In less than one hour, I am taking my kids and a niece and a nephew to 11 AM Mass. I am playing drums.
Happy Easter to all of my readers / followers!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
Good News!
It has been confirmed that we have Scary Robots rehearsal on Tuesday, 4/2! I am anxious to rock out, especially after playing that song last night that was SOOOOOO SLOOOOOWWWWWW...... Grinning just thinking about it.
More WM XXIX News
In preparation for Wrestlemania XXIX on April 7, 2013, here's an analysis of the wrestlers that are scheduled to fight.
Memphis in May 2013
Here's the line up for this year's concert and I must say, I'm impressed. It has The Black Keys, ZZ Top, and it also has Three Days Grace and Papa Roach. I especially like this version of the schedule because it breaks out the bands by stage / day. It doesn't specify if the order of the bands is the way they will actually be scheduled.
Still not going, but I would like what I would hear if I were.
How long has this festival existed? Wikipedia to the rescue! But then, has Wikipedia ever been wrong? Apparently so.
Still not going, but I would like what I would hear if I were.
How long has this festival existed? Wikipedia to the rescue! But then, has Wikipedia ever been wrong? Apparently so.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Pastor Named for STM
It's official. Our new pastor has been named @ St. Thomas More. From the Catholic Messenger website:
<snip>
Rev. Walter B. Helms, to retirement from assignment as pastor of St. Thomas More, Coralville.
<snip>
Rev. Stephen C. Page, relieved of present assignment as pastor of St. Mary Parish, Fairfield, and assigned as pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, Coralville.
<snip>
- And in other news, I am played drums tonight, at Holy Thursday. The Communion song was played SOOOOOO SLOOOOOWWWWWW. It wasn't a new song - we've played it before - but tonight, it was SOOOOOO SLOOOOOWWWWWW.
- I am playing drums tomorrow night at Good Friday Mass.
- I am not playing at Saturday night Mass even after I talked to Jim, the guitarist that was playing tonight. He told me that Keith, a bassist, and possibly another Jim, a guitarist, were going to play at Saturday night Mass. I wish that same group was playing at 11 AM Sunday.
- I am playing drums at 11 AM Sunday Mass.
More Metallica Hate...
From an article about a Metallica concert rider in 1983, there was a comment that Metallica "died" after the Black album.
Metallica is near and dear to my heart. A lot of words have been written on this blog about what I think of them as a band. If I were "into" commenting on articles, this is what I would write:
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Jason Newsted used to say something like, "Yes we sold out... every night on every tour."
Before I go into what I think about Metallica, think about a "typical" Led Zeppelin song. Is it "Rock and Roll" or "Dazed and Confused" that best captures the band. Maybe it's "The Ocean" or "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" or "Communication Breakdown" that define "Led Zeppelin" to you. How diverse are those songs? Do they have a common thread? I answer yes, and I also answer that having that diverse of a range of material is an indication of a great band.
Moving on to Metallica, haven't they done a similar thing? I may say "Master of Puppets" is the song that defines the band, but that neglects "Fade to Black" and "Whiplash" and "Orion." I think bands should evolve over time. They have been a band for 30 years. They have survived adversity and challenges throughout their career. If they want to do their own festival and release their own movie, I say go for it and I hope they are great.
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I need to find an essay I wrote many, many, MANY years ago, where I fleshed out the Led Zeppelin theory I summarized above.
Metallica is near and dear to my heart. A lot of words have been written on this blog about what I think of them as a band. If I were "into" commenting on articles, this is what I would write:
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Jason Newsted used to say something like, "Yes we sold out... every night on every tour."
Before I go into what I think about Metallica, think about a "typical" Led Zeppelin song. Is it "Rock and Roll" or "Dazed and Confused" that best captures the band. Maybe it's "The Ocean" or "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" or "Communication Breakdown" that define "Led Zeppelin" to you. How diverse are those songs? Do they have a common thread? I answer yes, and I also answer that having that diverse of a range of material is an indication of a great band.
Moving on to Metallica, haven't they done a similar thing? I may say "Master of Puppets" is the song that defines the band, but that neglects "Fade to Black" and "Whiplash" and "Orion." I think bands should evolve over time. They have been a band for 30 years. They have survived adversity and challenges throughout their career. If they want to do their own festival and release their own movie, I say go for it and I hope they are great.
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I need to find an essay I wrote many, many, MANY years ago, where I fleshed out the Led Zeppelin theory I summarized above.
Crow Tastes Good
Earlier this month, I wrote about the unlikely scenario where the Iowa Hawkeyes would win the NIT. After last night's all-around impressive victory over the Virginia Cavaliers in a building where Virginia had won 20 straight at home, I am eating crow. I can envision a scenario where they win the semi-final game on Tuesday, April 2, in New York City against Maryland and then move on to play in the NIT Championship game on Thursday, April 4.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Five Finger Death Punch or Breaking Benjamin - Does it Matter?
From a friend of mine:
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I must admit that lately my motivation hasn't been so spectacular.
We have a guy who is the "mentor" for the group. Essentially he's like a team lead. He implemented the standards, process we follow for [doing our work], etc.
The problem is that it's been SUPER frustrating working with him because he'll tell us one day to change our [work] because it's not the way we should do something even though we learned it by using his example and then after we change it he's telling us it should be the initial way we had it. It's been 2 months and I have yet to have [my work] accepted because he keeps rejecting them for various reasons like that.
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So I wrote back.
Well...
So, tell me where I got this guy wrong. This mentor would be the one to call Rock 108 and say, "I want you to play Five Finger Death Punch" and so Rock 108 plays "Under It and Over It". When the mentor hears that song, he calls Rock 108 back and says, "I didn't want FFDP, I wanted Breaking Benjamin" so Rock 108 puts on "So Cold" and, upon hearing that song, the mentor calls Rock 108 back *again* and says, "No, I said I wanted you to play Five Finger Death Punch" and, in response, Rock 108 plays "Falling In Hate" (criminally underrated in their catalog) and, finally, upon hearing "Falling in Hate", the mentor calls Rock 108 back and says, "Hey, that sounds great! Thanks for playing what I wanted to hear."
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I must admit that lately my motivation hasn't been so spectacular.
We have a guy who is the "mentor" for the group. Essentially he's like a team lead. He implemented the standards, process we follow for [doing our work], etc.
The problem is that it's been SUPER frustrating working with him because he'll tell us one day to change our [work] because it's not the way we should do something even though we learned it by using his example and then after we change it he's telling us it should be the initial way we had it. It's been 2 months and I have yet to have [my work] accepted because he keeps rejecting them for various reasons like that.
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So I wrote back.
Well...
So, tell me where I got this guy wrong. This mentor would be the one to call Rock 108 and say, "I want you to play Five Finger Death Punch" and so Rock 108 plays "Under It and Over It". When the mentor hears that song, he calls Rock 108 back and says, "I didn't want FFDP, I wanted Breaking Benjamin" so Rock 108 puts on "So Cold" and, upon hearing that song, the mentor calls Rock 108 back *again* and says, "No, I said I wanted you to play Five Finger Death Punch" and, in response, Rock 108 plays "Falling In Hate" (criminally underrated in their catalog) and, finally, upon hearing "Falling in Hate", the mentor calls Rock 108 back and says, "Hey, that sounds great! Thanks for playing what I wanted to hear."
Little Red Hen 2013 - Updated Story
"Who will help me plant my wheat?" asked the little red hen.
"Not I," said the cow.
"Not I," said the duck.
"Not I," said the pig.
"Not I," said the goose.
"Then I will do it by myself." She planted her crop and the wheat grew and ripened.
"Who will help me reap my wheat?" asked the little red hen.
"Not I," said the duck.
"Out of my classification," said the pig.
"I'd lose my seniority," said the cow.
"I'd lose my unemployment compensation," said the goose.
"Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen, and so she did.
"Who will help me bake the bread?" asked the little red hen.
"That would be overtime for me," said the cow.
"I'd lose my welfare benefits," said the duck.
"I'm a dropout and never learned how," said the pig.
"If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination," said the goose.
"Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen.
She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share but the little red hen said, "No, I shall eat all five loaves."
"Excess profits!" cried the cow.. (Nancy Pelosi)
"Capitalist leech!" screamed the duck. (Barbara Boxer)
"I demand equal rights!" yelled the goose. (Jesse Jackson)
The pig just grunted in disdain.. (Harry Reid)
And they all painted 'Unfair!' picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.
When the farmer (Obama) came he said to the little red hen, "You must
not be so greedy."
"But I earned the bread," said the little red hen.
"Exactly," said Barack the farmer. "That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle."
And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, "I am grateful, for now I truly understand."
But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the 'party' and got her bread free.
And all the Democrats smiled. 'Fairness' had been established.
Individual initiative had died but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared so long as there was free bread that 'the rich' were paying for.
And perhaps....this is the end...................
And the next week, there was no bread, or anything else to eat. So, they all starved equally.
EPILOGUE
Bill Clinton is getting $12 million for his memoirs.
Hillary got $8 million for hers.
That's $20 million for the memories from two people, who for eight years repeatedly testified, under oath, that they couldn't remember anything.
"Not I," said the cow.
"Not I," said the duck.
"Not I," said the pig.
"Not I," said the goose.
"Then I will do it by myself." She planted her crop and the wheat grew and ripened.
"Who will help me reap my wheat?" asked the little red hen.
"Not I," said the duck.
"Out of my classification," said the pig.
"I'd lose my seniority," said the cow.
"I'd lose my unemployment compensation," said the goose.
"Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen, and so she did.
"Who will help me bake the bread?" asked the little red hen.
"That would be overtime for me," said the cow.
"I'd lose my welfare benefits," said the duck.
"I'm a dropout and never learned how," said the pig.
"If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination," said the goose.
"Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen.
She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share but the little red hen said, "No, I shall eat all five loaves."
"Excess profits!" cried the cow.. (Nancy Pelosi)
"Capitalist leech!" screamed the duck. (Barbara Boxer)
"I demand equal rights!" yelled the goose. (Jesse Jackson)
The pig just grunted in disdain.. (Harry Reid)
And they all painted 'Unfair!' picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.
When the farmer (Obama) came he said to the little red hen, "You must
not be so greedy."
"But I earned the bread," said the little red hen.
"Exactly," said Barack the farmer. "That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle."
And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, "I am grateful, for now I truly understand."
But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the 'party' and got her bread free.
And all the Democrats smiled. 'Fairness' had been established.
Individual initiative had died but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared so long as there was free bread that 'the rich' were paying for.
And perhaps....this is the end...................
And the next week, there was no bread, or anything else to eat. So, they all starved equally.
EPILOGUE
Bill Clinton is getting $12 million for his memoirs.
Hillary got $8 million for hers.
That's $20 million for the memories from two people, who for eight years repeatedly testified, under oath, that they couldn't remember anything.
Cookie Crumbling Brings Crumbs - Truth!
God works in mysterious ways. I do not understand why He does what He does.
When something happens to me that I didn't want to happen to me, I - speaking of both events in my personal and professional life, think I will understand why He has allowed what I didn't want in my own life to happen. I can't list all the things in my life that have gone the "wrong way" in my personal and professional life.
So...
This couple gets divorced. It's not the best situation. He cheats, moves out of state, leaving her with two kids. Years later, she needs a new job. Nothing materializes until she gets an offer out of state. She talks to him. He says go for it. She accepts. She finds a home in the new state. Then he says he wants the kids for two months in the summer, though the agreement says one. She cannot move out of state until he signs off and he won't. This week, movers come on Thursday, she gets the carpet in her existing rental closed on Friday, celebrates Easter, then, on Monday, the movers arrive with her stuff when she takes possession of the new rental. Except she cannot live there because it is not in the same state. Even though he lives out of state. She starts her new job a week after she gets possession of the house. But she can't live there.
There's a reason all of this is happening. I don't understand it.
When something happens to me that I didn't want to happen to me, I - speaking of both events in my personal and professional life, think I will understand why He has allowed what I didn't want in my own life to happen. I can't list all the things in my life that have gone the "wrong way" in my personal and professional life.
So...
This couple gets divorced. It's not the best situation. He cheats, moves out of state, leaving her with two kids. Years later, she needs a new job. Nothing materializes until she gets an offer out of state. She talks to him. He says go for it. She accepts. She finds a home in the new state. Then he says he wants the kids for two months in the summer, though the agreement says one. She cannot move out of state until he signs off and he won't. This week, movers come on Thursday, she gets the carpet in her existing rental closed on Friday, celebrates Easter, then, on Monday, the movers arrive with her stuff when she takes possession of the new rental. Except she cannot live there because it is not in the same state. Even though he lives out of state. She starts her new job a week after she gets possession of the house. But she can't live there.
There's a reason all of this is happening. I don't understand it.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Looking Ahead
Busy week!
- Monday
- Lessons
- Tuesday
- Scary Robots rehearsal?
- Wednesday
- Iowa NIT game
- Thursday
- Holy Thursday Mass @ 6 (play drums)
- Friday
- Good Friday
- Possibly, going to Moline, IL, to see Green Day with Alex
- Otherwise, going to Good Friday Mass
- Saturday
- Preparing for Easter Sunday
- Sunday
- Easter Sunday Mass @ 11 (play drums)
The March Resumes on Wednesday...
From http://thegazette.com/2013/03/24/meet-virginia-iowas-next-nit-opponent/:
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The Cavaliers (23-11), which dropped St. John’s 68-50 this morning, employ a deep bench, play good defense and are tough at home. Virginia plays host to Iowa (23-12) in an NIT quarterfinal at 6 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN2) at John Paul Jones Arena. The winner advances to the NIT semifinals April 2 at New York City.
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I am hoping it will be on TV!
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The Cavaliers (23-11), which dropped St. John’s 68-50 this morning, employ a deep bench, play good defense and are tough at home. Virginia plays host to Iowa (23-12) in an NIT quarterfinal at 6 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN2) at John Paul Jones Arena. The winner advances to the NIT semifinals April 2 at New York City.
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I am hoping it will be on TV!
Overindulge
When I eat out at a restaurant, typically I get pop - Mountain Dew if they have it - with my meal. It's playing with fire when I do, though, as experience has taught me that fountain pop doesn't always agree with me. I tend to overindulge.
Drinking fountain pop is very similar to when I would drink beer. Back in the day, I could have a couple of beers and be fine. However, there was always a point in the evening where I would near a threshold. I could choose between "good" and "evil." If I chose "good", I would switch from beer to water and if I chose "evil", I would order another beer and disregard the internal warning sirens going off in my head. The same type of situation holds true with fountain pop.
Last night, after Mass at St. Pat's, the 8 of us went to Doughy Joey's in Cedar Falls for supper. I had a large Calzone with double pepperoni and double sausage. I was drinking Mountain Dew and after a couple of glasses, I did not switch to water. I should have.
Long story short, I felt miserable. When we finally left Cedar Falls, Karen drove home. I laid on the third seat in our van and slept. That's atypical for me as I usually do the driving on family trips. I think I fell asleep between getting on Highway 20 from the UNI campus exit to getting on Interstate 380. We got home around 11.
The moral of the story is quite simple. When I get to the fork in the road, choose "good" because choosing "evil" is not worth it.
Drinking fountain pop is very similar to when I would drink beer. Back in the day, I could have a couple of beers and be fine. However, there was always a point in the evening where I would near a threshold. I could choose between "good" and "evil." If I chose "good", I would switch from beer to water and if I chose "evil", I would order another beer and disregard the internal warning sirens going off in my head. The same type of situation holds true with fountain pop.
Last night, after Mass at St. Pat's, the 8 of us went to Doughy Joey's in Cedar Falls for supper. I had a large Calzone with double pepperoni and double sausage. I was drinking Mountain Dew and after a couple of glasses, I did not switch to water. I should have.
Long story short, I felt miserable. When we finally left Cedar Falls, Karen drove home. I laid on the third seat in our van and slept. That's atypical for me as I usually do the driving on family trips. I think I fell asleep between getting on Highway 20 from the UNI campus exit to getting on Interstate 380. We got home around 11.
The moral of the story is quite simple. When I get to the fork in the road, choose "good" because choosing "evil" is not worth it.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Good News... well, kind of
Never a My Chemical Romance fan. Listened to "The Black Parade" and wondered why they were considered so great. Then, just a few moments ago, I get this press release:
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE DISBAND
My Chemical Romance announced today that they are disbanding. A message from the band posted on www.mychemicalromance.com states:
"Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing. We've gotten to go places we never knew we would. We've been able to see and experience things we never imagined possible. We've shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends. And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end. Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure."
I hope the members find the right musicians to play with and that, say, 10 years ago, they don't do a money grab and reunite for a tour or crappy "reunion" release. If you're going to quit, then quit.
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE DISBAND
My Chemical Romance announced today that they are disbanding. A message from the band posted on www.mychemicalromance.com states:
"Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing. We've gotten to go places we never knew we would. We've been able to see and experience things we never imagined possible. We've shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends. And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end. Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure."
I hope the members find the right musicians to play with and that, say, 10 years ago, they don't do a money grab and reunite for a tour or crappy "reunion" release. If you're going to quit, then quit.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Five Years of Blogging
My official first ever post on this blog was on 11/26/2007. Then I posted nothing until 3/18/2008. I just realized I have been blogging on this site for 5 years, 3 days or 1829 days. I can't tell you whether I will be writing for this blog in 2017. I like to think I will be alive and able to do so.
I have been rummaging through my MP3s and offer this update: 50845 File(s) 320,110,392,595 bytes
I have been rummaging through my MP3s and offer this update: 50845 File(s) 320,110,392,595 bytes
Win the NIT in 2013? Not Likely
Last night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Iowa men's basketball team came out cold and did not play 40 minutes of basketball. They were down early and only led by 1 at halftime. Alex and I sat in row 37 of 41. Early in the game, I stood up and cheered because they scored a basket after a great defensive stop. The momentum was shifting to the team and when they do well, I'm the tall guy that stands up.
That was when a lady behind me said, "Sit down."
Really? REALLY?
Iowa basketball fans are a crazy bunch. With about 3 minutes to go, there was a mass exodus to the top of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Why? Do fans at a MSU or IN or WI or MI or IL or - any fans in any conference for that matter - leave the game before the clock says zeros? I have my doubts.
And frankly, if you want to sit down and watch the game, stay home. You go to a game to cheer, to be excited when the team does something great. I paid $26 for a youth and child ticket, $17 for 2 hot dogs and 2 Cokes (only in Hawkeye souvenir cups) to sit down during the game? No. I don't think so.
Realistically, if your team is ahead by 16 with under 2 minutes, no, the other team is not going to go on a 16 point run and win the game. BUT when the deep bench players are put in with under a minute, don't they deserve to know you support the team? I think so.
If you're really concerned about traffic and getting out, stay home. The game was sold out. There's going to be over 15,000 people trying to navigate through Iowa City on streets that were never designed for 15,000 people.
I hope the game sells out tomorrow night when they play Friday against a team that beat MA - thought to be able to win the entire NIT - by 13 points. In order to do so, they need to play 40 minutes of basketball.
That was when a lady behind me said, "Sit down."
Really? REALLY?
Iowa basketball fans are a crazy bunch. With about 3 minutes to go, there was a mass exodus to the top of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Why? Do fans at a MSU or IN or WI or MI or IL or - any fans in any conference for that matter - leave the game before the clock says zeros? I have my doubts.
And frankly, if you want to sit down and watch the game, stay home. You go to a game to cheer, to be excited when the team does something great. I paid $26 for a youth and child ticket, $17 for 2 hot dogs and 2 Cokes (only in Hawkeye souvenir cups) to sit down during the game? No. I don't think so.
Realistically, if your team is ahead by 16 with under 2 minutes, no, the other team is not going to go on a 16 point run and win the game. BUT when the deep bench players are put in with under a minute, don't they deserve to know you support the team? I think so.
If you're really concerned about traffic and getting out, stay home. The game was sold out. There's going to be over 15,000 people trying to navigate through Iowa City on streets that were never designed for 15,000 people.
I hope the game sells out tomorrow night when they play Friday against a team that beat MA - thought to be able to win the entire NIT - by 13 points. In order to do so, they need to play 40 minutes of basketball.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Christmas 1999
Editor's Note: While looking for something else, I came across the following which was sent to our family and friends with our Christmas card in 1999. My how things have changed! I've taken the liberty to snip things I don't want on this blog.
Hello to all of our family and friends. We hope your year has been as rewarding and fulfilling as ours has been.
First, we were blessed with Alexander. He arrived in October and weighed 9lbs, 12ozs. Big BOY! At his one month checkup, he was 24" long and weighed 14 lbs. He seems to be on the verge of sleeping through the night. He’s beginning to coo and respond to voices.
Megan continues to develop a personality all her own. She enjoys watching videos (Winnie the Pooh and The Fox and the Hound are her favorites this week), playing with the neighbors and making sure little brother has a pacifier in his mouth when he starts to cry. She also likes visiting the carousel at the Coral Ridge Mall, where the zebra is her favorite animal. She has learned over ½ of the alphabet and can count to 5.
Karen changed from 100% to 80% at her job. She continues to work at the <snip>. She enjoys her work, but doesn’t like the time away from the children. She will return to work at the end of January.
Paul changed jobs twice this year and has now works at a software company in Cedar Rapids. He continues to work as a technical writer. In his spare time, he continues to pursue writing music reviews for 15 different websites and magazines.
We bought our first camper this summer after being flooded out in our tent. We also are about to begin finishing the other ½ of our basement and will purchase a PC once the remodeling is complete. In our ‘spare’ time, we like to work in the yard and do various household projects.
Groovin'
I was happy with Scary Robots last night. I felt like I played fairly well. We worked through some of the songs at a tempo that was a little slower than normal - "Big River" - and broke down the interlude prior to the solo in "What I Like About You" - it's 8 measures. We also worked on "Stuck in the Middle" for a while. We were nearing the end of practice when we busted out "Saturday Night" and my arms were dead tired. I know the original version has the snare on 2 and 4, but I'm always hearing the thrash metal version with a faster drumbeat in my head.
The challenge to myself is to work on my chops to get them to a point where I can play this song at the end of the night. I'd liken it to Metallica playing "Whiplash" or "Battery" at the end of their set.
The challenge to myself is to work on my chops to get them to a point where I can play this song at the end of the night. I'd liken it to Metallica playing "Whiplash" or "Battery" at the end of their set.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Right!
More WM XXIX news re: Sheamus / Orton / Big Show in this article which merely confirms I should really work for WWE.
More Rehearsal
This just in! Scary Robots is getting together tomorrow night!
Three rehearsals in ten days!
Three rehearsals in ten days!
Lou's Classic Ride Rehearsal on 3/15/13
Brian Guitar posted these on Facebook from Friday's rehearsal.
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| Me |
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| Joe - vocals / guitar |
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| Brian Guitar on the left and Matthew on the right |
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Good Weekend
It was a good weekend. We were in Balltown until around 6 PM. After we got the truck unloaded, Megan went to console her friend whose pet guinea pig had died. Alex had some friends over. Karen and I got caught up on Grey's Anatomy and Survivor.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Conversion Project Update & Scary Robots Note
This is the reality of how the conversion project is going in 2013.
Today, on 3/15/13, I am 73 days into 2013.365 days in a year, divided by 73, is 5.
On Tuesday, January 1, 2013, my count was 49,154
73 days later, on Friday, March 15, 2013, my count is 50755
73 days later, on Monday, May 27, 2013, my count should be 52356
73 days later, on Thursday, August 8, 2013, my count should be 53957
73 days later, on Sunday, October 20, 2013, my count should be 55558
73 days later, on Wednesday, January 01, 2014, my count should be 57159
I would be happier if I was at 58,000, which is a whopping 841 more than I am projecting. I kind of think that if I get to 58,000, I will be done with the CD to MP3, the cassette to MP3, and the LP to MP3 conversions. I may be able to say "I'm done" at the end of this year. It's an aggressive schedule, but I think I can focus.
Also, it's been confirmed Scary Robots are rehearsing from 5:15 - 8. This is a list of the songs we play well with the ones we are going to work on tonight designated with ** after the song title:
Today, on 3/15/13, I am 73 days into 2013.365 days in a year, divided by 73, is 5.
On Tuesday, January 1, 2013, my count was 49,154
73 days later, on Friday, March 15, 2013, my count is 50755
73 days later, on Monday, May 27, 2013, my count should be 52356
73 days later, on Thursday, August 8, 2013, my count should be 53957
73 days later, on Sunday, October 20, 2013, my count should be 55558
73 days later, on Wednesday, January 01, 2014, my count should be 57159
I would be happier if I was at 58,000, which is a whopping 841 more than I am projecting. I kind of think that if I get to 58,000, I will be done with the CD to MP3, the cassette to MP3, and the LP to MP3 conversions. I may be able to say "I'm done" at the end of this year. It's an aggressive schedule, but I think I can focus.
Also, it's been confirmed Scary Robots are rehearsing from 5:15 - 8. This is a list of the songs we play well with the ones we are going to work on tonight designated with ** after the song title:
- Cheap Sunglasses **
- What I Like About You **
- Saturday Night is Alright for Fighting **
- Stuck In The Middle **
- American Girl
- Lonely Boy
- Rocking in the Free World
- Breakup Song
- Sunshine of Your Love
- Big River
Thursday, March 14, 2013
College Roommates
Around 10 AM today, I walked over to the BP with Joe. The BP has a Subway restaurant in it. I can get a 6" flatbread sandwich with egg, ham, and shredded cheese, for $3.21. It's a good deal. The employee who made my sandwich asked me if I ever lived with someone I didn't know in college.
That made me think about my college roommates.
That made me think about my college roommates.
- Freshman year, I had Dave as my roommate. He was from western Iowa. We didn't know each other before we became roommates. I think he flunked out, though I admit I do not really know. We were signed up to be roommates in our sophomore year, but he didn't return. I remember he would get a new girlfriend, I'd become friends with her as well, Dave would make the girlfriend mad, and I'd still have her as a friend. It was a good situation for me, but not for Dave.
- Sophomore year, I had Jon as my roommate. He was from a town north of Cedar Rapids and went home nearly every weekend. We didn't know each other before we became roommates. I liked Jon as a roommate. We used to watch soap operas in the afternoon.
- Junior year, I had Randy as my roommate. He was from Cedar Rapids. We were friends in the spring of our sophomore year. However, we were not friends as roommates. Honestly, I think he was struggling with trying to figure out if he was gay. He was an usher in a wedding where I was a groomsmen. Years later, I learned he died from prostate cancer. I did not attend his funeral. I have a lot I could write about him - what it was really like to have him as my roommate - but I am not going to write about it today.
- Senior year, I had Brian Rock, Brad, and Chad as my roommates. I became Brian's roommate because he had lived with a mutual friend, Gary. I needed a place to live so I asked Gary if I could live with him next year. He said that was fine, but I should go ask Brian. I have zero recollection of ever speaking to him ever before. I said, "Hey, do you care if I live with you next year?" He looked at me and said, "Hell, I don't care." The first night we were roommates in our 2 bedroom on-campus apartment, we knew Brad was going to be our third roommate but we didn't know him. We decided to share a room. Later that night, I locked our bedroom door. Too bad we didn't have a key. It was a rocky start to what has become a really good friendship.
New Pope
I am Catholic. Born and raised. I was baptized, received my First Holy Eucharist, and was confirmed at St. Pius X in Cedar Rapids. In high school, I played drums at Mass and continued to do so into college. It was during college that I would still go to Mass on a weekly basis. Sometimes, I was hung over as hell. It didn't matter, though, as I still went to 7 AM Mass on Sundays. After college, I still went to Mass. I was married in the Catholic church in Balltown, Iowa. Karen and I joined St. Thomas More, where we have been parishioners for coming up on 20 years.
Do not think that I am a better Catholic than the next one. I am a sinner, though I'm not really going to tell you my sins. I do have a point for writing all of this. It is to provide context.
I don't like that the new pope is 76 years old. The fact that he is from Argentina doesn't concern me. Within 15 years, the Catholic church is going to need a new pope. And 15 years may be a stretch. Why didn't they pick a new pope that is 50? That would be 20, 25, 30, years of leadership in the church.
That all said, I will support the new pope. I will follow any new polices he puts into place and I will pray for his tenure as pope to be successful in all areas.
Do not think that I am a better Catholic than the next one. I am a sinner, though I'm not really going to tell you my sins. I do have a point for writing all of this. It is to provide context.
I don't like that the new pope is 76 years old. The fact that he is from Argentina doesn't concern me. Within 15 years, the Catholic church is going to need a new pope. And 15 years may be a stretch. Why didn't they pick a new pope that is 50? That would be 20, 25, 30, years of leadership in the church.
That all said, I will support the new pope. I will follow any new polices he puts into place and I will pray for his tenure as pope to be successful in all areas.
Quickie
- Here's the count of music: 50650 File(s) 317,393,106,018 bytes
- For a Thursday, it is shaping up to be pretty busy tonight for TV. Not that my life revolves around the boob tube but...
- TNA wrestling from 7-9.
- At the Lockdown PPV, Bully Ray was revealed as President of Aces & Eights, the current heel stable. It was a surprise.
- There are other storylines that will continue to play out tonight that will keep my interest.
- The Iowa men's basketball plays Northwestern in the first game of the Big 10 tournament at 8. If you believe the "experts," they need to win tonight and then win their next game.
- Their next game is certain to make the NCAA tournament: Michigan State.
- These two teams matched up only once this season.
- It was on Thursday, January 10. Iowa lost by 3 points. That's one three point basket from tying the game and two baskets short of a win.
- Anything is possible.
- I don't remember if Grey's Anatomy is new this week or not.
- I think The Big Bang Theory is new.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Excuse for Sloppiness
What is the world coming to when the following is in a signature in an e-mail message?
Are you kidding me? Here I go, switching to rant mode. Sorry.
Today, we are a society where people do not take responsibility for their actions. I read about poor choices people make on a daily basis in the newspaper. There's always an excuse for bad choices. Who holds themselves accountable for what they say or what they do?
I do. Call me what you want but I also have an expectation that others, including my kids, to be responsible for their choices. What I see is a transformation in our society. Every choice I make has a consequence. Here's where my head is at regarding this. If I am using a calculator to add up all of my monthly bills and my total in the checkbook ledger is not equal to the total amount of money that was debited from my bank account, who is responsible for entering 11.09 instead of 110.90 when the check was actually $110.90?
Of course it is my fault. Right? Who else entered the numbers? Who did not make sure that what I done was correct?
It seems to me that today it is more common to respond by saying, "Oh, don't feel bad. It's not your fault, it's the fault of the calculator." When a basketball player is called for a foul, it's their fault. Having a parent call out from the bleachers, "It's okay, it was a bad call" does nothing but reinforce what I am seeing.
I just cannot accept when I make a poor choice that is not my fault. It goes against every ounce of who I am.
In the same light, the above signature seems to be saying that using a mobile device now excuses rereading what is written prior to sending a message.
I'm not oblivious to the situation. I understand the situation in my day-to-day life. I can send a text message from my phone. I have an old phone, one I've had for at least 5 years. It is time-consuming for me to send a text message. I write a text message on my phone very slowly.
It's simply not about embracing technology. I embrace technology. However, I do not believe that doing so means I am no longer responsible for the content I send. So, if I am brief in my reply or have a typo, that's still my fault! It's not the fault of the device I am using! When I used a manual typewriter in high school and college, if I made a typo, my teacher would circle it. I never dreamed of arguing with the teacher by saying, "It is not my fault. It's the fault of the "device" I used to write the paper."
And, to me, all that has changed is that a mobile device is used instead of a manual typewriter. Everyone in the world with any device needs to take responsibility for what they send to someone. Take a moment. Reread what has been written before sending the message. The way I see it, the device is not alive. Yes, auto-correct helps you write quicker - I understand. And you're not going to rewrite "War and Peace" on a mobile device. Fine. But the device you are using does NOT, repeat does NOT, mean you can write abble when you mean apple and not be responsible for it.
This relates to technical writing. I can write the most excellent documentation about an app. If I write that the app can make coffee and it doesn't, is it the fault of the tool I am using to write the documentation that states the app can make coffee? It's my fault. Period. My challenge for Wednesday, 3/12/13, and for each day I am on this planet, is to make a difference in the world. I can do that by accepting responsibility for my actions and words.
Are you kidding me? Here I go, switching to rant mode. Sorry.
Today, we are a society where people do not take responsibility for their actions. I read about poor choices people make on a daily basis in the newspaper. There's always an excuse for bad choices. Who holds themselves accountable for what they say or what they do?
I do. Call me what you want but I also have an expectation that others, including my kids, to be responsible for their choices. What I see is a transformation in our society. Every choice I make has a consequence. Here's where my head is at regarding this. If I am using a calculator to add up all of my monthly bills and my total in the checkbook ledger is not equal to the total amount of money that was debited from my bank account, who is responsible for entering 11.09 instead of 110.90 when the check was actually $110.90?
Of course it is my fault. Right? Who else entered the numbers? Who did not make sure that what I done was correct?
It seems to me that today it is more common to respond by saying, "Oh, don't feel bad. It's not your fault, it's the fault of the calculator." When a basketball player is called for a foul, it's their fault. Having a parent call out from the bleachers, "It's okay, it was a bad call" does nothing but reinforce what I am seeing.
I just cannot accept when I make a poor choice that is not my fault. It goes against every ounce of who I am.
In the same light, the above signature seems to be saying that using a mobile device now excuses rereading what is written prior to sending a message.
I'm not oblivious to the situation. I understand the situation in my day-to-day life. I can send a text message from my phone. I have an old phone, one I've had for at least 5 years. It is time-consuming for me to send a text message. I write a text message on my phone very slowly.
It's simply not about embracing technology. I embrace technology. However, I do not believe that doing so means I am no longer responsible for the content I send. So, if I am brief in my reply or have a typo, that's still my fault! It's not the fault of the device I am using! When I used a manual typewriter in high school and college, if I made a typo, my teacher would circle it. I never dreamed of arguing with the teacher by saying, "It is not my fault. It's the fault of the "device" I used to write the paper."
And, to me, all that has changed is that a mobile device is used instead of a manual typewriter. Everyone in the world with any device needs to take responsibility for what they send to someone. Take a moment. Reread what has been written before sending the message. The way I see it, the device is not alive. Yes, auto-correct helps you write quicker - I understand. And you're not going to rewrite "War and Peace" on a mobile device. Fine. But the device you are using does NOT, repeat does NOT, mean you can write abble when you mean apple and not be responsible for it.
This relates to technical writing. I can write the most excellent documentation about an app. If I write that the app can make coffee and it doesn't, is it the fault of the tool I am using to write the documentation that states the app can make coffee? It's my fault. Period. My challenge for Wednesday, 3/12/13, and for each day I am on this planet, is to make a difference in the world. I can do that by accepting responsibility for my actions and words.
WM XXIX Shaping Up
Following up to what I wrote about earlier about the match I think is going to happen between Sheamus / Randy Orton / Big Show v. The Shield, I was a little stunned to read the following SmackDown report. The relevant info follows:
Sheamus and Randy Orton defeat Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow
A solid match to kick off the show, but Sheamus and Orton would take this one. Sheamus landed his Brogue Kick on Sandow and Orton performed the RKO on Rhodes, which resulted in the winning pinfall.
The Shield would challenge Sheamus and Orton to a six-man tag match at WrestleMania 29 after the match. Of course, the duo accepted the challenge.
<snip>
After that, Big Show was seen backstage and shared his desire to be the tag partner versus The Shield, but Orton tells Show he already found someone and that someone is Ryback.
As of now, I do not believe Ryback will be in this match.There is still the feud between Ryback and Mark Henry that hasn't been fleshed out. Consider this paragraph about the Ryback v. Mark Henry match on in the aforementioned report:
This match never happened, either. The match started but just seconds into it, The Shield would attack Ryback and while he was able to fend him off originally, The Shield ended up getting the better of Ryback and trio powerbombed him. When The Shield was done, Henry enjoyed not one, but three World's Strongest Slams.
I think it is much more intriguing to have Big Show, who has been a loner and has feuded with Orton and Sheamus, turning into a "good guy" for this match. Even after reading what happens on SmackDown, I think there is enough time for Ryback to not be in the match against the Shield. Actually, I see Mark Henry aligning himself with the Shield and turning this into a Shield / Mark Henry v. Sheamus / Orton / Ryback / Big Show match at WM XXIX.
Sheamus and Randy Orton defeat Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow
A solid match to kick off the show, but Sheamus and Orton would take this one. Sheamus landed his Brogue Kick on Sandow and Orton performed the RKO on Rhodes, which resulted in the winning pinfall.
The Shield would challenge Sheamus and Orton to a six-man tag match at WrestleMania 29 after the match. Of course, the duo accepted the challenge.
<snip>
After that, Big Show was seen backstage and shared his desire to be the tag partner versus The Shield, but Orton tells Show he already found someone and that someone is Ryback.
As of now, I do not believe Ryback will be in this match.There is still the feud between Ryback and Mark Henry that hasn't been fleshed out. Consider this paragraph about the Ryback v. Mark Henry match on in the aforementioned report:
This match never happened, either. The match started but just seconds into it, The Shield would attack Ryback and while he was able to fend him off originally, The Shield ended up getting the better of Ryback and trio powerbombed him. When The Shield was done, Henry enjoyed not one, but three World's Strongest Slams.
I think it is much more intriguing to have Big Show, who has been a loner and has feuded with Orton and Sheamus, turning into a "good guy" for this match. Even after reading what happens on SmackDown, I think there is enough time for Ryback to not be in the match against the Shield. Actually, I see Mark Henry aligning himself with the Shield and turning this into a Shield / Mark Henry v. Sheamus / Orton / Ryback / Big Show match at WM XXIX.
Snake the Jake
I was recently watching the pro wrestling documentary that came out in 1999 called "Beyond the Mat." As a pro wrestling fan, I felt kind of guilty that I never had sat down and watched it. What I didn't' realize is how many demons were in the life of former WWE wrestler Jake "the Snake" Roberts during the time of the documentary being filmed. To summarize, he's had a tough life.
That's why I was happy to see the following. I am hoping he is able to continue fighting off his demons. I don't think I'll ever be in the same room as him but if I were, I would tell him I am happy for him. I don't care if you are a superstar or not, if you're fighting alcohol addiction and are sober for 110 days, that's an accomplishment I am happy to read has been achieved.
That's why I was happy to see the following. I am hoping he is able to continue fighting off his demons. I don't think I'll ever be in the same room as him but if I were, I would tell him I am happy for him. I don't care if you are a superstar or not, if you're fighting alcohol addiction and are sober for 110 days, that's an accomplishment I am happy to read has been achieved.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Lots to Do
What a fantastic day to be a technical writer. My plate was full of small tasks that were easily accomplished today.
Yesterday was a lazy day, more or less. In addition to cleaning my bedroom dresser, I sat in the comfy chair in the sitting room and converted my "life tape" CDs to MP3. At the beginning of today, my count is as follows:
50583 File(s) 317,067,358,666 bytes
It's kind of fun to listen to songs that I haven't listened to for a long time. Some of the bands are ones that make me want to locate their entire CD and spin it.
Yesterday was a good Scary Robots rehearsal. I was very happy with being able to nail the drum part for "An American Girl" and it was even better when we did that as our first song, I played well, then we played it again! It felt really good.
Yesterday was a lazy day, more or less. In addition to cleaning my bedroom dresser, I sat in the comfy chair in the sitting room and converted my "life tape" CDs to MP3. At the beginning of today, my count is as follows:
Yesterday was a good Scary Robots rehearsal. I was very happy with being able to nail the drum part for "An American Girl" and it was even better when we did that as our first song, I played well, then we played it again! It felt really good.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Victory
Yesterday was a day about victory.
- Athletics
- Brian Rock, his son, Alex, and I watched the Iowa Hawkeyes take care of Nebraska for their 20th win of the year. It was Eric May's last game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. I think the crowd appreciated his effort. There was a second senior, Christopher Rickerts who was a deep reserve that got put into the game when the game was out of Nebraska's reach. It was nice that he got in the game.
- Also, in the world of athletics, the Iowa City West boy's basketball team defeated Bettendorf in the Iowa state basketball finals. It was a victory by 15 points. It was a nice victory for the boys who were able to win without senior Dondre Alexander, who quit the team.
- Personal
- Tied in with going to the Iowa game was spending time with Brian Rock.
- We met at Gus' at 11 and had a great conversation during lunch, then left together in my van.
- During the ride in, it became apparent that even though we are in different cities with different life, professional, and hobbies, we can still have a good time together.
- Of course, we talked about the past.
- I told him about it being the 20 year anniversary of seeing Metallica in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. He seemed to think that our seats were close to where we sat for the concert 20 years ago.
- We talked about how we were really lucky that we shared a room together the year we lived together at Mount Mercy College and that it would have really sucked if that choice wouldn't have been made.
- We also talked about the future.
- I talked about my job and about the good things happening in my professional life.
- He talked about his job situation and the challenges he faces.
- After the game, the line of cars out of the parking lot was long so we had even more time to talk. The surface-level frustration with the long line easily gave way to the deeper satisfaction of talking to my friend.
- We returned to Gus' so he could get his car and said "see you later". I hope to always have Brian Rock as a close friend.
- After the game, Alex and I drove home so Karen, Megan, Alex, and I could go to 5:15 Mass.
- We had about 7 singers, (including Len, Rhonda, and Karen), a flute, a violin, Jim played guitar, Judy played piano, and me on drums. Tentatively, I am playing drums for Easter Sunday Mass at 11 with the high school group.
- After Mass, we went to the party I mentioned after Mass. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when it became apparent that two of the couples we thought were coming didn't show. I would guess they went to the aforementioned Iowa City West state championship game. It took a little bit for me to remember the other two couples that did come but once I did, I had fun. Among the highlights:
- Good discussion about the Iowa basketball team
- Good discussion about the following television shows (alpha order, not discussion order):
- Breaking Bad
- Duck Dynasty
- Everybody Loves Raymond
- Last Man Standing
- Some show about 10 people living together in a single house in Boston
- I played with one of the couple's 5 year-old daughter and nearly 3 year-old son.
- I tuned the hosts' daughter's drum set in the basement. It's a decent kit but it also has its toms at a really high and awkward angle. The hi-hats are a nice thick Zildjian ZBT series and there was a also a 18" Zildjian ZBT crash/ride. The bass drum pedal was a Ludwig (though not a Speed King, which is what I use) and I don't remember the brand of the other hardware. It wasn't a top-of-the-line kit, but it was decent.
- the end of "Lethal Weapon 2"
- the middle of "The Karate Kid"
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Have the Mighty Fallen? Or is this just a Great Booking?
The big announcement of the Motley Crue and Tesla concert at the Jones County Fair in July was made. Finally, the Jones County Fair is having a good concert. The Jones County Fair has a history of good bands playing. The only one that sticks out in my head is Styx. Getting Motley Crue to play is a major accomplishment. The controversy surrounding the band is legendary.
I have never been to a concert at the Jones County Fair. It has always been in mid-July and I've never had the weekend free since it is in the thick of our camping season. That's not a complaint - it's reality.
But I'm not writing about that.
I've seen Motley Crue in concert twice. The first time was in 1987 at the Five Seasons Center (now the US Cellular Center) in Cedar Rapids. This was on the "Girls, Girls, Girls" tour with Whitesnake as the opening band. This was the tour where Tommy Lee had a drum riser that went in circles. Supposedly, he was not feeling good that night and didn't do a drum solo. I felt ripped off. I've never let it go. Then, in 1997, I went to the same venue and watched Cheap Trick open for them. I wasn't impressed. I've always criticized the band in every piece of writing I've ever done about Motley Crue. They're not my favorite band. I respect their record sales, but not them as human beings.
Tesla, on the other hand, is awesome. I saw them in concert as well with Badlands and Great White at the Five Seasons Center. Badlands was awesome and featured drummer Eric Singer. Great White was good, but I don't remember much of them. Tesla was the headliner and rocked. I remember members of Badlands and Great White came out and they jammed on "It's Only Rock and Roll (But I like it)" at the end of the gig.
Tesla has always gotten a bad rap. They were unfairly lumped into hair metal because of their ballad "Love Song." However, I argue that "The Great Radio Controversy" is one of the great releases of all time. Maybe not top 10 or top 20, but definitely top 50. That's in my world. Songs like "Makin' Magic" have always resonated in me. Are the lyrics awesome? Perhaps not. I love the drumming, though. I listened to the release over and over.
- Vince Neil - involved in a car crash where the Hanoi Rocks drummer died.
- Nikki Sixx - he "died" from a heroin overdose and was revived.
- Tommy Lee - there was a sex tape of him and Pamela Anderson - I guess it is worth watching.
- Mick Mars - his health battles have plagued him since he was 17.
I have never been to a concert at the Jones County Fair. It has always been in mid-July and I've never had the weekend free since it is in the thick of our camping season. That's not a complaint - it's reality.
But I'm not writing about that.
I've seen Motley Crue in concert twice. The first time was in 1987 at the Five Seasons Center (now the US Cellular Center) in Cedar Rapids. This was on the "Girls, Girls, Girls" tour with Whitesnake as the opening band. This was the tour where Tommy Lee had a drum riser that went in circles. Supposedly, he was not feeling good that night and didn't do a drum solo. I felt ripped off. I've never let it go. Then, in 1997, I went to the same venue and watched Cheap Trick open for them. I wasn't impressed. I've always criticized the band in every piece of writing I've ever done about Motley Crue. They're not my favorite band. I respect their record sales, but not them as human beings.
Tesla, on the other hand, is awesome. I saw them in concert as well with Badlands and Great White at the Five Seasons Center. Badlands was awesome and featured drummer Eric Singer. Great White was good, but I don't remember much of them. Tesla was the headliner and rocked. I remember members of Badlands and Great White came out and they jammed on "It's Only Rock and Roll (But I like it)" at the end of the gig.
Tesla has always gotten a bad rap. They were unfairly lumped into hair metal because of their ballad "Love Song." However, I argue that "The Great Radio Controversy" is one of the great releases of all time. Maybe not top 10 or top 20, but definitely top 50. That's in my world. Songs like "Makin' Magic" have always resonated in me. Are the lyrics awesome? Perhaps not. I love the drumming, though. I listened to the release over and over.
Friday, March 8, 2013
141 & 2/3 % Chance of Winning
I read a newsletter from Eric Cohen, who has a lot of great pro wrestling information on this site: http://prowrestling.about.com/. In giving his predictions for the TNA PPV on Sunday called "Lockdown", he wrote, "As far as this match goes, since Sting has picked the members of his team, there is a 141 & 2/3 % chance that one of his team members will turn against him." In his article, the phrase "141 & 2/3 % chance" is a hyperlink to the video below.
As anyone who has paid attention to anything I've ever written here, I was an English major. I hate numbers. Scott Steiner must hate them even more as he cut a promo where any math skills are clearly not on display. As background, the clip is a promo for his match with Somoa Joe and Kurt Angle at the Sacrifice PPV on May 11, 2008. Per Wikipedia, Kurt Angle pulled out of the event after suffering a legitimate injury.
As anyone who has paid attention to anything I've ever written here, I was an English major. I hate numbers. Scott Steiner must hate them even more as he cut a promo where any math skills are clearly not on display. As background, the clip is a promo for his match with Somoa Joe and Kurt Angle at the Sacrifice PPV on May 11, 2008. Per Wikipedia, Kurt Angle pulled out of the event after suffering a legitimate injury.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Seems I was Right
SPOILER ALERT: If you watch WWE and don't want to know what is going to happen tomorrow night, stop reading!
Now then.
It appears I was right about my Wrestlemania XXIX prediction about Big Show, Sheamus, and Randy Orton from the other day.
I subscribe to a pro wrestling e-mail list and from http://www.wrestlingnewsworld.com/spoilers-smackdown-taping-results-from-albany-new-york/, look what happens tomorrow night:
Now then.
It appears I was right about my Wrestlemania XXIX prediction about Big Show, Sheamus, and Randy Orton from the other day.
I subscribe to a pro wrestling e-mail list and from http://www.wrestlingnewsworld.com/spoilers-smackdown-taping-results-from-albany-new-york/, look what happens tomorrow night:
- Backstage, Matt Striker interviews The Big Show about what happened after Raw went off the air. Big Show explains that he will take on anybody, no matter who they are. He goes on to blame Sheamus & Randy Orton for what happened.
- Backstage, Matt Striker informs Sheamus that The Big Show blames him for what happened at the end of Raw. Sheamus says he’ll take the blame for kicking Big Show’s head off later tonight.
- Sheamus vs. The Big Show ended in a no contest when The Shield interfered. Randy Orton rushed out to make the save, and The Shield was cleared from the ring. The Big Show hit Sheamus with a WMD and Orton hit Big Show with an RKO to end the show.
I See a Weekend on the Horizon
Last night, the Iowa City West boy's basketball team played in the State tournament. They were playing for their 50th win in a row. The team has been blistering through their schedule, commonly winning by double digits and blowouts. Against Des Moines Dowling, they were taken to overtime. It was a great game to watch. Iowa City West ended up winning. You can read the news story here. Their next opponent is Dubuque Senior. The two of them played on January 4, 2013. West won 66-56. They interviewed a Dubuque Senior player who said that they had really wanted a second chance against Iowa City West. Be careful what you wish for there young man.... If Iowa City West gets past Dubuque Senior, they will play in the State Final Game on Saturday night.
I have now whittled down the Music directory to the following:
50352 File(s) 315,747,992,632 bytes
I thought I would be able to devote some time to the conversions this weekend, but as it draws closer, I don't see that happening. Why?
I have now whittled down the Music directory to the following:
I thought I would be able to devote some time to the conversions this weekend, but as it draws closer, I don't see that happening. Why?
- Saturday
- Megan works 7-1.
- Alex and I are meeting up with Brian Rock and his son. I think we're going to go to Gus' around 11. I really look forward to reconnecting with Brian Rock. Gus' has pool tables so maybe the boys will play pool. I am looking forward to talking to one of my best friends. Then the four of us are going to the final Iowa men's game (they play NE) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game starts at 1:15. I expect it to be a game that Iowa wins.
- I'm hoping the game is over early enough for my family to make it to 5:15 Mass - I would like to play drums with Jim.
- What we do next requires a little background. We lived on Prospect Court from 4/1/1994 - 12/22/2003. The court behind us had a bunch of great people living there. Over the years, Karen and I developed friendships with our neighbors on that court behind us. One of the families is having a 'reunion' at their house Saturday night. I think it starts around 7 so that would allow us to make it to 5:15 Mass (as outlined above).
- Sunday
- My AM seems pretty clear, which I'm sure will change. I would like to get 30 or so minutes on the Yamaha electronic kit. I haven't really played it for a while and I feel like I need to prep for what I am doing in the afternoon which is the next bullet in this list.
- Scary Robots is rehearsing from 5-7. We haven't rehearsed since February 10th so I'm anxious to ROCK! As I wrote about previously, I worked on "An American Girl" so I think I can play it now.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Some Good News
I work with MS Word on a daily basis. I have worked with the tool since 1994, using Word 2.0 at a marketing research firm. I am continually amazed at how misused the software is and when I see things that are clearly wrong, I chuckle.
That's the background for Monday. My co-worker in a different department, came over and asked if I had a MS Word template. He said he had a document that was really ugly and he was considering a fresh start. I put a copy of the template I've been working on in a shared directory and showed him how there are styles set up in it. He thanked me and went on his way.
Yesterday, he returned to my cubicle. "Can you come down and look at this document?" he asked.
We walked down and he showed me his document. It was ugly.
Very ugly.
What do I use to determine if a document is ugly?
The more I talked with my co-worker, the more distraught he seemed to be getting. I knew what I was suggesting to him was beyond his Word skills. Eventually, I said, "Do you want me to ask my manager if I can work on it?" Less than a second after I said that, he said, "Yes!"
It turns out that I was nearly done with the document I had been working on. I returned to my cubicle, finished up the doc, and then went to talk to my manager. She approved that I could work on it for 8 hours.
I'm done after 4.
I really like being able to help my co-worker. So far, I've been here 1 year, 9 months, 6 days. I like that I am developing a reputation as the MS Word guru. I've always been the tools guru. I gravitate towards figuring out how to do what I want with the tool (meaning software) I have to work with because it (ultimately) makes me more productive. This dates back to 2/12/1995, my first day of being a professional technical writer.
That's the background for Monday. My co-worker in a different department, came over and asked if I had a MS Word template. He said he had a document that was really ugly and he was considering a fresh start. I put a copy of the template I've been working on in a shared directory and showed him how there are styles set up in it. He thanked me and went on his way.
Yesterday, he returned to my cubicle. "Can you come down and look at this document?" he asked.
We walked down and he showed me his document. It was ugly.
Very ugly.
What do I use to determine if a document is ugly?
- How about the number of times Normal is applied in the document? In the original document, it was applied as follows:
- This is the template that was associated with the template, except I've garbled the text. Look how long it is!
C:\DOCUME~1\USERID\LOCALS~1\Temp\TCD157.tmp\
Abcdefghij abcdefgh abcde abcde abcdefghijk abcdefgh, abcde abcde.dot - How about manually adding what appears to be the heading row in the middle of the document? (I can't share what that looks like because it is a confidential document.)
The more I talked with my co-worker, the more distraught he seemed to be getting. I knew what I was suggesting to him was beyond his Word skills. Eventually, I said, "Do you want me to ask my manager if I can work on it?" Less than a second after I said that, he said, "Yes!"
It turns out that I was nearly done with the document I had been working on. I returned to my cubicle, finished up the doc, and then went to talk to my manager. She approved that I could work on it for 8 hours.
I'm done after 4.
I really like being able to help my co-worker. So far, I've been here 1 year, 9 months, 6 days. I like that I am developing a reputation as the MS Word guru. I've always been the tools guru. I gravitate towards figuring out how to do what I want with the tool (meaning software) I have to work with because it (ultimately) makes me more productive. This dates back to 2/12/1995, my first day of being a professional technical writer.
- OfficeVision, Visio, MS Word
- MS Word, Doc-to-Help
- OfficeVision, RoboHelp, MS Word, Dreamweaver, JWalk, MS DOS batch files, PaintShop Pro
- InDesign
- MS Word, FatWire
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
There's this False Truth Nagging...
I hadn't run my music count batch file for a while. When I did, I was a little dismayed by the result, which was:
50390 File(s) 315,992,011,881 bytes
It was 50460 File(s) 316,639,034,221 bytes on Friday, February 22, 2013. Why 70 fewer? There's a lot of duplicates in the directory and I've been trying to whittle those out of the count. I also have not been adding files because I haven't really returned to the CD conversion or the cassette conversion or even the LP conversion over the last few weeks. It's called "being busy." And it's not just the conversion projects that have suffered - I have neither played the Yamaha electronic kit at night nor got the bug to write music reviews for dailyvault.com. I have been keeping up with my personal journal writing and also the 200 Days project so it's not like I've been sitting around doing nothing.
And, really, I never expect to get anything done on a Monday night with WWE Raw. It was a good episode last night with HHH challenging Brock Lesnar at WM XXIX on April 7, 2013, as well as starting the hype for John Cena v. The Rock. The main event was a Fatal Fourway match between the Big Show, Randy Orton, Sheamus, and CM Punk for the right to face the Undertaker and end his winning streak, which is 20-0. CM Punk won.
Here's what I now think will happen. Randy Orton and Big Show were in a match on Friday night Smackdown. The Shield attacked. Sheamus ran out to fight. The Big Show got bumped into by one of the Shield members and turned around and nailed him. I'm betting that The Big Show, Randy Orton, and Sheamus will team up to fight the Shield at WM XXIX. The next few episodes of Raw will feature the three of them talking about how they don't like or trust each other. There will be matches where 2 of the 3 of them are in a tag team match and, prior to their match together, each of them will "accidentally" get the other two with their finisher move and it will be hyped as the three of them can't get along. It's not a new storyline, per se, and it's been done before when the WWE didn't really have an individual feud for the wrestler so they got paired up. So I'm saying it now, here, on this blog, on 3/5/2013, that is what will happen. All of this hype will then lead into the match and, going out on a limb, the winner will be the Shield at WM XXIX. This is a feud that will go on for a while. It will be at least into SummerSlam (in August) before, finally, the dysfunctional team will get the win.
One thing wrong with this scenario is that it leaves Chris Jericho out of the feud. They are trying to build him up as a veteran who has fought all the great stables of the industry - the nWo, the Nexus, and even Degeneration X (I think he was in a feud with HHH at one point). I'm sure as the card shapes up for WM XXIX, there will be a way to get Jericho involved. Although, now that I write that, I think it will be Dolph Ziggler v. Chris Jericho at WMXXIX.
By April 7, 2013, all of this may be obsolete. I do hope to have my music collection back up to at least 51,000. It's going to take some self-discipline.
And, really, I never expect to get anything done on a Monday night with WWE Raw. It was a good episode last night with HHH challenging Brock Lesnar at WM XXIX on April 7, 2013, as well as starting the hype for John Cena v. The Rock. The main event was a Fatal Fourway match between the Big Show, Randy Orton, Sheamus, and CM Punk for the right to face the Undertaker and end his winning streak, which is 20-0. CM Punk won.
Here's what I now think will happen. Randy Orton and Big Show were in a match on Friday night Smackdown. The Shield attacked. Sheamus ran out to fight. The Big Show got bumped into by one of the Shield members and turned around and nailed him. I'm betting that The Big Show, Randy Orton, and Sheamus will team up to fight the Shield at WM XXIX. The next few episodes of Raw will feature the three of them talking about how they don't like or trust each other. There will be matches where 2 of the 3 of them are in a tag team match and, prior to their match together, each of them will "accidentally" get the other two with their finisher move and it will be hyped as the three of them can't get along. It's not a new storyline, per se, and it's been done before when the WWE didn't really have an individual feud for the wrestler so they got paired up. So I'm saying it now, here, on this blog, on 3/5/2013, that is what will happen. All of this hype will then lead into the match and, going out on a limb, the winner will be the Shield at WM XXIX. This is a feud that will go on for a while. It will be at least into SummerSlam (in August) before, finally, the dysfunctional team will get the win.
One thing wrong with this scenario is that it leaves Chris Jericho out of the feud. They are trying to build him up as a veteran who has fought all the great stables of the industry - the nWo, the Nexus, and even Degeneration X (I think he was in a feud with HHH at one point). I'm sure as the card shapes up for WM XXIX, there will be a way to get Jericho involved. Although, now that I write that, I think it will be Dolph Ziggler v. Chris Jericho at WMXXIX.
By April 7, 2013, all of this may be obsolete. I do hope to have my music collection back up to at least 51,000. It's going to take some self-discipline.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Three Things
- I still really like Lorenzo, an Ohio band I saw at Waterstock in Des Moines years ago. The music just pushes itself into my ears. Favorite line in this song? "If I get it figured out / you change the rules."
- Alex and Megan went to the Iowa City West High Show Choir concert last night. It was a situation where we all had to go south. Karen drove the van and I drove the GMC. I left the GMC at the West High parking lot and rode the rest of the way in the van. On the way back, we dropped off both kids for the concert. Karen and I were then going to go to Midtown Family Restaurant #2, since we were on that side of town. We found out they close at 2 PM on Sundays. We then went through the car wash with the van, then down the road to KFC to take home supper. What I find really interesting is that Megan and Alex seemed to be getting along as siblings while they were out of the house but, like usual, that couldn't be carried over once they entered the house. Still looking for the magic cure.
- It snowed overnight so I shoveled this AM. I like shoveling even though I could have used the community snow blower.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Bone
I was at the SEIBA (South East Iowa Band Association) jazz band festival. Both Alex and Megan played in their respective jazz bands. Karen volunteered in the concession stand. I ended up being in the West High kitchen for their cafeteria, getting pizzas from Papa John's from a driver, putting them in a warmer and then, when the pizza was getting low, taking a pizza from the warmer, bringing it to the serving line, taking the empty box and either adding it to a pile of empty boxes or taking it out to the huge garbage bin in the back that is specifically for cardboard.There was a little drama regarding Papa John's. The pizza was late - promised to be at the school at 12:15 and not arriving until 12:45. It turned out okay because I talked to one of the other parents, Dwight, for a long time. We talked about great television shows. I talked about M*A*S*H* and "Cheers" and the lone episode of "Friends" I let Megan watch. We also talked about movies. I rattled off all the movies I have on DVD but "have" to watch when they are on network TV - I listed them previously on this blog. The simple part about me is that I have that list embedded in my brain and am able to extract it during a random conversation. It's who I am.I am also about my friends. I think about my friends a lot, even if I don't see them. I've written about my friends that I hold dear in my heart on this blog, specifically Serbi, Brian, James, and JR.
I thought about JR yesterday at SEIBA, which is why I'm writing this post. JR has been one of my trusted confidants since 4th grade. Perhaps it is documented elsewhere on this blog, but I think our true friendship began in 4th grade. We were in a 3rd/4th grade combination class with Mrs. Bacon at Pierce Elementary in Cedar Rapids. JR played trombone in band and at SEIBA yesterday, there were 3 kids that were wearing this shirt. I thought it was hilarious.
I thought about JR yesterday at SEIBA, which is why I'm writing this post. JR has been one of my trusted confidants since 4th grade. Perhaps it is documented elsewhere on this blog, but I think our true friendship began in 4th grade. We were in a 3rd/4th grade combination class with Mrs. Bacon at Pierce Elementary in Cedar Rapids. JR played trombone in band and at SEIBA yesterday, there were 3 kids that were wearing this shirt. I thought it was hilarious.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Why I think I'm Good at What I Do
I try to be a humble person. I don't tend to draw attention to myself. It's just the way I am.
But I have to bang a drum (because I don't toot horns) when I say I find being a technical writer to be a fulfilling career choice when I see stuff like this. I chuckle at the lack of attention-to-detail. This is from a file that I spent less than 5 minutes looking at. If the author can't get a TOC correct, what does that say for the content being correct?!? <grin>
But I have to bang a drum (because I don't toot horns) when I say I find being a technical writer to be a fulfilling career choice when I see stuff like this. I chuckle at the lack of attention-to-detail. This is from a file that I spent less than 5 minutes looking at. If the author can't get a TOC correct, what does that say for the content being correct?!? <grin>
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