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I'm a fatso!

I've tried to stick to the weight watchers points system for 4 years, and have cheated every single week except for one. I've started a public accountability weight loss plan, which you can join me in if you're interested: fatso.diberard.com.

I'll be publicly keeping track of my progress in hopes that the accountability will scare me out of cheating on my diet and scare me into working out.

Review: Stainless Steel Sharpie

Seeing as how my mom works for Sharpie and hooked me up with some, and how @sharpiesusan tweeted nonstop about how they're available at amazon.com, I thought I would give a review on the new Stainless Steel Sharpie. First, I'll give my initial thoughts before I obtained one, then the review once I got my hands on it.

I have to admit, I thought the idea of a SS Sharpie was cool as hell when I first heard about it. I mean, like most guys, I like metal. Plus, my dad is a welder, so I'm into that kind of stuff. I almost picked a stainless (or titanium) wedding band before I realized resizing them would be a pain. That's about as far as I thought about it though, as I didn't really seek out any pics or specs (I knew my mom would eventually get me one anyway). The one negative thought I had in my mind (which has since been contradicted) was that refilling this SS Sharpie would probably be a mess. Anyway, on to my first meeting with SS Sharpie.

Actually having the Sharpie in my hand was great. It looks amazing. The best part is probably the laser etched, raised "Sharpie" logo. I guess I never realized it before, but the cool new logo brought to my attention that when I hold the marker, the logo is upside down since I'm left handed. Granted, this is no knock, but I'll be trying to convince the higher-ups (i.e., mom) to make some lefty SS Sharpies! It writes great and it looks really cool and professional. My one concern over messy refills was unwarranted. The refill is actually the entire marker, and the SS part is basically a screw-on sheath and cap. Again, amazing. That about sums it up, like I said, amazing. Definitely worth the ~$6.

For a review from an actual expert, check out Office Supply Geek. They were nice enough to send me their review via twitter (@OfficeSupplyGee) after I had mentioned I was going to write one, and they have some great pics I was too lazy to take.

Which ones? Please help!!!

Which glasses should I choose? I really like the plastic frames but all my glasses have been wire frame, so everyone I know prefers the second pair. I need outside opinions!!! You can reply here or on twitter. Thanks!

Great T-shirts!

I saw this ad on Facebook for a really cool t-shirt. It's a "you're killing me Smalls" t-shirt. Seeing as how "The Sandlot" is one of my most favorite movies for-e-ver, I couldn't pass up sharing this.

Oh, but it gets even better! If you go to the link for the shirt, they have the whole scene quoted. THEN, on the "related products" list for this shirt, nothing other than a Rick "the Wild Thing" Vaughn jersey, Jamaican bobsled team shirt, and yes, from one of my favorite trilogies, an Adam Banks jersey.

For those not hip to these movies, they're respectively: "Major League," "Cool Runnings," and "The Mighty Ducks." The dude who thought of making shirts from these movies is a pure genius. If I had money I'd buy one or two, or three.

Gainsville Photobooth rental!!!

Oh yeah, and if you're planning an event, I highly recommend renting a photobooth. Linnea had one at our wedding and used it as our guest book. Guests went in, then the attendant glued their photos in the book, and our guests wrote to us next to their pictures. It was one of the biggest things at the reception, right up there with the dance floor and the hosted bar.

So anyway, you should especially get one if you live around central Florida. One of my good friends Taylor just helped start phobooth.com. They even have props and everything!

Tweet, tweet.

I just signed up for Twitter today. I figured since I can get an app to easily update it on my iPhone, and I always want to blog about random things throughout the day but don't get around to it, that Twitter would be the perfect solution.

Keep an eye out, one of these days I'm thinking of having a Twitt-a-thon where I would update just about every single thing I was doing on a given day. It would be interesting to see how awesome or boring that day is...

UPDATE: See it on the sidebar --->

Movin' on up

I'm 6/10 of the first page of google links for "Louis DiBerardino" right now.

I say "Ha!" to you Louis DiBerardino the architect and Louis Diberardino the accountant without the capital B!

Now back to the thesis :(

That was quick...

So 2 days after I start writing a post about how I long for an iPhone, what happens? Linnea cracks and we go get an iPhone! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. It's sickening that I'd rather read web pages on the little iPhone screen than my computer right now, but I'm completely infatuated with it. I guess I should plug it in and put some songs on it, but I'd rather browse the internet or whatever else with it. Plus I never re-installed iTunes after my last reformat. Hopefully I'll get around to adding music to it before I actually find myself wanting to listen to music...

Welcome to St. Paul

My friend Adam just moved to St. Paul, and had a wonderful "welcome" by the police:

I had a "run-in" with a cop in full body armor last night in downtown St. Paul. Jana and I went to see the taping of the Daily Show at the Historical Museum (this is all during the RNC), and just outside the building we were in (across the street and down about a block) is where all of the peaceful protesting was going on. We went out for dinner after the show got out, at about 7:30p or so, and on the walk back to our car after dinner some bicycle cops came up behind us and started telling us where to walk. We ignored them and took a right to get to our car and they freaked out and started pushing me (actually physically pushing me) to go straight instead. I threw my hands up and went "woa man, just walking to our car here" and in response, he waved his mace at me telling me to get moving in his direction. We walked up about a half a block to where a news van was (FOX) and Jana walked up to their open door telling them that innocent people are getting pushed around and maced just outside their van completely unprovoked and they should be filming it. I had continued walking forward and was yelling at Jana to hurry because the bike cops were just about to get up to her again (they were riding VERY slow so they could ride next to the walkers). The cop that had pushed me earlier got to where I was standing and waved his mace in my face again and told me to keep walking. I then looked him in the eye and said "Thats my wife right there and I am waiting for her". He ignored me, and I yelled "Thats my fucking wife, you just wait a second ass whole! You're out here pushing us around and we were just out to dinner and we are walking back to our car". By that time Jana had got to where I was and we grabbed hands and continued walking. We were with 3 other friends that were at the show with us and at dinner with us. Two of them were way ahead of us because they walked very fast to get away from it all, and the other was holding up his phone the whole time yelling "this is all on tape! You're on video right now!"

Needless to say, it changed the way I look at cops completely. I felt like I was in a video about the 1960s. I have never seen so many guns, mace cans, or tear-gas rifles in my life. Just walking to the Daily Show at 2:30p (we had to get there early to get a seat) I must have seen 250 cops in full body armor. If anything, Jana and I felt LESS safe with them being there, and as it turns out, we WERE less safe. The only harm that I received both verbally and physically all night was from a police officer. AND I WASN'T EVEN AT THE PROTEST. Even if I was, it should not have mattered. I was walking peacefully to my car holding my wife's hand and strolling along. How these officers thought we were some kind of threat is beyond me. What kind of judgment is he using pushing me around?

Jana and I got home last night (9/4/08) at about 9:30 and were just happy to be home and away from it all....

"In the garage where I belong."

-Weezer.

I used to poke fun at my dad with that song. Now, I find myself getting more excited at the possibilities of my own garage. Granted, it's not a welding shop / online poker room / cigar lounge for one, but it's mine. I've just started organizing it, and getting everything up off of the floor. Check out the album below. I know, I'm a dork, but I can't help it. Go find Weezer's "In the Garage" and you'll know what I mean.

I think I'll be adding a work bench where the tools are right now, and just sliding the golf stuff onto the side wall. Suggestions?

In the garage...

Dance!

Check this out. These kids are 13, and they can dance way better than all of the stars that made it to the finals of Dancing with the Stars this season.