find the answer to that riddle.

I realize that getting people to change might be the most difficult thing on Earth besides being a Cubs' fan.  It just baffles me that people don't want to improve.  The whole "give a man a fish" story is amazing, because it really seems like most people don't want to learn how to fish.  They just want someone to give them the same old fish every day until they die.  I can't do that...I need to grow, and I wish those around me shared the same goal.

A few other pet peeves in this mindset:

• People who still click the "To" button when composing an email in Outlook.  Just type the effing name!!!
• People who are amazed when you show them "Alt-Tab".  This feature has been around since Windows 95.  Learn it.
• Hand-written handouts.  Seriously?  Have you even heard of a typewriter?

Tournament time in Texas...

Long, but very satisfying, weekend...

ExplosiveSon had a baseball tournament in Grand Prairie this weekend, which we took 2nd place.  Great time, but the son was having a really rough time at the plate...I kind of lost it on him and went a little overboard.  Nothing like an overbearing father to set things right, huh?

Well, he snapped out of the slump the next day, much to my relief.  He even pitched the championship game, which we ended up losing 8-3, but he pitched very well. The team we played was pretty good, and he did an awesome job getting the ball over the plate.  I am immensely proud of him.

Politics in youth baseball never ceases to amaze me...I will leave it at that, but just know that there were some POUTY people out there.  Combine that with an egregious non-balk call that could have turned the tide in the championship game, and you almost could have brought my spirits down, but I had a great weekend.

It kind of makes me sad....this is probably the last year I am going to be able to be the coach of my son's team, as he hits 9th grade next year and in all probability will be able to be on the HS JV squad (or one of them).  I really don't know what I am going to do with my time...which is why I have taken up umpiring as a separate pasttime.  Man, it is a blast.  I love being out there and helping to make baseball a better sport...because nothing can ruin a good time like bad officials...I probably will be getting back into refereeing basketball again too...this time, ExplosiveWife wants to learn as well.  I am anxious to see how she handles that!

The 'Code': Ten unwritten baseball rules you might not know - Big League Stew - MLB Blog - Yahoo! Sports

The 'Code': Ten unwritten baseball rules you might not know - Big League Stew - MLB Blog - Yahoo! Sports

Great article about some of the "unwritten" rules in baseball...I especially liked #8.

Somewhat of a grind...

• Very interesting week with The Ticket...Ticket producer Mike Bacsik, who is also semi-famous for being the pitcher who gave up the record-breaking homerun to Barry Bonds, tweets something inappropriate and gets fired for it.  Do not drink and tweet, people.
• Mavs get bounced out of the first round again.  I am looking into options that would involve me not watching basketball any more.
• Curse you, roommate from the past for making me a Mavericks fan.
• Date Night=Meh
• Hot Tub Time Machine=Two Amnesias Up
• Have been using the Motorola Backflip as my primary phone for the past month.  I love Android, but the screen on the phone is too small.  There is a physical keyboard, but the keys are too far apart, so I am double screwed.  The good news is that I have no intention of keeping this phone long term.  Gonna get me a Nexus One.
• This whole iPhone getting lost in a bar and sold to a tech blog is insane.  I just don't see how Apple has the authority to sic the police on this guy.  It is their damn fault in the first place that the phone was left in the bar.  Personally, I think the guy should have sold it to HTC or Palm, not Gizmodo.
• ExplosiveWife has become addicted to Groupon.com
• Rick Carlisle is taking it in the shorts this morning, and it is well deserved.
• Former Trinity QB Denarius McGhee is shining at Montana State...they seem to be really impressed with him.
• http://www.theunticket.com/mushmouth-yoda-fake-avery-sing/ Funniest thing ever.  Wait to the 3rd minute to get it rolling.

Danny Rose’s Wondergoal Knocks Arsenal Out of Title Race

I am not a big soccer fan...don't even really pay attention to it. Every once in a while, though, soccer amazes me with a play of epic proportions. This defines skill, grace, and dexterity all in one kick....and the dude is 19. Wow.

Danny Rose’s Wondergoal Knocks Arsenal Out of Title Race: "

Haircuts

Thanks to ExplosiveSisterInLaw for the joke:

One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut.

After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, 'I cannot
Accept money from you , I'm doing community service this week.' The
florist was pleased and left the shop.

When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a
'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill,
the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you , I'm doing
community service this week.' The cop was happy and left the shop.

The next morning when the barber went to open up, there was a 'thank
you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Then a Congressman came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his
bill, the barber again replied, 'I can not accept money from you. I'm doing 

community service this week.' The Congressman was very happy and
left the shop.

The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen
Congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.

The Blind Side...

Finally got around to seeing The Blind Side this weekend.  Good story...good acting...overall, very solid.

But not for me.  Here is why (and please keep in mind that I am a sports junkie.  Sports nuances very rarely escape my grasp):

I tend to be a bit of a hypocrite while evaluating movies.  For some films, I am able to suspend reality and enjoy the movie for what it is, but not very often.  I try really hard to not get caught up in the "spot the imdb goofs" mindset that is pretty prevalent out there.  On the other hand, a plot hole or detail that has been blatantly overlooked will ruin the entire film for me.  A good example is Avatar...I liked the film overall, but you can't tell me that single person (the over-amped jerk played by Giovanni Ribisi) has the authority or the gumption to commit genocide on a race of natives.  The film made it look like it was his decision and his alone, and I didn't think that made one lick of sense....but I digress.

As good as the story of The Blind Side was, the scene where Michael Oher plays his first football game was the most over-produced, Hollywoodized piece of schlock I have ever laid eyes on.  Best example is when Michael gets beat on the very first play by the defensive end, and the redneck white boy hoots and hollers, calling him "fat ass" and completely strips him down in front of everyone.  There is NO WAY, and I repeat this, there is NO WAY that kind of behavior would have been tolerated, and would have at minimum drawn a 15-yard flag for unsportsmanlike conduct.  Hell, that was happening when I was in high school, before this whole culture of "you aren't supposed to talk trash" really got going.  Then, to make matters worse, the head coach of Oher's team gets flagged 15 yards for yelling at the line judge.  So, I am supposed to believe that a coach gets penalized for trying to protect his players, but an overaggressive peice of white trash crap doesn't even get a cross ways look for verbally destroying a player in the field?  Don't believe it, not for a second.

It is little details like that which make me instantly dislike the movie, because it was completely dumbed down for the audience.  Like we needed another reason to cheer for this boy who had nothing...but Hollywood decided that we were too stupid for that, and gave us something to hate, and it made me not like the movie.

Now, I have not read the book...I am going to.  I don't know how much of the movie is true vs. how much was made up to make the film more interesting.  I can't believe for a second that there is an 8 year old kid out there who is like the boy in the movie...but he was entertaining.  I did think that Sandra Bullock did a very good job in her role, but I did have a hard time believing the NCAA investigator dragging a high-school kid into a sterile conference room and GRILLING him about the perceived impropriety of their actions.

Overall, I believe it is a failure of the director in the case.  In an attempt to put too much in his movie, he didn't just let the movie be what it could have been....a great story about a good kid in a bad situation.  This movie was probably focus-grouped to hell and back, and it shows because it tried to be everything when all it had to be was its own.

This movie could have been a strong 9 in my book, but the poor script choices moved it down to more of a 7 or so.