What Can Brown Do For You?

Many people know that I don't watch American Idol. I believe the reason for that is that I'm not really a fan of current pop music. There is something missing there. I tend to look back and think of the first search for musical talent instead... Star Search. As you can see in the picture, there's Ed McMahon. Sure, I don't think he knew much about music at the time (they did branch off into comedy, dancing and comedy with much success) but there sure were some amazing people that used that show as a stepping stone.

The show was a fixture in our household growing up and, for some reason, the winners seemed to be pretty obvious for awhile. It was almost like a Survivor talent show when there were people of equal talent. Sure, everyone knows about Britney Spears appearing on the show. Even Sinbad, Sam Harris, Dennis Miller, Drew Carey, Rosie O'Donnell, Alanis Morissette, Martin Lawrence, Justin Timberlake, Ray Romano, LeAnn Rimes and Christina Aguilera made decent careers for themselves after appearing on the show that ran from 1983 to 1995. But then, there was this 5-piece country band that was embraced by the studio and television audience that won the $100,000 grand prize on the show and got signed to a recording contract right afterwards named... Sawyer Brown.

Friday night was my first time seeing Sawyer Brown since I first watched them on Star Search. The band have been together now for more than 23 years, performed over 3500 shows and have collected many gold and platinum albums. I actually don't have any of their CDs (this will be remedied.) The show was phenomenal. Unexpected witty banter between the band members, great cover songs and a tight sound seem to be a staple of their shows from most of the crowd reaction. The energy of lead vocalist Mark Miller is astounding. Sure, he dances funny but after awhile you get past that. Keyboardist Gregg 'Hobie' Hubbard stands out though. He has an amazing ear for vocal harmony and plays the hell out of that Yamaha he has on stage. His vocal on their cover of Joe Walsh's "Life Is Good" had me floored. This isn't to say that the rest of the band were slouches. I'm just amazed that I might never have seen them if it weren't for the kindness of Dan and Robin offering the tickets. I'm very thankful. Now I need to find a good greatest hits collection for them. I'll work on that later. Gotta get ready for a Halloween party and maybe sneak a nap in.

Iconized

My website needs graphical help. So much so that I got ahold of that television series in Canada (Call For Help... I think I mentioned the show before.) I was able to get a copy of the episode online from when it aired in Canada and Australia before it airs here in the U.S. (kinda funny because it actually shows a photo of me.) Anyhow, one thing that they came up with was personalizing it with a mascot... me. So, what Amber there devised was a company called IconizeMe which makes caricatures from photos you provide them. I've looked at the samples (click that link and look to the right at what Jose' does) and found the artist and style that I want. Now I just need to sent the right photo. I really hate photos but I have a few that I took a bit ago that just need to be scanned and sent with my $50 payment and I'm on my way.

I've also been considering my idea of having crazed art pieces that I come up with adorn my walls. Many include using body parts and other things and well, someone might figure what they are out and that wouldn't be PG. I'm now thinking of having a blown up version of the caricature created for me put on canvas but then again... that could either be vain or self-deprecating.

Shortcuts Through The Maze

I know that you've been there. You got the wrong product, wanted to call about product availability, needed to know about your account, wished to make a payment... one way or another, we've all had to go through a silly menu to try to get somewhere. Depending on how that electronic phone menu is structured... you may be there awhile trying out different options. Heck, most often we are so distracted that by the time they mention what pressing 7 will do for you, you have forgotten what 1, 2, and 4 are.

As a business it only makes sense. If you can cut down on simple phone calls that can be answered with a quick message and hire less people, it's better to have a menu system. But, if it is something more pressing, having a person on the other end may ease your mind quickly. It used to be pretty easy to foil the system and just press zero but they seem to have caught on to that. That's why it may be handy for you to keep your Find-A-Human cheat sheet available for some of those calls. Here you can speed up the process (until they learn people know about the shortcut) and get difficult answers quicker instead of meandering through a maze of words in hopes of finding what you need.

Just Another Hair-brained MLM Scheme

The service industry is tough. Turning on a smile, dealing with upset customers, answering customer questions... keeping people happy is difficult. I actually enjoy meeting new people and believe that I learn something every day from the ones that I work for and around. But, sometimes the customer doesn't want to be a customer. That's right, you are being solicited.

When was the last time you went to a convenience store and told the clerk that their life is heading in the wrong direction? This seems to be happening more and more in what some call 'viral marketing.' Sure, there are companies out there that actively pursue employees as if they were a sale. I'd mention some names but I'd like to cut the lawsuits down to a minimum.

The last few days at work have been solicitation hell. I can't actually count on my fingers and toes how many times I've dealt with this. This one unnamed company is in our building holding sales conferences (I worry that what they are doing is trying to meet people on the street and ask catch them off guard.) As an employee serving a customer, you are pretty much trapped in conversation with them. The conversation usually makes a turn at "So, how long have you been working here." A simple and easy question but you know the follow-up of "How do you like it?" is just awaiting whatever response you have. Now you are trapped. No one likes to work. Everyone wants to be paid more. Everyone would love to have better days off (like football Sundays.) Any way you answer the question you will be given a card, asked for a card, be told about how you can make money in your spare time (I have spare time? Really? Someone drug test this person!) or how something can change your life. I'm devising a plan for the next couple days to combat the scenario without endangering the job but I wonder how often you've felt cornered in the same way?

It's Raining Again

For a lot of local Las Vegans, today and last night we had weather that many moved here to avoid. Yes, the dreaded thing called rainfall. Somewhere in this city, there are a bunch of pots and pans under leaks in the roof. There are people getting in car accidents because they can't drive. There are roads closed due to flooding (we don't actually have the best drainage.) There are people that can't work (outdoor jobs.) But, we are second to Arizona in getting the least rainfall so I find it hard to complain and I actually like it.

I don't know specifically why but there may be several reasons for it. My father teaches tennis. Having rainy days meant that he wouldn't be at work and we'd have him to ourselves. That could be a good one. It could be that amazing smell that comes before the rain here in Vegas. I've heard people talk about the smell after the rain but by that time the smell I notice is gone. I also like seeing empty streets in the middle of the day. It's a break from the hustle and bustle. Maybe it's even the feeling that the rain is washing away the impurities that have built up and is starting our town with a clean slate. What am I saying, it's Sin City. Heck, I've even thought of it as the Lord either urinating, spitting or crying at different times in my life, too.

Sometime after I graduated high school, I found an album that I've mentioned before called The Size Of Food by The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience. After becoming transfixed and sucked into their sound, I went looking for more. All I could find was an old vinyl album of theirs called Love Songs. That's where I found my favorite song, "I Like Rain," and for a few weeks I'll leave it up here (it's going to kill my website's bandwidth otherwise.) It takes repeated listenings but there is something about the cheesy keyboards, simple guitar picking, rollercoaster of melody and innocence... maybe even the falling notes. I also notice that some of my favorite songs are about rain: Jars Of Clay's "Flood," Supertramp's "It's Raining Again," the Eurythmics' "Here Comes The Rain Again," Depeche Mode's "Sun And The Rainfall," Cracker's "Another Song About The Rain," Eddie Rabbitt's "I Love A Rainy Night," New Edition's "Can You Stand The Rain?," The Everly Brother's "Crying In the Rain," The Cult's "Rain," The Jesus And Mary Chain's "Happy When It Rains"... let's just say there are a whole lot of them.

Thought Of The Day - 101705

The one song that is not expected to be played on New Orleans radio when it returns to the air: Katrina And The Waves' "Walking On Sunshine."

So Much To Do With No Obvious Order

It seems like everything is going on at the same time right now. As I've mentioned previously, my Isuzu Rodeo was in an accident. The insurance company has decided it is a total loss. Meaning that I will receive around $3,000 minus the $500 deductible. The way the company works is that when they give you their offer, my car rental coverage stops. So, I have been thinking about what type of automobile to move to. It'll have to be cheap (within the money returned to me) because financing something right now will kill my home equity line of credit (HELOC) loan process. So, I've decided the next vehicle will be a 2-year deal. Essentially, I'm going to buy what I can, use the time to save on gas (that Rodeo had a drinking problem) and buy a newer vehicle 24 months later. I just need to find one by Tuesday. No sweat, right? So that is on my mind.

The loan process is important as I have a chance to start a new vocation in the next few weeks. If it doesn't happen then, it'll be about 18 months down the road and that 2-year car will become a 4-year deal. Once set in motion and secured, I'll be able to use my equity to help me make it through the tough couple years of internship. But, it also means leaving a job I've been at for almost 12 years (which is tough because I have a lot of good friends there.)

Then there is Nana. Her surgery on the tumor went alright. The only problem was when they went in and discovered cancer on her bladder. In some ways I'd think they'd just go in and take that then but to not lessen her chance of recovery, they stopped there -- she is 85. Mom said the thin and spirited little woman looks has been weakened dramatically but is fighting through it. I guess, cancer really starts spreading once it's being removed and she'll need all the strength she can by then. She's forefront of my addled mind. Having the transportation and the money to spend more time with her would be wonderful and are a few of the reasons why I'm making the changes but I need to also keep my thoughts and prayers (yes, be scared, I'm saying a few prayers for Nana) on her right now. I just think that if the Lord wanted to take a saint, he would have grabbed her long ago. So, I figure there are still things here for her to do.

When Rumors Become Reality

It was the during the ESPY awards that I heard the wildest rumor. I don't know if you can call it a rumor if it came from the person that it was about. Anyhow, it was during a very bad year for the San Francisco 49ers. The only thing that legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice had to look forward to in February of 2000... a nomination as Male Athlete of the Decade. Rice had begun contract talks with the team after his first healthy season since he was a rookie that he had less than 1000 yards (830.) Talks about him going to other teams were circulating but easily dismissed.

Anyhow, a friend of mine named John that worked with me was able to assist Mr. Rice as he departed the premises. As they were walking, he asked him, "Any chance you might go play across the bay?" The future Hall Of Fame wide receiver stopped walking for a moment, turned and looked at him enthusiastically and replied, "You know... I'd love to catch balls with Tim Brown!" It was quick and positive, leaving John with the giddy feeling that next year, Jerry Rice would be an Oakland Raider. But, that didn't happen. Rice would have less receiving yards in 2000 with the team as teammate Terrell Owens would jump from 754 yards to 1451 yards and become the 'go-to-guy.'

Rice did wind up going to Oakland the next year after many believed he had 'lost a step' which upset many 49er fans that wanted him to retire with the team then. I was pretty astonished to think that maybe there was a little something in what he said to John that day about playing across the bay. Did something he said to Jerry create an intrigue into the idea? His career rebounded the next two seasons with 1139 yards and 1211 yards as he played along-side the player ranked right behind him in all-time receiving yards. Although he has retired, I still remember looking at John that day like he was on crack when he gave me what I expected was just another bad rumor.

A Night Of Keyboards

It was a great show on Saturday. Heck, both acts played with the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra (Ok, I know you are thrilled.) I didn't know how much longer it would go on but I was enjoying it and I do recall that I called in sick the next day because sleeping from 2 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. isn't really an option (I work early.)

First on was Alan Parsons Live Project. I had seen them live years ago and think that this was a better show. I went with Kerry, Dan, Robin and bumped into renown Las Vegas photo-journalist J. K. Hennessy (who provided the photo.) Parsons performed a few tracks from their latest album A Valid Path which is a lot heavier on the keyboards and at times very trance-like. Also notable is that each member of his band provide vocals. All but the backup keyboardist sang lead on songs during the performance. I'm still shocked at how well Parsons himself sounded on "Don't Answer Me." I wound up purchasing their live DVD and the previously-mentioned album after the show.

No, that's not Tony Bennett in the photo (we'll talk about him another time) this is Dennis DeYoung. He opened with his solo hit "Desert Moon" and then was very animated as he pointed and yelled at a few roadies (off microphone of course.) Come to find out that the roadies set up Alan Parsons' keyboard up where Dennis' was supposed to be. Since it was pre-loaded with songs for "Eye In The Sky" and all, it wouldn't work out. DeYoung admitted to being a little out-of-sorts not sitting behind his keyboard and this was noticeable as he played his piano on a few songs (possibly to replace the keyboard sound) but the volume wasn't there. His stage charisma was definitely boosted by his great sense of humor as he seemed to forget the keyboard mess after a few songs. It was an amazing performance as the hits he wrote for Styx were mixed with classical music interludes that fit the songs well. I'd tell you which classical pieces but I'm a mediocre 80's music authority not early classical. Overall, it was well worth the issues I'll have at work for calling-in.

Never Let Me Down?

There have been a few bands that have really influenced my musical appreciation over the years. Duran Duran would be a big one but when it comes to songwriting I've always cited Depeche Mode above all. So as you can expect, I sit eagerly awaiting every album and b-side of theirs. My favorite Depeche Mode song? That's a toss up between "But Not Tonight" and "Sea Of Sin." So for their 12th studio album, the band have made a subtle but important change.

When the band released their 1981 debut album, Speak And Spell, their sole songwriter was a man named Vince Clarke. He had been instrumental in convincing the band to perform entirely with keyboards. The album was very successful but Clarke decided to move on (forming Yazoo/Yaz and Erasure.) Bandmate Martin L. Gore successfully took over the songwriting on the following albums with only one or two compositions by Clarke's replacement on keyboards Alan Wilder. In 1989, Gore would release, Counterfeit, (a solo album of cover songs) and a Counterfeit2 in 2003. Somewhere along the way, vocalist Dave Gahan decided to try his hand more at writing. He had presented songs to the band before and been balked. In 2003, Gahan released a solo album, Paper Monsters, to modest reviews. He then reported that if he were to work on a follow-up to Depeche Mode's 2001 album, Exciter, he would have to be allowed to write some of the songs.

Fast-forward to 2005, I've picked up an early release of their new album Playing The Angel. Gahan has written 3 songs for the album ("I Want It All," "Suffer Well" and "Nothing Is Impossible") and Gore has gone through a recent divorce leading to a lyrically dark album. I'm impressed by the first single, "Precious," but can't find another song that jumps out at me. There seems to be more noise than actual hook in most of the songs. I can actually say that if I had to list my favorite albums by the band this would be right at the bottom. I remain hopeful that this disc will grow on me before the Oct. 18th release date but right now I'm suddenly finding their songwriting is letting me down.

My Share, Their Share, Their Math, My Butt

Nevada cities North Las Vegas and Henderson have been ranked #2 and #3 in the Top 5 fastest growing of the 1990s by the Census Bureau. The 2000 census report rated the Las Vegas metropolitan area as the #1 fastest growing area (83.3% to 1,563,282.) Between 2000 and 2002, Las Vegas gained 6%, North Las Vegas gained 17.7% and Henderson jumped 17.3%. From July 1, 2003 to July 1, 2004, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked North Las Vegas as the #3 fastest growing city. Growth can be good and then it can bad as we are all facing pains in transportation but it seems that the police have been feeling the effects as well. Or have they?

By a narrow margin in 2004, the voters approved an initiative to raise the sales tax to 7.75% in order to hire and equip more police officers with another possible .25% increase possible in 2009. The initiative was later approved by state, county officials and signed into law by Governor Kenny Guinn earlier this year. This month, the new sales tax went into effect which raises the annual cost of living but for a good cause.

The Las Vegas area had 852,732 residents in 1990, nearly 1.6 million in 2000 and our current estimate is 1.8 million. My problem with this raise in tax is that the funds for the police already come from our state sales tax. This value climbs as our population does as more spending occurs exponentially with growth. If I was one of the 1 million people that moved to Las Vegas in the last 15 years, I probably went shopping to fill my home and taxes on those items filled state coffers. Yet, I have difficulty understanding how a .25% increase helps with growth when sales do that. I also find it intriguing that after this new tax went into place, a new contract proposal from Sheriff Bill Young to the police union assures most officers a 10% annual raise. Which instead of being used to hire new officers will deplete that tax increase faster than Courtney Love goes through needles.

Well, I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle... Again

Taking a photo of a photo in a frame is a pain in the tush. Glass glares and the focus is thrown off by the reflection but I wanted this picture in here without having to scan it. Pictured here are my sister and her husband with the twins (Olivia and Connor but I'm sure you've heard me talk about them before... there's even a photo or two up here.) After trying for years to get pregnant, Michelle and Cory did the whole medical route. After a lot of money and attempts, Olivia and Connor were born. They impress me every time I see them.

Recently, Cory has been to the doctor several times over an inner-ear issue that could affect his job if not treated. He is expected to have another surgery next month. With all the flu cases going around, Michelle has been under the weather... at least that's what we thought. It seems that I'm again going to be an uncle. It's rather unexpected for their family but both Connor and Olivia have mentioned wanting a baby. After all the issues that they've been working through, it's good to see something good happen naturally. So now, I'm looking at the picture and thinking of a third child (then again maybe two) in the middle somewhere.

The bad news is that my mother (who's birthday is tomorrow) is visiting Grandma Hennessy in the hospital in Sacramento. After the car accident, it seemed everything was going to be alright. A few nights later she awoke to blood on her sheets. She has a tumor on one of her kidneys. Surgery is expected to take place shortly. Mom has always had a very close bond with Nana (one that most would like to see in mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships) and I can see why she went there as soon as she could. We have our prayers with her as well as fingers crossed.

Knit One, Pearl Two

It has been a great football weekend. This has got me thinking about football rivalries. Some people are just a bit more passionate about certain things and you can see that in the stands at some of these games. There are people that you just don't want to tell that you are a fan of a certain team because all you will hear from them in the future is about your team. Most of us actually like to have bigger conversations that "your defensive line couldn't fight it's way out of a paper bag" or "they have decided that your next pre-season will include a game with Bonanza High School, hope you don't lose that one" which are fighting words for any passionate fan. So, something about all this (which I see a lot at work) seemed familiar.

Politics. Partisan politics can bring out fighting words from anyone that is passionate about their views. Name-calling is nothing new but when you see one friend assaulting another over the 'war on terror' it's pretty bad. You hear the snide remarks in the news and can tell who not to talk about your political views with.

What I notice in common there are the fact that most often, these views are passed on from family. There are times when it will deviate on with both fandom and political leanings but most often these are learned practices. Dad is a fan of the Bills, Billy sits down and watches Daddy watching the Bills and is happy the Bills win because it makes Dad happy. The same thing often applies in families when a child hears that (insert party) is corrupt, evil or brain-dead. Impressions start young on both issues but it is interesting to see those that are obsessed with both football and politics... that's when you discuss knitting.

Maybe, It's Better To Sing In The Car

Feel free to officially call or visit Green Day's Billy Joe Armstrong today and wake him up.

Today at the big green building we had many celebrities that are performing a benefit concert (Celine Dion, Usher, Mary J. Blige, the Eagles and Duran Duran.) I personally hold Duran Duran's first album (which is very underrated) responsible for my music development. So, I had one of their songs in my head and spent some time singing one of the album tracks, "Night Boat." Anyhow, I turned a corner heading back to the office and was still singing as I passed John Taylor. Eye contact was made but we kept walking by each other. A very weird moment, indeed.

I was given tickets to see the show a little bit later on today but I had plans to go to a wedding with my father and work 5 am to 1 pm tomorrow (so I'll be sleeping.) Gave the tickets to my little brother Michael who is in town from L.A. I then got home and thought about what I'd have to wear to the wedding. Sports coat is M.I.A. and really lacking clothes that would work well in a formal environment. So, I called Dad and let him know that I'm not going to the wedding. Heck, by the time I drove back, I really wouldn't have much time to sleep so it's probably better off this way. September really has ended.

Thought Of The Day - 093005

I really loved Anne Rice's book The Vampire Lestat and read it before The Vampire Chronicles (rare for me because I'm very anal about reading or watching things in order.) Yet, I've developed a big fear of Elton John and Bernie Taupin's new musical Lestat. For some reason, I've got this idea that they will spend 13 minutes in the middle of the show on a number called "I Want To Suck You Dry." I'll have to wait for the reviews.

Say My Name

You've had it happen to you before. You are checking out at the grocery store counter and the clerk looks at your store savings card or credit card and says, "Thank you for shopping with us Mr. Hennessy." Well, probably not the same last name but businesses have taken more notice of customer service. As competitive as things get in the world, you can only do so many things to bring a customer back. One of those is to offer them the cheapest price on the planet which will leave you to make barely enough to pay your employees. The second way is to give the aura of personalized service where everyone feels like Norm walking into the Cheers bar.

This doesn't always work though. My unnamable position at the big green building requires us to go overboard. We are required to say their name twice in conversation with them by penalty of supervised training courses. This can also make you feel a little more uncomfortable when someone keeps saying your name yet you don't know theirs and have never met them before. Sure, we are also supposed to sell them on every product in the building and show certain obvious features. What makes the situation silly and a customer service nightmare is when you are given the wrong name to address the person. Either it is a misspelling from an earlier transaction, someone else made their arrangements under a different name at the big green building or they aren't supposed to be there. But, if you spent a week somewhere and were called the wrong name at least 6 to 8 times a day, you would feel the incompetence level of the business is extremely high after correcting each person. Furthermore, you'd be pretty frustrated and want as little contact as possible.

Our parents work so hard to give us good names (then again, some don't) to enter our lives with. Many times we'll be asked our names as a form of introduction. Yet, a line should be drawn when they become thrown about haphazardly, misspoken or trivialized by people who are there to serve your needs.

MegaVote

Sometimes, I ask myself if I'm getting all the information that I possibly can. Is what I get slanted, biased or unfounded? That's one reason why I tend to read and watch a little from every side so I can make up my own mind. But, sometimes some things don't get reported. How do you how your senator or representative voted on particular issues or if they even bothered to vote?

That's why I signed up back some time ago at Government Guide. Every so often you are sent an e-mail telling you how the people representing you in your state are voting. There is something reassuring knowing that I get an untainted view of who voted for what (a simple Yes or No vote.) The only thing that is missing is a list of the riders on some of those bills being passed or declined. Also handy is the product and car recalls list in the Citizen Toolbox.

Just A Bill

I grew up on cartoons and yes, many may note that I haven't given up on them entirely (the Smurfs killed everything good about Saturday mornings in the U.S.) One staple of the weekend flurry of morning entertainment was School House Rock (great DVD collection, btw.) This was the perfect vehicle to teach children as you entertain them with catchy songs.

As you know, my mind wanders and sometimes finds some odd items in the nooks and crannys of my brain. Today, for some reason, I couldn't get one thought out of my mind... 'What kind of bill was he?' In the song "I'm Just A Bill", we find out that Bill is waiting in line with lots of other bills to get passed in either the House or Senate with hopes to be a law. For some reason, I just want to know what kind of bill he was.

The episode was first aired in 1975. Could it have been the amendment to federal voting rights laws adding protection from voting discrimination for language minority citizens? Could it have been the Age Discrimination Act? Maybe the Education For All Handicapped Children Act, the Metric Conversion Act, the Firearms Control Regulations Act, the Pension Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Buying Services Act, the Energy Policy And Conservation Act, the Tax Reduction Act, the Financial Institutions Act or even the International Development And Food Assistance Act could all have been possibilities. There are many more that I can list... but I'm starting to think that it was a very long year in line for some of those bills.

Legalize It

When it comes to political leanings, I've defined myself as a free-thinking laissez faire capitalist. What does that all mean? It pretty much puts me inbetween parties and closest to being a Libertarian (although, I find myself less happy with their methodology.) I believe that trade is important. I value each individual state over the federal government. (We are a united 50 states but it doesn't mean we can't have different values and beliefs.) I think that government interference with trade creates a bigger federal government. With all that, I also believe in legalizing marijuana.

It might sound like this is the time for me to tell you that I grow plants, smoke up at concerts or sell the stuff. Nothing could be further from the truth. I admit that I have tried pot twice. The first time gave me a case of the giggles and a case of the munchies (which ended with me finishing 3 large Little Caesar's pizzas and curling up hoping my body would process it before I exploded.) The last time did absolutely nothing. Will I try it again, I doubt it. But I do wonder why pizza chains haven't been trying to push for legalization... I mean, they'd do huge business.

My reasons for wanting legalization are many. The 18th Amendment was a failure and America supposedly learned a valuable simple lesson from 1919 to 1933, a supply will be created if a demand is there. Simple economics really. By creating a black market for the goods, more money was diverted for other illegal uses while the government spent money on cracking down on these operations. I see the War on Drugs in the same light. This war started with the Harrison Act which only had to deal with registering people to sell, produce, import and distribute opium and cocoa leaves and their derivatives. These items were sneakily made illegal when they then decided not to register anyone. The Marijuana Tax Act would follow in the same footsteps in 1937 (only 4 years after Prohibition ended.) Anyhow, essentially one prohibition ended and another began and continues to this day. States have been trying to address these federal acts. Since 1995, 20% of the states have passed Medical Marijuana initiatives (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.) Between 1978 and 1997, 70% of the states have passed legislation recognizing the medicinal value of marijuana.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't want all drugs legalized. I just believe that it's hypocritical of us to keep punishing people for recreational use of something that they enjoy and has less serious effects on the body than the very legal alcohol. I personally would rather see tax revenue made from this item than spent on sustaining the status quo. (I'm not even going to go into money saved from enforcement.) But, I'd like to hear your thoughts.

In Cars

I was born in Sacramento as was my sister. My badge at work used to say Sacramento for hometown but, after being told "I live right off of (insert street) and (insert intersecting street)" and nodding knowingly many times, I switched it to Las Vegas. My father grew up in the area and we still have a lot of family there. I actually enjoy every trip there that we've been able to manage as a family.

My grandmother Lillian who lives there is absolutely the sweetest and most sincere person that I've ever met. I've yet to hear a foul word out of her mouth and even her exclamations of joy or shock are peppered with the words "oh, dear" and "isn't that nice." She's a small and dainty woman of Swedish heritage. She lives with my uncle Bill in the home that she and my grandfather had raised their children. She's also very active and even plays bridge with her friends.

A few days ago, a car carrying these 4 octogenarians was hit by another car after returning from a bridge game. Two of them remain in critical condition. Grandma only suffered a broken rib and quite a few bruises but you can tell talking to her just how much pain she is in. This has shaken me some as all I can think about is how I currently dislike cars and how important a role she plays in my belief that there are kind and gentle people out there. Get better, Nana.

Don't Adjust The Horizontal

Is it me or do horizontal lines make everything look that much bigger? That oriental lamp there looks enormous! Thank you to Yahoo! for having that ad in my face for the last month.

Part of the reason for that effect is that horizontal lines draw your eyes from left to right tricking you into seeing more girth than there is. Supposedly, this happens with clothing also but I can't find a photo example.

On the opposite end, vertical stripes are supposed to be slimming because it draws your eyes up and down so they don't focus on the sides. One unproven theory says that lack of focus, eye problems and slow reaction go hand-in-hand with vertical stripes but the only evidence leaning that way shows up in sporting events (like last nights penalty against Randy Moss or the 1998 Steeler's coin-toss against the Lions.)

So, I've decided to take this moment to ask people to refrain from wearing vertical stripes from now on as it is better to look fat than stupid. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

Four Decades Of Slurpee

Who would have thought that fall of this year would mark the 40th anniversary of when 7-11 first purchase 3 of John E. Mitchell's frozen drink machines. (The original idea came from an Omar Knedlik who started serving ice-cold bottled drinks when his soft drink dispenser broke down.) By 1967, there was a Slurpee machine in ever 7-11 and the two became synonymous. In 1972, collectors cups for the drink were introduced. There have been over 200 different flavors of the Slurpee, more than 13 million of the drinks are consumed every year (over 6 billion sold since 1965) in the last 40 years.

Sure, contenders would come and go. I used to live near a Stop-N-Go during the late 70's which would have what was called a Chilly Willy (had more liquid than a Slurpee.) There was even the Icee and the Slushee. But the competition has never really met the challenge.

What I find most interesting is that there is a difference between the U.S. and the Canadian Slurpee. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (with a population of under 700,000) consumes the most Slurpees worldwide. The Canadian mixture has less air bubbles which makes it more dense.

Dirty Laundry

Growing up, life was pretty simple. Sure, after so long, I learned how to do my own laundry. Washing the bed sheets, matching the socks and turning the t-shirts inside out to keep the print from fading. I even actually have good childhood memories of weekends hanging out at the laundromat in the apartment complex we lived in with my mother. Weird little notes adorned the billboard there about things being sold, babysitters wanted, etc. But, washing things was simple then and have been until now.

I've been in my house a little over 2 years now and can tell you where the two nearest dry cleaners are. I also can't tell you where the nearest laundromat is. Why would I want to find one if I have a washer and dryer at home? Good question. I have a king-size bed. The sheets fit in the washer alright but the comforter doesn't. It also cost me over $20 to dry clean one the last time and that's as much as most DVDs so it ain't happening like that again. I did a search on Yahoo and actually found a laundromat nearby but they don't answer the phone and honestly... they could have been out of business a long time knowing how some sites are updated. I might have to start looking through the yellow pages and hope. Right now, it's looking like a bathtub full of Woolite and a laundry line or... dry cleaning. Maybe I ought to put plastic over my bed spread for the time being. Things really were simpler when I was younger.

Shouldn't Have Left Work Early

Today was one of those days that you'd like to take back. You've been there before, I know. I found myself during a slow period at work and figured that I could leave 2 hours early, talk to my bank about a home equity line of credit, run some errands, clean off my DVD shelf and maybe get a nap in before Rock Star: INXS starts. This didn't work out as planned.

The bank tells me that they've been trying to get ahold of me for 2 days since I submitted my application. I don't see a blinking light on my answering machine and they said they left a message... oh well. I told them that I'd like to think about things because they might have to charge me $150 for an appraisal on the property and I'd rather have the money in my pocket right now. I then start heading home. I exit off the freeway because of traffic.

It was a slow light in the fast lane heading west and people were jockeying for position before the light turned green... that's when I hit the white Escalade in front of me. Sure, I was only going 4-5 mph but this didn't help my day. We pull into a nearby 7/11 and I finally decide to get something to eat (skipped lunch to run errands) -- deciding on the dreaded chili cheese spicy hotdog. The damage to his car was very minimal and both of us were unharmed. (See rather dark photo) my left headlight (to your right) and bumper paid dearly. So, that $150 that I was so worried about... I am going to pay $350 more in deductible to fix the Rodeo (and if you know much of the early blog history of the Rodeo and accidents... be afraid.)

I called the insurance, have my ticket here for the accident and the car is able to be driven but has sharp turn issues. So, now all I have to ask myself is, "Why the hell didn't I stay at work?!" Such is life, I guess.

What Are Words For?

I read a lot of online content. It's hard to get me to finish a book (let alone start one) to which many of my friends can attest. Even though I write a newsletter each week, I also read several. Kim Komando writes a great one but the one I've had the longest is A Word A Day, which is great for freaks like me that like big words but don't use them enough. Sure, they might sit in my email box for a week or so sometimes but I'll eventually get to them and fill a few odd moments I find that I have nothing planned. So here is an easy question for you. What word do you overuse most?

Sunday Bloody Kickoff

Today is the first Sunday of the new football season. Since I normally have Monday and Tuesday as my days off, I try to take today off using vacation pay to join several co-workers at a bar called Nikki Lee's to watch the first games. I mean games because the watering hole plays all of the games available on satellite on a combination of plasmas, LCDs and big screen TVs all mounted near the ceiling tilted down towards the attendees. Usually, we grab breakfast there and read the paper before the games start but I was running a bit later than normal (I live farthest away.)

What I've learned so far:

• I shouldn't have broken my betting rules as Oakland cost me my only bet of the season. Not a big loss as statistically they were pretty well matched other than the nearly 150 yards in penalties they gave up.

• We have a contest at work called Last Man Standing. The idea of it is that you pick 1 team to win this week. Next week you pick another team to win without picking a team you have used before. My pick (Denver) cost me and I'm out in the first week. I'm not too worried as many took the Vikings, Saints and others are awaiting scores from the second set of games.

• Tampa Bay found a red zone threat in Alex Smith (no not the San Francisco quarterback). The 6-4 258 rookie tight end out of Stanford caught 4 passes for 23 yards and 2 touchdowns. He'll be interesting to watch this season.

• Pittsburgh 3rd string running back Willie Parker is going to give the team reason to create some cap room as Duce Staley who is hurt for his second year and veteran Jerome Bettis are a bit more expensive and aren't healthy. 161-yards on 22 carries (7.3 yards per carry) and 1 catch for 43 yards... we'll have to see next week as maybe Tennessee can't stop the run. (Parker avoided 6 tackles on one play.)

• The Jets were lucky to score a touchdown. The team fumbled the ball 8 times and threw an interception. As bad as this looks, something smells fishy (no they weren't playing the Dolphins.) QB Chad Pennington fumbled the ball only 5 times last year but 6 times in a game is going for a record. I put a lot of this on center Kevin Mawae as he fumbled the ball once and he had problems getting the ball to Pennington. When Jay Fiedler relieved Pennington... another bad snap sent Fiedler scrambling to get the ball.

• Tim Rattay throws 2 touchdowns in the first half against the Rams. Shocking, I know, but that was only on a total of 8 attempted passes (6 were caught.) 21-9 in the first half. Who would have guessed (oh, and many people have the Rams in our Last Man Standing.) The 49ers rushing in the first half is pretty underwhelming as Kevan Barlow has 4 yards on 6 attempts. That's not good but they are winning at this time.

Have I said that I really like football?

The Offer

I was checking my email this morning and I was shocked to find one from a colleague that will remain nameless. Essentially, I've been offered a new project that would fall under the area of 80's Music Central. I've always had 3 dreams in my life and two of those (recording a single and writing a book) were at different times close to fulfillment. The third dream has a possibility of happening... well, online. I can't describe the scenario as yet because the offer was just given. The biggest snags would be marketing, budgeting and time.

I've never been a person to scream "Look at me, I'm great" but instead try to do good things and hope they get notice and let buzz carry it. A business would be different as selling ads and bringing in new listeners is the lifeblood. I'm also someone who has never written his balance, debits and credits in the back of his checkbook. I figure that if I have to worry about where the money is coming from, I can't afford it. That would be different taking on this venture. Lastly, if I complain about anything it is usually about time. I put pressure on myself to make a lot of deadlines that I will actually avoid showering on Mondays until I'm done with the newsletter (I figure it's added pressure to finish.)

Getting past all that, it is an amazing offer and one that I'll have to really think about. It includes a chance to play music that I really enjoy from a decade that pertains to my own passion, to showcase music that many people haven't heard before (among requested hits) and a chance to expand upon what I've been doing for about 8 years or so. So much to think about.

Brainiac: Science Abuse (For Brainiax)

For those of you that like seeing things blow up, have a fondness for science (remember Mr. Wizard), like to see irreverent experiments and practical jokes or consider extreme cooking... I have a show for you. Recently added to G4TV's lineup, Brainiac is the British television show that challenges a lot of myths that you won't see on Mythbusters. Do athletes perform worse or better after having sex? What is more slippery in the home: baby oil, cooking oil or cod liver oil? If we can't walk on water, could we walk on a pool full of custard? Could eating poppy seed bagels give a false positive report for opiate usage on a drug test? What type of food gives the worst smelling gas? Do pheremones really make you more attractive to the opposite sex? What happens when you put a lightbulb in a microwave? Do corn flakes that are high in iron have enough metal in them to react to a magnet?

Heck, I could keep listing these for awhile but you ought to just watch it. Especially for this one: In 1997, it was asserted in an article in the New England Journal by a German scientist that staring at a woman's breasts for 30 minutes was equivalent to a 30 minute work out... why not test it?

Sure, most of these tests have no placebo or wouldn't be taken seriously unless tested more than once but it is edutainment. Now, if only they had a Brainiac Jr., it might excite kids into caring about science earlier in life and pursuing it as a course of study. Then again Mr. Vavoom could be the new millennium's Mr. Beakman.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

It was about time for me to post about Hurricane Katrina but to tell you the truth... I'm still upset about every single aspect of this ordeal in the Gulf Coast. I actually have friends that I work with that have family down there... or did as half of them have heard from their loved ones.

I have thought about the thousands of people that stayed in their homes to ride the storm out and for a while thought "they had their chance." I've also thought about the unused buses and page 13 paragraph 5 of their disaster aid plans that include using those buses to evacuate those that can't help themselves.

But, what worries me most about all of this is amidst the toxic water around them (that has been causing 1st degree burns during short exposure), shortage of food, lack of elimination facilities and deceased bodies is that there are many people who still do not want to leave. Many stayed there because they believed it was a false alarm and that Katrina would miss the area as many others have. I also do understand that many of these people are receiving government assistance and that what little they have, they cherish. The depression of seeing all you love being destroyed is also overwhelming. Yet, I think there is a point where self-preservation kicks in. When they don't leave to take care of themselves, those giving aid are at a loss because you can't legally take them from their property without due process. You have to feel sorry for these people but at the same time become pissed off that they are stressing the system as the rescuers would be vilified for being inhumane if they don't keep providing them food and water. I just wonder at what point you just use knock-out gas and get them to a shelter?

Morpheus Pondering

Took a nap earlier, am just now about to pass out and figured I better post. I notice some people never understand what I mean when I tell them that I'm going to pass out because they are thinking: 1) I have low blood sugar 2) a cerebral hemorrhage is eminent or 3) I literally will fall on the floor. I guess instead of saying that I'm going to sleep, hitting the sack, off to saw logs, catching some Z's, off to count sheep or off to La La land I've always liked the image of losing all physical mobility and tuning out for several hours. Now, if I did have a problem like narcolepsy then I'd be a little more cautious with my phrasing.

After my accident about 2 1/2 years ago (involving the trunk of a Navigator and the top of my head), I have been stuck with consistent headaches. One of the only ways that I've found to minimize them is to sleep on my back without a pillow. It does make the bed look funky. I even partially put my arms across my chest which makes me think "coffin" and I don't know why that seems reassuring to me. I tried the little neck pillows back some time ago and found out that they are useless. I'm actually very protective of my sleep. If I don't get enough, I can be really grouchy because I know I won't be fully functional or aware of my surroundings. Anyhow, I'm gonna pass out. Sleep well.

Spot Goes For A Ride

"Whew! Good thing I replaced those brakes last week eh, Spot? Spot?"

-- Another of the abundant reasons why I don't own a pet.

Rock Star Search

Ok, you know it had to happen. It is time for me to not hold back anymore and let you know how I feel about INXS' search for a new lead singer.

Since Michael Hutchence's suicide in 1997, INXS' remaining band members have hit the stage with Jimmy Barnes, Sananda Matreiya (formerly Terence Trent D'Arby), Suzi Demarchi (of Baby Animals), Vanessa Amorosi and Jon Stevens. They also wrote several and recorded one new song with Stevens entitled "I Get Up" which was released as a single. But, the chemistry never brought forward a full album and Stevens departed. That was when the search for their new singer began.

From the list of performers they had worked with, you can see that they weren't worried about gender, color or nationality. That was why 15 promising singers were chosen from casting calls in many different cities. So far, each one that has been dismissed has not been a surprise as I've had a mental list going. Deanna lasted longer than I expected, though. They are as of now, down to 5 -- Suzie, Marty, Jordis, Mig and JD. Each have their assets and their pitfalls as many have watched.

Today, Ty Taylor was sent packing. He'll do great as a solo soul singer as he works the stage amazingly well and has a great grasp of pitch. But, his stage presence is that of a performer. (Wasn't too impressed with his pulling the race card in his departure on why he was in the final 3 for 3 different weeks.) Where the other 5 go, who knows. I'm expecting JD's departure shortly although he shows writing talent and sounded great tonight performing "The One Thing," his social skills are lacking as are some notes in his range. As long as he can continue singing INXS songs well, he'll stay put but the competition is fierce. Currently, I'm favoring Suzie after great performances two weeks in a row and a great studio session on the new INXS song, "Us," which was written by the band with Marti Fredrickson (who has worked with Faith Hill, Def Leppard and even Aerosmith.) The only real way to tell who should be the new singer is by making them sing the band's songs. I'm just waiting until there are 3 left and maybe someone will have to sing "Not Enough Time." Not only has this show brought the music of INXS to a new height, helped find a new lead singer but it has undoubtedly created several solo stars.

'Shopthrifting'

Sometimes I like to believe that I'll get things as close to free as I can without walking out of the store with it, getting frisked by security and being banned from the store. I'm sure most of us like to get a good deal. One of my last stops online when hunting for good prices is a neat little Web site named Pricegrabber. Sure, you have tons of sites out there to shop from but it's nice to see one giving a list of the current prices for a particular item like... Piers Anthony's A Spell For Chameleon in paperback. What I like about this is that you can see the varied prices for each place, how much shipping will cost you and an overall cheapest price. I've done this for several DVDs which would have cost me $19.99 + tax and instead paid only $17.99. If I buy 1,000 of those, I'll be ric... no I'll be poor and run out of shelf space. But, saving money is good and not going to jail trying... priceless.

Clean, Clean

As time continues, you will get to understand my contempt for polls. I don't know if it is because of the way questions are phrased, the selection of respondents (location, age, sex, status, wealth, religion... etc.) or underlying bias. Polls are great. They give everyone a blind blanket perception of what is. Anyone remember the last presidential election exit polls? Scary.

Anyhow, Readers Digest recently compiled a list of the 50 cleanest metropolitan areas in the U.S. and Portland, OR ranked #1. Am I depressed that Las Vegas ranked #13? Not really. I'm rather shocked and left to wonder how filthy those 37 other areas are. (BTW... take note Las Vegas Department of Sanitation. You ranked 7. That's bad and probably why something from my trash cans winds up on the street in front of my house twice a week.)

My issues with this listing are mixed. I like the fact that they used actual hard data on water, air, toxics, hazardous waste and sanitation. But, when cities #4 (Columbus, OH), #6 (Denver, CO) and #8 (Austin, TX) have a "NA" placed in their Sanitation column... I question their placing. That's like saying, "They did well in other areas, lets average those scores." Also, why weren't those stats there? Not available... my ass. Very peculiar. Did your city make the list?

Returned Call

From 1991 to 2004, one man attacked computer ignorance with gusto on television and radio. His name was Laporte... Leo Laporte. Many of those years were with the cable/satellite television series Call For Help (some with Screen Savers, Dvorak On Computers, Laporte On Computers, The Personal Computing Show and the Emmy-winning series The Site.) A battle started brewing when Comcast's G4 purchased TechTV and Laporte's appearances were being minimized. People wrote scathing forum posts (and I think I even whined about it) but Call For Help was given it's walking papers last year. To appease some viewers a Toronto-produced version of the show would later only air in Canada. Author and computer programmer Laporte has continued his radio shows which have become highly sought after podcasts.

It has now been announced that Call For Help will return to G4TV starting Monday the Aug. 27th. Leo is joined on the show by new co-hosts Amber MacArthur and Andy Walker (pictured on the far right... Leo is on the left.)

Call For Help has always been the kind of show where you could ask all those "stupid" questions you've been holding for fear of being ridiculed. Wonder why they call a byte a byte and a bit a bit? Wonder why sound and photo quality gets worse as it gets recompressed? No question is too small and they do a great job of slowly teaching you the terminology as they go. Well, at least they did. Now, all I can say is "Welcome back to my Tivo's Season Pass!" and "Thank You" to whoever got that brain transplant at G4.

Salvador And The Magic Email

By now, most of you know that I preach computer safety and think that everyone that owns a computer should be careful with suspicious emails. Yesterday, I stopped in to see my neighbor Salvador and thank him for edging my front yard (he really didn't have to do that.) His wife sent me upstairs to see him. As I got up there, Sal was typing in his credit card information on a "PayPal" account. I asked him, "Setting up a new account? I thought you had one already." He said he did but he got an email saying that the account may have been compromised. He had already logged in with his username and password, given his social security number and was about to give his credit card information. I stopped him just in time.

If you take your mouse and hover over a link in an email, you will see where it is sending you. (That isn't easy to fake unless they took over that company's domain name.) Usually it will say where it is taking you at the bottom of your screen. In Sal's case, it was http://hometown.aol.de/janice2233 and these places can look very authentic. Take a look. This is how genuinely scary spam can be. PayPal works in coordination with your credit card or bank account. If Janice2233 had jumped on Sal's mistake sooner, they could have changed his password and made purchases of nearly $5,000 using one-day delivery service to a generic address. Thankfully, I changed his password immediately and the only thing to worry about is that someone out there has his name, possibly his address and social security number. Protect yourself folks.

Here's The Rub

I was talking with a guy from work yesterday (I'd say friend but I really don't like him) and he mentioned something that happened to him at the supermarket that I had to share with you. I wanted to go there and take photos but I expect it isn't up there anymore.

Anyhow, he goes into the store to do a little shopping and stops by where the butcher is to pick up some pork ribs. He hears a few people laugh behind him and blows it off. As he's walking away, he sees a sign over some seasoning that says "Don't Forget To Rub Your Meat." He laughs a little and looks to the butcher he just bought his ribs from and says, "You really ought to take this sign down." The butcher tells him that he had handwritten the sign himself and that it was perfectly fine. My co-worker explained to the butcher the 'other way' people are interpreting it and he turns bright red and says that he'll take care of it. Damn, I wanted a photo of that sign to put up here.

Baby, Don't You Get My Number

Cell phones. Years ago it was a status symbol for "movers and shakers" (and the bulky things were also affectionately called "bricks".) Now, they are everywhere with special ringtones, carry cases, ear-pieces, levels of internet access and even video playback. In 2000, Cahners In-Stat Group market research firm released a study on the growth of cell phones. They predicted that over half of young people age 10 to 24 would own a cellular phone by 2004. One year past that, it seems that there are more cell phones in homes than computers.

Now, with that in mind, we take you to the Do-Not-Call list. If we could avoid calls from frozen food salespeople, home loan telemarketers or even magazine sales people, we would. Back a few years ago, the idea of a national list of numbers that the federal government could protect from these calls was created. Many states started lists and many discontinued them, giving them to the feds to add to their list. Wonder where your state stands on Do-Not-Call lists? Check here.

Well, those wacky people who used fake lists to get your home phone number to sell off to telemarketers are back. A nice little email has been sent around (I'm sure you may have seen one but if not you will sometime soon) that urges you to sign the Do-Not-Call list for your cell phone by September to block it for 5 years or suffer the consequences. Sure, you can sign up with the same list you did with your phone by calling 1-888-382-1222. But, there is not a 31-day, September or December 15th deadline. Telemarketers are already prohibited by FCC regulations from calling cell phone numbers with automatic dialers. Yes, a 411 phonebook is being created for 2006 but is not going to be given out as it will be there just like directory assistance is on your regular phone. Here's some information on that from the Federal Trade Commission. Here's another link about the issue.

My guess on why they are pushing these emails? I think there are a few reasons for it. I think there are those that either believe getting more names on the list will make them safer and seem like a bigger force to reckon with. I also think that a collection of names like that would be the hacker's "holy grail" and creates quite a target. There is also something in the back of my mind saying, "You read a spam email and by responding to what it says is giving into spammers." All I know is that these emails are a great way to scare people into giving out information and that just unnerves me.

No Really, You Can Fly Friendly Skies!

I've been watching the Northwest Airlines strike news. It's a more than difficult situation in a dying business model that is underperforming financially. The price wars aren't helping but it does make the consumer happy. All of this doesn't affect me as much as many others as I'm not a big traveler. But, I was thinking about it today and Northwest has had 4 fatal passenger events since 1970. That means that out of 9.2 million flights by the company, only 4 of them lost lives. That's pretty amazing. Now, if that amazes you... there is better.

In 9.5 million flights since 1970, Southwest Airlines has never had a fatal passenger event. One obvious mention here is that Southwest's 34-year history started with a focus on the southwest meaning a lot of short to intermediate flights instead of cross country. Yet, they added Chicago in 1985. In 1991, Baltimore/Washington International Airport is added to routes. The airlines was up to 2,800 daily flights to 60 airports in 59 cities by last year. The only other airlines with no fatal passenger events since 1970 are America West Airlines (2.3 million flights), America Trans Air (330,000 flights), Hawaiian Airlines (330,000 flights), Midway Airlines (80,000 flights) and JetBlue (new airlines currently unknown flight totals.) Check here to see stats on the airline you last used.

I have several friends that are paranoid about flying but it is interesting to see the numbers and maybe knowing what the stats are can calm some nerves.

Foolish Singing

Yes, my life is pretty much based on music. I was actually pretty excited to see several blogs I visit (Jenius and Braniax Blog) have videos. I'm a big fan of videos... the more obscure the better. I even looked into it myself and browsed through their listings (not enough Depeche Mode or Skinny Puppy) but opted to keep my page pretty silent for now. It wasn't until today that I started dreading SingingFool. Why? Well, when I visit either of those blogs listed above, I get an ad for SingingFool that resizes my browser and will not let me back to read posts. Kind of dumb. Putting the ad up there makes me think that this is their way of paying for a nice product. But, when you hamper the ability of someone to visit the site/blog/webpage, it becomes a bit too controlling. Now, this may only be happening when using the very safe Firefox browser but I'll only use IE when checking my bank account (because I have to.) As we speak, I've finally gotten into one of those blogs to read and comment but seen the ads twice and had to re-expand my screen each time. The "Close Ad" oddly enough doesn't work.

Impulse Buy Of The Month: Gorillaz - Demon Days

As most of you know, I love music. Most of what I pick up is to fill in the gaps in my 80's knowledge (yes, there are cavernous gaps in some areas like Latin and Bluegrass.) So when I take a risk on something newer, it comes with quite some research... usually.

I had this nice gift card burning a hole in my wallet for the few weeks and I knew that I'd wind up picking up White Stripes' Elephant on CD and expected to grab another one of theirs to compare. That was until I caught the video for Gorillaz' "Feel Good Inc." which features De La Soul. The dark dance groove and eerie vocals drove me ape shyt. To get a better idea of what I mean check out their website and look for where it says 'Watch The Dare Video' (next to 'Join The Mailing List'.) In there is a Box Office with a bunch of their videos including "Feel Good Inc." I need to listen to the album a few more times (I'm only part way through it now) to give a review of it but I just can't get the single out of my head.

Are You Even Listening To Me?

We've all been there before. You are trying to tell someone something important but for some reason it doesn't seem like the person on the other end is paying any attention to what you are saying. It could be the football game is on, they have company over or they are just not interested. Sure, we can't control other people's enthusiasm when they are listening to us. They can't always be as excited as we are. But, things may be changing.

Some MIT researchers are developing software called the "Jerk-O-Meter" for your cell phone that will analyze your conversations and tell you how you are coming across on the phone or if your audience is paying attention to you.

I believe a program like this that disassembles phone conversation and reads tone, pitch, speaking time and many other stats can actually become something like a biorhythm test. If you've ever taken one of those, it measures your heart-rate and creates a graph of what areas in your life you are doing well and sometimes gives you a lucky number. Putting a lot of faith in a measurement like that would change how we judge our relationships. I mean, how excited does Steven Wright (a very amazing yet monotone comedian) sound on stage? What if that is his level of enthusiasm and you are now judging that (call it Joviality Deficit Syndrome if you will) when talking to him? It seems like another way to judge relationships based on useless stats. Heck, I don't even like using the phone.

Babblings

I have a post in my head that is on the eerie side so I want to take another day to formulate it so instead some quick updates:

The new front door has been installed. It needs a little touch-up work, a fresh coat of paint and all will be kosher. Has a nice new peep-hole and knocker (because I like knockers.) Both neighbors that matter (there's the weird one... that reminds me that I need to take a photo of their house for you people) now want new doors.

Talked to Mom and she sounds like a totally different person. Not only are her neck pains lessened but she's cut back on the Prozac. I'm cautious about messing with medication but she sounds so much more in charge of herself, beams positive energy and has goals.

Today we added a new member to the family. My aunt Shawna gave birth to a little girl named Katelynn Rene Reed. I'm going to swing by and see her tomorrow at the hospital as it just so happens to be within a mile of my house.

Went shopping today and became a grocery packrat. Food 4 Less had a sale on Lean Pockets (2 for $3 when the cheapest I normally find is at Walmart for $1.97 each) so I bought 6. They also had Tina's burritos on sale (5 for $1 which is 5 cents each lower than when I usually find them on sale) and bought 15 (in two trips as I kept going back wondering if I was buying too many.) Anyhow, I now know why my parents would look at those weekly ads.

Star Wars On Valium

Like many millions of people, I'm a fan of the Star Wars franchise (yes, even the newer films.) But, I think that one thing that makes the series amazing is the whole new world created in the minds of fans. Fans have taken this world and populated it beyond the films, books and comics. Hopefully, you get a chance to check out some of the fan films that are usually submitted for the official Star Wars Fan Film Awards. (I personally liked Troopers which was a version of Cops on Tatooine.)

If you are one of those that also loved the films, check out the well-produced Pink Five, Pink Five Strikes Back and The Return Of Pink Five (this one is still in production.) Essentially, these are the stories of another not-so-gifted rebel named Stacey fighting the Empire during the same time frame as the original films. Just add a little Clueless to your idea of Star Wars and you'll have a better picture of it. I'm just hoping that George Lucas feels pressured enough to put these out on DVD when they are done.

Ghostbusters Busted

For anyone that spends as much time as I do in Best Buy on Tuesdays, you get to know what's a good deal and what isn't. You see the new CDs and DVDs hit the shelves at what usually will be their best prices. I was in the store the other week and checking out the usual DVDs and CDs (often sending employees in back searching for things that were supposed to be released that day but for some reason didn't wind up on their shelves) when I noticed the collection in the photo.

Ghostbusters was a great movie although I haven't really seen the whole unedited thing in over a decade. Ghostbusters 2 wasn't a slouch either. (It was the Saturday morning cartoon series that needs to be forgotten.) I was ready to jump on this. Heck, it will normally sell for $19.99 (not bad for 2 movies) but was only $13.99. I grabbed it and headed through the aisles on my way to my regular method of searching for things. It was moments later that I asked myself, "Self?" (Because, I stopped answering to Bob a few weeks back.) "Is this widescreen or full?" "Good question," I responded. In fact, it didn't say anything on the front. Way down on the bottom of the back it said that Ghostbusters was in fullscreen and Ghostbusters 2 was in widescreen. "Huh? What the...?" Here's a great trick. Visit the Best Buy link here and look at the Screen Formats. Doesn't say anything about fullscreen there, does it? But, if you look higher where it says Aspect Ratio, it says 1.33:1/2.40:1. On the back of the box they put something small next to each film saying the ratio which to many people will leave them thinking they are both the same.

I purposely only pick up the widescreen copies because they look better on my widescreen TV (also because I'm a purist and don't want to miss anything cropped off the sides.) So the collection went back on the shelf. But, I'm still left wondering how many people picked it up and are at home kicking their spouse or DVD player because the first disc won't play in widescreen. I'm sure that there will be another Ghostbusters box set coming. I think this was just to gut the public out of a little money first. Kind of like those regular and expanded versions of Lord Of The Rings. Then again, this could just be a box misprint which kills my conspiracy theory.

Coq Block

I'd seen and heard some talk about the upcoming Burger King commercials. Yesterday, during Spike TV's airing of the UFC, I saw one. And then another. Another, another... in fact, every commercial break had a 2 minute commercial about the new "chicken fries."

Sure, I was curious about the product before seeing the ad but they really did show some desperation with that many airings. The commercials centered on the new 'metal' band Coq Roq (ok, they are a ficticious band made to promote BK's products or then again... maybe they might release an album and go on tour.) They showed videos for their songs "Bob Your Head" and "Cross The Road" also playing their other songs "Nice Box" and "One Arm Bandit" in the background. Each of the songs are available for download as ringtones and videos can be seen in their music link.

Here's the scary thing: I liked the songs. Sure, they all wore chicken-ish masks (I couldn't help but think of GWAR more than Slipknot) and had names like Fowl Mouth, Free Range, Talisman, Firebird, Sub-sonic and Kabuki but this was a well thought-out plan which could be used to promote other products. The names of the band members alone give me the idea that they will revamp their chicken sandwiches (Firebird = spicy, Free Range = grilled, Kabuki = teriyaki... etc.) Should be interesting to see what comes next as long as they air their commercials sparingly.

Teach Me: The Age Of Consent

I think that by now, you know that I like to challenge you with things that make your brain hurt. I'm a big education advocate. I do think that we are hearing more and more about possible breaches in teacher/student ethics due to an abundance of media coverage. For every Adrian Kist, Frank Swiderski, Mark Massey, Francisco Aguilar, Derrick Adam Davies, Tomas Agosto and David Heath there is a Dawn Reiser, Lori Lynn Stout, Sandra "Beth" Geisel, Elisa Kawasaki, Margaret De Barricua, Diane West, Debra Lafave, Maria Saco, Rene Biggel and Pamela Turner.

Teacher sexual misconduct with students sees no gender but we do tend to punish male predators more severely than the women. I do think that is because of the dominance, violence and aggression sometimes viewed in the act of penetration. Many men aren't charged just with statutory rape or seduction of a minor but 'penetration.' I'm not defending them... inequities happen. I don't see the female predator as emotionally scarring (and yes, most boys have fantasies like that) but I'm not a therapist. The few former teachers that get married to their 'victims' after standing trial and serving time in prison does really freaks me out, though.

Yet, I didn't post this to focus on equality in punishment or to show you how many current teacher/student sex cases are out there. I wanted to point out something that may shock you more: a list of places and their legal age for consensual sex. Why do I find this interesting? Scroll down towards the bottom of that link... I'll wait for ya. Iowa, Missouri, Nevada and South Carolina have the lowest age of consent in the U.S. set at 14. (Ok, there are stipulations including age difference and homosexual sexual relations on some.) You will also see that Arizona, California, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin are set at 18. Quite odd that there is a 4 year difference between some of those states. You could be safe in Nevada but cross the border to Arizona, Utah or California and you might as well kiss your butt goodbye and learn to play harmonica. I also wonder, do you really think teenagers are waiting until they are 18 in California? I've seen the Springer show! I know better. Worldwide things are more odd... the age of consent for males in the Philippines is 12? (Maybe, those previously mentioned female teachers needed to go on vacation more.) The age for females there is 18. hmmm... Consent is set in Spain, South Korea and Japan (nationally) at 13. There is even an age of consent in Canada for anal sex. I can sure see people watching the calendar for that one.

A Show Of Support

After the age of the BBS, came the Internet. Early creation came in the form of UseNet in which a lot of people would access with IRC (Internet Relay Chat.) Anyhow, we'll make this history lesson very short. Several people searching for #ircbar on Dalnet often typed it too fast and it would of course come out #ircbra. This got people wondering and those prurient thoughts became an actual area and later a Web site that I stumbled across today. Why is this important, it's not. I just find it amazing what excuses people will come up with to put bra photos on their site.

Missing: Real News

Even as a defacto member of the media, I hold a deep resentment for it. It seems that the more access we have to information, the more we are inundated with the same news items. How many people do we have missing right now? Natalee Holloway, George Allen Smith IV, Ray F. Gricar, Mark & Laura Vockery, Latoyia Figueroa, Fiona Faulkes, Helen Kelley... heck, there are even missing jurors, missing park rangers, missing boaters and a missing Sudanese VP. There were 9335 people reported missing in one state in Australia last year. We currently have more than 15,000 U.S. citizens missing abroad. Yet, we focus on just a few because the media wants stories that will make urge you to tune in.

It seems we also forget that some people "walk out" on life. They leave parents, husbands, wives, children and jobs to just be anywhere else. The nation went nuts wondering what happened to the Runaway bride but for absolutely no reason. What happens when we focus on each one that doesn't leave a note?

I think local journalism works as well nationally as local weather would. It only matters if you go or have family there. Sure, it's important to try to find missing people but what good does it do to focus 70% of news national news time on something you have little chance of affecting. For example, Aruba is quite a ways away from Vegas. It might keep pressure on an outside government and keep people from spending their tourist dollars there though. But, I think there should be a show like America's Most Wanted for missing people. Spend an hour a week focusing on these stories. But, as long as people are interested and keep watching there will always be a focus on the next missing person and there will always be another one.

Raise Your Hand If You Want Candy

So, today was my aunt Shawna's baby shower. It took place at my grandparents' house in Boulder City just outside of Las Vegas (it's on your way to Hoover Dam.) Thankfully, this time I remembered my camera and wasn't cooking. Got tons of great shots of the kids. In the first picture you'll see here are (left to right) Olivia, their cousin (Shawna's daughter) Sydney and Connor. Behind them is the twin's father Cory. I didn't expect the hands in the air but that's what I get for asking them to look my way and look at my hand. So they decided to copy what I was doing. They should be fast asleep right now as we wore them out. Connor got accosted by a yellow rose bush and will probably avoid plants with thorns. Olivia spent a lot of time trying to sneak candy and put it aside for later. She has her mom's sweet tooth.


Here we have my brother Matt, his wife Elizabeth and newest Hennessy... Mia. She wound up getting quite a few new toys tonight but I'm sure that she'll have a room full before she ever starts playing with them. I know that my mother would have loved to spend time with her new grandchild and play with the other kids but she is recovering from her second neck surgery (and hopefully last for at least a year.) She did have me stop by and pick up some ham and baked beans from her. I was really impressed with how the kids varied what they ate and went after the strawberries, grapes and even celery with gusto.

Ok, I need to pass out now. But had to make sure I got some of these pictures up. Got a few of them kicking a soccer ball and one of Connor in a little toy car. I gave each of them a ride on it as I pushed them across the bumpy grass (of course I told them to raise their legs because I didn't want any mishaps.) Had quite a nice time. Oh... also updated Grandpa's computer (had some spyware on it but then again you have to expect that when it hasn't been updated in 320 days) which should run a lot smoother.

Quick Note: Quick Read

I'm just posting this after the massive literary indulgence of reading Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince. The indulgence was that I crammed it into less than 48 hours (which included work and a few other things.) Great read, very detailed, very nostalgic and misty-eyed moments but no tears. I'll reserve any spoilers until some point when I know people aren't still reading it. Now, I need sleep.

I'm Only Searching...

Maybe it's something that only amuses me but I get a kick out of seeing what people search for at my 80smusiccentral.com Web site. People are always trying to find information about bands and artists and sometimes they will misspell the same word the same way 4 or 5 times and give up. Others will try every variation they can. There was a file error on the main page of the site this week so the 500+ searches that I'm used to seeing was limited. So today, I decided to look at them. Lots of the usual. The most searches this week were for Deee-Lite (which they spelled "delight," "deelight" and "deelite") and the most unusual one: "tommyleecock". I wonder what they were looking for?

Question: When Is A Door Not A Door?

Answer: When it's ajar.

It's been on my mind for about a year and a half. My front door is most likely the original one that came with the house (which means circa 1983.) Over time the wood/particleboard barrier has withstood the elements with the support of weatherstripping. A few months after moving in, I did my assessment of the place for leaks. I found and fixed a few. I did the same for the front door by moving the weatherstripping closer which made the door very hard to shut and open. Air-tight is good but adult-proof is not going to work. I even got to the point of buying a new lock for the door but they don't make them the same anymore and those are sitting in a closet somewhere. Even now, I can stand at the door and see light come through the cracks and that isn't good for the electric bill.

A few days before my birthday, Mom asked me what I wanted or needed. I told her that I really didn't have anything in mind. She offered the suggestion of a gas BBQ grill. I've always wanted one but didn't know where to put it and also wanted to run it off the gas in the house. I later thought about the fusebox and some much needed electrical rerouting that needs to be done. Last minute, I thought of the door which we will go looking for tomorrow. Kind of fitting when the woman that opened up her home to you 34 years ago today can give you something that will open up your own home. Thank you, Mom.

The Scoop

I'm not a big fan of cake. Never have been. I always opt for ice cream at parties. President Ronald Reagan was such a fan that he declared July to be National Ice Cream Month.

I was reading some stats the other day that reported that 80% of all ice cream manufactured is vanilla. Some good reasons behind that are the use of vanilla in things like shakes, ice cream sandwiches, chocolate and nut covered cones and even used a' la mode.

According to some other stats provided by the International Ice Cream Association: supermarket sales for ice cream were: vanilla (33%), chocolate flavors (19%), nut/caramel flavors (7%), neapolitan (5%), and strawberry (4%). Mexico was the single biggest importer of the treats. In supermarkets, ice cream bars were 25% of the market share of the frozen novelty market.

With a lot of the cravings for chocolate, it is interesting to see that it is that far behind. So, with a reported 90% of all people eating ice cream... what is your favorite?

In The Kitchen Getting Sauced

Well, I have my family coming over for dinner tomorrow night. First time that many of them have seen the house. Why would they show up here after 2 years in the house? I decided that instead of heading to my favorite Mexican restaurant Lindo Michaocan for my birthday... I'd do it here. The birthday is a few days later but this worked out well to get them all together.

I know... what does this have to do with the items on the counter? Well, I love Mexican food and have decided to have that for dinner so I'm preparing a few things. On the table is a yellow onion, 10 chile de arbol, two cloves of garlic, 3 jalepenos, 2 roma tomatoes and some cumin. I learned this salsa recipe from a co-worker that works in room service. (Ok, it's not truly a salsa because it is all boiled down and has no cilantro.) I roast the jalepenos and tomatoes on the contraption on the stove to seal in the flavor. I bring about a cup and a half of water to a boil. Then in goes the cumin, chile de arbol (no stems), garlic and onion (2/3 of the onion.) I add the blackened jalepenos and tomatoes continuing to boil until they are all softened. All the items then go in the blender and get liquefied to what you see in the tupperware.

Should be fun as Mom is making some of the food, my sister Michelle is bringing desert and I'll be working on some creations in this Mexican buffet that should be feeding at least 12 people (the twins and Mia are expected to show up... where's that camera. Uncle Martin wants photos.) I'm off to do more cleaning and start working on the spicy frijoles (got the regular ones in a crock pot right now.)