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TheBadMonkey, a friend on Plurk, shared this video with everyone, and in a matter of seconds I was 10 years old again. I swear it’s groovier and more wonderful than I even remembered it:
And my favorite segment from “Great Space Coaster,” Gary Gnu. No Gnews is Good Gnews!
Posted by RcktMan at August 24th, 2008 under Blast from the Past, Good things!, Memories, Video
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1. I really like my new blog template, but I hate all that crud at the bottom. And I don’t like that it just says “Comments” where you click to go to the comments page. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to (easily) fix this?
2. My allergies have been THROUGH THE ROOF this last week, and even though drugs are helping (yay drugs!), I still feel like my head is full of cotton or poly-fill or some other crud that doesn’t belong there. Is there ANY time during the year where allergies are not a problem (besides the dead of winter?) Just being rhetorical here… unless, of course, you have some magic solution.
3. I just bought a new 22″ flat screen monitor that I LOVE but now I have three… count ‘em… THREE monitors hanging around my apartment: The new one and two 17″ CRTs. Anyone need a monitor?
I bought a new mop a couple weeks ago that featured a “convenient” telescoping handle for “easy storage.” I can’t get the goddamned thing extended. And I was desperate for a mop, so I used it anyway. The kicker: It cost me $15 for the stupid thing. Now I’m stuck with a mop fit for a little person. Any little people out there that need a mop?
4. My air conditioning is out on my car (and has been for the last year and a half), and now the brakes are going. It just doesn’t pay to have a car. It costs. Lots.
5. Barack Obama made his VP choice and the media has leaked the news… before I got my text message. (His website now shows Biden. I guess it’s official now.) And instead of more people jumping on the bandwagon, all I see in news comments and other reports are more bitter Hillary supporters saying they are voting for McCain. What the hell is wrong with these people? I just don’t understand their supposed logic.
*UPDATE* 4:00a.m. - I finally got my text message.
6. On the other hand, I am fully in support of Obama and will vote for him in November, but the man has got to grow a pair and fast. I’m tired of his silence in the press. Lately it seems that all he does is defend himself against McCain’s attacks. It’s time for Obama to start attacking. Change, schmange. It’s MAKE IT WORK time.
And that’s all for this week’s installment of “What’s Bugging Rick?” Have a great weekend!
Posted by RcktMan at August 23rd, 2008 under Annoyances, In the news, Politics
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And it was by a Color Test meme. Thanks so very much to Michael at What’s A Boy To Do/Are You Sure You Want To Know? for this little gem.
The most freakishly accurate item:
Rick’s Actual Problem #2
Disappointment and the fear that there is no point in formulating fresh goals have led to anxiety, and he is distressed by the lack of any close and understanding relationship. He attempts to escape into a substitute world in which things are more nearly as he desires them to be.
The most amusing item:
Rick’s Desired Objective
Wishes to find his stimulation in a voluptuous atmosphere of sensuous luxury.
Amen, sister. Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Click here to read the rest of the results of my ColorQuiz analysis.
And click the little logo below to take your own.
A pair of older ladies– a mother and her daughter– were seated opposite of me at the doctor’s office yesterday. The daughter was probably in her mid to late 50s. The mother in her mid-late 70s or early 80s. The daughter was reading the Chicago Tribune to her mother, and I couldn’t help but overhear a portion of their conversation:
Daughter: Oh my goodness, Mom did you see this?
Mother: What, dear?
Daughter: These two women got married in California. Ellen DeGeneres and her girlfriend.
Mother: Really?
Daughter: Yes, you know they passed that law in California that allows them to get married.
Mother: What does it say?
Daughter: Oh it says what they wore- Ellen wore a white pantsuit and Portia wore a white dress. And they talk about the cake and the music and who was all there.
Daughter: Hm.
Mother: Hm.
Daughter: Well to each his own, I guess.
Mother: Yep.
Daughter: I guess if they’re in love, it’s a good thing.
Mother: Yep.
Daughter: Oh doesn’t she look pretty?
Mother: Sure does. Just lovely.
Posted by RcktMan at August 19th, 2008 under Good things!, In the news, Observations, Overheard
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Here’s a recording of me on SingSnap, singing the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song “Teach Your Children.” And yes, that’s me doing three part harmony. Well, me and the voices that are part of the track. 
Posted by RcktMan at August 19th, 2008 under karaoke, music
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So, I’m back from my hibernation, and it was a lovely rest.
And things look different. Again.
You’ll see that I have once again changed the look of The Launching Pad. You’ll also notice that the name of The Launching Pad has changed. I’m all about change.
Summer is drawing to a close, and I’ve been getting the itch to blog again. So I took a look at things and decided it was time to do some house-cleaning… again. If you’ve visited here before, you’ll notice that the sidebars are gone. There’s nothing but posts and comments, folks. It’s clean and neat and to the point - just the way it should be. I took the inspiration from the Tumblelog movement that is occurring - I figured why re-invent the wheel– just re-tool it a little bit.
Of course, if you REALLY want all that sidebar goodness, just hover over “Navigation” at the top and, like magic, they will appear. So that’s where you’ll find my blogroll (which is being heavily trimmed, by the way), feed info, and other stuff that used to be on the main page.
I’ve also deactivated the PostReach comments - those little icon thingies at the end of every post that allowed readers to make wordless comments. I decided that if you want to comment, you can write a line or two telling me what you think. Plus they just didn’t match the feng shui of the new look. 
**UPDATE** I’ve also just converted my comment system to Disqus, at the recommendation of a fellow blogger. Disqus allows a lot of really great features including comment threading and video comments. Fun fun fun!!! So you have no excuses– commenting is fun again!
So I’m back - and what’s been up? Well, in all honesty, I’ve been spending more time with my friends and family, and just trying to spend LESS time in front of a computer monitor. I spend 8+ hours, five days a week, in front of a computer. I needed a break from that on my own time.
That’s not to say I haven’t been spending time in front of my computer.. I’ve just been doing different things. My latest obsession is SingSnap. In case you haven’t heard of it, it’s basically online karaoke. My friend Teddy clued me into it a few months ago, and in just those short few months, I’ve become something of a rising star there. I’m not saying I’m ready for a record contract or anything, and I’m much too old for American Idol… but it’s been rather fun, and it’s been a better waste of time than looking at porn or cruising the gay meat markets.
Other than that, I’ve gone camping a couple of times, and spent a lot of time with my friends. And, of course, I’ve spent more time with my family and my adorable nieces, Abby and Emily. I can hardly believe they’re already 6 months old… and getting cuter by the minute.
So I’m back, I’m refreshed, and I’m looking forward to a new direction for my blog. Posts will be shorter. Photos will happen more often. And I’m just going to have fun with it. And like before, if I have nothing to say, I won’t be posting. I decided that I really like being a part of this world, and I didn’t want to leave it… I just wanted to make it what I want it to be. Having all of you is just the cherry on top of the sundae.
Here’s a few pictures to get things started… See you soon!
Market Days Madness under the Rainbow Pylons!
Camping in Saugatuck - with new and old friends!
Beth with Emily and Abby at Grandma's house
Posted by RcktMan at August 15th, 2008 under Blogging, Family, Friends, Updates
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I’m taking a brief sabbatical. I’ve been having a really fun summer - between traveling to Michigan to more frequent visits with the family and my nieces, making new friends and having fun with other friends, things have been pretty busy for me lately. I keep wanting to blog about what’s been going on, but to summarize everything would either take too many posts or make one extremely long and boring post. So… in the interest of just enjoying myself and coming back when I’m ready, I’ll officially say that I’m on hiatus for now.
If something incredibly urgent comes up, I’ll post, but until then… see you in the fall!
Posted by RcktMan at August 3rd, 2008 under Blogging, Updates
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Recently, I found myself engaged in a rather intellectual and even stimulating conversation with a fellow blogger about the future of blogging. Our discussion was borne from his concern that blogging has gone past its prime, or, in his words, “jumped the shark,” therefore he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue with his blog.
I could see his point. I’ve actually thought for some time that blogging has seen better days. The excitement and enthusiasm we all had four years ago is not there like it used to be. Many people we knew back then have disappeared into the mist, or moved on to other projects. Many can be found on social networking sites like Twitter, Plurk, Jaiku and identi.ca. Others stick to the worlds of MySpace, Facebook and even Friendster.
So why are so many people abandoning the blogging platform? Is it because blogging as a platform has become so mainstream that it has practically replaced the normal website as the standard platform for relaying information? Or is it because the “big shots” of blogging have become so big that there is no more room for the “little guys” that helped start it all?
I tend to think it’s a little of both, mixed with a glut of options in the social networking world. Sites like Twitter, Plurk and Jaiku barely scratch the surface of what’s available out there today. A visit to ping.fm, a global status updater for social networking sites and IM programs, shows a list of 21 different social networking options available, as well as 8 IM/other services. That number is not even comprehensive - there are probably dozens more out there that are just starting up, or haven’t quite caught on yet.
One of these is tumblr.com. Tumblr is a tumblelog site, much like Blogger or Wordpress.com, that takes blogging and shrinks it down into bite-sized posts - larger than a 140-character Twitter or Plurk post, but shorter than a typical blog post. Some people say that the future of blogging is in tumblelogging, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s not just another fad to add to the pile. While blogging has absolutely caught on as a medium and is, in my mind, here to stay; it seems that the glut of new options will eventually consume the market so much that nobody will know what to go with anymore.
Besides, keeping up with these networking sites alone gets to be more of a headache than it’s worth. At present, I have accounts on Twitter, Plurk, Jaiku, indenti.ca, MySpace, Facebook, Friendster and other services like Bebo and LinkedIn. Additionally, I have accounts at AIM, GoogleTalk, Yahoo Messenger and Windows Messenger.
And then, of course, my blog.
That’s a hell of a lot of crap to keep up with.
So is blogging truly past its prime? Or are we over-extending ourselves with options so much that we give up trying to keep up?
Maybe it’s best to just go back to the old fashioned way of journaling - with a notebook and a pen.
Loading ...Posted by RcktMan at July 17th, 2008 under Blogging, Dilemmas
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I remember it fairly well.
It was a summer’s evening much like this one. I was reading my friend Jake’s blog, NoFo, and thought to myself, “I can do this. Hell, I like to write. I’m always writing stuff. Why not do it on one of these Blog things?”
And in just a few short minutes, my first blog was born.
I’ve been on quite a journey since then. I’ve traveled to new and familiar places. I’ve shared many different facets of my life. I’ve shared photos and memories and stories from my past. I’ve lived through the death of my father and the birth of my nieces. I’ve shared dating horrors and successes, and frustrations with the whole wide world. I dabbled in podcasting, and became a more active member on another popular podcast. And along the way I’ve met lots of great bloggers, made friends with others I have never met in person, but consider all of them very dear friends.
Four years later, I’m still blogging, though not as often as I used to. And while my attention has been split in many other directions, I will always continue this presence as the “grand central station” for everything about little ol’ me.
I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, and honored to be among the ranks of blogging “seniority.” It’s been a pleasure for me, and I hope it’s been a pleasure for you as well.
So thank you for accompanying me on this journey. It’s far from over. In fact, I dare say, it’s only just begun.
UPDATE: Ironically, this is also my 1,000th post. Wow!
Posted by RcktMan at July 9th, 2008 under Blogging, Friends, Good things!
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It’s 4th of July weekend again, and to me that means a lot of things.
Of course, it means the birthday of the USA– which, in all honesty, is the least of my reasons to observe the day.
It also means my friends and I make our yearly trek to Saugatuck, MI to go camping.
It also (sometimes) means observing the holiday with my family.
And, of course, it also means the anniversary of my dad’s death.
This is the second anniversary of his passing, and while I’m actually a lot less emotional about it than I was last year — it truly does get easier as time goes on — I decided to take at least one day off and spend some time with my mom. So after work on Wednesday, I went home, packed for my camping trip, loaded up the car, and headed up to Kenosha.
It was dark by the time I hit the road — about 9:00PM. The skies had looked threatening for most of the evening, but no rain had fallen yet in the Chicago area. As I made my trip northward, however, I could see that was about to change. Lightning was flashing up ahead, and I could see the clouds moving quickly toward the east.
I’ve driven in rainstorms at night many times before, but I was prepared to be extra cautious this time around. There is a lot of construction on the route to Kenosha, and the cramped quarters are bad enough even in good weather. Typically, people drive with good sense in such conditions, but there is always some crazy fool who thinks otherwise.
After I passed through the toll plaza onto the Illinois Tollway, the rain started to fall– first a fine mist, and then hard, huge drops. Traffic slowed to about 35-40 MPH. I was in the left hand lane, doing my best to concentrate on the road.
As I approached Six Flags Great America, the rain seemed to subside a bit. Then in the right lane I saw an impatient vehicle pass quickly through the slower-moving crowd. I couldn’t see if it was a truck, an SUV or a car; but whatever it was, the vehicle hit a huge puddle as it passed by. The backlash went skyward, and I could see it quickly approaching me. There was nowhere for me to go. I started to pump my breaks to slow down as quickly as I could, but it was too late. The splash hit me with a massive force and I lost control of the car.
The car skidded to and fro, and I did my best to turn with the skid, all the while praying that I wouldn’t hit anyone, and nobody would hit me. Finally the car came out of the skid and hit the median. Because my car is a manual transmission, the engine cut out since I had probably taken my foot off the clutch.
I was stopped cold in the left lane of Interstate 94 in a rainstorm.
As soon as my car stopped moving, I saw another car swerve past me and spin around in front of me. It was a mid-sized SUV. I saw the car hit the median hard and bounce to a stop.
My first instinct was to turn on my hazard lights. I tried to get my wits about me. I set the parking brake. Wrong. I put the car in neutral. Right. All the while I was glancing in my rearview mirror, chanting to myself, “Please don’t let anyone hit me…. Please don’t let anyone hit me… ” over and over again.
Finally I got my car started again and found a safe path back into traffic. The car ahead of me started moving forward with its hazard lights on, and I kept mine on as well. We both drove to the Grand Avenue exit and pulled off to the side of the road.
The driver got out and came up to my car. “What happened back there?” she said, shaken. “I saw the wall of water and then you were stopped in the road!” I said, “Yeah, the water hit me and I lost control of my car. I had just come to a stop when I saw you spin around in front of me. Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” she said, “but my car isn’t.” We decided to pull into the nearest gas station to survey the damage.
When I got out of my car and looked at it, I was shocked. I expected a crushed fender, maybe a broken headlight, and a busted bumper. There was hardly a scratch. The only evidence I could see was a crack in the bumper. That was it.
I walked ahead to the other driver. I could hear right away that her car was damaged, but when I saw it, it was definitely much worse. It looked as if King Kong had grabbed the front grill and tore it away. I couldn’t believe it was even running.
We both went inside the shop and recounted our stories. We both agreed that we saw the guy speed through the puddle, which washed us both out and caused us to lose control. We exchanged information in case insurance adjusters needed to corroborate our stories, but we didn’t call the police. Maybe that was a mistake, but we’ll see what happens.
As I finished my journey to my mom’s house (using back-roads instead of the Interstate), I realized there must have been an angel watching over me to help me get out of that situation alive. It could have been so much worse.
I’m not saying the angel was my Dad, but it’s kind of nice to think it could have been him.
Posted by RcktMan at July 3rd, 2008 under Family, Stories
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