The Swamp

This summer when visiting the sister-in-law we ran into Michael Tilson Thomas at the San Francisco Symphony. He seem terrified of our girls, but he did say hello.

Getting my hair cut yesterday and "Chris Hackenberg" comes in after me. I guess he's shortening his name to go along with the 150 pounds he's put on and his new affinity for talking about LARPing.

Melissa Stark.

Anyone want me to walk by and yell out, "Nommy Graminated"?

DSafetyGuy wrote:Melissa Stark.

Anyone want me to walk by and yell out, "Nommy Graminated"?

I used to think she was so cute, then I saw a closeup. High Def would have killed her career.

I kinda know who she is, but clicked on her wiki article. And I found this amusing:

In 2001, Stark was detained in Mexico after a security guard, not knowing she worked for ABC covering an NFL game, refused her, Al Michaels and Dan Fouts entry into the stadium where the game was being played. The detention lasted a while before the matter was resolved and the charges dropped. Stark admits to being quite embarrassed that she couldn't communicate with Mexican police since Spanish was one of her majors.

You have a degree in a foreign language, but can't talk to the police in that language.

howard wrote:I kinda know who she is, but clicked on her wiki article. And I found this amusing:

In 2001, Stark was detained in Mexico after a security guard, not knowing she worked for ABC covering an NFL game, refused her, Al Michaels and Dan Fouts entry into the stadium where the game was being played. The detention lasted a while before the matter was resolved and the charges dropped. Stark admits to being quite embarrassed that she couldn't communicate with Mexican police since Spanish was one of her majors.

You have a degree in a foreign language, but can't talk to the police in that language.

Her major was Spanish...Not Mexican

But seriously, Shirly and louthegiantrat just looked at their diplomas and cried a little bit with that comment.

Did she go to Wash U?

Shirley wrote:Did she go to Wash U?

UVA.

And, it is appalling that she could major in Spanish (and Foreign Affairs, too), and be so inept in speaking the language.

sancarlos wrote:

Shirley wrote:Did she go to Wash U?

UVA.

I know. But I didn't go to UVA. I was just playing with wlu.

sancarlos wrote:
And, it is appalling that she could major in Spanish (and Foreign Affairs, too), and be so inept in speaking the language.

Spanish Foreign Affairs only refers to the married guy she was banging during her semester in Seville.

Got invited to the Phoenix Open by a vendor last week. There was like 20 people in our box and I didn't even realize one was Dan Quayle until after he left. Old white guys all look the same!

I went a few years honestly thinking Melissa Stark and Jayson Stark were siblings. Weird in retrospect especially since Jayson is about 20 years older than he looks.

A month or so ago my group hired Tim Kurkjian's nephew. He has a Utah Jazz banner in his cube...

Had a beer with Mac from Always Sunny last night. Can't use his full real name for search engine purposes I'll detail later with the full story.

brian wrote:Had a beer with Mac from Always Sunny last night. Can't use his full real name for search engine purposes I'll detail later with the full story.

He was an extra in Wonder Boys. Random, I know, but just rewatched it for the first time after that show came out.

So most of you know my wife is a message therapist at a Strip casino I can't name. On Saturday she had happened to work on Mac; unlike most celebrities she works on she actually recognized him, but didn't say anything because they're not allowed to acknowledge if they actually recognize someone because of strict confidentially requirements. She's not even allowed to tell me but she did because knew I'd be interested. I shouldn't be saying anything here, but our small corner of the Internet is fairly anonymous.

Anyway, turns out on Sunday we were staying at her hotel to redeem an award she had won and we're waiting at a bar there for our reservation for dinner and who comes down and sits next to us and recognizes her from the day before. So we exchanged small talk and she explained that she recognized him, but couldn't say anything but that I'm a huge fan of the show and she wanted to say something but couldn't yadda yadda yadda, so we talked for about 10 minutes while we drank a beer and waited for his wife (who plays Dee, which I think most of you know) to come down for them to make their dinner reservation at the restaurant next to ours.

Really nice guy, super down to earth. No air of pretense. Just a "normal" guy who happened to end up becoming famous and was in town for the UFC fights that weekend.

Only in Vegas!

(that's very cool)

Is this the last season of the show?

Giff wrote:Is this the last season of the show?

One more after this one.

brian wrote:

Giff wrote:Is this the last season of the show?

One more after this one.

The way the season has gone with the rehashing of older stories and specifically last week and this week's episodes, it kinda felt like a farewell.

The route for my bike commute goes past a building that houses studios for about 5 or 6 local radio stations.

Yesterday, riding home, I almost got ran over by Former Movie Critic/Current Rightwing Blowhard Radio Host Michael Medved as he was pulling out of the parking lot. I gave him the "hands up" gesture, and said "What the hell mate?", and he sheepishly shrugged.

He drives a white Hyundai Genesis, by the way.

Always nice to see a high school classmate in the news, just not under the headline, "Local man had sexual contact with 12 and 14-year-old girls." According to the article, the affair with the 14 year old went on for 2 years, and he was cheating on her with the 12 year old. This guy was "troubled" in junior high and high school. One of those kids always wearing a black Metallica shirt, stinking of cigarettes, frequently high, getting into a lot of fights. When I first joined Facebook, I accepted his friend request for some reason. His posts are almost exclusively praising Jesus for whatever good thing happened to him that week.

Talked with Jerry Fineg at a buddy's baby shower this past weekend. He was the Air Force veterinarian on Project Mercury which sent HAM and Enos into space.

I saw Ham at the zoo in Washington when I was a kid. Brush? (See, I drop names of famous primates of all genuses.)

And there is this:

Chimpanzee that.

I ate dinner at a bar in Sharonville, Ohio this evening (a suburb of Cincinnati), and former PGA Tour player Brett Wetterich was in there watching the U.S. Open. Kinda sad to see since he was on the U.S. team for the 2006 Ryder Cup.

At a party with some friends of friends and here's a verbatim conversation.

Me: Has anyone ever told you you look like Frank Thomas?
Guy: I am Frank Thomas
Me: So yes then?

He laughed. Nice guy.

Don't get hurt

came in to my new work place today. he was not interested in talking too much. told him how i show scenes from "glory" to my us history classes every chance i get. the proprietor was surprised that i got a confirmation because usually those who ask are told they've made a mistake.

Man. That sets the bar really high for when I come in and visit you. I have to step it up if I want to be memorable.

brian wrote:At a party with some friends of friends and here's a verbatim conversation.

Me: Has anyone ever told you you look like Frank Thomas?
Guy: I am Frank Thomas
Me: So yes then?

He laughed. Nice guy.

My favorite player as a kid. Good to hear he is a nice human.

rass wrote:Man. That sets the bar really high for when I come in and visit you. I have to step it up if I want to be memorable.

should have come in earlier. i'll be there tomorrow and saturday. not sure about pemberton.

BSF21 wrote:

brian wrote:At a party with some friends of friends and here's a verbatim conversation.

Me: Has anyone ever told you you look like Frank Thomas?
Guy: I am Frank Thomas
Me: So yes then?

He laughed. Nice guy.

My favorite player as a kid. Good to hear he is a nice human.

I'm bitter he's in the HoF when his white counterpart isn't.

cerrano wrote:

rass wrote:Man. That sets the bar really high for when I come in and visit you. I have to step it up if I want to be memorable.

should have come in earlier. i'll be there tomorrow and saturday. not sure about pemberton.

I'm like 99% sure he lives in South Orange.

My coworker's dad is a movie producer. Just learned my coworker is one of the kids legs you see in the early scenes of Jaws splashing around.

One for the Philly guys...

Pat Croce walked past me on the beach today. I looked up to see who the guy was who stopped to BS with the lifeguard, and hey!

rass wrote:One for the Philly guys...

Pat Croce walked past me on the beach today. I looked up to see who the guy was who stopped to BS with the lifeguard, and hey!

I have an autographed copy of his book. Well I did. Never read it though. Donated it to the AAUW book sale a few years back. Probably got big bucks for it.

Paralympic champion Jessica Long. She swims at the pool where my son takes lessons, has modeled in Pathfinders for Autism's fashion show and spoken at our leadership event. Very nice woman, amazing athlete and not hard on the eyes.

Maybe 5 people know who this is, but I waited in line for a sandwich behind Al Kaprelian. He has the posture and gait of a Hobbit and when he asked the girl to put some mayonnaise in a little cup, he said "because I won't eat it until after I get home from doin' the..." and then trailed off before he gave himself away!

Ryan wrote:Maybe 5 people know who this is, but I waited in line for a sandwich behind Al Kaprelian. He has the posture and gait of a Hobbit and when he asked the girl to put some mayonnaise in a little cup, he said "because I won't eat it until after I get home from doin' the..." and then trailed off before he gave himself away!

The pride of Lyndon State! I knew most of the Boston-area meteorologists from when they were super nerds trying to get into frat parties.

Though Cindy Fitzgibbons was typically let in.