Saturday, September 02, 2006

the primary reason i'm not around ...

Today (Saturday here) is Guam's primary election.

That means things are a little crazy for the newspaper. It's a ton of coverage and photos of a whole bunch of different candidates in different races.

The polls just closed about a half hour ago, and now the long process to count all the ballots begins ... or will begin in a few hours, when the first of the precincts come in.

My staff knocked out the majority of the news pages nice and early (by 6 p.m. or so), leaving just seven total pages left, one of them Sports, which is waiting on a high school volleyball game to finish up.

Of the other six, two of the pages are already in and being edited. The plan is to have just 3 pages left late, and those will be updated as late as possible in order for us to get the latest news in.

There will be some of us here though, including yours truly, who will be sticking it out until the races are called in the wee hours of the morning, so we can get that stuff up online for our readers.

That's why I'm posting now. I may update this later, depending on how much down time there is.

I've been taking some pics of us hard at work here ... OK, so far I only have us enjoying a killer dinner made by my friend J, the co-worker who left here to open his own small restaurant. But I will take more, so sometime during my lazy Sunday afternoon, I may get around to posting those.

I have this crazy day, but then Sunday should be a super lazy day, while Monday will be spent on the golf course!

Hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend.

ADDENDUM:
• The first results are only now coming in, after midnight. This will likely be a loooooooong night. But it's fun!! Heh.

ADDENDUM 2:
• We're about halfway there ... and it's 2:40 a.m. Looking more and more like 4 or 5 a.m. before I can head home to slumber.

If you feel sorry for me ... send lacivious pictures of yourself in various states on undress (ladies only please!) to dzer@teleguam.net.

Heh.

ADDENDUM 3:
• Getting closer ... 38 of 53 precincts have been reported ... and it's only 3:30 a.m. Just may be eating breakfast at some diner with the gang before heading home for that longed-for sleep.

ADDENDUM 4:
• 5 a.m. and all but 1 precinct have reported. There are still some electronic votes that need to be tallied, but those should come relatively quickly, being electronic and all. Well, at least we hope so.


Friday, September 01, 2006

...

HOLY SHIT! IT'S SEPTEMBER!!



check out the karabaos ...


Some fun photos are up over at DZER's Guam Pics. Check them out. See Guam's version of the famous traveling painted cows -- we use karabaos instead of your typical cow.

There also are some cool shots of my tropical island paradise in the late afternoon/early evening hours.

Thank you, and I appreciate your support.

Oh ... and I'm also looking at reviving/reimagining a blog that will solely feature my short stories and poetry. I'll let you know when it's ready for full public launch.


Thursday, August 31, 2006

new frames and scars ...

My Thursday was one of those days -- it wasn't all that bad, but neither did it stand out as spectacular or fun or anything like that. Meetings galore. That should tell you something.

I also had to replace my relatively brand-new glasses frames. I fell asleep with them on early in the a.m., and later on got a phone call. Groggily, I tried to spring up to find the phone and sat on them, snapping one of the arms. That's what I get for sleeping in instead of getting up 15 minutes earlier like I was supposed to.

I did a quick fix of the arm -- thank you Instant Krazy Glue and heavy-duty packaging tape!

This lasted me long enough (past lunch) to get to my optometrist, who luckily still had the same kind of frames in stock, although none with the silver frames with black arms; I had to go black-with-black, same as my prescription sunglasses. And I even got a 20-percent discount! Woohoo!

SCARRED FOR LIFE
We all have them -- scars, I mean. Those of you who don't have at least one scar somewhere either lived a very sheltered life, or are, in fact, pod people that have replace the real, scarred versions of you!

I probably have more than my share.

On my hands alone -- I have four scars on my left hand, four on my right. Have a few on my legs and feet. I have a few on my arms. But the place with the greatest concentration of scars is my head. I have some on my forehead/browridge. And, as you can see in the photo below, I have multiple scars on the top and back of my head.

Causes of some of my scars:

• Fish hook: stepped on one in my early teen years, it pushed through my foot at the outer edge. Pop's solution? Needlenose pliers, one hand on my ankle, yank out sideways. Ouch.

• Cats: Some pretty deep scratches, including a time or two in which a entire cat was suspended in the air only by a claw deep in my skin.

• Younger brother James: My right thumb still bear the marks of his fingernails, which he clamped into me in one of those quiet brother-brother fights during church that my parents didn't catch.

• Knife cuts: A few here and there from unwise and unsafe methods of carving.

• Miscellaneous: Some sports injuries (football and basketball on asphalt), some general kid hijinks, bike wipeouts, scratches and scrapes, etc.

• Fights: This is where the majority of my scars come from, especially the ones on my knuckles. Ditto the ones on my forehead and head ... a couple of them from beer bottles smashed over my rather thick skull. I got into a lot of fights when I was in elementary and middle school -- being the fat kid who was also athletic, strong, hotheaded and didn't take shit from anyone. But that was before I matured. Oh, and a few in high school and a rumbles in college in bar fights and the like ... so I didn't mature completely early on. LOL

ADDENDUM!
• Surgery: Chrissie's comment made me remember that I left out a big scar ... the one in the middle of my back, from my spinal surgery when I was a young DZER, the one that made school folks over the years think I had scoliosis! LOL

So what are your major scars?


Wednesday, August 30, 2006

early HNT ... two for the money ...

when I'm feeling blue
all I have to do
is take a look at you

no, this isn't a mick jagger impersonation
it's just my look of distate ...
... when I can't get no satisfaction
hey, hey hey!


Also, a new post right below this one!
Scroll down, dammit!

a post sure to disappoint ... some?

OK ... I'm writing this from the office because I'm stuck at work for a little while longer that I optimally want to be, but sometimes that just happens.

Saturday will be crazy in here all day and deep into the early morning hours because of a primary election, but I actually enjoy those frenetic and frenzied days. Plus, there will be lots of free food! LOL

I will be going straight from work to poker, so there's a good chance I won't be home until very late. Because of this, there will not be any early HNT from Guam ... at least not early-early. I'll see if I can take a pic or two later when I get home.

Been a rather boring, uneventful day, but here are some random notes and observations:

• Lunch was carne asada steak, rolled in a tortilla with sour cream and spicy hot salsa. It was a HUGE plate that ended up making 4 rolled steak yummies. Heh.

• Afternoon coffee was a caramel macchiato ... delish!

• I really need to find a good masseuse ... I miss the one that used to come by my old poker game and give chair massages ... *sigh*

• I've gone from $2 million in online poker chips back down to $500K ... bleah. I'll get it back. This I swear!! *insert maniacal cackle here*

• Number of female bloggers I want to bend over my knee and spank: -+-[CLASSIFIED]-+-

• Status of THE FUND: $1,100 and change. Still have to deposit the rolled coins.

• A reason to yell "yay!": This September is one of the two times during the year in which a month includes THREE paydays! Wahoo! And, there is no insurance deductibles taken out of the third paycheck, which boosts the take-home pay a smidge!

• I can't stop loving you. Yeah, you. Of course, you. Who else?

• There is no slower time frame than the last half hour of work (or school) when you have nothing to keep your brain completely occupied ... it just drags on and on and on and on and on and on ... well, you get the point.

• Last time I touched foot in the continental United States: 1989.

• Last time I set food in one of the non-contiguous states of the union: 2001.

• Next time I hope to do both: 2007, at the VERY latest ... but one hopes for 2006.

• Last time I was able to entice a woman to talk dirty to me, on the phone or otherwise ... January. Fuck ... I admit it ... I've totally lost my SWERVE.

• Time since noticing the time dragging and typing this sentence .... 2 entire minutes.

• Screw it ... I'm gonna take off now and check the mail and go to the store and then go to my poker game.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

another reason it's good to be pessimistic ...

Over the past couple of weeks, I have alluded to a situation to which I've been awaiting word. I've also implied that I may be moving soon, back to the U.S. mainland.

The job, I felt, was perfect for me -- pretty much something I've been doing for a long time, so I had the experience, training and feel for it.

The area I was hoping to move to was also pretty perfect for me -- relatively close to my mom and some very dear friends. Sure there'd be winter and snow (brr!), but otherwise it was pretty cool.

I was excited. I was hyped. I was looking at apartments, houses, a new car or truck.

Unfortunately, the job went to someone they'd interviewed a couple of weeks before my application even arrived. I'd wondered why I hadn't heard back from them ... it was because they were negotiating the details. They offered him the job and I heard from them that I wasn't going to get the job because it had been filled.

So that also means that I won't be moving to that place, either.

*heavy sigh*

Maybe that's what I get for getting optimistic and hopeful.

Usually I'm very realistic. Actually, I'm usually pessimistically realistic. After all, if you're not expecting much, you can't be disappointed. Any good news is a bonus. Conversely, if you're hopeful and optimistic, you can be let down hard ... crushed.

But, that being said, I'm not going to give up.

I will be preparing applications for a few other jobs in the general region.

So what states comprise this region?

Eh ... I'll get around to sharing that at some point, I guess.

Heh.

NEW PHOTOS!
For the few of you who actually visit my other blog with any kind of semi-regularity, check out DZER's Guam Pics for some new photos.


Guam has two official languages: English and Chamorro.


Monday, August 28, 2006

lots of stuff, some trivial ... ok most ...

Today I solidified plans to take three days off a little later this month, and another three days off in October.

Yay! Much golf planned!

I also have Monday off, which means -- you guessed it! -- golf, with S and my godson A, as well as a C from work.

And now, for a bunch of miscellaneous thoughts, observations and other stuff.

FANCY SAMMICH RECIPE
I had some tasty little sammiches for my dinner tonight. Not your basic ham and Swiss, turkey and American, or roast beef and provolone. Nope, there were a slight bit fancier.
• 4 dinner rolls

• Champignon deluxe (German brie with garlic)

• Hot Calabrese

• Pepper Salami

• Hot Capocollo

• Wasabe mayo.

• Chipotle mayo
Spread cheese thickly on bottom half of split dinner roll. Stack a selection of assorted thinly sliced meats. Smear glob of either mayo on top half of dinner roll. Put top half of roll on bottom half. Eat.

Now I need a nice hot vanilla cappuccino …

CARTOON FUNNY

Heh.

DREAMY WOMAN
The woman pictured here is Annie Duke. She is a very hot MILF (mother of four) and a top-notch, world-class poker player. Her brother is the legendary Howard Lederer, aka "The Professor." Not only is she a smart hottie, but she's won a World Series of Poker bracelet (Omaha Hi/Low Split), but in 2004 she beat out nine other of the poker world's top pros -- including her brother -- to win the WSOP Tournament of Champions, a $2 million payday.

How can you beat that? Bright, sexy, womanly woman who can beat your ass at the table all the live long day? LOL

Isn't she dreamy? *sigh*

BUSY POSTING WEEKEND
OK ... if you weren't able to stop by the Diatribe during the weekend, you're going to have to scroll down through a bunch of posts made over the past several days.

Highlights include:
• My new Big Daddy shirt

• My new status as online poker millionaire

• Golf with the godson

• A post about my Pop

• And how the debate went, along with a photo of me all gussied up for the event.

For those of you who care, here are a couple more debate pics, taken by a long-time friend who's a professional photographer. He was kind enough to send me these today.

Whatcha think?

a confident DZER, just before showtime ...

coming back from commercial ...

listening carefully and looking professional ;) ...

Oh, and kiddos, word has reached me that I will be getting a DVD digital recording of just the times I was on camera ... so there's a chance you just MIGHT get to see me "in action" ... as a debate moderator, nasty-minded wenches!! LOL


Guam is the first place in the nation to vote for president in the United States in a straw poll (Guam residents can't cast a ballot for president, nor do we have an Electoral College representative). We've chose the winner in each of the last 5 or 6 presidential elections.

monday mornin' stuff ...

INTERESTING NEWS STORY
Every once in a while, a news story catches my eye for one reason or another. The one below is just such a story. See if you can figure out why. Heh.
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- While researchers have long shown that tall people earn more than their shorter counterparts, it's not only social discrimination that accounts for this inequality -- tall people are just smarter than their height-challenged peers, a new study finds.

"As early as age three -- before schooling has had a chance to play a role -- and throughout childhood, taller children perform significantly better on cognitive tests," wrote Anne Case and Christina Paxson of Princeton University in a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

The findings were based primarily on two British studies that followed children born in 1958 and 1970, respectively, through adulthood and a U.S. study on height and occupational choice.

Other studies have pointed to low self-esteem, better health that accompanies greater height, and social discrimination as culprits for lower pay for shorter people.

But researchers Case and Paxson believe the height advantage in the job world is more than just a question of image.

"As adults, taller individuals are more likely to select into higher paying occupations that require more advanced verbal and numerical skills and greater intelligence, for which they earn handsome returns," they wrote.

For both men and women in the United States and the United Kingdom, a height advantage of four inches equated with a 10 percent increase in wages on average.
WHO'S YER DADDY?
My new Big Daddy shirt ...


A FEW NEW PICS
Check out some photos of Hagåtña, Guam's capital village, shot last night at dusk, over at DZER's Guam Pics.


Sunday, August 27, 2006

a sanguine sunday ...

First of all ... thanks to all who commented on the post below for your very kind words. They are very much appreciated.



ONLINE POKER
Stayed up a little late last night, chatting with My Favorite Person until she had to go to work (on a Saturday, ugh!), then played some online poker.

Had a nice little run of luck and ran 160,000 in chips to more than 2 million in chips. At right is a pic of me when I first got over the million chip mark at the table. That's me being one happy doggie! LOL

Of course, I played some more today and didn't quite have the run of luck I had last night, but I'm still in pretty decent shape with 1.5 million chips. Heh.



GOLF WITH THE GODSON
Sundays for me now usually mean a round of golf with my pare', S, and his son, my godson, A, and today was no different.

It's great seeing A always so excited to play, all smiles and exuberance waiting in the golf cart when I drive into the parking lot (S likes to be there early LOL). He did really well, sinking about four putts of 5 to 7 feet in length. He actually has a better pre-putt routine than me or S ... he addresses the ball, sets his left hand while holding the putter up at an angle, then sets his right hand on the grip -- and the same way that I do it, with my index finger behind the putter shaft -- then lowers the putter square behind the ball and adjusts his stance.

He also has a neat little pre-short routine for his drives. Any golfer will tell you that's essential! ;)

I had a bad front nine -- the greens were superfast and it took me a while to get used to them. I three putted the first three greens, resulting in bogey, triple, triple ... bleah. Ended up shooting 50 on the front side, but was more consistent on the back nine, shooting bogey golf on all but one hole, where I got a double, finishing with a 96. Not great, but not bad.



REST OF THE DAY
I was lucky to enjoy a little bit more chat with My Favorite Person while playing online poker, and that's always a good thing.

I have to go into the office in a little bit to get some stuff I forgot and to take care of a few administrative issues ... plus I'm hoping to take a day off this week and the next, so if I get some stuff done tonight, it will help out matters.

The rest of the evening will be spent watching DVDs while cleaning up some more stuff for the eventual yard sale. I bought some little price stickers with which to mark my various junk ... gotta keep being proactive.

I was hoping to do it next weekend, but not sure if that's gonna be feasible -- Saturday is primary election day and plus there's some kind of sewage backup in one of the apartments below me, which I hope the water agency can shut off sometime this week. If they can and I can get it all washed away and cleaned up during the week, then I just may be able to do it. We'll see.

OK ... that's it for now.

Oh, if you haven't visited recently, check out DZER's Guam Pics -- there are a few pics added in the last week. I'll try to get more taken and up soon.