Next time you place a bet on a horse, please go with your initial gut instinct and/or the best named horse, and ignore any thoughts about there being a science to picking a winning ticket. It will save you about $40 and a fair amount of self-directed anger.
Thanks,
Me
May 5, 2013
May 4, 2013
Derby Day!
Awwww yeah, it's Derby Day. One of my favorite holidays. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've missed the Kentucky Derby in my lifetime. I attended it 4 times, and I suggest that all of you put that on your bucket list if you have not done so already. Holy hell is that a good time. Although, times have changed and it's different now. No more coolers, more more giant jugs of alcohol, no more sneaking in of kegs in unbelievably creative ways. Thanks, terrorists, for ruining all the fun. I'm glad I went when I did - all 4 times in my 20's - when it was pretty much a free for all.
This year looks to be an interesting year for the Derby. We have the potential for our first female jockey winner (on Mylute, a real stunner of a horse). We have a Black jockey riding in the Derby for the first time since 1921. He's riding Goldencents, one of my picks. The only Black jockey to ever win the derby was way back in 1902, so that would be a big deal if he won, considering there are apparently very few Black jockeys in this world. This is also the 40 year anniversary of Secretariat's stunning performance of the fastest Derby time ever. I've talked about this before somewhere on this blog, so I won't bore you. But I just have to say, it is quite incredible that Secretariat's record has stood for 40 goddamn years. That's a long ass time. In some ways, I don't want that record to be broken. But if it has to be, I hope to hell I'm around to see it. I'll probably cry if/when it happens.
You better believe I've got some wagers placed on today's race. As usual, I liked nearly all of them and had a hard time deciding. Add in the probable sloppy track factor, which really screwed with my mind. I like to act as if there is a science to betting on horses. At times, I've convinced myself there is (when I win). Other times I ask myself why I don't just pick the horse with the best name (when I lose). It's really anyone's race with a sloppy track. Most of these horses don't have that experience, so there is nothing to go on. So, I'm placing all sorts of bets on various horses that stood out to me. I've got a trifecta box, an exacta box, and 2 bets on 2 different horses to win. The worst case scenario is that I'm out $25 (I'm a cheap better) and it makes the race more exciting because there is the potential to win something and act like a big shot experienced horse picker.
Enjoy the Kentucky Derby, folks, the oldest sport in the nation (really, it is). The fastest, most exciting 2 minutes anyone can ask for. And for nostalgia's sake, below is Secretariat's fabulous run. I get goosebumps every time I watch it. Simply stunning, what that horse did.
This year looks to be an interesting year for the Derby. We have the potential for our first female jockey winner (on Mylute, a real stunner of a horse). We have a Black jockey riding in the Derby for the first time since 1921. He's riding Goldencents, one of my picks. The only Black jockey to ever win the derby was way back in 1902, so that would be a big deal if he won, considering there are apparently very few Black jockeys in this world. This is also the 40 year anniversary of Secretariat's stunning performance of the fastest Derby time ever. I've talked about this before somewhere on this blog, so I won't bore you. But I just have to say, it is quite incredible that Secretariat's record has stood for 40 goddamn years. That's a long ass time. In some ways, I don't want that record to be broken. But if it has to be, I hope to hell I'm around to see it. I'll probably cry if/when it happens.
You better believe I've got some wagers placed on today's race. As usual, I liked nearly all of them and had a hard time deciding. Add in the probable sloppy track factor, which really screwed with my mind. I like to act as if there is a science to betting on horses. At times, I've convinced myself there is (when I win). Other times I ask myself why I don't just pick the horse with the best name (when I lose). It's really anyone's race with a sloppy track. Most of these horses don't have that experience, so there is nothing to go on. So, I'm placing all sorts of bets on various horses that stood out to me. I've got a trifecta box, an exacta box, and 2 bets on 2 different horses to win. The worst case scenario is that I'm out $25 (I'm a cheap better) and it makes the race more exciting because there is the potential to win something and act like a big shot experienced horse picker.
Enjoy the Kentucky Derby, folks, the oldest sport in the nation (really, it is). The fastest, most exciting 2 minutes anyone can ask for. And for nostalgia's sake, below is Secretariat's fabulous run. I get goosebumps every time I watch it. Simply stunning, what that horse did.
April 20, 2013
Happy Holidays!...And Other Stuff.
Happy holidays, folks. It's Record Store Day! Record stores all over the nation are celebrating with special releases, live music, and other sorts of shenanigans. Go out and buy some vinyl!
Not to be ignored, it's also 420 day! Too bad I'm on the verge of getting a new job and can't celebrate.
Things have been rather busy around these parts, hence my absence. As mentioned, I've been in talks for a new job. This is a good thing, as the grant that funds my job is coming to an end in a few months and doesn't look like it will be renewed, so at least I know I will remain employed. Unlike previous job searches, this one didn't require a whole lot of effort. One I came across via networking, the other came to me when they found out the other place was pursuing me. I've never been in that position before, and I must say, it feels good to be fought over. In a nutshell, they are essentially the same job, working on the same project, but the agencies are very different. One is smaller but growing rapidly and is new to me and new to this project they are undertaking. The other is a large entity who has done projects like this before, know exactly what they're doing, and I know what I'm getting into personnel-wise and otherwise, as I've been doing contract work on the side for them for the past year. I'm pretty excited, as both are good jobs, both are a step up on the ol' ladder of responsibility, and both have future potential. As easy as it came about, though, the whole process has been completely exhausting and ultimately became complicated. Because it all came about in such a convoluted, unconventional way, in the past month I've had multiple random talks with each, a few "official" interviews (both almost 3 hours long), follow-up talks, salary/perk negotiations, etc. My brain is tired of thinking about it and weighing the pros and cons. What makes it complicated, you ask? Well, of course, the worst-case scenario came true. I finally determined the familiar entity was the best match, only to find that the other one offered me substantially more money. Substantially. Frankly, I was shocked and am still unsure how they could offer me as much as they did being so small. As excited as I was at first, I eventually developed some reservations about it that have become increasingly pronounced, and I can't ignore my gut. I don't want to make a decision based on money, because I feel that's bad karma and is simply not something I'm comfortable with. More importantly, I have learned the hard way too many times in my life not to cross my gut. The gut knows. Yet, at the same time, I need to do things like pay bills, buy a new car to replace my dying one, and maybe retire someday. I had to turn on my negotiating skills with the other, which I suck at and abhor. But the salary they offered is way too low for the position and for my experience, and although I knew all along they could never match the other offer, if they can just meet in the middle I'd accept it in a heartbeat. So now I wait for their response. They said they are "willing to fight" for me, but I also know they only have so much money to work with, so I can only hope they can improve their offer enough that warrants taking it. If so, it would ultimately be a boost in pay, although a much less noticeable one than the other. But long term happiness is crucial, as is work/life balance, and I know that this job would provide that. I also thrive on organization and knowing they have a system down, whereas the other place would essentially be winging it. If they come back with a lower-than-desired amount, well, then I'm fucked because I will almost feel forced to take the other job that I feel a bit uneasy about. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.
In other news, I'm just bought tickets for an Iron Maiden/Megadeth double bill later this year. Woot! I've never seen Iron Maiden so I'm thrilled about this. Adding Megadeth to the bill is just gravy. I look forward to rocking my face off.
I went to see the new Rob Zombie flick, Lords of Salem, on its opening night yesterday. I've seen all the Rob Zombie movies and have liked them, some more than others. This one was entertaining enough, but overall it's definitely not his best effort. Except for a few brief scenes, it wasn't really scary, per se. Which is ok, except that I was hoping to jump out of my seat a few times. I would describe it more as disturbing and, basically, pretty fucked up. Rob Zombie's movies are usually pretty high on the fucked up scale, and this was no different. It's full of evil and I did walk out of there feeling a bit uneasy about what I had just witnessed. It started out rather slow, though, and, in my opinion, was a bit disjointed and left some unanswered questions. I need closure, people! I don't like to be left hanging. Regardless, I rarely go to movies at the theater so I enjoyed it for the sake of that, and I also enjoyed the popcorn, Dots, and peanut M&Ms. It's all about the snacks. Here's a trailer for a sneak peak:
That's it from KATN Central. Hope all is well in your world. I'm talkin' to you, my 3 readers. Maybe 2 at this point.
March 16, 2013
The Booze of The Beast.
Iron Maiden is getting into the beer business. Although I appreciate the nod to their British patriotism, I think The Beast, along with a high alcohol content kicker, would've been a much better name and more fun to market.
March 10, 2013
Louisiana Sinkhole Worsening.
I'm getting increasingly concerned by the day about the Louisiana sinkhole situation. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm not surprised, because this thing has gotten virtually NO mainstream media coverage. Which I will bitch about in a moment, but first, for those of you who are unaware of what's happening, here's an extremely brief, basic rundown.
Way back in August of last year, a sinkhole opened up in the Bayou Corne area of Assumption Parish in southern Louisiana. Texas Brine Company is to blame, as they had breached a huge, old salt cavern nearby and underneath. The Department of Natural Resources had given them permission to pump radioactive waste into that cavern, and later it was revealed that the cavern may have had problems stemming back to 2010 (which would explain the odd smells and bubbling water that residents have seen there for some time). What started out as a sinkhole the size of a football field has grown to the size of nearly 9 football fields, or 8.5 acres, in the past 7 months. In the last few days, news has come out that a second cavern right next to the sinkhole is now on the verge of collapsing, which would double the size of the sinkhole. And it would take with it several houses as well as Highway 70, which can be seen from the sinkhole. Keep in mind that Assumption Parish is an oil refinery haven with oil and gas pipelines running all over the place. Oh, and I should mention that all of this mess is sitting right next to a well containing 1.5 barrels of liquid butane. I have read that if it were to blow, the energy of such an explosion would be the equivalent of 100 Hiroshima bombs.
In the meantime, the area is experiencing mini earthquakes/tremors and houses are shifting. Toxic gases such as methane, benzene, ethane, propane, and hydrogen sulfide are being released into the air for all to breathe. The sinkhole itself looks like a bubbling pot of water because of all the gases being released. The road that leads to the sinkhole is bulging, tilted, and sinking, and will soon be impassable. The Texas Brine Company, who was fined a mere $100,000 for the breach, has done virtually nothing. Including admitting they are 100% at fault. The governor, Bobby Jindal, has done absolutely nothing except ignore that this is even occurring. He won't even speak of the potential catastrophe at hand, and he refuses to visit the site. What a mother fucker.
This is a disaster that can and is getting much, much worse. With all the media over-coverage of everything in today's world, especially disasters, I find it very curious that this has been blatantly ignored. When the event first happened, there were a few blurbs on CNN and the like for a few days. It's been silence ever since. When the recent sinkhole occurred in Florida and swallowed that poor man alive, I thought perhaps the Louisiana sinkhole might be brought up again by association. It was, in fact, as last Saturday I saw an article on Yahoo's front page. I got excited, only to find the article disappeared after a few hours, and after some searching I found no other major media outlets had mentioned it despite talking about other recent sinkholes all over the country. I admit I've grown fairly skeptical of our government over time, but I think it is clear that there is some sort of major cover up going on here. This should be a HUGE story. If that sinkhole blows, there will be extreme repercussions. Not only will Louisiana probably be blown to bits, but what about the plethora of toxins that will be released into our air? Never mind it would probably also trigger the New Madrid fault, which would then create even more catastrophe that would ultimately affect the entire country. Erin Brockovich is visiting Assumption Parish as we speak, trying to bring attention to the matter, and in the process rallying the residents to demand some answers. She also brought an attorney with her, who has offered to help out any residents who want to take legal action against Texas Brine. I hope she can work some magic, because as each day goes by and the situation worsens, I fear how this story will end. I also hope she hasn't lost her feistiness and tells that asshole governor, as well as Texas Brine, to go fuck themselves.
Update as of 3/11/13: Looks like that crap ass governor is coming around. Which, to me, means that the powers that be realize there is no more denying this dire situation. May as well come clean before she blows in order to save face, no? And I might add, there was a 2.9 earthquake today in the Gulf about 50+ miles from the sinkhole area. Not good. Not good at all.
Way back in August of last year, a sinkhole opened up in the Bayou Corne area of Assumption Parish in southern Louisiana. Texas Brine Company is to blame, as they had breached a huge, old salt cavern nearby and underneath. The Department of Natural Resources had given them permission to pump radioactive waste into that cavern, and later it was revealed that the cavern may have had problems stemming back to 2010 (which would explain the odd smells and bubbling water that residents have seen there for some time). What started out as a sinkhole the size of a football field has grown to the size of nearly 9 football fields, or 8.5 acres, in the past 7 months. In the last few days, news has come out that a second cavern right next to the sinkhole is now on the verge of collapsing, which would double the size of the sinkhole. And it would take with it several houses as well as Highway 70, which can be seen from the sinkhole. Keep in mind that Assumption Parish is an oil refinery haven with oil and gas pipelines running all over the place. Oh, and I should mention that all of this mess is sitting right next to a well containing 1.5 barrels of liquid butane. I have read that if it were to blow, the energy of such an explosion would be the equivalent of 100 Hiroshima bombs.
In the meantime, the area is experiencing mini earthquakes/tremors and houses are shifting. Toxic gases such as methane, benzene, ethane, propane, and hydrogen sulfide are being released into the air for all to breathe. The sinkhole itself looks like a bubbling pot of water because of all the gases being released. The road that leads to the sinkhole is bulging, tilted, and sinking, and will soon be impassable. The Texas Brine Company, who was fined a mere $100,000 for the breach, has done virtually nothing. Including admitting they are 100% at fault. The governor, Bobby Jindal, has done absolutely nothing except ignore that this is even occurring. He won't even speak of the potential catastrophe at hand, and he refuses to visit the site. What a mother fucker.
This is a disaster that can and is getting much, much worse. With all the media over-coverage of everything in today's world, especially disasters, I find it very curious that this has been blatantly ignored. When the event first happened, there were a few blurbs on CNN and the like for a few days. It's been silence ever since. When the recent sinkhole occurred in Florida and swallowed that poor man alive, I thought perhaps the Louisiana sinkhole might be brought up again by association. It was, in fact, as last Saturday I saw an article on Yahoo's front page. I got excited, only to find the article disappeared after a few hours, and after some searching I found no other major media outlets had mentioned it despite talking about other recent sinkholes all over the country. I admit I've grown fairly skeptical of our government over time, but I think it is clear that there is some sort of major cover up going on here. This should be a HUGE story. If that sinkhole blows, there will be extreme repercussions. Not only will Louisiana probably be blown to bits, but what about the plethora of toxins that will be released into our air? Never mind it would probably also trigger the New Madrid fault, which would then create even more catastrophe that would ultimately affect the entire country. Erin Brockovich is visiting Assumption Parish as we speak, trying to bring attention to the matter, and in the process rallying the residents to demand some answers. She also brought an attorney with her, who has offered to help out any residents who want to take legal action against Texas Brine. I hope she can work some magic, because as each day goes by and the situation worsens, I fear how this story will end. I also hope she hasn't lost her feistiness and tells that asshole governor, as well as Texas Brine, to go fuck themselves.
Update as of 3/11/13: Looks like that crap ass governor is coming around. Which, to me, means that the powers that be realize there is no more denying this dire situation. May as well come clean before she blows in order to save face, no? And I might add, there was a 2.9 earthquake today in the Gulf about 50+ miles from the sinkhole area. Not good. Not good at all.
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