Finally, the NJ Smoke-Free Air Act goes into effect today. I've spoken to both current smokers, former smokers, and non-smokers that all think it's an unfair law to ban smoking in all public buildings, including bars, but the thing they don't understand is that the law is mainly aimed at protecting the waiters, waitresses, bartenders, etc., that do not smoke and should not have to inhale secondhand smoke while just trying to make a living. As a former smoker, I can say that I think the law is a good one, and certainly a motivator to quit smoking if you still do. I must admit that I agree that it is unfair that you can still smoke in casinos. I honestly believe that they would be hurt the least by the new law, because people who gamble are going to gamble no matter what.
No matter though...the law will extend to casinos eventually.
As a matter of interest, the new law takes effect pretty much on my one year anniversary of quitting myself. :-)
One year, 19 hours
14671 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,667.94
Life saved: 7 weeks, 1 day, 22 hours
Friday, April 14, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Touching on politics
I was just reading my buddy Mike's blog and thought I'd add my own counterpoint to a few of his comments.
Go check out his blog here. Interesting blogger and all around swell guy, even when he's being a left extremist. ;-)
Anyway, here's a few of his comments (in italics) with my follow up after each:
3 bloody years later, what do we have?
A military operation called operation swarm, which is just a huge photo op to make us feel better about the Iraqi "military".
Save for the separatists, I'm sure most, if not all Iraqis would say they're better off now than they were when Saddam was in power.
A Democratic party which has no solutions to even offer for this quagmire.
Exactly. Plenty of bitching with nothing to bring to the table.
The beginnings of a true Civil War in Iraq.
I seem to recall a civil war a couple of hundred years ago after a country gained independence from a power. Democracy doesn't come without growing pains.
Extremist anti-American groups "democratically" elected in Palestine and Iran.
Not sure I understand what is meant by this. A country has to be pro-American to be democratic?
Still no WMD's and documents showing there never were any.
Really? On the daily show the other day, they had the former number two man in the Iraqi Air Force who reported directly to Saddam, who says that there were in fact WMDs (and still are) that were transported to Syria just prior to the inspectors arriving.
What are we doing about it? Got me.
Nice Job Mr. President. Whats the encore??
I'm with the rest of the country in thinking that Bush is an idiot, but I'm not so sure we would have fared much better with Kerry, which is why Bush got elected. Kerry also insisted that there were WMDs, and was totally supportive of the war. Sure, now he's recanted that and says he was wrong, but of course he's going to say that if he wants to save face in his party.
I honestly believe that Kerry is just as much of a dolt as Bush.
And for the record, had I a friend who was a right-wing conservative writing a blog, I would likely comment on his diatribe as well. :-)
I believe there should be a happy medium in politics. Neither party is any good in and of itself.
In fairness, Mike does have Democrat critiques on his blog as well. :-)
Peace
Go check out his blog here. Interesting blogger and all around swell guy, even when he's being a left extremist. ;-)
Anyway, here's a few of his comments (in italics) with my follow up after each:
3 bloody years later, what do we have?
A military operation called operation swarm, which is just a huge photo op to make us feel better about the Iraqi "military".
Save for the separatists, I'm sure most, if not all Iraqis would say they're better off now than they were when Saddam was in power.
A Democratic party which has no solutions to even offer for this quagmire.
Exactly. Plenty of bitching with nothing to bring to the table.
The beginnings of a true Civil War in Iraq.
I seem to recall a civil war a couple of hundred years ago after a country gained independence from a power. Democracy doesn't come without growing pains.
Extremist anti-American groups "democratically" elected in Palestine and Iran.
Not sure I understand what is meant by this. A country has to be pro-American to be democratic?
Still no WMD's and documents showing there never were any.
Really? On the daily show the other day, they had the former number two man in the Iraqi Air Force who reported directly to Saddam, who says that there were in fact WMDs (and still are) that were transported to Syria just prior to the inspectors arriving.
What are we doing about it? Got me.
Nice Job Mr. President. Whats the encore??
I'm with the rest of the country in thinking that Bush is an idiot, but I'm not so sure we would have fared much better with Kerry, which is why Bush got elected. Kerry also insisted that there were WMDs, and was totally supportive of the war. Sure, now he's recanted that and says he was wrong, but of course he's going to say that if he wants to save face in his party.
I honestly believe that Kerry is just as much of a dolt as Bush.
And for the record, had I a friend who was a right-wing conservative writing a blog, I would likely comment on his diatribe as well. :-)
I believe there should be a happy medium in politics. Neither party is any good in and of itself.
In fairness, Mike does have Democrat critiques on his blog as well. :-)
Peace
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Another Cameo
Not even going to bother trying to catch up on things, as it's been way too long since my last entry.
Not too much to talk about now either, but I figured 2 months was long enough, I may as well make an appearance just in case the few that read this are still checking in.
Had a real good night at bowling last night. In fact, the last few weeks have been good for me. Last week I shot a 687 series, and last night I bowled a 235, a 225, and a 266 for a 726 series. We also swept the other team in games which was an added bonus.
Next week we bowl the first place team, so hopefully I can continue my good run.
My average is up to a 202, and might go up to a 203 after last night. Not bad considering that as of my last blog entry it was a 198. :-)
In a previous post I mentioned signing up for the Nearfest patron program. I ended being number 119 in the lottery list. I snagged seat number A29, which is the first row of the orchestra, just after a 4 row "Pit" area.
I've been seeing Valerie again for the past 6 weeks or so. She's the one I was seeing last year around this same time. Both of us are in a different place emotionally this time, so things are going better now.
As for Romy....she abruptly cut all communication with me the day after Super Bowl. I have no idea why. Things seemed good. We were having fun. The last time I saw/spoke with her she was talking about future things we would be doing.
Funny thing is, we weren't really "dating", we were pretty much just friends (hence my starting to see Valerie...I'm not a polygamist, even in a casual sense). It's for that reason that I am so perplexed by her actions. You might ignore someone you don't want to "go out with" anymore (although even that is cowardly), but you don't just ignore someone you called "friend." Even if she was afraid to face me or even talk to me on the phone about whatever the issue was, I didn't even get the courtesy of an email. That would have been easier than ignoring me, because then I wouldn't have left phone messages and emails trying to get an inkling of what the hell was going on.
Whatever.
Anyway, I guess that's enough for now.
Eleven months, one week, 15 hours
13664 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,416.65
Life saved: 6 weeks, 5 days
Not too much to talk about now either, but I figured 2 months was long enough, I may as well make an appearance just in case the few that read this are still checking in.
Had a real good night at bowling last night. In fact, the last few weeks have been good for me. Last week I shot a 687 series, and last night I bowled a 235, a 225, and a 266 for a 726 series. We also swept the other team in games which was an added bonus.
Next week we bowl the first place team, so hopefully I can continue my good run.
My average is up to a 202, and might go up to a 203 after last night. Not bad considering that as of my last blog entry it was a 198. :-)
In a previous post I mentioned signing up for the Nearfest patron program. I ended being number 119 in the lottery list. I snagged seat number A29, which is the first row of the orchestra, just after a 4 row "Pit" area.
I've been seeing Valerie again for the past 6 weeks or so. She's the one I was seeing last year around this same time. Both of us are in a different place emotionally this time, so things are going better now.
As for Romy....she abruptly cut all communication with me the day after Super Bowl. I have no idea why. Things seemed good. We were having fun. The last time I saw/spoke with her she was talking about future things we would be doing.
Funny thing is, we weren't really "dating", we were pretty much just friends (hence my starting to see Valerie...I'm not a polygamist, even in a casual sense). It's for that reason that I am so perplexed by her actions. You might ignore someone you don't want to "go out with" anymore (although even that is cowardly), but you don't just ignore someone you called "friend." Even if she was afraid to face me or even talk to me on the phone about whatever the issue was, I didn't even get the courtesy of an email. That would have been easier than ignoring me, because then I wouldn't have left phone messages and emails trying to get an inkling of what the hell was going on.
Whatever.
Anyway, I guess that's enough for now.
Eleven months, one week, 15 hours
13664 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,416.65
Life saved: 6 weeks, 5 days
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Thank God it's Saturday!
What a day I had yesterday!
First off, the original plan for work (a plan put in place by the guy I'm working with) was to sleep in a bit and start at a Walmart between 8 and 9. However, I got a phone call from the guy at around 7 saying that he was sick and asking if I could pack out the route by myself. That's fine...I need to see what it will be like by myself anyway.
If I learned one thing, it's that I will need to get an early start on Fridays if I want to get home at a reasonable hour. I got to my first store at 9, and finished my last one a little after 6. I didn't get home until almost 8. And no, my last store was not almost 2 hours from home. The reason it took so long to get home is because in my effort to avoid traffic, I used my StreetPilot to take the shortest way home, and on a very narrow backwoods road, at a point where another car was coming in the other direction, I hit a pothole so hard I blew a tire. So I had the wonderful task of changing a tire in pitch black darkness (note to self....get a lantern to keep in the car). Funny, my first thought was that I'm paying almost $100/year for the BP Motor Club, and I've never used it in 10 years, and I should call roadside service and use it. But then I considered two things that dismissed the thought. First, I probably would have sat there for a couple of hours waiting, and second, real men don't call roadside service to change a friggin' tire.
Anyway, now I have to get to the dealer and either get the tire fixed (maybe it just got the wind knocked out of it?) or replaced, and have them check and make sure I didn't fuck up the front end at all. It felt ok driving home...didn't even feel like it got knocked out of alignment. I have to say it's really cool having a full-sized spare, including it being the same exact tire that's on the car.
Nine months, one week, 5 hours
11289 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,822.76
Life saved: 5 weeks, 4 days, 4 hours
First off, the original plan for work (a plan put in place by the guy I'm working with) was to sleep in a bit and start at a Walmart between 8 and 9. However, I got a phone call from the guy at around 7 saying that he was sick and asking if I could pack out the route by myself. That's fine...I need to see what it will be like by myself anyway.
If I learned one thing, it's that I will need to get an early start on Fridays if I want to get home at a reasonable hour. I got to my first store at 9, and finished my last one a little after 6. I didn't get home until almost 8. And no, my last store was not almost 2 hours from home. The reason it took so long to get home is because in my effort to avoid traffic, I used my StreetPilot to take the shortest way home, and on a very narrow backwoods road, at a point where another car was coming in the other direction, I hit a pothole so hard I blew a tire. So I had the wonderful task of changing a tire in pitch black darkness (note to self....get a lantern to keep in the car). Funny, my first thought was that I'm paying almost $100/year for the BP Motor Club, and I've never used it in 10 years, and I should call roadside service and use it. But then I considered two things that dismissed the thought. First, I probably would have sat there for a couple of hours waiting, and second, real men don't call roadside service to change a friggin' tire.
Anyway, now I have to get to the dealer and either get the tire fixed (maybe it just got the wind knocked out of it?) or replaced, and have them check and make sure I didn't fuck up the front end at all. It felt ok driving home...didn't even feel like it got knocked out of alignment. I have to say it's really cool having a full-sized spare, including it being the same exact tire that's on the car.
Nine months, one week, 5 hours
11289 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,822.76
Life saved: 5 weeks, 4 days, 4 hours
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Quick update
Not much to report today.
Second week on the new job and so far so good. Physically, it's a breeze compared to Kraft. In 7 work days so far, I've probably only put in about 40 hours. It really is essentially a 4 day work week. Sure, I know it will have it's ups and downs just like any other job, but it's still a huge load off not having to deal with that damn truck.
Had another good night at bowling on Monday. I wasn't thrilled with the progression of the games...you're supposed to improve with each game, but I'll take it. I shot a 234, a 206, and a 197 for a 637 series. My season average will probably go up to a 199. I'd really like to finish with a 200 or above.
I signed up for the Nearfest Patron program lottery. It's a lot of money but it's something I'd like to do at least once, and the difference in cost is a tax write off.
Hopefully I'll get picked, and then be able to get decent seats. It seems that Nearfest is getting like Giants Stadium. Pretty soon all the seats will be patron seats.
I guess that's about it for now.
Nine months, three days, 23 hours
11198 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,790.03
Life saved: 5 weeks, 3 days, 21 hours
Second week on the new job and so far so good. Physically, it's a breeze compared to Kraft. In 7 work days so far, I've probably only put in about 40 hours. It really is essentially a 4 day work week. Sure, I know it will have it's ups and downs just like any other job, but it's still a huge load off not having to deal with that damn truck.
Had another good night at bowling on Monday. I wasn't thrilled with the progression of the games...you're supposed to improve with each game, but I'll take it. I shot a 234, a 206, and a 197 for a 637 series. My season average will probably go up to a 199. I'd really like to finish with a 200 or above.
I signed up for the Nearfest Patron program lottery. It's a lot of money but it's something I'd like to do at least once, and the difference in cost is a tax write off.
Hopefully I'll get picked, and then be able to get decent seats. It seems that Nearfest is getting like Giants Stadium. Pretty soon all the seats will be patron seats.
I guess that's about it for now.
Nine months, three days, 23 hours
11198 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,790.03
Life saved: 5 weeks, 3 days, 21 hours
Thursday, January 12, 2006
BucketStamp
Here's something cool. It's called a "BucketStamp" that's created with pics from your own photo albums on Photobucket.com
Job Update
Almost done with my first week on the new job. I think I'm gonna like this. I'm already ecstatic that I don't have to do anything dealing with a truck.
As a result, I'm not nearly as tired when I come home.
It's also nice not having to worry about back-door receiving times.
As it turns out, the District Manager likes to keep guys as close to home as possible, so I'll be taking over the route that I am training on right now. Even better, except for one cluster of stores in the Union, NJ area, it's essentially the same route I had with Kraft. Today, the first 5 stores we did were all within 15 minutes of my house. It was so nice to be able to service them without having to drive 48 miles to Perth Amboy first to pick up a truck.
I like the schedule too. You order on two days, pack out/merchandise on two days, and the fifth day is a "market day", which is the day that you either get ahead for another day, or do resets, or whatever. It's basically a free day...sort of like what study hall was in high school. I've been told that for most guys, this is a 3rd day off more often than not. :-) This past Tuesday, I was home by 11:30 AM. Sweet! ;-)
So Monday is a pack out day, Tuesday is my market day, Wed & Thurs are order days, and Friday is a pack out day.
Oh, and since the route is the same area that I already had, that means I know whether or not some stores have yet been serviced this week by the guy who took over my Kraft route, which means that I was able to "tailor" the shelf space to my benefit with the other guy being none the wiser. :-)
The thing that is the hardest to get used to is the incredible diversity of products compared to Kraft. With Kraft, I just had to worry about pizza (DiGiorno, Tombstone, California Pizza Kitchen, and South Beach Diet). With this job, I'm responsible for Freschetta, Red Baron, Tony's, Red Baron Breakfast pizza, Tony's Pouches, Red Baron Stuffed Slices, Pagoda Asian Sensations snacks (egg rolls and such), and Larry's Stuffed Potatoes.
But it seems a lot more fun so far. I think I made a good decision. Time will tell.
2006 is shaping up pretty good so far. :-)
Eight months, four weeks, one day, 11 hours smober
10939 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,735.38
Life saved: 5 weeks, 2 days, 23 hours
As a result, I'm not nearly as tired when I come home.
It's also nice not having to worry about back-door receiving times.
As it turns out, the District Manager likes to keep guys as close to home as possible, so I'll be taking over the route that I am training on right now. Even better, except for one cluster of stores in the Union, NJ area, it's essentially the same route I had with Kraft. Today, the first 5 stores we did were all within 15 minutes of my house. It was so nice to be able to service them without having to drive 48 miles to Perth Amboy first to pick up a truck.
I like the schedule too. You order on two days, pack out/merchandise on two days, and the fifth day is a "market day", which is the day that you either get ahead for another day, or do resets, or whatever. It's basically a free day...sort of like what study hall was in high school. I've been told that for most guys, this is a 3rd day off more often than not. :-) This past Tuesday, I was home by 11:30 AM. Sweet! ;-)
So Monday is a pack out day, Tuesday is my market day, Wed & Thurs are order days, and Friday is a pack out day.
Oh, and since the route is the same area that I already had, that means I know whether or not some stores have yet been serviced this week by the guy who took over my Kraft route, which means that I was able to "tailor" the shelf space to my benefit with the other guy being none the wiser. :-)
The thing that is the hardest to get used to is the incredible diversity of products compared to Kraft. With Kraft, I just had to worry about pizza (DiGiorno, Tombstone, California Pizza Kitchen, and South Beach Diet). With this job, I'm responsible for Freschetta, Red Baron, Tony's, Red Baron Breakfast pizza, Tony's Pouches, Red Baron Stuffed Slices, Pagoda Asian Sensations snacks (egg rolls and such), and Larry's Stuffed Potatoes.
But it seems a lot more fun so far. I think I made a good decision. Time will tell.
2006 is shaping up pretty good so far. :-)
Eight months, four weeks, one day, 11 hours smober
10939 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,735.38
Life saved: 5 weeks, 2 days, 23 hours
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Happy New Year!
Quite a few things to follow up on today.
First, here's a pic taken on Christmas of me holding my newest baby cousin.
Her name is Sophie, and she's the first child in my family born of my generation.
But boy do I feel old....she happens to be the child of my now former "baby cousin".
Funny, it didn't really hit me until Christmas day, but we just recently lost the last of the "elders" of the family, and it occurred to me that my mom and her generation of cousins are now the elders of the family. It was a strange thought to say the least. The timeline has definitely shifted.
The job situation.....I finally cleared all the hurdles for Schwan's, so that's done. I gave two weeks notice at Kraft and I start Schwan's on the 9th. Considering that I had originally wanted to take this week off, I expect the next 4 days to be as minimally productive as possible.
Football....the Dolphins had their best finish in 20 years. They missed the playoffs, but finished 9-7 after starting 3-7, and ended up just one game behind division winner New England. Not bad for a team that went 4-12 last year.
Btw, that Monday night game I went to a couple weeks ago was a fun time. The game sucked (48-3 blowout), but still a good time. The picture at left is of a portable "tap" of beer that they bring to your table. It was in the bar in the hotel in Baltimore. I never saw one before, I thought it was pretty cool.
Christmas was very good for me this year. Got some really nice gifts, with the best being a Garmin StreetPilot 2720. This thing is so cool. Not only is it incredibly accurate, but it also tells you how fast you're going and what time you will arrive at your destination at your current pace. One thing that really comes in handy is knowing the distance until your next turn/exit. I have said to people though, that with all this technology, if "big brother" really is watching, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Finally, I've been seeing a woman for almost a month now. She's really cool, and we have a lot in common. She likes sports and more importantly, has a genuine passion for music, which is something I've found to be incredibly rare in women.
Anyway, we have a lot of fun together, and I'm looking forward to some good times with her. The potential downside is that she's made it clear that she's the type that has no desire to ever "settle down" with anyone. That includes living with someone. She enjoys being self-sufficient and only wants to have someone to have fun times with and hang out with. Her long term goals are obviously different than mine when it comes to relationships, but hey, I respect that she's given me no misconceptions about it, and I figure I should at least enjoy it as long as I can. I don't think my feelings will ever change, in that I do eventually want to find someone that I can come home to, but there's no reason I should be lonely before I meet that person. :-) Besides, she's incredibly attractive, and even better, tells me how incredibly handsome I am. :-)
Happy New Year indeed!
Eight months, two weeks, five days
10528 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,632.49
Life saved: 5 weeks, 1 day
First, here's a pic taken on Christmas of me holding my newest baby cousin.Her name is Sophie, and she's the first child in my family born of my generation.
But boy do I feel old....she happens to be the child of my now former "baby cousin".
Funny, it didn't really hit me until Christmas day, but we just recently lost the last of the "elders" of the family, and it occurred to me that my mom and her generation of cousins are now the elders of the family. It was a strange thought to say the least. The timeline has definitely shifted.
The job situation.....I finally cleared all the hurdles for Schwan's, so that's done. I gave two weeks notice at Kraft and I start Schwan's on the 9th. Considering that I had originally wanted to take this week off, I expect the next 4 days to be as minimally productive as possible.
Football....the Dolphins had their best finish in 20 years. They missed the playoffs, but finished 9-7 after starting 3-7, and ended up just one game behind division winner New England. Not bad for a team that went 4-12 last year.
Btw, that Monday night game I went to a couple weeks ago was a fun time. The game sucked (48-3 blowout), but still a good time. The picture at left is of a portable "tap" of beer that they bring to your table. It was in the bar in the hotel in Baltimore. I never saw one before, I thought it was pretty cool.Christmas was very good for me this year. Got some really nice gifts, with the best being a Garmin StreetPilot 2720. This thing is so cool. Not only is it incredibly accurate, but it also tells you how fast you're going and what time you will arrive at your destination at your current pace. One thing that really comes in handy is knowing the distance until your next turn/exit. I have said to people though, that with all this technology, if "big brother" really is watching, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Finally, I've been seeing a woman for almost a month now. She's really cool, and we have a lot in common. She likes sports and more importantly, has a genuine passion for music, which is something I've found to be incredibly rare in women.
Anyway, we have a lot of fun together, and I'm looking forward to some good times with her. The potential downside is that she's made it clear that she's the type that has no desire to ever "settle down" with anyone. That includes living with someone. She enjoys being self-sufficient and only wants to have someone to have fun times with and hang out with. Her long term goals are obviously different than mine when it comes to relationships, but hey, I respect that she's given me no misconceptions about it, and I figure I should at least enjoy it as long as I can. I don't think my feelings will ever change, in that I do eventually want to find someone that I can come home to, but there's no reason I should be lonely before I meet that person. :-) Besides, she's incredibly attractive, and even better, tells me how incredibly handsome I am. :-) Happy New Year indeed!
Eight months, two weeks, five days
10528 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,632.49
Life saved: 5 weeks, 1 day
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
If it weren't for bad luck...
Hit a snag with the new job process yesterday. I was chosen (it's a random process) to go for a physical abilities test before I could be cleared for the new job. No big deal, I figured they just want to see if you can lift 40lbs or so, and bend down and stand up and all that. Problem is, they wouldn't even let me do any of that because they tested my blood pressure and it was too high. So now I have to go to a doctor and get clearance (and likely blood pressure medication) to be tested.
Hence the subject of this post.
On the upside, I finally broke out of my bowling slump, which had started about 4 or 5 weeks ago. I had dropped rapidly from a 202 average down to a 195. But last night I shot a 223, 222, and 225 for a 670 series.
How about my Dolphins beating the Chargers on Sunday? That's what San Diego gets for looking ahead to next week against the Colts. The Fins may very well have fucked up the Chargers playoff chances.
In the possible but unlikely department, the Dolphins still actually have a chance to win the division and make the playoffs! They just need to win their last 3, and the Patriots need to lose their last 3. It would be mighty interesting if the Fins win their next two and the Pats lose their next two, as they play each other to end the season.
Next Monday I'll be getting my first Monday Night Football experience. I'm going with my cousin to see the Ravens play the Packers in Baltimore. Both teams suck so it should be a good game. :-)
Seven months, four weeks, one day
9746 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,437.04
Life saved: 4 weeks, 5 days
Hence the subject of this post.
On the upside, I finally broke out of my bowling slump, which had started about 4 or 5 weeks ago. I had dropped rapidly from a 202 average down to a 195. But last night I shot a 223, 222, and 225 for a 670 series.
How about my Dolphins beating the Chargers on Sunday? That's what San Diego gets for looking ahead to next week against the Colts. The Fins may very well have fucked up the Chargers playoff chances.
In the possible but unlikely department, the Dolphins still actually have a chance to win the division and make the playoffs! They just need to win their last 3, and the Patriots need to lose their last 3. It would be mighty interesting if the Fins win their next two and the Pats lose their next two, as they play each other to end the season.
Next Monday I'll be getting my first Monday Night Football experience. I'm going with my cousin to see the Ravens play the Packers in Baltimore. Both teams suck so it should be a good game. :-)
Seven months, four weeks, one day
9746 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,437.04
Life saved: 4 weeks, 5 days
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
The times they are a changin'...
Met with Schwan's again yesterday and signed a "conditional offer of employment", which basically means as long as my drug screen comes up negative (it will), I've got a job. The one concern is the benefits. Coverage starts 60 days after employment. That sucks. That means I have to screw around with COBRA for a month or so.
This whole thing feels wierd. I feel like I'm cheating on a wife or girlfriend...although admittedly I have no idea what that feels like. :-)
Seven months, three weeks, 22 hours, 51 minutes
9438 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,359.94
Life saved: 4 weeks, 4 days, 18 hours
This whole thing feels wierd. I feel like I'm cheating on a wife or girlfriend...although admittedly I have no idea what that feels like. :-)
Seven months, three weeks, 22 hours, 51 minutes
9438 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,359.94
Life saved: 4 weeks, 4 days, 18 hours
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Almost forgot
For those who care, I'm still off the smokes.
Seven months and two weeks smober
9124 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,281.56
Seven months and two weeks smober
9124 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,281.56
Friday, November 25, 2005
Looking for a change
I've been sending my resumé around lately. Ever since my company moved my "home base" an additional 20 miles from my home (for a total of 45), I've grown increasingly estranged with Kraft. But it's not just that. It's also the fact that over the past couple of years we've had our management positions all filled with Nabisco people, resulting in a much colder and more corporate philosophy. And the straw that's breaking the camel's back is the truck. I'm so tired of loading the truck, getting it maintained, defrosting it, etc.
So I went for an interview today with Schwan's. For those not in the know, me interviewing with Schwan's is akin to an employee of Coca-Cola interviewing with Pepsi.
I think it went well. The pay would be about the same, and the job itself is the same...minus the truck. I would work out of my car and not be bound by receiving times. The big concern is that my car insurance would likely skyrocket if I'm using my car for business, but I guess that's why they pay $0.38/mile.
Anyway, I hope I get an offer. I need a change.
So I went for an interview today with Schwan's. For those not in the know, me interviewing with Schwan's is akin to an employee of Coca-Cola interviewing with Pepsi.
I think it went well. The pay would be about the same, and the job itself is the same...minus the truck. I would work out of my car and not be bound by receiving times. The big concern is that my car insurance would likely skyrocket if I'm using my car for business, but I guess that's why they pay $0.38/mile.
Anyway, I hope I get an offer. I need a change.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving
If you're reading this, you probably thought I had given up on this blog thing. Truth is, I almost did. I was thinking that this whole blog "trend" is sort of silly and "conformist", and I was going to delete it altogether. Then I thought, "What the hell...even if no one is reading this (which is probably the case), it will serve as a diary of sorts just for myself to review where my life was at given timelines."
So, I'm back, and I'll likely continue posting sporadically as I have been.
So, I'm back, and I'll likely continue posting sporadically as I have been.
Monday, August 15, 2005
An eye opener
Here's a site I heard about on Opie & Anthony.
It's a site by people who pose as kids in chat for the sole purpose of exposing these scumbags who prey on kids. They basically collect entire conversations, pics, phone numbers, etc., and then they expose them to wives, girlfriends, bosses, and of course, the authorities.
For those of you who don't realize how many of these pervs are out there, you need to see this (especially those of you with kids). And these are just the ones who get caught!
http://www.perverted-justice.com
It's a site by people who pose as kids in chat for the sole purpose of exposing these scumbags who prey on kids. They basically collect entire conversations, pics, phone numbers, etc., and then they expose them to wives, girlfriends, bosses, and of course, the authorities.
For those of you who don't realize how many of these pervs are out there, you need to see this (especially those of you with kids). And these are just the ones who get caught!
http://www.perverted-justice.com
Monday, July 11, 2005
Nearfest Weekend
Well, Nearfest is over, and what a great weekend it was. Following are my thoughts and opinions of the events of the past 3 days...
Let me first say it was great being able to meet more people....Steve Ispay, Thom Overstreet, and Kevin Cassidy (who brought his 13 year old daughter...little warms the heart more than to see kids that are musically open-minded...she was even wearing a Frogg Café t-shirt), Scott Montgomery, and a host of others.
Also, it was great seeing the usual suspects again....Bill K, Donna K, Robert D, Allison, Adam P, Andy K, Andres, Dave Floyd, and of course Mike H, my "roomie" for the weekend.
Sincere apologies if I've forgotten anyone.
Anyway, on to the weekend...
Friday was fantastic...a great start to the weekend.
I originally hadn't planned on going to the preshow, but after seeing Proto-Kaw in Metuchen a month ago, I wanted to see them again, so thanks to an extra ticket that Adam had, there I was.
Proto-Kaw was just as good as last month, and it was an exciting start to the weekend.
I'm really looking forward to their next CD due for release in September.
Then came PFM (Premiata Forneria Marconi). I'll admit that not really caring much for Metamorfosi last year, I didn't have high expectations for PFM. IOW, I prejudged them based on their country of origin. The upshot to pre-condemning a band is that the satisfaction level can only go up. In the case of PFM, my satisfaction level skyrocketed. They were amazing. Nothing like I expected. A very exciting band full of energy. And I actually preferred the songs sung in Italian over those done in English...which had to be read by singer/drummer Franz Dicioccio.
PFM was probably my favorite unknown-to-me band of the weekend. I can't believe I reached the age of 42 without having a clue who these guys were.
Saturday...between the unintentional procrastination by Mike and I in the morning (eating breakfast and jaw-jacking) and not being able to find parking, I walked in almost 30 minutes late for Wobbler, and I didn't want to bother others by working my way to my seat, so I stood on the side steps for the remaining 30 minutes of their set. Admittedly, because of these factors, I couldn't really get myself into Wobbler. What I did observe though was that while I enjoy their music (listening to Hinterland as I type this), they seemed to drone on unnecessarily. IMO, they took 30 minutes to get a 15 minute message across. I don't feel that way listening to the CD, so maybe it was just the circumstances of my late arrival, but I heard similar opinions from others who were there on time.
Next was Frogg Cafe. I'm not gonna go into detail about bands I've already praised.
I love these guys...saw them twice before this, and they did not disappoint this time either. The highlight was seeing Frank Camiola (original guitarist and co-founding member) join the band for Waterfall Carnival (one of my favorite FC tunes). That was really cool.
I didn't watch Steve Roach. Mike and I were hungry and went for lunch. Besides, electronic ambience is not something I want to sit and watch.
Present was next. I'm not really into RIO bands, and Present is no exception. This very dark type of music is not my cup of tea. However, I did stay for the entire set mainly because I was mesmerized by the drumming of Dave Kerman. He was a marvel to observe and he single-handedly kept me interested in Present.
Saturday was capped by I.Q.
I really like these guys. I thoroughly enjoyed their set, and I am a big fan of what most seem to call "neo-prog"...a term I don't really get, because "neo" means "new", and what people call neo-prog is stuff that emulates the "classic" prog sound. Whatever...I'll leave the term coining duties to the progholes.
I do have to say this though...I only own their most recent CD, 'Dark Matter', and after seeing their set, I feel like I don't need any other CDs. IOW, there was a certain "sameness" to their music that made me feel that Dark Matter is more or less representative of them (plus the fact that the DM material was my favorite part of the performance). I discussed this with several more knowledgeable people (not IQ sycophants though), and the consensus that I got was this...most of their releases have at least a couple of unique and great tracks that make it stand out, but yes, they do have a "sameness" about them.
That being said, I liked them enough that I would most likely buy future CDs, but I don't think I'll be collecting their back catalog anytime soon.
On to Sunday...
Knight Area lived up to my preconceived expectations. I was very disappointed when we found out that Riverside could not make it and they were being replaced by Knight Area. I had purchased their CD "The Sun Also Rises" at last year's NF, and what I heard on the CD was not a derivative of Genesis, but a band about 4 bars short of being a cover band. Their performance Sunday morning was no different. I have little positive to say about them, so 'nuff said.
Next up....The Muffins....
For me, this was the surprise of Nearfest 2005. I expected a dark, RIO band like Present, but instead got a band that "wowed" me much like Hidria Spacefolk did last year. I guess "Avant-prog" is the way people describe them, or what used to be called "Acid Jazz" some 10 or 15 years ago. Again, I'll leave the proper labelling to those that it really matters to.
Now, I tend to favor guitar driven bands, but I have to say keyboard/reed player Tom Scott beautifully handles the melodies and chords that a guitar might (if there were a guitar). It was definitely the most interesting set of the weekend for me, and The Muffins have gained a new fan. Ironically, like PFM, the Muffins are another band that have been around (on and off) since the 70's that I never even heard of prior to now.
Matthew Parmenter was the solo spot for Sunday. I watched an extremely well executed introduction by Bill Knipsel (sic), then saw a guy with a mime-painted face come out, sit-down in front of a keyboard, move his hand to one key with the motion of someone about to place the top card on a house of cards, and then began a high, nasally chant while repetitively depressing a single note. That was it for me.
In my eyes, he came across as someone pretentious enough to say, "Hey, look at how profound I am."
It reminded me of Bono's stage presence after U2 became too cool for school.
Is it wrong to make a judgment like this in less than 90 seconds?
Absolutely...but that's all it took for him to turn me off.
To each his own, right?
Next up was Kenso....probably the most non-stop energy of any band all weekend.
While I will say that this is an incredibly exciting and technically proficient band, it loses it's luster with me after a few songs. Then it all tends to sound the same...much like classical music does with me. As I said, I much prefer guitar driven music, not keyboards (I was never much of an ELP fan, but I love Genesis...go figure), and Kenso is definitely a keyboard driven band, despite the most excellent guitar playing of Yoshihisa Shimizu. In fact, my favorite part of the set was when he was prominently showcased, which wasn't really until the last 30 minutes or so.
Anyway, I would have preferred them as an opener (i.e. a one hour set). Any more than that is a bit much for me.
Speaking of keyboard driven bands, Le Orme closed out the weekend.
Le Orme to me was a very ELP-ish band....similarly symphonic. While Michele Bon emulates a near perfect guitar sound on his portable organ, it wasn't enough for me.
I enjoyed them more than Metamorfosi, but nowhere near as much as PFM. While emotional Italian vocals are very beautiful and moving, they are not really my cup of tea for prog listening. The highlight for me was the sitar. I had never actually seen one played before, and it was really cool to witness.
Of course, there were people who couldn't understand how I could not fully appreciate Present, Kenso or Le Orme, but by the same token, I can't understand how people could walk out on Frogg Cafe or Proto-Kaw...but they did.
Different strokes and all that.
To sum up, this year's Nearfest was overall much better than last year's. This year I thoroughly enjoyed 6 bands (including Friday), while last year I can only say that about 1 (Hidria Spacefolk).
On top of that, being a "veteran" of the event this year, I knew more people, and met more people, and had much more fun. It really was a great weekend.
I also spent a LOT more money this year.
My purchases:
Non-music:
NF '05 T-shirt (black)
Frogg Cafe "Noodles" lt. blue shirt
Proto-Kaw white shirt
NF '05 pint glass
NF '05 official program
Music:
Little Atlas - Surface Serene & Wanderlust
(Little Atlas should be a 2nd band at next year's NF in my opinion)
PFM - Live in USA (aka Cook)
Wobbler - Hinterland
Glass Hammer - The Inconsolable Secret
DFA - Work in Progress (Live at NF 2000)
Indukti - S.U.S.A.R.
The Muffins - Loveletter #1 & Loveletter #2/Live at Orion DVD
Sonny Sharrock - Into Another Light
Nitrostar - Self-titled (free for Progression mag renewal)
Best of Baltimore's Buried Bands II (free for Progression mag renewal)
hehe...just realized that were I still married, today would be my 13th wedding anniversary.
3535 cigarettes not smoked, saving $795.38
Life saved: 1 week, 5 days, 6 hours
Let me first say it was great being able to meet more people....Steve Ispay, Thom Overstreet, and Kevin Cassidy (who brought his 13 year old daughter...little warms the heart more than to see kids that are musically open-minded...she was even wearing a Frogg Café t-shirt), Scott Montgomery, and a host of others.
Also, it was great seeing the usual suspects again....Bill K, Donna K, Robert D, Allison, Adam P, Andy K, Andres, Dave Floyd, and of course Mike H, my "roomie" for the weekend.
Sincere apologies if I've forgotten anyone.
Anyway, on to the weekend...
Friday was fantastic...a great start to the weekend.
I originally hadn't planned on going to the preshow, but after seeing Proto-Kaw in Metuchen a month ago, I wanted to see them again, so thanks to an extra ticket that Adam had, there I was.
Proto-Kaw was just as good as last month, and it was an exciting start to the weekend.
I'm really looking forward to their next CD due for release in September.
Then came PFM (Premiata Forneria Marconi). I'll admit that not really caring much for Metamorfosi last year, I didn't have high expectations for PFM. IOW, I prejudged them based on their country of origin. The upshot to pre-condemning a band is that the satisfaction level can only go up. In the case of PFM, my satisfaction level skyrocketed. They were amazing. Nothing like I expected. A very exciting band full of energy. And I actually preferred the songs sung in Italian over those done in English...which had to be read by singer/drummer Franz Dicioccio.
PFM was probably my favorite unknown-to-me band of the weekend. I can't believe I reached the age of 42 without having a clue who these guys were.
Saturday...between the unintentional procrastination by Mike and I in the morning (eating breakfast and jaw-jacking) and not being able to find parking, I walked in almost 30 minutes late for Wobbler, and I didn't want to bother others by working my way to my seat, so I stood on the side steps for the remaining 30 minutes of their set. Admittedly, because of these factors, I couldn't really get myself into Wobbler. What I did observe though was that while I enjoy their music (listening to Hinterland as I type this), they seemed to drone on unnecessarily. IMO, they took 30 minutes to get a 15 minute message across. I don't feel that way listening to the CD, so maybe it was just the circumstances of my late arrival, but I heard similar opinions from others who were there on time.
Next was Frogg Cafe. I'm not gonna go into detail about bands I've already praised.
I love these guys...saw them twice before this, and they did not disappoint this time either. The highlight was seeing Frank Camiola (original guitarist and co-founding member) join the band for Waterfall Carnival (one of my favorite FC tunes). That was really cool.
I didn't watch Steve Roach. Mike and I were hungry and went for lunch. Besides, electronic ambience is not something I want to sit and watch.
Present was next. I'm not really into RIO bands, and Present is no exception. This very dark type of music is not my cup of tea. However, I did stay for the entire set mainly because I was mesmerized by the drumming of Dave Kerman. He was a marvel to observe and he single-handedly kept me interested in Present.
Saturday was capped by I.Q.
I really like these guys. I thoroughly enjoyed their set, and I am a big fan of what most seem to call "neo-prog"...a term I don't really get, because "neo" means "new", and what people call neo-prog is stuff that emulates the "classic" prog sound. Whatever...I'll leave the term coining duties to the progholes.
I do have to say this though...I only own their most recent CD, 'Dark Matter', and after seeing their set, I feel like I don't need any other CDs. IOW, there was a certain "sameness" to their music that made me feel that Dark Matter is more or less representative of them (plus the fact that the DM material was my favorite part of the performance). I discussed this with several more knowledgeable people (not IQ sycophants though), and the consensus that I got was this...most of their releases have at least a couple of unique and great tracks that make it stand out, but yes, they do have a "sameness" about them.
That being said, I liked them enough that I would most likely buy future CDs, but I don't think I'll be collecting their back catalog anytime soon.
On to Sunday...
Knight Area lived up to my preconceived expectations. I was very disappointed when we found out that Riverside could not make it and they were being replaced by Knight Area. I had purchased their CD "The Sun Also Rises" at last year's NF, and what I heard on the CD was not a derivative of Genesis, but a band about 4 bars short of being a cover band. Their performance Sunday morning was no different. I have little positive to say about them, so 'nuff said.
Next up....The Muffins....
For me, this was the surprise of Nearfest 2005. I expected a dark, RIO band like Present, but instead got a band that "wowed" me much like Hidria Spacefolk did last year. I guess "Avant-prog" is the way people describe them, or what used to be called "Acid Jazz" some 10 or 15 years ago. Again, I'll leave the proper labelling to those that it really matters to.
Now, I tend to favor guitar driven bands, but I have to say keyboard/reed player Tom Scott beautifully handles the melodies and chords that a guitar might (if there were a guitar). It was definitely the most interesting set of the weekend for me, and The Muffins have gained a new fan. Ironically, like PFM, the Muffins are another band that have been around (on and off) since the 70's that I never even heard of prior to now.
Matthew Parmenter was the solo spot for Sunday. I watched an extremely well executed introduction by Bill Knipsel (sic), then saw a guy with a mime-painted face come out, sit-down in front of a keyboard, move his hand to one key with the motion of someone about to place the top card on a house of cards, and then began a high, nasally chant while repetitively depressing a single note. That was it for me.
In my eyes, he came across as someone pretentious enough to say, "Hey, look at how profound I am."
It reminded me of Bono's stage presence after U2 became too cool for school.
Is it wrong to make a judgment like this in less than 90 seconds?
Absolutely...but that's all it took for him to turn me off.
To each his own, right?
Next up was Kenso....probably the most non-stop energy of any band all weekend.
While I will say that this is an incredibly exciting and technically proficient band, it loses it's luster with me after a few songs. Then it all tends to sound the same...much like classical music does with me. As I said, I much prefer guitar driven music, not keyboards (I was never much of an ELP fan, but I love Genesis...go figure), and Kenso is definitely a keyboard driven band, despite the most excellent guitar playing of Yoshihisa Shimizu. In fact, my favorite part of the set was when he was prominently showcased, which wasn't really until the last 30 minutes or so.
Anyway, I would have preferred them as an opener (i.e. a one hour set). Any more than that is a bit much for me.
Speaking of keyboard driven bands, Le Orme closed out the weekend.
Le Orme to me was a very ELP-ish band....similarly symphonic. While Michele Bon emulates a near perfect guitar sound on his portable organ, it wasn't enough for me.
I enjoyed them more than Metamorfosi, but nowhere near as much as PFM. While emotional Italian vocals are very beautiful and moving, they are not really my cup of tea for prog listening. The highlight for me was the sitar. I had never actually seen one played before, and it was really cool to witness.
Of course, there were people who couldn't understand how I could not fully appreciate Present, Kenso or Le Orme, but by the same token, I can't understand how people could walk out on Frogg Cafe or Proto-Kaw...but they did.
Different strokes and all that.
To sum up, this year's Nearfest was overall much better than last year's. This year I thoroughly enjoyed 6 bands (including Friday), while last year I can only say that about 1 (Hidria Spacefolk).
On top of that, being a "veteran" of the event this year, I knew more people, and met more people, and had much more fun. It really was a great weekend.
I also spent a LOT more money this year.
My purchases:
Non-music:
NF '05 T-shirt (black)
Frogg Cafe "Noodles" lt. blue shirt
Proto-Kaw white shirt
NF '05 pint glass
NF '05 official program
Music:
Little Atlas - Surface Serene & Wanderlust
(Little Atlas should be a 2nd band at next year's NF in my opinion)
PFM - Live in USA (aka Cook)
Wobbler - Hinterland
Glass Hammer - The Inconsolable Secret
DFA - Work in Progress (Live at NF 2000)
Indukti - S.U.S.A.R.
The Muffins - Loveletter #1 & Loveletter #2/Live at Orion DVD
Sonny Sharrock - Into Another Light
Nitrostar - Self-titled (free for Progression mag renewal)
Best of Baltimore's Buried Bands II (free for Progression mag renewal)
hehe...just realized that were I still married, today would be my 13th wedding anniversary.
3535 cigarettes not smoked, saving $795.38
Life saved: 1 week, 5 days, 6 hours
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Still here
Yeah, I'm still around....just haven't gotten around to posting anything in a while.
Been focusing too much on upcoming events rather than what's already been.
I went to see Mike Keneally in PA a couple weeks ago. That was a lot of fun. Got a seat at a cabaret table right up front. I would have had to sit on the stage to be any closer. They were filming a DVD, so it was a good time. It was a great show and spirits were high. Can't wait for the DVD to come out.
The Alex Skolnick Trio opened for Keneally.
(Alex of course being formerly of the thrash metal group Testament, as well as having toured with Ozzy). They were pretty good, but I'm not big on that kind of smooth jazz fusion. Although it was interesting if nothing else to hear Kiss' Detroit Rock City and Judas Priest's Electric Eye done in that fashion. :-)
Nearfest is less than a week away! I wasn't originally planning on it, but I'm going to the Friday night pre-show. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Proto-Kaw again. :-)
Anyway, I guess that's it for now.
More later.
Oh yeah....
Two months, two weeks, five days, 4 hours, 49 minutes
3208 cigarettes not smoked, saving $721.81
Life saved: 1 week, 4 days, 3 hours
Been focusing too much on upcoming events rather than what's already been.
I went to see Mike Keneally in PA a couple weeks ago. That was a lot of fun. Got a seat at a cabaret table right up front. I would have had to sit on the stage to be any closer. They were filming a DVD, so it was a good time. It was a great show and spirits were high. Can't wait for the DVD to come out.
The Alex Skolnick Trio opened for Keneally.(Alex of course being formerly of the thrash metal group Testament, as well as having toured with Ozzy). They were pretty good, but I'm not big on that kind of smooth jazz fusion. Although it was interesting if nothing else to hear Kiss' Detroit Rock City and Judas Priest's Electric Eye done in that fashion. :-)
Nearfest is less than a week away! I wasn't originally planning on it, but I'm going to the Friday night pre-show. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Proto-Kaw again. :-)
Anyway, I guess that's it for now.
More later.
Oh yeah....
Two months, two weeks, five days, 4 hours, 49 minutes
3208 cigarettes not smoked, saving $721.81
Life saved: 1 week, 4 days, 3 hours
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Concert photos
Well, I need to become a bit more knowledgable on how to take good pictures in concert lighting conditions. The pics I took didn't come out nearly as good as I expected.
I took over 100 pics of each band, and here are the links for the ones that I didn't delete:
Frogg Café
Proto-Kaw
I took over 100 pics of each band, and here are the links for the ones that I didn't delete:
Frogg Café
Proto-Kaw
Frogg Café/Proto-Kaw Review
Usually when I set my expectations high, I find that the actual experience is not very satisfying.
Tonight was a huge exception.
The evening started with disappointment as I was unable to unload my extra ticket and realized that it had cost me $70 to see the show.
Ya know what? It was worth it. I'd rather spend $70 to see two great bands than $85-$100 to see one band at a place like the PNC Arts Center.
Anyway, there was a decent merchandise spread in the lobby for both bands.
Frogg Café had two T-shirts (powder blue Noodles and white 2005 Summer Tour) and all their CDs, including Noodles, and various color baseball caps. I might pick one of those up at Nearfest.
Proto-Kaw had three T-shirts (four, if you count that one was in either black or white), buttons, both CDs, as well as the "Best of" Kerry Livgren CD, and there might have been another piece of paraphernalia that I'm forgetting...something near the buttons.
All I picked up tonight was the best of Kerry Livgren CD (I have all the others available by both bands), and that was on the way out. On the way in all I bought was a $2 bottle of Poland Spring water (I believe it was a 10 oz bottle).
While buying the water, I heard a pretty cool acoustic solo cover of Jethro Tull's Wond'ring Aloud. I walked in to find that it was Karl Eisenhart from Pinnacle. It seemed to be an impromptu "solo spotlight". Pretty neat way to be seated.
On with the show...
FC opened with my favorite track from Fortunate Observer of Time, Abyss of Dissension (and they closed the show with a track from my favorite artist....more later). I was surprised they opened with this one, but it was a good kick in the ass start for a show.
Now, I'm terrible with remembering setlists, but suffice to say that they played a phenomenal set which included the aforementioned opener, You're Still Sleeping, Fortunate Observer of Time, Eternal Optimist, Kandy Korn, and All This Time from Creatures, and the closing track that I couldn't possibly forget, a smokin' cover of Zappa's 'Dog Breath'. When Suss asked if we wanted to hear a Zappa tune, I honestly expected Peaches, and was very pleasantly surprised to hear something different.
One of the highlights was seeing Steve Uh wield a violin for a duet with Bill Ayasse. That was fun to witness.
All in all a great show from a great bunch of guys.
Then it was Proto-Kaw's turn.
Now, I'm sure there were some people there mainly to see Frogg Café, and there were probably some there mainly to see Proto-Kaw.
I was one of the ones there to see both.
The one thing I worry about when seeing a great "warm-up" band is that they'll upstage the "headliner".
Let me first be very clear that I love Frogg Café, love their CDs, and loved the set they played.
That being said, as soon as Proto-Kaw came out, they immediately commanded the respect of a headliner as they broke into Alt. More Worlds Than Known. Maybe it was the louder sound mix contributing, but they just exuded professionalism and experience. I can't remember all the tracks they played, but it was a nice mix of older songs and newer material. Among the highlights (for me anyway) was my favorite track from Before Became After, Heavenly Man (which is a new recording of an old song), Gloriana, Totus Nemesis, Skont, Belexes (show closer), and an absolutely killer version of Death of Mother Nature Suite. I must say that their performance of these last two songs I mentioned left no doubt that it was the "famous" Kansas that did the "cover" versions of them.
The only change in song selection I would have liked if I had my way would be to lose the "Lawyer Song" and play Theophany (my other favorite from BBA).
Otherwise it was a nice choice of songs for a set.
Most importantly, I finally got to see Kerry Livgren perform.
I was not the least bit disappointed.
NP - Kerry Livgren - The Best of Kerry Livgren
One month, four weeks, 22 hours, 11 minutes
2356 cigarettes not smoked, saving $530.32
Life saved: 1 week, 1 day, 4 hours
NP - Kerry Livgren - The Best of Kerry Livgren
One month, four weeks, 22 hours, 11 minutes
2356 cigarettes not smoked, saving $530.32
Life saved: 1 week, 1 day, 4 hours
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Optical tricks
As Obi-Wan once said, "Don't trust your eyes, they can deceive you."
Check out some pretty neat proof of that here.
Not much else going on. Going to see Frogg Café/Proto-Kaw tonight. That should be pretty cool.
My cousin Tom asked me last week if I wanted to go to Cancun to a "Guys only" type 4-day weekend in August. I strongly considered it, but decided that $1100 was a bit much for 4 days...even though the resort was all-inclusive.
NP - Frank Zappa 3/15/88
One month, four weeks, 7 hours, 31 minutes
2332 cigarettes not smoked, saving $524.82
Life saved: 1 week, 1 day, 2 hours
Check out some pretty neat proof of that here.
Not much else going on. Going to see Frogg Café/Proto-Kaw tonight. That should be pretty cool.
My cousin Tom asked me last week if I wanted to go to Cancun to a "Guys only" type 4-day weekend in August. I strongly considered it, but decided that $1100 was a bit much for 4 days...even though the resort was all-inclusive.
NP - Frank Zappa 3/15/88
One month, four weeks, 7 hours, 31 minutes
2332 cigarettes not smoked, saving $524.82
Life saved: 1 week, 1 day, 2 hours
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
They're telling us because....?
By now you've heard the latest news from the U.S. Department of Who Gives a Shit?
"Deep Throat" unmasked!
AND?!?!?
That was almost 35 years ago! Is there anyone who really cares anymore? Nixon's dead. W.M. Felt himself is 91 and senile.
Why is this news?
I guess we need something to keep us going...we've still got another 33 years or so before they release to the public the files on the Kennedy assassination. Something else that no one in 2038 will care about.
One month, two weeks, four days, 16 hours
1946 cigarettes not smoked, saving $437.90
Life saved: 6 days, 18 hours
"Deep Throat" unmasked!
AND?!?!?
That was almost 35 years ago! Is there anyone who really cares anymore? Nixon's dead. W.M. Felt himself is 91 and senile.
Why is this news?
I guess we need something to keep us going...we've still got another 33 years or so before they release to the public the files on the Kennedy assassination. Something else that no one in 2038 will care about.
One month, two weeks, four days, 16 hours
1946 cigarettes not smoked, saving $437.90
Life saved: 6 days, 18 hours
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