prhmusic

Project Status

2012-01-23T07:34:00.001-08:00

Briefly, here's my current CD to MP3 count:

Project Status

2012-01-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

I have continued my project of ripping CDs to MP3s. This is my count of *.mp3 and *.wav files on my external hard drive:

I am in the throes of the Is, meaning I just ripped a band called "Iron Maiden." Heard of them?

Hawkeyes Sinking

2012-01-16T18:41:00.000-08:00

This must be really frustrating. You go all the way to the Breslin Center in MI, you get all dressed up to play basketball and then... you play terrible, without intensity and without fight. And on top of all that, you just played a very good team a few days back and got stomped by them. The Iowa men's team is doing better than I thought they would. I didn't really give them a lot of pre-season love. I thought they might have potential to do better than last year, but I wouldn't place bets on it. The MSU lost is a low point to the season.

Down to Earth

2012-01-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

We're just an up and coming band, maybe we can open for you, if you'll have us.

Pet Peeve

2012-01-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

So here's the deal. I think that if you have a blog, you should write frequently. If you do not have anything to say, you should not have a blog. You should just give it up. I hate *HATE* going to a blog that hasn't been updated for a year or even more. The worst part is when you read an engaging entry. There was one blog I'm thinking of. It started out talking about how 6 months ago, she was engaged and now, she is single and not even speaking to him anymore. That was the ultimate cliffhanger and written months ago - like August 2011. And no updates since then.

None.

What the hell.

The people that make TV shows and movies are always giving us pseudo-cliffhangers. There's always a "is the story over or could they make a sequel" and sometimes you know it's coming before it arrives.

So, even though I have not posted since 1/1, I have been thinking about posting. I guess that counts for something, right? I have accumulated quite a few emails that I think would be excellent posts.

Projects in 2012

2012-01-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

As the new year begins, I have a couple of projects I am working on in my "spare" time. Before I started working on this projecct this AM, I did a DOS command to get the number of MP3s and WAV files on my external hard drive. I am tucking every thing I call my music collection under e:\music. As you can see, I have 21186 files!

In 2012 and beyond, I am converting my CD collection to MP3s. This is a fairly easy project because I use Windows Media Player to get all the release info and I just have to babysit the CD drive for when the CD is done. It takes ~10 minutes per CD so it's fairly easy to insert the CD, walk away and do something else and/or just wait.

My second project, that I haven't started yet, is I want to convert all my cassettes to MP3. http://www.cassettetousb.com/?tid=G07& is what I am pretty sure I am going to buy. I just need to make the plunge and plop down the $60 and do it. I have an Excel file where I listed out all of my cassettes. I have 1000 to convert. I am unsure exactly how I am going to approach it. I thought about having a separate sub-folder under e:\music for cassettes, but part of me would be okay with just including them all under e:\music. The other part of me wants to know how much hard drive space I will use for only cassettes. I have no idea the number of GBs I will use.

Quick Funny

2011-12-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

A married couple had been out shopping at the mall for most of the afternoon, suddenly, the wife realized that her husband had "disappeared". The somewhat irate spouse called her mate’s cell phone and demanded: Where the heck are you? Husband: Darling you remember that Jewelry shop where you saw the Diamond Necklace and totally fell in love with it and I didn't have money that time and I said Baby it'll be yours one day. Wife, with a smile blushing: Yes, I remember that my Love. Husband: Well, I'm in the Bar next to that shop.

Christmas is Coming!

2011-12-21T11:52:00.001-08:00

Drum Battle!

2011-12-15T17:58:00.001-08:00

A Day Off? Really?

2011-12-12T17:29:00.000-08:00

This is not a complaint, but I do not really like shopping. The whole materialistic attitude of the world is sickening. The deals you run into at the store are always encouraging you to spend more. If you spend this amount, you get this, but for $10 more, you get THAT, and THAT is much better.Yes, we ended up with THAT instead of this, which will make people I know happy.

On Friday, 12/9/11, I went with Chris and Phil to Waterloo to see Rains, Hatebreed, Sevendust, All That Remains, and Five Finger Death Punch. It was a good show. I got home at 2 AM and at 8:30 AM, I was on the road to Lynch in Mount Vernon, which was perfect because while I waited for the F-150 to have its oil changed and the tires rotated, I had about 1 hour to write my concert review. I wrote it longhand, which means that it will be edited heavily when transcribing it into the PC.That's the way I usually work. My rough draft, when handwritten, gets plenty of editing when I am typing it into the PC, which is good. I was reading where the "problem" with computers is that writers think their first draft is their final draft. I don't really have that issue. I do edit a lot. Sometimes, as recently as last week, a review started out with one paragraph as the lead-in, but it was published as the conclusion. It's strange.

Tomorrow, I return to work.My co-worker was in India since Thanksgiving Day and returned to work today, but I, my co-worker, and manager all were off work today. I am anxious to hear about the trip tomorrow.

Other than that, my weekend went way too fast.

Today in History...

2011-12-07T11:37:00.001-08:00

Tax the Rich!

2011-12-07T05:59:00.001-08:00

This video is about our national debt and what politicians say about it. It is an entertaining 6 minutes.

One Year Anniversary

2011-12-06T18:54:00.001-08:00

There used to be a WWE wrestler that was in CM Punk’s stable called“Straight Edge Society” or SES. This was before Punk became a face andoverwhelmingly popular. There was a female in the group, real name Serena Deeb,who joined when CM Punk brought her out of the audience and gave her a crew cutto absolve her of her vices. The SES is long gone – it would be difficult tofind someone who remembers who was in the stable with Punk. Deeb had issueswith alcohol and partying too much. She recently posted the following:

Today I am incredibly proud, as itmarks one full year I have gone without drinking alcohol. A year ago I lookedmyself in the mirror & reevaluated my priorities. I decided to make seriouschanges. I have always wanted to be a role model & help others around mebecause I believe that makes the world a better place. I hope this message caninspire & encourage whoever reads it.

Often times when people approachchange, it can be overwhelming. One week is hard, one year is even harder and'forever' almost sounds impossible. From my personal account, I think it'shelpful to take things one day at a time & to constantly remind yourself ofthe bigger picture.

We all have changes that we want toimplement. A new year approaching is the perfect opportunity. Don't limityourself & the potential that you have to live a better life. Change isnever easy BUT with a challenge, you build a stronger character. Selfconfidence & a strong will are very empowering. Take small steps &don't look back- "Be the change you wish to see in the world." :-)

I find this inspirational. I think that doing something you always said youwere going to do is a powerful step in the right direction.

In my life, I have an example. On 12/2, I had 2 separate conversations with3 different co-workers. The consensus was that all four of us wanted to walk tobe healthier, but we each had separate reasons for not doing so. On 12/5, thefirst day of my 42nd year, we began the slow process of being healthier. If youwalk from where we sit to the other end of the building, I think it is a ½mile. Therefore, I walked 1 mile on Monday (I had a Monday PM meeting) and 2miles today (Tuesday). Baby steps.

I also drank fewer calories of pop. More on that vice another day.

I would Love this... Had I seen it years ago... :<(

2011-11-27T12:25:00.001-08:00

My brother-in-law Mark and I went to Guitar Center on Wednesday night (11/23) and drove by Slumberland. We are in the market for a corner entertainment center and there has been one advertised @ Slumberland for $199. I wanted to check it out. I found what I would love to have, if I had $500 laying around (rest assured, I do, but it's not for what I found).

How beautiful is that! I would love to actually have two of them. I might be able to fit all my CDs into them. However, I do not think it is really worth purchasing because I am converting from CD to MP3s on my external hard drive.

Jojo or JoJo... I don't Care - He is Amazing!

2011-11-26T21:06:00.001-08:00

Digging up the Past - SRV

2011-11-20T06:09:00.001-08:00

I was thinking about one of my friends Ken. It is kind of weird to call him "friend" because he moved from the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area years ago. The last I knew, he lived in Dubuque. He was a guitarist - we spent many hours in my parent's basement. We went through a metal phase, in the summer of 1989, then a blues phase, in the summer of 1990, and by the summer of 1991, we managed to get through "Enter Sandman" by Metallica. The legend goes that we cranked that out in the basement, then talked to our friend James, who had also gone through the metal and blues phases with us. He had been jamming with two others: John and Stoff. John sang while Stoff played guitar. The idea was hatched for the five of us to play "Enter Sandman" at my college's talent show. We also put together an original that John and Stoff had written called "Bullfrog Blues," a song I still adore.

The talent show was two nights. The first night was not as good as the second night. I remember watching the video of the first night immediately after we played. During Ken's solo during "Enter Sandman," John paced in front of Ken. I told him not to do that the second night so he ran down the center aisle during Ken's solo the second night. My drum solo the first night was pathetic. The second night was a lot better. I also looked like a geek the first night and had 'cooler' clothes the second night. My roommate Brian ran the lights and on the second night, he made it not as dark on stage. Overall, I don't like watching the first night.

Which leads me to Ken. Ken married Carrie in the summer of 1990. I got really drunk and had a good time. Fast forward to 1994 and Ken and Carrie were getting divorced. He was going to move to Dubuque to be closer to his family, who lived in Sherrill. Ken was working at the Spring House as a cook, but his passion, at the time, was guitar and art. He was a big SRV fan. I found the following cover song of a band. Youtube is amazing in that they are called Schroeder's Ghost. The video is from a live gig on 5/29/10 at JD's Place in Farmingdale, NY. The band members are Joe Sanfillippo (guitar), Frank Bisceglia (bass), Keith Taylor (keys), Tommy von Stiegler (drums) and Pam Dixon (vox and other miscellaneous items). I wish they'd come to eastern Iowa!

I also found a straight-drums cover video. I must say, this drummers's drum room is really cool. I thought I had a lot of stickers on my bass drum but this guy has me beat.

Hello World!

2011-11-12T10:52:00.001-08:00

Lots going on. One of the things is that Metallica and Lou Reed released "Lulu" and I reviewed it on Dailyvault.com. I gave it an F. I hated it. I don't think I will ever listen to that horrible release ever again. It reminded me of Gene Simmons' "Asshole" release, which was also simply awful. Still, the two entities are trying their best to ignore that the release only sold 13,000 copies the first week. "Lulu" is a commercial flop.

23

2011-11-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

The magic number, it would appear, is 23. That is the number of songs that Jim (guitar), Keith (bass), Len (guitar), and I (drums) ran through last night in my basement. These are also the musicians that I regularly play with at 5:15 Mass. Last night, we played at Mass a nearly perfect warmup including "On Eagle's Wings" and "Sing of the Lord's Goodness" (that awesome 5/4 tune that sounds a lot like Dave Brubeck's "Take Five"). After Mass, we set up our instruments in my basement. I am not going to say each of the following 23 songs sounded perfect - they did not, a fact no one would dispute that listened to us playing. So these are the songs we went through with varying degrees of success.

All My Lovin'
Let It Be
Norwegian Wood
Can't You See She's Mine
Patience
Mighty Mississippi
Summer of 69
Field of Gold
Hey Jude
Love Me Tender
Nowhere Man
Stand by Me
Every Breath You Take
Dust in the Wind
Maggie May
Imagine
I Get Around
Walk Don't Run
It was a Very Good Year
Sweeter than Wine
Lay Down Sally
Runnin' Down a Dream
Wake Up Little Susie

20 Worst Pop Acts in History

2011-10-27T07:04:00.001-07:00

20 Worst Pop Acts in History

There's nothing more to say except YUCK!!

Lots of Updates

2011-10-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

This band is claiming that Poison ripped off their song "Talk Dirty to Me." This is CC Deville, Poison's guitarist, playing with a band called "Screamin' Mimis"

Busy!

2011-10-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

Monday

Basketball practice for Alex
Lessons for Megan

How I Met Your Mother
2 Broke Girls
2.5 Men
Mike and Molly
WWE

Tuesday

Band concert at West High School - concert starts at 7 but I think we'll be there well before that

Gene Simmons Family Jewels

Wednesday

Religious Ed class for Alex

Survivor
The Middle
Modern Family
Real World

Thursday

Another band concert at West High School

Big Bang Theory
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice

Friday

Nothing, but I'm sure something will show up.

Pork Tornados

2011-10-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

There's a local band that I'd like to see live, especially if the songs are delivered with this beauty.

Metallica in Rio

2011-10-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Occupy Some Other Place

2011-10-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

I've not paid a whole lot of attention to the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. What I have seen has been unimpressive. People are protesting the 99% of the people that are rich. They protest because they want change.

Okay, first of all, if they want to effect change, you have to pass laws. Second of all, gathering in a park and chanting slogans will um, not pass laws. Third of all, when there was a request for them to move in order to clean, they thought it was wrong because they were asked to move.

Well, I came across this graphic. It summarizes my opinion.

Recovery

2011-10-15T15:03:00.001-07:00

Megan had her surgery and she is recovering now. We got home from the hospital around 10 PM.

Hospital

2011-10-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

Megan is having surgery. I'm in a waiting room on 4th floor. They've taken her back and all I can do is pass time away on a PC that has Windows XP installed. Some show called "The Chew" is on ABC and the people on the show are amazingly annoying.

I am hoping the Hawkeyes win tomorrow night but more than that, I'm hoping Megan does okay with her surgery. If you have a God and if you have time, prayers are appreciated.

Opeth

2011-10-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

I returned from the Twin Cities on Saturday after the mediocre Opeth show on Friday. Kevin and I stayed at the Radisson Hotel that was less than 2 blocks from the First Avenue Club. It is the same club that Prince filmed "Purple Rain" within. I would happily go see a show in that venue again.

Opeth? LIke I said in the previous paragraph, they were mediocre. It was good to see them, but they were mellow for heavy metal. I know the band is experiencing a lot of backlash from their fans about their new release "Heritage" and how it's more progressive than metal.

Mini Band Rocks Out!!

2011-10-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

50 Years

2011-10-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

It's over. My in-laws' 50th anniversary has come and gone. It was a good time. I had a really good time. But now it's over. It's now Sunday night and I return to work tomorrow. First of all, I am still loving my job. It is kicking butt! I can't help look forward to Monday.

The rest of my week is looking busy.

Monday - kids have lessons - also How I met your mother, 2 Broke Girls, 2 1/2 Men, Mike and Molly, and WWE
Tuesday - during the day, I have a 1/2 day training class. After work, I am going to mow a yard. At night is the new "Family Jewels" episode where Shannon Tweed answers the proposal from Gene Simmons.
Wednesday - Alex has RE; also Survivor, The Middle, Modern Family, and Real World - San Diego
Thursday - not sure, but I have an all-day training session @ work. The Big Bang Theory, Grey's, Private Practice, and TNA.
Friday - Opeth concert in the Twin Cities with Kevin
Saturday - return from the Twin Cities
Sunday - not sure

And then it starts over.

Metallica Top 100 Songs - but not My list

2011-09-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

New Season

2011-09-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

It started last week and continues this week. It is the new season of TV shows.
It is what interests me.

Sunday

Desparate Housewives
Breaking Bad

Monday

How I Met Your Mother
Broke Girls (new series that debuted last week and I thought it was good
Two and a Half Men
Mike and Molly
WWE (of course)

Tuesday

NOTHING until Gene Simmons Family Jewels begins on 10/4

Wednesday

Modern Family
The Middle
Real World San Diego

Thursday

Survivor
Big Bang Theory
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice

And all of these compete with the other things going on in life, like lessons, like playing drums at a memorial service in Waterloo (tentatively), like a CEW meeting on Tuesday in Riverside, like taking Alex to drumline on Tuesday and Thursday, like Alex's RE class on Wednesday, and then, on Friday, both kids play at the halftime of the West football game. The next day is the 50th anniversary party, Sunday 10/2 is WWE's "Hell in a Cell" and "Breaking Bad." And that is before the whole thing starts over.

Milestone

2011-09-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

Another milestone today - 3 months, 3 weeks - at my wonderful new job. I have found my niche, my groove, and my home away from home. I have a terrific manager who is very technical and extracts from me my best work. We had an impromptu meeting yesterday that turned from a briefing about a new project into a comprehensive 2 hour discussion about future initiatives, the way we do our job now, and other issues. It was a free-flowing conversation. It made me feel appreciated in a way I have not known for nearly a year. What I said mattered. I am very eager for the future to arrive. By this time next year, we should be doing our jobs very differently, thanks in large part to how I figure out the best way to do our job.

Dump

2011-09-21T15:50:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, it seems like every thing I see is a candidate for an entry on this blog.
For example, I discovered the "That's Not Metal" blog.
I also read this:

"It feels like a huge burden has been lifted off your shoulders. I mean, there's not a single day that you cannot think about this policy while serving in the military. And knowing today that there's a career I have an opportunity to have where I don't have to be scared of who I am and who I love, that I can be part of the military family and I'm so excited about it. And I think every other gay person in the military feels the exact same way." -Air Force First Lieutenant Josh Seefried, founder of OutServe, on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell

I still do not understand what someone does in the privacy of their bed has to do with anything. I don’t care what Josh Seefried does. I don’t want to know. And, frankly, while I have never been in the armed forces, my impression is that when you join the armed forces, you give up your individual identity and become part of the collective. You do not think of your own needs above the needs of your fellow soldiers. Maybe that’s too simplistic. I may never know since I do not intend to join the military.

And then I read about the Dems trying to do the same thing that the Repubs tried to do:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/21/house-democrats-government-shutdown-continuing-resolution_n_973867.html

Subject: Naming Yourself After a Rock Band
A Missouri man who changed his name to Led Zeppelin IInow says his life has improved "a thousandfold." The former George Blackburn, 64, made the changeon the day he divorced his third wife because hewanted a fresh start. "I don't want to appear to besome off-the-wall, drug-addict idiot," he said.
Flawless logic there, George.
The Top 5 Downsides of Naming Yourself After a Rock Band
5. You quickly find yourself named as defendant in Metallica v. Metallica Jones.
4. "Sorry about the extended body cavity search, but if you hurry you can still catch your flight, Mr. Anthrax."
3. Funny how often Child Protective Services checks up your daughter, Mary Alice in Chains.
2. Sure, you worship Townshend and Daltrey, but that whole Abbott & Costello routine got old REALLY fast.
And The #1 Downside of Naming Yourself After a Rock Band... 1. Ever since you took the name Strawberry Alarm Clock, people assume you're Gwyneth Paltrow's kid.

Cosby Show Gems

2011-09-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

The sad fact is this: they don't make shows like "The Cosby Show" anymore. I have watched enough "iCarly" episodes to realize they are not in the same league. At all. The facts are simple. This show captured a lot of African-American issues throughout the series, but these two episodes are not about those issues. These episodes are about the issues that arise when children experiment with alcohol and when children lie to their parents. Without preaching, without making bold judgments about right and wrong, these two episodes deal with the issues parents must deal with when their children misbehave. I think these episodes could easily be required viewing for students in some kids. sort of class in high school, maybe junior high. Obviously, there could be outstanding discussions about how the parents interact with the kids.

Miss One, Plan One, Want One

2011-09-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

So yes, I am planning to see Opeth in October. I finalized plans with my friend and it's a go. We'll leave on a Friday AM, get up to the Twin Cities, check into the hotel, eat, get into the venue early, get an autographed copy of the band's new CD, and listen to some excellent heavy metal.

However, I did miss The Big Four show in Yankee Stadium last night.

Going to a Show / Gotta go gotta go

2011-09-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

I am going to venture to the Twin Cities to see Opeth!

Old News - Vulgar Words

2011-09-10T06:37:00.000-07:00

Inferno is hot!!!

2011-09-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Sick Puppies Song

2011-08-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

Drumming with a Smile

2011-08-27T09:04:00.001-07:00

Lars Ulrich always looks like he has to go to the bathroom when he plays drums. He grimaces and looks like he is really mad. It brings an intensity, I think, to his playing. As the 'anti-Lars' I offer this video by Meytal Cohen. She smiles. I like it. When I play drums @ 5:15 Mass tonight and 11 Mass tomorrow, I fully intend to smile.

Holy .... Nah, not really

2011-08-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Some call XERATH "Experimental Progressive Metallers" but I prefer to think of them as interesting. The vocals could do without the cookie monster style. I like the drumming and the guitar riff settles into a good groove fairly early in the song. While I don't know if I will ever really truly get over the way the vocalists in this type of band, but the drums and guitars (and bass) overpower it.

Acoustic Metallica, Sextone & Death Cab for Cutie

2011-08-21T12:39:00.001-07:00

A few bands have been on my mind. First, Metallica.

In a conversation through e-mail with my brother, I mentioned that the band he was going to see reminded me of Sexstone.

Was just reminded of how much I like this song too...

I am not all about heavy metal. I have diverse tastes in music.

Fast Drums

2011-08-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Can you move along any faster?

I remember this as it happened...

2011-08-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

Why?

2011-08-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

Why is it that kids don't stay in their bed when they can't sleep? I mean, really? If I can't sleep, I roll over and relax. I don't go wake someone up.

And by the way, no, I am not going to go to San Francisco, CA, to see Metallica in December. It's not going to work out. I can still go to livemetallica.com and purchase the shows and it will be okay with me. Plus, I imagine, there will be online videos of these shows online on youtube.

Back to work tomorrow. I can't wait. I kind of took a mental break from work and that makes me feel refreshed.

Finally, Kevin Nash returned at Summerslam and kicked CM Punk, which allowed Alberto del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase and beat CM Punk to be the new WWE chanpion. Raw tomorrow night will be interesting.

The other interesting thing about tomorrow night is that I will wait a 1/2 hour for Alex's drum lesson to be over and while I wait, I put on headphones and play a Pearl electronic set. Last week, I put my MP3 player on and drummed along to Metallica's "Death Magnetic." Some of the songs I thought would be simple proved to not be as simple as I thought when I was actually trying to play. It was still fun. I continue to think of Mondays as a highlight to my week.

Kindles

2011-08-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

Today was an exciting day. My father, my son, my daughter, and I trekked to Best Buy by the Coral Ridge Mall. My father bought my daughter a Kindle. Now, as I'm staring at the Kindle, my daughter has forgotten her password. Already.

Think about it...

2011-08-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

You work for a software development company.

A user is using your software. The user selects a row in a grid and click a button called "View Details". On the View Details window, there is another grid that displays information relevant to the row that was selected on the first window. The user clicks Close to return to the previous window. An error message appears. The error message is related to a coding issue and not related in any way to the data the user viewed or anything like that. It is a pure programming issue.

The client calls Customer Support. The client is not upset but rather curious if anyone else has reported the issue. No, CS tells the client, no one has. The client notes that when he clicked the X in the upper right corner, after restarting the program and returning to the View Details window, the program doesn't bomb. The CS rep, with the client on the phone, navigates to the same window and when he clicks Close, the program does bomb. CS verifies they are using the same version of the software.

CS enters a bug into the bug tracking system. The description is "When the user clicks the Close button on the View Details window, the program bombs."

The bug is then routed to development. The development team enters this comment in the bug tracking software: "Removed Close button. Click the X to close the window."

It goes to the software tester. Software tester accepts this resolution and enters the following in the release notes for the release this resolution is included in: "When the user clicked the Close button, the program would abort. Changed the program to remove the Close button."

1) Is the developer's resolution of this bug satisfactory to you? [I say no, it is not. The developer should have fixed the code behind the Close button to close the window correctly.]
2) Should the developer's resolution have been rejected by software testing? [I say yes.]
3) Should the CS rep have asked the user what they expected as a resolution to the issue? [I say yes. The user wanted the Close button to work.]

I thought about this situation when reading a thread about software testing.

Manic Depression / Lowlife

2011-08-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my musical tastes just scatter all over the worlds of music. This AM, without meaning to, I started thinking about Hendrix's Manic Depression and came upon this:

Then I thought about the opposite of Hendrix: the band called Theory of a Deadman:

Thoughts about Marriage from Jim

2011-08-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, unintentionally, you come across prose that swells your heart and soon you feel like the author was sitting next to you. This is from Jim Barrow, a member of a Tech Writer's chat list I subscribe to.

You shouldn't compromise your beliefs because someone implies that you're flawed if you believe the things that you do. Stand up for what you believe in - don't let anyone bully you because of how you feel.

the world is moving further away from moral purity and more towards doing what is right in its own eyes. One of the symptoms of this moral decay is the increase in denial of the necessity of marriage, or that a priest is not necessary and marriage doesn't favor women's rights.

If you believe in God, then you know that we need marriage because God says we should be married. Marriage is not only for the benefit of the couple, but it is also for the children. When a husband and wife are bound by a public promise to stay faithful to each other, to remain dedicated to one another even through sickness and poverty, the marriage bond is a much stronger one, and this is critically important because marriage is the foundation of society. It is the bedrock of moral development of children and the place where faithfulness and integrity are lived out in the lives of its participants.

If a man and woman live together without the benefit of marriage, they are saying that God is not correct and that marriage is not necessary. If they have children out of wedlock they are risking the children's moral and emotional health since the children will learn that convenience and self-serving ideals are more important than integrity. They will learn that personal preference is more valuable than the welfare of another. They will learn that selfishness is the model by which to live since the sacrifice of commitment to one person has not been made.

Marriage helps to secure the family bond thereby providing a more secure environment in which the children may grow so that they might properly learn morality and integrity as they enter into society as adults. After all, those parents who do not value marriage tend not to value commitment and children should not be raised where the parents are not committed to each other.

Marriage helps to ensure the very sanctity of the spouse-to-spouse relationship since marriage is a public statement of exclusive dedication. This helps to establish a foundation in the relationship where a marriageless, living-together relationship can have no true trust since people are together out of convenience. If it becomes inconvenient, then they can easily break up - children or no children.

Marriage is not just a piece of paper. It is a promise to live together faithfully, till death, through thick and thin, sickness and health and it is a benefit to the children who are raised in it. Marriage is a blessing from God.

That's my belief, anyway.

I was speechless after I read that the first time...

Status

2011-08-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

What you're not seeing on this blog is my complete and total happiness. First of all, I have made a personal decision to not do something that I have done for the last 23 years. I gave it up just prior to the 2011 year starting and have been avoiding the vice. Anyone that knows me has seen me do this vice with them so yes, it's true, I gave up telling awful jokes. Except blonde ones to Susie. Not really but there may be a clue in the liquid if you look closely enough.
In other areas of my life, work is fantastically busy and rewarding. Every day this week, except yesterday, I have been in @ 6 AM. Now that means I get up at 5 AM. I write this not for pity or anything. I went through 6 months where I did not want to get up at 6 AM or ever when I knew where I was going and what I was going to do. My new job (the one I started 5/31) has been a blessing in my life. I am energized by the work I do. I sit by very nice people. I have a very supportive manager who listens to what is said. Today we were talking about the work we (the three of us) need to get done. "I keep hearing you have 'a lot' of work to do, but I can't quantify that. I can't say [to someone else] that there is 'a lot' of work to do because everyone's idea of what 'a lot' is is different." I counted the number of things we have to review. There is a lot - 89. Probably, in all, there are 100 things that must be done because some additional tasks have been identified. All of this was to be done by 8/5 (tomorrow) but despite putting in very long hours (I worked 6-530 today), we have not completed what we set out to complete. Here's the kicker. Instead of being furious with us for not having met a date, our manager is willing to enter negotiations on our behalf and to explain where we are; not with fingerpointing. It's really awesome. On top of that, when it was mentioned that neither I nor one of my co-workers could work a lot this weekend, our manager said, "I know you have been putting in crazy hours and I'm not asking for the weekend." How generous that attitude feels! I was very happy to hear that. And yes, I have been kicking as much a$$ as I can. It feels tremendous to be at work and not just because I'm not an employee of a former employer. It feel tremendous to have my life goals aligning, to have a better financial future, to have all the things that I have always wanted, coming together.
Watched the "The Naked Truth" episode with Megan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_vCu7qkuIo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO0yDEUINng&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwvXTwyHC-A&NR=1

Moving Forward

2011-08-01T16:39:00.001-07:00

Camping season 2011 is complete! We tore down from our month in Elkader, cleaned the camper out, negotiated through the construction around Ketelsen's RV, and ended up home around 6. We ordered pizza. While Alex and I watched "I am Number Four" downstairs, Karen and Megan watched "The Bachelor" upstairs.

Looking ahead, there is no signs of things slowing down anytime soon. We have something going pretty much every night and every weekend. I am actually looking forward to the next 5 weekends - I think I will sleep in my own bed (v. the camper).

I also am trying to kickstart my review writing. I (easily) have 31 CDs/DVDs to review and my ambitious goal is to write one a day. That's 500 words. For me, who proclaims I am a writer, 500 words a day should not be difficult. It's an hour away from the TV.

I am also ecstatic about work. One of the reasons I haven't written lately is I have been going into work @ 6 AM (getting up at 5) and that has caused me to go to sleep as close to 10 PM as possible. There are some big deadlines upcoming and I am doing everything in my power to meet them. Our department was cut by 1 (to 3) due to Lisa going to a different department. It has been a challenge. There are essentially 3 huge deadlines and I am doing every thing I can (like putting in extra hours) to meet them.

In *other* news, I could *possibly* be going to WinWriters in Memphis, TN, in March 2012. In *other* news, I could *possibly* be going to see Metallica, in San Francisco, CA, in December 2011. Both of those trips are too early in the planning process to go into a lot of detail. Not holding my breath on either - they may never happen.

So looking forward, there are a lot of things on my docket (I've never written that word before) in the next few months. There are going to be a lot upcoming things in my life and I cannot wait to experience them.

One final thought about the world. I am still finding out about the so-called "budget deal." I read on MSNBC that the Republicans won so I guess I should be happy? I also read that some members of the Tea Party wing are not happy. Mitt Romney, running for president, took the opportunity to speak about the president's lack of leadership (big surprise there!) and make a campaign speech in the process of a) condemning the current plan but b) failing to offer his own plan.

I'll take a minute to write about that. It makes me furious - and I don't care if you are a donkey or an elephant - when all the elected official can do is complain about the other plans that are presented. Where is *your* plan? If you know enough to say that the other plan is not going to work, is going to mean the loss of jobs, is going to mean that we are never going to get out of debt, then you surely know enough to offer a solution. Right? RIGHT??? Seriously. I don't get it. For example, if I tell you that a plan to only cut spending is going to make things worse, a fair response to that is, "Would you want your taxes to go up?" It's fair. Really, it is. It's okay to disagree. Personally, I think if you look deep enough and hard enough and long enough at where the federal government spends, surely, *surely* there is something that can reduce spending. And I've heard arguments that said, "If you cut XYZ program, it only reduces spending by 1 billion, but we have trillions we have to cut." Fine. How many billions have to be added up to equal 'trillions'? Figure it out and cut those programs.

That aside, I hope that the budget deal makes it somewhat easier for my kids to survive when I no longer walk the earth.

Jokes

2011-07-25T04:48:00.000-07:00

A Harley biker is riding by the zoo in Washington , DC when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion's cage.
Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents.
The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch.
Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly.
A reporter has watched the whole event. The reporter addressing the Harley rider says, 'Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I've seen a man do in my whole life.'
The Harley rider replies, 'Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger and acted as I felt right.'
The reporter says, 'Well, I'll make sure this won't go unnoticed. I'm a journalist, and tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page...
So, what do you do for a living and what political affiliation do you have?'
The biker replies, 'I'm a U.S. Marine and a Republican.'
The journalist leaves.
The following morning the biker buys the paper to see news of his actions, and reads, on the front page:
U.S. MARINE ASSAULTS
AFRICAN IMMIGRANT
AND STEALS HIS LUNCH

That pretty much sums up the media's approach to the news these days...

HOW TO START A FIGHT

One year, I decided to buy my mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift...
The next year, I didn't buy her a gift.
When she asked me why, I replied, "Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"

And that's how the fight started.....

My wife and I were watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed.
I turned to her and said, 'Do you want to have Sex?'
'No,' she answered. I then said, ‘'Is that your final answer?'
She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying, 'Yes..'
So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."

And that's when the fight started...

I took my wife to a restaurant.
The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.
"I'll have the rump steak, rare, please."
He said,”Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"
"Nah, she can order for herself."

And that's when the fight started.....

My wife and I were sitting at a table at her high school reunion, and she kept staring at a drunken man swigging his drink as he sat alone at a nearby table.
I asked her, "Do you know him?"
"Yes", she sighed,
"He's my old boyfriend. I understand he took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear he hasn't been sober since."
"My God!" I said, "Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?"

And then the fight started...

When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else to take care of first, the shed, the boat, making beer.. Always something more important to me, finally she thought of a clever way to make her point.

When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again I handed her a toothbrush. I said, "When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway."

The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.

My wife sat down next to me as I was flipping channels.
She asked, "What's on TV?"
I said, "Dust."

And then the fight started...

Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, and slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked up the boat up to the van and proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour. The wind was blowing 50mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day.
I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. I cuddled up to my wife's back; now with a different anticipation, and whispered, "The weather out there is terrible."
My loving wife of 5 years replied, "And, can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that?"

And that's how the fight started...

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.
She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds."
I bought her a bathroom scale.

And then the fight started......

After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social Security.
The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's License to verify my age.
I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home. I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later.
The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'.
So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair.
She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application.
When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office. She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability too.'

And then the fight started...

My wife was standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.
She was not happy with what she saw and said to me, "I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.'
I replied, "Your eyesight's damn near perfect."

And then the fight started........

I rear-ended a car this morning...the start of a REALLY bad day!
The driver got out of the other car, and he was a DWARF!!
He looked up at me and said 'I am NOT Happy!
So I said, 'Well, which one ARE you then?'

That's how the fight started.

01.If all the nations in the world are in debt, where did all the money go? (weird).
02.When dog food is new with improved tasting, who tests it? (to be given a thought).
03.What is the speed of darkness? (absurd).
04.If the "black box" flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of that stuff? (very good thinking).
05.Who copyrighted the copyright symbol? (who knows).
06.Can you cry under water? (let me try).
07.Why do people say, "you've been working like a dog" when dogs just sit around all day? (I think they meant something else).
08.Why are the numbers on a calculator and a phone reversed? (God knows.)
09.Do fish ever get thirsty? (let me ask and tell).
10.Can you get cornered in a round room? (by ones eyes).
11.What does OK actually mean?.
12.Why do birds not fall out of trees when they sleep? (tonight I will stay and watch).
13.What came first, the fruit or the color orange? (seed).
14.What should one call a male ladybird? (No comments).
15.If a person suffered from amnesia and then was cured would they remember that they forgot? (can somebody help).
16.Can you blow a balloon up under water? (yes you can).
17.Why is it called a "building" when it is already built? (strange isn't it).
18.If you were traveling at the speed of sound and you turned on your radio would you be able to hear it? (got to think scientifically).
19.If you're traveling at the speed of light and you turn your headlights on, what happens? (I didn't had a chance to try).
20.Why is it called a TV set when theres only one? (very nice).
21.If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth? (this is nice?).
22.Why do most cars have speedometers that go up to at least 130 when you legally can't go that fast on any road? (stupid, break the law).

Tool - Vicarious

2011-07-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

The talent in this video is tremendous.

Check out Iowa City should outlaw alcohol possession for everyone - The Daily Iowan

2011-07-20T13:23:00.001-07:00

Check out Iowa City should outlaw alcohol possession for everyone - The Daily Iowan

In Spite of You

2011-07-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

How could I make those steps daily
Without you telling me I will fail
How could I consider my life my own
WIthout you trying to take it away
I am stronger with you breathing down my throat
It gives a sense of urgency to escape
Tell me again how hopeless I am
Lights the fuel to succeed

Just to prove you wrong
Live my life each day
Hoping to never lose the will
To succeed and prosper in spite of you!

All those times you stepped on me
You told me it was a waste of time
I could sense your apathy
You didn't want me to rise unless you were still looking down
So all these years of being pushed
Time is mine to push back
Cannot mention any others
This is about redemption for my sins

Clear the Slate...

2011-07-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, if you are a Metallica fan, you need to spend time on this page, but you should probably clear your slate of things you want to do, like update your blog.

Back soon.

Vacation

2011-06-30T20:31:00.001-07:00

You'll have to forgive me. I've been busy. I'm going to be off-line for a few days and will write when I return. Have a safe 4th of July. Enjoy these fireworks until I return. I can honestly say that I have at least 12 things I want to write about but do not have time to dive into them. In the meantime, here's a teaser. What rock star's home is selling for 12 million dollars?

Peace

2011-06-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

I should not go into Best Buy. I don't venture within very often but when I do, it's like a haze comes over my 'good judgment' side of my brain. I went in the store today to purchase two mice, one for my dad and one for me. My work PC is a laptop and I have grown tired of the touchpaddy thing as a way to work within MS Word. I walked by a bin that proclaimed a sign "Movies - $3.99 Each."

Of course, I pause and look at what they have. There's some horror movies and movies I've never heard of. There's some comedies and dramas that I wouldn't consider assets to my DVD collection.

Then I see two jewels.

The first jewel is "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," a movie I have a love/hate relationship with. It was in high school, at some time, when I watched a VHS version of this movie at John Rath's house. I remember the occasion quite vividly. I remember laughing at the clever use of humor. I walked out of JR's house thinking, "Mom and Dad will love this movie." I rented it, popped it into the VCR and... it felt like I had rented an albatross for my neck. I thought it was the dumbest thing I had ever seen. I never drank alcohol in high school so it wasn't funny at JR's house because of a drunken lapse of judgment. I don't really know exactly why it wasn't funny when I watched it with my parents. Could have just been the atmosphere and the hype I had built up for them to watch it. Needless to say, I do not believe we sat through the entire movie that night. At some point, the movie was stopped and, somewhat dejected, I returned it to the video store the next day.

Fast forward to May 2011 and it was on TV, for some odd reason. Megan and I watched a little part of it. We watched the knights clap coconuts together as they galloped their fake steeds. She thought it was funny and, in fact, has referenced it several times since then. So there it was today, in the bargain bin, a measly $3.99. I had to have it.

The other movie I saw has a less thrilling history with me. It is the often criticized Starship Troopers. I like the film. I think it has a good plot and dazzling special effects.

Proceeding with the continuation of the trip to Best Buy, we are almost out the door when I decide to look at CDs. Another of my weaknesses in Best Buy. I see a bargain bin of CDs, each priced at $4.99. AH!! There's an Aerosmith live CD (blech!) and then I see it. Loverboy's "Get Lucky", a gem from my youth. There are even bonus tracks, including a demo of their hit single "Working for the Weekend."

All three of these jewels are still in the shrinkwrap. I should partake in them from 7/5-7/7!

Dio, Yngwie, and Death

2011-06-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting video.

It's no secret that my former employer has had to go through a lot in the last year and one-half. In 2/2010, my co-worker's daughter was found dead. In 8/2010, my co-worker was killed in a bike v. truck accident. Also that month, my manager's mother passed away. Now I have learned that the woman hired to replace me has died. All of this is in the same department. I feel bad that I can not really do anything for them.

Today was my 3 week anniversary at my new job. I really like my job. I have been contributing in my department and I really like my manager.

My son cannot sleep and should have been asleep over one hour ago. Now my daughter just came downstairs.

Eat Shit and Live? Really?

2011-06-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

this is totally gross

Snakes... why'd it have to be snakes?

2011-06-16T05:39:00.000-07:00

This video makes my skin crawl.

700

2011-06-14T20:50:00.001-07:00

There was a movie called 300, there is a game called 500, but this is my 700th blog post.

Too Many Women Catching Up

2011-06-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

It may just be hype, it may just be an act, but wow. Looking at the body language on both of these people... Wow. They both look terribly uncomfortable and neither of them is putting on an act for the camera. It looks like genuine contempt in Tweed's eyes and Simmons... he's obviously being grilled.

Drum Week on Letterman

2011-06-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

I had absolutely no idea that this was on TV this week but, apparently, David Letterman was having a Drum Solo week and here is Neil Peart's performance.

Time Moves Fast

2011-06-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

It has been an amazingly awesome and excellent week. I have gone to bed ~midnight and awakened refreshed and excited to go to work. The last week has truly been the best week in my professional career since shortly before October 15th, 2010. From 10/18 to April was hell and I have been waiting for a week like 5/31 to 6/7 for a long time.

There are three things I would list that have made this new employer, this new step in my career, this new opportunity, and this new era in my life.

People are nice

My opinion is respected

Co-workers who think documentation is important.

There is nothing negative going on in my life.

Clothes, clothes, CLOTHES!!!

2011-06-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

Wow. We went through Alex's closet and took out two huge black garbage bags of clothes to give to a nephew. The boy was a trooper, going through 2 hours of grueling 'try this on' type commands from his mother and I. Megan, for her chore, worked on her own clothes and, apparently, was able to perform the task of organizing her closet properly without the commands to try different outfits on. As far as I'm concerned, Alex has 'entered' 7th grade. It is now his responsibility to determine what fits him and what does not. If it does not fit, I expect him to let us know.

Good Vid

2011-06-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Game ON!

2011-05-31T18:13:00.001-07:00

What a great day to be alive! My first day on the job was fantastic! Nice people, nice environment, and $1 20 oz pops in the vending machine on top of it all. I get my laptop sometime tomorrow and also there is a departmental lunch on the first Wednesday of the month. There is a 8:30 daily meeting to talk about what you are working on and my manager is very cool. She is a (cool) manager. I sit in a nice cubicle with two file cabinets. Eventually, the former inhabitant will reclaim his 3 shelves of books and I will then slowly fill it with my own books. Jesse is my cubicle neighbor and he seems nice.

On top of all that, I explained one of my pet peeves in documentation to a co-worker. I said that I had seen documentation where the menu option was something like "Options . . ." on the menu option and, in the documentation, I had read something like "On the Tools menu, select Options . . . . I said it looks really strange to have the . . . followed by an unbolded . and my new co-worker said, "It sounds like someone needs to learn how to use punctuation." EXACTLY! It seems insignificant, but really, it sealed the deal.

Pics

2011-05-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

I was in Dubuque yesterday for 99% of my day. We had family pictures taken at a studio by Target on Highway 20. I was not involved in picking out pictures so I made a dash to Target to pick up caffeine. As I walked by an end cap, there was Eddie Murphy's DVD "Delirious." Oh my. Only $5. I had to get it. It's a very funny movie - I remember watching it when I was Megan's age.

After pictures, we went to BK for lunch/early supper.

Then we went to Mass.

Then we went to Balltown.

It was a long day. I didn't get a nap in.

This is an example of Eddie Murphy comedy at its best.

Warning - Vulgar Language Within

And from a different show:

Letting Go

2011-05-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Today is about letting go. Alex graduated from 6th grade @ Regina. Letting go means saying goodbye to friends and classmates. It means knowing that no matter what is said or done, life is going to be different. It means not going swimming when your friend forgot his swimming suit. It means eating pizza and cake and shooting baskets and pool. It means smiling.

It means life is forever never going to be the way it was.

This also applies to my life. Since I left the employer where I was for 12 years, life has not been the same. Friends I had there are still important to me. We met for pizza and talked for one hour. It was the first time in 6 months. I look forward to always having the three I ate with as my friends.

At the same time, I am moving forward.

And Justice for All

2011-05-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

I remember looking at the guitar music for the Metallica release "And Justice for All" back in 1992. I was at band rehearsal and the guitarist in the band had it. I looked at the time signatures and thought, "This is a complicated release." I saw 7/8 time and 5/4 time and 4/4 followed by a measure of 2/4 then back to 4/4. Tonight, when waiting for Alex's drum lesson to be complete, I saw the book again, this time for sale. I thought about buying it, not because I have any desire to play guitar, but b/c I'd like to review the music being played and learn more. "Justice" is one of my top three Metallica releases (the other two being "Master of Puppets" and "Death Magnetic") so it would make sense to me to dive further into the release and really finally understand all the intricacies of the music I have listened to since the release of the album in 1989.

Life is good.

Jokes and a New Blog?

2011-05-25T06:40:00.001-07:00

I have been cleaning the den and going through old papers this week. Yesterday, I found a huge stack of cartoons and jokes, dating back to 1999. I have none of them online so I'm not going to paste them here.

But it did make me think about starting a new blog, just for jokes, and having it automatically publish a new joke every day. With Blogger, you can specify when you want the post to be published. Hypothetically, I could get all these jokes entered and publish them without manually publishing them. I could be a month or several months ahead of the current date and then magically, a new joke would be posted. It's kind of an intriguing idea.

But then I thought about how crazy my life already is, how I have a huge stack of CDs and DVDs to review, how the camping season is just a few days away (6/9), and how I start a new job (Yeah!!!!) on 5/31. Don't I already have enough going on in my life without adding another 'daily' type thing? But then I think about how I wouldn't really have to do much with it except type a few jokes. I could probably find the joke somewhere online and copy/paste it into this blog that would be only for jokes.

But who would read it? http://www.ajokeaday.com/, http://www.jokeemail.com/, http://www.freedailyjoke.com/, and http://www.emailajoke.com/mailinglist/join.asp already exist. Why enter into that competitive market?

I don't either. That's why that huge stack of jokes and cartoons just ended up in the recycle bin (blue trash can, not a Windows Recycle Bin) to be used for something more meaningful.

Except for this one from http://www.jokesonmobile.com/general-jokes/i-get-all-the-thanks-i-need-.php except this was one that was in my stack of jokes.

A married couple was in a terrible accident where the woman's face was severely burned. The doctor told the husband that they couldn't graft the skin from her body, so the husband offered to donate some of his own skin.
However, the only skin on his body that the doctor found suitable would have to come from his rear end. The husband and wife agreed that they would tell no one about where the skin came from, and requested that the doctor also honor their secret. After all, this was a very delicate matter.
After the surgery was completed, everyone was astounded at the woman's new beauty. She looked more beautiful than she ever had before!
All her friends and relatives just went on and on about her youthful beauty! One day, she was alone with her husband, and she was overcome with emotion at his sacrifice.
She said, "Dear, I just want to thank you for everything you did for me. There is no way I could ever repay you."
"My darling," he replied," think nothing of it. I get all the thanks I need every time I see your mother kiss you on the cheek."

Ignorance

2011-05-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

"Come upstairs," I told my son.

25 minutes pass - no son.

And he wonders why I haven't returned his PlayStation and MP3 player to him which I took from him for - wait for it - NOT LISTENING and doing what he is told.

Official Announcement

2011-05-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

I accepted a new position as a Senior Technical Writer at a different company. I am very excited and feel very blessed to have this new opportunity to advance my career. I look forward to a long career at this company. It is a very exciting time in my life. I start Tuesday, 5/31/11.

And Here it is...

2011-05-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

I can officially announce that I will have official exciting news ... on Monday. I am very VERY excited but need to wait just a couple of more days.

Still Here

2011-05-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

No progress towards what I had hoped to announce today. Maybe tomorrow.

Sick

2011-05-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

I heard the last part of this song by Adelita's Way on the radio today and really liked the energy in the music. It reminds me of Three Days Grace.

Usability

2011-05-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

==> Date: Wed, 18 May 2011 12:06:19 -0400
==> To: techwr-l@lists.techwr-l.com

I wondered how people felt about writers pursuing courses on usability.

I think that it is a natural evolution of a TWer to draw upon their experience as a user of the software they are documenting to notice similarities and differences between a company's software. Do you need a formal course on usability? Perhaps, perhaps not. I earned a certificate at the 2008 WinWriter's Conference because I attended a certain number of sessions about usability. Does that make me an expert? Of course not. It did, however, give me some more additional credibility when discussing a UI with a developer.

The bottom line is that no matter how much you proclaim that every app will follow the standard development process, the standard development process often is a moving target. Developers often will pick up a new technique and make coding something easier for them and, at that point, usually, something in the User Interface will change. You can leverage your observation skills and pick up on these slight differences. Eventually, you will form opinions about which UI 'thing' works best. You will also be able to pick up on the flow of the screen the user has to fill out.

Tabs are often a controversial UI element. If there are a bunch of tabs, does that make the information hard to find? I used to design the GUI that laid on top of a text-based screen. I was constantly creating tabs (for various reasons) and constantly getting feedback that tabs are evil b/c they hide information. Look at the default tab of a tabbed UI and describe what is on the 4th tab *without clicking* on the 4th tab (using a shortcut key is off-limits as well.)

The point is that you, as the person that needs to explain how to use the UI to the user, can easily pick up on what works and what doesn't work. Another brief example is if you have three fields that are interlinked, there should probably be a group box around them to give the user a clue that the fields are interlinked. Maybe the Developer didn't think of that.

In the end, no, I do not think you get any more credit for usability if you have a class v. the experience of working on a team with Developers and being involved in the UI design.

My favorite UI design story is this. I was in a meeting where we were talking about the rewrite of a General Ledger application. In some places, "General Ledger" was the acronymn "GL" and in otehr places, it was "G/L" in the screen samples we were discussing. What should we call it became the focus of the discussion. How do accountants refer to General Ledger - GL or G/L or both. Someone finally said, "What do you think?" to me. I said I don't really care. I think we should pick one and use it and then never discuss it again. The point of the story is that it is easy, too easy, to get sucked into discussions about the tiny details of the UI. The larger question for me has always been about the overall flow.

To answer the question directly, no, I do not think you have to attend courses on usability unless you are in an environment where you are not involved in the UI design decisions. Then those courses may assist you in your marketability.

Lost, but Not the Show, Part II

2011-05-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

I looked in one additional place for the checkbook when I got up this AM and sure enough, that's where it was. All is good in that department.

It's premature to record a lot of details, but I am on the edge of having a big announcement regarding my life. It is not a bad announcement or a sad announcement. When it is posted on this blog, then you will know. There are some details that need to be worked out before I can write about it in detail. I am hopeful I will be able to write about it on Friday, 5/20, but if you are one of the three followers I have, you should not hold your breath in anticipation. The details that need to be worked out are partially out of my control and rely on other people to provide additional information before the details can be solidified.

At this point, it's wait and see.

Lost, but not the Show

2011-05-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

It used to be that every so often, I would lose something and nothing I did would find it. I would retrace my steps, pray to find it, and other assorted methods when this would happen. Unfortunately, when this would happen, it would usually be related to the checkbook. This time, of course, it is the checkbook. We have two: a blue checkbook and a brown checkbook. I know where the blue checkbook is; not so much with the brown. I don't remember when I had it last. It's not sitting on the desk in the basement and I don't see an obvious place I put it so I wouldn't lose it. I have some stacks of papers and it's not there. It's not on the kid's PC desk, which is where I kind of thought I had put it. It's 9:40 and I'm tired. I will find it tomorrow. I hope.

Dangerous Waters! Iceberg Ahead!

2011-05-16T11:06:00.001-07:00

These are my thoughts about Ashton Kutcher replacing Charlie Sheen, which I read about on this website: http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=647600 This is a risky move for a show. Off the top of my head, I can only think of a couple of times where a central character being replaced on an established show has worked.

The best examples I can think of are Cheers and M*A*S*H. In both of these shows, the characters that were replaced helped expand their show in a different direction. For Cheers, the lovable Coach character was replaced by the lovable Woody Boyd and the whiny Diane Chambers was replaced by the sometimes whiny Rebecca Howe. On MASH, Trapper was replaced by BJ, Henry Blake was replaced by Sherman T. Potter, and Frank Burns was replaced by Charles Winchester.

I would argue that the seasons of these two shows were better than the seasons with the former characters. I especially used to think that about MASH. My recollection of the early MASH episodes were that it was just a lot of slapstick. I didn't really care for the one-dimensional character that Alan Alda created in Hawkeye Pierce. His character complained about the war and then got drunk. Time has given me a different perspective. I've grown to have a deeper appreciation of the earlier episodes. The one titled "Yankee Doodle Doctor," about a documentary film being made about the 4077th has a most serious ending with Hawkeye Pierce looking directly in the camera and talking about the hell that is war.

With Cheers, I remember being apprehensive about Woody Boyd replacing Coach. Coach had a lot of funny line and a lot of comic timing. However, some of the lines from Woody Boyd are tremendously funny> I offer his comments about the Hanover Hangover Cure in "It's Lonely at the Top" as evidence. The subplots of Rebecca Howe and Robin Concord as well as Woody and Kelly gave the show a deeper dimension. The addition of Frasier and Lilith Crane also served the same purpose. Yet throughout Cheers, regular characters Norm, Cliff, Sam, and Carla all gave the show enough of a grounding in the past to satisfy fans that had been with the show since day one. That is my belief.

So now, Ashton Kutcher replaces Charlie Sheen. It is unclear to me how this will be written into the show. If the writers were smart, they would send Charlie away to a foreign country or on a long trip so that he could reprise his role for at least the series finale.

The only show I can think of, off the top of my head, that really did not work after a main character was gone is the John Ritter sitcom "8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter." After his death, the show added David Spade and James Garner as members of the family and tried to repackage the show as a bland sitcom. The renaming of the show to "8 Simple Rules" also deflated the original premise of the show, which was John Ritter's Paul character going through the pains of watching his daughters and son grow up and make their own choices. I personally think the show should have had a single final episode that wrapped up the series after Ritter's death. I do not agree with the decision - and I didn't agree with it at the time - of repackaging the same characters. Ritter was too central a character to undermine his legacy.

That said, I would state the same about Kutcher replacing Sheen. The show *is* Sheen, his ego, his poor decisions, and his comic interaction with his "brother." There is a lot for Kutcher to step into. If the writers take the show in a direction that is not about Alan and Jake living with Charlie, then I wish them a lot of luck and hope for the best. I personally do not think the show can be salvaged by Kutcher. Fans are not going to buy into his role. That's my prediction and I know it sounds evil to say that without even seeing or learning how Kutcher is going to be used. The additional loss of the Rose character is a double-whammy, for me, because her quips made the show.

As for Charlie Sheen, I find his rants funny and sad at the same time. I hope he gets whatever help he needs, if indeed he does need help. I also hope he finds a way to channel his comedic timing into another avenue, whether it is another sitcom or a movie that utilizes his talents. Personally, I vote for sitcom. I didn't really have any desire to see him in any of the movies he has been in like "Hot Shots" or ... I think that's the only one I'm aware of off-hand. He was fantastic in "The Outsiders" - I guess I could mention that movie.

In conclusion, I hope Ashton Kutcher doesn't ruin the show. I hope the writers create a character for him that is likeable and able to interact with the other characters. I also hope that the writers have the foresight to not make Charlie "dead" on the show or else they would have to bring him 'back to life' like Frisco Jones was brought back to life on "General Hospital." Remember that storyline?

Consider this

2011-05-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

This week looks to be not as busy as previous weeks with just lessons on Monday and a baseball game on Thursday. Megan's driver's education class is over so that lightens up the nights a bit. There is a lot going on in my life and it makes things really chaotic at times.

First up on the agenda is getting the camper. We are pulling the camper home today and when we do this, we drive through the yard of the neighbor behind us and into the camper's spot next to our garage. It rained all day yesterday - which was definitely needed for the yards - but the concern was the neighbor's yard may be too mushy for us to drive through. I don't really think we would get stuck, but I do think the tire tracks could leave a more lasting mark in the wet grass. As it turns into today, the wind is blowing the grass dry and hopefully, upon our return to our house with the camper behind us, it will be dry. The forecast is for rain, which is not a good thing. I'd rather have gotten up earlier (it was 8 when I got up) and left the house by 9, up to the camper by 11 and home by 2, but that was not the plan.

Once we are home, tonight is the 2 hour season finale of "Desparate Housewives", the season finale of "Survivor". Those shows are on ABC and CBS, respectively. We'll PVR both shows.

The other 'must see TV' tonight is TNA has a PPV called "Sacrifice". The main event is Rob Van Damme v. Sting. I expect Sting to win (yay!) because Mr. Andersen just won the 25 man battle royal to become the #1 contender for Sting's championship belt. Update! Here are the results of "Sacrifice". The PPV next month is considered by some to be TNA's 'Wrestlemania' PPV that sets the tone for the next year. I expect Andersen and Sting to battle at that PPV *UNLESS* they want to put Hulk Hogan v. Sting @ that PPV to draw a big audience. I read that on the Internet - not my original idea - that the end game for the championship belt is to put it on Hogan's waist *again*. The only question that remains is whether Hogan can go an entire match with Sting.

By the time I get to bed, I will have had a long day and will probaby be very tired but that is my life for today.

Do What You Say You Are Going To Do

2011-05-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

I think there is a lot to be said about a person's character when they act in the manner they say they are going to act. For example, if I say I am going to act like a Christian and I do an act that can easily be linked to the acts of Christians - for example, I do not bear false witness when it would be easy to do so - then someone observing my actions may draw the conclusion that "You are acting like a Christian." On the other hand, if I say I am going to act like a Christian and then I do an act that cannot easily be linked to the acts of Christians - for example, I tell someone I just met that I am a world famous astronaut when it is clear I am not (it'd be a lie) - then someone observing my actions may draw the conclusion that "You are not acting like a Christian."

Not sure why I chose acting/not acting like a Christian as an illustration because what I really wanted to say is that if you say you are going to do something, you should do it. It used to drive me nuts in high school. "I'll call you tonight and we'll find something to do." Stupid me would sit by the phone and wait, believing the person at their word that they were going to do what they said. Another example was with Old Stew, the band I was in during college. In the fall of 1992, the guitarists and vocalist were going to play an acoustic gig at a bar in Iowa City. I said, "Tell me when it is and I'll go with you." "Yeah, I'll do that." No one did. Instead, I heard the song I wrote the lyrics for on a cassette after the gig.

Personally, I think following up with someone in the workplace should be expected. It should not be a surprise to anyone if I say to you, "I will let you know tomorrow what [another employee] thinks we should do - I have a meeting with [another employee] in one hour." You should expect me to follow through and call or send an email or walk up to you the next day and in some way communicate with you that I did, in fact, speak with [another employee] and that I discussed the situation and this is their answer. It should be straight-forward. You should not have to corner me in the hallway and demand to know. You should not have to call me repeatedly and leave voice mails. You should not have to do any of those things. It should be a given. I do not know why people stopped doing what they say they are going to do. If someone tells me, "I will call you either way," I take them at their word and when days pass and I do not hear from the person, it is me that has to call them and ask them about the status.

I can tell you that there are two people I dealt with today that are excellent examples of what should be done by everyone. The first was a topper dealer in West Branch. On Tuesday, I stopped to ask a question about our topper on our Ford F-150. He said that he didn't have a part that I needed but he would look around some more and call me when he had one. He called yesterday afternoon to say that he had one. He said he would call and he did. Simple. Another example is I called our camper storage guy - his name is Doug - and I asked him what we would owe him when we pick up the camper on Sunday. He said, "Give me about 10 minutes and I'll call you back." Sure enough, within 10 minutes, he called me back. He said he would call and he did.

I have been guilty of not doing what I say I am going to do. I say that I am going to be a better person, but I continue to make mistakes. I say that I am going to keep the den picked up and organized and, frankly, it doesn't. I say that I am going to write music reviews for Daily Vault and I have not. I say that I am going to not make the same mistake twice and instead, it happens three times. These are all illustrations of my humanity. I am a human being. I have faults. I hope that my good and decent qualities outweigh or outnumber the bad and indecent qualities of my persona, my character, my legacy as a member of society on this planet.

I really do not believe what Maya Angelou, the great poet, said is correct. She was quoted as saying, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I think people live in a society, today, where what you have done is never forgotten. Look at Tiger Woods who is still reeling from the scandal of his infidelity. Look at Charlie Sheen who is still a public relations nightmare. Look at the way society views Monica Lewinsky. What was her job title? Don't know, but she was Bill Clinton's mistress. And while I am not Al Gore's greatest fan, how often is it brought up that he said, one time, he created the Internet:

It is the punchline to a lot of jokes and a lot of humor has been made at his expense. It isn't about what he made us feel like when he stated that - it's what he said.

By the way, waste another 9:30, watching this video, then quit surfing the Internet - that Al Gore invented - and spend time with your family and friends:

Tamara Lowe

2011-05-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

Favorite Cheers Episode of all Time

2011-05-11T05:53:00.000-07:00

Cheers Season 11, Episode 22 It's Lonely on the Top

Part 1 Part 2 - Paul's Crowing is the best!!!!

Part 3 - "I'll tell you what's on your butt if you tell me what's on mine"

Can't get this out of my Head...

2011-05-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

Stand Up and SHOUT

2011-05-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

The movie "Rock Star" is one of the movies I can watch over and over. I think it's a good story. I have no idea whether or not the events depicted in it are representative of the rock and roll world because I have never been in that world. I think the music of Steel Dragon is catchy.

But I'd rather watch Cheers:

First

Two

Three

Four

Birthday

2011-05-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

It's someone's birthday, but I'm not revealing whose. Hint: not mine

Another Busy Day

2011-05-06T05:24:00.001-07:00

Today is a busy day.

5/5/11

2011-05-05T05:04:00.000-07:00

This is not something I am proud of, but it is the way my life is today.

I know today is Cinco de Mayo. I know it is a holiday of some sort. I know that the Mexican bars always have margarita specials on 5/5. I remember on 5/5/1988, my Spanish V class went to a now-closed Mexican restaurant by Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids during lunch to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

For the life of me, I don't remember what it means.

I'm sorry. If you know, leave a comment below.

Back to 1990...

2011-05-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

David, a Techwr-L Chat list member, wrote:

I’ve decided to say something to one of the members that I think he’s not gonna like. At this point, I’ve read four or five of his stories and every one of them uses the same scenario – people or aliens from a dystopic future coming back to our present to change things so as to fix their present/our future. Nothing intrinsically wrong with that scenario, but I think he should branch out and try to vary his subject matter.

I responded with the following:

Consider that he may be trying to find his voice in the genre. Maybe there are parts of each of his stories that are worth combining. Haven't read what you have read but I offer this glimpse into what may be going on by him choosing to write about exactly the same subject.

In January 1990, I auditioned to play drums with a band. We rocked the barn the audition was held in and I really liked the music. They had just been in the studio and had a record that they had given me to learn. I spent 2 weeks learning the fills, the tempos, the beats, and I could play every song on their release. After a couple of hours, they asked me to join the band. Until that point, I had played in basement bands - not even good enough to get up to the garage I like to say. I was a sophomore in college with a full load of classes and I declined their offer. I didn't see where I could fit in rehearsals and gigs. I didn't think I was a good enough musician to even pass the audition.

In September 1990, I saw a front page article in the newspaper that that band was going on tour in Europe. Now, I don't know what kind of budget they had so I don't know if it was sleeping in a van or what, but the fact remained that I had turned down the gig. Had I joined, would I have quit between January and when the tour was booked? I'd like to think no. So anyways, this band I was asked to join is now leaving for Europe and I was stuck at college, reading dead authors as an English major. I was mad at the world. I was mad at God and stopped going to Mass on a regular basis, I was mad that I had not at least tried to play in the band, and I was mad at the fact I believe in choices and that you can only choose to do something with the information you have when you have to make a decision. I began to sink into the joys of being a 21 year-old.

At the same time, I dove into my academics. I was taking a Milton class and I proved without a shadow of a doubt that Satan in Paradise Lost was in no way a heroic character. I went overboard (I admit) and used 18 sources when I only was required to use 6.

At the same time, I tried to write a two part poem about these events - that I had been handed a dream drummer gig and I turned it down, only to find out that it meant I was passing up going on tour in Europe. I wrote so many drafts and for months, it was the only subject I could write about. I tried so many different takes on it. I finally gave up on it, ending up with a spiral notebook of bad BAD poetry with forced ABAB rhyme schemes.

The point is, maybe your member that is writing in the same genre is looking for his voice to convey what he really wants to convey by choosing the genre. He ultimately has something he wants to say about going back in time or time travel or whatever you want to call it. Maybe he's seen 17 Again and 13 going on 30 and the Terminator movies too often that he thinks he can put a new spin on it. Whatever the case may be, don't most authors pick a genre or theme and have it central to their work? Stephen King comes to mind, though I've only read Christine and Pet Sematary. Both of them have to do with the supernatural, no?

So instead of criticizing him, maybe look for some common theme that he is striving to comment about in these four different stories.

Osama Bin Laden is dead!

2011-05-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

They finally caught the man responsible for the 9/11/2001 attack on the soil of the United States is dead. It only took nearly 10 years. I wish a special place in hell for Osama bin Laden and that he is made to suffer. I believe he was an evil man.

Just a Second

2011-05-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'd like to take a moment to talk about the phrase "just a second." It is a curious phrase because rarely does anyone really mean they will be with you in a single second. It usually means I'm in the middle of what I am doing and if I quit doing it right now, when being asked to quit, I will lose my train of thought and fear never being able to recall what the brain was telling me to do. It seems a better response to being summoned to another room would be, "I'm in the middle of my train of thought. I know me coming to you is very important and I will be next to you as fast as I can, but I need to finish this thought or I will lose it." That answer is honest, but not something easily committed to memory. Unfortunately. The net result is that when someone calls your name, you will respond, "Just a second." You will then finish your task, so you do not lose your train of thought, and then approach the person that called your name.

Take this a step further. If Christ calls your name, do you really have the courage to tell Him "just a second" - that the things you are doing in your life are more important than finding out what He is calling you to do?

Is what you are doing in your life more important than what Christ is calling you to do?

I didn't think so either.

Indy is Done and Interesting Video

2011-04-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

The Indiana Pacers were playing the Chicago Bulls in the NBA playoffs. Indiana won the fourth game in the series to avoid a sweep by the #1 seed Bulls. According to the article I read, the Indiana Pacers didn't have a very welcoming environment, which doesn't make sense to me. Anyways, Tuesday was the 5th game in their series in Chicago and the Bulls won. I have only had a cursory interest in the NBA this year and the fact that the Pacers are out does not surprise me. They are but a shell of the team that played their way into the championship portion of the season a few years back. They had Reggie Miller, Jamal Tinsley, Ron Artest, and a slew of other really good players. They are all gone now, for whatever reason, and now the Bulls, Boston, Los Angeles, and other teams have the talent pool very deep on their roster. Eventually, though, Indiana will probably bring in very talented players and make another run at the championship of the league. I certainly wish them luck.

Breathe.... and again...

2011-04-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

When I think that God has given me more than I can handle, I focus on my breathing and the fact that I can breathe. There are millions of people in the world that cannot breathe - they're called a corpse. I am not a corpse. Thank you God, then, for the breath I just took and the one I am taking right now, and the one I will take next.

Almost May... Good Riddance April!

2011-04-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

I can see May on the horizon and after the busy and chaotic month April has been for me personally and professionally, I must say April 2011 cannot be flipped on the calendar soon enough. Tonight is Megan's Religious Ed class, Survivor, and Alex picking up his room and clearing his suitcase from the weekend. Tomorrow, Alex has his final baseball practice before games start next week. Friday, I do not believe we have anything going. Saturday, North Liberty Spring Cleanup day and I have stuff in the back of the truck. It is supposed to be sunny and 66 so maybe Alex and I will get some lawns mowed. Sunday, we'll go to Mass.

Then May will start. The kids go back to both having lessons @ West on Mondays. Driver's Ed continues for Megan on Tues/Thurs until 5/12, Alex's first baseball game is 5/4 when Megan has Religious Ed @ 6, another baseball game on 5/5, and Grandparent's Day on 5/6. Saturday is Alex's trip to Adventureland with the Regina band along with Karen's 4? birthday and a tentative trip to Riverside. Sunday is Mother's Day.

Then the week starts all over again with pretty much the same schedule.

Here's Hoping for 36...

2011-04-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

Matthew left home around 8:30 to play golf with his friends. On the way out the door, he answered his wife’s “What time will you be home?” question with “Probably around 1:30 – I’ll have lunch at the club.”

1:30 came and went, 3:00 passed, 6:15, still not home, finally at about 7:00 PM he rolls in the driveway, leaves his clubs in the garage, and presents his wife with a pizza, and begins the apologetic story. "We finished our game about 11:30, had lunch, and I started home, when alongside the road I saw this attractive girl with a flat tire on her car.

I stopped to help, got the tire changed, and looked around for a place to wash my hands. She offered money, but I refused, so she suggested that I at least allow her to buy me a beer. She said there's a tavern just up the road, and they have a restroom, you can clean up a bit.

I agreed to stop, we had a beer, then another beer, then a couple more, and I realized that this girl was not only pretty, she was very friendly, and a good companion to spend time with. Before I knew it, we were in the motel next door having sex. And that is why I am so late getting home."

His wife looked him right in the eye and said "Don't bullshit me -- you played 36 holes, didn't you?”

Beyond the Resurrection

2011-04-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

Jesus rose from the dead today! It is a great day for me to know that Jesus, who had died just three days earlier for *me* and my sins, came back from the dead to fulfill the path that God had set up for him. Jesus was human. That's the thing. Jesus was a political figure who was seen as a troublemaker and as someone who was seen as an instigator of rising up the people against the Romans. He spoke in parables and in ways that his followers really didn't understand. The gospels? Written a long time after his death. I always find that fascinating. I also have heard about the gospel of Judas that was not included in the Bible. I digress. The fact remains that Jesus died for me. Me. And you, of course. But he DIED for me. He said, "I love you so much that I am going to do the ultimate thing I can do and DIE for you." Wow.
That fact floors me every time I think about it. I heard about it at Holy Thursday Mass and I thought about it as I sat in Holy Saturday night Mass. Now, Lent is over and it is my hope to live every day as I did during Lent - reminded of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for ME. And you, of course.

Really? Am I that Stupid?

2011-04-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

I got the following email:

Dear Account User,

This Email is from Hotmail Customer Care® and we are sending it to all Hotmail Accounts Owner for safety. We are having congestion due to the anonymous registration of Hotmail accounts so we are shutting down some Hotmail accounts and your account is among those to be deactivated. We are sending this email to you so that you can verify and let us know if this account is still valid? If it is, Please kindly confirm your account by first clicking on the show content link highlighted in yellow just above the subject line. The following information is needed to verify your account: Your User name, password, date of birth and your country information.
Click on the reply button and fill in your information:

Full Name.......................
User Name:.....................
Password:.......................
Date of Birth:..................
Country Or Territory:..................

Like I am really going to send you my user name and password.

Another Day

2011-04-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

Today was okay. I found myself thinking and reflecting about where I am in my life, where I have been and where I hope to go. I hope that there is a reason for all the things that swirl around me in a frantic tempest. I hope the Big Four concert in CA this weekend is fantastic for all those lucky enough to see Anthrax open for Megadeth open for Slayer open for Metallica. It is the only concert by those four bands on the same bill in the United States. Thus far. Megadeth is touring later with Disturbed and Godsmack - a weird combo but probably being marketed to bring the old metal fans into the same building as the new metal fans. Why is Megadeth touring with them? I don't know. Megadeth could have taken Fear Factory or Testament or Sacred Reich on the road with them. I know all three have had radio success and granted, I have heard a Godsmack song followed by a Megadeth song followed by a Disturbed song on the radio and the trio sounded like it matched each other. In any case, I am not planning on seeing Godsmack/Disturbed/Megadeth in concert. Other than that, I hope tomorrow is a good day as well.