Tired & WW & SOS

Karen and I did a marathon Christmas shopping trip last night. I think I overdid it because I went to bed @ 11 and was going to get up @ 6 to work on the PC, but I slept until 9. I didn't want to get up even then.

Megan got a call to go to Fun City in Burlington with a friend of hers so she's already gone for the day.

Karen is singing and I am playing drums @ 5:15 Mass tonight.

I think Alex and I are going to the NL Rec Center later today. It really sucks that the NLRC doesn't have their pool table anymore. Apparently, there were too many discipline issues so they got rid of it.

My friend Matt sent me this:
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Last night I was at a buddies and he was listening to a CD. I liked the band. It was a really different sound crossing multiple genres. The band was “Wicked Wisdom.” Have you ever heard of this band? If not, I recommend giving them a listen.
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I had written back to Matt that I did not know this band. Just now, I checked my CD list. I have a self-titled CD by this band from 2006. Funny.

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My brother in the Twin Cities went to see this band:

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Editor's Note: It's unclear to me who "my friend Matt" refers to in the above text.

Master of Puppets.... Really?

Megan and I were in the den earlier today. The den is in a state of chaos. When I've been in the den the last two weeks, I've either been working or checking important stuff like Facebook. The CDs I've been listening to have been accumulating in a stack.

Somehow, the case for Metallica's "Master of Puppets" ended up on the kids' PC's desk.

"Master of Puppets? Really?" she asks.

So I start singing (from memory)

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End of passion play
Crumbling away
I'm your source of self-destruction
Pain monopoly
Brink of misery
Life is getting nearer

Taste me you will see
More is all you need
Dedicated to
How I'm killing you

Come crawling faster
Obey your master
Your life burns faster
Obey your master! Master!

Master of puppets
Pulling your strings
blah blah blah
blah blah blah
Blinded by me you can't see a thing
Just call my name because I'll hear you scream

Master
Master
Just call my name
Because I'll hear you scream

Needlework the way
Never you betray
life of death becoming clearer
pain monopoly ritual misery
chop your breakfast on a mirror

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It was here that Megan said, "What?"

I had previously discussed cocaine with her and how dumb people snorted it up their nose to get high. Instead of rehashing that, I started singing "Creeping Death":

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Heed to his every word, live in fear

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Megan says, "New song?"
"Yep." Pretty soon after that, we had to go upstairs to do something.

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TNA & WWE: Monday Night War Redux

Years and years ago, Monday Night Raw went toe-to-toe with WCW on Monday nights. You could switch between the two when there was a match that didn't interest you on either of the channels.

Now, for at least tomorrow night, TNA is reigniting this war. Hulk Hogan is making his TNA debut and the best way to go against WWE is to try to snare a larger audience in the same time slot. WWE, for their part, are having their annual "Slammy" show where they self-promote the best wrestler of the year, best match of the year, etc., with a lot of highlights from PPVs and episodes of Monday Night Raw. They have drawn Dennis Miller to be the "guest host" with the idea that those who like Dennis Miller will tune in to watch him.

Me? I'm going to be at Alex's school concert. It was cancelled last week because they didn't have school. Alex normally has drum lessons on Monday nights so he has to bail out of that. I probably won't even see a minute of either the WWE show or TNA. I don't own a DVR (yet!) so that isn't an option.

Stupid People

I am tired of stupid people in this world.

Let's say you rent a car. You accidently scrape the driver's door against a concrete pillar. You check out the paint and there is no visible damage. When you return the car, you tell the clerk at the desk. You ask them to come and look at it. They do. They don't see any scrapage. You settle up your bill and move on.

Six months later, you get a registered letter that references a previous letter you never got. There's a $600 bill for the rental car. It seems they had to repaint the car and want you to pay for it.

When you ask the rental company if they put the car out of service after you reported the possible issue, they said no, we rented it to other people. But now, they say, there is a giant scratch on the passenger door and since you reported it, you must have done it.

First of all, the damage reported was for the driver's door so it has nothing to do with the issue.

Second, an employee of the rental company looked at it and said they didn't see any damage.

Third, the car was then rented to other drivers *after you*. There is no proof that someone after you did the damage. It's been six months since you drove the car.

So, you try to bargain with the company. They don't want to turn it into their insurance b/c there's a $250 deductible. Fine. You offer to pay that. Nope. Not good enough. You have an itemized bill so you pick and choose what could have possibly been caused from when you drove it. Nope. You need to pay the whole bill, including the two service charges because the repair place hasn't been paid while it waited for you.

When you ask why the car was not taken out of service, the answer is that they need the car in the fleet. That's not my problem. The car was put back in service, driven for 6 months and then you are expected to pay a bill? No way. So you turn it into your insurance company and pray that your insurance company is smart enough to laugh the car company all the way to the bank.

Here's the worst part. You know you will probably have to rent a car from that company again. That's what really sucks.

Getting Back to Normal .... slowly

We went to 5:15 Mass last night. I wasn't going to play drums, considering I was in the hospital at this time last week, but a friend of ours literally rushed over when she saw me and said that the priest (a sub) had asked if anyone was going to play drums because he likes them. I was supposed to usher but Karen found a sub. I missed the majority of rehearsal and didn't really get a good sound check. I was told after the first song, no one could hear the drums. I turned up the volume and then it was better.

I really enjoy playing drums at church. I don't play drums in any other capacity so it's fun for me. Keith usually is playing bass with me. Last night, he told me he likes playing with me and wants to bring his bass over sometime. That would be a lot of fun, especially if it worked out for my friend Brian Guitar that plays guitar to come over @ the same time.

Today, we are going to get our bedroom and bathroom ready to be painted on Wednesday.

Return to Forever

I'm going to the doctor today. Hopefully, the pneumonia has broken up enough in my lungs and I can return to my "normal" life.
I just got a phone call from Karen that the Iowa City School District voted to not bus Regina kids anymore. This is terrible for me. I will now have to drive
from North Liberty to Regina (20 minutes when the traffic and weather are perfect),
back past North Liberty (20 minutes),
north on I-380 (20 minutes) to work.

My morning commute just tripled.

Still Not a Ball of Fun Around Here...

I've decided that watching other people work hard is not something I like to do.

With my recent trip to the hospital, I'm supposed to "take it easy" and "rest" which would both be easier if there weren't a blizzard outside and snow to clear. On top of that, my workbench in the garage is a mess of empty pop cans, the furnace room needs a once-over to allow the water softener guy (Robert) access to the water softener tomorrow, there is something wrong with the van, there's the golf cart people in the North to deal with, and, on top of everything else, I have to fill out my insurance renewal forms for work. They are due today. I hate insurance forms. I want a check box that says, "I understand my premium is going up but I want *exactly* what I had last year. Hook me up."

Oh, and on top of all that, as if there weren't enough to add to my life, my mom had a stroke and is in the hospital.

That's all for now.

Well, that really sucked...

I was admitted into the hospital on my 40th birthday, 12/4/2009. I stayed until yesterday, when I was released. I was diagnosed with both Influenza B (seasonal flu) *and* pneumonia, the pneumonia diagnosis coming on Friday at a follow-up doctor appt. I am to be off work all of this week, but I may start 1/2 days Wed. b/c I know nothing stops just because you are gone. The world keeps going and there are a lot of things that are going to cross my desk in the not so distant future.

Influenza B

Went to the doctor today. She stuck a thing up my nose to take a culture. Came back positive for influenza B. Fun.

Top 10 Jobs I'd like to Have

I have come up with a list of jobs I'd like to have.

1. Writing/editing the dialogue of rated R movies that are going to be shown on network TV. Who got to take the following clip and take out the f-bombs and create the replacement dialogue? Movies like "Die Hard" and "Lethal Weapon" come to mind. Good action flicks, but I wouldn't want to tackle crappy horror movies. Analyzing what is "acceptable" on network TV and what is not. "Monkey fighting" is an example in this clip:
   
2. Writing/editing/designing the pages of musical instrument catalogs. Taking the pictures of the instruments, writing the brief descriptions of the features of a given instrument, and assembling the layout of the pages. I think that would be fun. This job would possibly not be a long-term career choice because I think, at some point in the next decade, I do not believe there will be hard-copy catalogs sent through the mail. I think every thing will go to online and that will be increasingly evident as the older generations pass and are replaced with technology people that make apps easier and simpler to use.
3. Designing and creating movie trailers. It would involve the decisions that are made regarding what scenes to include as well as the entire marketing plan for a film. How to generate interest in a film months or even years in advance of it being released. The trailer for "Tron:Legacy" looks amazing. The trailer for "Surrogates" made it look like a tremendously awesome movie. The trailer for "Toy Story 3" captures the fun of the original 2, complete with the bantering between Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Coming up with the ideas behind those 'first looks' at the movie and laying out when scenes and plot details will be linked to the Internet. Also, the trailer for TV shows like "24" and "Lost" and "Breaking Bad" are captivating so I wouldn't *have* to work in film. TV teasers would be good as well.
4. Working at http://www.livemetallica.com/ and being able to upload the MP3s, the interesting facts about how often specific songs are played, when the last time Metallica played in a specific city, and the other cool facts. You would have to listen to each MP3 before uploading, I think.
5. Writing the end-user documentation for a product that scans the UPC code on a CD jewel case and pulls in all the information about it into a database. Of course, I would use my personal collection as the "test database" that would be sent out with the final product. Some of the features of this vaporware include:
• Ability to search for releases that include songs with the word "famous" in them
• Automatically link to a band's website
• Create a direct link between the database and the MP3s that are available on the band's Myspace page
• Assemble the manufacturer of the drums, cymbals, strings, guitars, basses, and keyboards played on the release
• Create a list of all your CDs that feature Paiste cymbals and cross-reference it with CDs that used Ludwig drums. Or Ibanez guitars and Marshall amps
• List the date period when the CD was recorded and what else was recorded at the same time.
• Who was sharing the studio at the same time. Side note: I heard on the radio that Ozzy Osbourne and Paul McCartney were sharing a studio and Ozzy asked McCartney to play bass on a track of his. McCartney declined. So this database would assemble all of this information and present it to you.
I just envision this vaporware as an outstanding tool for assembling information about music and the people that create it.
6. Music publicist information writer. I have often thought that sending out CDs to reviewers is only 1/2 of the job. The other part of the job is to make sure the CDs that are sent out are reviewed in a timely fashion. That would mean following up with slackers who are only using CD reviewing as a means to bump up their CD collection. I would like the job of writing compelling copy in the marketing sheets that are sent out. Writing the press kit for bands that have achieved every thing imaginable.
7. Music screener or music producer or studio engineer. This would delve into the creative process of writing songs and recording them. I would like to be someone that listens to rough demos of a band and makes suggestions to the band to make their music better. I would even like sitting through the recording process and helping bands achieve a better sound than what they started out with. Of course "better" is a highly subjective term. I think I would have done Theory of Tides some good. I would have told them to change up the background and to not sing phrases that go together 'untogether' and things like that. I have heard a lot of good and a lot of bad bands. I know what I like and I know what should be changed. I'd like the opportunity to do that prior to millions of people hearing the result. This could involve the actual recording process of making a CD.
8. DVD authoring or testing of movies. Someone has to sit down and create the interactive menus for a movie's DVD release prior to it being sent to a manufacturer to reproduce the 'master' DVD. But even before it is sent to shipping, someone has to sit down at a computer and test the DVD and make sure that there is nothing the consumer will not like. I'd like that job.
9. Tour manager and/or drum roadie for a drumming hero. The tour manager idea would be that you could go around the world and, every night, meet music critics and reviewers and assemble a large network of people. Your job would be to make people happy and do whatever it takes. I know both of these jobs would make me into a road warrior. I would constantly be in a new bed, eating new food, and be in a bus or on a plane. But think about this. There would be hours spent setting up drums for one of my drumming heros:
   Neil Peart
   Lars Ulrich
   Alex Van Halen.
   Physically setting up the drums, physically tuning them and, immediately prior to the show, doing the sound check and hitting each drum and cymbal to make sure the show is going to be awesome. For just for a few moments each night, I would be on stage in front of thousands of people. How freaking awesome would that be?!? I don't know if I could handle being on the road for multiple tours but for at least one, it would be an eye-opening experience. And then the night would come when one of them couldn't play and they asked me to step in.
10. Local delivery person - not pizza but maybe medical supplies - or laborer in a warehouse. These seem like strange ones that do not go together. However, the common link is that they are both "not sitting at a desk" which is what I do during the majority of my time at work. Sometimes, I'd like to be outside (delivery) or at least walking around (warehouse). I'd like the repetition of lifting non-light things and building up my biceps. To this day, I cannot do a pull-up. I don't have enough strength in my arms to do so. I often joke that if I was hanging over a cliff by one hand, I would instantly drop and perish. I don't have the strength.
11. Honorable Mentionables include Playboy photographer, Iowa Hawkeye sports publicity, and http://www.corridorcareers.com webmaster.

Home & Looking Ahead a Bit

It was a good Thanksgiving break from dryers, basketball, and other things that seem to be always competing for my attention. We left Balltown a little later than I had wanted but made it home in time to grab a pair of drumsticks and arrive early enough @ STM for Karen to sing and I to play drums.

The drums are a new Yamaha electronic drum set and WOW! I could get used to playing them. The set list was mainly 3/4 time songs so not a whole lot of room to stretch out during the songs but enough to make me smile. Multiple people came up to me after Mass and said the drums sounded good. I really enjoy hearing that.

Next weekend, we are not playing b/c the Music Minister is gone. That's okay because my in-laws are all coming down to go out either Friday or Saturday to the Riverside Casino for my 40th birthday (12/4) and my brother-in-law's birthday (12/11). I get a free buffet and some spending cash.

The following weekend (12/12) is the Halestorm/Shinedown / Papa Roach concert in Cedar Rapids (free tickets!).

I think I will play the following weekend.

Backing up, this week is going to be busy:
Mon - Megan Religious Ed
Tue - Alex tutor until 4:15; basketball @ 8:30
Wed - Alex tutor from 6:30-7:30; Megan jazz band concert @ West. I am taking Alex; Karen is going to Megan's concert.
Thu - Alex concert @ school
Fri - My 40th birthday! Aforementioned in-laws arrive. We are either going to Riverside on Friday or Saturday.

So that's my week. It is going to be busy. I like that, though, as it keeps me out of trouble. Mostly. :>)

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Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com so it is no longer available for your viewing pleasure

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I saw a promo for season 8 of "24" on TV and WOW... I cannot wait! 1/17/10 is when the new season begins!

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Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com so it is no longer available for your viewing pleasure

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Even further in the future is the 3rd season of "Breaking Bad" that is begins in March 2010:
Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com so it is no longer available for your viewing pleasure

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Finally, I cranked out 4 reviews in November http://www.dailyvault.com/reviewers.php5?id=9, surpassing my previous best of 3 in 2/2009. I have many more releases to review, including the new Creed and new Alter Bridge DVDs.

Dryer & 7th Grade & BAD as in UGLY Hendrix...

It was a fuse. Simple. Invoice will be sent by the guy and it'll be ~$100. A lot better than a new dryer.
Journey's Separate Ways always makes me think back to 7th grade. I might have mentioned this in some other rambling, but I really think 7th grade was a high point in my life, socially. It seems like when I list, in my head, the girlfriends I "had" or "considered" my girlfriend, the list is extensive. So I just have a really good feeling about 7th grade. Journey's "Separate Ways" was my favorite song. I made a mix tape for a girlfriend after we had broken up (still don't know why!?!?) and this was on the mix tape. I wish I had a) given her the mix tape and b) that I could find the mix tape so I could put *this* version on it....

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Editor's Note - the video in question was removed from youtube.com so it is no longer available for your viewing pleasure.

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Better stuff is this jam session, recorded after only 2 hours of playing together!

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Dryers Suck

We put together a drying rack last night. Why is that significant?

Because Karen went to start up the dryer and it wouldn't start.

We had wet clothes in the washer and nowhere to put them.

I went out to the garage and found the wood drying rack we had used in the camper. Unfortunately, we get water by the service door in the back of the garage and guess what I had put there? Towels to soak up the water and the wood drying rack on top of the towels. Can't use the drying rack as there is mold on it.

That led me to behind my dresser where there has been a long skinny box for a couple of years that I have never put together because I had the wood one.

That led to the four of us working "together" on assembling the drying rack. Took about 1 hour. All families should do that.

Meanwhile, found this: http://www.home-appliance-kitchen-aids.com/Kenmore-dryer-troubleshooting.html
Kenmore-dryer-troubleshooting - The dryer will not operate

1. Check that the power is on to the machine. The power indicator light will if this is the case.

2. Check that the door is properly closed. When a door interlock switch is not activated properly the machine will not start. The best check is to open and close the door several times and sometimes the microswitch may be sticking and some do come loose due to vibration

3. The dryer start switch hasn’t been pressed or turned properly.

4. The dryer program hasn’t been selected

Not that I'm getting up and going to Dubuque BUT... http://bfads.net/Adscans

-------------------MORE DRYER STUFF!!!!!!-----------------
From here: http://www.cheapapplianceparts.com/repair-information/dryer-repair.html

WHIRLPOOL AND KENMORE DRYER REPAIR DIAGNOSTIC TIPS

1- DRYER MOTOR MAY BE DEFECTIVE (MOST PROBABLE).

Feeling like a Vampire... and not b/c of NEW MOON

So Julie sends an e-mail about http://www.mylovehandlesrock.com/, saying "This band is playing Friday nite in North Liberty (at Drinks) and Fred and I have heard them several time and they are GREAT and FUN to dance too! I will see what time the band starts and get back to everyone but I think it starts around 9:00."

What the hell does this have to do with being like a vampire?

Well, the next AM, I am donating blood in Iowa City @ 7:30 and then rushing over to Coralville for a haircut. That would mean no beer and what the hell is the purpose of going to hear a band @ a bar if you're not going to make sure the beer is cold? I told Karen I'd volunteer to drive since I will be sober.

Yesterday's Dilbert‏

Anyone catch yesterday's Dilbert? Hilarious!!

Last Night

We made the trip to Waterloo last night after the 4 PM Dedication Mass. Karen's brother's band, the Hoo-Dads, were playing and we stayed for a set and 1/4 of their gig. Had supper and it was really good - grilled chicken, baked potato, and garlic toast. Then Karen drove home. Went to bed. Short night.

This week is crazy busy.

Sun 11/15 - Alex basketball practice @ 2; Karen and I to CEW renewal @ 4 then board meeting afterwards
Mon 11/16 - Megan religious ed @ 6:30, Alex drum lessons @ 7
Tue 11/17 - Alex tutor until 4:15, Alex basketball game @ 5:30
Wed 11/18 - Alex tutor @ 6:30
Thu 11/19 - Alex basketball practice 6-7 @ the NL Rec Center
Fri 11/20 - NOTHING
Sat 11/21 - I'm donating blood @ 7:30 AM
Sun 11/22 - Alex basketball

In the meantime, at work, there is a huge hot project that is due to QA on 11/18 and has to be released on 11/20. That is not nearly enough time to design the Windows interface *and* to write the documentation to explain to the client how to use it. I don't know how it is going to be done. I have a feeling I will be working late on Wednesday & Thursday night. I need to find out exactly what the I have to have done by when. In the meantime, there is another cut coming up and there will be a lot of work for me to do for that, which is supposed to be ready for clients by 11/30. Should be interesting.

Avenue Q

Avenue Q, the Tony Award winning musical, is coming to Cedar Rapids! This will give you a taste of their humor:

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Word Game

From David Downing:
Awhile back, somebody on the main list pointed out that you could take away one letter at a time from the nine-letter word “startling,” and have the result be a word each time. I decided to use that idea for a column I write for an internal newsletter, and I asked for the longest word anyone could think of. It turns out there’s an eleven-letter word –

emasculates
emasculate
masculate
maculate
maculae
macule
macle
acle
ale
ae
a

Look @ My Horse, My Horse is Amazing

Goat Pictures

My TWer friend in NYC is having a problem with his co-worker. His co-worker is loud, abrasive, curses, and makes my friend's life a living hell. He has gone to his boss but his boss protects him. I think his co-worker has goat pictures. Goat pictures? What do you mean? Kevin McLaughlin, a frequently quoted TWer on this blog, pointed this out a while back on Techwr-L when he wrote:

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JW had a litany of complaints about the competence and work ethic of a nominal superior, ending with:
[...]
Yes, I've mentioned various things about him to higher-up management but they keep the blinders on and don't acknowledge my concerns. Isn't it easier to keep incompetent people around than it is to fire them?

It's obvious... the answer is goat pictures. This guy has pictures of senior people in compromising positions with a goat. That's why he has no fear, and why nobody will touch him.

Glad I could assist you in figuring that out.

Someday soon, slap a pleased expression on your face and start humming cheerily (something like "I'm In the Money") in the presence of one of these higher-ups. When you get the inevitable "What are you so happy about, today?" just smile and reply: "I've found where Joe keeps the goat pictures. "
Cheers,
K

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What is Marriage?

Health Care & an Editor's Revenge & Concert Confirmation!

Here are some links to read to better understand the health care debate as well as some other news about my life.

1. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0556598.htm
2. Health companies see relief in U.S. Senate bill
   http://www.reuters.com/article/Health09/idUSTRE5A83WD20091109
3. Health Care PASSES: The Scene In The House When It Happened http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/08/health-care-passes-the-sc_n_349783.html
4. CNN Artticle http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/09/frum.trial.lawyers.victory/index.html
5. Here's a registered nurse's one-page explanation on Understanding HR3962: The Affordable Health Care for America Act http://www.emaxhealth.com/1506/72/34374/understanding-hr3962-affordable-health-care-america-act.html
6. A Toronto Star editor marks up the letter from the publisher announcing the outsourcing of editorial jobs: http://torontoist.com/2009/11/disgruntled_star_editor_takes_revenge.php
7. I wrote: Any chance of getting two passes - one for my friend?
   Papa Roach's publicist wrote back "Yes, you’ll have a pair of review tix."
   SWWEEEETTTTT!!!

Metallica Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Speeches

You can go to the Fuse TV site and see this. It's 42 minutes long and worth watching at least once.

Why I Hate the Internet

I hate the Internet because stupid a$$holes make finding simple information an exercise in stupidity. All I want to know is the answer to this question:

Who the hell won PSU v. OSU?!?

That's all I want to know.

Instead, I keep getting this shit:


I don't have a virus and I sure as hell do not want to install an anti-spyware or anti-virus software from a company that does this shit.

DHT

Dead Horse Trauma, an Iowa band, has their new CD coming out:

Sappy & Phoney

Know what? The Hawkeyes will rise above yesterday's loss:

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Going Old School

Old School Metal (OSM) is, by definition, material that is older than 10 years that, when you hear it, make you think, "Why aren't there more songs as powerful as what I'm listening to either a) on the local "rock" station or b) what happened to this band aka 'where are they now' kind of thoughts.

The first OSM video for today is Pantera. Those that follow the genre know that Pantera is gone and will never record again.

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The second OSM video for today is Slayer. Wow. They have a new CD out and, per the review of it on Blistering.com, they may actually have a radio single. Scary.

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The third and final OSM video for today is Metallica. I wanted to find a video of my favorite song by them called "Frayed Ends of Sanity" but I found this instead.

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Just for fun..

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Just Me...

Karen is with her mom, aunt, and cousin in Des Moines, IA, on their yearly "WWA" or "Women's Weekend Away" which, from the little I am told, means they shop and eat and drink as a family. Normally, there are 6 but this year neither my sister-in-law nor Karen's aunt's other daughter are joining them. So it's 4.

On the home front, we rented "GI Joe", "Mrs. Doubtfire", and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" to keep us busy. Alex and I watched Joe earlier this afternoon. Then I took Megan to the junior high dance, came home, then returned to her school to give her the $3 I had in my pocket that was to go to her hands when she got out of the truck.

Just checked the radio and Regina is playing Solon tonight in a state playoff game. The last time these two teams met, Solon pounced early and often and built up a huge lead. At the beginning of the 4th quarter, it was 42-7 in Solon's favor. I think a state championship in football is heading to Solon this month.

Tomorrow, the Hawkeyes put their undefeated season on the line against Northwestern. That game is @ 11 so I'm hoping to watch it. Nothing I can think of would stop me.

This dream job was passed along to me. I am not qualified but I sure would like to be:

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Web Developer
Brave New Films is looking for a full-time Web Developer to guide and implement our online efforts. This is a very unique and exciting opportunity for the right person to use their tech talents to help build vital progressive infrastructure.Brave New Film's uses video and new media to create, amplify, and tell stories to inform people, change attitudes, and make change happen. We have over a million monthly uniques and over 45 million views on our viral videos.
Responsibilities include:
* Build HTML websites with light PHP code as well as more robustsite with programming languages
* Manage ecommerce and donation infrastructure including set updonation pages on our sites
* Address technical aspects of online distribution (upload videosto YouTube, post on reddit, write FBML for Facebook, etc.)
* Be on top of developments in social media, trends and technologies to guide and inform our distribution strategy
* Develop queries to pull segments of our emails list when needed
Skill set:
* Experience in Ruby on Rails, Django, PHPCake, or other programming language
* Excellent knowledge of MySQL
* Ability to quickly develop a web site that integrates with our email and donation tools
* Good attention to detail
* Enjoys fast-paced environment of politics
We use technologies and services like PHP, MySQL, Wordpress, Disqus, DemocracyInAction/Salsa, Ultracart, Google Analytics, and Authorize.net. We care less about writing perfect code or complying with every standard, and more about birthing the clever idea that'll wreak havoc on the establishment. Politics moves fast. We have some pretty intense deadlines, so we'repragmatic and not afraid to get our hands dirty. Think startup meets non-profit political rabble rousers. We also get along well with people that have an excellent work ethic, juggle multiple tasks under tight deadlines, and realize this is not a 9-5 job.
Our offices are located in the shadow of Sony studios in Culver City, CA (LA) and we're open to the person working on-site or living elsewhere in the U.S. In your cover note, provide a list of sites you have developed. Please forward cover note and resume to Laura at ...

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That sounds like a tremendous opportunity.

In other news, Alex's basketball team is 0-3. We lost on Tuesday night. Again. Losing sucks.
Joe Paterno did inspire me this week with this quote that was passed along:

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"There are many people, particularly in sports, who think that success and excellence are the same thing and they are not the same thing. Excellence is something that is lasting and dependable and largely within a person's control. In contrast, success is perishable and is often outside our control... If you strive for excellence, you will probably be successful eventually... people who put excellence in first place have the patience to end up with success... An additional burden for the victim of the success mentality is that he/she is threatened by the success of others and resents real excellence. In contrast, the person fascinated by quality is excited when he/she sees it in others".
Joe Paterno
Head Football Coach
Penn State University

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Moving on... the latest Revelation Theory (now known as Rev Theory) arrived in my mailbox this week. Also an Alter Bridge DVD and two CDs from artists I've never heard of until I opened the envelope. I have a lot of review writing to do and I hope to tackle some of them tomorrow AM!

Sick

Megan was sick yesterday. I dropped Alex off @ the bus stop and made it up to Cedar Rapids, grabbed some papers, and made it back home by 8:00. I won't tell my State Trooper bro-in-law my average speed. I literally stayed in the home office. I used logmein.com to do my work. I shut the door to the office and cranked the space heater. It was awesome! I also cranked the tunes, spinning Slapdash's "Actual Reality", Metallica's "Master of Puppets", and "The Black Album".

Today, Megan is still not feeling well, but now Karen has something so she's staying home.

Alex has tutor until 4:15, then altar server training at the new St. Thomas More church @ 6:30, my Eucharistic Minister training is at 7:30 and then Alex has a game @ 8:30. Busy night!

I hope my girls feel better soon. I don't like seeing either of them hurting.

Losing Faith

I lost faith yesterday in the Hawkeyes to be able to win. In the 3rd quarter, Ricki Stanzi threw interceptions like crazy. Then, they went on a 28-0 run in the 4th quarter. You can read about it here but before you do, I have to confess. After Stanzi threw the 3rd interception of the game, I wanted Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz to replace Stanzi. I thought that it would be better to try someone different. I lost faith.