Timing is everything

[14:00] MarcEntex: so I was watching mcneal lehrer last night
[14:00] MarcEntex: and they have a segment about professionals looking for work
[14:00] MarcEntex: some of them for longer then a year
[14:00] MarcEntex: so I shot myself
[14:01] armonde: apparently you should take aiming lessons from McNair's gf
[14:01] armonde: or should have I guess
[14:01] MarcEntex: she hit 4 times
[14:01] armonde: 5
[14:01] MarcEntex: including herself?
[14:01] armonde: yes
[14:01] armonde: she shot that one too, it counts
[14:02] MarcEntex: right

Top 10 REAL reasons Sarah Palin is quitting

I blatantly stole this from a comment on ADN.com, but can't find a reliable way to link to the original post, so my apologies and thanks to lilsuzq32:

Top 10 Real Reasons Sarah Palin Is Resigning As Governor:

10. She's pregnant again and is having John Edwards' baby.

9. She's "hiking the Appalachian Trail" with Mark Sanford.

8. She wants to spend more time teaching abstinence to her family.

7. She's joining the cast of "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!"

6. She wants to spend more time watching Russia from her house.

5. She wants to devote herself full-time to making comedians apologize for all the new jokes they're going to tell about her.

4. Her daughter Bristol actually IS having Alex Rodriguez's baby.

3. She's taking up Playboy's offer to pose nude as part of their upcoming "Governors Gone Wild" issue.

2. She came to the end of the Bridge to Nowhere that is her political career.

1. She didn't resign at all. It was an elaborate hoax pulled off by Tina Fey.

Have any better? Post them in the comments section.

Interview with Andy Hillstrand of The Time Bandit (Deadliest Catch)

In honor of tonight's season premiere of Deadliest Catch, I'm reposting the interview I did while I worked at WagNBrag.com with Andy Hillstrand, co-captain of the Time Bandit:

WagNBrag.com Celebrity Q&A - Andy Hillstrand of Deadliest Catch

I imagine that our household is not unique when it comes to our choices in what to watch on TV. My wife and I seldom agree, which means most of the time we’re watching what she wants. There is one big exception to this rule, Tuesday nights at 9pm our television is always tuned to the Discovery Channel as we are completely hooked on the show Deadliest Catch.

Watching these brave men take their lives into their hands on a moment by moment basis in one of the few true reality shows on TV makes for the type of drama only real life can create. So imagine our surprise when we discovered that just a few miles outside of Evansville Indiana one of our favorite captains on the show not only lived, but owns the Hobby Horse Acres ranch.

Andy Hillstrand, co-captain of the F/V Time Bandit, was gracious enough to take some time out of his very busy schedule to answer a few questions for WagNBrag.com. Hillstrand explains what it's like to go from pulling up king crabs in the Bering Sea to training a horse in the Heartland of America.

WNB: It’s quite a transition from a commercial fisherman to a horse trainer, who introduced you to horses and what is the appeal?

Andy: My wife bought two horses one year when I was out fishing. From there on it was just the pure raw power and gentleness of them that hooked me. Like the ocean, they can be calm one minute and explosive the next which is a fun challenge.

WNB: Your family moved from Alaska to Indiana about 5 years ago, how did the animals react to such a drastic change in climate?

Andy: Like me, they have learned to acclimate, but I’m sure they would love to be by the ocean to smell the salt air again.

WNB: Tell me about the horses you have now.

Andy: I have two dark brown foundation quarter horses, Rio and Midnight, and one quarter horse appaloosa, Snowflake. One yearling paint filly, Buckshot, and a miniature horse, Morning Star. The foundation quarter horses are five and nine years old. Rio is my favorite and he can be seen on my website. Snowflake and Morning Star are on the website too. We board an assortment of other horses too.

WNB: What about riding centers you?

Andy: It is very basic, but not simple. I have to ride the horse without getting in the way of his natural movement which takes all my emotional and mental concentration as well as my physical balance and fitness. The horse provides an instant source of feedback if I am out of balance physically, emotionally or mentally and he lets me know right away; that keeps me very centered.

WNB: What is Natural Horsemanship?

Andy: Natural Horsemanship is the training of horses and humans using communication, understanding, and psychology rather than fear or intimidation or mechanical means.

WNB: Can you apply the same principles to training and interacting with other animals such as dogs and cats?

Andy: You can apply the same principles, but dogs and cats are predators and horses are prey animals. Dogs and Cats operate off praise, reward, and recognition while horses respond to safety, comfort, and play.

WNB: How long have you been training others in Natural Horsemanship?

Andy: Only about three years on a professional level. I’ve been teaching my wife and daughter and friends for about nine years.

WNB: Is Hobby Horse Acres a family affair?

Andy: Yes the ranch is a family affair; my wife and I. Our daughters are grown and on their own.

WNB: What services do you offer at Hobby Horse Acres?

Andy: We board horses, teach riding lessons, train horses, have day camps, host birthday parties and events.

WNB: Describe a typical (if there is such a thing) day at Hobby Horse Acres.

Andy: Wake up at 6:30 AM, making coffee, letting Cali & Bait out (the dogs), checking my emails, making sure the stable hands and instructors are doing their jobs cleaning stalls and getting prepared for day camp or lessons. Until recently I was the one cleaning the stalls and giving the lessons, but now we have employees to do that so I can work on promoting Time Bandit Productions and all that entails.

WNB: What does the rest of your extended family think about the ranch?

Andy: They love it except my brother Johnathan thinks I am crazy because Superman was killed while horseback riding.

WNB: Where did your affinity for animals develop?

Andy: As a young boy growing up around animals, both wild and tame, it has always been in my blood.

WNB: Do you consider your horses as pets? Do you have any other pets?

Andy: More like friends and partners. I have two dogs and two cats.

WNB: What do the animals in your life do for you?

Andy: They teach me to live in the moment and not to take anything for granted, to have fun, live life, love and shut up and fish!

WNB: What other animals have you cared for in your life?

Andy: Baby bunnies, cats, dogs, birds, pet rodents, pet reptiles; the whole gamete of pets my children had during their childhood. Even had pet squirrels! Saved a baby bunny rabbit off the side of the road and hand fed it until I handed him off to a rabbit rescuer.

WNB: If you had to pick between pulling full pots of crabs or riding off into the sunset, which would it be?

Andy: Who said I can’t have both? Pulling pots is like riding off into the sunset.

WNB: What’s the best way to contact you about lessons or boarding?

Andy: Go to www.hobbyhorseacres.net and click on the email us link

For more information about Andy and his brother Johnathan and their lifelong ambition to catch every crab on the bottom of the Bering Sea, check out their autobiography Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs or visit their fishing website http://www.timebandit.tv. Also don’t miss Deadliest Catch, Tuesdays at 9pm on the Discovery Channel.

You will be missed

I lost something today... and I didn't know I had it to lose.

As some of you may or may not know, I have been basically unemployed since August 2008. It's been difficult - emotional, physically, and financially - but through the support of my friends and my family we have been able to pull through so far.

About two and a half months ago, I got a very short term position via Belcan from a gentleman I had been following on Twitter for a few months prior. John Kennedy was a pioneer in his field. He realized the power of the Twitter service to reach out to the unemployed and connect with them in such a way as to better match an individual with a job. Every other recruiter I have ever dealt with is more concerned with shoving as many faces in front of the client regardless of a legitimate match on both sides just so they can get their commission. Not John. He took the time to get to know you. He wanted it to work.

A few weeks after Christmas, John was let go by Belcan. I never got the story from him, but I got the distinct impression over our conversations that it was due to him speaking his mind honestly in a Jerry Mcguire-ish way that came back to haunt him.

John took the layoff hard. We spoke on the phone several times a week, each time we spoke I could tell John was hit hard by the layoff. He was positive he was going to lose his house, concerned as to how he would provide for his wife and his father, and in general just hit very hard by the suddenness of it all.

I always stayed upbeat with him, promising him that things will work out in the long run. I would ask him how things were going on his interviews, provide him with job leads that I ran across that I felt he would be a fit for, and even talked him up to other recruiters I was in conversation with at the time as a perfect addition to their teams.

In the past week, life got in the way of our talks. I hadn't reached out and it really wasn't his way to call me. I noticed him tweeting still and this morning, decided to call him. There was no answer so I assumed he was either out on a gig or an interview. At 2pm eastern, I saw this update: "RIP you will be missed"

I called his house again and spoke with his wife.

John had committed suicide this morning.

John wasn't one of my "close" friends, but he was someone whom I cared about. He was someone I leaned on in my own way and allowed to lean on me.

I can't stress enough how important it is to help people around you. Please. If you know someone who is letting the stress of this fucked up world get to them, make sure you are supporting them. Reach out, share... just... be there.

I wish I had been there more for my friend...

25 things about me

I originally posted this up to my facebook profile, but thought it would worth sharing here as well:

1. I was born in North Carolina and lived there until I was 4. My earliest memories are our two dogs and the neighbor across the street and her rabbits. I also think I remember walking down our street and seeing dinosaurs attacking each other over the treeline, but that could be the LSD my mom slipped into the formula.

2. I only got straight A's one time in my life - 3rd quarter of my 1st grade year in Richmond Virginia. Scholastically it's been all down hill since then.

3. While we lived in Richmond, my father was the engineer for WLEE AM 1480. I used to visit him at the station all the time and developed my love of music and radio during this time

4. My best friend in Richmond was a boy named Daniel. Daniel was the first Jewish person I remember meeting. Together with another boy, Jason Putt (he had a welcome mat on his house that said Putt Putt for the fun of it) we built what was the worlds greatest tree house, with multiple points of entrance, 5 different rooms across 2 full levels. My parents informed me later in life that it should have been condemned.

5. The first movie I remember my dad taking me to was Empire Strikes Back. The theater was in the Richmond mall and I remember the line stretched through the mall, out the door, down the block and around the corner. We were in line for at least 3 showings before we got in.

6. The second movie I remember my dad taking me to was Blazing Saddles 10 year re-release, I have never laughed so hard in my life and it's still one of my favorite movies.

7. Until High School, I was never in the same school for more than 2 consecutive years.

8. I went to YMCA Camp Storer every year from grade 4 through 10, and then volunteered up at the camp for another two years.

9. I graduated from St. John's Jesuit in lovely Toledo, Ohio. While at SJJ, I was personally responsible for the immortal lines "Ketchup?" and "For I am Robert, the EXPENDABLE!"... ok, so they aren't really immortal but they still make me smile when I think about them.

10. I only went to one year of college, Ohio University in Athens, where I majored in screwing up, drinking Brainstompers from The Greenery, and Euchre. My GPA was so bad I refuse to acknowledge that I had one, which is unfortunately NOT that far from the truth.

11. I moved to Cincinnati in '93 and had to cut my hair for my first job at King's Island (yes the same place Mike Brady took the kids to deliver blueprints for a new roller coaster) as an attendant in the corn dog stand in front of the King Cobra. To this day I remember that 2 corn dog's and a Coke cost $5.25 in 1993. While working at this stand I met 2 of the best friends I have ever had, even if one of them hated me for the first 4 years of our relationship.

12. While stoned out of my mind one night in 1994 watching Simpson's reruns on Fox19, I decided to attend the Ohio Center for Broadcasting to train to become a real Disk Jockey! I graduated 9 months later.

13. My first radio job was at WKID 95.9 fm in lovely Vevay (pronounced Vee Vee) Indiana. I was the Maverick on the New Kid Country. If I had to pick one genre of music that I despise more than virtually anything, it would be country, this job didn't last too long.

14. I worked for Jacor Communications in Cincinnati for several of their stations. While at Jacor, I was able to get Channel 12 news personality Cammy Dierking to discuss in depth how asparagus changes the color and smell of her urine. Within 30 seconds of the end of the conversation, I had passed the tape along to the morning show at WEBN (local "shocking" rock station) and Cammy never spoke to me again... but I still have the tape.

15. Between June 1993 and August 2000, my hair was cut exactly 6 times. Five of those were only small trims to clear out any split ends. I still miss my long hair. Here is my hair in 1995:



16. I met my wife on October 12th, 1998. This is still the luckiest day of my life.

17. My kids are named for individuals who have had extreme importance in my life without realizing it. My daughter Megan is named in honor of one of my dearest friends from high school, Megan Beck, who was tragically taken far too early from this earth. My son Joseph Tyler is named after Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. As lame as that may be, the music those two created has gotten me through almost every negative period of my life since 1987.

18. In keeping with the Aerosmith moment, I have seen them over 70 times since '87, going backstage 10 times. My 50th time seeing them was 10 years and 2 days after the 1st time in the same venue and sitting within 1 row of my first seats.

19. I'm totally addicted to my xbox (live id Armonde74) and have reached the point in my life where when given a choice between being intimate with my wife or playing another game of Call Of Duty 4, I struggle with the decision.

20. I started playing bass in 1987 because I wanted to sound like one of the greatest musicians of all time, Bootsy Collins. 15 years later, I met the great Bootzilla, when a friend of mine introduced us. Bootsy lives about 1/4 of a mile down the street from me now, but in a much nicer house.

21. I've been in 5 auto accidents in my life. Two were run of the mill "normal" accidents. The remaining three involved the following: Hitting a boat (yes, with a car), skidding through a farmer's front lawn at approximately 60 mph and hitting a telephone pole he had lined his driveway with (according to the farmer I had the 1988 Dodge Caravan at least 6 feet in the air upon impact), and catching a car on fire after running over a couch cushion.

23. I nickname my animals after items I could have purchased if I didn't have to spend extra vet money on them. My dog Jack is also known as "Laptop," Kirby is "Vacation," and the newest dog Ringo is "Carton."

24. Since 1997, I have only been drunk 5 times. Twice at weddings, twice in Cancun, once in Toledo where I ran around the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express in Perrysburg at 2 am quacking like a duck.

25. Though I like to pretend to be miserable most of the time, I know that I'm surrounded by people who love and support me. While my life has not turned out how I imagined, I am lucky to be where I am and I really do appreciate it. (I know this is a cop out answer but it's now 3 hours on this damn quiz and I'm flat out of ideas... you try and do better.)