John Beck

There’s this thing going around on Facebook where people post their top 25 random things about themselves. I personally didn’t post one but my sister posted one and I found it absolutely hilarious and decided to post it here on my blog. I hope you all find it as funny as I do:

1. I have had 4 surgeries in the past 4 years.

2. Would love to open up my own school for students with disabilities.

3. Would love to pick up everything and move to Taromino, Sicily.

4. I do about 97% of all yard work.

5. I do about 95% of all house work.

6. I would like to have another boxer puppy.

7. I am the most happy when I’m with my son.

8. I would love to mingle with gorillas. Just call me Dian Fossey.

9. I would love to open up a restaurant or a bagel place.

10. I don’t know how to make bagels.

11. I can never write anything without Chris proofreading it first.

12. Chris proofread this.

13. I’m obsessed with organization and have been wanting to go to the container store FOREVER!

14. Hopefully for Valentines Day, Chris will bring me to the container store.

15. I’m supposively passive-aggressive. I don’t know about that, what do you think?

16. I’m self-conscious about several things. So much so that I can’t share them with you.

17. I hate the gladiator game. Chris, Dan….dorks!

18. During early high school years I attended a modeling school.

19. I have huge feet, size 11. HUGE!

20. I like to steal swords and gold.

21. I can watch a movie, people die, I don’t cry. If an animal dies, I will cry for an hour.

22. I used to go to Karate class and loved it, but it killed my back.

23. I hit a tracter trailer on the turnpike after spinning 4x in a snow storm. Car = Totaled.

24. I am a certified therapy dog carrier and have taken Sebastian to a lock-down school, retirement home, hospital, and a school for children with cerebral palsy.

25. In my adulthood, I have only pooped twice in a public place.

My Ryan Newman fan club package arrived today. Over the years I’ve gotten many little goodies from the fan club, autographed pictures, magnets, license plate frames and other little goodies, besides the yearly fan club t-shirt and membership card. This year they really outdid themselves.

The fan club package arrived today, a lot of odd things were included this year. Everything was packed neatly in a Ryan Newman fan club cooler. I got the usual fan club t-shirt, this years was a nice black one, the others were ugly white ones. I also got the usual fan club membership card and cool little fan club magnet. Ok, pretty cool so far. Also inside were 2 more t-shirts, a sweet U.S. Army shirt AND a very cool Meaty Bone t-shirt. Isn’t that odd? Both shirts are really awesome, much cooler than the actual fan club shirt.

Also included in the cooler is a blank CDR (a yellow one), a fishing lure with Ryan Newman’s autograph on it, a bag of rubber bait worms, a small stick of Old Spice (his teammate Tony Stewart’s sponsor) and a small package that looks like matches from Duraflame but it’s actually green tea stress relief lotion.

Isn’t that awesome? That was a really nice surprise to come home too. Thank you Ryan Newman for being awesome! Oh, and Ryan Newman, i’m from your wife’s home town, if you ever come and visit let me take you out for dinner! Sweet!

NASCAR finally updated the official schedule on their site. I’ve updated my subscription calendars to match that schedule. You can subscribe to all 3 top NASCAR calendars in the File Sharing section.

Ravens lost a tough game. Steelers were spectacular. Joe Flacco made some dumb moves, 3 interceptions. He threw some great balls but he also showed why rookie quarterbacks never win playoff games. I knew the Steelers were going to win before the game even started but when the Ravens started coming back and it was 16 – 14 in the 4th quarter I really felt the Ravens were going to win. They started off with great field position and then this stupid penalty came against the Ravens for unnecessary roughness. The penalty ended up putting the Ravens down at the 14 yard line, which was at the time of the kick around 40 something. Flacco made a couple of big passes but eventually got intercepted and was returned for a touchdown. It was that penalty that turned the game around. On the other hand, I feel pretty confident in saying that the Steelers are going to win the super bowl. So the Ravens may have lost but they lost to the next world champions.

I have a feeling Flacco learned a lot this season as a rookie. No rookie has ever made it this far into the post season and I have a feeling that next year he’ll be a lot better. Now that the Ravens are over I have NASCAR to get excited about now. A few more weeks and the green flag will be waving. Also, luckily for me, new episodes of my favorite TV shows have been airing. I’ll start posting my top shows list soon.

DEPECHE MODE
ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF
SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE
APRIL 21, 2009

January 15, 2009- Groundbreaking, chart-topping electro legends Depeche Mode are proud to announce the release of their long-anticipated new studio album, Sounds Of The Universe on April 21, 2009 (Mute Records).

Eclectic and energized, the band’s new release is their most dazzling and diverse album in decades. Recorded in Santa Barbara and New York, Depeche Mode returned to using a lot of vintage gear, from analogue synthesizers to drum machines, in order to conjure up the retro-futuristic arrangements featured on the album. Lyrically the release contains many of the group’s enduring obsessions plus more overt black humor than any of their previous collections.

Like with their 2005 studio album, Playing The Angel, Sounds Of The Universe features writing credits for both Martin Gore, the group’s primary songwriter, and Dave Gahan who after honing his talents on two solo albums, has earned his place as Depeche Mode’s second writer. The release also marks a reunion between the band and producer Ben Hillier (Blur, Doves, Elbow), who worked with the band to help give their new album its timeless sound. The first single from the release, “Wrong,” grabs the listener’s attention from its first stack-heeled, staccato shriek. Over stomping beats, screeching synthesizers, and Dave’s overlord chant, “Wrong” already feels like a Depeche Mode classic. Other standout tracks include Martin’s velvet-lined Scott Walker croon on the sensual lounge-music ballad “Jezebel,” to the sci-fi gospel-blues hymn “In Chains” and “Hole To Feed,” which marries modern electronics to a floor-shaking, bone-rattling Bo Diddley beat.

As one of the most influential bands of the post-punk era, with global sales in excess of 100 million, Depeche Mode belongs to a select premiere league of super groups who have survived from the early 1980s with their ideals, creative vision and core members intact. Formed in 1981, Depeche Mode – Martin Gore, Dave Gahan and Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher – continue to win critical and commercial acclaim across the world both in the studio and on the road. All of the band’s 11 studio albums have reached the Top Ten in not only the UK and USA but 20 plus countries around the world including Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, and Belgium. Additionally, since their inception Depeche Mode’s live shows continue to be a must-see attraction, with the group playing to 2.8 million people across 31 countries on their last tour alone.

Depeche Mode will be announcing additional album details and tour news in the coming weeks. For more information please go to www.depechemode.com.

Ravens just beat the #1 seed Titans. It was a helluva game. A real nail biter.

Absolutely incredible!!!

I think these photographs are just beautiful.

http://helmo.fr/projects/said/2/

I find something about that composition with the blue and red on the black background incredibly gorgeous. Such a great idea and well executed. Stunning imagery.

http://www.lollyphile.com/absinthe.php Whoa. I kinda lost interest in absinthe years ago but I would certainly love to try one or two of these.

I’ve been sick since Saturday. I don’t feel sick until I start eating. It’s no fun. My friend Jen spent the night with me last night. I felt bad cause I wasn’t much fun. Tonight is usually my meeting with the guys at Jo Jo’s Tavern but after I had dinner earlier I just haven’t been feeling well. I’m mostly bummed out about the whole thing. Especially considering that today is Jimmy’s birthday. Sorry I couldn’t be there my good brother. Happy birthday Jimmy!

Joe Flacco became the first rookie quarterback to win a playoff game on the road and only the third rookie quarterback to win a playoff game of all time! The Ravens play the Titans in Tennessee on Saturday. The Ravens have been on fire lately and the Titans are flickering out, regardless, it should be a close game and can go either way. GO RAVENS!!!