tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237100822011-11-27T17:46:28.772-06:00UnpleasantlySexySammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.comBlogger2811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-62274489893375522942011-05-04T15:09:00.001-05:002011-05-04T15:09:23.364-05:00Wow...it's been a long time since I had anything worthwhile to post here, but this is big enough to make up for it!
I was just hired as the Production Manager for Steve Jackson Games! Steve Jackson has designed some amazing games, including GURPS, OGRE, Car Wars, Illuminati, and Munchkin Quest, though they are most famous for their line of Munchkin card games:
From what I understand so far, ISammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-31967714082829434732010-11-01T02:50:00.000-05:002010-11-01T02:50:10.488-05:00Hooray, insomnia!
I've now remastered all the songs on the right --- some have more substantial changes than others --- and they're all at a much higher bit rate than the previous samples were, so they should all sound better. Maybe I can stop obsessing and get some sleep now.
Maybe...Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-25683284070507507942010-10-31T17:18:00.000-05:002010-10-31T17:18:53.262-05:00I pared the list of songs on the right down to just the ones I'm considering for an iTunes album release...assuming I can get off my butt and get a licensing deal with CDBaby. They've also been reshuffled into the tentative track order, but that may change at some point.
I've been trying to tweak the music so that the "album" sounds sonically coherent, despite the variety of songs --- I want itSammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-30314398992763571232010-10-30T00:29:00.002-05:002010-10-31T02:35:09.227-05:00New song! Yay! Check out Chimaera in the sidebar.
This one is the product of only getting 90 minutes' worth of sleep in the past 48 hours.
It's a little evil-sounding, and the drum part kicked my butt...but I think it turned out pretty dang cool, if I'm allowed to toot my own horn a bit.
Now ---- BED.
****Edit: reworked the song and changed the name. Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-45969654059153256162010-10-04T04:43:00.002-05:002010-10-04T04:48:45.026-05:00Yay, insomnia! It's 4:45 on Monday morning, and sleep seems like a futile gesture at this point.As such, I have been writing and recording music in these here wee hours, and there is a new song posted in the column on the right ("Master of None") --- hope you like it!Now I think I want coffee. Or sleep. But probably coffee.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-87839205622024080232010-09-23T01:47:00.004-05:002010-10-04T18:19:52.411-05:00New song ("The Ripper")! This one combines my not-fully-developed electronica talents with my poorly-developed guitar talents. You may like it, or you may think it's a train wreck! Hooray!
Anyone got any spare jobs laying around?Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-71392415100712848652010-09-15T16:04:00.004-05:002010-10-04T18:18:05.918-05:00I may regret putting this online, but I added an acoustic (and very rough) version of Love Like Stars in the list of songs on the right...WITH VOCALS.
I'm a bit nervous, but oh well...there it is.
I wrote the music around the lyrics, and as such, I think the song really needs the words, even if the singing is shaky. And, yes...I wrote the song for Julia. Aww...Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-91757386480028073312010-09-15T15:41:00.003-05:002010-09-15T16:37:15.855-05:00Hey!Two new songs: Tell Me and Sad --- check 'em out!And for no reason, here's an AWESOME drawing of baby Chewbacca that I found online:Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-13969028934627436502010-08-24T09:54:00.002-05:002010-08-24T09:55:49.866-05:00There's a new song, yo.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-1890104392617713262010-08-09T09:49:00.003-05:002010-08-09T09:54:48.532-05:00I polished up that new song (Paycheck) with some mo' betta drums, so check it out!Also, I found a different, more aggressive version of Backburner that I did a while back. I didn't know I still had the recording. I thought it'd be cool to put it up here to compare to the other one (it's at the bottom of the list of songs on the right).Let me know which version you fine folks like better!Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-18096183728526249762010-08-05T00:02:00.003-05:002010-08-05T00:08:22.797-05:00New song! Check out Paycheck in the column on the right.My fingertips are bleeding, so I'm not typing anymore...or playing guitar for a good while.Excelsior!Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-83309279144349380742010-08-04T14:17:00.003-05:002010-08-04T14:19:28.011-05:00I'm gonna try to post here a little more often, so stay tuned. I've got a new song in the works, which I'll put up here as soon as I can record the lead guitar part (which will happen when my blisters on top of blisters all heal---it hurts to even type right now).In the meantime...Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-31785452071950809792010-05-21T14:12:00.002-05:002010-05-21T14:17:05.579-05:00Yep. Here's Ian McKellen impersonator reciting the lyrics to the Fresh Prince theme song.I can die happy now.After the video, there are links to this guy doing a bunch of other recitals, and they are all GENIUS.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-75548556210580766362010-05-20T14:15:00.001-05:002010-05-20T14:15:53.070-05:00But...what are you drifting toward?Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-55074963267292436102010-05-18T09:36:00.003-05:002010-05-18T13:06:43.319-05:00Leeroy JenkinsThis is super-old...but it keeps getting funnier. I could watch it forever.To set the stage: a bunch of World of Warcraft players are about to take on a suicide mission to acquire some special armor or something for one of their guild-mates, Leeroy Jenkins.While the rest of the guild is planning the raid, Leeroy is...I don't know, tying his shoes or something, and then just runs Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-14310659370459410882010-05-16T16:52:00.007-05:002010-05-16T17:05:59.950-05:00For anyone who doesn't know, the pseudonym I'm using for my one-man "band" is Omega Wolf.I have some perhaps unrealistic dreams of selling some stuff on iTunes, so I've even made the possible album artwork. I thought I'd share. And yes, pink is my favorite color, so just deal.I even have a desktop wallpaper made of it, because I'm a giant dork.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-55299450275439918662010-05-16T14:38:00.004-05:002010-05-16T14:48:25.944-05:00Two new songs!One is an older song that I totally reworked, and t'other you ain't heard yet.Also, some Korean soccer fans:Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-69184215138487513822010-05-11T16:17:00.001-05:002010-05-11T16:17:37.418-05:00To make up for such a long wait between blog posts, I present to you...Total Recall: The Musical.Yes, you read that right.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-84096229580388367292010-03-26T22:29:00.003-05:002010-03-26T22:34:12.977-05:00HOLY SKYWALKING MOTHER OF GODZILLA, I love this:Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-22522373715710429782010-03-06T15:33:00.001-06:002010-03-06T15:33:48.178-06:00Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-44455262637945917142010-03-04T20:58:00.003-06:002010-03-04T21:17:14.196-06:00New music! Mandroid is the latest. I also polished up Jump Cut (and renamed it to Finger Injury, since my finger is STILL busted up after recording the drum part for it, and I thought I should commemorate that).In other news, I am still unemployed, which sucks. For real. Like clean-out-the-cat-box sucks. However, my darling betrothed just got a humongoloid promotion, and I might now be Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-67413463430781041502010-02-23T10:30:00.004-06:002010-02-23T10:36:21.912-06:00What the...?
Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-5474536983843785352010-02-20T21:59:00.004-06:002010-02-20T22:05:45.736-06:00You know what time it is?Yeah...that's right:ROBOCOP ON A DANG UNICORN TIME!!!Huh-wha...?Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-2716777170627236072010-02-15T23:35:00.003-06:002010-02-15T23:40:34.611-06:00Two new songs on the right (Jump Cut and Circuit Bored)!The first is still in progress, and the second is a techno-electro groove thingy that is really more of an experiment than anything I plan on pursuing, but I thought it was pretty nifty.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-20676989730609505822010-02-15T12:02:00.000-06:002010-02-15T12:03:17.947-06:00I suspect there's ALWAYS something good on TV in Japan...Hilariously Weird Tug of War - Watch more Funny VideosSammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-7011824662661562062010-01-24T10:06:00.002-06:002010-01-24T10:22:52.939-06:00Since I've been getting some spam in the comments of previous posts, I've had to add a "Captcha" word verification thingy for all comments — you know, one of those squiggly-letter boxes that you have to type in the characters you see. It sucks, but I'm pretty sick of getting comments from people/bots that have no business on my blog.In the hopes that you will all still leave comments despite Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-9890190308584051272010-01-20T14:17:00.005-06:002010-01-20T14:33:45.193-06:00Does it ever make you self-conscious when you're at a urinal, and your pee TOTALLY smells like coffee, and you're pretty sure the dude next to you can smell it, too? ...or is it just me?Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-71927810230902438442009-12-22T15:40:00.004-06:002009-12-22T16:01:49.520-06:00WTF?...and then WTF?Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-59795574287945702512009-12-22T13:28:00.006-06:002009-12-29T00:07:02.043-06:00A'ight.I changed the music players on the site (to make it smaller). The top one has all the stuff I've posted lately, and the bottom one is a new idea I had — recording very stripped-down acoustic versions of stuff so that I don't get lazy about makin' the music.Some of the acoustic ones have gotten the "full-band" treatment, but most haven't, as I'm still debating what to do with 'em. They Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-56903830769286583822009-12-08T20:37:00.002-06:002009-12-08T20:56:13.740-06:00Okay! I think I might've fixed things.Ye olde blogge should be a-workin' again now...Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-22503514628295655332009-12-08T02:56:00.011-06:002009-12-08T03:45:39.470-06:00Hey! Things is different than they was!On the cusp of my contract ending (and imminent unemployment), I figured I'd jazz up the ol' blog a bit — perhaps to show off more music, perhaps to show off some art or woodwork, or perhaps for no good reason whatsoever.A blog tune-up was long overdue, I suppose.I also put another song in the list ("Probot"), so check it out! It's a bit heavier than my Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-27004276530282766692009-11-30T14:21:00.007-06:002009-12-08T00:44:23.866-06:00Before you go check out my new songs in the previous post, you should watch this.Everyone you know should watch this.How could someone not watch this?It's mesmerizing...Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-47589677419702897562009-11-29T22:17:00.017-06:002009-12-02T10:47:39.949-06:00Two new songs! Check out the sidebar to the right. The new songs — "Speak Up" and "Japanese Motorcycle" — are at the top of the list.I also updated the "Metatron" song with the latest version and replaced all the placeholder song titles with the real ones. Still no vocals, though, because I ain't recorded 'em yet.HEY! BONUS SONG!Scroll down to the bottom of the list of songs to hear one that ISammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-25913874441848157972009-11-25T10:09:00.002-06:002009-12-08T03:26:31.341-06:00Oh... ...my... ...God.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-76433392515865658932009-11-04T14:23:00.004-06:002009-11-04T14:41:19.836-06:00Hey there! So, I figured out how to stick my music over there on the right-hand side of the blog, so look at the top of that list whenever I post something like "Hey, new song!"I'm only posting the songs that I'm currently working on and want to keep (and yes...I've got bigger plans for the Mr. T song, so it survived the culling process — plus I think it's funny). Some of the earlier songs I Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-47595336768488850682009-10-25T22:03:00.003-05:002009-10-25T22:11:38.971-05:00New song! It's called Underminer.I used my Nintendo DS to produce the bassline, and it turned out really cool, in my opinion. Korg makes a DS "game" called DS-10 that completely reproduces an old Korg synthesizer, and I'm just scratching the surface of what it's capable of. I also used my keyboard to add a synth track to it, but it's really subtle.Fun!Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-10791242826107078462009-10-12T16:18:00.003-05:002009-12-08T03:27:03.904-06:00In case I haven't made my love for keytar players clear enough in the past...I love them. They are unabashed dorks, and they all seem to be immune to public ridicule (or addicted to it, perhaps).They have worked immensely hard at something no one will ever — ever — fully appreciate....and if they weren't such brave souls, truly great things like this would never exist:Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-75301478486140514532009-10-06T09:33:00.009-05:002009-10-08T11:06:23.426-05:00Since Julia was sick for the past week (which meant I accumulated roughly 9 hours of sleep over the past five days), I had some time to finish my music room. That, in turn, allowed me to polish the Fall Behind song (lyrics to come, once I figure out how to clear two tracks on my mixer):It isn't the prettiest of spaces, but it's highly functional for me. My next step is to paint a mural across Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-81215856107347003792009-09-30T09:24:00.003-05:002009-09-30T09:56:49.501-05:00New acoustical stuff from Sam!I've just about crippled my hands from playing so much, but dang, it's fun!They're all instrumental (recording vocals in a decent-sounding way requires some major changes to my setup, so I wanted to get several songs done before changing the rigging). If parts of these seem a bit repetitive...sorry — the vocal line will compensate entirely for that, eventually. TheseSammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-20349100343896635102009-09-14T09:51:00.004-05:002009-09-14T10:12:28.550-05:00Welcome, friends, to the Church of T!I'm-a forge new and wondrousthings upside ya head!After recording some sweet licks, I thought to myself, "These riffs need something..."...and then I made this:Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-40562372595369131462009-08-31T15:18:00.001-05:002009-08-31T15:22:21.142-05:00Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-51399184894243380192009-08-06T19:55:00.003-05:002009-08-06T20:04:20.976-05:00I have been a music-making machine over the past several days – to such an extent that my hands aren't actually functioning properly anymore. I have blisters on top of blisters, callouses in new and exciting places, and I think I dislocated a knuckle.I figured I'd share some of my laborious fruits with you, my darling cherubs. Feel free to offer critique and insight, as I'd like to know what you Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-65538637842461831882009-08-04T20:13:00.001-05:002009-08-04T20:15:30.717-05:00Feelin' blue?Slap your troubles away with this:Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-71261548360087283162009-07-28T03:09:00.004-05:002009-07-28T03:29:43.791-05:00I just figured out how to update my blog from my phone!Let's see if I do it!It's like a game!_Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-76756700956267696792009-07-22T11:12:00.004-05:002009-07-22T11:15:58.754-05:00If you're traveling to a foreign country, you should definitely try some of the local food.Except, maybe, in this case:God bless you, engrish.com._Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-24477059153700534982009-06-28T00:07:00.002-05:002009-06-28T00:13:19.293-05:00Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-35075492002647268212009-06-25T20:24:00.005-05:002009-06-25T20:29:30.767-05:00Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-32270385160754201752009-06-22T15:06:00.002-05:002009-06-22T15:25:42.269-05:00Dang.I suck.Three months and no blog posts? That's horrible. I've been busy, though. And now I'm back.So quit the bellyachin' already and read on!For all you folks that enjoy an alcoholic beverage every now and then, I invented a drink.And it's AWESOME.To honor the absolute panty-dropping goodness that is the new Star Trek movie, I've decided to name my drink "The Kobayashi Maru". Here's how Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-30999862699521185722009-04-02T10:53:00.001-05:002009-04-02T10:55:28.786-05:00God knows how my mother found this, but it's unbelievable:Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-30074062210576277512009-03-13T15:03:00.004-05:002009-03-13T15:19:29.477-05:00The floor-number indicator on one of our elevators at work is broken, so it isn't displaying the correct floor, and if you're below the 3rd floor, it won't display anything at all.On the elevator today with a bunch of executive-y suit-wearin' types who thought the busted elevator thingy was just the funniest thing ever, my grasp on sanity grew ever more tenuous. They just would not shut up aboutSammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-765329002896489102009-03-12T13:37:00.002-05:002009-03-12T13:40:12.729-05:00I'm pretty sure I've invented a time machine.This guy is probably the coolest lonely guy I've ever not met. Click on the pic below to meet Craig:Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-84872671078294551082009-03-10T12:44:00.002-05:002009-03-10T13:03:06.221-05:00I am a huge fan of the Watchmen graphic novel. It's one the most brutal, tough-read comics I've ever encountered, and it's brilliant. I was nearly vibrating out of my chair with excitement for the movie.But now? Ehh...not so much. I've heard nothing but conditional, apologetic reviews of it, and it sounds like I'm going to be disappointed. Severely. It seems that jiggly man parts, Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-55335612640837082692009-03-02T10:29:00.003-06:002009-03-02T10:35:27.576-06:00Thanks to the monumental efforts of a buncha you wonderful people ( a great big thanks to all y'all, by the way!), we are officially moved in to the new house, and boy am I exhausted. Due to the utter absence of any neural activity in Sam's skull at this particular time, here is a cartoon from one o' my new favorite Web comics, called "WE THE ROBOTS" (www.wetherobots.com):Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-26793237493723133552009-02-26T10:02:00.003-06:002009-02-26T10:04:33.104-06:00Hey...we bought a house! Holy crap!Now we just gotta put our stuff in it.Fun!Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-32708476972912604632009-02-19T11:03:00.008-06:002009-02-19T11:15:01.115-06:00Attention LOLcat lovers!Please visit www.rolcats.com -- it's amazing. Have strength, my little cabbage. By the mercy of NKVD Order No. 00447, we have been chosen for Resettlement. We will show the tin mines of Kolyma the true power of the proletariat.A somewhat depressing comedy goldmine!Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-34741202109354133672009-02-13T14:48:00.001-06:002009-02-13T14:49:11.412-06:00I want pie! I want beef jerky!Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-24459386471861841602009-01-29T12:37:00.014-06:002009-01-29T17:53:50.207-06:00Please...whatever you do...don't click this link if you can't handle extreme amounts of awesomely awesome awesomeness.Seriously. You could lose an eye or something....and here's my absolute favorite commercial of all time, for now:Shine on me? Please? Anyone?Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-32753382048333660152009-01-27T18:14:00.001-06:002009-01-27T18:15:57.470-06:00Just checkin' if anyone's still readin' this.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-2166796414632876222009-01-26T17:56:00.013-06:002009-01-26T18:39:27.598-06:00Hey...we might've just bought us a house, but more on that later.Please enjoy this art spec (instructions on what to illustrate) that I received today. The final illustration is supposed to describe the vocabulary word problem to third-graders:Draw a picture of an African-American teacher standing in front of several empty bookshelves, shrugging his shoulders in an ‘I have a problem’ gesture.In Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-16790882603558510892009-01-15T19:44:00.004-06:002009-01-15T19:57:31.374-06:00It's been awhile...been busy...we're still house-hunting...I just bathed the cat and am experiencing a semi-asthma attack. So, I thought I'd blog.The big news is -- I just got my contract renewed!Well, through July, at least.To celebrate, here's something I've been wasting time on -- I removed the text from a Dilbert comic, and have been rewriting it to create new, better (to me, anyway) Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-44777590703242968042009-01-05T12:55:00.005-06:002009-01-05T13:11:21.671-06:00The holidays are OVER, and boy...I'm done being so fulla spirit.It's get-back-to-business time.As such, my darling wife and I are in negotiations to buy a house.Wanna see some pics of it? Of course you do.Keep in mind that we may not get it, but maybe having you guys flex your positive-thought muscles in our direction for a bit will help in some small way. Take a look:The front, with Julia's Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-62719772107187399892008-12-29T11:34:00.007-06:002008-12-29T12:34:31.225-06:00I feel somewhat ill today, and this is where my brain is. Enjoy.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-57543408739111969382008-12-23T16:14:00.004-06:002008-12-23T16:16:53.057-06:00I think this cartoon, from Garfield-minus-Garfield, just about sums up my December so far.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-58530225589813350482008-12-12T21:05:00.002-06:002008-12-12T21:06:26.674-06:00I made this the other day.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-27219735670534278602008-12-08T19:32:00.003-06:002008-12-08T20:16:00.834-06:00Sam should never be allowed free time.Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-18665182944912071962008-12-02T12:29:00.004-06:002008-12-02T12:34:20.392-06:00But look into my heart -- it just pumps looooooooooooooooooooooooooooove!I would pay good money to see this.Really. I would.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-15709470282807200612008-11-20T13:54:00.002-06:002008-11-20T13:58:04.437-06:00It's my birthday, and I'll blog about Star Trek if I wanna...The second trailer for the new Star Trek movie is out, and I ask you to take a moment to consider my socks.They have totally been blown off.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-20059185226983975782008-11-17T14:28:00.001-06:002008-11-17T14:28:32.563-06:00Red 5, standing by...Three more days until FREE STUFF FOR SAM!!!Posted with LifeCastSammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-57159001509283593272008-11-14T13:04:00.003-06:002008-11-14T13:42:55.918-06:00If marriage is an institution supported by this country, then it must be made available to all of its citizens – according to the law.Separation of church and state is, in principle, supposed to prevent a religious institution from contributing to (and in this case, ultimately swaying) government decisions in this country.I have no problem with faith in God, as it is. I believe that God exists Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-79487601195480840562008-11-10T14:01:00.011-06:002008-11-10T21:46:59.443-06:00My Nucular FamilyI turn 30 in ten days......and I assume this is typical, but I have this nagging feeling that I should have more stuff figured out by now. I should own a house. I should be settled into a career. I should have 2 kids in every garage. I should have boxes full of such things as savings accounts, investments, and plans for the future.Bah.As a child prodigy of the Instant Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-43308800649186550522008-11-07T11:54:00.002-06:002008-11-07T11:56:45.571-06:00Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-34195298053660425962008-11-05T11:52:00.000-06:002008-11-05T11:57:18.620-06:00Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-90184458496559638092008-10-30T20:32:00.005-05:002008-10-30T21:33:24.013-05:00Synchronized Debating!Dang...I must be motivated or something.Campaign talking points...scripted? Naw...no way.Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-22291645446327223422008-10-30T13:05:00.003-05:002008-10-30T21:34:52.860-05:00The Awesomest Old Ladies EVER!Hmmm...posting a lot lately...Anyone still reading this?If so, take a few minutes and read this instead. Bookmark it. It's amazing.Two best friends in their eighties. Read everything by them that you can. Simply brilliant.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-30402544740750364162008-10-30T12:36:00.003-05:002008-10-30T21:35:33.221-05:00Aww...What these kids are trying to tell you is that you can vote for Obama, or you can be wrong.Go vote now!Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-61861923847994774992008-10-29T09:42:00.012-05:002008-10-30T21:39:40.762-05:00I'm afraid you have cows, Mr. Farnsworth.As far as I'm concerned, Gary Larson's The Far Side one-panel cartoons are the best humor comics ever produced. When Larson retired in January of 1995, a void was created that hasn't really ever been filled.However, I just found a webcomic called Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal that's getting pretty darn close. Here are two recent favorites:And for Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-85890962561676066072008-10-23T15:35:00.004-05:002008-10-30T21:41:38.144-05:00Ahh...Texas.We passed this place on the way to see Willie Nelson in San Antonio.Great restaurant name, or greatest restaurant name?Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-60776072520911812372008-10-14T12:40:00.004-05:002008-10-30T21:42:36.802-05:00God bless the InterwebsI found this exchange in an online forum, and it makes me so very happy:Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-87656670780718322952008-10-07T08:54:00.005-05:002008-10-30T21:43:34.823-05:00Good Lord, I hate bein' sick.My allergies, for lack of a more accurate descriptor, "bitch-slapped" me on Sunday and all day yesterday, causing me to miss a day of work. Let me tell you, boys and girls...that is NOT as cool as staying home from work when you feel just fine. It doesn't provide the rebellious buzz you typically feel when you're defyin' The Man.Plus, I felt like refried poop. The Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-79780193197909854322008-09-30T15:31:00.002-05:002008-10-30T21:44:17.798-05:00Vindication?For those of you longtime readers of my blog, you may recall this post, in which I ranted about the political backlash against video games, and their inevitable connection to anything bad that happens anywhere, ever.It turns out that Jack Thompson (the weaselly, opportunistic lawyer that has spearheaded the ignorant attack on video games) has been recommended for disbarment. Woohoo!Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-32540902026669284272008-09-28T19:07:00.004-05:002008-10-30T21:46:12.279-05:00Put down the hand grenade, Sam. Just for today.Yeah...I'm stressed about whether or not I'll still have a job come November, but I had a relaxing day today, and sometimes that's all you need to make it through the next week without sniper-rifle-ing folks from the roof of the house.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-71655683035349615122008-09-19T13:32:00.011-05:002008-11-19T12:55:01.775-06:00Holy Bat-diapers, everyone! It's blog post #200!We should celebrate!Unfortunately, I'm in the midst of sorting out another job crisis (as in, I am once again fearing for my very employment) -- details on that later -- and I don' wanna write nothin'.Since my brain has been pulverized into a fine paste by PowerPoints and potentially unnecessary stress...and since I don't wanna be all that creativeSammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-23040415556217621112008-08-23T19:46:00.005-05:002008-10-30T21:47:00.409-05:00Well, if they can do it to sheep...The photo below is the view from John's new apartment. Notice anything odd?NERD ALERT NERD ALERT NERD ALERTWhen Emperor Palpatine died in Return of the Jedi, it turns out that (in the dorky novels I read awhile back) ol' wrinkly cheeks had been cloned many times, and a younger, more vital Palpa-clone was "activated" when Vader killed the real Emperor.What if Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-3091979701899787132008-08-19T13:54:00.004-05:002008-10-30T21:47:25.599-05:00If customer service isn't dead, it's floppin' around on the shore with only minutes to go.See...Julia and I went to see Hellboy 2 with her folks and her brother this weekend. It wasn’t showing at Alamo (the best thing to happen to movies since Scarlett Johannson's pouty lips), so we went to a *gasp* regular theater, and all’s I wanted was a gigantic Diet Coke.I waited in line behind two people Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-31652039463738878952008-08-12T13:04:00.005-05:002008-10-30T21:47:48.108-05:00Olympic Fevah!I hadn't watched any of the Olympic games at all until yesterday, and I had convinced myself that somehow, I just didn't really care. However, after watching several absurdly-muscled swimming cyborgs actually reverse time using only the power of the backstroke, I've changed my mind. Now I can't get enough.I watched tiny men with humongous pectorals and arms the size of Chevy Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-29640016854075856472008-08-11T14:15:00.003-05:002008-10-30T21:48:13.592-05:00It's astonishing how little I have to do today.I almost called in sick, but I thought to myself, "No...that isn't professional. I'll go in, but I just won't do any work. That way, I'll still get paid."So I got here this morning, and everyone else called in. I'm here, relatively alone, and I have nothing to do.Online mah-jongg tournament!...Okay. Bored again.Time for some reflection, I supposeSammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-22889510511059444952008-08-09T11:11:00.005-05:002008-10-30T21:48:40.685-05:00Hmm...I think he's making fun of me and my kind, but it's HILARIOUS.I forgeeve, I forgeeve.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-57648816236011104162008-07-31T13:37:00.007-05:002008-10-30T21:50:36.067-05:00Attention, comic book nerds!I had to post this.It's from The Onion, and it's the very definition of awesomecoolbeans:Al Gore Places Infant Son In Rocket To Escape Dying PlanetEARTH—Former vice president Al Gore—who for the past three decades has unsuccessfully attempted to warn humanity of the coming destruction of our planet, only to be mocked and derided by the very people he has tried to Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-77437200570308206962008-07-21T14:44:00.006-05:002008-10-30T21:54:48.448-05:00A do-it-yourself comic strip!Just fill in the word balloons!Because I'm lazy!Here's what I have so far:Black Hat: "Sarsparilla?"White Hat: "Tarnation!"Black Hat: "I twirl my 'stache at thee!"White Hat: "Well, I shoot the air at thee!"Black Hat: "Greedo shot first!"White Hat: "We shouldn't fault George Lucas for trying to preserve his original vision!"Make yer own!Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-85376903208792831142008-07-18T14:29:00.003-05:002008-10-30T21:53:43.311-05:00She loves me...she loves me because she has to...she loves me...Julia's got a (now belated) birthday present coming to her, and she has no idea what it is.It's belated because it's something custom, and it ain't finished yet, but whoo boy, when it is, it's gonna be a doozy. She's gonna have no choice but to ACTUALLY love me, rather than just sayin' she does.Other than that...let's see...I've Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-72281749913765696582008-07-03T14:33:00.003-05:002008-10-30T21:54:06.727-05:00Happy 4th o' July weekend, evah-buddy!I, for one, am thrilled at the prospect of NOT doing a ding-danged thing for a good, long time.In the meantime, work is slow right now, so I thought I'd relieve some mental blockage here on Ye Olde Blogge. I'm going to discuss the concept of workplace discretion, so if you're not in the mood for a rant, go ahead and navigate to a different tube on the Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-6302846047189962202008-06-26T12:38:00.003-05:002008-06-26T12:40:33.295-05:00I'll be wordy later, but for now...just sit back and bask in the awesome power of Hoff Soap:Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-34356923547539850612008-06-22T00:54:00.000-05:002008-06-22T00:55:05.147-05:00Thirsty?Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-47540875086940988202008-06-11T13:16:00.005-05:002008-06-11T13:29:24.228-05:00Ha! *SNORT*(I'm thinking about the look on MY mom's face when I tell her that I've got this planned for her.)See the woman in the foreground there?She's imagining cramming that Wii-mote all the way up her dorky son's pooper."Take that, Jonathan! And that! And that! With a twist, you ungrateful mongrel-boy!"Also, I can't help but notice that the "Emergency Help" button is not located on the Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-55461535041008732812008-06-02T20:51:00.004-05:002008-06-02T21:10:07.619-05:00There shan't be details, but sometimes, when two folks done been together as long as me and Julia done been together, a swift kick in the pants of the relationship can be a good thing. In our case, 'twas a good thing, indeed. That said, I don't think anything but the Good Lord Himself (or perhaps the Stars making the Stanley Cup playoffs) could come between me an' that girl.I have to go play Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-41933365959315689132008-05-25T10:39:00.004-05:002008-05-25T10:52:45.795-05:00Man...now I look tough. Finally!So here's my new tattoo, for those who care to see it, and allow me to say, after years of contemplating getting one and always being too chicken about the pain and the permanence -- it's awesome. I love it. Love it love it love it. Oddly enough, it made me almost immediately want another one. Sociopathic tendencies? Nah.And for those of you fellow chickens, Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-17730774039117672012008-05-23T09:42:00.002-05:002008-05-23T10:00:47.463-05:00Happy 4th anniversary to us! Four years of Julia puttin' up with my man-stank! Yay!Here's to a whole bunch more!We got our tattoos, too!Pics to come. Hold yer frikkin' horses, gosh-darnit.Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-69821800062683062322008-05-18T22:49:00.007-05:002008-05-18T23:30:18.660-05:00So, I think I'm getting a tattoo.In fact, I'm pretty sure of it.Julia and I are celebrating our four-year anniversary this coming Friday, and we figured it's a good time to actually go out and get the tattoos we each have been wanting for a good while now.She already has one. I don't.Because of that, I've got a nagging fear that I'm going to wuss out, and since I know that Julia won't, there's aSammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-30350758816447391292008-05-09T11:05:00.006-05:002008-05-09T11:45:34.539-05:00I am here today to warn you about the perils of sci-fi fandom.The tale below is most definitely true, though I will change the names to protect the egos of the individuals involved. We'll call them......Jam and Sulia.Late in the day on Thursday, Jam gets home from work, and the first thing he does after offloading his computer bag and emptying his pockets is to release the hounds into the Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23710082.post-40911741242889287542008-05-05T21:54:00.002-05:002008-05-05T23:22:12.389-05:00So, I've been so busy lately, I haven't really actually said anything on this here blog. As such, consider this an official update on the Sam-haps:Let's see here...Well, I'm typing this post on my new MacBook, which is the most beautiful computer I ever done seen! I love it, and I plan on drawing a bunch more pretty soon.I also recently bought a gently used (read: pretty much brand new and Sammershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763191763954596677noreply@blogger.com3