The Buckcherry, ShineDown, and Saving Abel concert review is posted on Dailyvault.
The week ahead:
Mon: Karen has a training class @ night I hope to mow either our yard or our neighbor's yard. Kids have homework.
Tue: Megan has volleyball. Kids have homework.
Wed: Nothing @ night except homework
Thu: Kids have homework.
Fri: University of Iowa Homecoming Parade. We're playing music on the back of a flatbed truck!
Sat: Babysitting our neighbor's baby. Cleaning the house. Playing @ 5:15 Mass.
Sun: Karen wants to clean the storage room and take every thing out of it. We also want to get Megan's room in better shape and also the den and basement need to be worked upon to make them both better looking. At 3, Alex has basketball practice.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
On the horizon, plus, "I'm that guy"
Megadeth is coming out with yet another collection of their "greatest" material. I am looking forward to hearing it in the not so distant future and will, of course, review it for dailyvault.com
Also, I wanted to write about something I do in the car. I air drum. I turn to my local rock station and, depending upon the song, I move my hands and arms with the beat to whatever song is playing. I'm that guy that you see driving down the road who is seriously jamming to whatever is playing. I have this sickness and it's called air drumming. There's even Youtube.com vids about it:
No, this is not me, but... it may as well be.Thursday, September 18, 2008
Pay Attention!
Do you ever feel overwhelmed with every thing? I am down in the den and it's a pit. The kids have stuff all over, I have CDs all over and it's like, do I even want to start cleaning it up? The main part of the basement is even worse - the kids have crap all over. I hate it when my wife comes down here b/c there's never a good result out of that. We just spent about a 1/2 hour trying to find my daughter's black purse that my mother-in-law wants to borrow when they go to Hawaii on Tuesday. Of course, we can't find it. My daughter's closet is a pit - new clothes in the same plastic bag as school papers - and my son's isn't much better. They have a toy box that had socks and underwear stuffed behind it and we didn't even bother to open it up. You go in their bathroom and there's wet wash cloths in a ball, the wet bath mat is on the tile and clothes and underwear and socks every where else. The trash can in there is overflowing b/c they argue about whose turn it is to empty it, there's dirty clothes in their baskets b/c they don't bring them down and then, this is the fun part, the one outfit that my wife is convinced my daughter needs to wear? Crumpled @ the bottom of the laundry basket, of course. My wife bought three new plastic toothbrush holders and, of course, no one can find those either. It's like "ENOUGH!"
I wish I could remember more things - like where I last saw that purse we were looking for or the toothbrush holders - but the last time I saw either, I didn't retain it. I didn't think it would be important to remember so I purged it and replaced it with something else - anything else, actually. Now I wish I would have paid attention to what was in front of me.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Magnetic Death Demos! or Death Magnetic Demos
I have always liked listening to demos of songs. I think a demo of a song often is comparable to a rough draft when writing anything. Rough drafts often capture the writer's original spirit that is then refocused and refined and revisited countless times until you end up with the final product. With Metallica, their demos have often don't have lyrics or different lyrics than what ends up on the official version of the song. The demos for "And Justice for All" are like that. So, courtesey of YouTube, I came across a Blabbermouth.net news item that linked out to 10 videos of the demos for Metallica's "Death Magnetic" release. However, only 2 of them work!?!
So I had to go and find this:
And this:
There was also a post that includes this quote from Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy:
"'Death Magnetic' is HANDS DOWN the best METALLICA album in 20 years. This is the CD I've been waiting for them to make since '…And Justice For All'. And thumbs up to them for doing the first REAL METALLICA instrumental in 20 years since 'To Live Is To Die' (if you don't count DREAM THEATER's 'Stream of Consciousness'). Welcome back, boys."
On the same page, there was a video of Dream Theater playing "Master of Puppets" live in Chicago:
And this is the song played by Lamb of God:
Update: 10:35 PM - none of them now work... :<)
So I had to go and find this:
And this:
There was also a post that includes this quote from Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy:
"'Death Magnetic' is HANDS DOWN the best METALLICA album in 20 years. This is the CD I've been waiting for them to make since '…And Justice For All'. And thumbs up to them for doing the first REAL METALLICA instrumental in 20 years since 'To Live Is To Die' (if you don't count DREAM THEATER's 'Stream of Consciousness'). Welcome back, boys."
On the same page, there was a video of Dream Theater playing "Master of Puppets" live in Chicago:
Then I decided, "That's enough Metallica." How about another heavy band that I like? Lamb of God came to mind:
And this is the song played by Lamb of God:
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Rainy Rain Days
First of all, Death Magnetic was released. My review of it was posted yesterday on Dailyvault.com (scroll to the bottom)
Second, my review of 4Lyn was published on 9/11 and you can read that here.
Third, it's Saturday and it seems like I have long enough to just pause for a moment before the schedule picks up again - both personally & professionally - and returns to its frantic pace.
Professionally, I can say I survived my week of training @ work on a development product that will replace our existing development product. Basically, we upgraded to what we could have upgraded to 10 years ago. On Monday, I will start using the new product to create a user interface that lays on top of a green screen application. That work (by my timeline) has to be completed by 9/24 @ noon. Then, in the afternoon of 9/24, I'll start putting together what we call the 08V2R1 mass release. That will go out the door on 9/26. THen I'll also put together what we call the 08V3R1 early release, which has to be to a client by 10/1. After that goes out the door, I *may* be able to return to writing documentation and online Help for our applications but, honestly, that's not a given. Using the aforementioned development tool to do a lot of cool things will take time and it will be a management decision what we do and how many resources we dedicate to those types of tasks. My ballpark estimate is that one full-time person could take 2 years to do all the things we want to do and, at that point, if it's me, documentation sits and grows mold. At that point it becomes my manager's decision regarding what I am to work on. I don't know what is going to happen. I think that there are some major decisions that need to be made and it will be very interesting to evaluate where all of this stands on 10/13.
Personally, I am going in 45 minutes to get an oil change for the car. Then Iowa plays ISU in football and I have said, for a couple of weeks, that I planned to sit down and watch it on the Big Ten Network (GO HAWKS!) so I'm still counting on that. I imagine the game will be over by 2. Then we are going to 5:15 Mass. I am playing drums and Karen is singing. I really enjoy playing drums @ Mass. I've been leaving my set @ church and us playing is turning into a good habit.
On Sunday, we need to winterize the camper, which means putting anti-freeze through all the pipes so that the cold winter doesn't break a pipe. We have to have that done by 2 (in my mind) because @ 3, Alex starts up his basketball team practice. It is from 3-5. I plan on making the kids run. If it ever stops raining, I'll mow our neighbor's yard.
Then the week starts. It'll start out slow on Monday but picks up steam on Tuesday. My friend Phil and I are going to Moline, IL, to see Saving Abel, Shine Down, and Buck Cherry. There was a 4th band - Avenge Sevenfold - but their singer has vocal cord problems so they cancelled the rest of their tour, including Moline. Also, on Tuesday, Megan starts her volleyball league.
On Wednesday, the kids have school pictures so that involves making sure they look nice in the AM before they get on the bus. Karen usually works early on Wednesdays but she is going in later so that she can make sure the kids look nice. If the weather is not rainy, I am planning to mow our neighbor's house down the street.
On Thursday, it is "back to school" night @ Regina. We will get to see their classrooms, have some watered down punch and maybe a cookie.
On Friday, we will hook up the truck to the camper and go to Zwhingle to store the camper for the winter. Then we are going to Balltown. I imagine we will be in Balltown by 8 PM.
On Saturday, we are going to help my father-in-law clean his windows that are on the 2nd story. There was originally talk about going golfing, but that's not a certainty. At night, we're going to a Catholic Knights dinner in Dubuque.
On Sunday, we'll return to North Liberty in time for Alex's basketball practice from 3-5. He was also invited to a classmate's birthday party and we are taking him there after practice.
Then we're to 9/22 and the whole cycle restarts. Karen has a training class @ night on 9/22. Other highlights include my deadline @ work on 9/24, and the Iowa Homecoming parade. Judy, our parish music minster, talked last Saturday about having a float in the parade and playing music on the back of a flatbed truck! Wouldnt't that be totally sweet?!? Saturday, we'll probably play @ 5:15 Mass and Sunday is basketball practice.
The following week (9/29) is the week of my decade of service @ my employer!
Second, my review of 4Lyn was published on 9/11 and you can read that here.
Third, it's Saturday and it seems like I have long enough to just pause for a moment before the schedule picks up again - both personally & professionally - and returns to its frantic pace.
Professionally, I can say I survived my week of training @ work on a development product that will replace our existing development product. Basically, we upgraded to what we could have upgraded to 10 years ago. On Monday, I will start using the new product to create a user interface that lays on top of a green screen application. That work (by my timeline) has to be completed by 9/24 @ noon. Then, in the afternoon of 9/24, I'll start putting together what we call the 08V2R1 mass release. That will go out the door on 9/26. THen I'll also put together what we call the 08V3R1 early release, which has to be to a client by 10/1. After that goes out the door, I *may* be able to return to writing documentation and online Help for our applications but, honestly, that's not a given. Using the aforementioned development tool to do a lot of cool things will take time and it will be a management decision what we do and how many resources we dedicate to those types of tasks. My ballpark estimate is that one full-time person could take 2 years to do all the things we want to do and, at that point, if it's me, documentation sits and grows mold. At that point it becomes my manager's decision regarding what I am to work on. I don't know what is going to happen. I think that there are some major decisions that need to be made and it will be very interesting to evaluate where all of this stands on 10/13.
Personally, I am going in 45 minutes to get an oil change for the car. Then Iowa plays ISU in football and I have said, for a couple of weeks, that I planned to sit down and watch it on the Big Ten Network (GO HAWKS!) so I'm still counting on that. I imagine the game will be over by 2. Then we are going to 5:15 Mass. I am playing drums and Karen is singing. I really enjoy playing drums @ Mass. I've been leaving my set @ church and us playing is turning into a good habit.
On Sunday, we need to winterize the camper, which means putting anti-freeze through all the pipes so that the cold winter doesn't break a pipe. We have to have that done by 2 (in my mind) because @ 3, Alex starts up his basketball team practice. It is from 3-5. I plan on making the kids run. If it ever stops raining, I'll mow our neighbor's yard.
Then the week starts. It'll start out slow on Monday but picks up steam on Tuesday. My friend Phil and I are going to Moline, IL, to see Saving Abel, Shine Down, and Buck Cherry. There was a 4th band - Avenge Sevenfold - but their singer has vocal cord problems so they cancelled the rest of their tour, including Moline. Also, on Tuesday, Megan starts her volleyball league.
On Wednesday, the kids have school pictures so that involves making sure they look nice in the AM before they get on the bus. Karen usually works early on Wednesdays but she is going in later so that she can make sure the kids look nice. If the weather is not rainy, I am planning to mow our neighbor's house down the street.
On Thursday, it is "back to school" night @ Regina. We will get to see their classrooms, have some watered down punch and maybe a cookie.
On Friday, we will hook up the truck to the camper and go to Zwhingle to store the camper for the winter. Then we are going to Balltown. I imagine we will be in Balltown by 8 PM.
On Saturday, we are going to help my father-in-law clean his windows that are on the 2nd story. There was originally talk about going golfing, but that's not a certainty. At night, we're going to a Catholic Knights dinner in Dubuque.
On Sunday, we'll return to North Liberty in time for Alex's basketball practice from 3-5. He was also invited to a classmate's birthday party and we are taking him there after practice.
Then we're to 9/22 and the whole cycle restarts. Karen has a training class @ night on 9/22. Other highlights include my deadline @ work on 9/24, and the Iowa Homecoming parade. Judy, our parish music minster, talked last Saturday about having a float in the parade and playing music on the back of a flatbed truck! Wouldnt't that be totally sweet?!? Saturday, we'll probably play @ 5:15 Mass and Sunday is basketball practice.
The following week (9/29) is the week of my decade of service @ my employer!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Rise above this
This is my favorite song. It is powerful, talks about meeting challenges and going forward.
Take the light, undarken everything around me
Call the clouds and listen closely I'm lost without you
Call your name every day when I feel so helpless
I've fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this
Hate the mind, regrets are better left unspoken
For all we know, this void will grow
And everything's in vain, distressing you though it leaves me open
Feels so right, but I'll end this all before it gets me
Call your name every day when I feel so helpless
I've fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this
Call your name every day when I seem so helpless
I've fallen down, and I'll rise above this, rise above this doubt
I'll mend myself before it gets me
(I'll mend myself before it gets me)
I'll mend myself before it gets me
(I'll mend myself before it gets me)
Call your name every day when I feel so helpless
I've fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this
Forty eight ways to say that I'm feelin' helpless
I'm Falling down, falling down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this,
Rise above this, rise above this doubt
In other news, things are crazy busy.
Take the light, undarken everything around me
Call the clouds and listen closely I'm lost without you
Call your name every day when I feel so helpless
I've fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this
Hate the mind, regrets are better left unspoken
For all we know, this void will grow
And everything's in vain, distressing you though it leaves me open
Feels so right, but I'll end this all before it gets me
Call your name every day when I feel so helpless
I've fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this
Call your name every day when I seem so helpless
I've fallen down, and I'll rise above this, rise above this doubt
I'll mend myself before it gets me
(I'll mend myself before it gets me)
I'll mend myself before it gets me
(I'll mend myself before it gets me)
Call your name every day when I feel so helpless
I've fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above this
Forty eight ways to say that I'm feelin' helpless
I'm Falling down, falling down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this,
Rise above this, rise above this doubt
In other news, things are crazy busy.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
A Brief Pause
This week has been crazy and next week will be even crazier, both at home and at work.
At work, I am attending training for a product called JWalk. It starts tomorrow and goes until the 12th. Then, on 9/15, my co-worker and I will start developing changes with JWalk for release on 9/25. I don't think I will be able to work on documentation until 10/1.
Outside of work, some key dates:
9/11 - Megan starts her volleyball league
9/14 - Alex's basketball practice starts up again and I am the assistant head coach. The head coach, Tim, won't be there on that date so I get to run practice.
9/16 - I'm going to Moline, IL, to see Avenge Sevenfold / Buck Cherry / Shine Down / Saving Abel for *free* as Warner Brothers is sending me "hard tix" for that show.
9/17 - school pictures
9/18 - back to school night & Megan's volleyball league
9/19 - we're taking the camper to storage in Zwhingle and spending the weekend in Balltown.
9/21 - Alex's basketball practice
Somewhere in there, I will write a concert review of Avenge Sevenfold / Buck Cherry / Shine Down / Saving Abel. To say I have a backlog of reviews to write is an understatement.
I am still working on my TWing contract and I want to get that put to bed today so I'm signing off.
At work, I am attending training for a product called JWalk. It starts tomorrow and goes until the 12th. Then, on 9/15, my co-worker and I will start developing changes with JWalk for release on 9/25. I don't think I will be able to work on documentation until 10/1.
Outside of work, some key dates:
9/11 - Megan starts her volleyball league
9/14 - Alex's basketball practice starts up again and I am the assistant head coach. The head coach, Tim, won't be there on that date so I get to run practice.
9/16 - I'm going to Moline, IL, to see Avenge Sevenfold / Buck Cherry / Shine Down / Saving Abel for *free* as Warner Brothers is sending me "hard tix" for that show.
9/17 - school pictures
9/18 - back to school night & Megan's volleyball league
9/19 - we're taking the camper to storage in Zwhingle and spending the weekend in Balltown.
9/21 - Alex's basketball practice
Somewhere in there, I will write a concert review of Avenge Sevenfold / Buck Cherry / Shine Down / Saving Abel. To say I have a backlog of reviews to write is an understatement.
I am still working on my TWing contract and I want to get that put to bed today so I'm signing off.
Monday, September 1, 2008
SP & Rush
I've tried to explain to some people what Rush did with "Tom Sawyer" when I saw them in concert earlier this year. Fortunately, You Tube has everything...
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com so it is no longer available for your viewing pleasure.
Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com so it is no longer available for your viewing pleasure.
JM Review
Dailyvault.com posted my John Mellencamp review: http://www.dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=5629
While I'd like to say it's the best of 2008, I haven't heard all of Metallica's "Death Magnetic" yet so I'm not going there... except to say it is a really good release.
While I'd like to say it's the best of 2008, I haven't heard all of Metallica's "Death Magnetic" yet so I'm not going there... except to say it is a really good release.
New Month, Old Error
I don't get it. I am now getting an error when I compile my CHM file.
I don't know why. I can't figure it out. If I have the CHM open and navigate to the same topic, the error doesn't display. It doesn't make sense to me. I want to finish this work either today or tomorrow, but I can't deliver this file unless this is fixed.
Figured it out! There is a file called eHlpDhtm.js that was included in my project. I made a backup, deleted all of its contents, recompiled and I'm good.
I don't know why. I can't figure it out. If I have the CHM open and navigate to the same topic, the error doesn't display. It doesn't make sense to me. I want to finish this work either today or tomorrow, but I can't deliver this file unless this is fixed.
Update!
Figured it out! There is a file called eHlpDhtm.js that was included in my project. I made a backup, deleted all of its contents, recompiled and I'm good.
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.
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