<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016</id><updated>2012-02-16T14:15:44.468-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Stroking The Cortex</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>41</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-7235766695454551180</id><published>2011-07-26T12:06:00.001-04:00</published><updated>2011-07-26T12:06:12.107-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."&lt;br&gt; - Ralph Waldo Emerson&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-7235766695454551180?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/7235766695454551180/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=7235766695454551180' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7235766695454551180'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7235766695454551180'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2011/07/qotd_26.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-8289004834577969879</id><published>2011-07-22T17:13:00.001-04:00</published><updated>2011-07-22T17:46:09.754-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Soulshine...</title><content type='html'>&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Its better than sunshine; better than moonshine; damn sure better than rain.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-8289004834577969879?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/8289004834577969879/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=8289004834577969879' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/8289004834577969879'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/8289004834577969879'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2011/07/its-better-than-sunshine-better-than.html' title='Soulshine...'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-4889488854308512877</id><published>2011-07-08T18:46:00.001-04:00</published><updated>2011-07-08T18:46:38.798-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;The greatest achievements were at first and for a time dreams.&lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp; -james allen &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-4889488854308512877?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/4889488854308512877/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=4889488854308512877' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/4889488854308512877'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/4889488854308512877'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2011/07/qotd.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-4478928863939693004</id><published>2010-12-25T08:41:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2010-12-25T08:41:41.960-05:00</updated><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-4478928863939693004?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/4478928863939693004/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=4478928863939693004' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/4478928863939693004'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/4478928863939693004'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2010/12/ho-ho-ho-merry-christmas.html' title=''/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-6768429623276360541</id><published>2010-12-03T14:10:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2010-12-03T14:14:42.026-05:00</updated><title type='text'>from a favorite: www.xkcd.com</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TPlBm19GbVI/AAAAAAAAATM/KayhL8uVn48/s1600/arsenic_based_life.png"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546536551657663826" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 115px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TPlBm19GbVI/AAAAAAAAATM/KayhL8uVn48/s400/arsenic_based_life.png" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TPlBh0cq8eI/AAAAAAAAATE/B4jakS3P-ns/s1600/arsenic_based_life.png"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TPlA5RBixVI/AAAAAAAAAS8/xz2uriiCkZs/s1600/arsenic_based_life.png"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.xkcd.com/829/"&gt;http://www.xkcd.com/829/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-6768429623276360541?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/6768429623276360541/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=6768429623276360541' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6768429623276360541'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6768429623276360541'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2010/12/from-favorite-wwwxkcdcom.html' title='from a favorite: www.xkcd.com'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TPlBm19GbVI/AAAAAAAAATM/KayhL8uVn48/s72-c/arsenic_based_life.png' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-6379983286000924614</id><published>2010-12-01T08:12:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2010-12-01T08:12:50.330-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?"Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;--Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown in "Peanuts" &lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-6379983286000924614?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/6379983286000924614/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=6379983286000924614' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6379983286000924614'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6379983286000924614'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2010/12/qotd.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-5289882776061235872</id><published>2010-11-30T08:48:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2010-11-30T08:51:45.153-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Post Turkey Day</title><content type='html'>Okay, so i know we're all thankful for our lives and where we are in them.  We *ARE* thankful, yes?!?!  Okay, so that's settled.  What interests me this thanksgiving season are some funny Tday stories.  Like mine from this year...Grandmother choking on a throat full of food at the formal dinner table.  Who get's to hurry into action?  Yep, the resident EMT of the family, yours truly.  It's never a pleasant process...and it happens at more of the full family functions than i care to talk about.  Sometimes i wonder if she does it on purpose just for the attention...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Anyway...hope everyone's holiday was good.  Looks like snow is coming tomorrow and/or the next day.  I get to try out that new (to me) snowblower....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;CH&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-5289882776061235872?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/5289882776061235872/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=5289882776061235872' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5289882776061235872'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5289882776061235872'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2010/11/post-turkey-day.html' title='Post Turkey Day'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-6482106334845487176</id><published>2010-11-24T08:27:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2010-11-24T08:28:44.917-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope still is to leave the world a little bit better for my having been here. It's a wonderful life and I love it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;--&lt;strong&gt;Jim Henson&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;em&gt;It's Not Easy Being Green And Other Things to Consider&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-6482106334845487176?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/6482106334845487176/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=6482106334845487176' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6482106334845487176'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6482106334845487176'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2010/11/qotd.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-1424866712658314041</id><published>2010-11-23T12:20:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2010-11-23T12:54:00.331-05:00</updated><title type='text'>A Different Life</title><content type='html'>&lt;div&gt;Greetings everyone! I am back from the beyond, although considerably different from the last time i was here. I'm a father now, and that has made life incredibly different (and 'incredible' as well!). My daughter Chloe Lynn was born 10.9.10. Due date was 10.10.10; wouldn't you know it, she's as punctual as my wife is and showed up a few hours early. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TOv_I1HyMCI/AAAAAAAAARc/VQd_8VLPsGU/s1600/Sweet%2BDreams.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542804293573292066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 175px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 221px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TOv_I1HyMCI/AAAAAAAAARc/VQd_8VLPsGU/s320/Sweet%2BDreams.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;She's healthy...10 fingers and toes...a little peanut really, was born 6 lbs, 15 oz. She's now six weeks old and about 7 and a half pounds. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;I must admit, at 43...i began to wonder if i'd ever be a father. Well, here i am...someone's DAD. I truly find the whole thing amazing. Even here in the first few weeks of watching her grow...watching her eyes open...then one day focus...now, she seems so alert to her surroundings; it's like she's a sponge and just soaking everything up!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;I don't even mind the late night feedings and the loss of sleep. It's worth every moment. I hope I'll be a good father; I have a number of wonderful examples in my life...my own father, my many friends who are fathers (Easy, your name is top of the list...Guv'na, yours too, of course). &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;My priorities are different now; granted, that's to be expected. But i was surprised at how easily those priorities changed. There are no complaints on my end that i can't go, 'hang out with the boys' right now...and that i have to be much more responsible with what i do, how i drive, even with my health (yes, i want to be here as long as possible for this little girl). &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;I'll keep you all updated on the progress here as often as i can.  Let's see if we can also encourage the other editors of this blog to take a few minutes and replug into the little bit of the world that we share here at The Stroke.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Cool Hand&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-1424866712658314041?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/1424866712658314041/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=1424866712658314041' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/1424866712658314041'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/1424866712658314041'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2010/11/different-life.html' title='A Different Life'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TOv_I1HyMCI/AAAAAAAAARc/VQd_8VLPsGU/s72-c/Sweet%2BDreams.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-5189681474062708727</id><published>2010-04-03T00:43:00.003-04:00</published><updated>2010-04-03T01:20:47.403-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Easter</title><content type='html'>*Smack*...&lt;br /&gt;That's the sound of me dusting off these tired old knuckles as I scratch the itch. Contributing to this great and worthy blog, that is.&lt;br /&gt;Today's a good day. It's the start of a holiday weekend. Easter. Which as we all know, means HAM. Meat. I don't get meat a whole lot these days since marrying my wonderful wife who just happens to be a vegetarian. Such is my mania. This is a good day for a number of reasons. They are as follows:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- The inevitable coming of The Ham.&lt;br /&gt;- &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;Leinenkugel's&lt;/span&gt; Summer Shandy (props to Jake &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;Leinenkugel&lt;/span&gt; over in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin)&lt;br /&gt;- A wife SO devoted to baking that she's decorating cookies as we speak... and it's 12:50 a.m.&lt;br /&gt;- Reconnecting with Cool Hand, another key operative in bringing opinion and high-brow humor to the masses via Stroking The Cortex&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now, as I sit here in my linen shorts (hey, even though it's 12:53 a.m., it's still warm out), my signature straw fedora and a Shandy-induced Cheshire Cat grin, I got a rush of overwhelming calm and focus. Reflecting back on this small but purposeful life I lead as The Big Easy, things that were never so clearly defined are now in focus with such a degree of clarity, it's almost nauseating. Kinda like watching &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;HD&lt;/span&gt; for the first time. Crap, I'm straying. Because I haven't written in a while. *shake* ("focus, man. SOME people read this.")&lt;br /&gt;Let's start from the top...&lt;br /&gt;- Ham. Obvious. Meat.&lt;br /&gt;- &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;Leinie's&lt;/span&gt; Summer Shandy. &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;Ok&lt;/span&gt;, some &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;people&lt;/span&gt; get excited about baseball's opening day, their first mow of the season, first whiff of a grill from a block away... not me. To me, the day the Shandy hits the shelves is the day that summer i&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;s&lt;/span&gt; on its way. True, warm weather may already be here, but Shandy is a sign. A sign of all the things above. For those who don't have a clue what I'm talking about, a Shandy is a lemonade-mixed beer. Popularized in Europe and brought to the States by a saint (in my book). Check it out at your nearest corner store.&lt;br /&gt;- Obsessive cookie-baking wife. Every house needs one. She will turn out the best, most intricately-decorated baked goods your gut has ever seen. She works with Almond Extract the way some artist work in oils. Truly a sight to be seen.&lt;br /&gt;- Reconnecting with quality people. And I mean QUALITY, people. Cool Hand is a cat so devoted to everything that's good and right, it's almost sickening. He's exceptionally hard working, infinitely fair-minded and most importantly a fierce, fierce friend. I find myself in awe sometimes that people like him are among us. Almost like being awarded with a great prize that you're not quite sure why you received. He'll lend an ear (both if he's got the time and a well-packed pipe), but he'll also call you when he needs YOUR ear, begging the question, "Who do the superheroes turn to when they need direction or a nudge?"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In conclusion to this pointless rant, enjoy the holiday, folks. The Ham, the Shandy, the resident harbinger of all things baked and sweet and finally, friends. Cheers. Here's to a good night. It's great being back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- Easy&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-5189681474062708727?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/5189681474062708727/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=5189681474062708727' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5189681474062708727'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5189681474062708727'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2010/04/easter.html' title='Easter'/><author><name>The Big Easy</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06729562189258089521</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-8912437181232810122</id><published>2009-05-27T10:58:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2009-05-27T11:01:38.949-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Waste some time LYAO!!</title><content type='html'>Ran across a great website:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.textsfromlastnight.com/"&gt;www.textsfromlastnight.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;CHECK IT OUT NOW! YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-8912437181232810122?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/8912437181232810122/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=8912437181232810122' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/8912437181232810122'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/8912437181232810122'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/05/waste-some-time-lyao.html' title='Waste some time LYAO!!'/><author><name>DCut</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08921507398061447451</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WMJ44aH2A1Y/SUAaUQ6Tm5I/AAAAAAAAAAM/NnM586AbN2Y/S220/DCut.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-5390587316983160436</id><published>2009-04-27T23:11:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2009-04-27T23:12:15.436-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Work</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What gives work the right to deny your health insurance? Just wondering. This is a crazy time we live in.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-5390587316983160436?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/5390587316983160436/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=5390587316983160436' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5390587316983160436'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5390587316983160436'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/04/work.html' title='Work'/><author><name>DCut</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08921507398061447451</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WMJ44aH2A1Y/SUAaUQ6Tm5I/AAAAAAAAAAM/NnM586AbN2Y/S220/DCut.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-7864213107719817390</id><published>2009-02-26T11:23:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2009-02-26T11:29:50.548-05:00</updated><title type='text'>New Word List:</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;INTAXICATION:&lt;/strong&gt; Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you  sober up when you realize it was your money to start with.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;REINTARNATION:&lt;/strong&gt; Coming back to life as a hillbilly. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of   getting laid.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;GIRAFFITI:&lt;/strong&gt; Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SARCHASM:&lt;/strong&gt; The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;INOCULATTE:&lt;/strong&gt; To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;HIPATITIS:&lt;/strong&gt; Terminal coolness. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (this one got extra credit) &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;KARMAGEDDON:&lt;/strong&gt; It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;GLIBIDO:&lt;/strong&gt; All talk and no action.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DOPELER EFFECT:&lt;/strong&gt; The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;IGNORAMOUS:&lt;/strong&gt; A person who's both stupid and an ass-hole. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BLAMESTORMING:&lt;/strong&gt; Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SEAGULL MANAGER:&lt;/strong&gt; A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ASSMOSIS:&lt;/strong&gt; The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SALMON DAY:&lt;/strong&gt; The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get snagged by a bear and die in the end.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CUBE FARM:&lt;/strong&gt; An office filled with cubicles.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PRAIRIE DOGGING:&lt;/strong&gt; When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MOUSE POTATO:&lt;/strong&gt; The on-line, wired generation's answer to the couch potato.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SITCOMS:&lt;/strong&gt; Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;STRESS PUPPY:&lt;/strong&gt; A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out andwhiney and typically is prone to emotionally urinate on fellow workers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SWIPEOUT:&lt;/strong&gt; An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because the magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;XEROX SUBSIDY:&lt;/strong&gt; Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from one'sworkplace.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE:&lt;/strong&gt; The fine art of whacking the hell out of anelectronic device to get it to work again.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ADMINISPHERE&lt;/strong&gt;: The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are oftenprofoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;404:&lt;/strong&gt; Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested document could not be located.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;GENERICA:&lt;/strong&gt; Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, subdivisions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OHNOSECOND:&lt;/strong&gt; That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-7864213107719817390?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/7864213107719817390/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=7864213107719817390' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7864213107719817390'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7864213107719817390'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/02/new-word-list.html' title='New Word List:'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-5452771203819965384</id><published>2009-02-17T13:27:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2009-02-17T13:28:02.146-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt; - Tom Stoppard&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-5452771203819965384?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/5452771203819965384/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=5452771203819965384' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5452771203819965384'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5452771203819965384'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/02/qotd.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-7739082694290117487</id><published>2009-02-14T22:49:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2009-02-14T23:29:50.799-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Super Tuesday</title><content type='html'>Friends, dear readers and true believers...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;     It's been a while since my last post. I'd &lt;em&gt;like&lt;/em&gt; to say I've been on some grand adventures exploring new and exciting territory and in a sense, I have. I've been working my fingers to the bone trying to find work in a less-than-desirable economy. Submitting resumes, modifying cover letters and selling myself all while caring for and bonding with my son.&lt;br /&gt;     But the day has arrived... I have found a job! Well, the job kinda found me, but when it comes down to it, I'll be back at work on Tuesday. I've taken a position as a Telephone Representative for a thriving life insurance company. Quite a large one at that. I went from having no prospects to landing a job which could turn into a career through proper training and diligence. Since December 1st, I've imagined how it would be going back to work and how I longed for a steady paycheck and now that the day has come where I'll be doing just that, I find myself quite nervous. Edgy. Not pensive, but not far off. What if I can't punch my weight? Ugh, worse, what if I fail entirely? These are things I have to consider. The Yin has to have a Yang, the bitter, the sweet, The Godfather, The Godfather part III (guys, you know what I'm talking about).&lt;br /&gt;     While no one goes to college hoping to land a position at an inbound call center, it's what I've done for the better part of the last 4 years. It's what I do. It's what I'm good at. I went to school for Journalism and Advertising, but could my true calling be telephone-based customer service? Guess we'll see.&lt;br /&gt;     Since accepting this position, the issue of child care came up. Placing my son in day care while my wife and I work and try to fund and secure our darling little boy's future. Not a week ago, the mere thought of shipping my little boy sent me reeling to the point of near-nervous collapse. I wound up sobbing uncontrollably in front of my movie collection trying to sort it, but no amount of sorting made sense. Alphabetical? Nah, too predictable and prosaic. Autobiographical? Possibly, but who besides me would see the sense in placing the Lord of the Rings trilogy smack next to Entourage? I finally settled my nerves and decided that this would benefit the greater good. The Family, as it were. There is no "I" in team. While I didn't (and still don't) want to put my son in day care, it would allow my wife and I to both work full-time and hopefully pull down some serious money.&lt;br /&gt;     Now you may be asking yourself, "Easy, where in the hell is this going?" Truth is, as I sit here typing reflectively on Valentine's Day with my family tucked safely and warmly in bed, I'm wondering the same thing. And have come to this conclusion... It just feels good to write again. Stream of consciousness-inspired. Hell, Kerouac did it. Look where it got him.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-7739082694290117487?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/7739082694290117487/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=7739082694290117487' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7739082694290117487'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7739082694290117487'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/02/super-tuesday.html' title='Super Tuesday'/><author><name>The Big Easy</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06729562189258089521</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-6145025078070816027</id><published>2009-02-03T18:30:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2009-02-03T18:31:09.317-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Timeless quote</title><content type='html'>"If you're going to fail, at least have the courage to fail big and stick around. Make them wonder why you're still smiling."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- Quote from "Elizabethtown"&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-6145025078070816027?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/6145025078070816027/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=6145025078070816027' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6145025078070816027'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6145025078070816027'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/02/timeless-quote.html' title='Timeless quote'/><author><name>The Big Easy</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06729562189258089521</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-3727195016953677020</id><published>2009-01-26T13:06:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2009-02-02T12:50:13.869-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;If you're playing a poker game and you look around the table and and can't tell who the sucker is, it's you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;--Paul Newman&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-3727195016953677020?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/3727195016953677020/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=3727195016953677020' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/3727195016953677020'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/3727195016953677020'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/01/qotd_26.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-458473123539622184</id><published>2009-01-22T10:08:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2009-01-22T10:10:24.552-05:00</updated><title type='text'>5 Steps To Being Great</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;1. Think Great Thoughts&lt;br /&gt;2. Behave in a Great Way&lt;br /&gt;3. Choose Great Paths&lt;br /&gt;4. Associate with Greatness&lt;br /&gt;5. Make a Habit of (Practice) Greatness&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-458473123539622184?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/458473123539622184/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=458473123539622184' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/458473123539622184'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/458473123539622184'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/01/5-steps-to-being-great.html' title='5 Steps To Being Great'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-5339676175366011781</id><published>2009-01-15T15:08:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2009-01-15T15:08:40.049-05:00</updated><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/SW-XvxgoSQI/AAAAAAAAANs/OTl6bZLcRmM/s1600-h/013_kidyourself.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291614934183463170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 218px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/SW-XvxgoSQI/AAAAAAAAANs/OTl6bZLcRmM/s320/013_kidyourself.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-5339676175366011781?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/5339676175366011781/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=5339676175366011781' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5339676175366011781'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5339676175366011781'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/01/blog-post.html' title=''/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/SW-XvxgoSQI/AAAAAAAAANs/OTl6bZLcRmM/s72-c/013_kidyourself.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-6298325778936557371</id><published>2009-01-13T13:48:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2009-01-14T09:05:38.800-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>“You and I can turn and look&lt;br /&gt;at the silent river and wait. We know&lt;br /&gt;the current is there, hidden; and there&lt;br /&gt;are comings and goings from miles away&lt;br /&gt;that hold the stillness exactly before us.&lt;br /&gt;What the river says, that is what I say.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;-William Stafford&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-6298325778936557371?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/6298325778936557371/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=6298325778936557371' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6298325778936557371'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6298325778936557371'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/01/qotd_13.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-1893888575863201522</id><published>2009-01-12T10:32:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2009-01-13T13:50:31.279-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>"I like Patricia. I *love* Patricia. Patricia makes COFFEE nervous."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;  - Joe Fox (in You've Got Mail)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-1893888575863201522?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/1893888575863201522/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=1893888575863201522' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/1893888575863201522'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/1893888575863201522'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/01/qotd_12.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-8794598022380700722</id><published>2009-01-07T09:03:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2009-01-07T09:05:04.344-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;--William Bernbach&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-8794598022380700722?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/8794598022380700722/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=8794598022380700722' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/8794598022380700722'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/8794598022380700722'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2009/01/qotd.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-5736736492841055395</id><published>2008-12-30T00:03:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-30T00:25:22.944-05:00</updated><title type='text'>I struck the iron while it was hot, so what's next?</title><content type='html'>Dear readers,&lt;br /&gt;     As we close the door on 2008, I find myself still searching for a job. With half my severance paychecks having come and gone, I'm feeling that uncomfortable bead of sweat finding its way down my spine. It's crunch time.&lt;br /&gt;     I've applied to every kind of job under the sun as of late. I've tried time and time again to breach the impenetrable walls of the fortress that is Jackson National Life Insurance Company. I've applied at the cozy little video store at the end of my street. Every morning for the past month, I wake up, feed my son Carter, hop online and check my email and go through the modern-day version of waiting by the phone. Please please &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;please&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; let this be the day. But it isn't.&lt;br /&gt;     As a family man (and as a man  in general), if I'm not working, my sense of self-worth goes right out the window. I haven't moped yet, but I can feel it right around the corner beckoning me to just hang my head for a second to signify an admission of defeat, no matter how brief. Sorry, not gonna happen. I may not have much, but I've still got my dignity. I've got a good foundation of principle, values and whatever else makes up a "good person". Funny, I've been hearing a lot of that lately. "You're a good person and good things happen to good people." Well, make it snappy, &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;Slappy&lt;/span&gt;. Holding doors and helping old ladies across the street ain't &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;payin&lt;/span&gt;' the bills.&lt;br /&gt;     I've found myself even dancing the fine line of whether or not just to turn the corner and become Mr. Nasty. Since, ya know, nice guys finish last and all. Time to look out for #1, because if you don't, you'll step in #2.&lt;br /&gt;     Tomorrow will find me doing the exact same thing. Wake up, feed kid, go online, rub cheek that was just &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;cyber&lt;/span&gt;-slapped by &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;careerbuilder&lt;/span&gt; and monster.com, sigh, grab some tea and get on with my day...&lt;br /&gt;     But tomorrow's a new day. Who knows what it will bring. Until I find out, I'm going to keep my chin up and keep submitting my resume for all the positions fit to apply for. Wish. Me. Luck.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- Easy&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-5736736492841055395?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/5736736492841055395/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=5736736492841055395' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5736736492841055395'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5736736492841055395'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/i-struck-iron-while-it-was-hot-so-whats.html' title='I struck the iron while it was hot, so what&apos;s next?'/><author><name>The Big Easy</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06729562189258089521</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-7258528965070557644</id><published>2008-12-18T12:12:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-22T12:39:26.755-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how &lt;strong&gt;BIG&lt;/strong&gt;... thank you. Thank you for my life. --Joe Banks&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-7258528965070557644?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/7258528965070557644/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=7258528965070557644' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7258528965070557644'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7258528965070557644'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/qotd_18.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-2662145345930331338</id><published>2008-12-16T10:08:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-16T10:25:08.742-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Short Story (pun intended)</title><content type='html'>So, i'm in the garage last night, giving myself a haircut...(yes, you can already see the troublesome story starting) and i'm buzzing around my ears with a 1.5. Now, it's cold, and i'm not hurrying, but i'm not wasting time either. So buzzing around my ear, pressing fairly hard in order to make sure i get it close and right...and i hear something fall on the floor. I assumed it was something from my workbench, and the chord just knocked it over...UNTIL i finish the pass from front to back around the ear...and i realize the drop on the floor was the 1.5 guard on the damn clippers!!!&lt;br /&gt;How's the look?&lt;br /&gt;Well, as long as you don't see both sides in comparison...let's just say; it'll grow out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lesson learned: Care, rather than speed should be the issue when you're cutting your hair.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-2662145345930331338?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/2662145345930331338/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=2662145345930331338' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/2662145345930331338'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/2662145345930331338'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/mistakes-with-sharp-objects.html' title='Short Story (pun intended)'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-2768600946983131182</id><published>2008-12-13T17:20:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-13T17:42:08.377-05:00</updated><title type='text'>The company you keep...</title><content type='html'>Friends, dear readers and true believers...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today, I was exposed first-hand to the kindness of true friends. I'll explain. In the wake of the recent events rocking the simple and seemingly ordinary life of me, The Big Easy, a pixel of good tidings and cheer was extended to me.&lt;br /&gt;A good, dear and FIERCE friend of mine was willing to share a pint or two of Black Velveteen with me at a local Irish Pub. Here's the thing... he bought. Knowing nothing of reward or kickback, he stepped up and bought me a few pints in what could be described as one of my darkest hours. We sat and talked about movies and the recent dealings at my old place of business. We talked music and it was as if nothing had changed. As if he expected me to show up on Monday and have a smoke &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;pre&lt;/span&gt;-shift.&lt;br /&gt;My friends...friends? What am I talking about? These extensions of my family are the best people you'd ever have the pleasure of coming into contact with. These guys would lie down in traffic for me or take a bat to some Barney's head and here's why... I'd do it for them. Without question, I'd do it.&lt;br /&gt;I'll leave names out of this because you know who you are. Just last night, I found myself in a spot where I couldn't obtain the needed supplies for tomorrow's Christmas Shopping Extravaganza. I placed a call. Brotherhood was only a phone call away. Now, the guy I called also knows nothing of reward, I asked if he could do me a solid favor and he simply replied, "Name it, Easy." Now, I could have been asking that he drive a gas tanker into the pits of Hell. OR I could have asked that he bring me a half pint of blackberry brandy to take the chill off. He didn't know. BUT he agreed.&lt;br /&gt;Readers, good friends are hard to come by these days. I urge you to extend your goodwill toward your fellow friend this holiday season and welcome them into your homes and lives. Believe me, it'll make you proud someday. I promise you. These are the people that are going to lift you up when you're feeling your lowest. The LEAST you can do in this time of giving is thank them for always being there.&lt;br /&gt;So good friends, and you know who you are, I wouldn't be me without you. I love you all like brothers and sisters and believe me, one day, we'll all be having Boat Drinks on a patio someplace warm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;Slainte&lt;/span&gt;,&lt;br /&gt;- Easy&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-2768600946983131182?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/2768600946983131182/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=2768600946983131182' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/2768600946983131182'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/2768600946983131182'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/company-you-keep.html' title='The company you keep...'/><author><name>The Big Easy</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06729562189258089521</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-3092587219540416669</id><published>2008-12-12T09:19:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-12T09:33:17.731-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Stroke that Cortex!</title><content type='html'>I'm all hopped up on a double Americano and got some hard ones....c'mon people you can do these!!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;KK&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;CC&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;UU&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;TT&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;SS&lt;br /&gt;Word Word Word Word&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2.&lt;br /&gt;r&lt;br /&gt;y&lt;br /&gt;s&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3.&lt;br /&gt;Issues Issues&lt;br /&gt;Issues Issues&lt;br /&gt;Issues Issues&lt;br /&gt;Issues Issues&lt;br /&gt;Issues Issues&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-3092587219540416669?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/3092587219540416669/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=3092587219540416669' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/3092587219540416669'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/3092587219540416669'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/stroke-that-cortex.html' title='Stroke that Cortex!'/><author><name>DCut</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08921507398061447451</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WMJ44aH2A1Y/SUAaUQ6Tm5I/AAAAAAAAAAM/NnM586AbN2Y/S220/DCut.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-5352032007668097828</id><published>2008-12-11T12:24:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-11T12:44:52.666-05:00</updated><title type='text'>It's the little things...</title><content type='html'>So far in 2008, I've experienced some major changes... I became a husband, a father, a homeowner and a 30 year-old. And somewhere amidst all the confusion, I've even managed to lose my damn job. It was a good job, too. I was a Quality Assurance Analyst. When you heard, "this call may be monitored for Quality Assurance", that was me potentially listening in. Well readers, I've been looking for work for almost 2 weeks now and I've gotta say... the Dirty Mitten is nowhere to look for work. Sure I get a severance package and unemployment, but it's the principle of it. And as you all know, I am and always have been a man of principle.&lt;br /&gt;This not having a job has its perks too. I've been able to bond with my son Carter and get stuff done and picked up around the house. Yesterday, I got some items checked off the list and wanted to get some stuff done that I wanted to get done. I was going to restring all my guitars. I restrung the Paul Reed Smith and the Les Paul and one of my acoustics. Here is the issue: I wanted to restring the Yamaha acoustic with Medium strings to make sure I get all the sound out of it that I could. I was going to restring the Fender acoustic with Light gauge strings. I put the Light gauge on the Yamaha. Yes, it was my mistake, but out of all the things that have happened this year, it was THAT one instance that almost sent me over the falls. Irrational? To anyone else, yes. I hold guitar-playing very near and dear to my heart and for something like this, this hiccup, I almost lost it completely.&lt;br /&gt;Now that it's the day after and the storm has blown over, I realized this fortunate accident is allowing me to take Carter to my "church". Elderly instruments. He's never been there and I haven't visited in a while. Needless to say, I'm wondering why I'm not in the shower and getting ready for this momentus occasion. Who knows? Maybe I'll wipe out on the church steps and have the owner throw a Gretsch Electromatic hollow-body electric and a grand my way... We'll see.&lt;br /&gt;     Oh, and by the way, when I was giving my son a bath yesterday, I gently poured a cup of water over his head and told him I was baptizing him into the church of Rock N' Roll. I thought you'd like that.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-5352032007668097828?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/5352032007668097828/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=5352032007668097828' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5352032007668097828'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/5352032007668097828'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/its-little-things.html' title='It&apos;s the little things...'/><author><name>The Big Easy</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06729562189258089521</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-7457075227000530215</id><published>2008-12-10T16:24:00.006-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-11T11:12:06.845-05:00</updated><title type='text'>What more could we ask for?</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;My world just got a little brighter... &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;I can't wait to see the defibrillator on the wall next to this one, at twice the price, of course!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/SUA0-_iaG6I/AAAAAAAAANk/djU-Wi1TMVw/s1600-h/Tombstone.jpg"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278277020090506146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/SUA0-_iaG6I/AAAAAAAAANk/djU-Wi1TMVw/s320/Tombstone.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Think it's photoshop'd? Think again...hit the link:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.hotchoice.com/HowItWorks.html"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;http://www.hotchoice.com/HowItWorks.html&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-7457075227000530215?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/7457075227000530215/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=7457075227000530215' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7457075227000530215'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7457075227000530215'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/what-more-could-we-ask-for.html' title='What more could we ask for?'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/SUA0-_iaG6I/AAAAAAAAANk/djU-Wi1TMVw/s72-c/Tombstone.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-4489416334379984574</id><published>2008-12-10T15:11:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-10T15:20:54.010-05:00</updated><title type='text'>As promised...</title><content type='html'>I was thinking to myself while chatting with Cool Hand, if this blog is called, "Stroking the Cortex", why no brain teasers? So, here I am with my infinite wisdom.....let’s see what you got.....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1.&lt;br /&gt;STANDS&lt;br /&gt;0_23456789&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2.&lt;br /&gt;Faredce&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3.&lt;br /&gt;MEREPEAT&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-4489416334379984574?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/4489416334379984574/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=4489416334379984574' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/4489416334379984574'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/4489416334379984574'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/as-promised.html' title='As promised...'/><author><name>DCut</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08921507398061447451</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WMJ44aH2A1Y/SUAaUQ6Tm5I/AAAAAAAAAAM/NnM586AbN2Y/S220/DCut.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-7518186166877531202</id><published>2008-12-10T14:35:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-10T16:00:19.074-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Welcome DCut!</title><content type='html'>To all of you die hard STC fans...we've added a new stringer here at the stroke. Dan "DCut" Cutler...DCut is going to entertain us from time to time with some good humor (not the ice cream), and a good brain-teaser as well as many other things. He's an incredibly funny guy, who is definitely a conduit for laughs!&lt;br /&gt;Everyone drop DCut a welcoming comment!&lt;br /&gt;(His picture is on the right, he's the one who looks like a gumba with the hat/cigar!)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-7518186166877531202?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/7518186166877531202/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=7518186166877531202' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7518186166877531202'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7518186166877531202'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/welcome-dcut.html' title='Welcome DCut!'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-4976355043240728722</id><published>2008-12-10T08:38:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-10T13:54:25.140-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;Saying nothing... sometimes says the most.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;--Emily Dickinson&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;.&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-4976355043240728722?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/4976355043240728722/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=4976355043240728722' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/4976355043240728722'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/4976355043240728722'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/qotd_10.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-6067206138281557675</id><published>2008-12-09T11:29:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-10T08:04:17.630-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Declutter your Closet</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Peter Walsh's clever hanger trick&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/ST6dNswiCVI/AAAAAAAAANU/JQH2BJQYGvA/s1600-h/photo_hangers-20070813-062828.jpg"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277828672003377490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 147px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/ST6dNswiCVI/AAAAAAAAANU/JQH2BJQYGvA/s320/photo_hangers-20070813-062828.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Here’s one of my favorite life-hacky tips from &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/cleansweep/bio/bio_07.html"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;Peter Walsh&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt; (guy from &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/cleansweep/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;Clean Sweep&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;, author of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743292642?tag=43folders-20&amp;amp;link_code=ur2&amp;amp;creative=9325&amp;amp;camp=211189"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;It’s All Too Much&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;, and inspiration for my recent &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.43folders.com/2007/07/02/war-on-clutter/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;War on Clutter&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;).&lt;br /&gt;After you’ve done a major purge of your closet, remove all the remaining clothes that live on hangers, and put them back in backwards, such that the open end of each hanger now faces you. Got it?&lt;br /&gt;Then, mark your calendar for six months (or whatever) from today, and go back to your business as usual. Except that after every time you wear a shirt or a jacket or a skirt or what have you, when you replace the item, make sure the hanger faces the opposite/usual way (with the opening in the back).&lt;br /&gt;When your &lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt; months have passed, and your calendar reminds you that it’s time, open your closet and remove every piece of clothing on a backward hanger; the chances are good you can give it away without the slightest pain, because you just clearly demonstrated that you don’t wear it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-6067206138281557675?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/6067206138281557675/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=6067206138281557675' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6067206138281557675'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6067206138281557675'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/declutter-your-closet.html' title='Declutter your Closet'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/ST6dNswiCVI/AAAAAAAAANU/JQH2BJQYGvA/s72-c/photo_hangers-20070813-062828.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-9152993613369751263</id><published>2008-12-08T08:00:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-08T16:49:33.704-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;Real success is not on the stage, but off the stage as a human being, and how you get along with your fellow man. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;--Sammy Davis, Jr.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-9152993613369751263?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/9152993613369751263/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=9152993613369751263' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/9152993613369751263'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/9152993613369751263'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/real-success-is-not-on-stage-but-off.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-1177950439864696239</id><published>2008-12-05T10:00:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-09T09:46:35.437-05:00</updated><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/STlCK_QWDZI/AAAAAAAAAMU/rCTxlTf7mMs/s1600-h/noel.jpg"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276321194987359634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 318px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/STlCK_QWDZI/AAAAAAAAAMU/rCTxlTf7mMs/s320/noel.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt; (Hint: Say it out loud)...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;Just getting in the Holiday Spirit!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;Cool.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-1177950439864696239?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/1177950439864696239/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=1177950439864696239' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/1177950439864696239'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/1177950439864696239'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/hint-say-it-out-loud.html' title=''/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/STlCK_QWDZI/AAAAAAAAAMU/rCTxlTf7mMs/s72-c/noel.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-2293170230966970215</id><published>2008-12-04T12:20:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-09T10:25:58.028-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Yule Shoot Your Eye Out</title><content type='html'>Good morning friends, faithful readers and true believers!It's that time of year where I, The Big Easy, start feeling seasonally festive. Last year, I compiled a Christmas CD that never left the player in my car. THIS year, I scratched the itch by putting together a more edgy, rock/rockabilly-oriented CD and I have to say, it's the most honest compilation CD I've ever had the pleasure of building. Now, faithful readers of Stroking The Cortex (&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;STC&lt;/span&gt; to those in the know), Cool Hand Mike and I share some of these songs with you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These songs are available for listening or downloading at:&lt;a href="http://drop.io/ChristmasCDtracks"&gt;http://drop.io/ChristmasCDtracks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We here at &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;STC&lt;/span&gt; hope this truncated list gives you a little insight as to how we roll. I decided to take things into my own hands after being beaten over the head with "Grandma Got Ran Over by A Reindeer" year after year. I'd had it. Enough already!In other news, this year marks the 3rd year Cool Hand Mike and I have gone on our day-long Christmas shopping trip. The first year was a rousing, comedy-filled success ending with a few cocktails at a local pub. Last year was fun-filled as well. We trekked over to Howell to the outlet mall. This year on 12/14, Cool Hand and I will be getting an early start and returning to Howell to slice and dice items off our respective Christmas lists. Should any of you decide to hit Howell's &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;Tanger&lt;/span&gt; Outlet at &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;Kensington&lt;/span&gt; Valley on that day, look for us! We'll be signing autographs and having pics taken with our fans. Just look for the Cats in the Hats...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;Slainte&lt;/span&gt;,&lt;br /&gt;- Easy&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-2293170230966970215?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/2293170230966970215/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=2293170230966970215' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/2293170230966970215'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/2293170230966970215'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/yule-shoot-your-eye-out.html' title='Yule Shoot Your Eye Out'/><author><name>The Big Easy</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06729562189258089521</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-162043700212984626</id><published>2008-12-04T08:31:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-04T09:02:55.068-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Teaching Manliness</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;There was an article I read this morning on a blog that I go to every few days (link provided below, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://artofmanliness.com/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;http://artofmanliness.com/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;) that really struck me. Don't misunderstand, the site itself has many interesting articles, but this one rang with a deeper tone than usual. the article was titled, Teaching My Son to Be a Man. (&lt;a href="http://artofmanliness.com/2008/12/02/teaching-my-son-to-be-a-man/"&gt;http://artofmanliness.com/2008/12/02/teaching-my-son-to-be-a-man/&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;As most of you know, the Big Easy recently became a father. Yes, it is a joyous occasion for him, his family and friends...but I often think that there must be some extra pressure added to his life now that he secretly feels down in the deep places in his soul that no one speaks of. I'm sure, like any man, he questions himself and his abilities to be a good father; and to train his boy up properly. I'm sure his nerved from time to time about providing for this new son. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;This note is more for the Big Easy, but i wanted it to be publicly addressed here. Buddy, don't fret it...you're going to be absolutely outstanding as a father. You have integrity. You're full of good values and virtues that I know you want to pass on to Carter. (after all, you've already got him wearing a snap-brim!) Your father instilled in you some great values that are becoming a rarity these days; manners, principle, honor, decency...nevertheless, the list goes on and on. I hold in my heart with all certainty that you will pass these qualities on to your boy as well. Sit back and enjoy...This little fella is going to grow up and WANT to be like his father; much like you and your father, and from the things I've heard you say over the years buddy, your father is a well respected gentleman that many truly admire.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;Cool Hand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-162043700212984626?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/162043700212984626/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=162043700212984626' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/162043700212984626'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/162043700212984626'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/there-was-article-i-read-this-morning.html' title='Teaching Manliness'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-6192308581284202674</id><published>2008-12-03T11:44:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-03T11:46:01.093-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Link Of The Day</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://www.fancast.com/"&gt;http://www.fancast.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For those of you that like the old (and even some new) TV series.  Here you can watch full episodes online.  Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and many more!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-6192308581284202674?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/6192308581284202674/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=6192308581284202674' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6192308581284202674'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/6192308581284202674'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/link-of-day.html' title='Link Of The Day'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-7657100526027291303</id><published>2008-12-03T10:58:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-03T10:59:26.212-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Q.O.T.D.</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;-Theodore Roosevelt&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;"&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-7657100526027291303?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/7657100526027291303/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=7657100526027291303' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7657100526027291303'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7657100526027291303'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/qotd.html' title='Q.O.T.D.'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-2694647186704862220</id><published>2008-12-01T05:04:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-04T16:06:16.371-05:00</updated><title type='text'>STC Is Here!!!!</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;Stroking the Cortex arrives at this URL today! Please update your Favorite accordingly. Cool Hand Mike and The Big Easy are currently in the process of writing new material for the new look/face of STC.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;(If you'd like to access the old STC site, it will still be available for reference for the next couple of weeks at: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://mdsummerfield.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;http://mdsummerfield.blogspot.com/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-2694647186704862220?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/2694647186704862220/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=2694647186704862220' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/2694647186704862220'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/2694647186704862220'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/12/stc-is-here.html' title='STC Is Here!!!!'/><author><name>The Big Easy</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06729562189258089521</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2264012706754539016.post-7073721541197368601</id><published>2008-11-25T21:10:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2008-11-25T21:16:21.196-05:00</updated><title type='text'>STC Fan Club</title><content type='html'>Looks like our friends in L.A. have started a fan club...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272783692749955346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 284px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/SSyw1QfVYRI/AAAAAAAAALs/RO7XGKABy7A/s320/NEWPIC1.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;CoolHand&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2264012706754539016-7073721541197368601?l=www.strokingthecortex.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/feeds/7073721541197368601/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2264012706754539016&amp;postID=7073721541197368601' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7073721541197368601'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2264012706754539016/posts/default/7073721541197368601'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.strokingthecortex.com/2008/11/stc-fan-club.html' title='STC Fan Club'/><author><name>Cool Hand</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02337204872305253368</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/TJf7zIS3UnI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/M33kyCi2Hks/S220/PICT0114.JPG'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fmn3bTPQYQU/SSyw1QfVYRI/AAAAAAAAALs/RO7XGKABy7A/s72-c/NEWPIC1.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
