2013 - Year at a Glance for Leo's (ME)

This is a year of fabulous fortune for you, Leo, especially in the career realm. You'll have jolly Jupiter on your team for the first half of 2012 while in the sign of loyal Taurus; during the year's second half, you'll have the lucky planet blessing your long-range goals and wishes. And if that's not enough of a cosmic bonus, Jupiter will also bring good things to your social life from July through the end of the year. Expect unprecedented party invites and new friends pouring into your life by the time summer arrives!

Mars will activate your financial sector for the first half of 2012, so expect a good portion of your energy to go into making (and spending) money. The first quarter of the year is a good time to conserve your resources and put more effort and reflection into how you can double your investments and increase your earning potential. When Mars comes out of retrograde in May, you'll be able to trust your instincts and spend your money more freely.

The eclipse season begins in May -- just in time to shake up your romantic sector for the summer! The new Moon solar eclipse in May brings the year's first winds of change into your love life. You may or may not be expecting such intensity in your romantic life, but you'll welcome it all the same. You've been daring life to take you on, and now you can finally meet a partner capable of handling your towering strength and confidence. And now that Saturn is moving out of your communication sector -- after two-and-a-half years of blocking your ability to speak from the heart -- you'll be back to your old outspoken self after October!

Click to read your 2013 horoscope

Compilation of Airplane Stupidness - Battery Dying

Alright, just as the title says, my computer has 22% battery left and this post is going to be a compilation of thoughts and words about the stupidness of airplanes and flying. Not the catchiest title, but I think it definitely gets the point across. 

Today’s topic…airplanes. Why the fuck do the arm rests not have cup holders. One fellow gentleman pointed out ‘because people will bump their knees when getting out’ – good assumption, but why couldn’t they have the spring loaded cup holders, like cars do; makes sense to me. 

Another one, why the do airplanes not have electrical outlets? What is someone going to do, charge up a hair dryer and blow people away, give me a break. Planes need outlets, at least one in every third row for the hard working business person who is always on their computer making shit happen. (there it is, the shit reference). 

Next, do people not know that when they go into public, other people see them? Not to mention see them, but smell them as well? Dude, I flew to Las Vegas for Christmas after work last week, while waiting in line to go through security (which I got a body scan so they now have a picture of my balls) this fool walks up behind me and stands in line. Normally I look forward, I could smell the person who walked up behind me..seriously, take a damn shower before getting on a cramped ass plane with 100 other good smelling people. Maybe just go wipe your ass again because it sure smelled like he was sporting some dirty drawers. 

Quick 2 liner, flying out I packed my tooth paste, it was larger than 3oz, the security guy told me he could either throw it away or escort me back to the checkin so I could check a bag..for one tube of toothpaste, dumb. 

Still on airports, me too. Another guy who boarded the plane from Phoenix to Vegas was just a screaming example of dumb. He reminded me of a cross between Vinny from jersey shore with his dumbass glasses that don’t do anything for his eyesight and Matthew Perry with his funky haircut and wardrobe style. It just doesn’t work to match a bright blue and green flannel long sleeve shirt with a tan, $150 business coat trying to act professional with Chuck Taylor shoes on. Then, getting on the plane, it literally took him a good 3 ½ minutes to stand in the middle of the walking aisle in the plane, take his coat off, find a place to put it in the overhead compartment, then find a place to put his bag, then to pull his bag back out and re-arrange the way it sat in there - this may not seem like a big deal but try standing in a line, in one spot, holding your bag for 90+ seconds - its longer and way more annoying than you would think.

Last one off, Chuck Taylor’s. Man those are fucking ugly. I hate them. They are one of the stupidest shoes I have ever seen, they are not comfortable (I know because I had to wear them in a recent wedding) and contrary to what the movie Sandlot told you; they do not make you run faster, they do not make you jump higher but they will give you shin splints if you wear them to the zoo.

9% battery left, over and out.

2013: Gaming Platforms & Augmented Reality Google Glasses

2013 is going to be a great year, not only for me but for gamers as well. I have a baby due in May, Lucas and Jasmyne rode the Atlantis roller coaster at Sea World a few months ago and they now love roller coasters, this year we will have to go to Castles and Coasters. 

Nintendo just released the Wii U and both Microsoft and Sony plan on releasing a new gaming console before the end of the year, probably just in time for Christmas 2013. The PlayStation 4 and the XBOX 720 are set to release before 2014 and I’m sure gamers worldwide will nut themselves once they get a finalized release date.

Another gadget that is projected to release this year is ‘Google Glass.’ This pair of glasses is basically your computer right on top of your head. The goal is to help make augmented reality a daily part of our lives using just a tiny computer within the frame of the glasses. For those of us already wearing eyeglasses, think of it like you can use your eyes to simply pull up weather, store specials, sports scores as you’re looking at a baseball stadium, or whatever you want — all while simply moving your head as you walk down the street. Yes, this means many of us will be walking around by 2019 looking like we all have turrets syndrome.

Glass is, simply put, a computer built into the frame of a pair of glasses, and it’s the device that will make augmented reality part of our daily lives. With the half-inch (1.3 cm) display, which comes into focus when you look up and to the right, users will be able to take and share photos, video-chat, check appointments and access maps and the Web. Consumers should be able to buy Google Glass by 2014.

Augmented reality (AR) is a live view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are altered by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.

Basically what this means is that it is a more general concept reality, in which the view of reality is modified by a computer. Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive with artificial information about the environment and its objects can be overlaid on the real world.

Take a look at the video below simulating how these glasses may work:

Flying to Sin City for Christmas Tonight

That’s right, going to Las Vegas for Christmas, it’s not exactly what you think – we are doing Christmas this year in Las Vegas with Angel’s mother and dad that live in North Las Vegas. A quick decision a few weeks ago when round trip airline tickets were $140 (yepp, that’s only $70 a ticket), and I snatched that plane seat right off the screen! Santa’s going to be throwing those dice in a few hours..

Angel drove up in our new Explorer up to Vegas on Saturday, here it is Monday, I have been without her and the kids for 3 days and I sure do miss them. Not that I wasn’t completely swamped stupid busy over the last few days, I think I got less rest than a regular week.

Saturday I went and helped my aunt Marilyn pack 2,000+ lbs of drill bits so she can make a move back to Iowa and then yesterday I didn’t stop moving. From wake to 11:45 at night I was doing something productive, makes you feel good about yourself knowing you accomplished something positive throughout the day. 

So everyone have a safe and happy holiday, I am heading for PHX airport in 2 hrs to run into Santa's sleigh with a 747 airplane.

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Merry Christmas -- Joyeux Noël -- 圣诞快乐 -- Baradin ki shubh kamnaaye -- Merry Keshmish -- Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou -- Feliz Navidad

A Moment of Silence & 26 Bells to Remember Those Lost in Newtown

To start off, I am not a very emotional person and have been pretty quiet about the heartbreaking shooting last week so I wanted to push a post showing my condolences. I think it is a horrible tragedy, what happened last Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary and we can only pray for nothing like this to happen again – ever.

This morning Gov. Dannel P. Malloy gathered with other officials on the steps of the town hall in Newtown, CT as the bell rang 26 times in memory of each life lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The chiming of bells echoed throughout the town this morning, commemorating one week since the crackle of gunfire in a schoolhouse killed 20 children and six adults in a massacre that has shaken the community — and the nation — to its core.

I was unable to partake in the moment of silence this morning so I wanted to publish a post remembering those who prematurely perished a week ago today. I don’t know what I would do, how I would feel or how I could live on if something happened to my children – join me in a moment of silence just now as you read this post and count each bell to remember those who God has taken into his kingdom. 

We cannot change the past but we can take action to make the future a better place - may a tragedy like this never happen again.

Spencer Hesseltine’s Week 16 NFL Pick’em – We Are Nearing Playoffs

Playoffs are in sight and only 7 teams have clinched a playoff berth, the two upcoming weeks are going to be very interesting. Here are some of my thoughts about this weeks games along with a weekly pick’em image from NFL.com.

NFC:

Seattle (who ripped my Cardinals a new one a few weeks ago) have been scoring machines! Offense, defense and special teams have all been showing up to play good football the last few weeks. The Seahawks (9-5) are sitting in a wildcard spot currently along with Minnesota (8-6) breathing down their necks shooting it out for a playoff spot with Adrian Peterson running 100+ yards a game in the last 3 games.

The NFC playoff picture is not yet as clear as the AFC; Bears (8-6), Cowboys (8-6), Giants (8-6), Rams (6-7-1) and Saints (6-8) are all still in the hunt to grab a wildcard spot. I can see only 3 of the 5 teams in the hunt are going to win this week. New Orleans and St. Louis will be the only teams that win (and maybe Chicago if someone other than cheerleaders show up for Arizona this Sunday).

Atlanta, San Francisco and Green Bay have all clinched playoff berths while Redskins need to pull off a W this week to clinch but they are still a leader with a division record of 3-1.

AFC:

Indianapolis Colts (9-5) and the Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) are currently sitting in a wildcard spot where as Pittsburgh (7-7) and Miami (6-8) are still in the hunt if they can get wins this week.  Big Ben is facing off against an increasingly tough Bengals defense and Cincinnati knows that if Pitt pulls off a win, they could beat out the orange and black from playoffs. Bengals will be playing their heart out this Sunday; I’m giving them the W.

Andrew Luck is leading the Colts into a hopeful 10-5 record and with another conference win over Kansas City (2-12) this week, it will put them 7-4 in conference wins and reserve them a wildcard spot for sure.

Miami has a pretty good run defense so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bills RB, CJ Spiller has a disappointing fantasy output this week. On the flipside, Stevie Johnson should put out 10+ fantasy points this week. I am taking Buffalo on this one.

Houston, Denver, New England and Baltimore have all clinched playoffs. Peyton Manning and the Broncos are making a run for the Superbowl!

HERE ARE MY WEEK 16 PICKS: