How do these two relate? Well, I am 34 weeks along being prego and the AP (aka alien peanut) is playing out scenes from "Footloose" and "Flashdance," while inside.
It's insane the amount of movement that's happening. Arms/legs are flying around and rise up from the belly. Day...night...afternoon...sitting here at work... doesn't matter...it dances around so much! Sometimes I think it's doing jumping jacks, as it feels like all limbs are going at the same time. Watch out Denise Austin, we may have a fitness prince/princess that will be challenging you in the near future.
5/23/2005
5/20/2005
None more blech.
Yuck city! Today's weather is fantastically horrible! Rain rain and more rain! Stop me before I bang* again! Bang! Bang!
(Okay, I think I need some coffee.)
*"Bang" is printer's slang for a typeset exclamation point, btw.
(Okay, I think I need some coffee.)
*"Bang" is printer's slang for a typeset exclamation point, btw.
5/19/2005
"I congratulate you on the marriage of you."
There is apparently a market for carved melons in Asia. While not exactly my cup of green tea, I've got to admit that this is pretty good knifework. Still, it's pretty effed up to give someone a melon calling him a "muron." (See work #21.)
Somewhere in Japan, a kid is looking at a Halloween pumkin carving web site and going, "what the hell is up with these Americans and the goard carving?"
Somewhere in Japan, a kid is looking at a Halloween pumkin carving web site and going, "what the hell is up with these Americans and the goard carving?"
5/16/2005
Hobby of the month
One of my best and worst traits as a human is having flights of fancy in regard to life interests and hobbies. Usually it goes like this: I find a neat topic, dive in head first, read anything and everything I can find on the subject, work out a business plan for it, find out that it's too riddled with liabilities and/or costs to take a risk on, get disinterested, move on to next topic.
Luckily, I've got the common sense to get a steady job and stick to it while persuing all the other things, so I don't feel too guilty about it.
Still, I sometimes wonder what it must be like for those lucky folks who knew, just knew, exactly what they wanted to do with their life, and did it. That has to be a cool feeling.
No regrets, though. I'm pretty happy with myself and the fact that I can usually become pretty decent at whatever it is I want to teach myself about until I get bored with it. For now it's guitar amps, and this one's lasted for quite some time now. Maybe it'll stick!
I get this honest, btw. My mom taught herself the following things from library books alone:
Furniture refinishing: Her pieces are amazingly good. If you ever come visit, check out the bedset in the office/spare bedroom. People can't believe it wasn't professionally redone.
Upholstery: She taught herself how to upholster a couch, and then taught me. Hence, the red velvet love seat in our living room.
Painting (oil, watercolor): Again, it's amazing that she taught herself to do this. She can paint from a photo no problem. That's something I could never do.
Spanish: She got tapes and books and taught herself so well that when we went to Spain, she would sit for hours in the lobby of our hotel just talking to the old men who gathered there to watch soccer. That's pretty freaking cool. And my mom isn't even from the Spanish side of the family!!! :-)
In case you haven't guessed, I'm really proud of my mom. She's sweet and smart, and the most creative person I know. Go mom!
Luckily, I've got the common sense to get a steady job and stick to it while persuing all the other things, so I don't feel too guilty about it.
Still, I sometimes wonder what it must be like for those lucky folks who knew, just knew, exactly what they wanted to do with their life, and did it. That has to be a cool feeling.
No regrets, though. I'm pretty happy with myself and the fact that I can usually become pretty decent at whatever it is I want to teach myself about until I get bored with it. For now it's guitar amps, and this one's lasted for quite some time now. Maybe it'll stick!
I get this honest, btw. My mom taught herself the following things from library books alone:
Furniture refinishing: Her pieces are amazingly good. If you ever come visit, check out the bedset in the office/spare bedroom. People can't believe it wasn't professionally redone.
Upholstery: She taught herself how to upholster a couch, and then taught me. Hence, the red velvet love seat in our living room.
Painting (oil, watercolor): Again, it's amazing that she taught herself to do this. She can paint from a photo no problem. That's something I could never do.
Spanish: She got tapes and books and taught herself so well that when we went to Spain, she would sit for hours in the lobby of our hotel just talking to the old men who gathered there to watch soccer. That's pretty freaking cool. And my mom isn't even from the Spanish side of the family!!! :-)
In case you haven't guessed, I'm really proud of my mom. She's sweet and smart, and the most creative person I know. Go mom!
5/12/2005
Your browser sucks.
My Webmaster at the office recently turned me on to Firefox. Firefox is pretty much the anti-Explorer, in that it's easy-to-use, popup-unfriendly, and not as vulernable to attack as that browser from Microshite. It's also open source, which is way cool, and so indie. (Like me, right?)
Anyway, I recommend that you download it and give it a trial run. I'm pretty sure you'll like it.
BTW, there is a little extention that goes with Firefox called Stumble Upon that will ROCK YOUR WORLD. And no, all-caps italic bold is not overkill in this case.
Basically, Stumble Upon is preferences-targeted Web browsing that suggests sites you might be interested in, based on your search history and interests. I've found some killer sites through this thing (Questionable Content being one), and I have a very hard time keeping my cursor away from it, so be warned!
Anyway, I recommend that you download it and give it a trial run. I'm pretty sure you'll like it.
BTW, there is a little extention that goes with Firefox called Stumble Upon that will ROCK YOUR WORLD. And no, all-caps italic bold is not overkill in this case.
Basically, Stumble Upon is preferences-targeted Web browsing that suggests sites you might be interested in, based on your search history and interests. I've found some killer sites through this thing (Questionable Content being one), and I have a very hard time keeping my cursor away from it, so be warned!
All Hands on the Bad One
Just finished interviewing Carrie and Corin from one of my favorite bands, Sleater-Kinney. Both very cool people. Look for the whole article in a Guitar Player magazine near you!
5/10/2005
None more black.
Well, it looks like I'm in a band again.
Jenny was taking food to a new mother in my neighborhood (something all the new moms do in my neighborhood) Saturday before last, and when she mentioned to the woman's husband, Glen, that I couldn't come along because I was playing at a blues jam, he told her that his band was looking for a guitarist and gave her his number for me.
I called and we chatted for a while about music and musical goals, and found that we both wanted to do original music locally, with no touring (we met through the new parents' network, after all). We saw eye to eye on most things, so he suggested that I come over to audition that Sunday.
On Friday the bass player, Aaron, brought by a CD with three tunes from their old band for me to learn for the audition. I hadn't learned entire songs note-for-note in about 10 years, so I dropped my plans of going to see a show at the Velvet Lounge in DC and started working out the guitar parts.
The first song was pretty fast with a difficult rhythm, and it took me until the next morning to get it down. The other two were pretty much cake to play, technique-wise, which was good. Still, the tough part of learning three songs in a day and a half is remembering how the songs go: i.e., what part comes after what. This can only be done by listening to the song again and again and again and again and then shooting yourself and then listening some more. So that's what I did.
On Sunday I arrived at the drummer's house and we gathered in the toy-strewn basement to go through the songs I'd learned. (By the way, can I just say that day-glo Fisher-Price toys in the rehearsal studio is so rawk? Yeowww!)
I used my newest build, the Lo-Fi 5881 and my Les Paul Standard, and immediately got a good sound that fit in the harmonic space between the bass and vocals really well. To the non-musicians out there, let me say that this is one of the most important parts of playing with other people: getting a good sound. Nothing builds confidence in your playing faster than a good sound, and nothing destroys confidence as quickly as a bad one.
Now that I had dialed in my sound, it was time to impress or die trying (which would be quickly be following by my slinking out of the guy's house with my guitar cord dragging between my legs....).
We went through the fast song with the difficult rhythm first. To my amazement, I played it pretty much flawlessly the first time through. In fact, I had to show the bass player (who wrote the song in the first place) how a break in it went. At that point when I started to feel really good about my chances of getting into the band (and really good about my massive cram session in the preceeding days).
We played through the other two songs in like fashion, and the band sounded really tight, especially for three guys who had never seen their guitarist before that morning. We even wrote an original song on the spot, which is a really good sign.
I am too experienced with flaky musicians and the whole garage band thing to expect too much from this, but one thing's for sure: this experience has reminded me of how much fun it is to play music with other people, and I want to do more of it. I enjoy writing and recording music on my iBook, but nothing really compares to the thrill you get when you connect to another living, breathing person on a musical level. It sounds trite, but it can be pretty trancendental. And if not that, it's at least pretty damn cool. You can't ask for much more than that.
Jenny was taking food to a new mother in my neighborhood (something all the new moms do in my neighborhood) Saturday before last, and when she mentioned to the woman's husband, Glen, that I couldn't come along because I was playing at a blues jam, he told her that his band was looking for a guitarist and gave her his number for me.
I called and we chatted for a while about music and musical goals, and found that we both wanted to do original music locally, with no touring (we met through the new parents' network, after all). We saw eye to eye on most things, so he suggested that I come over to audition that Sunday.
On Friday the bass player, Aaron, brought by a CD with three tunes from their old band for me to learn for the audition. I hadn't learned entire songs note-for-note in about 10 years, so I dropped my plans of going to see a show at the Velvet Lounge in DC and started working out the guitar parts.
The first song was pretty fast with a difficult rhythm, and it took me until the next morning to get it down. The other two were pretty much cake to play, technique-wise, which was good. Still, the tough part of learning three songs in a day and a half is remembering how the songs go: i.e., what part comes after what. This can only be done by listening to the song again and again and again and again and then shooting yourself and then listening some more. So that's what I did.
On Sunday I arrived at the drummer's house and we gathered in the toy-strewn basement to go through the songs I'd learned. (By the way, can I just say that day-glo Fisher-Price toys in the rehearsal studio is so rawk? Yeowww!)
I used my newest build, the Lo-Fi 5881 and my Les Paul Standard, and immediately got a good sound that fit in the harmonic space between the bass and vocals really well. To the non-musicians out there, let me say that this is one of the most important parts of playing with other people: getting a good sound. Nothing builds confidence in your playing faster than a good sound, and nothing destroys confidence as quickly as a bad one.
Now that I had dialed in my sound, it was time to impress or die trying (which would be quickly be following by my slinking out of the guy's house with my guitar cord dragging between my legs....).
We went through the fast song with the difficult rhythm first. To my amazement, I played it pretty much flawlessly the first time through. In fact, I had to show the bass player (who wrote the song in the first place) how a break in it went. At that point when I started to feel really good about my chances of getting into the band (and really good about my massive cram session in the preceeding days).
We played through the other two songs in like fashion, and the band sounded really tight, especially for three guys who had never seen their guitarist before that morning. We even wrote an original song on the spot, which is a really good sign.
I am too experienced with flaky musicians and the whole garage band thing to expect too much from this, but one thing's for sure: this experience has reminded me of how much fun it is to play music with other people, and I want to do more of it. I enjoy writing and recording music on my iBook, but nothing really compares to the thrill you get when you connect to another living, breathing person on a musical level. It sounds trite, but it can be pretty trancendental. And if not that, it's at least pretty damn cool. You can't ask for much more than that.
5/09/2005
Flora and Fauna
Spring is definitely here...and it's been amazing to see the change from winter to spring.
The birds are going crazy and our flowers are blooming!
The peony bush from the previous homeowner JUST started to flower and I am waiting to see if the new bushes I planted have blooms. The azaleas are insane...it looks Hawaii-like around the border of our house! Will post a photo soon!
The birds are going crazy and our flowers are blooming!
The peony bush from the previous homeowner JUST started to flower and I am waiting to see if the new bushes I planted have blooms. The azaleas are insane...it looks Hawaii-like around the border of our house! Will post a photo soon!
5/04/2005
Questionable Content: Too indie for my own good.
Meet Faye. Faye is a character on one of the cooler and better executed Web-based comics I've run across: Questionable Content.
Faye lives with Marten (the "show's" central character), and they enjoy a roommate relationship based on the stereotypical, yet strangely unannoying Scully/Mulder, Dave/Maddy, etc. sexual tension employed by countless sitcoms. Will they or won't they? Oooo, they almost opened up that episode.... Are they gonna kiss????? You know the drill.
The storyline revolves around these two indie rock hipsters living in an anonymous northern city: rest assured that with this entire cast of characters (robot computer sex-addict pet, best friends with 17 year-old jailbait girlfriends, recovering goth rocker boss, annoying, yet lovable ex-goth co-worker, et al) wacky indie hijinks are sure to ensue.
The artwork is superb, and the scripts, while clichéd, are strangely addictive. You can't read just one.
Start at episode one and keep going. Pretty cool stuff.
BTW, I'm not really the comic book geek in the extended family. That would be Suzi.
Faye lives with Marten (the "show's" central character), and they enjoy a roommate relationship based on the stereotypical, yet strangely unannoying Scully/Mulder, Dave/Maddy, etc. sexual tension employed by countless sitcoms. Will they or won't they? Oooo, they almost opened up that episode.... Are they gonna kiss????? You know the drill.
The storyline revolves around these two indie rock hipsters living in an anonymous northern city: rest assured that with this entire cast of characters (robot computer sex-addict pet, best friends with 17 year-old jailbait girlfriends, recovering goth rocker boss, annoying, yet lovable ex-goth co-worker, et al) wacky indie hijinks are sure to ensue.
The artwork is superb, and the scripts, while clichéd, are strangely addictive. You can't read just one.
Start at episode one and keep going. Pretty cool stuff.
BTW, I'm not really the comic book geek in the extended family. That would be Suzi.
On the home front
Well, I haven't been blogging too much lately due to work stuff, mostly, so here's an update to get you up to speed:
Jenny is so cute with her big ol' belly. Skinny girl, big belly! I love to put my hand on there and feel the little thing kicking and rolling around....so weird, yet so cool.
I played in a blues jam on Sunday in Takoma Park. The DC Blues Society puts on this open-mic type jam on the first Sunday of every month, and I finally got around to heading down there. Didn't rock, but I didn't stink up the place either, which is fine since that was the first time I've played on stage with other human beings since the "Creek" debacle two years ago. I had to sing for my three-song set, and I can never remember the words to songs, so I just mumbled in true blues fashion. As long as you throw in a few "you make me so sad, baby"'s and "I woke up this morning"'s, all is cool.
I've got an "audition" for a band coming up this Sunday, if all goes well. (Musicians are notoriously flakey, so you can't really count on anything happening until it does.) Dudes live right in our neighborhood, so the commute to practice would be cake.
Jenny and I are in the midst of a "how-to-have-a-baby" class at the hospital where we expect to give birth. Did you ever see the Bill Cosby bit about those classes? It's totally like that. We've learned a lot, though. Stuff like: Epidurals are good. Very good.
Jenny is so cute with her big ol' belly. Skinny girl, big belly! I love to put my hand on there and feel the little thing kicking and rolling around....so weird, yet so cool.
I played in a blues jam on Sunday in Takoma Park. The DC Blues Society puts on this open-mic type jam on the first Sunday of every month, and I finally got around to heading down there. Didn't rock, but I didn't stink up the place either, which is fine since that was the first time I've played on stage with other human beings since the "Creek" debacle two years ago. I had to sing for my three-song set, and I can never remember the words to songs, so I just mumbled in true blues fashion. As long as you throw in a few "you make me so sad, baby"'s and "I woke up this morning"'s, all is cool.
I've got an "audition" for a band coming up this Sunday, if all goes well. (Musicians are notoriously flakey, so you can't really count on anything happening until it does.) Dudes live right in our neighborhood, so the commute to practice would be cake.
Jenny and I are in the midst of a "how-to-have-a-baby" class at the hospital where we expect to give birth. Did you ever see the Bill Cosby bit about those classes? It's totally like that. We've learned a lot, though. Stuff like: Epidurals are good. Very good.
4/27/2005
4/26/2005
Cool crap
I love good design (Jenny and I both do, actually), and this student entry--and Gold medal winner--in the BusinessWeek Design 2004 contest is pure brilliance. This kid is going places. Get it? going places?
4/25/2005
Patio housewarming a great success!
This past Saturday we hosted our housewarming/first patio party of the season. In spite of all dire weather predictions, the clouds broke and graced us with some great sunshine, and we were able to get outside and enjoy it, brew in hand!
About 20 of our friends and local family came by to party with us, and a good time seemed to be had by all. Jenny and I count ourselves so lucky to have met such wonderful folks wherever we go. Thanks for coming everyone!
About 20 of our friends and local family came by to party with us, and a good time seemed to be had by all. Jenny and I count ourselves so lucky to have met such wonderful folks wherever we go. Thanks for coming everyone!
4/24/2005
4/22/2005
Where'd they go?
My tulips that is. So I came out of the house this morning to find my tulips had been neatly lopped of. Just the tops! I was freaking out as I thought someone had come by and cut them off.
What a weird vandal. A bouquet vandal. Then my neighbors told me it's DEER. Deer...eating my tulips -- what a bummer...
What a weird vandal. A bouquet vandal. Then my neighbors told me it's DEER. Deer...eating my tulips -- what a bummer...
4/21/2005
Weekend party blues
So we're having a housewarming/cookout party this Saturday. Around 20 locals, brew, patio fun. Or not. T-storms are currently in the forecast. Crap. One good thing about California weather that I miss: never having to worry that rain will spoil your outdoor plans, since it never rains after March.
4/19/2005
This is the best description of an electric guitar ever written.
"There is something raw, incredibly dumb and utterly irresistible about the electric guitar. You can wank an electric guitar. It's a cock. It's a gun. It's a cockgun. You can peel back its shiny metal foreskin and stab its screaming purple head directly into a crowd's brain and fuck it to death - blasting chunks of utterly satiated punterflesh in every direction with every nerve shredding ejaculation. You just can't do that with a synthesiser."
I fancy myself a bit of a writer, but I bow to the wordsmith who penned that hilarious, yet amazingly accurate portrayal of why electric guitar is the coolest instrument on Earth.
Here's the full article.
I fancy myself a bit of a writer, but I bow to the wordsmith who penned that hilarious, yet amazingly accurate portrayal of why electric guitar is the coolest instrument on Earth.
Here's the full article.
How many little kids have to die before we'll install seat belts in buses?
Yesterday in Arlington a school bus crashed head-on into a garbage truck, tragically kiling one grade schooler. It's ironic because just last weekend my dad and I were talking about how reprehensible it is that we, as a society, have an unlimited amount of funds to bomb the living shit out of anyone, anywhere, anytime, yet we deem it "too expensive" to mandate and install seat belts on school buses. I remarked to him that, like seemingly every major regulatory change, it will take a major accident before this issue is properly addressed. Well, here it is. :-(
4/14/2005
Baby stuff and in-laws galore! DCOT lives!
Well, this has been a really babycentric weekend/week. My mom, dad, and aunt Agnes came in from WV and Jenny's mom came in from CA for the baby shower on Sunday. The baby received lots of great presents from the 20+ attendees, and Real Madrid beat Barcelona 4-1 at the Dad/Jody house. So all is well.
Jenny's mom is still staying with us, and she an Jenny have been exploring the cherry-blossom encrusted mall, shopping, and doing other fun mother/daughter stuff.
In other news, had the first DCOT (DC Over-Thirty) soccer yesterday. Only four of us showed, but we got a couple of passers-by and played 3-vs-3 between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Quite majestic, if you can somehow forget who's running the government right now....Anyway, I was glad to get back to playing non-competive (read: fun) soccer again.
Jenny's mom is still staying with us, and she an Jenny have been exploring the cherry-blossom encrusted mall, shopping, and doing other fun mother/daughter stuff.
In other news, had the first DCOT (DC Over-Thirty) soccer yesterday. Only four of us showed, but we got a couple of passers-by and played 3-vs-3 between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Quite majestic, if you can somehow forget who's running the government right now....Anyway, I was glad to get back to playing non-competive (read: fun) soccer again.
4/13/2005
The human race is trying as hard as it can to kill itself
It's a miracle that we made it this far.
Deadly Flu Strain Shipped Worldwide, Officials Race to Destroy Samples
Deadly Flu Strain Shipped Worldwide, Officials Race to Destroy Samples
4/06/2005
Cherry Blossom Time!
One of the coolest things to do in D.C. is to go down to the Tidal Basin (which overlooks the Jefferson Memorial) and take in the amazing cherry blossoms. The Cherry trees that ring the basin explode with color and a wonderful scent as spring makes its triumphant, and LONG overdue return.
We've got lots of inlaws coming into town for Jenny's baby shower this weekend, so the timing worked out fantastically for flower viewing. ¡Viva la primavera! Long live spring!
We've got lots of inlaws coming into town for Jenny's baby shower this weekend, so the timing worked out fantastically for flower viewing. ¡Viva la primavera! Long live spring!
4/05/2005
3/31/2005
I guess "STOOPID" and "DMBASS" were already taken.
Guy with the license that read TIPSY arrested for drunk driving.
Belly madness
Jenny's belly is getting out of control. And you should feel the little baby kicking inside there, it's too freaky!
If you put your hand on her belly, the baby will push it and kick it, I guess to say, "stop crowding me in here!!!!"
I'm in love and it's still three months away!
If you put your hand on her belly, the baby will push it and kick it, I guess to say, "stop crowding me in here!!!!"
I'm in love and it's still three months away!
3/28/2005
Grey day
Feeling very blah today, due to the Londonesque weather outside. Guess I'll trudge to lunch now.
3/24/2005
You want fries with that?
Okay, this is one of the more disgusting things I've heard of in a while. I guess a woman in San Jose, CA, was chowing down on some mmm-mmm-good chili at Wendy's when she chomped into a bigger than normal bit. Upon further inspection, IT WAS A FRICKING HUMAN FINGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DNA testing and, yes, fingerprinting to follow.
People, if you need any more reasons not to ever eat fast food, I don't know what's wrong with you....yuk!
DNA testing and, yes, fingerprinting to follow.
People, if you need any more reasons not to ever eat fast food, I don't know what's wrong with you....yuk!
3/21/2005
Crack! Ow!
While drying my head after showering this morning, I heard a large "crack" in my neck bones and, immediately after, sharp pains shot down my back to my beltline and my arm. Severe pain when looking down has continued all day. This sucks. I need a massage BAAAAAD.
3/16/2005
Geek Niche
I've got to hand it to these guys.
You've got to love the Internet when it fosters the entreprenurial dreams of a couple of D&D geeks who just want to sell dice, dammit.
Check this description of one of their dice sets, which is a perfect example of geek humor: "These stylish dice feature swirls of white against black, like wisps of smoke rising into darkest night. Or--you know--whatever. "
If you don't know what a d12 is, I don't really have space to explain it to you here. But suffice it to say that if you never found yourself and some buddies locked down in your parents' basement with a half-dozen 2-liters of Jolt and an insane amount of Rush cassettes and Cheetos on any given Saturday night in middle school, you probably wouldn't understand anyway.
Live the dream, dudes! And if any of you need dice, dicepool.com is where it's at.
You've got to love the Internet when it fosters the entreprenurial dreams of a couple of D&D geeks who just want to sell dice, dammit.
Check this description of one of their dice sets, which is a perfect example of geek humor: "These stylish dice feature swirls of white against black, like wisps of smoke rising into darkest night. Or--you know--whatever. "
If you don't know what a d12 is, I don't really have space to explain it to you here. But suffice it to say that if you never found yourself and some buddies locked down in your parents' basement with a half-dozen 2-liters of Jolt and an insane amount of Rush cassettes and Cheetos on any given Saturday night in middle school, you probably wouldn't understand anyway.
Live the dream, dudes! And if any of you need dice, dicepool.com is where it's at.
3/15/2005
Holy crap! Bomb scare on my corner!
So, my entire block was just shut down due to a suspicious backpack on the corner of L and 17th, NW, A FRICKING 1/2 BLOCK FROM THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO MY BUILDING!!!!!
We were able to watch out my coworker's office window as a Kevlar clad bomb squad cop positioned a small, remote-controlled gun next to the abandoned backpack, and then shot it with the remote-controlled gun! Blam! A bunch of papers flew out, but no explosion followed thank goodness. Whoever left that backpack on the streetcorner is in some deep doo-doo, methinks.
We were able to watch out my coworker's office window as a Kevlar clad bomb squad cop positioned a small, remote-controlled gun next to the abandoned backpack, and then shot it with the remote-controlled gun! Blam! A bunch of papers flew out, but no explosion followed thank goodness. Whoever left that backpack on the streetcorner is in some deep doo-doo, methinks.
Thanks for your support!
First off, let me thank those of you who have, on this blog and elsewhere, passed along kind words of encouragement to me since the death of my grandmother. I really appreciate the support. As Jenny and I have both said many times, we love you all!
Now, on to happier subjects.
It's not snowing in D.C., and we're all healthy and happy! Life is good!
Now, on to happier subjects.
It's not snowing in D.C., and we're all healthy and happy! Life is good!
3/09/2005
Goodbye Granny....
Well, tonight I got some very sad news. My grandmother, Charlotte, passed away tonight.
My granny was a heck of a lady. She's in most of my best childhood memories: the trips in the back of the car going to Myrtle Beach, cutting out construction-paper bats and pumpkins to tape to the windows at Halloween, roasting marshmallows over the gas burner at her house, even showing me how to build a little house out of rocks and moss for my army men when I was seven or so.
A couple of years ago I interviewed her and made a little documentary video of her memories. It was a big hit in my family and she was so proud of it. She said she was now a "movie star." The story was a compelling one: She grew up pretty poor in the coal mining region of West Virginia, but she made it through even the toughest of times after my grandpa, a miner, died when my mom was a baby. She re-married a Hungarian man, and she told me great stories about having to slaughter 10 chickens in a night to feed all her company on weekends because "my cooking was so good!" :-)
I'm so happy that she got to meet Jenny (and loved her a lot), and that she knew that we are going to have a baby.
I'll miss you granny. I love you very much.
My granny was a heck of a lady. She's in most of my best childhood memories: the trips in the back of the car going to Myrtle Beach, cutting out construction-paper bats and pumpkins to tape to the windows at Halloween, roasting marshmallows over the gas burner at her house, even showing me how to build a little house out of rocks and moss for my army men when I was seven or so.
A couple of years ago I interviewed her and made a little documentary video of her memories. It was a big hit in my family and she was so proud of it. She said she was now a "movie star." The story was a compelling one: She grew up pretty poor in the coal mining region of West Virginia, but she made it through even the toughest of times after my grandpa, a miner, died when my mom was a baby. She re-married a Hungarian man, and she told me great stories about having to slaughter 10 chickens in a night to feed all her company on weekends because "my cooking was so good!" :-)
I'm so happy that she got to meet Jenny (and loved her a lot), and that she knew that we are going to have a baby.
I'll miss you granny. I love you very much.
3/08/2005
It's Snaining!
Yesterday it was almost 70 degrees.
Today it's 33 degrees and snaining: snowing + raining simultaneously.
Lovely.
Today it's 33 degrees and snaining: snowing + raining simultaneously.
Lovely.
3/07/2005
Time travel
A few thoughts on time today.
First, is is me or do you also feel like 1993 could've been yesterday? Despite all evidence to the contrary (see hilarious photos at right, provided by the fantastic Mariangela), I really don't feel any different now than I did then.
I have changed...obviously. But on an everyday level, I still feel the same. I have this theory that everyone has a life-changing year or so, that once you've hit it, your personality and tastes are forever locked in that era. For a lot of us, including me, that year or so happens around your junior year of college.
I studied abroad that year and it completely upended my worldview and turned me into a vagabond for years, unable to settle down in one place or attach myself emotionally to one person (until I met Jenny, that is). In 1993 I found The Person Who Would Be Joe. Even now, my style, politics (see photo) and tastes (ignore photo) now are essentially "locked" in that era, which explains why every band out now both sucks AND blows.
What was your life-changing year?
On another time related front, check out the waffle theory. About fricking right.
First, is is me or do you also feel like 1993 could've been yesterday? Despite all evidence to the contrary (see hilarious photos at right, provided by the fantastic Mariangela), I really don't feel any different now than I did then.
I have changed...obviously. But on an everyday level, I still feel the same. I have this theory that everyone has a life-changing year or so, that once you've hit it, your personality and tastes are forever locked in that era. For a lot of us, including me, that year or so happens around your junior year of college.
I studied abroad that year and it completely upended my worldview and turned me into a vagabond for years, unable to settle down in one place or attach myself emotionally to one person (until I met Jenny, that is). In 1993 I found The Person Who Would Be Joe. Even now, my style, politics (see photo) and tastes (ignore photo) now are essentially "locked" in that era, which explains why every band out now both sucks AND blows.
What was your life-changing year?
On another time related front, check out the waffle theory. About fricking right.
3/06/2005
Amp summit a success!
Yesterday I met up with a couple other homebrew guitar amp builders yesterday in Ellicott City, MD to compare amp builds and try out each other's speakers.
One of the other guys, also named Joe, donated his basement and provided some chips and Guinness. A good time was had by all, and it was fantastic to be in a room with not one, but two people who knew what the hell I was talking about.
That said, it was a complete nerd fest:
Joe V: Is that a Mullard 12ax7?
Joe Z: Yeah, I got it out of an amp I was fixing for a guy, the phase inverter was shot and the cathode bias was all wrong.
Alan: That's a nice tube.
Joe V: Yeah, really nice.
All in unison [in Homer Simpson donut voice]: Mmmmm.....Mullard.
One of the other guys, also named Joe, donated his basement and provided some chips and Guinness. A good time was had by all, and it was fantastic to be in a room with not one, but two people who knew what the hell I was talking about.
That said, it was a complete nerd fest:
Joe V: Is that a Mullard 12ax7?
Joe Z: Yeah, I got it out of an amp I was fixing for a guy, the phase inverter was shot and the cathode bias was all wrong.
Alan: That's a nice tube.
Joe V: Yeah, really nice.
All in unison [in Homer Simpson donut voice]: Mmmmm.....Mullard.
3/03/2005
2/25/2005
This dumbass goes to 11
Holy mother of the everlasting metal moshing hair bands....this dude will CRACK you up!
METALLLLLLL!!!!!!
METALLLLLLL!!!!!!
Here's a shocker...teens want to have sex!
That the study was conducted in Texas makes it even funnier. Imagine that, teens ignoring old people and having sex anyway. Looks like mother nature kicks moral hypocracy's ass yet again....
Read the story here.
Read the story here.
2/24/2005
Random Preg-o Musings
- The alien peanut kicks when I am listening to NPR. How cool is that? My mini-intellectual.
- Joe'd better watch out -- as I am teaching the kid jazz hands as soon as possible. The world is not such a heavy place to live in when you slide across the wood floor in your socks and you simultaneously do and say "jazz hands!"
- I really have no waist now. Pants are a problem. They won't stay up. Who needs a Swiffer when I have my draggy pants?
- I still want to know: what's up with "glow?" I have not seen the glow. I don't glow. No radiance. Perhaps some bronzer will help?
- Did you know your lips spontaneously peel? Who needs exfoliator?
- I sing with the radio...ALOT. Hoping the vibrations will relax the AP and maybe even AP will end up with good pitch.
- I do "baby aerobics" - which means I don't jostle -- I am sure Black Eyed Peas never thought their song, "Let's get it started" would be danced to, by a 6-months pregnant chick. But oh yes...I can do it.
- Also, I am teaching AP the cha-cha-cha and waltz. It's good for my hip-flexors.
- When you are preg-o you spontaneously pass-out from fatigue. Many a night, Joe and I will be watching TV or a movie and one minute I am up and alert and the next... OUT COLD. It's freaky.
2/23/2005
Novel problem: no furniture
Well, we're at the move-in phase where all of the major home fix-ups are coming to a close (hallway paint is the last one, and I'm doing that tonight), and we're running into a new problem: lack of funiture.
Jenny and I consolidated our separate one-bedroom apartments into my one-bedroom apartment when we got married, and since our place in the District was also one-bedroom, we only have one-bedroom's worth of funiture. That leaves us with two empty bedrooms and an extra living room to furnish. A good problem to have, no doubt, but no less daunting.
My mom and dad are giving us an antique bedroom set from my granny's room at home, but I have to go get it from WV. We kind of want to lean towards the modern for the rest of the house, so Ikea will probably be our friend and our wallets' enemy.
Stay tuned....
Jenny and I consolidated our separate one-bedroom apartments into my one-bedroom apartment when we got married, and since our place in the District was also one-bedroom, we only have one-bedroom's worth of funiture. That leaves us with two empty bedrooms and an extra living room to furnish. A good problem to have, no doubt, but no less daunting.
My mom and dad are giving us an antique bedroom set from my granny's room at home, but I have to go get it from WV. We kind of want to lean towards the modern for the rest of the house, so Ikea will probably be our friend and our wallets' enemy.
Stay tuned....
2/21/2005
The joys of home ownership
I know you're expecting some home improvement horror story in a blog entry with that kind of title, but I'm actually being totally sincere this time. Tonight we had our friend Julia over for dinner (pizza, as it turns out), and as I sat on our love seat watching her and Jenny converse, I thought to myself, "this is why we bought our house." There is really something awesome about being able to have friends over to your own place. Not some apartment, but your own abode. And on top of that, I got the tub completely unclogged without calling Roto Rooter. SCHWEET!!!!!!
P.S. We had our new carpet installed in the sun room on Saturday...double SCHWEET! (See photo here.)
P.S. We had our new carpet installed in the sun room on Saturday...double SCHWEET! (See photo here.)
2/17/2005
Bankruptcy, part II
This is a follow-up to this post, about the new bankruptcy law currently under debate (if you can call it that) in the Congress.
Just in case you hear some rich Republican a-hole (or poor Republican a-hole, we won't discriminate) saying how "people have to quit charging up their cards and take some personal responsibility," show them this article in today's San Francisco Chronicle. Here's a snippet:
"The study looked at 1,771 bankruptcies filed in 2001 in five states, including California. Almost half of those filers -- 46.2 percent -- cited illness and medical bills as a major cause of bankruptcy. More than three- quarters had insurance at the onset of illness."
Well, serves them right for getting sick, right George W.?
And if you're tempted to think that this only happens to the working poor, think again:
"Jeannie Brewer is a physician married to a surgical resident. She and her family have health insurance. She's not the kind of person you'd expect to be pushed to the verge of financial collapse by medical expenses.
Yet Brewer is considering filing for bankruptcy, and part of the reason is the $16,500 in health care costs her family incurs each year that are not paid for by insurance."
Ask yourself this question: Could you afford $16 grand extra a year? Then don't get sick y'all, 'cause under this administration, you're on your own.
Just in case you hear some rich Republican a-hole (or poor Republican a-hole, we won't discriminate) saying how "people have to quit charging up their cards and take some personal responsibility," show them this article in today's San Francisco Chronicle. Here's a snippet:
"The study looked at 1,771 bankruptcies filed in 2001 in five states, including California. Almost half of those filers -- 46.2 percent -- cited illness and medical bills as a major cause of bankruptcy. More than three- quarters had insurance at the onset of illness."
Well, serves them right for getting sick, right George W.?
And if you're tempted to think that this only happens to the working poor, think again:
"Jeannie Brewer is a physician married to a surgical resident. She and her family have health insurance. She's not the kind of person you'd expect to be pushed to the verge of financial collapse by medical expenses.
Yet Brewer is considering filing for bankruptcy, and part of the reason is the $16,500 in health care costs her family incurs each year that are not paid for by insurance."
Ask yourself this question: Could you afford $16 grand extra a year? Then don't get sick y'all, 'cause under this administration, you're on your own.
The Waist hath officially disappeared
I am finally showing. But I am at the frusterating stage of, "is Jenny eating too much lately" or "is she pregnant" phase.
I took a long time to show due to the fact that I was underweight and now I am trying to get back on track... more later and will try to attach photo for proof.
I took a long time to show due to the fact that I was underweight and now I am trying to get back on track... more later and will try to attach photo for proof.
2/15/2005
New Guitar Player article now online
Unfortunately, the Frets articles aren't available online yet, but you can check out an interview I did with metal band Shadows Fall on the GP site here.
Fun stuff....
Fun stuff....
2/14/2005
Arroz con pollo ¡Qué rico!
We had our friends Kristin and Jordan over for Sunday dinner (which in our family is at 2:00 p.m.) this weekend for Spanish chicken and rice, or arroz con pollo as you may know it. I've been eating this dish on Sundays since I can't even remember, as it was one of the traditions brought over from the old country. Thought you might enjoy the recipe (my great-grandmother's, with my lower-fat changes in brackets...believe it or not, it's just as good low fat):
Ingredients:
1 pack of [skinless, boneless] chicken [breasts]
1 jar of sliced pimentos (drained)
1 jar of green Spanish olives (stuffed with pimentos, drained)
2 pinches of Spanish saffron*
Uncle Ben's CONVERTED rice**
1/2 onion, coarsely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
salt/pepper to taste (I don't use a lot, and then add to the finished dish on the plate, but it's up to you)
Virgin or extra virgin Spanish olive oil (the Italian stuff will make you impotent) ;-)
Grab a large, [non-stick] frying pan, and pour in a dollop of oil about 3 inches round. Heat on medium-high until a haze forms above it.
Add garlic and onion and sauté until onion begins to brown slightly (Keep moving it around the pan! You don't want to burn it or the garlic!)
Add chicken, pimentos, salt and pepper (you want a decent amount of both salt and pepper on the chicken), and fry until chicken is starting to brown. Turn off heat and cover skillet.
Boil enough water for the serving size of rice you want (for four people, I make the six-serving amount as outlined on the Uncle Ben's box).
If your saffron is a powder, add two pinches (small ones) to the water. If your saffron is in whole strands, crush one pinch with a morter and pestle or between two spoons and then add to water. Water should turn bright yellow. Add rice (as per directions on Uncle Ben's box). Reduce heat, cover, simmer until water cooks off and rice is done.
In a cassarole dish, combine rice, chicken et al, and olives, and bake at 350 until you taste an olive and it's hot.
Serve with a salad of lettuce, chopped onion, and lots of salt with an olive oil/white vinegar dressing. Yum!
Recommended wine: Marqués de Cáceres Rioja
*(Note: Do not buy the cheap stuff in the Mexican food area at the grocery store labeled "Saffron." I don't know what it is, but it's not 100% saffron, and it tastes totally different. If the saffron costs less than $12/packet, don't buy it. Don't freak about how much it costs, as a little saffron will last you a long time.)
**(Don't laugh, my Spanish great-grandmother used Uncle Ben's. And it MUST be converted rice for ease-of-use issues....)
Ingredients:
1 pack of [skinless, boneless] chicken [breasts]
1 jar of sliced pimentos (drained)
1 jar of green Spanish olives (stuffed with pimentos, drained)
2 pinches of Spanish saffron*
Uncle Ben's CONVERTED rice**
1/2 onion, coarsely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
salt/pepper to taste (I don't use a lot, and then add to the finished dish on the plate, but it's up to you)
Virgin or extra virgin Spanish olive oil (the Italian stuff will make you impotent) ;-)
Grab a large, [non-stick] frying pan, and pour in a dollop of oil about 3 inches round. Heat on medium-high until a haze forms above it.
Add garlic and onion and sauté until onion begins to brown slightly (Keep moving it around the pan! You don't want to burn it or the garlic!)
Add chicken, pimentos, salt and pepper (you want a decent amount of both salt and pepper on the chicken), and fry until chicken is starting to brown. Turn off heat and cover skillet.
Boil enough water for the serving size of rice you want (for four people, I make the six-serving amount as outlined on the Uncle Ben's box).
If your saffron is a powder, add two pinches (small ones) to the water. If your saffron is in whole strands, crush one pinch with a morter and pestle or between two spoons and then add to water. Water should turn bright yellow. Add rice (as per directions on Uncle Ben's box). Reduce heat, cover, simmer until water cooks off and rice is done.
In a cassarole dish, combine rice, chicken et al, and olives, and bake at 350 until you taste an olive and it's hot.
Serve with a salad of lettuce, chopped onion, and lots of salt with an olive oil/white vinegar dressing. Yum!
Recommended wine: Marqués de Cáceres Rioja
*(Note: Do not buy the cheap stuff in the Mexican food area at the grocery store labeled "Saffron." I don't know what it is, but it's not 100% saffron, and it tastes totally different. If the saffron costs less than $12/packet, don't buy it. Don't freak about how much it costs, as a little saffron will last you a long time.)
**(Don't laugh, my Spanish great-grandmother used Uncle Ben's. And it MUST be converted rice for ease-of-use issues....)
2/11/2005
Proposed bankruptcy law is disgusting
Got a multibillion dollar company that's too far in the red to save? No problem. Declare bankruptcy, fire everyone, and move on to your next business.
Got a few thousand dollars in credit card debt? Unlucky enough to get laid off and sick at the same time? Just declare bankruptcy, right? Nope. Screw you, buddy, you've STILL got to pay back Citibank.
That's basically the jist of a proposed law that would exempt credit-card debt from personal bankruptcy filings (an earlier version of which, by the way, Bill Clinton let die on his desk rather than sign into law).
How evil is this bill? Let me count the ways. First, deregulation of the lending industry effectively eliminates states' usury laws, allowing credit card companies to charge any interest rate that they deem fit. Then the companies change their business practices to lure college kids and working families into massive debt, while allowing minuscule minimum payments that contribute to the massive compounding of interest debt. "Oops, you were late on your mortgage payment. There goes your unrelated credit card's interest up to 28%!" They then have the audacity to blame cash-strapped consumers who can't get out of the hole created by a never-ending stream of pre-approved credit-card applications, and use lackey politicians to change the law to eliminate the only way out for these poor consumers.
Big banks and their lobbyists are happy, of course, as are the Republican lawmakers ramming this through committee to the President's desk. And this evil sonofabitch is going to sign it into law before you can say "thanks for all those campaign contributions, MBNA."
Pay off your credit cards people. Do it. Now.
Got a few thousand dollars in credit card debt? Unlucky enough to get laid off and sick at the same time? Just declare bankruptcy, right? Nope. Screw you, buddy, you've STILL got to pay back Citibank.
That's basically the jist of a proposed law that would exempt credit-card debt from personal bankruptcy filings (an earlier version of which, by the way, Bill Clinton let die on his desk rather than sign into law).
How evil is this bill? Let me count the ways. First, deregulation of the lending industry effectively eliminates states' usury laws, allowing credit card companies to charge any interest rate that they deem fit. Then the companies change their business practices to lure college kids and working families into massive debt, while allowing minuscule minimum payments that contribute to the massive compounding of interest debt. "Oops, you were late on your mortgage payment. There goes your unrelated credit card's interest up to 28%!" They then have the audacity to blame cash-strapped consumers who can't get out of the hole created by a never-ending stream of pre-approved credit-card applications, and use lackey politicians to change the law to eliminate the only way out for these poor consumers.
Big banks and their lobbyists are happy, of course, as are the Republican lawmakers ramming this through committee to the President's desk. And this evil sonofabitch is going to sign it into law before you can say "thanks for all those campaign contributions, MBNA."
Pay off your credit cards people. Do it. Now.
God I'm old
There's nothing like an all-ages show to bring father time rudly crashing down upon your distorted sense of personal youth.
Last night I went to see a punk rock show at the Black Cat. The Loved Ones, The Unseen, and some other band were playing, but I just went on a lark, so I didn't know any of the bands beforehand. Turns out they were "old skool" punk rock bands, complete with mohawks, pinned Agnostic Front tee-shirts, and the like. The kids in the audience, who seemed to be about, oh, I don't know....TWELVE OR SO, all had on tee-shirts and patches from bands who were broken up before they were even born. I haven't seen the Ramones seal so many times since 1988. Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, and the Misfits were other favorites of the kiddie set (I guess Jason's and my suspicions were correct, and new bands DO suck). Seeing all the retro outfits and little girls sporting mohawks made me crack up...literally. It was like a halloween party where everyone dressed up as what punk rockers are supposed to look like. Weird.
Anyway, the Unseen were the band most of the kids were there to see, and I've got to admit that while the music was bland, derivitive, and basically a bad Minor Threat ripoff, the energy of the kids all shouting along made it an enjoyable experience.
I really went to the show to see what amplifiers the guitar players were using. The verdict: Marshalls. In fact, of the five amp heads on stage, four were Marshalls (two JCM 800s, and two I couldn't make out the model numbers on), and one was a Mesa Dual Recto. The Mesa, by the way, blew all of the Marshalls out of the water for the distorted punk stuff the bands were playing.
Still, it was a wake-up call that if I really want to try to sell some amps, I had better quit monkeying around with this low-wattage stuff and focus on 50 and 100 watters to take advantage of all the bullshit market-driven brainwashing that the major manufacturers put out.
Last night I went to see a punk rock show at the Black Cat. The Loved Ones, The Unseen, and some other band were playing, but I just went on a lark, so I didn't know any of the bands beforehand. Turns out they were "old skool" punk rock bands, complete with mohawks, pinned Agnostic Front tee-shirts, and the like. The kids in the audience, who seemed to be about, oh, I don't know....TWELVE OR SO, all had on tee-shirts and patches from bands who were broken up before they were even born. I haven't seen the Ramones seal so many times since 1988. Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, and the Misfits were other favorites of the kiddie set (I guess Jason's and my suspicions were correct, and new bands DO suck). Seeing all the retro outfits and little girls sporting mohawks made me crack up...literally. It was like a halloween party where everyone dressed up as what punk rockers are supposed to look like. Weird.
Anyway, the Unseen were the band most of the kids were there to see, and I've got to admit that while the music was bland, derivitive, and basically a bad Minor Threat ripoff, the energy of the kids all shouting along made it an enjoyable experience.
I really went to the show to see what amplifiers the guitar players were using. The verdict: Marshalls. In fact, of the five amp heads on stage, four were Marshalls (two JCM 800s, and two I couldn't make out the model numbers on), and one was a Mesa Dual Recto. The Mesa, by the way, blew all of the Marshalls out of the water for the distorted punk stuff the bands were playing.
Still, it was a wake-up call that if I really want to try to sell some amps, I had better quit monkeying around with this low-wattage stuff and focus on 50 and 100 watters to take advantage of all the bullshit market-driven brainwashing that the major manufacturers put out.
2/07/2005
Raise your Jäger to our jagare
We love Ikea. I'm sorry if that offends you or makes us seem like überyüppies who find the need to püt ümlaüts over every ü they come across, but we simply love it.
Jüst finished installing our newest Ikean addition, the schweet jagare spotlight system (see photo), in the back family room, and all I can say is that it's WAY cooler than the cräp, gold-accented chandelier that was fläccidly hanging there when we boüght the hoüse.
We feel so Scandinavian now.
Jüst finished installing our newest Ikean addition, the schweet jagare spotlight system (see photo), in the back family room, and all I can say is that it's WAY cooler than the cräp, gold-accented chandelier that was fläccidly hanging there when we boüght the hoüse.
We feel so Scandinavian now.
2/05/2005
The plumbing's done! Hurrah!
Well, my dad and I did a lot of work on the house in the last few days, but the most stressful and rewarding has been ripping out the old, pinhole-leak ridden length of copper pipe and replacing it with CPVC (which is different from PVC in that it can handle more pressure and higher temperatures).
We cut the old pipe, installed the new, waited for the glue to cure, and turned the H20 back on with fingers fully crossed. The verdict: NO LEAKS! Yay!
Having a fantastic dad with mad handyman skills has officially saved us hundreds of dollars. Thanks dad, we love you!
Other projects completed:
Replaced shorted out light at bottom of stairs.
Installed fan switch in upstairs bathroom.
Installed remaining storm windows in house.
Hooked up DSL connection.
The house is coming together finally! It's about time for a housewarming party!
We cut the old pipe, installed the new, waited for the glue to cure, and turned the H20 back on with fingers fully crossed. The verdict: NO LEAKS! Yay!
Having a fantastic dad with mad handyman skills has officially saved us hundreds of dollars. Thanks dad, we love you!
Other projects completed:
Replaced shorted out light at bottom of stairs.
Installed fan switch in upstairs bathroom.
Installed remaining storm windows in house.
Hooked up DSL connection.
The house is coming together finally! It's about time for a housewarming party!
2/01/2005
As our children slip blithely into fascism
"When told of the exact text of the First Amendment, more than one in three high-school students said it goes 'too far' in the rights it guarantees. Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories."
Wow. What more can I say, really?
For the whole story, click here.
Wow. What more can I say, really?
For the whole story, click here.
1/30/2005
We're in!
We moved the last bit of our stuff from the Connecticut Ave. apartment this morning in a driving snow, and pulled up to our new home just in time for the last flakes to fall. It's hard to believe that less than a year ago we were in Oakland dreaming of buying a house and in less than nine months here we actually have one.
The move went pretty smoothly, and the weather turned out to be fantastic, thank goodness. The movers didn't even have that hard of a time getting our mondo couch down four flights of stairs (man I'd been dreading that....). Only a few scratches to furniture marred the move, but nothing serious.
Now it's down to the unpacking, which is something else, let me tell you. In fact, I've got a bunch of cool new photos waiting on my CoolPix right now...if I can just find the damn connection cord in one of these boxes....
The move went pretty smoothly, and the weather turned out to be fantastic, thank goodness. The movers didn't even have that hard of a time getting our mondo couch down four flights of stairs (man I'd been dreading that....). Only a few scratches to furniture marred the move, but nothing serious.
Now it's down to the unpacking, which is something else, let me tell you. In fact, I've got a bunch of cool new photos waiting on my CoolPix right now...if I can just find the damn connection cord in one of these boxes....
1/28/2005
Hasslemania
I took the day off today to do some last-minute painting and other work on the house before we move in on Saturday. The duct cleaners were supposed to come this morning, but cancelled with less than a day's notice. Typical, I guess. They want to reschedule for Tuesday. Of course, they don't work on weekends or after 5pm, so I'll need to take more time off.
Is it me or has life in the last few years been more full of hassle than previously? It seems that nothing I buy works exactly like it's supposed to out of the box, without six calls to "customer service" (which, these days, is a massive oxymoron if ever there were one). And it's rare to find a company that follows through on its committments. I put a lot of the blame for this on the rise of the corporate machine in America. Companies merge, merge, merge until they are so big that the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing anymore and the customer gets caught up in the comflicting policies and practices of different company divisions, which are many times remnants of the pre-merger firms that have been gobbled up.
Is it me or has life in the last few years been more full of hassle than previously? It seems that nothing I buy works exactly like it's supposed to out of the box, without six calls to "customer service" (which, these days, is a massive oxymoron if ever there were one). And it's rare to find a company that follows through on its committments. I put a lot of the blame for this on the rise of the corporate machine in America. Companies merge, merge, merge until they are so big that the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing anymore and the customer gets caught up in the comflicting policies and practices of different company divisions, which are many times remnants of the pre-merger firms that have been gobbled up.
1/26/2005
I'm "that" guy.
You know, the one who sings along to the iPod only he can hear. The one who doesn't even know all the words to the song he's singing along to, making him all that much more annoying. Yeah, that's me.
I can't help it, I'm sorry. I'm in my own little world when those cute, little earbuds plug up my auditory canals (I'm sure that the people next to me want to plug up another canal with my earbuds, but so be it) and I can't escape the music's hypnotic lure...sing along...you're a star...sing along....
Except I'm not a star. I'm just another out-of-tune, annoying bump in your commute, and for that I apologize.
I do make a conscious effort to not sing inside the subway car itself, although I'm not always successful. The walk to and from the station though? That's an every day "Star Search" moment.
Today's snippet of song for the woman walking next to me on the way to the Metro:
"They caught and drowned the front man...of the world's worst rock and roll band...he was out of luck...because nobody gave a fuck."
Sorry lady. The Archers of Loaf in my head just can't be stopped.
I can't help it, I'm sorry. I'm in my own little world when those cute, little earbuds plug up my auditory canals (I'm sure that the people next to me want to plug up another canal with my earbuds, but so be it) and I can't escape the music's hypnotic lure...sing along...you're a star...sing along....
Except I'm not a star. I'm just another out-of-tune, annoying bump in your commute, and for that I apologize.
I do make a conscious effort to not sing inside the subway car itself, although I'm not always successful. The walk to and from the station though? That's an every day "Star Search" moment.
Today's snippet of song for the woman walking next to me on the way to the Metro:
"They caught and drowned the front man...of the world's worst rock and roll band...he was out of luck...because nobody gave a fuck."
Sorry lady. The Archers of Loaf in my head just can't be stopped.
1/24/2005
Fun weekend!
This weekend started out with a great party at our friend Julia's apartment. We met her at a Kerry fundraiser last fall, and she lives directly across the street from the National Cathedral...the view, of course, is amazing! Met many friendly folks and I drank some super yum Marques de Cáceres Reserva (Jenny had ginger ale, per usual).
On Saturday we were pretty much in hibernation, hiding from the (lighter-than-expected) snow. We used that indoor time to begin the ever-hated process of packing up all of our stuff for Saturday's move.
Painted the baby's room on Sunday, so now that's done, leaving the study (aka bedroom #3) and the hallway o' death to be completed. Whew.
On Saturday we were pretty much in hibernation, hiding from the (lighter-than-expected) snow. We used that indoor time to begin the ever-hated process of packing up all of our stuff for Saturday's move.
Painted the baby's room on Sunday, so now that's done, leaving the study (aka bedroom #3) and the hallway o' death to be completed. Whew.
1/19/2005
Yum! Fasika's Ethopian food!
Painting, much like being President, is hard work
Jaysus...I am so dead today. The good news: I finished painting Jenny's and my bedroom last night. We chose a cool, modern-looking grey-blue for the walls and Swiss Coffee for the trim. The bad news: it took me until midnight to get the thing finished and right now I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Calgon, take me away!
Don't let anybody snow you: Painters earn their money. Getting a straight edge is next to impossible, although I think my job turned out pretty well for an amateur.
Just two more bedrooms and the hallway of death to go! Gulp.
Don't let anybody snow you: Painters earn their money. Getting a straight edge is next to impossible, although I think my job turned out pretty well for an amateur.
Just two more bedrooms and the hallway of death to go! Gulp.
1/17/2005
Busy weekend....
We're coming down to the wire on our move-in date, which means that I've really got to buckle down and get the house's collective shit together. This (long) weekend I got quite a bit accomplished:
1. Take out AC outlet and replace with normal, three-pronged outlet in living room: check.
2. Prime front bedroom: check.
3. Prime hallway (1st coat only): check. Note: Jeez-o-pete, this is a hellish job. To the people who sold us our house, I say a hearty "screw you and your idiotic purple, impossible-to-paint-over paint job."
4. Re-install kitchen cabinet handles after Mom's thorough cleaning: check.
5. Clean fridge and freezer: check. (Jenny did this.)
6. Clean and paper closets: check. (Jenny did this, too.)
7. Shop vac washer/dryer area: check.
8. Install pegboard in kitchen to hang pots and pans on (Julia Child style): check.
9. Painted the front bedroom's walls (trim and touch-ups TK): check.
There is so much to do yet, but we're slowly making progress. I don't have to work on Dickweed's inaguration day, so that's a whole extra day to paint, etc.
Now we need visitors! We're currently taking reservations. Jane and Sarah have already claimed one weekend in May, but other than that we're wide open....come visit us!
1. Take out AC outlet and replace with normal, three-pronged outlet in living room: check.
2. Prime front bedroom: check.
3. Prime hallway (1st coat only): check. Note: Jeez-o-pete, this is a hellish job. To the people who sold us our house, I say a hearty "screw you and your idiotic purple, impossible-to-paint-over paint job."
4. Re-install kitchen cabinet handles after Mom's thorough cleaning: check.
5. Clean fridge and freezer: check. (Jenny did this.)
6. Clean and paper closets: check. (Jenny did this, too.)
7. Shop vac washer/dryer area: check.
8. Install pegboard in kitchen to hang pots and pans on (Julia Child style): check.
9. Painted the front bedroom's walls (trim and touch-ups TK): check.
There is so much to do yet, but we're slowly making progress. I don't have to work on Dickweed's inaguration day, so that's a whole extra day to paint, etc.
Now we need visitors! We're currently taking reservations. Jane and Sarah have already claimed one weekend in May, but other than that we're wide open....come visit us!
1/14/2005
It's casual Friday; why am I wearing pants?
I've been sleeping pretty badly lately and waking up in a semi-coma about every day, which may explain why it's casual Friday at my office and I DON'T HAVE FRICKING BLUE JEANS ON. I live for casual Fridays, people. I LOVE wearing blue jeans to work. I thought it was Thursday this morning, and while that would normally be cause for celebration, the joy of having the weekend arrive one mental day earlier is severely tempered by the fact that MY LEGS ARE NOT SHROUDED IN 100% COTTON RIGHT NOW. Goddammit.
On another note, Jenny and I are meeting friends for dinner for the first time in a while, so that should be cool. I'll take the camera and post the results tomorrow.
On another note, Jenny and I are meeting friends for dinner for the first time in a while, so that should be cool. I'll take the camera and post the results tomorrow.
1/13/2005
Five Perfect Albums®
Inspired by Gabe's list of favorite TV shows, and not being a real TV junkie myself, I thought I'd offer up my list of five Perfect Albums®.
First, a definition. To be a Perfect Album®, a record must meet the following three criteria:
1. It must be able to be played completely through without ever having to hit the FFW button. It must not contain any "filler" songs that take up space between the good songs on the album.
2. It must be considered in its entirety, and it must be cohesive (i.e., all of the songs must fit together sonically, yet not sound exactly alike).
3. You must still be able to hear nuances you've never heard before even after the 1,000,000th listen. (For example, put on headphones, turn up the volume, and concentrate on the individual instruments, and I guarantee you that you'll hear something on "Back in Black" that you never did on the FM dial.)
Now without further ado, five Perfect Albums®:
1. Back in Black: AC/DC
Released in 1980, less than a year after their first lead singer, Bon Scott, got drunk, fell asleep in a car, and froze to death, "Back in Black" made AC/DC megastars. But while you may have heard "You Shook Me All Night Long" eight billion times on the radio, EVERY SINGLE SONG on this album is a classic. The riff from "Have a Drink on Me" is possibly the coolest guitar riff ever produced by human hands. If you haven't listened to this entire album, do yourself a favor and go buy it RIGHT NOW.
2. All the Nations Airports: Archers of Loaf
Nobody knows who the Archers of Loaf are except my friend Jason and me. They should. These guys came out of Chapel Hill, NC and created the most original, catchy, utterly cool music I've heard in the last 15 years. On "All the Nation's Airports," the band hit its zenith, coming together to form an album that drips with guitar lines so intertwined that when Jason and I saw them in concert in San Francisco on this tour, we couldn't tell which guitarist was playing what. And we were standing in the front row, WATCHING THEIR HANDS. Immensely cool album.
3. Sticky Fingers: The Rolling Stones
Mick Taylor. Does that name ring a bell for you? If it doesn't, you're not aware of the most talented lead guitarist the Stones ever had, and the guy who makes this brilliant guitarfest of an album possible. His lead work on "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" sets the bar for every "jam" that came afterwards.
4. New York: Lou Reed
Make no mistake, Lou Reed's catalog is sketchy. Like Neil Young, he follows his own creative muse, and he has done some incredibly bad albums--and some incredibly brilliant ones. This one is my favorite. It's a straight-up rock and roll album that's stripped down to the bare minimums and perfectly gets across the feels, smells, and image of New York City. Put it in and you won't turn it off until it's done.
5. Bossanova: The Pixies
Often overlooked, this album, IMHO, is the best one the band ever made. Although it's pretty much all Black Francis (Kim Deal was losing the power struggle for songwriting and vocals by this point), the album takes on a hard-edged, yet weirdly fantasy-like feel that all fits together perfectly. Joey Santiago's playing on this album is the best he's ever done with the band. "Rock Music." "Dig for Fire." "Havalina." Awesome.
This isn't a complete list, and I welcome your suggestions for YOUR perfect albums.
Keep rockin'.
First, a definition. To be a Perfect Album®, a record must meet the following three criteria:
1. It must be able to be played completely through without ever having to hit the FFW button. It must not contain any "filler" songs that take up space between the good songs on the album.
2. It must be considered in its entirety, and it must be cohesive (i.e., all of the songs must fit together sonically, yet not sound exactly alike).
3. You must still be able to hear nuances you've never heard before even after the 1,000,000th listen. (For example, put on headphones, turn up the volume, and concentrate on the individual instruments, and I guarantee you that you'll hear something on "Back in Black" that you never did on the FM dial.)
Now without further ado, five Perfect Albums®:
1. Back in Black: AC/DC
2. All the Nations Airports: Archers of Loaf
3. Sticky Fingers: The Rolling Stones
4. New York: Lou Reed
5. Bossanova: The Pixies
This isn't a complete list, and I welcome your suggestions for YOUR perfect albums.
Keep rockin'.
1/11/2005
Scary
This summer Jenny and I went out to Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland for a weekend, and on the way we passed Burkettsville, MD, which was the setting of The Blair Witch Project. That got us thinking about the movie, so Jenny put it on our Netflix list when we got home.
We have an inordinately long Netflix queue, so the movie just arrived yesterday, and we watched it again last night.
Anyone who tells you that this movie isn't scary is either lying or has never been alone in the woods at night.
I'm not talking about being in a crowded camping area or state park at night, I'm talking about 2 a.m. in the open woods, miles away from anyone (you hope) and anything (you REALLY hope).
It's easy to sit here in the light of day in a comfy office and pooh-pooh the idea of the woods being scary, but when you can only see about 50 feet into the pitch black darkness and it's so quiet that you can hear EVERY SINGLE twig snapping in a 100 yard radius around your what-now-seems-completely defenseless campsite (with only about 2mm of nylon rip-stop between you and the encroaching claws and fangs of god-knows-what), it's pretty effing scary.
I wish all scary movies could stir up that kind of primal fear....
We have an inordinately long Netflix queue, so the movie just arrived yesterday, and we watched it again last night.
Anyone who tells you that this movie isn't scary is either lying or has never been alone in the woods at night.
I'm not talking about being in a crowded camping area or state park at night, I'm talking about 2 a.m. in the open woods, miles away from anyone (you hope) and anything (you REALLY hope).
It's easy to sit here in the light of day in a comfy office and pooh-pooh the idea of the woods being scary, but when you can only see about 50 feet into the pitch black darkness and it's so quiet that you can hear EVERY SINGLE twig snapping in a 100 yard radius around your what-now-seems-completely defenseless campsite (with only about 2mm of nylon rip-stop between you and the encroaching claws and fangs of god-knows-what), it's pretty effing scary.
I wish all scary movies could stir up that kind of primal fear....
1/10/2005
Our parents are the best.
My Mom and Dad drove 6+ hours on Friday to clean, scrape out a (literally) crappy wax toilet ring and replace a toilet, and generally work super hard on someone else's house. In return, they wouldn't even let me buy them a half of a tank of gas for the ride home.
Jenny's parents are paying for the recarpeting our great room, and we know that they would be up here if they could.
I don't know what we did to deserve such great, supportive parents, but I do know that Jenny and I are the luckiest people alive to have such fantastic, generous, loving people as our own personal support group. Thanks Moms and Dads, we love you more than we can say!
Jenny's parents are paying for the recarpeting our great room, and we know that they would be up here if they could.
I don't know what we did to deserve such great, supportive parents, but I do know that Jenny and I are the luckiest people alive to have such fantastic, generous, loving people as our own personal support group. Thanks Moms and Dads, we love you more than we can say!
Checking 'em off!
New baseboards in front bedroom: check!
[Note: We couldn't use a miter saw for the angles, because due to house settling, the rooms weren't square. So we had to cope out the outline of the opposing baseboard, which took a little longer, but looks nice. Now I can paint the room!]
Clean kitchen and contact paper cupboards: check!
[Note: Thanks Mom!!!!! You're the best!]
New toilet in upstairs bathroom: check!
[Note: Poop is nasty. So is the old, poop-encrusted wax ring under an old toilet. Yuk!]
Next big project: removing the old, pinhole leaky copper pipes and replacing with new, dripless PVC.
[Note: We couldn't use a miter saw for the angles, because due to house settling, the rooms weren't square. So we had to cope out the outline of the opposing baseboard, which took a little longer, but looks nice. Now I can paint the room!]
Clean kitchen and contact paper cupboards: check!
[Note: Thanks Mom!!!!! You're the best!]
New toilet in upstairs bathroom: check!
[Note: Poop is nasty. So is the old, poop-encrusted wax ring under an old toilet. Yuk!]
Next big project: removing the old, pinhole leaky copper pipes and replacing with new, dripless PVC.
1/05/2005
Bun in the oven
We're going to be parents!
Whew, what a year the last one has been...we've moved across the country, found new jobs, bought a house, and now Jenny is 14 weeks pregnant with our first child, or as we like to call it, our alien peanut.
We are so happy and of course so are our folks. We're not going to find out the sex until the little gal or guy pops out. That said, I'm betting on a little girl. Jenny isn't sure yet. Not that it matters as long as it's healthy, of course.
Whew, what a year the last one has been...we've moved across the country, found new jobs, bought a house, and now Jenny is 14 weeks pregnant with our first child, or as we like to call it, our alien peanut.
We are so happy and of course so are our folks. We're not going to find out the sex until the little gal or guy pops out. That said, I'm betting on a little girl. Jenny isn't sure yet. Not that it matters as long as it's healthy, of course.
1/02/2005
Happy New Year!
I started the new year priming two blue bedrooms back to white and carting out old, cat-hair covered carpets....it only gets better, right!
Seriously, Jenny and I all hope that your new year is fruitful and filled with love.
Seriously, Jenny and I all hope that your new year is fruitful and filled with love.
12/26/2004
Study shows 44 percent of Americans are cowardly protofascists
This study from Cornell University found that a staggering 44 percent of Americans polled would favor curtailing the civil liberties of Muslim Americans.
This is how fascist dictatorships get started, of course.
1. Instill fear in the populace and irrational "patriotism at all costs";
2. wave the flag at every rally (or football game, or NASCAR event, or fricking Wal-Mart sale) to the point of it becoming a mere prop for the repressive policies of the government;
3. wage never-ending wars in far-off lands and glorify the militarization of the country at all opportunities;
4. scapegoat and demonize a "scary" ethnic group and use the fear of this group to justify your repressive policies;
5. curtail said group's civil liberties, imprison them with little or no legitimate pretense, and eventually lock them up for the good of the fatherland.
These are fascist policies folks, and it's pretty sickening that almost half of the people in the country seem to be open to at least some of them.
This is how fascist dictatorships get started, of course.
1. Instill fear in the populace and irrational "patriotism at all costs";
2. wave the flag at every rally (or football game, or NASCAR event, or fricking Wal-Mart sale) to the point of it becoming a mere prop for the repressive policies of the government;
3. wage never-ending wars in far-off lands and glorify the militarization of the country at all opportunities;
4. scapegoat and demonize a "scary" ethnic group and use the fear of this group to justify your repressive policies;
5. curtail said group's civil liberties, imprison them with little or no legitimate pretense, and eventually lock them up for the good of the fatherland.
These are fascist policies folks, and it's pretty sickening that almost half of the people in the country seem to be open to at least some of them.
12/24/2004
Merry Christmas!
Jenny and I want to wish everybody out there a very Merry Christmas! We cherish each and every one of you. We truly believe that we are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. We think of you all often, and hope that you are able to be with your loved ones this Christmas day, even if only in your hearts.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
12/21/2004
Man Room
Now that I'm FINALLY going to have a basement, or Man Room, as it is to be known from this day forward, I need to figure out a decoration theme.
A sports bar theme is a little too obvious, and I really don't have any favorite teams anymore, since I've been moving around so much, so that's out.
Jason's suggestion of an Amsterdam red light district scene (complete with painted murals of windows with naked women in them) was nixed by Jen.
I'm leaning toward an homage to guitar amps, with a giant schematic painted on one wall and framed photos of classic amps everywhere.
Your thoughts are much appreciated.....
A sports bar theme is a little too obvious, and I really don't have any favorite teams anymore, since I've been moving around so much, so that's out.
Jason's suggestion of an Amsterdam red light district scene (complete with painted murals of windows with naked women in them) was nixed by Jen.
I'm leaning toward an homage to guitar amps, with a giant schematic painted on one wall and framed photos of classic amps everywhere.
Your thoughts are much appreciated.....
12/20/2004
Dioxin...the gift that keeps on giving
The Monsanto pledge:
"Integrity includes
honesty
decency
consistency and
courage"
Some folks at Monsanto apparently haven't been following the pledge too closely. Or at least they weren't when they were releasing tons of the super-dangerous chemical by-product dioxin into tiny Nitro, WV and its environs.
According to this depressing report by The Charleston Gazette's top environmental reporter, Ken Ward, Jr., the company is being sued by Nitro residents for releasing the poison, and subsequently, trying to cover up the resulting scandal.
According to Ward, "Starting in the late 1990s, St. Louis-based Monsanto--now called Old Monsanto--engaged in a complex series of spinoffs, name changes and corporate buyouts to distance itself from potentially massive environmental liabilities."
Not too honest, huh? I don't think it's too damn decent, either.
As for courage? "Officials from Monsanto did not return phone calls Friday afternoon." Hmmm....
They have been consistant is denying their liability for the last 50 years, so I guess one out of four ain't bad.
Unless you're a resident of Nitro.
"Integrity includes
honesty
decency
consistency and
courage"
Some folks at Monsanto apparently haven't been following the pledge too closely. Or at least they weren't when they were releasing tons of the super-dangerous chemical by-product dioxin into tiny Nitro, WV and its environs.
According to this depressing report by The Charleston Gazette's top environmental reporter, Ken Ward, Jr., the company is being sued by Nitro residents for releasing the poison, and subsequently, trying to cover up the resulting scandal.
According to Ward, "Starting in the late 1990s, St. Louis-based Monsanto--now called Old Monsanto--engaged in a complex series of spinoffs, name changes and corporate buyouts to distance itself from potentially massive environmental liabilities."
Not too honest, huh? I don't think it's too damn decent, either.
As for courage? "Officials from Monsanto did not return phone calls Friday afternoon." Hmmm....
They have been consistant is denying their liability for the last 50 years, so I guess one out of four ain't bad.
Unless you're a resident of Nitro.
Brrrrrrrrrrr.
Man, is it cold today. Last night a winter front swept into the D.C. area, bringing with it bitter temperatures in the teens (and wind chills in the single-digits). Right now it's 13 degrees. For the first time I miss California weather....
Must...not...forget $600K condos.....Keep...perspective.....
perspective...freezing...as is...ass....
Must...not...forget $600K condos.....Keep...perspective.....
perspective...freezing...as is...ass....
12/17/2004
Only Americans Need Apply
While I was applying to get insurance coverage for our house, the insurance agent and I had the following conversation:
Agent: "In accordance with the Patriot Act, are you and your wife both American citizens?"
Me: "Umm....yes. [pause] So I guess a lot of terrorists are signing up for home insurance these days?"
Agent: "Well, we have to refuse to write coverage for persons from certain geographic areas."
Me: "What areas?"
Agent: "I can't reveal that information; although I will say that most of them are in the Middle East."
Me: "So if my wife was Saudi Arabian or Iraqi you wouldn't give us house insurance."
Agent: "We wouldn't write the policy, no."
Me: "That's terrible."
Agent: "Yeah. We refused coverage a week ago to a couple because the wife was Cuban, even though she had been in America for 20 years."
Me: "Are you serious? That's unbelievable."
Agent: "Yeah."
What the hell is going on in this country people? THIS IS INSANE!!!!!!!
Agent: "In accordance with the Patriot Act, are you and your wife both American citizens?"
Me: "Umm....yes. [pause] So I guess a lot of terrorists are signing up for home insurance these days?"
Agent: "Well, we have to refuse to write coverage for persons from certain geographic areas."
Me: "What areas?"
Agent: "I can't reveal that information; although I will say that most of them are in the Middle East."
Me: "So if my wife was Saudi Arabian or Iraqi you wouldn't give us house insurance."
Agent: "We wouldn't write the policy, no."
Me: "That's terrible."
Agent: "Yeah. We refused coverage a week ago to a couple because the wife was Cuban, even though she had been in America for 20 years."
Me: "Are you serious? That's unbelievable."
Agent: "Yeah."
What the hell is going on in this country people? THIS IS INSANE!!!!!!!
12/14/2004
Inspection...check. Termite inspection...check.
The home and termite inspections turned out about typically for a 53-year-old house. Needs: new windows, new furnace (although it could hang in there for quite a while, you never know), paint to cover up the lavender walls. Nothing too crazy, thank goodness. The electrical systems were pretty top notch, with proper grounding and no aluminum wiring anywhere (woo hoo!).
Now we just have to pay more money than we ever have for anything and close on this sucka.
Thanks to Jen, Gabe, Anne, Sarah, and Jane for the comments....we miss you guys terribly and of course you are all ALWAYS welcome to visit scenic Silver Spring! (You may want to check out our humble neighbor, Washington, DC, while you're here....he he.)
Come visit soon!!!!
Now we just have to pay more money than we ever have for anything and close on this sucka.
Thanks to Jen, Gabe, Anne, Sarah, and Jane for the comments....we miss you guys terribly and of course you are all ALWAYS welcome to visit scenic Silver Spring! (You may want to check out our humble neighbor, Washington, DC, while you're here....he he.)
Come visit soon!!!!
12/10/2004
The Old Homestead
Well, we went ahead and done it. We bought a house.
Barring any major catastrophes during inspection and closing, this little house will be ours by the first of the year.
We are psyched about the house, which is a 3bd/2ba with GIANT finished basement and cool new brushed metal stove and fridge, and the neighborhood is just our speed. Everyone keeps up their yards and it's close in to D.C. (The house is located in the Woodmoor area of Silver Spring, right outside the Beltway.)
Goodbye, loud downstairs neighbors!
For more photos, click here.
Barring any major catastrophes during inspection and closing, this little house will be ours by the first of the year.
We are psyched about the house, which is a 3bd/2ba with GIANT finished basement and cool new brushed metal stove and fridge, and the neighborhood is just our speed. Everyone keeps up their yards and it's close in to D.C. (The house is located in the Woodmoor area of Silver Spring, right outside the Beltway.)
Goodbye, loud downstairs neighbors!
For more photos, click here.
12/09/2004
Dimebag Darrell, sanity dead in Ohio
I don't know if you have ever heard of the heavy metal band Pantera or not (probably not, as most of the readers here aren't down with Satan), but they were pretty groundbreaking in the genre. I was never a big fan, but you've got to hand it to them for sticking to their roots. When other "metal" bands were parading around in lipstick and makeup, looking like Capp street queenies with Les Pauls strapped around their necks, these guys were decapitating audiences with a no-compromize brand of bone-crushing destructo-grind that stood the test of time and made them gods in the heavy metal world.
Then they broke up.
Well, apparently, that shit didn't sit too well with Marysville, Ohio, resident Nathan Gale, 25. Last night he took to the stage of former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell's new band, Damageplan, and shot the six-stringer dead. WHAT THE HELL???????
We are living in a crazy, crazy world, folks. I mean, it really sucked when Metallica totally sold out after "...and Justice for All." But does James Hetfield deserve to die just because he decided to make wimp rock? Of course not. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?????
Since a cop on the scene rightfully blasted Gale back to Hell where he belongs, we'll never know exactly what was up in this wack-o's brain that convinced him that breaking up Pantera was such an affront to humanity that someone, specifically, Dimebag Darrell, had to pay with his life. But what is horribly conveyed by this twisted, beyond-Spinal-Tap insanity is that we live in a world of massive fuck-ups, so please be careful out there people.
I hope you all will cherish every minute of life, because you never know what...or who...is waiting for you around the corner.
Then they broke up.
Well, apparently, that shit didn't sit too well with Marysville, Ohio, resident Nathan Gale, 25. Last night he took to the stage of former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell's new band, Damageplan, and shot the six-stringer dead. WHAT THE HELL???????
We are living in a crazy, crazy world, folks. I mean, it really sucked when Metallica totally sold out after "...and Justice for All." But does James Hetfield deserve to die just because he decided to make wimp rock? Of course not. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?????
Since a cop on the scene rightfully blasted Gale back to Hell where he belongs, we'll never know exactly what was up in this wack-o's brain that convinced him that breaking up Pantera was such an affront to humanity that someone, specifically, Dimebag Darrell, had to pay with his life. But what is horribly conveyed by this twisted, beyond-Spinal-Tap insanity is that we live in a world of massive fuck-ups, so please be careful out there people.
I hope you all will cherish every minute of life, because you never know what...or who...is waiting for you around the corner.
12/07/2004
People are disgusting pigs.
Jenny and I are trying to find a house to buy, and so we've been looking around the area at homes for sale. Nothing has struck us so far, other than one house that was on the verge of out of our price range that we made a laughable offer on (and, of course, didn't get).
What has struck me, though, is that apparently, most people are lazy and disgusting. I'm not talking about leaving-dishes-in-the-sink-for-one-day-too-long disgusting. I'm talking about having-a-layer-of-grease-all-over-every-surface-in-the-kitchen-so-thick-that-you-could-measure-it-with-a-ruler disgusting. I'm talking about carving-your-name-in-the-bedroom-door-with-a-pocketknife disgusting. I'm talking about what-the-fuck-is-that-on-the-bathroom-floor disgusting (see photo).
When I saw the house in that photo, I asked my agent if it was rented out. "No," he calmly replied. "They're the owners."
Are these people really stupid enough to throw away tens of thousands of potential added dollars to the asking price of their house because they're too lazy to pick up a mop? Yes, apparently, they are.
The good news: still haven't topped the dog-shit-covering-the-entire-basement-floor Oakland house yet.
What has struck me, though, is that apparently, most people are lazy and disgusting. I'm not talking about leaving-dishes-in-the-sink-for-one-day-too-long disgusting. I'm talking about having-a-layer-of-grease-all-over-every-surface-in-the-kitchen-so-thick-that-you-could-measure-it-with-a-ruler disgusting. I'm talking about carving-your-name-in-the-bedroom-door-with-a-pocketknife disgusting. I'm talking about what-the-fuck-is-that-on-the-bathroom-floor disgusting (see photo).
When I saw the house in that photo, I asked my agent if it was rented out. "No," he calmly replied. "They're the owners."
Are these people really stupid enough to throw away tens of thousands of potential added dollars to the asking price of their house because they're too lazy to pick up a mop? Yes, apparently, they are.
The good news: still haven't topped the dog-shit-covering-the-entire-basement-floor Oakland house yet.
12/03/2004
How much does a Schwinn Stingray really cost?
"It may not be the engineering marvel that was the old Schwinn, but it retails at Wal-Mart for $180, about a third of the original's price in today's dollars."
Of course, it's not a real Schwinn, it's just using that brand name, which Pacific Cycle, a Canadian conglomerate, bought in 2001 after the orginal, family-owned, U.S.-based company went bankrupt.
At its peak, the Chicago-based Schwinn company employed about 2000 mostly high-school educated workers, paying them a decent salary, and making great bikes. Now a Chinese factory makes the bikes and a Canadian firm gets the profits. (For the whole Schwinn story in the Washington Post, click here.)
The worst part of this story is that this Christmas the American workers who lost their good-paying jobs to foreign, bottom-of-the-barrel labor pools will be forced to buy foreign-made TVs, DVD players, and, yes, bikes, because that's all they can afford on their measly $5.50/hr. incomes at Wal-Mart. At least they get the employee discount, right?
Today, 99% of the bicycles sold in the U.S. are manufactured overseas. That figure boggles the mind.
This holiday season, I hope that those of you who are able to will join me in making an effort to avoid Wal-Mart and the other mega discount chains and buy your gifts from American companies (and especially small businesses) who still make most of their products in this country. The Internet makes finding them easier than ever. Here are some of cool, American companies:
Carhartt (Fuck Dickies. They import everything.)
American Apparel (Proving that a tee-shirt doesn't have to come from El Salvador.)
Gibson guitars (Only their Epiphone line is made abroad.)
Venture Snowboards (I don't even snowboard, but if you do, check these guys out—made in Colorado.)
Manhattan Portage (Great bags, made in USA!)
As for the 1% of bikes still made in this country....
Waterford (This is the Schwinn family's new business, which caters to high-end bikers.)
Merlin (Sponsor of the West Virginia Road Team!)
Calfee Design
Cannondale
Serotta
Trek (Trek's high-end bikes are made in U.S.)
Check out the US Stuff product list for hundreds of links to American made products.
If you have any favorite companies that make their products with American labor, comment here and let us know!
Of course, these days it's impossible to buy 100% American goods (try finding a camera made in this country, for example). But by supporting the companies that do employ our friends and neighbors (and us!), we can show that you can, indeed, make profitable products without going to Asia and exploiting their people.
Of course, it's not a real Schwinn, it's just using that brand name, which Pacific Cycle, a Canadian conglomerate, bought in 2001 after the orginal, family-owned, U.S.-based company went bankrupt.
At its peak, the Chicago-based Schwinn company employed about 2000 mostly high-school educated workers, paying them a decent salary, and making great bikes. Now a Chinese factory makes the bikes and a Canadian firm gets the profits. (For the whole Schwinn story in the Washington Post, click here.)
The worst part of this story is that this Christmas the American workers who lost their good-paying jobs to foreign, bottom-of-the-barrel labor pools will be forced to buy foreign-made TVs, DVD players, and, yes, bikes, because that's all they can afford on their measly $5.50/hr. incomes at Wal-Mart. At least they get the employee discount, right?
Today, 99% of the bicycles sold in the U.S. are manufactured overseas. That figure boggles the mind.
This holiday season, I hope that those of you who are able to will join me in making an effort to avoid Wal-Mart and the other mega discount chains and buy your gifts from American companies (and especially small businesses) who still make most of their products in this country. The Internet makes finding them easier than ever. Here are some of cool, American companies:
Carhartt (Fuck Dickies. They import everything.)
American Apparel (Proving that a tee-shirt doesn't have to come from El Salvador.)
Gibson guitars (Only their Epiphone line is made abroad.)
Venture Snowboards (I don't even snowboard, but if you do, check these guys out—made in Colorado.)
Manhattan Portage (Great bags, made in USA!)
As for the 1% of bikes still made in this country....
Waterford (This is the Schwinn family's new business, which caters to high-end bikers.)
Merlin (Sponsor of the West Virginia Road Team!)
Calfee Design
Cannondale
Serotta
Trek (Trek's high-end bikes are made in U.S.)
Check out the US Stuff product list for hundreds of links to American made products.
If you have any favorite companies that make their products with American labor, comment here and let us know!
Of course, these days it's impossible to buy 100% American goods (try finding a camera made in this country, for example). But by supporting the companies that do employ our friends and neighbors (and us!), we can show that you can, indeed, make profitable products without going to Asia and exploiting their people.
12/02/2004
Sweet mother of God, no.
My psuedo-sister, Suzi, turned me onto this grossness: According to BoingBoing.com, a company in South Korea will gold-plate your child's umbilical cord and frame it for display. They call it a "Blinged-out baby umbilical cord gift atrocity," and I couldn't agree more.
According to the site, "Among new mothers, ordering a custom souvenir made from an anatomical part of their babies appears to be a growing trend. An increasing number of companies are finding profits in processing umbilical cords and hair from newborns." What's the deal Koreans? You can't just have creepy bronzed baby shoes like the rest of us? You just know that some entreprenuer somewhere in Asia is gearing up the placenta-o-matic plating machines as we speak. Yuk.
11/30/2004
Who knew?
When calculating for gain in an audio amplifier stage that includes resistances in parallel, you have to take the reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocals of the individual resistors. Duh!
Hence, Gain=(75K OHMS)||(100K OHMS)||(1.47M OHMS)/(1/1400 uMHOS + 0 OHMS)=58.3
OR
Gain=(1/(1/75000+1/100000+1/1470000))/(1/.0014)=58.3
Hence, Gain=(75K OHMS)||(100K OHMS)||(1.47M OHMS)/(1/1400 uMHOS + 0 OHMS)=58.3
OR
Gain=(1/(1/75000+1/100000+1/1470000))/(1/.0014)=58.3
11/28/2004
I must be in front row!
Jenny and I went to San Diego to visit her parents and sister for Thanksgiving. We had a nice time (she's actually returning tomorrow) and ate too much, of course.
I scored first-class tickets both ways by cashing in a bunch (30,000) of MilagePlus miles on United. It was worth every mile cashed in, as anyone who has ever flown in a cramped coach cabin across the country can attest. For those not experienced in the front cabin experience, here's an inside view: Hot fudge sundae, hand-made? But I'm still sipping my after-dinner champagne! Well, twist my arm....
As they say in your country: schweet!
I scored first-class tickets both ways by cashing in a bunch (30,000) of MilagePlus miles on United. It was worth every mile cashed in, as anyone who has ever flown in a cramped coach cabin across the country can attest. For those not experienced in the front cabin experience, here's an inside view: Hot fudge sundae, hand-made? But I'm still sipping my after-dinner champagne! Well, twist my arm....
As they say in your country: schweet!
11/24/2004
More cowbell.
Cowbell.com supplies sheep, goat and cow bells used for sporting events, promotion gifts, cheerleading, dog training, and the Olympics!
Rock. On.
Rock. On.
11/23/2004
Black Velvet!
Yum!
Warning: Don't get started reading through all the weekly cocktails on this site or you'll be sucked in for hours....
Also, you MUST check out this bizarre Cinzano ad (click on the "Zoom" button to watch it). Those Italians are something else, man.
Warning: Don't get started reading through all the weekly cocktails on this site or you'll be sucked in for hours....
Also, you MUST check out this bizarre Cinzano ad (click on the "Zoom" button to watch it). Those Italians are something else, man.
Exhausted!
I haven't been sleeping too well lately. I think it's a mental thing having to do with my abhorrence to neighbors' sounds past 11:00 p.m. Thanks to the unwashed Dungeons and Dragons geek and his cackling bitch of a girlfriend who lived under us in Oakland, I'm now super-conditioned to become enraged at the slightest noise from neighboring apartments. This is not good.
Even when the folks are just making normal apartment noise (no thumping bass, thank god), it keeps me up because I'm mentally bracing myself for the next sound. I've tried to Zen out to no avail. Calgon take me away! I've half a mind to buy one of those white noise machines for the bedroom, but I don't want to spend that dough if the things don't work. Have any of you tried them? Help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope....
Even when the folks are just making normal apartment noise (no thumping bass, thank god), it keeps me up because I'm mentally bracing myself for the next sound. I've tried to Zen out to no avail. Calgon take me away! I've half a mind to buy one of those white noise machines for the bedroom, but I don't want to spend that dough if the things don't work. Have any of you tried them? Help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope....
11/19/2004
Register no more
I found this cool site in this month's WIRED magazine. In a nutshell, it supplies you with log-ins and passwords to free sites that require registration. Everyone justs puts in bullshit information anyway, so it saves a lot of time. The site does not give out registration info or passwords to sites that charge for access. The next time you go to a site that wants you to register before you can read its articles (more and more newspapers' sites are doing this), give bugmenot.com a try.
11/17/2004
New York City!
Just got back from four days in NYC at the 2004 Folio:Show magazine convention. A couple of the seminar speakers presented useful information, but too many of them seemed to have made up their presentations the night before. That's not cool when people (or their companies) are paying more than a grand to attend this thing.
Met up with my friend Nevena while there and we got some yummy paella at a Spanish restaurant in the Village. The restaurant's name? La Paella. Catchy, huh?
I stayed at the Herald Square Hotel, which was only a little over a hundred dollars a night, yet not in the hood. It was also clean and the staff was friendly. I can recommend it for those going to NYC on a budget. My room had two double beds and a private bathroom and was fine by all accounts.
I also ate at a Turkish restaurant called the Turkish Kitchen. (NYC is not so original in the restaurant naming area, as it turns out.) The food was the most original and tasty I've had in recent memory. If you have occasion to be in New York, you must try this place!
Met up with my friend Nevena while there and we got some yummy paella at a Spanish restaurant in the Village. The restaurant's name? La Paella. Catchy, huh?
I stayed at the Herald Square Hotel, which was only a little over a hundred dollars a night, yet not in the hood. It was also clean and the staff was friendly. I can recommend it for those going to NYC on a budget. My room had two double beds and a private bathroom and was fine by all accounts.
I also ate at a Turkish restaurant called the Turkish Kitchen. (NYC is not so original in the restaurant naming area, as it turns out.) The food was the most original and tasty I've had in recent memory. If you have occasion to be in New York, you must try this place!
11/12/2004
Blech! Rain!
Today the weather here in D.C. is cold, rainy, and pretty miserable all around. I had a couple of comp days coming from my last business trip to NYC, so I took today off to write a story for FRETS. When Jenny gets home, we'll curl up with a video and some cocoa or something. ¡Qué romántico!
11/10/2004
Saved!
Last night Jenny and I watched the DVD of Saved!, the movie about a pious girl at a Christian school who gets pregnant by her gay boyfriend. Many hijinx ensue, of course. It started out pretty funny, in an independent film kind of way, but got progressively schlockier as the film wore on, until it morphed into just another feel-good, stupid teen Hollywood movie. Disappointing.
The premise of the movie, though was very true-to-life. If you've ever been exposed to these crazy, ultra-Christian youth groups and their insane brainwashing, you'll recognize that the film's directors did their homework. During middle and high school, I was sucked into this freaky world in a big way, even going so far as to be appointed to the WV state Baptist youth council (the committee of young people who plan all the year's events throughout the state).
The way these churches suck in impressionable youth is pretty insidious, really. They use peer-pressure, parties, and what seems to a 15-year old kid as compassion to lure you in, and before you know it, you're learning how to hate, instead of love. You're programmed to believe that Jesus is the only one who really loves you, that you should devote every waking second to Jesus and Jesus alone, and that he's always watching you. Then the real hate kicks in: The gays are going to Hell. The Catholics are going to Hell. The Rock and Rollers are going to Hell. The abortionists are going to Hell. African pygmies, the poor things, are going to Hell. One might ask, "who isn't going to Hell? The answer, of course, is "just us."
Thank god I had the miracle that is freedom-loving, open-minded parents as a counter-balance at home. Still, looking back, I have to cringe at my naivete. Some sore spots between the church and me: heavy metal music, abortion rights, my refusal to sign anti-porn petitions and join anti-porn boycotts, and the fact that they thought all my Catholic relatives were going to hell.
That's the ugly secret behind this brand of evangelical religion, they use hate and fear to motivate people instead of compassion and love. (Sound familiar since Nov. 2?) It's pretty sick when you think about it, and what's more, if they really believed in Jesus, they wouldn't do it. (Does "love thy neighbor as thyself" ring a bell?)
The premise of the movie, though was very true-to-life. If you've ever been exposed to these crazy, ultra-Christian youth groups and their insane brainwashing, you'll recognize that the film's directors did their homework. During middle and high school, I was sucked into this freaky world in a big way, even going so far as to be appointed to the WV state Baptist youth council (the committee of young people who plan all the year's events throughout the state).
The way these churches suck in impressionable youth is pretty insidious, really. They use peer-pressure, parties, and what seems to a 15-year old kid as compassion to lure you in, and before you know it, you're learning how to hate, instead of love. You're programmed to believe that Jesus is the only one who really loves you, that you should devote every waking second to Jesus and Jesus alone, and that he's always watching you. Then the real hate kicks in: The gays are going to Hell. The Catholics are going to Hell. The Rock and Rollers are going to Hell. The abortionists are going to Hell. African pygmies, the poor things, are going to Hell. One might ask, "who isn't going to Hell? The answer, of course, is "just us."
Thank god I had the miracle that is freedom-loving, open-minded parents as a counter-balance at home. Still, looking back, I have to cringe at my naivete. Some sore spots between the church and me: heavy metal music, abortion rights, my refusal to sign anti-porn petitions and join anti-porn boycotts, and the fact that they thought all my Catholic relatives were going to hell.
That's the ugly secret behind this brand of evangelical religion, they use hate and fear to motivate people instead of compassion and love. (Sound familiar since Nov. 2?) It's pretty sick when you think about it, and what's more, if they really believed in Jesus, they wouldn't do it. (Does "love thy neighbor as thyself" ring a bell?)
11/08/2004
More Guitar Player and Frets articles on the way
I'm still getting work from GP and Frets, so I guess they like my writing. My Reverend Horton Heat article was held over until the January issue, and I'll be doing a BUZZ section article on this cool, instrumental band called Grails in the same issue. I've also been contracted to write a fairly long story on an expert guitar inlay artist for Frets. Let's hope the assignments keep on comin'!
11/05/2004
My mom deals it like it is from a Red state
My mom is fantastic. She worked her butt off for Kerry's campaign in WV, and she should serve as a reminder to us in the majority-sane Blue states that it's not just stupid, bigoted hicks living in Redland. The following is her amazing letter to the editor of the Washington Post. I don't know if they'll have the guts to print it, but I sure want to show her off. Here it is:
Dear Sir:
I respectfully ask that you publish the following letter to President Bush from me. This is the only way that I think anyone will see it.
Thank You.
President Bush:
The people of this country have just given you permission to do whatever you want. I just hope I can live long enough to see them get what they have coming.
I hope it will be worth it to them to see the middle class completely destroyed just as long as they can keep homosexuals from marrying and put abortion back in the back alleys for everyone except the wealthy.
I can’t wait to see the only jobs ordinary people will have will be serving you and your rich friends for $5.00 an hour, which is what this country is coming to.
I can’t wait to hear the old people crying because they have nothing to live on because Social Security has been destroyed by you. We have it coming.
I hope all the parents who are willing to give up their children in Iraq just so you can get the oil for Halliburton and Cheney will still feel that way when their kids’ body parts come back because there was no armor on their vehicles. I don’t blame you for not giving them the equipment they needed to fight this unjust war. None of your friends or their children are over there.
You were right when you said you had been given the capital and you were going to spend it. Oh, and you are right, we don’t deserve health care, because we think it is more important that no one is going to take away our right to own any kind of weapon we want to keep in our homes. If we don’t have the money to buy insurance, we don’t deserve health care.
In this country from now on it is survival of the fittest and God help the poor and the sick because, in this society, no one else is going to. Have at it, Mr. Bush, and have fun.
Your humble servant and member of the dead middle class of America,
Pat V.
I love you mom! Jenny and I are so proud of you! Never give up the fight!
Dear Sir:
I respectfully ask that you publish the following letter to President Bush from me. This is the only way that I think anyone will see it.
Thank You.
President Bush:
The people of this country have just given you permission to do whatever you want. I just hope I can live long enough to see them get what they have coming.
I hope it will be worth it to them to see the middle class completely destroyed just as long as they can keep homosexuals from marrying and put abortion back in the back alleys for everyone except the wealthy.
I can’t wait to see the only jobs ordinary people will have will be serving you and your rich friends for $5.00 an hour, which is what this country is coming to.
I can’t wait to hear the old people crying because they have nothing to live on because Social Security has been destroyed by you. We have it coming.
I hope all the parents who are willing to give up their children in Iraq just so you can get the oil for Halliburton and Cheney will still feel that way when their kids’ body parts come back because there was no armor on their vehicles. I don’t blame you for not giving them the equipment they needed to fight this unjust war. None of your friends or their children are over there.
You were right when you said you had been given the capital and you were going to spend it. Oh, and you are right, we don’t deserve health care, because we think it is more important that no one is going to take away our right to own any kind of weapon we want to keep in our homes. If we don’t have the money to buy insurance, we don’t deserve health care.
In this country from now on it is survival of the fittest and God help the poor and the sick because, in this society, no one else is going to. Have at it, Mr. Bush, and have fun.
Your humble servant and member of the dead middle class of America,
Pat V.
I love you mom! Jenny and I are so proud of you! Never give up the fight!
11/04/2004
Screw depression! 2006 Baby!
Okay, folks, you've had enough time to wallow in your sorrow. There's work to do. We've got a Congressional election coming up in two years, and we're already behind the 8-ball, so let's get cracking.
Step 1: Write an email to the DNC demanding the ouster of Chairman Terry McAuliff, who is a fundraiser, not a strategist. We need someone with long-term plans and the cojones to make them happen.
Step 2: Quit bitching to the opposition's supporters. They don't want to hear it. Instead, offer solutions. Suggesting that "isn't it a shame Johnny lost his job? You'd think the congress could do better, huh?" is better than, "Johnny fucking deserved to lose his job, think he's happy about Bush now?" I know the latter is MUCH more satisfying, but it's less effective. Plant doubt in the common voter's perception of their Republican congressional representation, and it just may stick in 2006.
Step 3: Donate your time and money to Moveon.org and the DNC (but not until McAuliff is fired).
We can do this. It took the Republicans 40 years to get control of the House. We can't wait that long to get it back!
Step 1: Write an email to the DNC demanding the ouster of Chairman Terry McAuliff, who is a fundraiser, not a strategist. We need someone with long-term plans and the cojones to make them happen.
Step 2: Quit bitching to the opposition's supporters. They don't want to hear it. Instead, offer solutions. Suggesting that "isn't it a shame Johnny lost his job? You'd think the congress could do better, huh?" is better than, "Johnny fucking deserved to lose his job, think he's happy about Bush now?" I know the latter is MUCH more satisfying, but it's less effective. Plant doubt in the common voter's perception of their Republican congressional representation, and it just may stick in 2006.
Step 3: Donate your time and money to Moveon.org and the DNC (but not until McAuliff is fired).
We can do this. It took the Republicans 40 years to get control of the House. We can't wait that long to get it back!
11/03/2004
Fear defeats hope
It goes without saying that I am disheartened and disappointed. It breaks my heart that the Republicans and George W. Bush have transformed my country into a land ruled by fear.
Last night it became readily apparent that a majority (a slim majority, but a majority nonetheless) of the people in the United States are driven not by hope of what's to come, but rather by fear of what could be. The message the Republicans were able to drive home with 58,319,499 of our fellow citizens was this:
The terrorists are coming: Be afraid.
The homosexuals are coming: Be afraid.
The abortionists are coming: Be afraid.
The gun ban is coming: Be afraid.
They'll take your Bibles away: Be afraid.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, a man who no one would argue faced some of the most dreadful times the world has ever known, said the immortal words, "All we have to fear is fear itself." It's staggering that the exact opposite message would resonate so deeply with so many of our fellow citizens. Maybe that's why I'm so disappointed. I thought we were braver than that.
Last night it became readily apparent that a majority (a slim majority, but a majority nonetheless) of the people in the United States are driven not by hope of what's to come, but rather by fear of what could be. The message the Republicans were able to drive home with 58,319,499 of our fellow citizens was this:
The terrorists are coming: Be afraid.
The homosexuals are coming: Be afraid.
The abortionists are coming: Be afraid.
The gun ban is coming: Be afraid.
They'll take your Bibles away: Be afraid.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, a man who no one would argue faced some of the most dreadful times the world has ever known, said the immortal words, "All we have to fear is fear itself." It's staggering that the exact opposite message would resonate so deeply with so many of our fellow citizens. Maybe that's why I'm so disappointed. I thought we were braver than that.
11/02/2004
Vote!!!!!!
I'm sure I don't need to remind you, but this election is kind of important. YOU HAVE NOTHING...I REPEAT....NOTHING BETTER TO DO TODAY THAN VOTE. Unless you're a Republican. You all can stay home.
11/01/2004
Pre-election day material happiness list
Okay, with an hour to go before election day, I thought I'd list 10 things that bring me joy, just in case I need a pick-me-up after tomorrow. I'm not listing family or friends in this list because if I need a pick-me-up tomorrow, so will they, and that won't do anyone any good. With that in mind, here are the 10 material things that make me the most happy:
1. Gibson Les Paul guitars
2. Playing through an amp I made with my own two hands
3. "All Hail the Black Market" by the Archers of Loaf
4. Dooce.com
5. AX84.com
6. Being able to read El Mundo and La Nueva España on the Net
7. The Asturian-American Migration Forum
8. My iBook G4
9. iPod Mini
10. Port wine
Not an all-exclusive list, by any means, but if I was stuck with any three of the ten on this list, my psyche could survive. Here's to hoping that I won't have to refer back to this post.
1. Gibson Les Paul guitars
2. Playing through an amp I made with my own two hands
3. "All Hail the Black Market" by the Archers of Loaf
4. Dooce.com
5. AX84.com
6. Being able to read El Mundo and La Nueva España on the Net
7. The Asturian-American Migration Forum
8. My iBook G4
9. iPod Mini
10. Port wine
Not an all-exclusive list, by any means, but if I was stuck with any three of the ten on this list, my psyche could survive. Here's to hoping that I won't have to refer back to this post.
10/31/2004
Dear California Lesbian Friends: Did your $25,000 check arrive yet?
I thought I'd seen it all from the disgusting vat of vile, ignorant, scum-ridden puspool that is midwestern Republicanism, but this whack-job takes the cake:
[From Salon.com--full story]
"Jesus! Jesus!" screamed 26-year-old Joe Robles, pointing to his Bush-Cheney sign. "The man stands for God," he said of the president. "We want somebody who stands for Jesus. I always vote my Christian morals." Robles, a student at Ohio State University, told me that Kerry's daughter is a lesbian. I said I thought that was Dick Cheney's daughter, but he shook his head no with confidence.
Robles said that Kerry would make it illegal for preachers to say that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. In California, he informed me gravely, such preaching has been deemed a hate crime, and pastors who indulge in it are fined $25,000, which "goes to lesbians."
I don't know about all California lesbians, but the ones I know deserve much more than $25,000 apiece, just for having to put up with ignorant, simple-minded, culturally retarded, cowardly shitheads like this every day of their lives.
[From Salon.com--full story]
"Jesus! Jesus!" screamed 26-year-old Joe Robles, pointing to his Bush-Cheney sign. "The man stands for God," he said of the president. "We want somebody who stands for Jesus. I always vote my Christian morals." Robles, a student at Ohio State University, told me that Kerry's daughter is a lesbian. I said I thought that was Dick Cheney's daughter, but he shook his head no with confidence.
Robles said that Kerry would make it illegal for preachers to say that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. In California, he informed me gravely, such preaching has been deemed a hate crime, and pastors who indulge in it are fined $25,000, which "goes to lesbians."
I don't know about all California lesbians, but the ones I know deserve much more than $25,000 apiece, just for having to put up with ignorant, simple-minded, culturally retarded, cowardly shitheads like this every day of their lives.
10/29/2004
Thanks, Mom! (Volunteering for Kerry)
Well, I went to Kerry/Edwards national headquarters last night after work and volunteered for a couple hours. I was inspired by my Mom, who has been doing the same thing in West Virginia for a few weeks now. You're the best, Mom!!!!
I manned the phones, calling non-senior voters in Jacksonville Florida to get them to early vote (if, they were for Kerry, that is). I didn't get ahold of too many people, and most of the ones I did were voting for Bush. :-|
Still, it felt good to volunteer for the cause. God I hope Kerry wins so I can go up to every smug ass Republican I see and go, "FACE!"
I manned the phones, calling non-senior voters in Jacksonville Florida to get them to early vote (if, they were for Kerry, that is). I didn't get ahold of too many people, and most of the ones I did were voting for Bush. :-|
Still, it felt good to volunteer for the cause. God I hope Kerry wins so I can go up to every smug ass Republican I see and go, "FACE!"
10/28/2004
"Caging Lists" are unAmerican, Mr. Bush
A damning investigative report from the BBC's Greg Palast provides even more evidence that if the Republicans can't win an election, they'll just steal it. According to Palast's report, the Republican party in Florida is developing what's called a "caging list" that will be used to disenfranchise thousands of black, Democrat voters...again.
The deal is this: In Florida, among other states, it is perfectly legal to challenge a voter's eligibility right there at the polls, preventing him or her from voting. The challenged voter then receives a "provisional" ballot to take home and fill out; a ballot that usually ends up in the trash can right outside the voting booth. The real problem though, Palast says, is that the goal of the Republicans is not to directly disenfranchise these voters (although that's a convenient benefit for them), but rather to gum up the works, so to speak.
In places like Jacksonville, the Republican-controlled state government has ensured that thousands of minority neighborhoods have insufficient voting areas, causing long lines and substantial waits to vote. Challenging voters at the ballot box will cause massive delays that the Republicans hope will grind the system to a halt and yet again, lose thousands of votes for the Democratic candidate.
Palast's report goes on to bring to light the voter intimidation and outright fraud currently occuring in Florida. For example, Palast confronts a mysterious man caught outside an early voting area videotaping every voter who enters and exits the polling place. He is driving an unmarked, black SUV with blacked-out windows, and he admits to Palast that he is a professional privite investigator. He somehow forgets the name of his employer, though. I have a feeling that he wasn't hired by the Rainbow Coalition.
Additionally, a county election chief's daughter was the victim of a scam wherein she was tricked into signing what she thought was a petition to legalize medical marijuana. Instead the document was a voter registration for Tampa, hundreds of miles from where she lived. This would invalidate her vote in both places. Jeb Bush's government says that they don't have time to track down the con artists right now. Hmmm... Luckily, her father caught the scam in time, but how many other young, left-leaning students have a nasty surprise awaiting them at the polls on Tuesday?
You can, and should, view the video report here. It will be the lead on BBC News tonight, but don't look for it on your local ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, or god forbid, FOX affiliate: The Republican National Committee has threatened to block access to sources and candidates to the BBC if they air it, so you can imagine that the same goes for our "news" outlets.
[Breaking news] Jeb Bush supports challenging voters at the polls...what a surprise!
The deal is this: In Florida, among other states, it is perfectly legal to challenge a voter's eligibility right there at the polls, preventing him or her from voting. The challenged voter then receives a "provisional" ballot to take home and fill out; a ballot that usually ends up in the trash can right outside the voting booth. The real problem though, Palast says, is that the goal of the Republicans is not to directly disenfranchise these voters (although that's a convenient benefit for them), but rather to gum up the works, so to speak.
In places like Jacksonville, the Republican-controlled state government has ensured that thousands of minority neighborhoods have insufficient voting areas, causing long lines and substantial waits to vote. Challenging voters at the ballot box will cause massive delays that the Republicans hope will grind the system to a halt and yet again, lose thousands of votes for the Democratic candidate.
Palast's report goes on to bring to light the voter intimidation and outright fraud currently occuring in Florida. For example, Palast confronts a mysterious man caught outside an early voting area videotaping every voter who enters and exits the polling place. He is driving an unmarked, black SUV with blacked-out windows, and he admits to Palast that he is a professional privite investigator. He somehow forgets the name of his employer, though. I have a feeling that he wasn't hired by the Rainbow Coalition.
Additionally, a county election chief's daughter was the victim of a scam wherein she was tricked into signing what she thought was a petition to legalize medical marijuana. Instead the document was a voter registration for Tampa, hundreds of miles from where she lived. This would invalidate her vote in both places. Jeb Bush's government says that they don't have time to track down the con artists right now. Hmmm... Luckily, her father caught the scam in time, but how many other young, left-leaning students have a nasty surprise awaiting them at the polls on Tuesday?
You can, and should, view the video report here. It will be the lead on BBC News tonight, but don't look for it on your local ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, or god forbid, FOX affiliate: The Republican National Committee has threatened to block access to sources and candidates to the BBC if they air it, so you can imagine that the same goes for our "news" outlets.
[Breaking news] Jeb Bush supports challenging voters at the polls...what a surprise!
10/26/2004
10/24/2004
Joe gone. Jenny sad.
Joe's in NYC and I am left to my own devices here in DC. Went to Target (tar-JHA). Then went out to dinner with the ladies...had a good dinner at Sorriso, an Italian restaurant in Cleveland Park. Met a great woman who personally knows the person at the IRS who would need to file the papers for my not-for-profit to become "official." Then I went to this fellow David's house and he is in a band, owns his own recording studio and makes bass guitars. I am trying to hook him and Joe up...he even has industial space that he rents out and one of his renters makes acoustic guitars. I see some cool connections beginning to start. See Joe, I am your own personal marketing team! This other band, BluFunk also played at this house party tonight and they were really good....Who knew.
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