Thursday, October 2, 2014

Fathers

Well with Halloween right around the corner, it has stirred up memories of Halloweens past. When these memories pop into my head I will share them with you all. The one that popped into my head last night and earlier this morning is about my deceased father/dad. Yes he was both to me. He was strict and instilled personality traits like a father should, but also was a also an understanding and fun friend as a dad should be. I will always miss him and he is always in my heart and mind. Now lets get onto the memories.

My love for Halloween has always been huge and I honestly believe some of it is because of my dad. Now he never instilled the scary violent and terror inducing part that most of you know I love about Halloween. He did however instill the creative and some of the over the top Halloween things that I have done in the past. He always went out of his way to make Halloweens special for us kids in the ways of costumes and taking us trick or treating, even when he had to get up early for work the next morning. I have tons of awesome memories of my father but I will save those for other blogs I will just talk about this one cause it goes with the Halloween theme and also give you some insight on the loving and awesome talent my father had.

I believe I was around 9 years old and the movie Star Wars was the end all be all of sci-fi movies. Kids wanted to be Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C3PO, R2D2, Princess Leia, well you get the picture. No, I didn't want to be Princess Leia before you even ask! I was infatuated with R2D2 at the time and wanted to be him for Halloween. Now most, not all, but most dads would of just gone to the costume store and bought the costume that they had back then, you know the kind it consisted of a plastic vinyl like pants and top with just a face mask that kind of looked like R2D2. Nope not my father. He built an almost exact replica costume I could wear trick or treating and even to enter the neighborhoods Halloween contest. This was a severe badass R2D2 costume. He spent weeks making this from a barrel the thick cardboard kind of barrel with a complete paper mache dome. It would fit over me with shoulder straps and my legs would come out through the bottom and my mother sewed some silver looking pants that looked kind of robotic that I could wear. So you know how intricate this was and how awesome it looked, my dad before he died was a really good graphic designer/typesetter. He drew the plaque that is on the moon for the moon landing and my grandfather (who I will blog about at a later date) who was a master printer printed the plaque that is actually on the moon. My father also worked on the panels that were used on the space shuttle at the time. So needless to say he was a very talented individual. He would work all day then come home and work on this costume at night and on weekends to make sure it was just right and perfect. Hopefully soon I will find the pictures of me in the costume and I will update this blog and my facebook page with these pics so you all could see. Let me tell you and trust me when I say this that this was one incredible costume ever made by hand back in those days you couldn't buy pre-mades of this quality. By the way every costume contest I entered I always took first place. IT WAS AWESOME!! Words can't describe what an awesome and great man my father was and I miss him every day.

In closing I would just like to say to all of you who still have their dads/fathers around, please don't wait till fathers day to let them know what they mean to you. Once you are done reading this blog pick up the phone and give your dad a call and let him know how much he means to you. Talk to him about a memory or just say you called to say I love you Dad. Dads do a lot for us and they sacrifice a lot for our well being. They deserve more recognition than just one day. In all seriousness, all parents deserve to be honored everyday both Moms and Dads. If you are a Mom or Dad, please for the love of all that is holy, be a bigger part of your child's life. You are molding them to who they are supposed to be. Don't let TV or video games become the driving force in your child's life. Step up and be a parent, a friend, a confidant, and watch how much your family dynamic will change and how much your child will grow both spiritually and mentally. We all aren't going to live forever and don't you want a legacy left that makes people say "That child was raised right and proper". You dont want to be the parents that look back and say where did I go wrong? I will stop the lecture part of this blog, I am just really passionate about this especially with the direction this world is going now. If parents would just take the time to be parents and instill a little more values, if children would just take the time to just pull themselves away from tv and video games or at least find a balance between those things and your family you will feel so much better. Ok, I have rambled on enough. I hope you enjoy this little stroll down memory lane that ends in a little bit of a rant cause I easily get sidetracked.

Thank you again for reading these blogs I am really trying to blog more and I feel I am getting into the swing of it. Take care of yourselves and don't forget to call you father lol. If your father has passed away, do what I do, and take a moment to remember him. Talk to friends or loved ones about your fondest memory. Heck if you want post a comment about your fondest memory of your father here on my blog in the comment section I will definitely read it.



Wednesday, October 1, 2014

The Rantings of an Old Man: I have a two different Rants today

The Rantings of an Old Man: I have a two different Rants today: Over the past few weeks, I have been busy with doctors appointments and a few bouts of depression, but during this time I have noticed a few...

I have a two different Rants today

Over the past few weeks, I have been busy with doctors appointments and a few bouts of depression, but during this time I have noticed a few things that have ticked me off so here are two rants I have.

Rant 1.
Gaming is a huge part of my life. I love gaming its a way to escape the pressures of everyday life for me. Recently I have noticed a huge trend in something that annoys the crap out of me. This trend happens a lot in video games especially new ones. That is the constant bashing of a game in the games chat. I play Archeage I enjoy Archeage but come on, how many times in the in game chat do I have to see people bashing ArcheAge in its own chat? This happens in World of Warcraft, in xbox one, and PS4 games as well. Who are these little no life trolls that constantly bash game in all game forums and posts and reviews. I don't know how many times while playing a game I see the same statement this other game is better than what I am playing now or such and such game does this better than this game.  For petes sake, if that is the case go play that game and stop filling up chat and forums with your stupid hateful and not at all helpful mouth breathing input.

Rant 2.
Ok, this may get people not to like me very much but what the hell. I am tired of media outlets and social media always blasting and showing the bad things that our boys in blue do and not the great helpful things they do. I understand that there are some policemen and women out there that let the power they yield go to their heads and a light should be shined on there atrocious acts against humanity. Case in point the policeman who beat the lady on the side of the freeway deserved being shown as the asshat he is. So the news outlets and social media decide to show us this never ending stream of all the bad things that our civil servants do. Then everyone wonders why police are so hated and such by young people and everyone else. Why don't we show the nice things our police force does to help and go out of the way to make our lives and the lives of our children better? No we don't do that we are a nation of people that thrive on showing the negativity of certain people and never the helpful side. It truly bugs the crap out of me. I have a huge group of friends and family members that put their lives on the line on a daily basis to uphold the laws and protect us and help us live our lives in safety. Do they get recognition for the great work they and others like them do for us? NO THEY DON'T. I would just like to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for the work you do to protect me and my family.

Well that about does it for today except here is something I just noticed while doing these rants. What the heck is wrong with my brain that I keep typing a few as one word. Damn this drives me batty. I know that a few is two words but my brain keeps telling my fingers to type it as one word. I also do it with the term a lot. Is this old age sinking in or is it that my fingers are going faster than my brain. Hmmm its just a weird thing I guess.

With Halloween just around the corner, I wanted to give a little shoutout to this person who makes some incredible dolls that are on the darker side but are truly awesome. Check out her Facebook page and give it a like. Hell maybe even order something from her.
Grays Oddities


Thanks again for reading my blog I am honestly trying to blog more except sometimes I get blogger block and cant think of anything. Feel free to comment or even give me suggestions for future Blog posts.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Minecraft is evil!!!!

Well let me start off that this is not a let's blast minecraft blog. This is a let's blast myself for getting involved with this little known game LOL. See what I did there? I got you thinking what the hell is wrong with you John? Minecraft is known by everybody!!!!! So now that I have gotten your attention let's begin. About a month or so ago I was introduced to minecraft by a little 5 year we shall call her Rutabega to protect the weak. This young girl is a little PC prodigy, I mean seriously she uses mouse keyboard better than most adult gamers I know, its actually quite sickening. Well she started showing me this elaborate little house that she built in the side of a mountain. This thing was incredible it was like a maze she knew exactly where everything was and showed me her cows and pigs and trapdoors and maze like area. She is a genius I swear and will probably take over the world. So needless to say being a gamer I was kinda intrigued. Fast forward to about 2 weeks ago a few of my twitch friends shufflejump and crispytot got it for the PS4 and were streaming it. Now unfortunately I am not part of the cool crowd yet and don't own a PS4. So I vicariously live through them and my buddy Vip3r22 who doesn't play minecraft which hindsight being 20/20 I now know why. This damn game is addicting as pizza to a fat guy and trust me I am a fat guy, I know my pizza. Its more addicting as most drugs, trust me I did those when I was a lot younger. Its more addicting than sex to a sex addict. Well that I don't know really know about I just recently got married so being able to have sex when I want is new to me. Just take my word that Minecraft is addicting.

Ok since I don't have a PS4 I borrowed my sisters xbox 360 copy and powered up my xbox 360. So began the end of life as I knew it. Now you may ask why didn't you just play on the pc and stream it you big dummy.Well let me say I am not a keyboard mouse prodigy like my good friend Rutabega. I am a big fat old ranting guy that has sausage fingers so mouse keyboard is a little harder for me to work. I am more a console gamer. There are some games that I can play on but that's a blog for another time. OK where was I? Yes life as I know it ended. First off I did the tutorial and that was great way to get into the swing of things. After that I jumped into survival mode and oh my god was this a mistake. First let me state that if you haven't read my past posts I have what they call obsessive compulsive tendencies minecraft does not help curb these at all. Next thing I know I am tweaking out on a big hill figuring out how I am going to build my castle that overlooks the little town I found. Well there is a little cave area I dig to get cobblestone and when night falls I run to the town shut a door and hide till morning because zombies, skeletons, spiders, and these total douchebags called creepers come out at night. Now be warned I find this out way later that your villagers can get killed and they don't respawn in survival mode. DOH!!! Thanks for letting me know that you need to make sure the town is well lit if you don't want them to die. Oh and the douchebag creepers really like roaming up to townspeople and blowing up so you end up with giant holes every where that the pigs, cows, sheep, and chickens like to fall into then since they aren't the smartest animals on the food chain.They can't work their way out of a wet paper bag let alone figure out how to get out of a hole.

Alright so my village is a ghost town and my castle is in the process of looking sweet it has towers and an awesome looking front door cause of course I had to buy a few of the skin packs. I am very pleased that this 45 year old actually has an imagination and can build something. I then go and mine an ungodly amount of sand to make glass blocks and window pains for my next project (cue dramatic music) THE GLASS GREENHOUSE OF EVER IMPRESSIVENESS!!! All the while to my dismay my castle that I am so proud of that has been built on a hill is actually on top of a cavern that spawns douchebag creepers. Yep you guessed it I go into my castle on occasion and before i can even react I here the most annoying sound in the world. This is worse that babies crying worse than finger nails on a blackboard worse than your significant other tell you about their day while you are watching football. Ok let me get sidetracked here for a second to just say "I am sorry honey I was just typing to make people laugh I enjoy your stories and I LOVE YOU, you are sooooo pretty". Ok back to the story I hear this most annoying noise which sounds like a fuse being lit and then BOOM!! A bit of my castle is blown to smithereens. What the hell!!! Ok no problemo I can fix this which I do and go about creating my greenhouse. I finish said greenhouse and bask in my awesomeness that I created a thing of beauty. How the 2 pigs and cow got in there still remains to be seen but what the hel,l it's awesome. Until I am roaming around doing other things and didn't see Sir Douchebag around the corner of said greenhouse at night and SSSSSS BOOM!!! The whole corner is wiped out after a rage quit and a few tears it is fixed and now I am completely hooked on this game.

Well I could go on but I think I have bored you enough with this rant/story. In closing if you haven't played minecraft I won't blame you or call you names but in all honesty it is a blast. It can be played by the whole family at one time which is pretty awesome and the replay value is really good. You can't deny the global phenom know as minecraft. It is a true game that lets your imagination run wild. Besides survival mode, which is what I play due to the fact I like the challenge because you have to level and mine everything you need to build. There is a creative mode where everything is unlocked and you can seriously let your mind go crazy. I haven't tried that yet in fear of nobody ever seeing me again. Oh, I forgot got to mention in survival mode you can FISH. How cool is that?

Well everyone have a great day and remember FISH ON!

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Went fishing Thursday

So Thursday my wonderful wife and mother decided it would be nice to get me out of the house and go fishing. I am cooped up in this house a lot because of my mental state and my injury. We decided to go to a place near by called Fisherman's Retreat. It's in Redlands on San Timeteo Canyon road and during its heyday was an incredible place to fish. The price is 15 dollars each to fish and you could fish a full 12 hours day or night.

Well we got there at around 10am and went into the shop to pay for me to fish, we asked when was the last time they stocked and the lady who is pretty nice said they stocked the Friday before Labor Day weekend and that there were still 5 tagged catfish still in the upper lake that hadn't been caught. Needless to say I was feeling kind of hopeful. We parked under some trees and I set up my fishing pole with one of my many catfish baits that I brought with me (I come prepared lol). It was a warm day not overly hot but it was warm and proceeded to fish till almost 5pm. During that time I didn't get any bites and kept getting hung up on really thick water growth. All in all it was disappointing, this place could become a jewel of the inland empire for fishing if they took a little time and effort and made some small changes. Most everyone there is friendly and it is nice that you can spend 12 hours fishing. I personally think they need to stock more often. When I asked when they're next stocking was going to be, the lady said honestly she doesn't know, probably November sometime. Well that's kind of vague. Now I don't expect to constantly catch fish whenever I go fishing, the fun of fishing is the waiting and anticipation of seeing your rod move and catching the fish. Eight hours and not even a nibble is a little upsetting especially when you pay 15 dollars. So this is what I think they should try to do. Also I have made a little list of places I enjoy fishing some places cost and others don't.

First off Fisherman's Retreat should get a better stocking schedule and have video that they can post on youtube or their website showing the days that are stocked. It would be informative and get people excited to go there and fish. They should also invest in benches and a few more lights around the lakes just to make it a little more welcoming and give some people who get freaked out in dark spaces a feeling of safety. When you call and ask questions have the people be a little more informed on what's been caught and what baits and lures are doing well. I think if they incorporate these small items the place would be awesome again.

Now here is my list of other places I have been to that I recommend feel free to comment and add your own places that you like. I will then try my best to check those places out and also give input.

1. Corona Lakes is an awesome place to go fishing they have a wide variety of fish to catch through out the year. Catfish, Tilapia, and Sturgeon during the summer months and Trout through the fall and winter months. They stock every week and have videos of the stocking. They stock some really nice sized fish along with normal 1 and 2 pounders. It's a little expensive to fish its 30 dollars a person but since you don't need a state fishing license its kind of worth it. Here is a link to the website Corona Lakes.

2. Lake Silverwood is located off Highway 138, 11 miles east of the I-15 or 24 miles northeast of San Bernardino from highways 18 and 138. Fishing is excellent at Silverwood Lake.  Anglers 16 years of age or older must purchase a California Department of Fish & Game fishing license.  
Regular trout plants take place throughout the year by the California Department of Fish and Game.  Other species of fish include Largemouth Bass, Stripper Bass, Crappie, Bluegill and Channel Catfish which bite throughout the year.  You can call the marina for the most recent fish report.  You may also call (562) 594-7268 for pre-recorded trout plant information.


3.Lake Fulmor - is located in Riverside County. It is nestled in the San Jacinto mountains, approx. 15 miles South of the city of Banning, CA. From I-10 at Banning, exit on Eighth street and then head South on Hwy. 243 for 15 miles to the lake. Lake Fulmor is a small lake consisting of 3 surface acres and rests at an elevation of 5,300 feet. It is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. There is a nice picnic area but there are no concessions, bring your own supplies. Parking is available across the highway. A $5 Forest Adventure Pass is required. San Bernardino National Forest - (909) 659-2117 I enjoy this little gem in the mountains, it is very beautiful. As far as I know they don't stock it that often and every once in awhile it is subjected to algae blooms. Even if you don't catch fish, the peace and quiet is nice. All of that makes up for if you don't catch anything. Remember you do need a CA state fishing license here and they do check.
4. Yucaipa Regional Parks - Okay this is a crap shoot for me. I used to go here all the time when I was younger with my buddy Dennis, now not so much. They stock on Thursdays, which is great cause when they stock, you can't fish those lakes. Now the downside is that everybody and their mother show up on Friday to fish and the weekends are just as bad. You will catch fish but if you don't like a town of people around you I would suggest you fish somewhere else. Here is a link for the park. . yucaipa regional parks

5. Jenks Lake -Jenks Lake is located in the beautiful San Bernadino mountains, near the city of Redlands. From I-10 at Redlands exit on Orange St. and go North to Lugonia St. Turn Right on Lugonia, it turns into Mentone and then turns into Hwy 38 into the mountains towards Big Bear. When you pass the town of Angelus Oaks, travel approx. 5.5 miles to Jenks Lake Rd - W. Turn Right and travel 2.3 miles. Turn left at the entrance to the lake.Jenks Lake is a small mountain lake of 10 surface acres. It is open mid March through mid October from sunrise to sunset. There are picnic tables and hiking trails. Parking is $5 per vehicle. (Forest Permit not valid here) There are restrooms but no consessions. Nearest supplies are in Angelus Oaks. There and numerous campgrounds located along Jenks Lake Rd. There is No Smoking allowed anywhere around the lake. Swimming is no longer allowed. Also, this an active bear area. Please use caution and do not disturb the wildlife. For more information, visit the San Gorgonio Wilderness Site or call (909) 794-1123. This lake is stocked with rainbow trout during the Spring and Summer by the DFG. There are also some largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish and catfish here. Be sure to visit their web site for complete regulations before heading out.

6.Big Bear Lake - Big Bear Lake offers one of the top rated fishing locations in all of Southern California. Big Bear fishing reports indicate that for yet another season, freshwater anglers of all types will enjoy the quality trout and bass found in the local waters at Big Bear Lake.
Along with trout and bass, you will also love to find the waters of Big Bear Lake offer an abundant supply of catfish, crappie, blue gill and sunfish. Fishermen of all types will find something to their liking in the pristine waters of the lake.Directions to Big Bear Lake
Well that about sums it up for me, I hope this was informative. Please again feel free to post comments about your fishing stories or where you like fishing as I am always looking for new places. Thank you and remember to Fish On!!!!!!!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

My love for fishing.

I have always had a love for fishing whether its ocean, lake, river,or stream. If someone asked if I would like to go it was always with an emphatic YES!!! This love for fishing started with my Grandfather John Millar. when we left Southgate CA and moved to Maywood CA we lived directly across the street from my grandparents, which for a kid is awesome. I remember always being over there whether I was watching my grandfather work with wood building things or helping with yard work or just sitting with them both watching tv. They were the most awesome loving caring grandparents a kid and an adult could ever have. Well we used to go to a place called Lake Casitas alot when I was growing up. That is where I got my first taste of fishing and now its just an obsession with me. I remember as a youngin the first time my Grandfather open that wonderful tackle box of line, hooks, weights, jigs and lures of all colors and sizes. I was entranced, kind of like the first time you are outside of a city and look into the night sky and just get that wow effect. Well that was me. I start asking what's this do and what do you catch with this. My Grandfather patiently would show me what each would item would do. Taught me how to tie a fishing knot, where to put the hook and weights and what to use for what you are trying to catch.

He even introduced me to my very first fishing prank LOL. I don't remember my age at the time I was still young and at my age now I am excited that I still remember things that long ago lol. We were at lake Casitas again Ventura county. I was still living in Maywood , in the Los Angeles area. We always left in the early morning and drive the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway. Then we would stop for breakfast at a restaurant called Loops Restaurant. I always sat next to grandpa no matter what. Oh yeah back to the prank. myself and grandpa are sitting at the side of the lake just watching for that slightest bump that could indicate that there is something interested in your bait. When my grandfather looked down the shore a little way and saw a partially decomposed fish on the shore. It was sun dried and didn't smell but looked horrendous lol. He looks at me and asks if I would like to play a joke on mom and grandma. He always like to have a good time and mess with family members and I am sure that is where I get my sense of humor from. Well myself who loves his my mom to death and would never...ahhh who am I trying to kid I emphatically said YES this should be great. My grandpa grabs the dead fish and proceeded to hook it on my pole and cast it back into the water. While this is going on my mother and grandmother are up at the picnic site setting up lunch. When all of a sudden they here my grandpa yelling "Helen and Linda come quick John has caught his first fish!!!" (Helen is my Grandmother and Linda is my Mother and before my wife these two were and are most important females in my life at the time) Well they drop everything they are doing to come see the excitement of me pulling in my first fish. There I am pulling back on the pole reeling in my line slowly, and we had the drag loosened so every time I reeled it sounded like it was fighting. I get it close to shore and my grandfather grabs and the line and holds up this decaying fish and my mom and grandmother look in astonishment and say "what in the world is that? Has it been eaten?" My grandfather with out missing a beat says something about how he has heard rumors about fresh water piranha living in the waters so it must be the rumors are true. Which in turn gets me to giggle and mom and grandma now know its an elaborate joke played by us. It was hysterical to us to them not so much. As I grew older I fished with him whenever I could.

I have fished and introduced fishing to a lot of friends. I love fishing with all of you. Jonah, Tim, Rob, Sharky, David, and Jim And of course my fishing significant other Heather. Yes folks besides gaming she is also a lover of all things fishing. I really lucked out. In all honesty I have one true fishing buddy his name is Dennis. He was a neighbor of mine. My mom worked at the video store that his grandmother and grandfather owned. I was introduced to him through helping setting up a new store they were opening. We started talking and found out we shared the same interest in shooting, hunting, fishing of course, just about anything we just clicked. I ended up getting a job at the video store which was awesome so once in awhile we would work together. The bad thing was that sometimes we didn't and one of us would get the fishing bug and try to get the other one to take the day off lol. There were times when I would get a knock on my window in the wee hours of the morning asking if I worked or that he took the day off lets go fishing lol. Dennis also introduced me to ocean fishing. OMG I was hooked and would go a lot more if it wasn't so expensive.

I would just like to say that whether you eat fish or not, give fishing a shot. Take the family, get your kids involved in it. To me, it is, as if not more exciting than a video game. If you don't eat fish just go to a place that you know allows catch and release. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting by a lake on the shore or in a boat on a lake. Standing next to or in a stream or even on a charter boat in the ocean out in nature and the fresh air fishing. I enjoy lake fishing a lot just sitting there with your line in the water with friends or family and I enjoy fishing with my wife and mother. The anticipation of just waiting and watching the tip of the fishing rod tip start to bounce a little and you walk over and lift the fishing pole waiting for the next little tug then you pull back and bam you have a fish that you have to reel in. It's just a blast. There are even times that you don't even need to wait for the little bounce of the pole you are just sitting and talking when all of a sudden you fishing pole just bends and you think its going to break. That is excitement a video game cant deliver.

In closing I would just like to say go out and give it a shot. Do a little research, ask around the local sporting good stores and find out good places to fish. Best place is Bass Pro Shops, the people there in the fishing department are very knowledgable and can point you in the right direction, whether you are a new fisherman to a seasoned professional, on what to get and use and possibly where to go.
Once you get the essentials, it's not that expensive of a hobby and once you have a fishing license (you can purchase either a one day license or a year around license) then you are set. You will only need a day off and some bait and you're good to go. I hope to see you all out there soon. Feel free to shoot me a comment if you want to know some of the places that I have fished and recommend and places I don't really recommend. Thanks for taking the time to read this, it's something I am truly passionate about. I will post more fishing stories and more adventures I have had with the aforementioned people in later blog posts. Till then have a wonderful life and remember to Fish On!!!

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Awesome author I suggest you check out!!

Ok so about a year ago I was given a Kindle Fire. I already had a year of amazon prime. If you don't have it, I would suggest getting it for the free book a month you get through the lending library. Well after downloading some free books (some great, others not so much) I came across an author that completely blew my mind, Brian Harmon.

My first introduction was a free book called Rushed. This book is what I would consider a fantasy horror book. It was completely awesome. It has engaging characters that you actually get invested in and a world within our world, that is fantastic, a little weird and scary. Here is a little overview of the book.

"Eric can't remember the recurring dream that keeps waking him in the middle of the night with an overwhelming urge to leave, yet he spends each day feeling as if he desperately needs to be somewhere. With no idea how to cure himself of this odd compulsion, he decides to let it take its course and go for a drive, hoping that once he proves to himself that there is nowhere to go, he can return to his normal life. Instead, he finds himself hurled headlong into a nightmare adventure across a fractured Wisconsin as the dream reveals itself one heart-pounding detail at a time."

Needless to say I was hooked and couldn't put it down. After reading it, I found out that it will become an ongoing series of books and I have to say each book is on par or better than the last.
I then waited and waited until finally his 2nd book titled Rushed: The Unseen came out and low and behold another awesome page turner with new characters and more info on our protagonist Eric. Here is another overview.

"When Eric catches sigh of Creek Bend, Wisconsin's most famous missing person, his mundane morning of running errands rapidly erupts into a chaotic search for mysterious, hidden places scattered throughout his hometown. Along the way, he will have to deal with strange monsters, a murderous cowboy and a curiously intimidating man in a pink shirt."

After another wait that seemed like forever, he released a 3rd book title Rushed; Something Wicked and yet again I was completely engrossed by his writing characters and descriptions of whats going around Eric and his group of friends and loved ones. Here is another overview to wet your appetite.

"When Eric is summoned to help protect a coven of real-life witches from a murderous magic man, he thinks he has an idea of what's in store for him. After all, he's done this kind of thing twice before. But right from the start, nothing seems to be going right. For starters, it's only two days until his wedding anniversary, and if he's not back in time for the romantic getaway Karen has planned for them, he'll have worse things to worry about than dark magic and monsters."

The friends he makes and the interactions that Eric has with his wife via phone calls and texts while he is on these bizarre adventures are brilliant. There are moments when you laugh out loud and moments where you honestly wait with baited breath, asking yourself  "what's going to happen on the next page?" I can't say enough about this author except he is really good and I rank him up there with Stephen King and Dean R. Koontz. Give his books a try, you won't be disappointed.

Here is a link to his Facebook page and his web page. His web page hasn't been updated lately due to the fact that he is busy working on the 4th Rushed book, which I am looking forward to reading.

Brian Harmon facebook page

Brian Harmon Web Page

Please give him a follow on Facebook and at least give him a read with the first book called Rushed.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Just a little something to get off my chest.

I hate following up a funny post with something thats not funny but my therapist suggested to write when things get me down to help purge the depressed feelings.

I have for the past few hours, just started getting depressed and wanting to just go to bed. It all stems around the lack of money that has hit me since the injury. Those of you who don't know I was injured at work in 2009 and have been dealing with workman's comp since then. Now workman's comp paid me for the 2 years I was injured but in 2012 they stopped paying me and since I was put on a leave of absence from work I couldn't collect unemployment benefits due to not having an income for the previous year. Now you might be asking yourself "why not just get another job?" The answer isn't that easy. Since I am on workman's comp and have an open case, finding a job would mess that all up. So my lawyer, who is awesome, has informed me that working would not be beneficial. I am at Temporary Total Disability but SSDI has denied me twice so I am now awaiting a court date with a different lawyer. It's just so taxing that I have no form of income coming in and it weighs very heavy on me on a daily basis. There are so many things I want to do, like move my family to Oregon to be closer to family. I know leaving some of my closer friends here in CA will be tough but they know its something I really want and that it would make me feel better. Its been really hard keeping up with bills. I have had to sell my car which was really tough to do. The house is falling apart around us. I know that we are easily upside down on moms mortgage and she is basically paying the tax on the house. I vowed to my father that I would take care of my mother when he passed and I feel like I have failed in that aspect. I want to give my loving wife the life she deserves and I can't really do that right now. I keep on getting thoughts in my head that family might think I am a loser or using my mom or just not wanting to work and waiting for a handout and that's the furthest from the truth.

This for some of you is not me in the least it has caused severe mental health issues with me. I used to be always happy and cheerful and the life of parties and always wanting to go out and do things now I get physically sick when invited to do things and stay at home. I used to not care what people think and now I cant even get up the nerve to stream I always find an excuse not do it. Its a battle getting up in the morning and not let the weight of everything get to me but its hard. At my age gaming is fun and a blast but I keep thinking that I am not good enough to stream what I play. With the passing of Robin Williams, which struck me hard, I know what its like to keep things hidden while constantly battling the severe depression and anxiety I feel. Its just sad that it took the passing of someone famous to shed light on this Mental disorder to make people realize that people hurt and it's a daily struggle to keep up appearances.

I thank you for taking the time to read this. I don't want everyone to feel sorry, I just want people to understand. Hopefully soon the surgery, I have been okayed for, happens then I should start feeling better and in the long run all this pain and suffering will be behind me. I know it will take a long while. I just ask that you all bare with me and don't judge me too much. I love you all.

John.

The Rantings of an Old Man: Things one can do to embarrass friends and loved o...

The Rantings of an Old Man: Things one can do to embarrass friends and loved o...: Well today I have decided to try a funny post with things that can possibly be done to embarrass loved ones and friends. Please note I do no...

Things one can do to embarrass friends and loved ones. Please use at own risk!!

Well today I have decided to try a funny post with things that can possibly be done to embarrass loved ones and friends. Please note I do not condone or endorse these said acts they are only meant to bring a smile or at least a shake of the head or possibly a "where does he come up with this stuff?" So shall we begin?

A really good one to do is when you are with your parents out in a crowded place i.e. Disneyland, Knotts, Magic Mountain, or any big amusement park or fair and there is a big crowd of people in your way that you want to get past use this method.
1. Hunch yourself over at about 30 degree angle.
2. Grab your stomach with your dominate arm.
3. In a very stern and rather loud voice announce that you are going to be sick.
4. If you can, have a really good nausea look on your face for the ones that turn around for believability.
5. Watch in amazement as people part for you like Moses parted the red sea.

Now here is a good one for those times when a parent or loved one or even a friend playfully smacks you in public. When said smack occurs make sure there are enough people around and in a very loud and almost hurt sounding voice say.
You: Hey don't touch me there!
You: I don't even touch myself there!
You; Not even in the shower!

Be warned that even though this is HILARIOUS to do there might be ramifications that follow depending on who you did this to these could be but not limited to.
1. Being made to sleep on the couch if done to significant other
2. Walking home if you didn't drive.
3. Getting grounded or possibly beaten when you get home, if doing it to a parent.
4. Getting possibly beaten if done to a significant other.
5. Not getting invited ever again on an outing or family vacation.
6. All the above.
So please use at your own risk.

If out with parents and you want a good laugh. Let's say you did something that embarrassed your parents and they didn't care for it and they start walking away like they didn't know you. You could always follow up with this fun little saying. Again in a stern voice that can always sound a little sad start with this.
You: "Hey don't leave me!
Parent: What?
You: The last time you left you said you were only going to go buy some milk!
Parent: What are you talking about?
You: Then we didn't see you for 6 months and when you did come back you said say hello to your new mommy or daddy!

Now be warned the above conversation may not go that way and it could also end up putting you up for adoption or military school so don't say I didn't warn you.

When you are out and about and let's say a significant other, friend or family member smacks you again because they didn't learn the first time. Always make a big deal about it, fake cry, throw yourself on the ground or just lay down holding the body part they hit and just start inhaling deeply followed by an owww.

When in Department stores always try on weird outfits that you don't need a dressing room for. A good one is find the old lady house dress or moomoo and pull it over followed by a nice floppy hat some sunglasses and a purse this is really fun if you are a guy. Then proceed to tell people you are in witness protection. Now be warned if you do this in a Wal-Mart store people might not pay attention cause they have seen everything in a Wal-Mart so nothing really shocks anyone in those stores.

Elevators are always fun places to embarrass friends and loved ones. Here are a few things to do when in an elevator with other people.
1. When the doors close announce very loudly "Nobody panic they will open up in a few seconds!"
2. Stare at someone intently when they finally look at you say "I have new socks on!'
3. When the elevator starts moving enthusiastically yell WEEEEEEEEEEE!

Well everyone I think I covered just a few things that can be done to embarrass friends and loved ones while you are out and about. I may post more at a later date feel free to let me know if you would like another list of things that can be done in the comment section below.






Wednesday, August 27, 2014

A night to Remember

Ok, last night myself and the wife are in the pc room watching some of our favorite twitch streamers, just having a nice night, when out of nowhere twitch stops working. Now keep in mind that I was getting all set to stream also that night.Well needless to say it didn't happen because some complete and total group of idiots decided to DDoS attack twitch. You may have seen or heard about this on the news. I personally dont know what it means but damnit if it didn't mess up my night and also make me think about how much we rely on certain things for escape from pressures of life.

Ok, I think to myself, twitch is going to be down for an undisclosed amount of time, so what the hell I should load up Diablo3 and play that. "Great idea kid you haven't played that in a while, it will be fun". Fun you say!!! Fun was the last thing it was because Blizzard is also being attacked by the same group of (no having girlfriends nothing better to do with their lives than to just screw things up for everyone) DDoS group. I mean really now. Yes before you ask, I have other games on my pc, but haven't you ever been in a mood to play a certain game and you can't? You get all butt hurt and don't want to play anything else, Yep that was me last night. To be honest, the wife and myself were sitting here talking and actually laughing at ourselves on how funny it is that we were completely bored and didn't know what to do without being able to watch Twitch. Now you may think that "omg they are pathetic" (lol) and you know what we are (LOL so shutup). It is a cheap form of entertainment that lets us interact with people together. Yes we do go out and hang with friends and such but with money being tight, this is also fun. Wow did I just go on a random tangent? Sorry, so my wife looks at me and says "how sad are we just sitting here with looks on our faces of what to do now?"
Now in most situations you would think one of us would say "hey lets go make out or lets go play Mrs. Robinson and the UPS guy", (umm sidenote) is it weird that I would be Mrs Robinson? Sorry off track again. Well you know what I mean, do the old married couple thing. Did we? That's a big ole NOPE. We then sat and watched Gra3yardgirl on you tube. By the way she is awesome and funny, she will bring a smile to your face. Then we watched a little Buzzfeed  then went into the bedroom for a little, well you know what I mean. Ok I will be blunt but if you are under the age of 18 you may want to stop reading here.............Yes we went to the bedroom and we got under the covers and watched a little tv before going to sleep.

Now you may think what is wrong with you guys and I would like to say there is nothing wrong with u,s it was a very nice evening. Well except for the stupid dumbasses that ruined twitch and gaming that night. I just wanted to let you all know that every moment I spend with my wife I love whether its us doing the shag nasty horizontal mambo or if its just sitting in the same room playing games on the pc or sitting in bed till we go to sleep or my favorite thing, fishing, with her. Just remember for those of you in a relationship or married whether its been 1 year or 50 years, its the little things that cost nothing that will stay in our hearts and minds forever. Thank you for taking the time and reading my little blog feel free to comment or follow me at twitch.tv Fuzzyjohn.

Friday, August 22, 2014

My first stream as a twitch gamer.

Its been awhile since I posted so I thought I would talk about my first stream that happened on Tuesday evening.

Let me start off by saying this wouldn't of happened if it wasn't for some wonderful friends in my life that helped me get to that point. OK after much setting up and figuring things out like OBS (open broadcaster software) and getting over my nerves and insecurities, I finally started streaming on Tuesday evening. My first game was Dayz, a survival horror game that I enjoy watching and got hooked on. Let me say I had a blast. I streamed for almost 4 hours. I had a few people stop in to watch but being new, I forgot to put the name of the game I was streaming in the title "oops" lol. The Twitch community, as a whole, is a great group of gamers that will go out of their way to help and make you feel like part of a group.

I started streaming and of course blogging at the idea from my therapist and psychiatrist as a way to help with my diagnosis of severe depression and severe anxiety disorder that I suffer from. So I decided what the hell and give it a try. I started following certain streamers and the way they treat you make you feel like part of a group is just above and beyond. If you like video games or like watching other people play video games I have a few people that are definitely worth watching.

I plan on streaming a lot more and streaming a lot of different games when money provides the opportunity
to do so. I will be doing console games in the future so stay tuned for more to come from this Ranting Old Guy.

SilentSentry Thank you for the encouragement and all the help.
http://www.twitch.tv/silentsentry/profile

TJOceans Thank you for just being you and giving me someone to talk to when I was depressed.
http://www.twitch.tv/tjoceans/profile

Vip3r22 Words cant explain how much you have helped everytime I test streamed you were the first in there to help me figure stuff out.
http://www.twitch.tv/vip3r22/profile

ProtoTypeRaavyn you are awesome thank you so much for the overlay you created and the help you offered.
http://www.twitch.tv/prototyperaavyn/profile

ShuffleJump one of the sweetest csgo chicken killers out there thank you also for making my first stream fun
http://www.twitch.tv/shufflejump/profile

Crispytot The man with one of the best follower notification and movie phone voices of all time your stream Easter Egg game is awesome.
http://www.twitch.tv/crispytot/profile

MrJughead87 My very first stream that I watched which got me hooked you also were a big influence on me streaming Thank you man.
http://www.twitch.tv/mrjughead87/profile

A special thanks to my wonderful wife for proofreading all my blogs and dealing with my crap.
Check out her blog at http://chaoticrantingsofahousewife.blogspot.com/

Thank you all for taking the time to read this and I will make an extreme effort to blog more and give you all something to look forward to in the near future.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Depression and what it feels like.

So I thought I would do a post to explain the feelings that happen when what I have been diagnosed with rear their ugly heads. First I will let those that don't know I have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Pain Disorder. I will try to explain as much as I can I was injured in 2009 at work. I have been on workman's comp since that time, during which the stress of not being able to work and battling with workman's comp has taken a subsequent toll both physically and mentally.

What it feels like when the depression kicks in. OK first, let's get this out there. I do have some few and far between good days. This is not to make people feel sorry for me and some of this might be hard for some of you that have known me for a long time to read. When it hits I feel like crying, staying in bed, not talking to anyone and constantly dwelling on things of a what if nature. Things I loved doing I don't want to do I can't convey feelings and I constantly feel worthless and feel like a failure to those around me. Then there is the suicidal thoughts that abound in my head. These range from wishing that I don't wake up in the morning to when people are gone and its just me in the house, how easy it would be to take a razor and a bath to popping a lot of pills or even putting a bullet through my head. At times these become so overwhelming to the point it takes every ounce of energy to not do it. There are times where I feel like I wouldn't even be missed or people would be much better without me around. It also affects the relationship with my wife whom I love more than anything else in this world. It makes me think that she could of done better without me. She suffers from Crohn's Disease and at times it makes her very ill. When she gets ill. I always think that I have done something wrong and constantly ask her if she is upset with me. She replies with no, but after awhile I forget that I asked her and I ask her again, This can go on for days depending on how bad she is feeling from her disease. I am honestly surprised she hasn't kicked my ass for being annoying about it. She is understanding but I can tell the constant forgetting and asking gets to her.

Now as far as the generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia goes they also create havoc with the depression and how it can get debilitating. I used to be very outgoing now not at all. There have been times where I have gone to a friends house to hang out but now it's quite a chore. I start to feel physically sick and  I try to think of excuses not to go. The biggest thing is I start thinking that others are staring and cast judgement my way. For example, if we go someplace that has a electric cart I will need to use it but most of the time I wont and try to deal with the pain which is excruciating because I think people are saying look at the big fat guy that cant walk. I constantly feel that everyone thinks I am faking it or just lazy. I have distanced myself from longtime friends cause I don't want them to see this morbidly obese guy that is now over 400 lbs when they remember me being a bit healthier and not so grotesque. This becomes troubling because I don't go out much I stay inside but then I go stir crazy inside. I definitely don't like having people over due to the condition of the house. That's something completely different and I would like you to respect my wishes by not asking. So when the stir crazy kicks in and we decide to go out and do something the whole nausea and feeling like I am gonna have a heart attack kicks in its a never ending cycle.

I hope this sheds some light onto everything and gives you all a understanding of some of what I am going through. I am taking medicine for the depression and my therapist suggested this blog page. With my wonderful wife, my awesome therapist, my kindly grandfather looking psychiatrist, my best mom you could ever ask for, and a few friends that have been with me through this whole thing, they know who they are. I am trying to take things day by day.

I am just letting you guys know That this type of depression IS NOTHING like your typical "oh I just feel sad kinda day". This is an all the time feeling that really doesn't end so its an everyday battle to wake up and try to find something good no matter how small it is to get through the day kind of thing. I don't know if I will ever conquer it but I will try my damnedest to not let it defeat me.


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

45 Things That I Remember as I Hit 45

Well lets start of by saying that today I am 45 yrs old. Woohoo! (please note sarcasm). With this milestone, I am surprised that I have made it this long. I thought I would blog about things I remember growing up, in no particular order...

1. Cds
2. VCRs (Please be kind and rewind)
3. Walkmans (For those of you not in the know, walkmans played cassette tapes)
4. Cassette Tapes (Little reel to reel devices you recorded music on)
5. When MTV played actual music videos.
6. LPs also known as records 
7. Bikes with a banana seat
8. The Mullet and yes at one point in my life I had one. Dont judge me!
9. TVs with dials,rabbit ears and once midnight rolled around National Anthem was played         and you got a test pattern.
10. Select TV and On TV were your only Premium Cable stations.
11. The greatest toy ever made was the Evil Knievel stunt cycle.
12. Ticket books for amusement parks.
13. Playing outside with friends till street lamps came on. Then hearing parents yell for the           the kids to come inside.
14. Roller skates 
15. Vehicles made from Steel
16. Riding in the back of a station wagons back seat that faced the opposite way.
17. Riding in the back of a truck
18. Giving yourself third degree burns on a metal park slide.
19. Atari, Collecovision, Intellivision, and the Commodore 64.
20. Rotary Dial phones.
21. Getting a page and trying to find a phone.
22. Smuggling friends into a drive in movie via the trunk of a car.
23. UHF and VHF
24. Star Wars was the end all be all movie.
26. Getting spanked at school was not considered corporal punishment.
27. Trapper Keepers
28. Making your own book covers out of paper bags and Pee Chee folders
29. Playing a record backwards to hear a message about the devil.
30. Saturday morning Cartoons.
31. Kung Fu Theater.
32. Denim Jackets 
33. Rock music buttons to pin on aforementioned denim jacket.
34. Being cool if you could afford Levis
35. Being uncool if you wore Wranglers
36. Snap bracelets 
37. Jelly Shoes I never had those, but the wife did!
38. Safety Dance
39. Schoolhouse Rock
40. Reading Rainbow and the Electric Company
41. Wax coke bottles and lips
42. Davey and Goliath on Sunday mornings
43. Doctor Demento radio show
44. Boom Boxes and Parachute pants
45. Arcades

This list brings back some memories I love and some I would like to forget. (See #8 The mullet) By the way when did Metallica, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Poison, Warrant, Pearl Jam, and Sound Garden become Classic Rock? 


        

Monday, July 14, 2014

A little bit about myself.

My name is John. I live in Southern California with my awesome wife Heather aka Chaoticrantings. Even though I like California, I truly feel connected to Oregon. It just it offers so much more for an old guy like myself. (more on that in future blogs).

What to say about myself. I am currently unemployed due to a work injury that has resulted in weight gain, some leg problems and now have been diagnosed with sever depression and social anxiety disorder. My therapist suggested that I start a blog because she says with my off the wall sense of humor I should give it a try.

So here I am blogging about a lot of different things from weird lil rants, to more important things like my upcoming Gastric Bypass with sleeve surgery to help me lose a substantial amount of weight. I will be blogging about the surgery and weight loss every week after it happens.

I am an avid fisherman I love fishing almost as much as I love my wife. I am lucky enough to have found a soul mate that shares the interests that I love. We are both avid gamers. We met 8 years ago playing a little video game called World of Warcraft, maybe you've heard of it? We have been married now 3 years and she can still put up with my weirdness after after all that time.

We have a pug (Daisy) who is kinda fat, chihuahua (Princess) who is a lil spaz, four cats; Chowmein, Xander, Patches, and Princess Fluffybum. All four of them are different in personalities and egos. I have two stepkids, Meghan and Eric. I have yet to meet Eric but have met Meghan. She is so talented and funny as all get out. She reminds me of a younger female version of myself. I just hope she doesn't do all the crazy things I did when I was younger and physically able to do things. Being able to run from the scene helps you know. She has a daughter who will be 3 years old soon. She is so adorable and I can't wait to meet her. They live in Kansas so its hard to meet them due to financial constraints.

I am just starting out as a video game streamer on Twitch. I enjoy gaming greatly and have been gaming since the age of about 6 and see no signs of stopping anytime soon. I do fine with some games. Others can be overwhelming sometimes but I just think that's me getting old. Games I like playing are Diablo3, Dayz, Risen, Titan Quest, Path of Exile, Skyrim, and Fallout 3, just to name a few. I have an xbox 360 and a new pc that I am blogging to you from and for streaming on twitch. The pc was gotten for me from a huge joint effort from friends and family to help me with this huge undertaking and life changing trip I am about to go on.

Thank you for taking the time to read and hopefully I will entertain and enlighten you all in the future weeks and so on.
John aka Fuzzyjohn on Twitch.