I had a rough day today. I've proven once again I'm bad at office politics - my ego won't let me be good at it. I have this image in my head that says when I'm right I'm right, and how dare anyone question me. I stepped out of line in my confrontation with the president of the company today.
I was right though. I'll stand my ground.
As it turns out, Rizzn Dot Net appears to be getting some press: http://www-origin.alwayson-network.com/comments.php?id=8625_0_11_0_C
/rizzn
When will the pundits of the left and the right stop calling Karl Rove things like "Bush's Puppet-master" and start using proper names like, I don't know, Deputy Chief of Staff?
It's annoying when I clearly know more about politics than the talking heads on the television.
Late breaking update: The Mark and Darrell show is cancelled by management. This is not a bit. Our two and a half year run is finally over, as at this point we likely won't be seeking alternative syndication. Voice your concerns, comments, and questions in the comment area or in a private email here, here, or here.
/rizzn
Between Bill Maher, and all the pseudo-independents at the Independent Spirit Awards (brought to you by the biggest of the big nine corpolitical media outlets), I've had my head filled with all sorts of ridiculous notions this weekend.
One of the funniest notions is that, as Bill Maher put it on his program this weekend, is that "there is no such thing as 'Hollywood Values'" and that "Hollywood wouldn't put the stuff out there if [Americans] didn't want it."
Are you serious!?! I hate to steal Sean Kennedy's lines here, but are you @#$@ing kidding me? Let's take a look at what just happens to be going on at your local theatre right now.
The Pacifier - Vin Diesel stars as a Navy SEAL who's facing his toughest assigment yet; the Plummer children.
Hitch - Former Fresh Prince actor Will Smith stars as a professional matchmaker whose program is threatened by a female journalist who enrolls as a student and plans on publishing an expose on his fradulent methods.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman - I can't even summarize this one in a single sentence. The blurb on it is three pages long. I assume it's about an African-American that's pissed off.
Did you ask for these? Did you really need to see the modern day action hero grab poopie diapers from the playground at Chuck-E-Cheese? Do you need to see Will Smith throw his career away on weak date movies? Do you really need to go further than a check cashing store on Friday at 5:01pm to see a mad black woman?
I'm not talking about Hollywood programming us do believe in values that aren't ours. I'm talking about Hollywood programming us to watch crap movies and like it!
If I were to get into the horrid values that don't represent the majority of what America believes, that could take me all day -- that gets into the nature of the filmmaking subculture as a whole. I'll save that one for another day; it's bad enough that Hollywood is so far disconnected from American Values that there will probably be a Vin Diesel movie in two years called Pacifier 2: Full Rubber Nipple Jacket.
/rizzn
Music on the Turntables Currently: - DonJim.dometo.mp3
It's been a weird week. Many others agree. None of us can put our fingers on it, but the weirdness of the week permeates all of our perception.
Things that were urgent before are now deplorable, and that which was abhorrant is now dear. Up is right and down is left. Not opposite -- weird!
I think it is because a strange confluence of the stars, moon, or events that put things reasonably within grasp.
Tell me this isn't a fortune cookie entry, and I'll sell you a piece of the Brooklyn Everglades.
/rizzn
I'm working on fixing up the promised changes to Rizzn's Podcaster currently, and listening to RPuser MyUrbanEyes. She's got some good things to say and you should listen to her (not to mention I enjoy the fact that there's an interesting female voice to listen to). Subscribe to her feed here.
After the last update, one of the honorable mentions already wrote me about it. Of course it would be Lish, she who reads never reads my page and never talks to me anymore.
I've also got to say I'm very surprised to hear more news hitting the headlines of the international community regarding a shootout. I'll call some folks in town and see if I can get a scoop this week.
Smokehouse and I are going to try to record a new episode of "Out in Right Field" tonight. There's talk of it going daily. That's a big commitment. We'll see.
That's all I got now. Deuce!
PS - Update as of 3:51 AM Friday Morning - The HTTP Upload Component is finished! Frabjous Day Callooh Callay! and such.
/rizzn
Music on the Turntables Currently: - myurbaneyes.oqoaba.mp3
Tonight has been Grand Central Station on the phones today. I think I may have spoken with almost every person I've ever met today. Starting to remind me of the old days when everyone and their cousin had my phone number, and always called me.
Not that I mind, but there are always a few people who get the shaft. Tonight it was Darrell and Smokehouse who didn't get to talk to me.. not because I value them less as friends, but it's just that you feel obligated to talk to some people when they call when they only call once a month or a week or so. Unfortunately they all called today.
My father is coming into town not this weekend, but the next. The impetus for this trip is the further aggrevated family situation I've alluded to here in the past. I'm not quite comfortable talking about it on an open forum like this, but if you stick around long enough, I'll probably get around to it.
For you podcasters that read the site, if I keep at it for a couple more hours, I'll have that HTTP upload component done for Rizzn's Podcaster. Don't despair. In my work, I've found a bug in my code that I actually know how to fix that can increase the reliability of the email component by around 40%. Good times, yes? It's ever slow evolving into a real live good service. Wait - I mean, Podcaster rocks now and forever!
As an interesting and almost pointless project, I've compiled a short list of all the photographically documented romantic interests of mine, and put some galleries together. Before I jump into the list, let me put together a few ways a prospective reader of rizzn.com could use this list:
1) See if you measure up
Interested in dating me? See how you measure up aesthetically and categorically (as I have included a title for each person as well as a brief one or two sentence bio for each relationship).
2) See if you made the list
There are a few people who didn't make the list - mostly because they didn't give me photographs of themselves. If you can remember going out with me, and can prove it with some photographs, I'll add you to the list.
3) See if you want to date any of my ex's.
These girls are hot-hot-hot. I mean, it takes one heck of a woman to satisfy Master Rizzn.
4) See my ex's
Perhaps you are just curious. Perhaps you are voyeur. Perhaps you are a stalker. Perhaps you're a fed looking for material to put in my file. I've had all these things and more over my life, and I wouldn't be surprised to find out you fit in these categories or something equally bizarre.
Without further ado, here is the list (in more or less chronological order):
Courtney Patterson
www.rizzn.com/img/courtneyPatterson
My First Love
I was truly head over heels for this girl. We met originally when she came in to my workplace, and I helped her print out her term paper. Six months later, we met at a church group, and we made a real heartfelt connection both spiritually and physically. She broke up with me shortly after she went back to college, and our relationship ended up roughly the duration of the summer. She's married now, or last I heard, and lived in Houston.
Charlene Johnston
www.rizzn.com/img/charleneJohnston
My First Encounter
Hot on the heels of my crushing split from Courtney, and the departure from one of my favorite jobs to this day, I met Charlene. This was in the middle of a severe drug binge, and a lot of the details are still murky of what I knew when, but she was married (albeit an 'open marriage') at the time to someone who later became one of my best friends. She was the woman who ended up "making a man out of me." She was a Scorpio, and ended up breaking my heart yet again. For about a year I couldn't stand to be around her, although since I've matured and become rather good friends with her, albeit at a distance.
Traci Davis
www.rizzn.com/img/traciDavis
My First Long-Term Relationship
Instead of becoming a misogynist, I receded into myself for almost a year. I moved to Dallas, and I met Traci on Yahoo! Personals. Traci has always been a friend since, although our periods of contact are always interrupted by years of incommunicado, unfortunately. None the less, Traci and I were together for roughly nine months, and then together again for roughly a month or two a few years later. Of all my ex's, she's the one I could see myself getting on with again at some point, although distance and 'maturity' will probably always prevent that.
Stacy Wilson
www.rizzn.com/img/stacyWilson
My First Fiance
Bad luck is the best way to describe the relationship between Stacy and I. We weren't together long before we started to speak of marriage, and we weren't engaged long before she started to break her vows to me. For nine months after our first break-up, I tried to patch things back up with her, and we almost did get things together a few times, but it wasn't to be. She was another Scorpio. She and I after a year or so ended up being on friendly terms, and I speak with her about a couple times a year.
Alana Gray
www.rizzn.com/img/alanaGray
My First Fling
Not a week after the final split between Stacy and I, Alana scooped me up for what she envisioned as a week-long fling as I had plans to move out of town at the time. When my plans changed the night of the move, she still broke up with me to get back together with her ex's. The girl actually broke up with me over SMS (Phone Message). I saved it for years as it was something quite humorous to me. We both knew it was a short term thing, and I occasionally entertained thoughts of getting back with her, until I realized that she too was a Scorpio, and was only playing with me. Sensing a pattern?
Laura Colaner
www.rizzn.com/img/lauraColaner
My First Dominatrix
My last major relationship, this one really threw me for a loop. I've almost recovered from my misogynist stage that I was thrown into after this one. Things started out swell, and then after one simple (although I must admit thoughtless) mistake, things went rapidly downhill. The only reason this relationship lasted more than a month was that I was 'renting' an apartment from her parents, and had to maintain the peace in order not to be Mr. Homeless Rizzn. I think we ended up being together for about four months. Behind the bedroom door, the relationship was incredible (again, for the first month, before she turned into a cold fish). The relationship could best be summed up by the night it was finally over - she was rocking back in forth in a fetal position, half-naked, on my kitchen floor, nursing a bottle of cheap vodka, apologising to her ex-boyfriend's dog. Also a Scorpio.
Honorable Mentions
Amanda Morgan My First Stalker
I honestly had nothing in common with this girl. We dated for a while, and she claimed to be completely in love with me, but the chemistry was just not there for me. I couldn't get a conversation out of her ever. In retrospect, it was a pretty decent arrangement we had, but it's sometimes not fair to be with someone you know you don't want to be with and lead them on like that. The only chick I've ever had to break up with. Multiple times.
Lish Daelnar My First Geek
During my first year in Florida, I met Lish from friendster, and online we hit it off like gangbusters. In person, she intimidated me, and I froze up on our first date. She might be one of the few people in this world that I respect for their powers of geek. In one of the few moments where I wasn't frozen, we exchanged UART jokes, if that gives you some idea. Technically we only had one date, and I didn't even get a kiss, but she left an impression. If memory serves, a Scorpio, but it didn't have an effect on our non-relationship.
Taylor Bowen My First Hand-Off
I actually went on one date with Taylor, and she handed me off to her friend Sunny, which suited me fine.
Sunny My First Faux Pas
All I'll say to save myself the embarrassment is that I was so inept that I didn't notice the fact that she was literally throwing herself at me, and I didn't take advantage of her. I to this day don't know if it's because I'm a gentleman at heart, or a fool. Either way, one of the few regrets I have, because she was a stand up girl, and we could have had something if I weren't a numbskull. She probably thinks I'm gay or something (which I'm NOT!).
That's all I got for now folks. Be good.
/rizzn
I had a weird happening tonight. I was sleeping soundly, and then all of a sudden I shot up awake around 2:00 AM and had a bout of productivity.
Thank the Lord that is over with now, and I'm once again tired....
Well, I caught up on some emails, and I've realized a few things:
1) There is a Mark Hopkins in Los Angeles doing a Public Access show called Patriotically Yours, and he has a sidekick named Darrell. (he wrote me this weekend).
2) That is distinctly odd!
3) I sorta miss the old days back at 'Teh Void,' the geekhouse I used to call home back in the Dallas days, and decided to make some galleries when www.ndreamer.net's gallery cut me off for file sizes. (Warning: these pictures contain drug-related images. Yes, I used to be in the drug scene. No, I'm not anymore).
www.rizzn.com/img/derrickVann
www.rizzn.com/img/groupRandomDallas
www.rizzn.com/img/matthewJohnston
www.rizzn.com/img/peterHitt
www.rizzn.com/img/traciDavis
www.rizzn.com/img/louisHebb
4) There is no number four.
5) www.rizzn.net seems to be back up and running - the spam issues seem to be over. Yay happy.
6) I'm going to sleep now. Hopefully.
/rizzn
Now my addiction is officially over.
I beat Zuma tonight.
I have my place in the stars. Or something.
/rizzn
I’ve been burning through webservers like gangbusters since the start of the year. I’ve gone through three already, and I’ve not recieved any satisfaction. I know a lot of you who read this are from my podcasting site – and to you I can only offer my deepest apologies for not having a working site for you these last couple days.
I’ve been literally fighting with the server. I think I’ve lost more blood from my knuckles these last three days from punching computer parts than any other time of my life. Did you know that computers insides have a natural defense mechanism like a porcupine. Wacky!
At any rate – I’m burning through hosting companies like gangbusters. I started off Rizzn’s Podcaster on EHostPros, a hosting company run by a bunch of Indians (from the far of country of India, not Native Americans). I normally don’t mind when a company farms out it’s tech support to a foreign country, but this very special group of morons liked to pretend to not understand English whenever it came down to getting a problem solved. Whenever there was money owed, they suddenly learned English with a quickness!
Any time there was a major problem, I had to wake the president of the company up at home at 1:00 am to get anything resolved.
So I killed that hosting plan and moved everything over to AIT. AIT hosting is a great company so long as you don’t need help. Our primary server was down for four days one time because they simply hadn’t gotten around to pressing the reset button after a power failure.
After a major falling out last month with AIT, we’ve moved over to ThePlanet. The server is nice (expensive, but nice), but we haven’t had three straight days of good uptime since we’ve moved over there.
DOES ANYONE DO DECENT HOSTING?
/mark
Yet More Signs For Podcasting Growth
It seems I’m reading more and more of these articles all the time – Podcasting is finally coming into it’s own. I couldn’t be prouder if I were Adam Curry. It would appear that I’m still the only provider of free podcasting service out there, unless you count the ability to hack it together with radio userland or feedster.
In keeping with this grand growth, I want to make sure that all my followers are aware that I’m still hard at work developing the service. I know you can’t tell from the look of the site that I’m doing things still, but I am. Rizzn’s Podcaster is in the process of bein acquired by another entity, and a lot of programming work is getting done at the last minute to make the transition as smooth as possible.
That’s all I got. My DayQuill addled brain won’t let me form anymore cogent thoughts. Back to coding!
/rizzn
I thought about posting about how bad my little communicable disease has become, but about four sentences in, I was grossing myself out – so I’ll spare you the details. Suffice it to say I have a very runny nose.
I think this is the stage where you can say it’s getting better. It still sucks to experience, but it’s getting better.
In other news, I’ve just about gotten my studio how I want it. Smokehouse and I are going to resume recording of “Out in Right Field” this week. My bandwidth at the new studio still isn’t sufficient for the Mark and Darrell show needs, so that may have to wait a week (or we may go with an alternate set-up).
That’s the news over here. WTF, over?
/rizzn
Came in to work today. Still running a fever. Can’t really talk in complete sentences.
At any rate – still working on the Mark and Darrell Show. Should be up and running next week. Perhaps even have the Out In Right Field up and running next week too.
Who knows?
/rizzn
Horribly sick today. Feels like Viral Pharyngitis, meaning I can't do nothing about it except drink OJ and sleep it off.
Suckage. I've been sleeping for over 24 hours. I think I'll make a steaming pile of East Meets West. (it's a mighty tasty meal that serves four that you can make for less than $2.50).
I'm going to do that now, go back to sleep, and hopefully be able to go to work tomorrow.
/rizzn
Music on the Turntables Currently: newsreal - mon (-=RantRadio Talk=- Speak Your Mind)
What you are looking at now is the final version of Rizzn Dot Com. It's version 8.0, and it's all about being back to the basics.
Right now there are some very big changes happening under the surfaces of rizzn.com. We have basically sold and repackaged all the content you used to be able to find here to a new company that is interested in keeping us around to spew our garbage in the interests of better promoting ourselves, although I think they were more interested in the Podcasting gimmick than anything else.
Regardless, Two Coins, Peanut Gallery, and many other bloggers will be joining up with Rizzn.com posters and the rizzn.net podcasting community, as well as the various associated internet radio broadcasters to create a more cohesive creative community.
Stay tuned to rizzn.com and rizzn.net for more info along these lines.
/rizzn
