another old fashioned blog

Ohio State Sousaphone player dots cameraman's eye

2009-09-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Being an on-field cameraman is a challenging job during the college football season. You have to lug 40 lbs of equipment around the field during all sorts of tremendously hot/cold weather. You have some douchebag film school drop out screaming in your ear-piece to get all the required shots, and you have to be able to understand him inside a stadium of 109,000 bat-shit insane people screaming their head off, all while standing next to the world's largest brass ensemble. If carrying a midget on your shoulder for 4 hours while standing inside an airplane engine making meaningful communications over Fisher-Price walkie talkies sounds like your dream job, then maybe... just maybe this clip will encourage you to stay in school and get an education, or maybe it will make you go back to school and further your education, or maybe it will make you think the sousaphone is an instrument of death used only for blunt force trauma as 40lbs of fiberglass and steel straight jack yo' shit up, fool cameraman.

Better Know a Footballah - Also-Rans

2009-07-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

There's 12 schools in the SEC, and that's about 8 more schools than I really care to write about. Not all 12 schools are interesting. In fact, several of them have new coaches which only serves to make it difficult for me to write anything about them.

Auburn
Why Auburn would think they could replace Tommy Tuberville easily is a question that still has many Auburn fans guessing. Tubbs won 68% of his games as the Head Coach at Auburn, 3 seasons removed from an undefeated season (and getting shafted at a shot at the National Championship Gmae), won 6 straight against his rival ('Bama). He was fired for one bad season and replaced with the Greatest Head Coach EVER! ... oh wait, no. It's Gene Chizick, who went 5-7 last year with Iowa State. Nice move Auburn, really. 'Bama is still pointing and laughing at you.

Tennessee
Tennessee fired long time head coach Phil Fulmer after 13 years as the Head Voluenteer. They've replaced him with young up-start Lane Kiffin.

I don't know anything about Lane Kiffin other than the fact that he is now a member of the Former Raider Head Coach club. This is a quickly expanding list, and by all means does not reflect on his ability or inability to coach a football team. So, instead of badgering on about Lane Kiffen, here is a picture of his disproportionately hot wife.

Arkansas

This has nothing to do with Arkansas football... or does it?

Kentucky

Drawin' blood makes gettin' drunk off brown liquor easier!

Rich Brook, aside from his propensity to use the word "bullshit" in ever more creative ways than I could, has accomplished little as the coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. After feeling the hammer of the NCAA through the 2006 season, Brooks has coached the Wildcats to three consecutive bowl games, but has yet to leave a mark in the SEC accumulating a blandish average of 3-4 wins in the SEC per season.

Brooks is in effect a "zombie" coach, since as of last season the heavenly-named Joker Philips will become the head coach of Kentucky when Brooks steps down, which will most likely happen just as soon as he finishes his bourbon stash.

Alabama
You do not talk shit about Alabama football or Nick Saban. Especially on the internet. Nick Saban will send a SWAT team to your house, have them sedate you by covering your face in ether and have your limp carcass thrown into a van. When you wake up, you will not know where you are, but it will be dark, and there will be but one light shining directly in your face. This is fact. This is also how Nick Saban recruits.

I just say, "Roll Tide" - nothing to see here. Nope. Just keep moving.

Mr Happypants himself!

Better Know a Footballah - Ole Miss

2009-07-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Part 3 is available here

As is easily observed in the previous three installments of the Better Know a Footballah Series, I focus mainly on the coaches. College football, and more specifically the NCAA has specific rules governing how long players are eligible to play football for any given team. Typically this is 4 years, unless you are Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk who is working on suing the NCAA for his 18th year of eligibility. Really, Ben? You want to be mired in mediocrity for 18 years and not get paid a penny for it. I hope he's working on a PhD while he's there.

Focusing on coaches in College football makes sense. They are one of the few constants in college football, although even that can be disputed. This trend continues with one of my personal favorite head coaches in the SEC - none other than Houston Nutt. If there was an analogy for the style of coaching Houston Nutt employs, one would employ a plot summary from Dukes of Hazzard.

Press play below, and read with this playing in the background. Take it away Mr Wayland Jennings...

The cast of characters

Not Pictured: Houston Nutt

The lives of the Duke Boys would be nothing without their corrupt Hazzard County Commissioner, Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg. Hogg is known for his schemes to get them Duke Boys to forfeit their land so that he can become the all powerful ruler in the Land of Dumb.

Comparing Boss Hogg to Houston Nutt is none too difficult. Ole Miss this year recruited one of the best classes they have seen in decades.

The Insanity hides behind these eyes.

This was accomplished by taking verbal commits to 38 players. The mathematics behind this become even more impressive when you consider that Ole Miss had but 22 scholarships to dole out to the incoming masses. It remains to be seen how Boss Hogg.... er, Houston Nutt will accomplish such a feat, but never fear faithful viewer, this plot will be resolved using gully jumping cars.

Much of Nutt's noterity (see, even his last name implies a form of mental instability that is only found at Arkham Asylum) came during his stint as head coach at Arkensas where he was afforded the luxury of coaching Darren McFadden - arguably the greatest running back in the 2007 season. Nutt's offensive strategy was brilliant in it's simplicity - "run left, run right, run middle." When the strategy of "run" wasn't working, McFadden could also throw the football (having played under center much of his high school career) and threw for 2 TDs in the 2007 season. Further, McFadden could line up as a running back and motion out as a wide receiver (since he played that in HS, also) just to keep defenses on their toes. It's plain to see that much of the strategy was "get the ball to the guy with talent." A strategy that will get you far in the NCAA.

Upon his arrival to Ole Miss, Nutt turned a sinking ship around, and performed admirably in the SEC this year - handing future national champion Florida it's only loss of the season by simply out crazying Urban Meyer's squad. This lead to a Cotton Bowl berth against the Texas Tech Red Raider, and Coach Rainman. This matchup of Coach "Bat Shit Insane" versus the poster boy for autism in coaching was one of the most exciting matchups (to me) on paper of the year. Ole Miss was an 8 pt underdog, and ended up clamping down the nation's top offense - "holding" them to a "paltry" 34 pts. 34 pts is gaudy, if you're in the Big 10, where 10 pts is considered an offensive explosion, but Texas Tech came into the game averaging 36 pts / game with 6 games having 49 or more pts.

I CAN HAZ FOOTBALL PLAYERZ?

This season, Ole Miss is the bandwagon team that everyone is riding. With an incoming class that tops the nation, having a marginally successful SEC season, and coming of a major bowl upset, multiple sources have put Ole Miss as the Heir Apparent to the SEC crown. Me - I'm not buying it. I've read too many comic books in my life to know that "Crazy as a Sack of Rabid Weasles" does not equal "Greatness." And in God's Conference (The SEC) - you have to have greatness to succeed.

YOOOOUUUUUU! Go On and Crank Dat Soilda Boy.

As an added bonus, ESPN wired up Coach Giggity during some of the Cotton Bowl practices. After watching this video, I firmly believe that Houston Nutt wakes up each and every morning in his Yosemitie Sam pajama bottoms to the sound of a freight train air horn. He then splashes a pot of boiling hot coffee in his face to get the endorphins moving, and squat thrusts a '68 Chrysler Lebaron.

This is the type of man that I will demand is my room mate when I get to the point in my life where I have to live in a nursing home. I will never watch a day of TV in my room. I will never do a crossword. I will never play cards. I will simply watch this human being live their life, and I will never be bored.

University of Mississippi - Ole Miss
Location: Oxford, Mississippi
Mascot: Colonel Reb

Why Hate Them: Their coach is crazier than yours. Plus they are this year's media darlings. LSU beating them Nov 21 (assuming both teams are still undefeated) will go a long way towards an SEC Championship.
Road Trip Worthiness: It's best not to experience insanity this close up. Your safest bet is to stay seated at home and admire Mr Crazy on the Magic Talking Picture Box.

Ohio State Golf Carts - Faster than Yours

2009-06-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Jim Tressel shows how he manages to squeeze in 18 holes on a 15 minute smoke break.

From the article:

"It's just an honor to meet Graham, and it was a tremendous adventure to get in one of those cars. I wouldn't do it at 230, though, nor could I imagine doing it for 3 1/2 hours."

It has been argued that Ohio State has trouble maintaining top speed in bowl games for 3 1/2 hours, also.

ZING!

Better Know a Footballah - South Carolina

2009-05-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

Part 2 is available here

As of today, it is 86 days until college football officially begins. At least in the state of Ohio, which really is the only state that matters when it comes to college football.

This brings us to the third edition of Better Know a Footballah - The South Carolina Gamecocks, also known affectionately as the "Cocks". It pleases me to no end that I can use the word "cock" freely and not have to feel the wrath of shame which was instilled upon me by my parents.

With that... let's get to the team.

Having a team with Steve Spurrier (aka: "The Ol' Ball Coach") as your coach, and a mascot who is a Cock is redundant. There exists no coach in college football who can even touch the nine-inch titanium testicularity of Steve Spurrier. The OBC does two things really well, schedule tee times and run his mouth about fellow coaches. Through the course of his career he has been noted as delivering such wondrous zingers as:

- Giving Florida State University the nickname "Free Shoes University"
- Questioning the abilities of Head Coach Phillip Fulmer of Tennessee and stating "You can't spell Citrus without UT"
- Referring to former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning: "I know why Peyton came back for his senior year: he wanted to be a three-time Citrus Bowl MVP"

But there is more to South Carolina than just the Coach. Why - there's the Coach's Son ,assistant coach Steve Spurrier Jr). And let's not forget the coach's youngest son, walk on Wide Receiver Scott Spurrier). No, there's more to this team than nepotism, Cocks and Junior Cocks, there's an entire TEAM of cocks. Let's take a look at some of the players on their roster:

- Ryan Broadhead
- Josh Dickerson
- TJ Johnson

There's DICK JOKES GALORE! South Carolina is a veritable gold mine for infantile humor. The only possible way a team could have more fun poked at them (*wink* ... get it... "poked") is if their mascot was Doe The Ass Blastn' Buck.

As far as football goes, this is a team that has been absolutely spectacular at being mired in mediocrity. And don't think this achievement has gone un-noticed. Since the arrival of Steve Spurrier, they have gone 28-22 (.560). That's a whopping 8 WHOLE GAMES above .500! You can almost taste the ordinary that seeps from the pores of these achievers. The average-ness of this team has even been recognized by the local media in South Carolina

Reality - indeed you are funnier than any form of parody.

But don't think for a second that this is a team that takes their role lightly. Football is serious business, and a team that is so highly recognized in its not-quite-ineptness doesn't take these kinds of things laying down.....

... nevermind.

Being a South Carolina football player is a lot like the above picture. There's a lot of excitement, but when it comes game time - you know that it isn't your team producing the fireworks. After the opening kickoff, there's no reason to over exert yourself and do much other than get in the fetal position and hope that the highly paid security does something other than clear some room for you to get your ass whooped.

South Carolina
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
Mascot: Cocky

8 out of 10 kids in South Carolina think Cocky is "Just OK."

Why Hate Them: This is an easy on. Steve "The Ole Ball Coach" Spurrier and his army of gainfully employed family members.
Road Trip Worthiness: Go for the dick jokes. Stay for the over-powering mediocrity. And the girls who are fans of the Cocks:

And now, a picture of a giant cock:

Penis.

Better Know a Footballah - Mississippi State

2009-05-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Part 1 - Vanderbilt - is available here.

Ok, Semester Finals are over. This means school is done for the semester - this the whole "Final" part. Yeah, my brain is still not functioning properly. Bear with me while I do my best Etch-a-Sketch impression and shake my head so as to forget all the worthless shit that's stored up there.

Much better... now, where were we?

Ah yes. Football. Unfortunately for college football addicts, semester finals also means the entrance of the dark, lonely time of year when absolutely jack squat happens. no recruiting, no spring practices. no bowl games and worst of all - no College Gameday brought to you by the Home Depot.

This time of year reminds me a lot of driving from Ohio to Colorado for some of the infamous ski trips as a youngen' in the parents conversion van - I'm guessing I was 7 at the time. The trip starts out in the glorious Buckeye State. There is so much to see and do and take in. All the food is still unopened in the basket. The drinks are cold, the ice is fresh. You aren't sick of the tapes you brought to play in the walkman. Oh - and mom even bought you a super awesome magnetic travel checkers board so you and you sister can play checkers.

There is an excitement in the air that carries you through Indiana and Illinois. You're thinking about how great it's going to be to get out doors and hit the mountains. All of this optimism comes to a sudden and abrupt halt the second you enter Iowa. As you look past the St Louis Arch, your optimism begins to fade. You squint your eyes and look to the west and see... nothing. There is nothing in sight, even the road side signs that mark out the next closest town begin to become more spread out until the cease to exist. There are no "next closest towns." There is nothing to look forward to. There is the vast emptiness of...
...THE GREAT PLAINS.

But you push forward.

I'm sure about this time Dad's thoughts were beginning to shift a little as he starts to think to himself as the family sleeps, "hey, this is boring as hell, but I think I can make it."

He keeps driving.

Then after driving for weeks fueled by nothing but the finest McDonalds drive-thru food, crappy instant coffee and some methamphetamine purchased from some trucker named Ted at a rest area, he would see this soul crushing sign:

The will to live has been officially broken. Dad would forgot about the vast wasteland that is Nebraska. How it takes 10-12 hours to make it through that god forsaken state. But on the other side of it lies the glorious Rocky Mountains... after another 3 hours of driving through the eastern plains of Colorado.

Ya, the college off season is a lot like that drive (which could only take place in my imagination), and we've just crossed the border into Nebraska.

Mississippi State
Location: Starkville, MS
Mascot: Bully Bulldog

For those of you with astute observation skills, this is a bulldog. Not to be confused with UGA, of Georgia fame. SEC fans don't just inbreed in their familial relations, they inbreed in their school mascots, too.

Why Hate Them: We don't hate Miss St, for much the same reason it's impossible to hate someone who runs in the Special Olympics. If I have to elaborate on that statement any more than you, dear reader, are a soul-less individual who has an eternity of hell to look forward to. And your hell will consist of being restrained in a laying position and being drooled on by bulldogs for all eternity.

Road Trip Worthiness:
Mississippi has a tradition of ringing cowbells at their games. Unless you miss the days of living on pasture with stampeding bovine, there is no reason to attend a game at Miss St. However, the BBQ from there is legendary, so if you're hungry - it may be worth the gas money.

SEC - Better Know a Footballah!

2009-04-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

I have a new family member who will become part of the family of "God's Conference" when it comes to college football. Paige... this is for you.

As you are part of the younger generation, it is my responsibility to pass on the knowledge of her elders to you. I feel it both timely and necessary to impart in you some knowledge about football in the South. The South is a region of the United States that is steeped in tradition and in nearly all regards allows that tradition to become the stumbling block of progress, even the face of the most modern advances in technology.... like "reading" and "basic hygiene." In order to bestow upon you some of that tradition, I will write a little background on each school in the SEC to fill you in on the tradition and madness that I've only witnessed from the safe distance of the internet.

For those of you who are not Paige and who also know me, you may be thinking, "but Eric - you're a buckeye fan. You should hate the SEC. Why not write up a post about the Big Televen schools?" The answer to that is simple. Darwin. Any real Big Televen fan is born with the following bits of knowledge evolved through generational information being born into their skulls:
- Northwestern will field a better than mediocre team once every 20 years.
- Indiana is forbidden from having more than 1 4-star recruit on the field at any time
- M*chig*an football is currently on the side of a milk carton as it has been buried by a sweatervest covered in stickers that only LOOK like weed. Fear not, the Big House is being renovated in more ways than one
- Penn State isn't occupying their time practicing tackle football. They're drinking themselves into an alcohol induced rage of the type that can make a Hunn blush. Also, Joe Pa wants you damn kids to get off his lawn.
- Iowa .... pffft, seriously? While Kirk Ferentz is their coach, they will be nothing more than a team that gets a bowl game on Jan 1 that has absolutely no meaning (*waves at Outback Bowl*).
- Michigan State is as one dimensional as any movie staring Dane Cook.
- Illinoize has a narcissistic coach who is incapable of speaking in sentences with more than 4 syllables. Like it. Works hard. Lovin' football.
I don't need to go on. Any real Big Televen fan JUST KNOWS THIS.

For this series, I will be including a breakdown of all of the schools of the SEC, their strengths, their weaknesses, and best of all - their perceptions.

Vanderbilt
Location: Nashville, Tenn
Mascot:

Andrew Jackson never looked so good

Why hate them; It is considered impolite to make fun of your future intellectual overlords. Point and laugh at them after they have left the room.
Road trip worthiness: Unless you desire the ability to ask random people in the stands to help you out with your assignment for Differential Equations or Organic Biology, it really wouldn't be worth your time to make the trip to Nashville (1 out of 5 stars)

We'll start Part 1 of "Better Know a Footballah" from the bottom of the SEC and work our way up - starting with Vanderbilt because they're easy. Besides that, let's face it, Paige - when you graduate, you're going to be working for a Vanderbilt grad, so you'll want to be able to identify with them as early as possible. Vanderbilt consists of nothing but the worst football team in the SEC, and their efforts can easily be summed by this picture from the one time ESPN's College Game Day visited their campus:

The Library. Do not fuck with it.

This is a football program which has not strengths, and is build entirely of weaknesses. Last year's team which started off with 6 wins was a fluke, and will not happen again for another epoch.

Clinton Portis being... well.. .Clinton Portis

2009-04-28T16:16:00.001-07:00

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

Clinton has long been a favorite player of mine. He stands out on and off the field, but he also has a charisma that he willingly shares with his community. This video exemplifies that charisma.

Ellen and Gladys

2009-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Although I work from home and often get accused of it, I seldom get to watch day time television. The few times I do get to watch it, I have to say that Ellen's show is absolutely outstanding. She is a great person who is just absolutely exploding with laughter and happiness. There are far too few people like her in the world.

This clip absolutely cracks me up though, and is worth watching all the way through. It's tempting to stop about a minute it because it's a bit dry, but just wait, it's worth it.

The Comedy, sometimes it writes itself

2009-01-30T13:18:00.000-08:00

ME: ok, so I've been in a debate with someone over the exact "intentions" of the phrase "bless his little heart"
ME: when someone says that, what does it make you think
OTHERPERSON: Awww, they're really trying hard but they'll never succeed
ME: (and I don't mean it in the "endearing aunt" sort of way)
ME: THATSWHATITHOUGHT
ME: they're retarded!
ME: ... the "they" in that last statement referred to the subject of the "BHLH" uttering
ME: like Corky in that f*cking Facts of Life Show
ME: or whatever it was called

I'm just really glad OTHERPERSON didn't follow up that conversation with "Bless your little heart."

Awesomeness like this is sometimes hard to quantify

2009-01-20T20:54:00.000-08:00

Can you spot my tan lines?

2009-01-15T08:29:00.001-08:00

Ohio State is Loses the Sh*tty Hair Contest, Also

2009-01-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

A coif destined to have a dun broked down car parked in the lawn.

Be thankful evolution granted you a rib cage

2009-01-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

Watching the National Championship Game (yes, I still expected Ohio State to make an appearance out of habit) I was actually clenching my jaw after watching this soul crushing hit. I'm pretty sure Major Wright started running somewhere deep in the Everglades in order to gather up enough steam to deliver this shot.

This can not be made up.

2008-12-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/dec/16/hoff-rocks-las-vegas-bowl/

Las Vegas Bowl.
BYU vs Arizona.
The Hoff sings the Anthem.
Me, feloniously drunk on the BYU side of the field.

This is like a new show in Las Vegas: South Park Live.

Automobile-rific.

2008-12-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

This just about sums up my thoughts on the Big Three Bailout.

(ht: treehugger)

Need a good lawya?

2008-12-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

... boy have I got the man for you

The American Dichotomy

2008-11-27T06:39:00.000-08:00

When two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary.

William Wrigley, Jr.

There's a split in the sentiment of the American public in regards to how business is conducted and managed.

I know this because I'm a blogger, and there by know everything. I also know that writing down my thoughts is akin to a form of mental masturbation, where in I get to declare myself an expert. Problem is, like most bloggers, I'm only an expert in my own personal thoughts.

So - there's this split in American Business. On one hand, there are those who are can be said are working to improve the American Worker's quality of life by lowering their cost of living. On the other hand, there is the seemingly diametrically opposed group who wants to improve the American Worker's quality of life by improving their working conditions.

Here we are some century after Henry Ford's namesake was applied to a brand, and the auto industry is reeling. The causes of the auto industry's problems are too numerous to discuss here, but considering the price of modern UAW labor, benefits, pensions and working conditions - the US auto industry has been "labored" out of the market.

Wal Mart is often accused of not providing adequate wages, benefits and support to their workers.

The auto industry has been accused of laying down to the UAW to meet their labor demands.

Taking into consideration which business are profitable and have contuni

Both of these groups have the common goal of improving quality of life - indeed a noble and praise worthy cause. It's the cause which drives many people into politics in the first place.

So, these two groups - I don't like to name names - so we'll call the first group "Wal Mart" and the second group the "United Auto Workers" or "UAW" for short.

Wal Mart's founder, Sam Walton created his stores with the simple goal of creating equally competitive pricing between those who worked in larger cities and those who worked in smaller rural areas. Cities have the inherit structure in them where one store will not suffice to meet the needs of the many people who reside in them. So you end up with many stores in the area, which creates competition between the stores, which creates a glut of supply, which lowers prices.

Rural areas are not so fortunate as to have enough people living in them to warrant the same type of competitive pricing between rival stores. Often there is only one store to service a larger area. No competition means higher prices.

Sam Walton saw this as an injustice, and wanted to correct this. Fast forward some half century, and it is apparent that he has been successful in his goal.

On the opposite end of the "how to improve quality of life" spectrum is the UAW. They were created during a time when the auto industry was booming but wages, benefits and working conditions in many of the factories were not keeping up. The UAW was created as an organization to represent the workers and to harness the collective power of a group of many people.

If the measure of a business success is 1) profitability 2) meeting their business goals - it is plainly obvious that Wal Mart has succeeded in being vastly profitable and has succeeded in meeting the vision of Sam Walton.

The US Auto industry could learn a lesson or two from Mr Walton and how to keep overhead low, how to keep workers happy in a non-union environment, and how to remain competitive.

If you cant evolve as a business in an ever changing market place, you will eventually be come extinct.

Girls Gone Angsty

2008-11-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

Raw teen emotion is a wonderful thing. Where would society be if we couldn't observe it all on the wonders that is youtube.

The second time watching this is just as funny as the first.

Fcking rock the fck out!!!

2008-11-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

This is just the nasitest song ever made. It makes me want to run through a wall.

Yes, it was used in a Nike commercial a while back - but Saul Williams reason for doing so was (paraphrasing) "as an artist, if I don't make money, I can't get my message out - even if my message is counter-culture. Using Nike as a vehicle to get my art out to more people is more beneficial to me than it is to Nike. My song isn't going to help them sell more shoes. Nike's commercial is going to help me sell more records."

EDIT: Naturally the day after I link to this, embedding has been disabled. For those of you who wish to see this in all of its youtube glory, here's a link.

"Potential Cure" news

2008-11-24T14:37:00.000-08:00

It's generally frustrating hearing news that talks about "potential cures" that use words like "if", "could", "might" and "possibly" so freely.

Dammit, I want cake.

There's a lot of promising research, but for the past 13 years, I've felt strung along by potential cures. It's too easy to become jaded. It's too easy to just break down in tears anytime there's something that holds promise.

When a person has accepted their fate, you build up a wall to words like "cure," in particular when they're loaded up with the word "potential" in front of it. You stop hoping, because you realize this is what your life is.

I just fucking deal, and move on. There's too much life to live, and there are too many beautiful things in the world to enjoy. There is too much fun to be had. There is to much happiness to spread.

Videos like this are both uplifting and soul crushing at the same time. It's such a mix of emotions. For 13 years I've dealt with the highs and lows of diabetes (physiologically, and emotionally). Seeing these videos are such a mix of hope, want, impatience, frustration and tears.

I've held onto these because I didn't know how to post them. There wasn't a technical problem, I just didn't know if I wanted to see them every time I logged into my blog to write up an article.

This first video was amazing. Dr Faustman is such an amazing person and her dedication to her research is highly admirable. I almost hope someone like her finds the cure, because they deserve it for the outstanding commitment to research "The Right Way."

Interview: Type 1 Diabetes Cure Trial from David Edelman on Vimeo.

This second video is a clip from NBC Nightly News. It is considerably less detailed, but the interesting thing is the "potential" (there's that word again) for a cure in humans within a year. I'm not holding my breath.

Sophie, if there is a cure - I'll throw your party. You, me, lots of cake, the biggest fucking tent you've ever seen and ... well... if I can get Johnny Depp, he'll be there too (but I'm apologizing in advance for the rope burns on his wrists and the duct tape residual around his mouth)

(HT: SixUntilMe)

Mad

2008-09-29T15:15:00.001-07:00

Anyone who watches financial, or political news lately - this link is worth your time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dib2-HBsF08

JDRF Kick-off speech.

2008-09-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

It was an emotional afternoon on Tuesday. As I stated in my previous post, my father invited me to speak at the luncheon for his hospital's JDRF kick off luncheon.

As my dad said it best: "I didn't think it would be such an emotional day."

The JDRF representative who was there introduced herself and "the cause," and then played a video of a montage of interviews with local Las Vegas diabetics, none of whom were over the age of 11.

It was very difficult for me to watch these young children faced with the same disease that I have. I could relate to them on a level that I never thought a video could make me realize. Add to that the excellent production quality, wonderful editing, and slow piano music in the background, and it was The Perfect Storm of emotion for me.

I'm not much of a outwardly emotional person, but by the end of the video, my eyes were already pretty glazed up.

Next up was my father who spoke of the shock involved when their son was diagnosed, and how it has effected the entire family.

Hearing my dad talk was just piling on the tears.

By the time I got up to the podium following my dad's speech, I had tears streaming down my face. I was a mess.

It made it hard for me to read the words I had prepared, let alone even get out the few words I had to say. I won't count this is one of my most successful speeches, but I absolutely will count it as my most heartfelt presentation ever.

The speech:

What does it mean to be diabetic?

My father, whom many of you may of may not know is Michael Mericle, graciously asked me if I would speak to a group of his colleagues about what it means to be a diabetic. It’s an interesting question, and not one I’ve put a particular amount of thought into in my life. I’ve never thought much about what makes a diabetic unique when compared to someone with a normal functioning pancreas. The differences are subtle, and I hope I can share some of my experience with you.

Diabetes mellitus derives it’s name from the Ancient Greek term meaning literally “to pass through urine.” Diabetes mellitus is characterized by the loss of insulin producing beta cells of the islets of Langerhans.in the pancreas.

I’m talking to doctors and medical professionals though, and you already learned this in your Anatomy and Physiology classes.

So what does it really mean to be diabetic?

I’ve been a diabetic now for just over 13 years, or 4800 days.

That means I’ve tested my blood glucose using test strips somewhere in the neighborhood of 24,500 times.

I’ve given myself almost 15000 injections of insulin.

I’ve never been hospitalized.

I still have all functioning limbs.

I don’t wear glasses.

I have all my original organs.

I have full feeling in my fingers and toes.

I can run a mile in under 6 minutes.

I can bench press my body weight and I can squat over 300 lbs

These might all sound like trivial accomplishments, for a 31 year old, but they are milestones when you are a diabetic.

So, what does it mean to be a diabetic?

Being diabetic means going to bed with a blood glucose reading of 115 and waking up with it being 240 and not having a clue what happened over the course of the night.

Being diabetic means taking 4 units of insulin to lower the 240 blood sugar and testing 2 hours later to see that it’s now 215.

Being diabetic means taking 4 more units and testing 2 hours later and having a reading of 65, and realizing it’s going to be a long day.

Being diabetic means carrying peanut butter crackers and juice boxes with you all the time, and having to explain to your 3 year old daughter that those are “for daddy” – they aren’t snacks.

Being diabetic means waking up to a blood glucose of 115 and not going low overnight means today is going to be a good day!

Being diabetic means waking up at 3 am confused and disoriented and getting upset when you get to the fridge because you can’t find the orange juice you so desperately need to treat a hypo - because it’s hiding behind the Pepsi your friends brought over because they think diet soda tastes bad.

Being diabetic means arguing with a drink vendor at an amusement park on a hot day because you’re too indignant to pay a dollar for a cup of ice, just to keep you insulin from getting hot.

Being diabetic means a bed time glucose reading of 70 means you’re going to be up for a little longer than you wanted to.

Being diabetic means having some of the worst blood sugar days when you’re paying the most attention to your diet and your insulin…, and having some of the best when you could care less that you’re a diabetic.

Being diabetic means drinking straight vodka, not margaritas or mai tais.

Being diabetic means learning the hard way that foods containing sorbitol should be consumed judiciously.

Being diabetic means saying “SCREW IT – I’M HAVING THE MILKSHAKE” – knowing that it’s going to ruin the rest of the day.

Being diabetic means always holding out hope for a cure, but never really expecting it to happen.

Being diabetic means being aware of your body, the highs and the lows. Discerning when you’re “real people sick” and when you’re “diabetic sick.”

Being diabetic means you appreciate life differently, sometimes cautiously, but it means NEVER letting your disease control your life and never letting your guard down.

My sister has a writeup and pictures over hyah

Continuous Glucose Monitoring System - a first review

2008-09-08T16:02:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been a week since I got Pumpified. It's time for me to sit down and share my thoughts. But first, an interesting item.

My father is the Director of Rehabilitation for a local hospital. Last week he received an e-mail from some of the other members of his hospital stating that their facility was to become a corporate sponsor for the JDRF walk, beginning next year. Since the annual JDRF walk is coming up here in Las Vegas, that means there is to be a group of people visiting their hospital as a show of gratitude for the involvement.

It was asked if there would be any of the directors who would be interested in meeting with these people during a luncheon and speaking session. My father, who along with much of my family, is a significant donor to the JDRF said he would love to speak, and - in fact - has a son who is diabetic and just that day is receiving his first insulin pump.

Low and behold, now I get roped into this and get to meet the people who are helping out one of my favorite (and most personal) causes. My father asked that I give a speech in front of a small-ish group of Executive Board and JDRF members.... yes, a speech. Me, who has a propensity to drop the f-bomb a little too frequently has been asked to be a representative of a community that I only loosely feel a part of.

I've already started drafting my speech, but it doesn't look like I'll have Mac's Keynote (their Powerpoint alternative) to hide behind, so I'll have to convert it to be audio-friendly. And not include any f-bombs.

So... back to the reason for posting. My first pump - and CGMS.

The weeks leading up to my pump were filled with a lot of anxiety, excitement and READING - oh my the reading. A very sincere HT to the many bloggers who have already shared, and continue to share their experiences with the pump.

First and foremost - the pump. Getting over the anxiety of the first canula insertion was ok - I have been around needles before, so that wasn't a big deal. What I wasn't used to was the hyper-sensitivity that I would have about the tube that is now connected to me 24/7. It's like I all of a sudden grew a fragile appendage which only existed to be bumped, yanked on, or worse - yanked out. I'm doubly paranoid about it because it is also my life line.

I wasn't prepared for this heightened awareness. I'm sure it will fade as I get more and more used to wearing my pancreas like a real man (on my pants).

My blood sugars have been remarkably good. I may need to adjust my basal rate slightly to remove some of the "creeping" that I'm observing, but overall, the spikes that I readily saw with the CGMS (as written previously) have lessened dramatically. I won't say it's perfect, as I can still jack myself up very easily by mis-counting carbs, but overall, the "direct injection" system seems to be MUCH more effecient in its delivery.

The CGMS. I have mixed emotions about this. The sensors for the Minimed system are ... well.. I'm not going to Splenda-coat this - they're shitty. I'm sure there's a lot of technology and a lot of hard work that went into the design of the transmitter / sensor combination, but seriously - GET SOME FUCKING TAPE THAT STICKS.

I've had the CGMS strapped to me for a week now, each sensor is designed to last for one week. As of an hour ago, I'm on my 4th sensor.

I attribute much of the problems I'm experiencing to the overall "wonky design" of the sensor. It is affixed at a point with an abysmally small amount of medical tape (did I mention the tape sucks?) and then is left hanging. Imagine having something about the size and weight of three quarters affixed to your body with a small wire on one side, and a piece of tape about the same size.

This "floppy" design means the wire is constantly moving in your skin, causing irritation, leading to a desire to rip the dastardly thing out after about two days.

I've been taping down the sensor with a combination of tegaderm and medical tape, but it still likes to wiggle more that I desire it to.

All things considered, the data that the sensor gives me is fun to watch. There are periods where its accuracy is lacking, but for the most part, it is within 10-20 mg/dl of my BG readings.

In summary: pumping good, sensor hurty and not sticky - but gives good data.

I give the pump a B+, and the sensor a C-. There is a lot of low hanging fruit that Medtronic could address with the senors. Hopefully the next generation of them will have a better design.

True stories

2008-09-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

My daughter thinks that all phone can take pictures. Today she grabbed my desk phone, pointed the back on the phone at me and said, "daddy, say cheese!"

The people on speed dial were really confused.

-------

For the past six months, I have an old trash can that I've been putting out with the garbage every week. The sanitation employees still haven't taken it. They must think I'm a dickhead for putting out an empty trash all the time.

This must be avoided at all costs

2008-08-28T13:45:00.001-07:00

The classy fans of the classy school of Michigan have decided that creating a fine fermented beverage with the namesake of their favorite coach was a good idea. This is an excellent example of why critical business decisions should not be made whilst drinking heavily. Those decisions are best left to an eight-ball of cocaine and disco lights.

Click to make larger, then show to your friends for a good laugh

I can only imagine this being similar in flavor to Lake Erie wine, which tastes of concord grape jelly mixed with Barbasol. Also, not entirely dissimilar with being a Michigan fan, the day after partaking excessively - you want to kill yourself.

I certainly hope this isn't the beginning of a trend of Sports Heros meets Alcoholic Beverages. If someone made a bottle of "Woody Hayes Fume Blanc" I would gladly purchase a case of it, and break each and every bottle over the heads of those responsible for dreaming up this idea.

'Twas the Night Before Kickoff....

2008-08-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Press play and enjoy whilst reading

(HT: O.S. of edsbs.com for the gem of a song)

Football is upon us. Like a slow molasses drip, or sitting in church quietly, or reading anything by Dan Brown - time is at a stand still and does not seem to pass.

Real football starts tomorrow.

If 2008 is anything like 2007, I fully expect to be able to drink gallons mescaline during the course of the season and still have it all make sense. Last season was bizarro football. It was opposite day. It was Bea Arthur posing for Playboy. The rule of the day was that there are no rules. As the Silver Surfer said whatever that forgettable movie (Mediocre Four?) was: "All that you know is at an end."

-An above average, but not spectacular Ohio State team makes it into the BCS Championship game.
-A two loss LSU team wins the SEC and the National Championship Game.
-No team was ranked #2 for more than 2 weeks.
-A 9-4 Florida team hoists the Heisman Trophy.
-Notre Dame loses to Navy en route to a 3 win season.
-Stanford beats USC
-The team that was voted #1 at the end of the season was he underdog for the National Championship game.
-Duke still sucks (hey, some things never change)
-Kansas is invited to, and wins a BCS game.
...and it all started with Appalachian State beating Michigan.

These are just the high profile examples of the season that was.

Tomorrow starts with the tempered dish of South Carolina vs NC State, or Baylor vs Wake Forrest, but it's real god damned football. And that means Ohio State is only a couple days away.

Here's to 2008, the Orange Bowl is 127 days away, but real god damned football starts tomorrow.

Update-a-palooza

2008-08-27T16:48:00.001-07:00

Vacation time got the better of me. In the past month I've been on a week long trip to Ohio, a weekend trip to Reno, 10 days in Virginia Beach, and now another weekend trip to Reno. It's summer time, no one reads blogs anyway.

The trip to Virginia Beach was a great time. It was for my wife's family reunion, and it was really great catching up with people that we hadn't seen for quite some time. We took the kids to the beach or the pool daily, and Ms Corrine even ended up with some tan lines, despite the hourly slathering of sun screen.

I swear, the ocean made this. It was a sign.

After a week in VA Beach, Anne went home with the kids, and I went up to Fairfax to meet the people that I now work with. It was a short trip, but it was great to put some faces with names that I hear on the phone, or chat with on Sametime. The reigning comment was about my height. I think the GNR group is one of the shortest groups of people I've ever worked with. I felt embarrassingly tall while I was around them.

Now it's on to Reno for my Brother-in-Law's wedding. Which will be more family time and more good times.

That's my update and excuse for not writing in a nutshell. I'll write more later.

And for those of you who may be uninformed, "Connor is a baby."

EDIT: Bartomeo pics are now up - you can see them here

Continuous Glucose Monitoring System - a first review

2008-08-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

I got fitted with a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) today. I've had it on for 6 hours. It's been working for 4 hours. It's already changing my life.

Before I get into that, let me rewind to 4 weeks ago. I am an avid reader about diabetic technologies, and have heard about the CGMS coming from several companies. Being a bit jaded, I decided that this was another technology that would come and go, and be a great idea that wouldn't last - as has happened to many good diabetic technologies.

I filed this technology in the "unicorn" bin - you know - the one that just will never exist no matter how bad you really want it to. I get sick of testing. I get sick of wondering if I have enough test strips. I get sick of sore fingers. I get sick of running out of test strips when I'm away from home. I get sick of just NOT KNOWING what my blood sugar is.

The last is the worst part. The neurotic feeling of "something feels off - is it my sugar or is it just because I'm human?" I test. Everything's fine. I feel a cold coming on. I test. The weather is dramatically different than yesterday. I test. I want to go to the gym. I test. I just got back from the gym. I test. I'm tired and want to go to bed. I test. I wake up in the morning. I test. I ate something that I don't normally eat. I test. I'm thinking about eating. I test. I ate 2 hours ago. I test

If you think this is repetitive, it's because it is. It's habitual. Testing is a part of everything. Physical activity, weather, eating, pre-eating, waking, going to sleep. Everything has a test associated with it. It's ritualistic. Nothing goes by without triggering an urge to test. I have to remind myself that I've tested in the past 2 hours, so everything should be fine.

It *should* be, but it isn't always. But testing more than every 2 hours is expensive, even with great insurance. So, I ration the tests. Unless I'm not feeling well and I can confirm it is blood sugar related, I have to hold my self back from testing. It makes me nuts - not knowing. Having blind spots. Not seeing trends well.

From the first time I heard about the CGMS, I thought it was amazing, inspiring, hopeful... it was the Barak Obama of technologies for a diabetic. It was what I wanted more than a pump. I know how insulin works in my body, so pumping was always only of marginal interest to me. If anything it removed the social stigma of pulling out needles at a meal with people that I've just met. The only compelling reason to get a pump was to make other people feel better. Not me.

But the CGMS... that is life altering. For those who are playing the home game and aren't familiar with the CGMS, it's a small sensor, about the size of three quarters stacked up, and it contains a small needle. This needle and sensor is "infused" into your skin and taped in place with medical tape. The sensor then transmits a signal every five minutes to a receiver which gives you an instantaneous readout of your blood sugar. There are only 2 times a day that require testing manually, and those are for calibration of the sensor. That's it.

I read about this and immediate wanted to read "user reviews." The initial reviews were compelling. The people who had them for trials didn't want to give them back. People who were issued the first releases of them couldn't wait to upgrade. People who had upgraded espoused the virtues of the latest revision.

That's it. I'm sold. This is a proven technology and it's exactly what I want (it's been out for over a year now). I need this.

I spoke to my doctor about this, and he referred me to a different doctor. I explained to him, that I wanted a pump with an integrated CGMS. He explained the benefits and problems with the pumping approach. Truth be told, I couldn't care less about the pump, I really want the CGMS. I need the CGMS. I have a neurotic need to know what my blood sugar is at all times, and must have the CGMS.

So, I've had the CGMS inserted into my abdomen now for 6 hours, and I've had to remind myself 8 times that I don't need to test right now. I just need to pull out the receiver and look.

I will have this CGMS for 1 week (it's a trial while my doc helps me figure out my carb to insulin ration - better carb counting, basically). I've had it for 6 hours, and can't imagine giving it back. If it weren't for the fact that I know I'll have one of my own in a month, I would never give this back. I'd steal it and move to Canada where I can get infusion sensors for free.

I've had this for 6 hours, and I'll never have to not know what my blood sugar is again.

This is life altering. This is a good day.

Ohio in the summer time. A report card

2008-07-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

Below are the grades for the Warren and Mericle Family Reunion weekend events. If you dont like the grades you have received, you will just have to try harder at the next event.

A+ - Ford and Vesta Warren for hosting the Warren Reunion. If it wasn't for their deep pockets, we all would have been sleeping on the floor in The Pit and eating ramen barbequed by Jack.
B- - For Daniel's dog walking abilities. There were a couple of times that I saw him eating food and socializing with people, but overall he put forth a great effort to be attached to the leash at all times.
A- - Roundhouse buckets of beer. Is there anything you can't do, you wonderful red bucket?
C- - PIB Golf carts. Electric carts don't have enough torque to get 6 people up a hill in a 4 person cart. Gas carts are governered, which is just lame.

On PIB, suave old men try to steal rides on the back of your cart if you are unattentive.

D - Lake Erie fish. You're hungry, just bite the bait.
B- - Mike riding the Scotch Rocket. The grade got boosted because of the offer to race Connie in the mini van
A+ - La La!
F - Alison forgetting her ID so we have to all get more La La in our lives.
F - Children. Your parents are drunk, you should be sleeping.
A+ - My liver. It held up well through 5 straight days of feeding it various forms of ethyl alcohol.
C - For heated discussions on politics. It would have been a higher grade if actual fisticuffs had ensued.
A+ - Brenda's successful dismount from a speeding golf cart and transition into a leisurely jog.
F - Jeff's unsuccessful dismount from a speeding golf cart, taking two steps, falling all over himself and landing in a ditch.
A+ - leniant displays of security by PIB bouncers when presented with nothing more than a yellow sheet of paper as a form of identification. Post It Note sales everywhere are expected to increase in NW Ohio. Im fairly certain that writing one's name on their hand with glitter pens would also pass as a form of identification
F - mosquitoes. I didn't miss you nearly as much as you missed me.
B+ - Jenni Warren. You were late, but you were dressed nice the whole time - making you fashionably late.
D - Prospecting for rare stones on PIB. While it's great to come home with a bag of rocks, those rocks should increase in value, not make daddy's lawn look prettier

Bec's attention has always been easily diverted. ADHD is a cruel condition

F - Byrnwick drive. You used to be cool, with your basketball hoop and your dead end. Now, no one likes you, even if you cut the drive time down.
C- - Sandi's Famous Egg Breakfast. It's all hype, just like the last Spiderman movie, but it didn't give me gas.
A+ - PIB Police. Yeah, my cart backfires, but thanks for not arresting me while carting around too many people in my 4 person cart. The cart wasn't the only thing that was loaded though - tee hee hee.
A+ - Frequent deliveries of home made cookies. Grandpa Mericle made sure that everyone at the Thompson house was good and sugared up, the way kids should be before they go to bed.
C - Cornhole. F*cking bags!!! Get in the F*CKING hole! I hate you.
A+ - The Egner family for making a breif, albeit greatly appreciated trip to visit with the family prior to the trip to PIB.
A- - New Riegel ribs. Extra sloppy. Enough said.
D - Tim Horton's coffee and donuts. Mediocrity is not a way to thrive.
F - Richard Allen. I don't think you really exist.
A+ - Roundhouse buckets of beer. It's so nice, we graded it twice.
B- - Corrine for getting all the kids sick. If some of the adults had shown signs of sickness, you would have had a higher grade.
D- - Greg's golf game. Shooting an 83 doesn't make the cut on tour, and it doesn't make the cut in my grade book either.
A - Molly Warren for being engaged to a fellow who is generally liked by her family. Congratulations.
B - Random dogs on PIB. If your balls were bigger, you would have had a higher grade (gigantic balls not pictured)

not pictured: obscenely large testicles

A+ - Ohio Stadium. Just for being you, you get an A+, Ohio Stadium. You look good. No really, have you lost weight?
F - American Airlines. You suck at your core business, and make your travellers change gates because you don't have your sh*t together. It's amazing you're still in business.
F - Dallas Fort Worth Airport. Only because you're the hub for American Airlines. It's the people you choose to associate with that drag you down. Also, your complete and utter lack of flight schedule monitors within 10 gates of anything usable is absurd. Did you let American Airlines design you?
B- - United Airlines for picking up the slack when American Airlines lets its passengers down.

Overall, this weekend gets a passing grade, but there is still room for improvement. I expect the next family reunion to be just as fun, if not more so.

EDIT: I've added a movie using only my pics, I may edit this later to include more pictures from more family memebers later on (and if they send me their original pics).

House Rules for Football

2008-07-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

A female football fan (!!) - Lisa H at fox sports blog - has listed "The House Rules for College Football" here. There is no need to debate these, as they are written, thus they are canon. (HT - Orson @ edsbs)

What does war smell like?

2008-07-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

I enjoy harassing my family with little bits of information that I glean from the internet that I find more than mildly amusing. For example - them all being cleveland browns fans, I decided to send them the following prose:

In my off season search for anything that will give me a glimmer of hope that football season is, in fact, returning again - I came across a piece on espn.com about Cleveland Browns WR Braylon Edwards, and his move beyond being just a football player. In the piece it included the following paragraph:

The SUV pulls into the parking lot at the Film 44 office for the first meet and greet. Edwards steps out in his dark suit, turquoise shirt, paisley tie. The 25-year-old Browns receiver's ensemble was carefully designed, he says, to show he's professional and fun. Even his fragrance, Bond No. 9, serves a higher purpose. "It's my war cologne," he says. "It's a strong, masculine scent. I wear it when I'm trying to show confidence or be dominant."

Dominant! War!

Having not smelled Braylon's scent (store purchased, or otherwise) - I am trying to imagine walking up to the men's scents counter at my local Macy's and having the following conversation:

Me: I'd like a cologne for myself. A cologne that smells of war. Yes, war, and a hint of dominance. Dominance, with a bit of confidence also.
Macys Cologne Lady: Sir, I have just the cologne for you...

I'm pretty sure that would be the point where I would be asked to leave by three very large sercurity guards, and one really old retired cop who I could probably take down if I had to.

I'm intrigued as to what the olfactory stimulation of "war, masculinity, confidence, strength and dominance" is like when all of that is confined in one small 4.5 oz bottle, with an aerator attachment. I must have this cologne.

A list of things I wish children were born knowing

2008-07-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

- Dog poop tastes bad. Don't eat it.
- Your hair is not a napkin
- Your brother is not a napkin
- Yogurt is not soap
- Dog food isn't made to taste good.
- Your brother doesn't need a bath (in yogurt)
- While it is true that shampoo, makes the floor slippery - it's generally not a fun game to clean up after
- ...same goes for yogurt (yes, yogurt does cause a lot of problems in our house)
- Your brother needs his eyes later in his life. Please don't try to stick your fingers behind them.
- Proctologists wear gloves for a reason, please don't stick your finger in the dog's butt.
- The sun is not an alarm clock
- The baptismal fountain at church is not there to give your brother a bath
- The water bowl on the floor is for the dogs, not for you to play in.
- Paper is for writing on. The walls are not. Neither is your leg. Or your arm. Or your brother.
- Permanent marker is named "permanent" for a reason
- Children's tylenol tastes good, but it is not a very refreshing drink
- M&M's are not a breakfast food. They're also not a lunch food, nor are they a dinner food. Screaming doesn't make them one either.
- Your toys may look like they fit there, but the dog doesn't want them in her rear end. Just trust me on this one.
- When you're done eating, it's more polite to say "I'm finished" than throwing your plate.
- Frosting is not makeup.
- The crayon content of all home furnishings should be zero at all times.

another old fashioned blog

Ohio State Sousaphone player dots cameraman's eye

Better Know a Footballah - Also-Rans

Better Know a Footballah - Ole Miss

Ohio State Golf Carts - Faster than Yours

Better Know a Footballah - South Carolina

Better Know a Footballah - Mississippi State

SEC - Better Know a Footballah!

Clinton Portis being... well.. .Clinton Portis

Ellen and Gladys

The Comedy, sometimes it writes itself

Awesomeness like this is sometimes hard to quantify

Can you spot my tan lines?

Ohio State is Loses the Sh*tty Hair Contest, Also

Be thankful evolution granted you a rib cage

This can not be made up.

Automobile-rific.

Need a good lawya?

The American Dichotomy

Girls Gone Angsty

F*cking rock the f*ck out!!!

"Potential Cure" news

Mad

JDRF Kick-off speech.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring System - a first review

True stories

This must be avoided at all costs

'Twas the Night Before Kickoff....

Update-a-palooza

Continuous Glucose Monitoring System - a first review

Ohio in the summer time. A report card

House Rules for Football

What does war smell like?

A list of things I wish children were born knowing

Fcking rock the fck out!!!