I know it seems obsessive but I can't explain the joy and contentment I get from watching Arsenal pass a silly ball around a patch of grass. I have not missed a single game in more than 4 years. I wait til the family is asleep and then watch my recorded games so Mrs L only laughs at my obsession.

Although I only pay $10/month for my sports package I now have a dilemma. A new internet/cable bundle is advertised with a different company right now. It would save my family @$120/month unfortunately I will lose access to 60% of Arsenal's games.

Doing the right thing fucking sucks sometimes.

Is there maybe an online solution? I would think a team as major as Arsenal might very well have streaming video of games available...

Good idea but that carries with it a couple problems. The broadcast rights issue for the games means most streams are low quality and unpredictable at the best of times and non-existent at the worst. Even the official club website can only offer text play by play during the games and then only highlights after the game.

I very purposefully stay away from the streaming though because many of the games are played when I should be working and I have self discipline issues so it would be very easy for me to blow off my job from 12-2 trying to catch a decent livestream and then the highlights until 2:30, then... No. That's why I only watch live games on Saturday or Sunday mornings with Lil Lookout or after the family is asleep for weekday games.

It's not really a lifechanging decision. Directv and internet are already in our budget but when the bundle option came up I saw the opportunity for significant savings and now I'm having a gutcheck. Smartguy says to save the money. Arsenal nutjob says screw the money, watch the games.

Can you save a similar amount somewhere else in the budget?

Stick with your plan if it's in your budget. These great deals rapidly become not so great. Also, try calling your current company and tell them you want to stay but your budget says leave, can they cut you a deal.....?

Ah crap, was it one of those little posts in a parking lot?

I was backing out of my driveway, and there was a van parked along the side of the street.... I thought I had accounted for all the cars going by, but I missed one. A 92 Lesabre. I clipped him as he went by.

http://is7.itookthisonmyphone.com/m/...800&height=600

everyone is ok, but his car is probably totalled.... just because it's only worth $2000 or so.

The good news is that his doors still work, the windows go up and down... and he'll get a check that will help him.. He's been unemployed for the last year and a half, and just got a job. I have to pay our deductible....

Uggghh - well at least everyone is ok. Sorry bro.

That's an improvement in the look of the LeSabre.

My lower right lip and chin area is numb from getting a cavity refilled today. It's pissing me off because I'm getting hungry and can't chow down like I want to. I'm slowly eating a sloppy joe right now.

Ben Doon and Phil MacCavity

A loaded U-Haul truck broke down less than a block from my destination... Waited 45+ minutes for the roadside assistance guy, who told me the fuel pump was busted. Waited an additional 45+ minutes for a tow truck, which towed the truck a block...waited patiently for me to unload everything into the driveway...and towed the damn thing away.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._7423348_n.jpg

You're lucky you were that close, could have had to unload, load another truck, then unload again.

Yeah...and also lucky that we were on residential roads rather than a 6-lane highway or something. All in all it could have been a lot worse, but was still a monkey wrench in an already-tiring day.

Life goes on..
http://www.inthecollective.com/uhaul2.jpg

That would've scorched mine.

I bet you could contact U-Haul for a refund on the truck rental, at least.

Yeah, they didn't charge me for the rental or gas used... but still for the mileage! Sunzabitches.

Well you got that last mile for free - right :eyebrow:

pat, pat, soothe, soothe. Did you want to talk about it?

I'm sure you could mollify him. ;)

Knew some of those recently bought tools for boatmaking would come in handy.

I ordered a replacement marker light for my car because my inspection is up today and I went outside to install it and the fucker sent me the incorrect side. AFTER me telling him about 7 times "The drivers side, the left side" and he sends me the right side.


I also have been grooving on Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag lately and just read a short bio of him on wikipedia and was saddened to learn he died of tertiary syphilis. That kind of bummed my stone.

So feel free to mollify at will.

I thought there was a different thread for what's bumming your stone.

Do you have a rubber mallet? Maybe you can get that light to fit.

A couple of tubes of lexel caulk ought to make it stick. I think there is a stone bumming thread.

I might have to testify against a guy who I saw smack his girlfriend hard today. Fucker did it right in front of a youth group that included my daughter while they were making sandwiches for the needy. I don't know how it's going to play out. The girlfriend doesn't want to press charges, because she is used to it, but the church called the cops and and I think the church wants to prosecute him for whatever they can. Maybe disturbing the peace?

It seems to me that in some cases witnesses ought to be able to press charges. Especially in cases where dipshit guys hit girls.

You know, on some level, if she keeps going back to this guy, she is consenting to the way he is treating her, and if she's not going to press charges when she has two witnesses and an organization like a church community to back her up, who am I to step in? But once they bring that behavior out in front of innocent kids, it's not acceptable. My 8 year old son didn't need to see an adult, out of control, beating another adult. At church, for fuck's sake. Over sandwiches.

I slept poorly last night thinking about this. My kids who witnessed this are both OK. But it's still bugging me that they (and I) were exposed to that random pointless violence. At least the police were nice. It was kind of funny seeing the reverend going out to warmly great them in her blazing golden robe glittering in the sunlight as they pulled up in their cars. Surreal.

Isn't it the case that the police can press charges without the victim's consent? because victimns are often the subjects of mental abuse as well as physical and can feel hopelessly trapped and too afraid to press charges in case it all falls apart. If there were witnesses, I would think it's likely that he could be convicted without her testimony, and then maybe she will have a real opportunity to make a break.

I honestly don't know. I filled out a statement, gave them my contact information, and haven't heard anything since. I don't even know if they arrested the guy. We had a busy day yesterday and needed to be off to the next event. I'll probably find out later today what's going to happen next. If anything.

One thing that has me a little nervous is that the guy has a record. He was actually in for assault before. I don't know his details, but it might be a three strikes kind of situation, and this event I witnessed might put him away for a long time. I don't want to be sending anyone to prison for a long time, but at the same time, he is an asshole who assaulted a woman in public in front of a bunch of kids.

How would YOU be responsible? He deserves what HIS actions dictate.

Bold mine

And if he has three strikes it means he has had opportunities to deal with his anger management style. It's not as if this country opposes 12 step programs or other types of psychological help.

It's kind of like with dogs. When they get sick and need more than $75. worth of repair it is time to let them go and adopt a fresh one from a shelter.

Oh, you are both right. And I agree with you. I'll do it, if it comes to that, but I won't like it.

I know what you mean, but ... Perhaps you will like knowing that you are giving HER a chance to start a new life away from him.

What's seriously harshing my mellow today is taking the car in for its inspection and finding out that it needs about $500 worth of work, brakes, LED brake lights, tires (luckily it's nearly time for the snows)
F.U.C.K.

oh, foot, that truly does suck!

I feel for you...

Years ago we lived in a state that had an awful (corrupt) inspection program.
The first thing the mechanic did was scrape off the old (PASSED) sticker, then proceed with the inspection.
If they found anything you either paid the same shop do the repairs, or they put on a red (FAILED) sticker.
Driving with no sticker or a red one was an invitation for a traffic stop and citation.

Oregon's system is less intense and done at state inspection sites.
If the car fails, you can then go to a mechanic of your choice for repairs.
Much less chance for hanky-panky by the inspection+repair shops

http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.e...oto/rl099a.jpg
$150 for a new LED light. WTF? Used are about $70. It's a bunch of LEDs FFS.

If you have an afternoon, doing a brake job yourself isn't all that hard. If you can build your own house, you can fix your brakes. Parts aren't all that expensive. Maybe $100 for new pads and rotors and supplies. I've seen various photo illustrated instructions all over the web.

Tools are minimal. A socket wrench set and a big c-clamp and block of wood.

LEDs don't usually burn out. Are you sure it's not just a fuse or loose wire?

Yeah yeah, the guts of that LED light, the high-intensity LEDs, will be fine. There's probably just a short in it somewhere I wager.

Yeah, it's *just* a wiring problem somewhere. That should be easy to fix. Once you find it.

Well, I've done brakes a few times before, but right now, I really don't have the time and to try that would end up "costing" more than taking the hit. Six of one...

The LED is getting plenty of power, apparently what happens with these is a controller (probably a circuit) in the light assembly goes bad. I'm sure it is just a few molecules of solder that got some condensation on it...

Had I not driven the hell out of the car, it would still be under its 10year/100k mile warranty. But it's up at 145k now.

That's strange, most states using that method allow you 30 days on a failed sticker. During that time you can fix it yourself, or at the garage of your choice, then get it reinspected.

I just found out the other witness was just subpoenaed to give testimony at a December 20th trial. I expect to get a subpoena any day now. Nobody has called me though, since I gave my statement to the cops who responded.

I'm over feeling nervous about this. I'll testify and what happens happens. Out of my hands.

But for a couple nights there, I slept like shit.

my left armpit.

it sweats. why just my left!?

Your armpit troll probably died.

slacker is probably napping.



what's an armpit troll again?

Give me a replacement for "trusting you to pull out in time" and I'll clear that up.

Thank you sir. An armpit troll is a meme I came up with @ 5:13pm 11/10/10

you win this time, griff....... this tiiiiime

This is leading to a Right Guard joke, isn't it?

well, it is now!

You people amuse me.

Do you use Right Guard?

whoops, just saw HLJ's comment

I stained/sealed the deck and the two different cans very evidently contain entirely different types and colors of stain. I was hoping they'd look more similar as they dried, but no, they don't. yes, i should have "mixed them" but I wasn't entirely sure I'd even need the second can...... and I thought it would just be a slight shade difference at worst. wrong. (They are the same brand, same color, but a couple of years apart... the 3/4 can left from last time wasn't quite enough....) the old one is darker and shiny, the new one is light and matt.

groove scorched. but at least the fucker's ready for winter, even if it looks horrible. (The join is weird because I worked so as to do the bit the cats use most first, while I was there to defend it, and then i did the farthest bits and worked in towards the door.....)

it's really fucked up.

There's that pesky old learning curve for the sadder, but wiser, monster...

srsly, when yu take all precautions, there's never a problem. it gets old....

What Feetz said
My mother (the Artist) Literally painted her self into a corner once ,
She was Painting the floor of her store , got Stuck for , well a Few Hours

And laughed about it later !!!

So dont feel bad Monster , it happens to the Best of us