It's somewhat early in the day for a post, since nothing has really happened to me, but I read this article, and decided that I could delay putting up a post about Tigger.  However, I will address that he is not as fat as he looks in the first picture form the previous post.  He is just scrunching up, and deciding whether or not he should run from me.

I was crusing one of my favorite news sources, Drudge Report, when I came across this headline:

Science doesn't normally freak me out in the slightest.  I read a lot of stuff, and feel pretty ok with it.  There was the whole thing about creating miniature black-holes on earth, and the whole scare about one of them destroying the planet.  I sort of shrugged at that.  I mean, if it happens, I can only assume that the death wouldn't be all that painful.

However, this article, combined with this picture:

may jeopardize future sleep.  I rate this one right up there with zombies.  I mean, you think "sheep are fine".  I wonder what things will be like when there's a 6-foot tall version, with those ugly-ass eyes looking down at you.  Right before it kills you.

A quick thing on the zombies.  I'm not afraid of zombies.  Just afraid that I won't have enough ammunition.  This is also my fear in thoughts of world collapse, natural disaster which causes an "everyone for themselves" scenario (Katrina), general anarchy, etc.  I entirely welcome the idea of a Right-makes-right world, simply because I believe that I could survive pretty well.  I'm a large fan of Darwinism, and I believe the world today actively attempts to short-circuit it.

In anycase, As soon as I leave Italy (the country that has a gun factory, but refuses to let anyone own a gun) I will be starting a small armory, by purchasing this:

It's 7.62 (.308 for you civvies.).

And this:

it's 5.7x28mm, and not armor piercing.

then this (or maybe this before the other one):

This is also on the list, due to high paranoia:

Black 6, out.

It's been a while since I posted any new cooking endeavors, so I guess that now is a good time.  Today's Recipe is Spicy Orange Beef & Broccoli.  It's a very quick recipe, and the preparation seems to take longer than the actual cooking.  Anyway we should quickly go to the pictures.

The main pieces of this dish are steak (cut into .5"x.5"x2" pieces), broccoli, and minced ginger and garlic.
The Steak goes in and cooks for 2 minutes, then the broccoli and ginger are added and cooked for two minutes.  Finally the garlic and a sauce, which consists of OJ, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch is added.  Cook that for two minutes, cover and let simmer on low heat for two minutes and you are done.
 

Tigger waits by the door while I cook.  He almost completely knows better than to enter the kitchen.

 
Like I said, it's very quick, so it was beef, then broccoli, and with each, you have to keep stirring, so I had to be quick with the camera.

Tigger still standing by.

 
It's about done here.

Tigger has streeeeetched himself into the kitchen.  If I don't look at him, he will slowly do this. moving deeper and deeper into the kitchen.  However, as soon as I turn in his direction, he runs back to his proper place.

Finished Product.

Before I go, I would like to promote two things.  First is the new Xanga Uploader, which is a tool that you install on your computer and use to upload photos to your Xanga Photo Album.  It is extremely convenient, and made writing this blog and uploading the photos take about the same amount of time it took to cook my rice.

Second, I have a relatively new toy that I picked up from Think Geek.  It is a Chef's Quad Timer, which allows you to set different times for up to 4 burners on a stove.  It can also display the time and has a couple of other useful features.

Black 6, out.

It's been a while since my last post. 

Although things in general are boring, I have been watching a lot of movies lately.  I guess an entry with movie reviews is better than nothing.  I've got some new videos of tigger for a future post, including where I brush his teeth.

The Prestige
I've become more and more of a fan of Christian Bale movies, ever since Equilibrium.  The guy plays really levelheaded character in his films.  The basic plot of The Prestige is that two competing magicians are basically working on one-uping each other.  This rivalry works its way into the idea of stealing each other's tricks, but goes as far as a couple of people dying, and a bunch of injuries.  This movie will have you guessing until the end.  You won't see the ending coming, and there are enough plot twists to keep you making new guesses all the way through the movie.

300
I saw this one in theaters.  This is THE MANLIEST MOVIE EVER!!!  It makes gladiator look like a movie about women playing with kittens.  There was a body count so high, in order to beat it you would have to make a movie where people just fell on knives for 2 hours.  Seeing the movie made me want to just walk out and either go to the gym or kill something.  I had read Gates of Fire, so I was familiar with the story, and neither will ruin the experience of the other.

The Departed
Leonardo DiCaprio hasn't been my favorite actor in the past.  Things like Titanic and Romeo and Juliet kind of killed that for me.  However, lately, he's been doing some good work, and I've been willing to give him a chance since Catch Me If You Can.  The Departed is one of those movies where you are in on a lot of stuff from the beginning.  You know that Leo's character is an undercover cop who is infiltrating the Mafia.  You know that character is Mafia connected and acts as their leak within the state police.  It's everything after that which blows you away.  Including the ending.  I won't ruin it for you, but all I could say in the final 5-10 minutes was "Oh shit!...  Oh shit!...  Oh shit!...  Wow, that was really messed up.

The Grudge
Originally, I wanted to watch this on a Sunday morning, but for some reason decided to watch it late last night after 2 glasses of wine.  If you are not a veteran of horror films, then this will be pretty scary for you.  It does the typical things, so if you are tuned in to changes in the music, you can predict when something is about to happen.  That being said, they are pretty creative in how that little girl kills people.  You are also let in on the how she became the way she is, and how things are different in this movie.  However, I was slightly disappointed in the ending, and I sleep well afterward, so I guess that's a negative.

Black 6, out.

Well, it's official.  I no longer have a need for a girlfriend.  A few days ago, I obtained a Nintendo Wii.  Unfortunately, it spend almost a week in the box before I was able to set it up, and until the wireless sensor bar (which actually senses nothing) gets here, I would be able to play it on the projector.

The thing is a pretty good workout.  I am using Wii Sports to get ready for Zelda, and it's intense.  I was getting a little sore playing tennis.  I have also picked up "Wario Ware: Smooth Moves" for "training purposes."  If you are not a gamer and one of your gamer friends has recently obtained the system and asks you to play, don't be afraid.  The control scheme is totally alien for the fun games, and you may whip them on luck alone.  For example, I could probably beat up a number of my friends, but in Wii boxing they have a chance.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking about my "No need for a girlfriend" statement: "Pat, a Wii can't do everything that a woman can do."  For you, I present Exhibit A:

And it doesn't even want to cuddle.

For anyone else that wants to add me as a Wii Friend, my number is:
3793 3109 6862 2852

Black 6, out.

My days lately have been an exercise in pain and torture.  That is a story for another day, but the stories are amazing.  I'm sure that, when the information is put forth, most men would agree with my thinking in the scenario, and most logical women would, too. Before I get to the meat of the post, I would like to say, that as of this post, I have spent $6.70 for the day, if you assume that I don;t count the food that was already in the house, which provided breakfast and lunch.  I'm a thrifty bastard.

The other day, while picking up some essentials for my apartment (and by essentials, I mean shaving cream, since 2 days of dry shaving was enough), I decided that I needed a small water gun.  I felt that the weapon would be a useful tool in retraining Tigger, who, during my time in Germany, was apparently untrained by my friend.  Now, all that I wanted was something simple and small.  Everyone remembers those water guns from their childhood that cost a dollar, had a 6-inch range, and leaked most of the water that you put into it.  Amazingly, something that I deemed entirely worthless then, would now be highly sought by me as an important tool.

Water guns today have highly evolved from those days, and although their upgrades may be deemed "fun" and exciting, I have no need for the Super Soaker Child-Desolvers that currently saturate the market (no pun intended).  Today's "toys" have things like 4 nozzles, backpacks that hold more water, fast-refill stations that hook up to a garden hose.  Hell, they're pretty much carrying a portable garden hose.  I'm sure that future innovation will allow a lake to be quickly drained and dropped on your friends.  Hell, the way the toys are designed now, if you shot your friend in the mouth their head would probably pop like those clowns with balloons at the amusement park.

"How did he drown in the middle of an Arizona desert?  In the summer?"
 

Black 6, out.

Alright, by a show of hands, who screwed up on V-Day?  Wow.  Ok, and who got screwed... I mean, who was screwed over on V-Day?  Interesting.  Well, the day has come and gone.  Guys, if you got things right, you'll be in her good graces for a week, maybe a week and a half.  If you messed up, you might as well just break up and start again, because you'll never hear the end of it.

The perfect gift is always hard to come by.  Hell, I've received those coupons three girlfriend's ago.  I think I still have them, and they are unused.  What would happen if I suddenly decided to whip them out?  Would there be a question as to where I got them?  I mean, it's true, there's no expiration date on them. 

Anyway, for those of you who screwed up this year, or simply gave a less than optimal gift, you may be able to make up for it on the next gift giving holiday, whatever that may be.  Women, if you received a less than perfect gift, or feel that you are hard to get things for you may want to start dropping hints for this.  In either case, you may want children to leave the room:

Black 6, out.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but a while back I had a squad leader in my platoon who weighed 165 lbs, but benched 370 lbs.  The guy wasn't a power lifter, either.  He definitely fell into the "body builder" category.  However, I did glean some information from him that I was able to use.

In the past couple of months, I have been stuck behind a desk with long hours, and in a job that left me psychologically defeated enough at the end of the day that I neglected my exercise program.  Granted, I'm not out of shape, but I'm not the insane individual that I liked to be.  In the past few weeks, I decided to restart my program, and when I was originally not supposed to come to Germany, I kicked off the program.

Unfortunately, the trip up here has not only prevented me from keeping it going in its initial phase, but has probably forced me to slip backwards more (although I have ben given ample time to read).  However, in the meantime, I have been able to rethink and revisit a concept that was playing in the back of my mind: relative strength.

Without boring you with too many details and a number of examples, relative strength is the ratio of your force production to your body weight.  A good example would be a guy that weighs 250 lbs and benches 400 lbs, versus a guy that weighs 165 and benches 370.  The first has a 1.6 ratio while the other has a 2.42 ratio.  Assuming that neither guy is "fat", the second guy is simply using his muscle more efficiently.  The fact that he pushes more but weighs less means that instead of working out to increase the number of muscle fibers that he has available for recruitment in moving weight, he has increased the load that each muscle fiber can push, allowing him to do more with less.

Currently, I am trying to create a workout plan to increase my relative strength, without exceeding a body weight of 178 lbs.  There are actually a couple of stages to it, and the most annoying part of it will be returning to Excel in order to document all progress, something I stopped once I left my beginner phase of working out.  In any case, here's the plan.

• Phase 1, part 1 - 6-9 weeks.  Increase my relative strength, while maintaining or lowering my current body weight (172-178 lbs.).
• Phase 1, part 2 - 2-3 months.  Create a running program that requires running 3 times a week.  Attempt to obtain a 6 minute mile over 2 and 3 mile courses.
• Phase 2, part 1 - ongoing.  Continue to relative strength training, but add bodybuilding-type workouts either every other week, or every third week.  Weight limit to be defined later, but probably want to remain under 190 lbs.  Definitely don't want to break 200 lbs unless I see some benefit by doing so.
• Phase 2, part 2 - ongoing.  Adapt running program for increased distances, probably building to half marathon distances.  Probably won't want to do marathons since the idea of running for 3 hours with nothing but my mind to keep me company would probably drive me deeper into the inner sanctums of my own insanity.  May use Ipod to delay eventual self destruction.

Just in case you have all forgotten, V-Day has NOT passed yet, so it would not be a good idea to drop your guard just yet.
 

Black 6, out.

Today was day 2 of being the OIC for the grenade range.  The main difference from yesterday was that today, we were using live grenades.  You could tell that I was looking forward to this day.  As I prepared to leave the company area, the sun was shining, the temperature wasn't too cold, and it seemed like it would be a nice day.  Jump forward to an hour later, when it began to snow. 

Snow isn't too big of an issue.  The only reason that show would close the range is if it is more than 2 inches deep, which would prevent EOD from finding a grenade if it didn't go off.  However, it was a problem for me, as I did not pack my Gore-Tex parka, and I was getting somewhat wet.  Fortunately, nature only did this enough to make me generally miserable.  Then it began to drizzle for a little bit before letting up. 

Meanwhile, my Company Commander decided to pay a visit and try to sabotage my efforts.  Somehow, when I asked my supply sergeant to bring some radios out, he decided to pass them off to the CO, who, when he arrived at the range and was asked for them stated, "I'm not range detail."  Wonderful, Sir.  Way to support your company.  Now unable to communicate efficiently over a 300 meter distance, I devised a plan that worked rather well, but took an iteration or three to take effect.  The CO ensured that during these iteration, he would repeatedly ask me about the plan.  I felt like fragging him, Vietnam style.

Meanwhile, the grenade throwing went extremely well.  Nothing dropped, and no one froze in the pit.  My only gripe is that on a nearby range, I guess that they were blowing up land mines, which surprised the hell out of me when I first heard the extra explosions.  As we neared the end, a grenade was thrown and I did my normal thing of counting to 6 while I waited for the boom:

"1 thousand, 2 thousand, 3 thousand, 4 thousand, 5 thousand, 6 thousand, 7 thousand, 8 thousand..???"

Needless to say, the grenade didn't go off.  So I had to call EOD, and have them come out.  They arrived 45 minutes later, which is not really bad, since they have to wait an hour to detonate the thing.  I expect that they have to get their bomb suit and stuff, like you see in the newspapers, and get dressed.

The EOD NCO comes out with nothing more than the same body armor and kevlar that I am wearing.  He then walks into the pit to look at the grenade, while his assistant preps a block of C4 to blow the thing up.  He places the explosives on top of the grenade, pills the fuse on the charge, and walks out.  Two minutes later, there is a boom that is much better than what the grenades were providing.

Turns out the grenade had a hung striker.  Somehow, the striker, which strikes the fuse once the spoon is released, managed to get a rock stuck between itself and the fuse.  My guess is that the striker initially got stuck (this lot of grenades was made in 1975), and didn't move until the grenade struck the ground, at which time it grabbed a piece of gravel in the pit.

When he was done, I asked him if he would like to stay around, just in case something else happened, since there were only a few people.  He declined, saying that he was filling in for his 1SG back at the office.  He took off in his truck and we restarted training.

Five grenades later I'm counting:

"1 thousand, 2 thousand, 3 thousand, 4 thousand, 5 thousand, 6 thousand, 7 thousand, 8 thousand..???"

Too bad that EOD didn't stay.  They came back out and repeated their procedure, and I decided to end the range, both because it was about that time when the ranges need to be shut down, and because it just seemed that the grenades were against us.

Black 6, out.

Today, I had the honor of being the OIC for the hand grenade range.  If you're wondering how it went, rest assured that I am here typing this.  Due to the fact that it was Sunday, as per the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), we could not throw live grenades today.  Tomorrow is another matter, and I will be the OIC then, too.  Today's group was pretty good.  Everyone was able to toss the practice grenade a good distance, and since those are the equivalent of an M80, there was reasonable room for a hand to be blown off.  Tomorrow, as the OIC, I am afforded the benefit of 10 meters and a foot of concrete between me and any thrower.  My head NCO, will be afforded the same benefit, as fell as my body, since he has stated that he will be standing behind me, just in case.

Yesterday, I gave advice for surviving V-Day, and in tip 12, I mentioned that different colored roses have different meanings.  Different flowers have different meanings as well. 

One thing that I have learned in my research of this topic is that there are a whole bunch of flowers in the world.  There's a flower to cover almost every occasion and thought, however, one that covers "Take this job and shove it!" is mysteriously absent.  And so my search continues.  In any case, since you care about botany about as much as I do, I'm going to post the most important and common ones that you will need this holiday (is this really a holiday?).  The information is gathered from here and here.

• Roses
• Red - Love
• Yellow - Friendship
• Pink - Friendship
• Baby's Breath - Festivity
• Forget me not- (You figure it out)
• Orange Blossom - Fertility (be careful with this one)
• Sunflower - Adoration
• Sweatpea - shyness
• Tulip -
• Yellow - hopelessly in love
• Red - love
• Pink - caring

And speaking of tulips:

Black 6, out.

If I were at home, I would put on Groundhog Day, and let Bill Murray deliver the laughs.  Instead, I am at Graf.  So, with V-day approaching, I have decided to put together a small set of guidelines to help the helpless not screw up Valentine's Day.  Please feel free to leave comments of suggestions for improvement.  Actually, I demand it!

1. If you have not already made reservations for V-day, you are just about screwed.  This was something that you should have done immediately following New Year's Day.  At least if you make it today, you are better off that the COMPLETE idiots who will be trying the day before, or the day of.
2. If any major sporting event happens to fall on that day, tape it.  Do not attempt to watch it.  A few years ago, the NBA all-star game was on V-Day (Why would they do that?), and my then-girlfriend told me about how he chose to watch it, rather than go out (Why would he do that, and why must I suffer).
3. Even if you currently have no one to go out with, make some plan, and make the reservations.  It's easier to have them and cancel, than to try to make them at the last minute.  Do not let on that you made the plans as a contingency.  Instead say that you know some people who owed you a favor.
4. Avoid burger joints.  You would think that would be obvious.  Also, it is generally a good idea to avoid places that accept coupons.  If you do go to one of those places, don't use a coupon.  The only exception to this rule is during a day date of some type, and can be used for something like an ice cream shop where the coupon gets you some special desert or something that would not be obtainable without the coupon.
5. If you are still young (like 16), and circumstance have prevented you from obtaining funds, ask for money, and just tell your parents that you will pay them back in the future.  Don not mention the idea of future grandchildren, because they'll only think of 9 months in the future.
6. Turn off cell phone, Blackberries, and such, unless you can anticipate reasons that it would ring that would be important.  In that case, set it to vibrate, and place it in your back-pocket (or another pocket) where you can feel it.
7. Whatever plans you have, ensure that you inform your date of the proper way to dress.  If casual is the way to go, she'll give you hell if you don't tell her, and she wears an evening gown.  The same goes vice versa.
8. If you're a guy, and you have a date, but it's not a serious relationship, you are still required to treat.  She might even suggest going dutch, but THAT's A TRAP.  Don't fall for it.  Just bite the bullet and pay for stuff, and let her feel special.  I also suggest bringing a credit card.  It's a lot easier to manage than cash.
9. Pull the chair out for her.
10. You're stupid if you're not opening doors.  Also, at least act like you have manners.  There are plenty of books that can help you.  You don't need to worry about the section of wedding seating.  Just focus on the idea that you work from the outside to the inside when it comes to forks and knives. 
11. When the check comes, do not wince when you see the price.  Simply look at it, close the stick your card (or the cash) in the booklet and close it.  If she asks how much it was, just blandly say "Eh, don't worry about it."  You can cry later, in private.
12. Flowers are nice, but don't simply go with red if it isn't warranted.  Remember, colors have meanings.  I will post them tomorrow.  Your best bet, if you have no idea where a nearby flower shop is, you may try having an online flower delivery company deliver the flowers to her the morning of.  If you want to give them on the date, you can have it delivered to you the day before, or the day of.  Place them in the fridge.  Not next to the cheese.  Especially if it used to be the milk.
13. Alternative ideas are always good.  It doesn't have to rest solely on a dinner date.  An afternoon stroll through a park, followed by a slightly early dinner, and finished up with a non-too-chick-flick movie may be a good plan.  If it is still playing in the area, I suggest "Stranger than Fiction", but I'm sure that there are more recent things.  Just don't pick a GUY movie, unless it has Brad Pitt or Vin Diesel in it, so she has something to look at.  For those in NYC, The Comedy Cellar may be a good late-night thing.
14. Expect to say goodbye to around $100-$150.  $50-100 if it's early in the dating process. 
15. First dates, keep it sweet and cheap (e.g. the stroll in the park, dinner, and a movie idea).  If you set the bar too high, you'll fall short in future attempts.  Things that require casual dress (Polo shirt, good jeans, black socks and shoes) should work.
16. Take a small camera if you are going places that may have a chance for pictures.  Something that can easily fit in the inside pocket of your jacket. 
17. If you're working something relatively new, trying to go all the way is a bit too much, and you're probably going to get shot down, even more so if this is within the first month, or a first date or something.  Just give a goodbye hug and be off (unless you get stopped ), thus boosting your chances for future dates.
18. Someone just gave me a great idea, but I can't share it because if I told you all, it may sabotage me doing it in the future.  I may give the info to specific individuals, if contacted.
19. For long term relationships, get her a gift.  If you have no ideas, Red Envelope may be  good place to look.  Gifts for this day work differently than birthdays and Christmas, due to the nature of the day.  It should be "love" related.  For the other days, you simply have to get her something she needs or likes.  V-Day takes less skill.
20. Women may wonder what to get their guy.  We don't really need much.  Aside from the obvious 3-letter suggestion, how about you not nag us for a day.  Maybe you could simply enjoy what we have put together for the day, and not complain.  That would be very nice.  Thank you.

I may amend this over the next 2 weeks, just to add ideas and suggestions that I receive or think up.

Black 6, out.