Mad As A Hatter

R.a.n.t. of week 03/22/15

It's March, I'm mad. You know what that means don't you? That's right. It's time for the official Jeffrey Scott March Madness NCAA bracket selection. As you'll recall from last year, I'm not a basketball person. In fact, I probably know less about college basketball than I do about cosmic string theories. Which admittedly, is not much. From what I gather, they are theories, and quite possibly strings in space. Correct? No? Well, now you've got a good idea how well I know college basketball. So why do I do it? Why do I fill out a sweet 16 bracket? Why does anyone climb mountains? Because they can. And because it's fun. Or at least it's something better to do than poke a sharp stick in my eye. Which is something a person who's mad as a hatter might be prone to do. Gotta love mercury sickness. So where was I? Oh, that's right. March madness and my NCAA bracket. Below is how I predict the rest of the tournament will go. My method of selection can't be any worse than anyone else, can it?

Sweet 16
West Virginia vs. Kentucky - Winner, West Virginia because their logo kind of looks like the Wonder Woman symbol. And I'm a big comic book fan. (Like you couldn't figure that out already).
Wichita St. vs. Notre Dame - Winner, Notre Dame because their mascot looks like he's fighting mad. And being mad is sort of the theme this week. Isn't it?
North Caroline vs. Wisconsin - Winner, Wisconsin because there's $350,000 buried under the Big W. Or so I"m told in 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. That's MAD times 4.
Xavier vs. Arizona - Winner, Xavier because last year I picked Arizona and they didn't win, I would be mad to pick them again.
N.C. State vs. Louisville - Winner, Louisville because the Cardinal is a mad (or angry) bird. (Get it)?
Michigan St. vs. Oklahoma - Winner, Michigan St. because the name Sooners is such a ridiculous name it makes me mad.
Utah vs. Duke - Winner, Duke because the mascot reminds me of a weird dream I once had.
UCLA vs. Gonzaga - Winner, Gonzaga. Mostly because it's fun to say and all my friends think I"m not a fan of dogs.

Elite 8
West Virginia vs. Notre Dame - Winner, West Virginia because if Wonder Woman were real she'd disapprove of the word 'dame'. Never call chicks, dames.
Wisconsin vs. Xavier - Winner, Wisconsin because I still haven't found that money and need them to stick around till I can find it under that Big W. Okay, it's a running gag, don't be mad.
Louisville vs Michigan St. - Winner, Michigan because when I think of Sparta, I think of madness. And this is madness, after all.
Duke vs. Gonzaga - Winner, Duke because I'm not a dog person. So yes, my friends are right.

Final 4
West Virginia vs. Wisconsin - Winner, Wisconsin because truthfully Wonder Woman isn't real and she really isn't playing for West Virginia. However Wisconsin is real and I believe so is the Big W.
Michigan vs. Duke - Winner, Michigan because I can't think of any more jokes for either. Einney Meinney, Meinney, Mo!

Championship Game
Wisconsin vs. Michigan - Winner, Michigan because I've always heard you are supposed to bet against your team. Because if you bet for them, they will certainly lose. And though I'm not putting any money on this game, I always root for the home team. Errrrr, but not this time, because they are going to lose. Know what I mean? They will definitely lose. Okay? Got it? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean?

Fresh Ground Coffee

R.a.n.t. of week 03/15/15

I don't know if this makes me a coffee snob or not, but I refuse to buy pre-ground coffee. Personally, I don't understand it. There is nothing I enjoy more than waking up and grinding a fresh pot of coffee.

WARNING! This is the paragraph showing how I'm not such a coffee snob. You see, when I'm shopping for coffee, I'm attracted to various different flavoured coffee. If it's something I'm going to enjoy, I'm going to buy it.

Now time for the complaint. It seems most coffee I find is pre-ground instead of whole bean. What good is that to me? For a time I was wondering if maybe flavoured coffee doesn't come in whole bean. But that can't be true. One of my favourite coffee places, Berres Brothers, has an abundance of awesome and different flavours available. All whole bean! (Or ground if you prefer). The down side to Berres Brothers, if there is one, is they  are not in my neighbourhood. I need make a special trip to Watertown Wisconsin and personally buy from them there in the cafe. Well, I guess it's not such a down side. I usually go with my sister and her family and we make a special day of it. It's our Berres Brothers time. And as they say in their store...

What is Berres Brothers Time?
BB time is a time to relax, talk, chill out, warm up. Just be you. It's time to think, laugh, whatever.
BB time is a feeling. A state of mind. An experience. A place where you're in control of the moment, protected from the stress, the noise and the hassle of the day. Whether it's with friends, family or all alone. First thing in the morning or late at night. Simply put, BB time is your time. And it's a little different for everyone. But when you're in it. You know it.

But let's be honest. No matter how special Berres Brother Time is to my sister and I, I'd still like to find whole bean coffee in the stores. I mean, is that such a hard thing?

In the Air Tonight

R.a.n.t. of week 03/08/15

I'm a hands on person. When I'm learning something, I need a text book, worksheet or something showing me exactly what I'm learning. It also needs to be physical, not something 'in the air'. I can do maths, but horrible when it comes to air maths. Same for spelling. I may have got a crocodile in spelling, but air spelling is difficult for me. For example, if someone asks me to spell 'crocodile' I can write it, no problem. If I'm telling them, I have to think. So it shouldn't surprise anyone I'm the same way when it comes to possessing media. I know we are living in the digital age, but I'm a sucker for feeling like I actually own something I purchased. I know most are transferring to and comfortable with digital, but I don't understand it. When I purchase a music CD, I feel like I actually own it when I physically hold the CD in my hands, am looking at the artwork or placing the disk in my car stereo. The same goes for books, games or films. If I own it, I want to put the disk in my PS3 or in my media cabinet or placed on display. It's the way I am, I want to possess it in hand, not floating somewhere in the air tonight.

PS - If you are curious why I used this particular photo for the r.a.n.t. the answer can be found on a previous blog post. Can you figure it out? - HERE

A Day Off

Feeling sick,
I have the flu.
Chicken soup,
and tea I brew.

Thinking power,
not so well.
Sickness crippled,
last brain cell.

Calling in,
for loss of pay.
Boss still thinks,
it's Ferris Day.

Breathing, blinking,
why so tough?
Exhausting day,
I've had enough.

Shopping list,
of aches and pains.
Add one more,
to daily strains.

Thus today,
my only quest.
Lay in bed
and get some rest.

J.A.Scott

Jeffrey Scott's Day Off

R.a.n.t. of week 03/01/15

Sick day. That means I don't have a lot of time (energy) for writing. So I decided to ask others what they hate most about being sick. Looking at the responses I received, I realized it's hard not to agree with them all. Below are the responses as well as my own thoughts So many thoughts, in fact, I probably should have just written the entire rant myself. But I needed a week off, never mind a day.

R.A. - The worst thing is, it affects brain power. When I have a cold I just can't think well!
J.S. - I am agree. Me brain not think 100% fully when sick. Concentration am hard. Trying to remember when I took medicine last and when I need to again causes a problem. (See below).

K.L. - Feeling penalized at work for calling in sick. Aside from loss of pay (as some don't get paid sick days) you may receive fewer hours on your next schedule, or the management treats your claim with scepticism. I'm not a flighty college kid, I'm a working adult.
J.S. - Though it's been a long time since I worked in retail, I remember this feeling. You take a day off and when you come back people assume you've been to a ball game, danced in a city parade or cruised town in an awesome car. No, sometimes a sick day is actually a sick day. However, I'm in the same boat as you about not getting paid. If I don't work, I don't get paid. So why would I call in sick? I can't afford it. If I call in, you better believe I'm sick!

A.R. - Normal activities like breathing, and blinking become exhausting.
J.S. - As hinted at above, I recently found it hard to remember when I took medicine last and when I needed to next. So I believe I accidentally double dosed. Memory is hard. Sneezing? I'd rather give you $50. When I'm sick, my throat is usually affected and it's hard to sneeze. Then there is preparing food. Good thing my fridge was stocked with individual cups of Jell-o last time I was sick. Even making a bowl of soup is exhausting.

P.K. - Getting sick always makes all my other health problems worse.
J.S. - It's not fun when you suffer from one thing and then something else comes along to make matters worse. I remember one year I was suffering from a bad back and then I got bronchitis on top of it. Let me tell you, it's not fun to cough when your back is sore. Did I say $50 before? This time I would have parted with $100 happily. And after seeing the doctor and medicine, I may still have paid less than that.

S.T. - Getting sick affecting pioneer hours. We are encouraged to rest immediately when we feel something coming on or possibly be out of commission for a week.
J.S. - I have to admit, I don't rest when I should. I try to push past. Normally it's not so bad but once in a while it catches up with me and I'm out for a few days.

J.S. - Being alone and being sick.
J.S. - Yes, being sick when you are alone is the pits. If you want that medicine, better get up and get it. Need a cup of soup, better get up and make it. Dropped the remote control? Better reach over and pick it up. White soda, water, tea, needs refilling? Better get up and refill it. Lunch time? There are Jell-o packs in the fridge. Eat them now, enjoy actual food when you are feeling better. And who's going to put a movie in for me to fall asleep to? Oh never mind, one of my favourite cable channels just started Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Okay, lame joke. Leave me alone. I'm sick.