This is crazy!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
FFF & DD
We went to the Regina Fall Fun Festival last night.
First we wnet to Mass @ 6. Then Karen and I rushed from Mass to the beer tent to work from 7-9 (tell me we're not Catholic?!?). After working, we met up with some friends. There was a band called "Twist and Shout" playing. Megan's friend's dad, Jeff, plays bass. We both were checking out the band, 1/2 wishing they'd ask us to sit in, but that didn't happen. I said to him, "All we need is a guitarist and a vocalist and we're up there in 2009." He agreed.
I also talked to my friend Randy for a bit. I hadn't seen or talked to him in ... a long time.
While I was waiting for Karen to finish talking to one of her friends, I was talking to another of my friends - can you believe I have friends? - Paul. Paul's son is playing guitar in a band called Girl Repellant. Paul is a good guy - I like talking to him. We were talking and this woman comes over to us and says I don't know what's going on but those kids over there are acting up. I think it's the one in the green hat.
So Paul and I walked over there. We found the kid in a green hat and just sat in the general vicinity of the supposed trouble. Nothing happened. I asked the kid in the green hat if he was okay. He said yes. I asked him if he needed help and he said no. Then he left.
Today we are going to clean a couple of windows - yuck - and then return to the Regina FFF to play bingo. After bingo, the plan is to stop @ Hy-Vee, pick up a pizza for Alex and I and Chinese for Karen and Megan, and return home. After we eat, we need to clean Megan's window on the side of the house. We need to get the ladder up to the 2nd floor and monkey around with trying to clean it. I am not looking forward to that. I am fearful I will drop the window and watch it shatter on the ground as that would be 'my luck' to have that happen.
So, here's hoping that my next entry doesn't start out "be weary of what you fear because it can happen."
After that group of friends left, I rode the ferris wheel with Megan and then we went home.
One final note: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4689215&blogID=428574837 sounds very cool...
First we wnet to Mass @ 6. Then Karen and I rushed from Mass to the beer tent to work from 7-9 (tell me we're not Catholic?!?). After working, we met up with some friends. There was a band called "Twist and Shout" playing. Megan's friend's dad, Jeff, plays bass. We both were checking out the band, 1/2 wishing they'd ask us to sit in, but that didn't happen. I said to him, "All we need is a guitarist and a vocalist and we're up there in 2009." He agreed.
I also talked to my friend Randy for a bit. I hadn't seen or talked to him in ... a long time.
While I was waiting for Karen to finish talking to one of her friends, I was talking to another of my friends - can you believe I have friends? - Paul. Paul's son is playing guitar in a band called Girl Repellant. Paul is a good guy - I like talking to him. We were talking and this woman comes over to us and says I don't know what's going on but those kids over there are acting up. I think it's the one in the green hat.
So Paul and I walked over there. We found the kid in a green hat and just sat in the general vicinity of the supposed trouble. Nothing happened. I asked the kid in the green hat if he was okay. He said yes. I asked him if he needed help and he said no. Then he left.
Today we are going to clean a couple of windows - yuck - and then return to the Regina FFF to play bingo. After bingo, the plan is to stop @ Hy-Vee, pick up a pizza for Alex and I and Chinese for Karen and Megan, and return home. After we eat, we need to clean Megan's window on the side of the house. We need to get the ladder up to the 2nd floor and monkey around with trying to clean it. I am not looking forward to that. I am fearful I will drop the window and watch it shatter on the ground as that would be 'my luck' to have that happen.
So, here's hoping that my next entry doesn't start out "be weary of what you fear because it can happen."
After that group of friends left, I rode the ferris wheel with Megan and then we went home.
One final note: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4689215&blogID=428574837 sounds very cool...
Saturday, August 30, 2008
She thinks wrestling is real...
Before I get to the meaning behind the title of this post, I'm in awe that I haven't updated this blog since 8/25. It seems my weeks go too damn fast.
I'm back now, though, and with a killer video from Local H, a band that has really grown on me in the last few weeks. I needed to become familiar with their 12 Angry Months release in order to review it for DV and in doing so, I've really come to like this band. I was at their My Space page earlier and got this video:
Wednesday was the Virgil Donati drum clinic. 100+ drummers in the same room, watching a master of the instrument bend it to his will. He came across as very business-oriented, informing us we could purchase his DVDs and/or CDs. I understand the dough has to come from somewhere on these clinic tours, but he started out the clinic talking about how stuff was available for purchase. His negative first impression was immediately replaced, however, when he started playing. He could do anything he wanted to do it seemed on the drum set. He played with his feet in the same way that most drummers play with their hands. It was really humbling.
Last night was WWE. I had joked with my co-worker that I was going to make a sign to hold up that says "She Thinks Wrestling is Real" but I didn't. I talked to the guy who runs blindman.com and he is going to send some pics for me to post in my blog. I am still a sucker for WWE. The athletes are just that - athletic.
I'm back now, though, and with a killer video from Local H, a band that has really grown on me in the last few weeks. I needed to become familiar with their 12 Angry Months release in order to review it for DV and in doing so, I've really come to like this band. I was at their My Space page earlier and got this video:
Wednesday was the Virgil Donati drum clinic. 100+ drummers in the same room, watching a master of the instrument bend it to his will. He came across as very business-oriented, informing us we could purchase his DVDs and/or CDs. I understand the dough has to come from somewhere on these clinic tours, but he started out the clinic talking about how stuff was available for purchase. His negative first impression was immediately replaced, however, when he started playing. He could do anything he wanted to do it seemed on the drum set. He played with his feet in the same way that most drummers play with their hands. It was really humbling.
Last night was WWE. I had joked with my co-worker that I was going to make a sign to hold up that says "She Thinks Wrestling is Real" but I didn't. I talked to the guy who runs blindman.com and he is going to send some pics for me to post in my blog. I am still a sucker for WWE. The athletes are just that - athletic.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Why on Earth? The Drums?
My earliest recollection of music is playing a black metal stove with purple Tinker Toy sticks. I had a Lincoln Log cylinder as a drum, a Tinker Toy cylinder as a cymbal, and an Indian drum. Hitting the edge of the stove produced different sounds as well. I remember, for one Christmas, my parents bought a pair of drumsticks. In their parental wisdom, one stick was for my brother and one was for me. Ironically, I didn't like the sticks as they were too big for the stove and cylinders I had assembled. Plus they were heavier, weight-wise, than I liked. I think one was broken hitting the stove at some point. This 'set' was situated in front of our 8-track stereo. I don't remember how, but somehow, my mother bought the Gene Simmons solo release. I used to listen to that release repeatedly. With the 8 track, I could skip the songs I didn't like and repeatedly listen to "Living in Sin" and "Tunnel of Love." I remember mimicking the drum pattern of "Tunnel of Love."
Years later, I was in 4th grade. I remember, vividly, that we had to choose what instrument we wanted to play. I chose drums and told my mother that in the car on the way from our old house on Red Bud Road to the house we were moving into on Sally Drive. Soon after, I began taking drum lessons, didn't practice, didn't have any desire to learn my rudiments and now, frankly, I wish I could go back in time and actually practice. I didn't have a big picture as to how important rudiments are to drumming. I routinely play the paradiddle and am working on trying to play that faster and faster. A paradiddle is "RLRR LRLL"
The next to last one is Virgil Donati. I paid $10 for a ticket to see his drum clinic on Wednesday night @ West Music in Coralville, IA.
Years later, I was in 4th grade. I remember, vividly, that we had to choose what instrument we wanted to play. I chose drums and told my mother that in the car on the way from our old house on Red Bud Road to the house we were moving into on Sally Drive. Soon after, I began taking drum lessons, didn't practice, didn't have any desire to learn my rudiments and now, frankly, I wish I could go back in time and actually practice. I didn't have a big picture as to how important rudiments are to drumming. I routinely play the paradiddle and am working on trying to play that faster and faster. A paradiddle is "RLRR LRLL"
The next to last one is Virgil Donati. I paid $10 for a ticket to see his drum clinic on Wednesday night @ West Music in Coralville, IA.
A cover? Already?
And, in case you like the original a lot, here's a cover of the latest new Metallica song...
Even if I had 25 hours in a day, I would not waste my time learning to do this...
The title of this entry says it all... Dude, don't you have some friggin' homework to do?
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com
I'd rather spend my time listening to some classic BC...
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com
And, if BC is too squeaky clean, you have to experience some EM raw. Raw = f-bombs. If you don't like f-bombs are don't even know what one is, you shouldn't watch it. For those that like BC, you will find the first few minutes of EM doing BC hilarious.
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com
BUT.... if you LIKE EM and you don't mind a F-bomb, the ice cream man skit is hilarious.
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com
I was in a church and the pastor started talking re: George Carlin missing the point about religion. George Carlin said that if there was a God, why would he allow things to be so crazy and out of control. The pastor went on to say Carlin doesn't get it. God gave all of us - humans - the power of freewill. As I listened to the anti-Carlin tirade - and I'm agreeing with the pastor's opinion about Carlin's opinion of religion - I really wish the pastor had seen this clip, which I consider better than anything else Carlin ever said:
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com
I'd rather spend my time listening to some classic BC...
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com
And, if BC is too squeaky clean, you have to experience some EM raw. Raw = f-bombs. If you don't like f-bombs are don't even know what one is, you shouldn't watch it. For those that like BC, you will find the first few minutes of EM doing BC
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com
BUT.... if you LIKE EM and you don't mind a F-bomb, the ice cream man skit is hilarious.
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com
I was in a church and the pastor started talking re: George Carlin missing the point about religion. George Carlin said that if there was a God, why would he allow things to be so crazy and out of control. The pastor went on to say Carlin doesn't get it. God gave all of us - humans - the power of freewill. As I listened to the anti-Carlin tirade - and I'm agreeing with the pastor's opinion about Carlin's opinion of religion - I really wish the pastor had seen this clip, which I consider better than anything else Carlin ever said:
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com
Saturday, August 23, 2008
An Unexpected Movie Review
On a date night with my wife in July, I lost the discussion re: whether to see "Mama Mia" or "The Dark Knight." I am the minority. I hated "Mama Mia."
I thought it was cheesy, too many sexual overtones - too much to make it 12 year-old daughter appropriate, not enough to be "Wedding Crashers" material or "Knocked Up" material - and the singing... James Bond singing? C'mon. I was the only guy in the showing we went to.
The plot wrapped up too quickly "Oh yes, after 20 years, after being an independent person, just because *you* show up, say you love me, I'll just drop all my independence for you." I'm not a feminist by nature, but I'm really surprised there wasn't as much uproar from that group about that whole scenario as there is about "Tropic Thunder" using the r word. I found myself marveling at how there is one girl in the background who, in the same song, goes from "sunglasses on" to "sunglasses off" to "sunglasses on." Sloppy editing.
Anyways, I hated it and think I wasted a $8.50 and not just b/c I'm a headbanger at heart. I really didn't object to Abba being the main music - I objected to the whole silly plot line of the Meryl Streep character. She was built up to be *so strong* and then, in a matter of a single scene, gave up all that for someone she had not seen in 20 years. I didn't buy it. I felt ripped off.
I thought it was cheesy, too many sexual overtones - too much to make it 12 year-old daughter appropriate, not enough to be "Wedding Crashers" material or "Knocked Up" material - and the singing... James Bond singing? C'mon. I was the only guy in the showing we went to.
The plot wrapped up too quickly "Oh yes, after 20 years, after being an independent person, just because *you* show up, say you love me, I'll just drop all my independence for you." I'm not a feminist by nature, but I'm really surprised there wasn't as much uproar from that group about that whole scenario as there is about "Tropic Thunder" using the r word. I found myself marveling at how there is one girl in the background who, in the same song, goes from "sunglasses on" to "sunglasses off" to "sunglasses on." Sloppy editing.
Anyways, I hated it and think I wasted a $8.50 and not just b/c I'm a headbanger at heart. I really didn't object to Abba being the main music - I objected to the whole silly plot line of the Meryl Streep character. She was built up to be *so strong* and then, in a matter of a single scene, gave up all that for someone she had not seen in 20 years. I didn't buy it. I felt ripped off.
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Day that Never Comes
Way behind in posting all the stuff I want to post so I choose the most important: the new Metallica song!
This is an amendment. While I like "The Day that Never Comes," I think an early favorite track on "Death Magnetic" has to be "Cyanide." "I've already died / it's just the funeral that I'm waiting for." Cutting lyrics!
This is an amendment. While I like "The Day that Never Comes," I think an early favorite track on "Death Magnetic" has to be "Cyanide." "I've already died / it's just the funeral that I'm waiting for." Cutting lyrics!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Behind
And, by the by, I am behind in updating this blog with all the things I want to write about. There have been really good ideas tossed around on the Techwr-L list re: two monitors v. 1 and counting change back. I will be updating soon.
NEM
Nothing Else Matters by Metallica is not my favorite piece by them. I think the lyrics are kind of sappy and, frankly, when it was a married couple's first dance, it ruined the song for me. Metallica and a wedding reception, I can live with. When I got married in August 1993, we danced to "Enter Sandman." That all said, this version of NEM rocks...
Monday, August 18, 2008
21 to 18
I have been working on my TWing contract from 9-12. As I signed out of Hotmail, I noticed an interesting link which took me to an even more interesting article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26271328
Make the drinking age 18. Presidents of major universities want a "dispassionate" discussion about the issue. Okay. I'm open to that.
Let's talk about it.
Let's strip all the emotional stuff from it.
Let's get law enforcement officers.
Let's get victims and families of people that have been killed by a drunk driver.
Let's get people who are sitting on the side of the road and get plowed into by a totally intoxicated female who only cares about getting her CDs after she injures someone.
Let's get the wives of husbands who endure their husband's pain as if it were their own.
Let's get them all in a room and ask them to dispassionately discuss the issue.
Let's see how far that gets.
Folks, here's how I see it. I agree with one of my friends. He says that one day you're 20 and you're not allowed to drink any alcohol, even in the privacy of your home with your parents. The next day WHAM!! You are 21 and you are expected to immediately
a) know your limits
b) know how to drink in moderation
c) know how alcohol will change your behavior
There is no clause in the law that says "under parental supervision, a minor may drink alcohol." I think that's what is wrong. I don't want my son or daughter out on their 21st birthday, doing crazy shots of booze and getting sick. That wouldn't be fun. I want them to know what they can / cannot do. Who is going to teach them? If *I* don't teach them, their friends will when parents are gone and they are alone in the house with beer or hard liquor. Who should teach my child? I say me.
Make the drinking age 18. Presidents of major universities want a "dispassionate" discussion about the issue. Okay. I'm open to that.
Let's talk about it.
Let's strip all the emotional stuff from it.
Let's get law enforcement officers.
Let's get victims and families of people that have been killed by a drunk driver.
Let's get people who are sitting on the side of the road and get plowed into by a totally intoxicated female who only cares about getting her CDs after she injures someone.
Let's get the wives of husbands who endure their husband's pain as if it were their own.
Let's get them all in a room and ask them to dispassionately discuss the issue.
Let's see how far that gets.
Folks, here's how I see it. I agree with one of my friends. He says that one day you're 20 and you're not allowed to drink any alcohol, even in the privacy of your home with your parents. The next day WHAM!! You are 21 and you are expected to immediately
a) know your limits
b) know how to drink in moderation
c) know how alcohol will change your behavior
There is no clause in the law that says "under parental supervision, a minor may drink alcohol." I think that's what is wrong. I don't want my son or daughter out on their 21st birthday, doing crazy shots of booze and getting sick. That wouldn't be fun. I want them to know what they can / cannot do. Who is going to teach them? If *I* don't teach them, their friends will when parents are gone and they are alone in the house with beer or hard liquor. Who should teach my child? I say me.
Know Your Audience
On the Techwr-L list today, Evelyn Lee Barney wrote something very profound that, maybe, has been said in other places, using some of the same words, but it wasn't until today that I thought, "Wow."
She wrote:
After over a decade in Tech Writing and seeing more documentation/online Help files than I can count, I totally agree with Evelyn's assessment of documentation. Navigation cannot be forgotten but it is. Software functionality gets buried too easily and the worst part - even after working with a system on a daily basis for nearly a decade, I can't remember every single place where something exists. We have an option to do XYZ - it's a check box on a ton of screens - and if I need to update the doc to say that XYZ has a new thing associated with it (and need to find all references to XYZ), where do I go? The doc. I have accepted that I can remember a lot of things - like anniversaries and some birthdays - but not all things.
The other element is about stating up front what you cannot do in the software. I have over 4000 CDs, tapes, VHS tapes, DVDs, and records (45s and 33s). I used to try to find a replacement for my Excel spreadsheet that tracks them all. I wanted something that could generate reports on the fly. I wanted something that could give me a quick report of all my Metallica CDs or all my Metallica *and* Megadeth CDs. Searched high and low. Downloaded freeware and shareware. Sent my requirements to tech support at one company and their tech support person wrote back, "Our software doesn't fit your needs." That was beautiful. Honest. Not the answer I wanted, but honestly, if I would have spent the time to import the file into their software (and that may have been the issue that they identified as not being able to support, but assume I could get the Excel file imported and then couldn't do all the other stuff I wanted to do.) I learned before spending more than 1 hour of my time that I was going the wrong way.
You should know your audience well enough to understand what they need to know in order to complete their task.
She wrote:
I don't think we can ever really know (depending, maybe, on our audience) what is a common-knowledge detail to them, and what is not. My personal frustration with software documentation for aps that are new to me is when they say something like: "If you'd like to perform X function, just use the Y-enator while holding down cntr." No screen shot, no tip as to where to find the Y-enator, let alone what its primary function is (and you'd assume it has a primary function that isn't X, since it's a Y-enator, not an X-enator.) I'm particularly annoyed with this type of instruction when it turns out that the Y-enator is in a sub-sub-sub menu of a main menu that otherwise I never use - so know nothing about, and takes me an hour to find.
Anyway - if asked as a reader of docs what one wish I had - I'd say: "whatever you want me to know about, tell me :::where::: it is :::first:::. Almost everything else I can figure out on my own. If given a second wish, I'd say: "if your software does not do something the average person would likely expect it to do (my favorite example is that Cool Edit Pro - at least my edition - is a sound editor with no volume control. You have to control the play-back volume from your computer media task bar, or your speakers) then say so, up front.
After over a decade in Tech Writing and seeing more documentation/online Help files than I can count, I totally agree with Evelyn's assessment of documentation. Navigation cannot be forgotten but it is. Software functionality gets buried too easily and the worst part - even after working with a system on a daily basis for nearly a decade, I can't remember every single place where something exists. We have an option to do XYZ - it's a check box on a ton of screens - and if I need to update the doc to say that XYZ has a new thing associated with it (and need to find all references to XYZ), where do I go? The doc. I have accepted that I can remember a lot of things - like anniversaries and some birthdays - but not all things.
The other element is about stating up front what you cannot do in the software. I have over 4000 CDs, tapes, VHS tapes, DVDs, and records (45s and 33s). I used to try to find a replacement for my Excel spreadsheet that tracks them all. I wanted something that could generate reports on the fly. I wanted something that could give me a quick report of all my Metallica CDs or all my Metallica *and* Megadeth CDs. Searched high and low. Downloaded freeware and shareware. Sent my requirements to tech support at one company and their tech support person wrote back, "Our software doesn't fit your needs." That was beautiful. Honest. Not the answer I wanted, but honestly, if I would have spent the time to import the file into their software (and that may have been the issue that they identified as not being able to support, but assume I could get the Excel file imported and then couldn't do all the other stuff I wanted to do.) I learned before spending more than 1 hour of my time that I was going the wrong way.
You should know your audience well enough to understand what they need to know in order to complete their task.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Late breaking news...
You can listen to one of the new Metallica songs called "Cyanide" on their MySpace page: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=4689215. Also available is the live version of the epic "And Justice for All" from Chorzow, Poland, on May 28, 2008.
80s
Okay... definitely, I consider myself a child of the 80s. It's what I grew up with. There was, of course, a lot of good music in that decade and a lot of not-so-good. I know some of it was good because the classic rock station played both "Home Sweet Home" and "I Wanna Rock" while I was at the North Liberty pool today. Both Motley Crue and Twisted Sister are artists that survived that decade and now their songs are considered "classic rock." The same station played Foghat's "Slow Ride." It was fun to be walking up to the water slide and have Alex and I both air guitaring to it. They also played "China Grove" (the Doobie Brothers) and Led Zeppelin's "Dancing Days." Anyways, the 80s were a lot of fun. Karen's brother plays in a band that plays a lot of 80s music - I know I've written about him previously on this blog - and I found the perfect shirt: http://tinyurl.com/58ovw2 but it got taken down, for whatever reason.
http://www.topatoco.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TO&Product_Code=WON-80s&Category_Code=WON is the original link.
Apologies to my friend John to whom I sent this link prior to verifying it still existed.
http://www.topatoco.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TO&Product_Code=WON-80s&Category_Code=WON is the original link.
Apologies to my friend John to whom I sent this link prior to verifying it still existed.
Links
This is an odd link http://www.uniphiz.com/physiognomy.htm. Per the website, It is "amazing face reading software [that] tells you about the character of this person. You gain accurate insight into the true nature of famous people." Hmm. I don't know if I want to know more about the famous people in the world - I can read People magazine to learn anything and more than I want to know about anyone.
My friend Phil passed along this info for you XM radio subscribers. I believe in "free radio" so I don't pay for any radio service:
Mandatory Metallica
Mandatory Metallica is an amazing amalgam of the greatest rock band in history. The channel will play music from the entire Metallica catalog, including rare live recordings from the band's personal concert archives, extensive interviews with the band and more. In addition, a wide range of artists will be featured as they talk about what Metallica means to them including the likes of Judas Priest, Smashing Pumpkins, Linkin Park, Slipknot, Disturbed, Guns 'N Roses, Chris Cornell, Ashes Divide, Blackstone Cherry, Five Finger Death Punch, Atreyu, Skid Row, Cinderella, Mastodon, Dragonforce, Triumph, Tesla and dozens of others. "Mandatory Metallica" (XM 51) will be available on XM from August 16 through September 30.
I would really like to hear what Skid Row and Cinderella have to say about Metallica. I'd also like to hear what G-n-R think, especially Axl since Metallica made it a point to make fun of the band's tour rider . . . is that the right word? It's a list of all the things the band needs in their dressing room when they are about to go on stage.
Finally, the most important link of the day: http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=10950. On this link, you'll read about Metallica's upcoming tour of North America, including a stop in Moline, IL!
My friend Phil passed along this info for you XM radio subscribers. I believe in "free radio" so I don't pay for any radio service:
Mandatory Metallica
Mandatory Metallica is an amazing amalgam of the greatest rock band in history. The channel will play music from the entire Metallica catalog, including rare live recordings from the band's personal concert archives, extensive interviews with the band and more. In addition, a wide range of artists will be featured as they talk about what Metallica means to them including the likes of Judas Priest, Smashing Pumpkins, Linkin Park, Slipknot, Disturbed, Guns 'N Roses, Chris Cornell, Ashes Divide, Blackstone Cherry, Five Finger Death Punch, Atreyu, Skid Row, Cinderella, Mastodon, Dragonforce, Triumph, Tesla and dozens of others. "Mandatory Metallica" (XM 51) will be available on XM from August 16 through September 30.
I would really like to hear what Skid Row and Cinderella have to say about Metallica. I'd also like to hear what G-n-R think, especially Axl since Metallica made it a point to make fun of the band's tour rider . . . is that the right word? It's a list of all the things the band needs in their dressing room when they are about to go on stage.
Finally, the most important link of the day: http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=10950. On this link, you'll read about Metallica's upcoming tour of North America, including a stop in Moline, IL!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Gasp! No Metallica in CR or IC?!?
Once again, Cedar Rapids has been passed over for a major concert tour. Metallica is hitting the road and where do they go? Des Moines on 10/26 and Moline, IL, on 11/8. Who do they skip? Cedar Rapids & Iowa City. They are taking The Sword and Down on tour with them. The Sword is a band I am unfamiliar with - expect some Youtube videos linked when I find them. Down, I think, features Phil Anselmo (Pantera) as the lead singer. I don't think I have any of their material either but I have to check my list.
I am hoping to score an interview with Lars Ulrich on the day of the show and to get a promo of their "Death Magnetic" release. Additionally, I am hoping for two tickets to their Moline, IL, show. It is the weekend that Karen is out of town for her WWA (Women's Weekend Away) so I will be attempting to find child care for the kids for that night. I wish Alex was a bit older because Metallica is one of the bands I want to take him to see. But, like Rush, he is too young.
I am hoping to score an interview with Lars Ulrich on the day of the show and to get a promo of their "Death Magnetic" release. Additionally, I am hoping for two tickets to their Moline, IL, show. It is the weekend that Karen is out of town for her WWA (Women's Weekend Away) so I will be attempting to find child care for the kids for that night. I wish Alex was a bit older because Metallica is one of the bands I want to take him to see. But, like Rush, he is too young.
Shampoo
Somehow, shampoo instructions came up on the Techwr-L list. Kenpo in Atlanta contributed to the discussion with this post:
"This being Friday (or at least, the last part of it), and the subject of shampooing has come up, a really, really, really educational video which includes how to shampoo is available at this site
And yes, expect humor. -- Kenpo in Atlanta"
I found this video hilarious.
"This being Friday (or at least, the last part of it), and the subject of shampooing has come up, a really, really, really educational video which includes how to shampoo is available at this site
And yes, expect humor. -- Kenpo in Atlanta"
I found this video hilarious.
Phelps, Party on, and More HS stuff
Did you see Michael Phelps last night?!? He touched out the 2nd place swimmer by .01 of a second with his final push. It was amazing to watch. I am glad he didn't give up or think the race was over prior to it being over, which is what the 2nd place swimmer did. I am an ex-swimmer. I swam all four years in high school and my coach, Steve Shean, drilled it into our heads to finish the race. I also swam in a swim club called CRAA and the coach at the time, Scott Bonine, talked about finishing the race as well. It was interesting to see, in the race for the gold medal, that a swimmer that didn't push hard at the end could be beaten by the narrowest of margins. Now they're talking about protesting the result. I actually thought Phelps got 2nd. I think his mother did too. It wasn't until seeing the replay in slow motion that I concluded Phelps touched first. I'm glad he did and I'm proud that the Americans are doing so well in China.
The 100 butterfly was the only race I saw because I was at our neighborhood party last night. I fell asleep in front of the firepit and got sent to bed. Obviously, I was tired.
Prior to falling asleep, though, I talked to our neighbor Carrie. We talked about high school reunions. She talked about how, 20 years later, some people are still stuck in the cliques they were in high school. My neighbor Mark joined that conversation and talked about at his high school reunion, he saw the same thing. That conversation, and others I've had with my friends, make me think I made the right decision. Sure, I could have had fun. It would have been nice to see faces I haven't seen in 20 years. But it all gets shaken down to this. I am not who I was 20 years ago and to go back to that person:
There. Now I am done talking about my high school reunion. Not going to talk about it anymore on this blog.
The 100 butterfly was the only race I saw because I was at our neighborhood party last night. I fell asleep in front of the firepit and got sent to bed. Obviously, I was tired.
Prior to falling asleep, though, I talked to our neighbor Carrie. We talked about high school reunions. She talked about how, 20 years later, some people are still stuck in the cliques they were in high school. My neighbor Mark joined that conversation and talked about at his high school reunion, he saw the same thing. That conversation, and others I've had with my friends, make me think I made the right decision. Sure, I could have had fun. It would have been nice to see faces I haven't seen in 20 years. But it all gets shaken down to this. I am not who I was 20 years ago and to go back to that person:
- who didn't have the nerve to ask more girls out
- who didn't push harder in the aforementioned swim team practices and in the weight room
- who didn't do more than exist
There. Now I am done talking about my high school reunion. Not going to talk about it anymore on this blog.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Was once Lost and now found
Catherine on the HATT list asked about a site that talks about finding lost things. The site is http://www.professorsolomon.com
Learning of this site is very timely.
Last night, prior to going to a banquet as part of our Client Conference, I was at Best Buy to buy my daughter a MP3 player for her 12th birthday tomorrow (and it's okay - she doesn't know I have a blog). I went to check out and my debit card was gone. I had to use the charge card. At the banquet, without realizing it, I went through some of the steps Professor Solomon talks about. I couldn’t search for it right away and I had to retrace my steps. We went to Wendy’s on Sunday night and I didn’t have my wallet but I used my debit card. I knew I had tan shorts on and that, when we got home, I immediately went to mow our neighbor’s yard (because I get some $ for doing so). I left on my tan shorts b/c it was getting dark and I didn’t go inside – pulled the van into the garage and went to get the mower. I also remembered that when I was done mowing, I immediately showered. I also remembered that I left my tan shorts next to my dresser. Last night, @ 10:00, when we got home from the banquet, I went to the bedroom, looked inside the pocket of my tan shorts and there was my debit card.
The point of all this is that some of these steps work sometimes. I personally think step 12 (http://www.professorsolomon.com/pr12.html) should come earlier, especially if there are children in the house. Case in point, last night, we couldn’t find our dog whistle. Why do we have a dog whistle when no canine lives in our house. Because of our neighbor’s dog, of course. We have a neighbor who has a yippy dog that lives behind us. The dog comes outside on their deck and barks. It can see into our dining room and, when we are inside, it will bark at us when we have the sliding door open. We went to Scheel’s a while back and I bought a dog whistle. For the past few months, when the dog barks, I blow the whistle, it stops barking. It barks again, I blow the whistle and the dog stops barking and jumps on the neighbor’s sliding door to go back in the house. When I got home from work last night, the yippy dog was outside, saw me walk into the dining room and it started to bark. I went to the ‘normal’ place where we keep the whistle and it was gone. My son reported that my daughter had been using it. We followed my daughter’s trail of stuff (I won’t go there onlist) and found it on the couch, which is in front of the TV. Had I turned on the TV, I’m positive the Disney Channel would have been the selected station. I could recreate the crime.
Learning of this site is very timely.
Last night, prior to going to a banquet as part of our Client Conference, I was at Best Buy to buy my daughter a MP3 player for her 12th birthday tomorrow (and it's okay - she doesn't know I have a blog). I went to check out and my debit card was gone. I had to use the charge card. At the banquet, without realizing it, I went through some of the steps Professor Solomon talks about. I couldn’t search for it right away and I had to retrace my steps. We went to Wendy’s on Sunday night and I didn’t have my wallet but I used my debit card. I knew I had tan shorts on and that, when we got home, I immediately went to mow our neighbor’s yard (because I get some $ for doing so). I left on my tan shorts b/c it was getting dark and I didn’t go inside – pulled the van into the garage and went to get the mower. I also remembered that when I was done mowing, I immediately showered. I also remembered that I left my tan shorts next to my dresser. Last night, @ 10:00, when we got home from the banquet, I went to the bedroom, looked inside the pocket of my tan shorts and there was my debit card.
The point of all this is that some of these steps work sometimes. I personally think step 12 (http://www.professorsolomon.com/pr12.html) should come earlier, especially if there are children in the house. Case in point, last night, we couldn’t find our dog whistle. Why do we have a dog whistle when no canine lives in our house. Because of our neighbor’s dog, of course. We have a neighbor who has a yippy dog that lives behind us. The dog comes outside on their deck and barks. It can see into our dining room and, when we are inside, it will bark at us when we have the sliding door open. We went to Scheel’s a while back and I bought a dog whistle. For the past few months, when the dog barks, I blow the whistle, it stops barking. It barks again, I blow the whistle and the dog stops barking and jumps on the neighbor’s sliding door to go back in the house. When I got home from work last night, the yippy dog was outside, saw me walk into the dining room and it started to bark. I went to the ‘normal’ place where we keep the whistle and it was gone. My son reported that my daughter had been using it. We followed my daughter’s trail of stuff (I won’t go there onlist) and found it on the couch, which is in front of the TV. Had I turned on the TV, I’m positive the Disney Channel would have been the selected station. I could recreate the crime.
- The dog barked
- She got up from the couch
- She got and blew the whistle to make the dog stop barking
- The commercial on Disney Channel ended
- She sat down on the couch with the dog whistle
- She got up from the couch to get something to eat, like grapes, and didn't remember the dog whistle was next to her
- She got sent up to her room to clean it or to put away her clothes or some other chore when Karen got home from work
- The memory that she had even had the dog whistle and should have put it back where she found it was successfully deleted from her brain.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Monday Again
I missed my 20 year high school reunion this last weekend. I'm sure it was fun for all those that went and I might have had fun if I had gone - I allow for that.
Instead, it was our annual summer camping trip with our Mount Mercy College friends. We get together twice a year - in the winter without kids and in the summer with kids. I am close to all of the adults in our group. I have fun with the kids. I told all of them before they left "Listen to your mom, listen to your dad, don't fight with your brother(s) and sister(s), and keep your room clean b/c you never know when I'll show up."
Today, Monday, it was back to work. It was the first day of our Client Conference and for being an introvert who enjoys his job b/c I can sit and write and listen to music all day, I made it a point to step out of my comfort zone and talk to clients. The conversations I struck up were worth the effort. I am at the conference tomorrow, but not on Wednesday, which is when the CEO is going to talk about the future of the company. Hmmm. I will reach my decade of service to this company on 10/1.
Megan turns 12 on Thursday. She is getting her ears pierced and I'm having absolutely nothing to do with that. Karen's parents are coming down to go out to supper. Everyone but me will go to Mass for the Assumption Holy Day but I'll go @ noon in Cedar Rapids on Friday.
Friday night, my neighborhood is having an impromptu end of the summer party. We're going to put our fire pit in our neighbor's driveway, put some chairs around it, and drink beer (except Margaret and anyone else who doesn't want to or can't - like the kids). I'm looking forward to it. With the beautiful evenings we've been having, it's been hard to stay focused on what needs to be done inside - like laundry - when we could be outside talking to the neighbors. Our neighbor's 6 month old son Jaryn smiles every time I look at him and, I admit, that's addictive to see a baby smile like that.
I finished mowing the neighbor's yard and started/finished our yard.
Paul
Instead, it was our annual summer camping trip with our Mount Mercy College friends. We get together twice a year - in the winter without kids and in the summer with kids. I am close to all of the adults in our group. I have fun with the kids. I told all of them before they left "Listen to your mom, listen to your dad, don't fight with your brother(s) and sister(s), and keep your room clean b/c you never know when I'll show up."
Today, Monday, it was back to work. It was the first day of our Client Conference and for being an introvert who enjoys his job b/c I can sit and write and listen to music all day, I made it a point to step out of my comfort zone and talk to clients. The conversations I struck up were worth the effort. I am at the conference tomorrow, but not on Wednesday, which is when the CEO is going to talk about the future of the company. Hmmm. I will reach my decade of service to this company on 10/1.
Megan turns 12 on Thursday. She is getting her ears pierced and I'm having absolutely nothing to do with that. Karen's parents are coming down to go out to supper. Everyone but me will go to Mass for the Assumption Holy Day but I'll go @ noon in Cedar Rapids on Friday.
Friday night, my neighborhood is having an impromptu end of the summer party. We're going to put our fire pit in our neighbor's driveway, put some chairs around it, and drink beer (except Margaret and anyone else who doesn't want to or can't - like the kids). I'm looking forward to it. With the beautiful evenings we've been having, it's been hard to stay focused on what needs to be done inside - like laundry - when we could be outside talking to the neighbors. Our neighbor's 6 month old son Jaryn smiles every time I look at him and, I admit, that's addictive to see a baby smile like that.
I finished mowing the neighbor's yard and started/finished our yard.
Paul
Friday, August 8, 2008
WWE in CR IA
My co-worker Lisa and I are going to see WWE @ the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids on Friday, 8/29. We are in section M-1, Row 3
English with Numbers
It is my job to balance the check books - we have 2 - and sometimes, I wonder why an English major is in charge of the numbers. Logically, the part of the brain that would benefit an English major is on the opposite side of the brain that would benefit an accountant or any other job with numbers being the primary thing you work with. I much prefer words. We have two check books because Karen is paid once a month and we have specific bills that come from her check/that checking account that are automatic debits, such as insurance and the kids' tuition. The other account has my check deposited, twice a month, and that account is for the normal monthly bills like phone/internet, cell phone, electric, and city sewer. Sometimes, I don't know what I would do without online banking. I am able to keep the check books balanced because I can write in debits that were not written in the ledger originally and things like that. I must admit I am doing better than I thought I would but mainly it's because I can keep the ledger matching what our bank says we have on a daily basis.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
No More Beer for Nine Months & 12 in 4
I found out tonight that our neighbors Ron and Margaret are expecting a new addition to their family in March! I am excited for them. This will be their 4th child. Margaret is a good neighbor. She likes to drink beer with me in the front yard, in their driveway, on their patio, on our patio, and at any of the houses in our neighborhood. Ron is a good guy too. We had Japanese beetles in our bushes so, tonight, I trimmed them down to nothingness.
At work, I have ~481 hours of work to do for our next software release. That's 12 40 hour weeks. I have 5 and one of those is probably going to be taken away for doing a conversion and then receiving training on some software I use. I *know* there are 4 huge projects that will require a week each. Everything else? I haven't gotten that far. Hopefully, those 4 projects don't take nearly as long as they will so that I can work on other projects. The release has to be out the door 10/1 because a promise was made to deliver a new system by 10/1. I will probably tackle that project first the week of 8/18 - 8/22 since I've been working on designing the User Interface for all the screens. I haven't begun the documentation for it.
At home, I will probably mow the neighbor's yard tomorrow night but I am going to let our yard go another week. I pre-billed for mowing the neighbor's yard but the only part that is long enough to really cut is the backyard. I looked tonight and it is definitely long where the water drains down from up the street. We leave for camping with our college friends on Friday so we will pack up on Thursday night.
Finally, Metallica announced their Death Magnetic CD will be released on September 12th. I put in a request for a promo to review it so I hope that happens. I am excited. Maybe listening to it will help me write documentation faster@ work!
At work, I have ~481 hours of work to do for our next software release. That's 12 40 hour weeks. I have 5 and one of those is probably going to be taken away for doing a conversion and then receiving training on some software I use. I *know* there are 4 huge projects that will require a week each. Everything else? I haven't gotten that far. Hopefully, those 4 projects don't take nearly as long as they will so that I can work on other projects. The release has to be out the door 10/1 because a promise was made to deliver a new system by 10/1. I will probably tackle that project first the week of 8/18 - 8/22 since I've been working on designing the User Interface for all the screens. I haven't begun the documentation for it.
At home, I will probably mow the neighbor's yard tomorrow night but I am going to let our yard go another week. I pre-billed for mowing the neighbor's yard but the only part that is long enough to really cut is the backyard. I looked tonight and it is definitely long where the water drains down from up the street. We leave for camping with our college friends on Friday so we will pack up on Thursday night.
Finally, Metallica announced their Death Magnetic CD will be released on September 12th. I put in a request for a promo to review it so I hope that happens. I am excited. Maybe listening to it will help me write documentation faster@ work!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Mix CD 2001
I'm listening to what I call a "Life CD." About 4 times a year, put together a mix CD of the songs I am addicted to, that I can't live without hearing. On 9/13/2001, I made a mix CD with the following 17 songs:
Bodies - Drowning Pool Control - Puddle of Mudd How You Remind Me - Nickelback Batiwibata - Kid Rock Fight Fire with Fire - Apocalyptica (the 4 cellos group that plays heavy metal) Dragon Attack - Queen Best of Friends - Dangerous Toys One Way or Another - Blondie Vicarious - Tool Dancing with the Devil on a Spanish Highway - Riot All Together Now - Beatles Leader of Men - Nickelback My Sharona - The Knack Dirty Diana - .... I can't remember who this is by but not the Michael Jackson version Leader of Men - Nickelback Heartspark Dollarsign (acoustic) - Everclear Until it Sleeps - Apocalyptica (the 4 cellos group that plays heavy metal)
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