Weather was a downer and I wasn't feeling well. Not bad, just not good.
The boy wasn't feeling good either so we all just stayed inside.
I should have napped all day...
Monday, January 31, 2005
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Regrets? Maybe. Probably.
My son is going to high-school next year, so the beginning of this week has been one of orientations. Monday at the middle school he is at, last night at the high school he'll be going to next year.
It's also the same high school Mary and I went to, except it's not. The old school was torn down 3 years ago and a new building was erected in it's place. The only thing that is still there from the original was the cafeteria/auditorium building.
As we sat in the auditorium listening to a guidance counselor drone on about course selection I caught myself doing something that I thought I'd never do. I caught myself pining for the time I spent at high school.
I was surprised for a couple reasons. I had a less than lackluster academic career. I wasn't stupid in the classic sense but I never did the work it took to get passing grades. I was a dumbass. So when I think of high school there's always this feeling of "failure" tied to it.
The other reason I was surprised is that I always thought that I was too cool to get caught in the past. Being an old punk I thought/felt that that was for the indoctrined.
But there I was, sitting there remembering the performances I'd given with my band, in choir shows and plays I had been conned into acting in.
And then I wasn't just remembering, I was actually pining.
When we got home I made for the classmate type sites and looked up my school and year and looked at how my class has faired. I was surprised at the pictures because I didn't go to either of my class' reunions, or kept in touch with anyone outside of "the circle".
There were pictures of my classmates from the last reunion. Except they weren't as I had them in my mind. We had aged. PYTs had turned into MILFs. Bald heads and beerguts. The gleam in the eyes was fading.
I kinda wish that I hadn't seen the pictures. I had this nice image of us all frozen in time and now I can't pretend when I look in the mirror. I'm getting old/older. You'd think the fact of my having a son going into high school next year would've clued me in but I think I just didn't put it all together.
The weird thing is that I don't feel old. I feel 23. I feel like I'm still new.
The only thing I've been able to figure out is that mortality is for losers.
It's also the same high school Mary and I went to, except it's not. The old school was torn down 3 years ago and a new building was erected in it's place. The only thing that is still there from the original was the cafeteria/auditorium building.
As we sat in the auditorium listening to a guidance counselor drone on about course selection I caught myself doing something that I thought I'd never do. I caught myself pining for the time I spent at high school.
I was surprised for a couple reasons. I had a less than lackluster academic career. I wasn't stupid in the classic sense but I never did the work it took to get passing grades. I was a dumbass. So when I think of high school there's always this feeling of "failure" tied to it.
The other reason I was surprised is that I always thought that I was too cool to get caught in the past. Being an old punk I thought/felt that that was for the indoctrined.
But there I was, sitting there remembering the performances I'd given with my band, in choir shows and plays I had been conned into acting in.
And then I wasn't just remembering, I was actually pining.
When we got home I made for the classmate type sites and looked up my school and year and looked at how my class has faired. I was surprised at the pictures because I didn't go to either of my class' reunions, or kept in touch with anyone outside of "the circle".
There were pictures of my classmates from the last reunion. Except they weren't as I had them in my mind. We had aged. PYTs had turned into MILFs. Bald heads and beerguts. The gleam in the eyes was fading.
I kinda wish that I hadn't seen the pictures. I had this nice image of us all frozen in time and now I can't pretend when I look in the mirror. I'm getting old/older. You'd think the fact of my having a son going into high school next year would've clued me in but I think I just didn't put it all together.
The weird thing is that I don't feel old. I feel 23. I feel like I'm still new.
The only thing I've been able to figure out is that mortality is for losers.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
I've really got to learn HTML and stuff.
All I want to do is make a links page.
I have the apps to do it, I have an idea of what I want and I can make click, click, click and get an adequate page made and on the web but I want to understand what I'm doing.
I want to step away from slightly tweaking templates of others.
Bah I say, the internet is just a fad anyway.
I have the apps to do it, I have an idea of what I want and I can make click, click, click and get an adequate page made and on the web but I want to understand what I'm doing.
I want to step away from slightly tweaking templates of others.
Bah I say, the internet is just a fad anyway.
Friday, January 21, 2005
They have quizzes on teh Internet!
You scored as Sirius Black. You are a gifted wizard and very loyal to your allegiance. Whilst you have a big heart and care very much about those around you, you can be a little arrogant and reckless at times.
Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...? created with QuizFarm.com |
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Life on E.
My gas tank was on E this morning. My iPod has 1 bar of life left. And my phone battery died.
WHAT'S HAPPENING!!!!!
WHAT'S HAPPENING!!!!!
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
I builted it by myself!
I've been wanting a pedalboard for my guitar effects, but after seeing prices around $150 US for a good one I decided to build one instead.
This is just the beginning, I plan to carpet and corner with a lid and a handle for lugging it about.
Still it rocks!
This is just the beginning, I plan to carpet and corner with a lid and a handle for lugging it about.
Still it rocks!
Punch the clock
Today is the first time in a long time that I will be paid hourly. Some law that was passed last year has made me a wage-earner.
How does this affect me?
Not in the least really, except now I get to collect overtime and holiday pay. I still get the same pay for the same amount of time so that's cool.
Actually, the ones affected most by this is the promotions department. They'll now be held accountable for keeping us late during sweeps. But it'll still be OT for us 3 times a year.
How does this affect me?
Not in the least really, except now I get to collect overtime and holiday pay. I still get the same pay for the same amount of time so that's cool.
Actually, the ones affected most by this is the promotions department. They'll now be held accountable for keeping us late during sweeps. But it'll still be OT for us 3 times a year.
- Punch the clock
- Profit!
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Suggestions please
I've been downloading audio books from Audible.com for while now and I really think it's the best thing to hit the internet since porn.
But I'm getting real close to running out of books an authors that I am familiar with, so I need suggestions on what to listen to. I usually listen to some form of SF, but that doesn't mean that's what I want to hear.
Suggest anything that you think is good.
EDIT: Here's a list of stuff I have liked as thin suggested. Sorry, I was way tired and shouldn't have been at a computer. Now I know what it is to be Zammy. ;-0
Airframe (Unabridged) - Michael Crichton
Angels and Demons (Unabridged) - Dan Brown
Dreamcatcher (Unabridged) - Stephen King
Dune: The Battle of Corrin (Unabridged) - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (Unabridged) - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Dune: The Machine Crusade (Unabridged) - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Life of Pi (Unabridged) - Yann Martel
On Writing (Unabridged) - Stephen King
Pompeii (Unabridged) - Robert Harris
Snow Crash (Unabridged) - Neal Stephenson
The DaVinci Code (Unabridged) - Dan Brown
The Dark Tower Series - Stephen King
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Timeline (Unabridged) - Michael Crichton
We Can Remember It For You Wholesale (Unabridged) - Philip K. Dick
Xenocide (Unabridged) - Orson Scott Card
Thanks in advance.
But I'm getting real close to running out of books an authors that I am familiar with, so I need suggestions on what to listen to. I usually listen to some form of SF, but that doesn't mean that's what I want to hear.
Suggest anything that you think is good.
EDIT: Here's a list of stuff I have liked as thin suggested. Sorry, I was way tired and shouldn't have been at a computer. Now I know what it is to be Zammy. ;-0
Airframe (Unabridged) - Michael Crichton
Angels and Demons (Unabridged) - Dan Brown
Dreamcatcher (Unabridged) - Stephen King
Dune: The Battle of Corrin (Unabridged) - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (Unabridged) - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Dune: The Machine Crusade (Unabridged) - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Life of Pi (Unabridged) - Yann Martel
On Writing (Unabridged) - Stephen King
Pompeii (Unabridged) - Robert Harris
Snow Crash (Unabridged) - Neal Stephenson
The DaVinci Code (Unabridged) - Dan Brown
The Dark Tower Series - Stephen King
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Timeline (Unabridged) - Michael Crichton
We Can Remember It For You Wholesale (Unabridged) - Philip K. Dick
Xenocide (Unabridged) - Orson Scott Card
Thanks in advance.
I WAAAAANT!!!!!!
If you haven't figured it out yet, I like guitar stuff. Not the "cool" stuff like pointy guitars and big stacks of amps, but the out of the ordinary.
My latest want is any thing from guitar effects makers Z.Vex Effects.
Z.Vex makes some pretty odd effects stompboxes that you can't find anywhere else. They make pedals they change tone depending on your proximity to the pedal. They make small floor pedals with 12 knobs on them. They make a 1/2 watt tube guitar amp that you can hold in your palm.
If you're looking for effects pedals that are different from the big guys' canned sounds visit Z.Vex Effects right now!
NOW!!!!!
And pick me up something too.
My latest want is any thing from guitar effects makers Z.Vex Effects.
Z.Vex makes some pretty odd effects stompboxes that you can't find anywhere else. They make pedals they change tone depending on your proximity to the pedal. They make small floor pedals with 12 knobs on them. They make a 1/2 watt tube guitar amp that you can hold in your palm.
If you're looking for effects pedals that are different from the big guys' canned sounds visit Z.Vex Effects right now!
NOW!!!!!
And pick me up something too.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
For teh Mac users out there
Bare Bones Software had made TextWrangler a free download!
Download it even if you don't think you'll need it because one day you will need it. Trust me on this.
Download it even if you don't think you'll need it because one day you will need it. Trust me on this.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
REGISTER THIS!!!
Just about every decent newspaper in the world that has a website forces you to register to enter their site.
I hate registering. If it's not a membership thing and not a paid site then why bother? I hate them, I hate them good.
Well just about when I couldn't cope with register here, there and everywhere when I was looking for Tsunami updates, a link to BugMeNot.com popped up in a thread at AppleAddict.com.
BugMeNot.com sort of a repository for member names and passwords to websites that use them. Want to read something at the Chicago Tribune? BugMeNot.com is your answer. Just plug in the url for the site you want to visit and up pops a member name and password.
Fucking brilliant!
It's kinda fun to press the "This login didn't work" button just to see the funny names and pws. so far my fave is
asstelescope
asspipe
for obvious reasons.
My web experience would increase ten-fold if someone would drop a user name and password for News Blues.
After posting this I noticed that Richard over at Electronic Ephemera had posted a link.
Spread the word while it still works.
I hate registering. If it's not a membership thing and not a paid site then why bother? I hate them, I hate them good.
Well just about when I couldn't cope with register here, there and everywhere when I was looking for Tsunami updates, a link to BugMeNot.com popped up in a thread at AppleAddict.com.
BugMeNot.com sort of a repository for member names and passwords to websites that use them. Want to read something at the Chicago Tribune? BugMeNot.com is your answer. Just plug in the url for the site you want to visit and up pops a member name and password.
Fucking brilliant!
It's kinda fun to press the "This login didn't work" button just to see the funny names and pws. so far my fave is
asstelescope
asspipe
for obvious reasons.
My web experience would increase ten-fold if someone would drop a user name and password for News Blues.
After posting this I noticed that Richard over at Electronic Ephemera had posted a link.
Spread the word while it still works.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Torture flights? Mystery plane? WTF?!?!?!
The Chicago Tribune and others are hot on a strange story that keeps getting stranger.
Evidently there's this Lear Jet that goes around picking up terrorist types and takes them place so they can be tortured. Kinda like the the bad boys in Pinnochio, but this is some serious spook stuff.
It seems the owner of the jet doesn't exist... well, depending who you call.
It'll be interesting to see if this story explodes into something big, or gets hushed up quick.
Either way, put on your tinfoil hat before clicking the link.
Evidently there's this Lear Jet that goes around picking up terrorist types and takes them place so they can be tortured. Kinda like the the bad boys in Pinnochio, but this is some serious spook stuff.
It seems the owner of the jet doesn't exist... well, depending who you call.
It'll be interesting to see if this story explodes into something big, or gets hushed up quick.
Either way, put on your tinfoil hat before clicking the link.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Get back to work, slacker!
I've had the last 2 Saturdays off because of the holidays, but tomorrow I get to work Saturdays again. It's extra money, about $3K a year so that makes it less of a pain in the ass. Still waking up at 5am to direct a newscast is rough.
On the tire front, I got mine fixed for free. Put it on after I got home last night. Drove it today and the weights on the inside of the rim were brushing against the something or another and slowly/fastly scraping layers of lead off the weights with a lovely grinding sound. Went by the tire place and they promised to fix it with tape weights. For free.
Tomorrow I'm gonna design and build a pedal board for my guitar effects stomp boxes.
Fuck, I almost forgot. Bush sucks.
On the tire front, I got mine fixed for free. Put it on after I got home last night. Drove it today and the weights on the inside of the rim were brushing against the something or another and slowly/fastly scraping layers of lead off the weights with a lovely grinding sound. Went by the tire place and they promised to fix it with tape weights. For free.
Tomorrow I'm gonna design and build a pedal board for my guitar effects stomp boxes.
Fuck, I almost forgot. Bush sucks.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
How 'bout a free email button, banner thingy?
If you've been waiting for one of those link banner things personalized with your email addy on it for your website so people can see can, uhm... see your email addy, wait no more!
The E-Mail Icon Generator can make a banner for just about any web email service in a matter of moments.
The only thing that bothers me is the name of the site. NeoHacks just doesn't sound trustworthy.
The E-Mail Icon Generator can make a banner for just about any web email service in a matter of moments.
The only thing that bothers me is the name of the site. NeoHacks just doesn't sound trustworthy.
Swell, just swell.
Today Mary took the xB to work so I got to drive our '87 Landcruiser. The "Vistacruiser" is a great vehicle that can go anywhere, but it drives like a tank and gets about the same mileage.
I forgot to check the gas gauge until I got to work and almost choked on my coffee when I saw I was down to E.
I hate it when I get the empty car. (insert pissed emoticon here)
So after work I left for the petrol station (I really don't say "petrol", I just feel very pretentious at the moment). Steering felt a bit sluggish but I thought that it was due to me driving the zippy xB and blew it off. Filled her up and hit the highway.
Steering was waaaay sluggish and pulled to the left so I pulled of in to a parking lot to check WTF.
The driver's front tire was deflated but not flat, and I couldn't hear leak. But I saw a big fucking screw sticking out. I hate screws in my tire. They suck.
By the time I got home and the tire off, the tire shop was closed. And my spare was flat after 5 years of neglect. Go figure.
So I get to ride my tire around and get it fixed tomorrow. YAY ME!
I forgot to check the gas gauge until I got to work and almost choked on my coffee when I saw I was down to E.
I hate it when I get the empty car. (insert pissed emoticon here)
So after work I left for the petrol station (I really don't say "petrol", I just feel very pretentious at the moment). Steering felt a bit sluggish but I thought that it was due to me driving the zippy xB and blew it off. Filled her up and hit the highway.
Steering was waaaay sluggish and pulled to the left so I pulled of in to a parking lot to check WTF.
The driver's front tire was deflated but not flat, and I couldn't hear leak. But I saw a big fucking screw sticking out. I hate screws in my tire. They suck.
By the time I got home and the tire off, the tire shop was closed. And my spare was flat after 5 years of neglect. Go figure.
So I get to ride my tire around and get it fixed tomorrow. YAY ME!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
So this is ecto?
I'm trying out yet another blogger client called ecto.
ecto seems just as feature filled as the others I've tried. In fact, all of the 3rd party blog apps I've tried seem the same.
So why am I even bothering trying ecto?
Because I'm a tinkerer.
ecto seems just as feature filled as the others I've tried. In fact, all of the 3rd party blog apps I've tried seem the same.
So why am I even bothering trying ecto?
Because I'm a tinkerer.
The Rat is here!
In my never ending quest for "tone" I've been hunting for a clean or treble boost for my guitar rig. The reasoning was that I wanted to boost my gain going in to my amp without adding distortion, just to push the amp a little harder to get it to break up in a sweet way.
Well, this guy at work is a great guitar player and a gear head. I've been chatting him up for a month now about the boutique (expensive handmade) effect pedals that I'd been looking at. He's just been nodding his head taking it all in.
But today he brought in a vintage Rat distortion pedal from about 1982 for me to try out.
If you've listened to rock music from 1980 on you've heard this box.
The catch is that if I like it, I have to keep it. For free. I was all "gaah", but he said it was cool because he has two.
These things usually end up going for about $100 on ebay if they're in good condition so if it sounds good in my setup it'll be good score!
Then I'll have to buy him like a thousand lunches or something.
Well, this guy at work is a great guitar player and a gear head. I've been chatting him up for a month now about the boutique (expensive handmade) effect pedals that I'd been looking at. He's just been nodding his head taking it all in.
But today he brought in a vintage Rat distortion pedal from about 1982 for me to try out.
If you've listened to rock music from 1980 on you've heard this box.
The catch is that if I like it, I have to keep it. For free. I was all "gaah", but he said it was cool because he has two.
These things usually end up going for about $100 on ebay if they're in good condition so if it sounds good in my setup it'll be good score!
Then I'll have to buy him like a thousand lunches or something.
Monday, January 03, 2005
M3!
I haven't pimped out this site yet and I don't know why.
MacMovieMaker.Com is a great site dedicated to... uhm... Mac movie making. Founded by the cool soul known as CaptKevMan it is run by some of the most helpful group of people out there.
If you get a chance drop on by.
MacMovieMaker.Com is a great site dedicated to... uhm... Mac movie making. Founded by the cool soul known as CaptKevMan it is run by some of the most helpful group of people out there.
If you get a chance drop on by.
Tsunami victim ID help
A company in Minnesota is helping with the ID process of victims of the tsunami.
KARE11 TV in Minneapolis did a story on LDS, a company that makes flight boarding software for airlines. The software is being used to store a picture and fingerprint of a victim on a 2D barcode which can be viewed later after the victims are buried.
The guy in the story is my father-in-law.
I just wish the software didn't have to be used this way.
KARE11 TV in Minneapolis did a story on LDS, a company that makes flight boarding software for airlines. The software is being used to store a picture and fingerprint of a victim on a 2D barcode which can be viewed later after the victims are buried.
The guy in the story is my father-in-law.
I just wish the software didn't have to be used this way.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
iPod my what?
These guys take your photo and give it that iPod Advert treatment and you pay good money for it.
I haven't decided yet if this is cool or not. I'm leaning toward not cuz of the price.
I haven't decided yet if this is cool or not. I'm leaning toward not cuz of the price.
BTW...
If you know how to change that orange bar up there :points to top of page: to the color blue, please let me know.
You will be a god amongst men to me.
You will be a god amongst men to me.
Want a free iPod? Get in line.
We all like free stuff so here you go.
iPod Contests keeps track of all the "Win an iPod" contests out there so you don't have too!
WOW!
Now I'll have more time to surf teh web!
iPod Contests keeps track of all the "Win an iPod" contests out there so you don't have too!
WOW!
Now I'll have more time to surf teh web!
Saturday, January 01, 2005
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