MY NEW FAVORITE WEBSITE

Appropriately named after my daily mantra: I Need Coffee
Surprisingly informative "non-commercial Caffeination Information."

WinMX Update - The last file of Chicago's 1987 concert at the Concord Pavillion continues to elude me.

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BOIL AND BUBBLE

I'm sitting here engaging in my usual Saturday morning NPR ritual before work and again giving some thought to the various ups and downs of my present life. Money problems abound again, but nothing I won't make it through (I don't think). And, this time around, I have as many, if not more reasons to be happy than sad.

I keep coming back to this verse of the song My Thanksgiving:

And I don't mind saying that I still love it all
I wallowed in the springtime
Now I'm welcoming the fall
For every moment of joy
Every hour of fear
For every winding road that brought me here
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving

by Henley/Lynch/Winding

Score another one for maturity, huh?

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LIVIN' LA VIDA INTERESANTE

I know it's been a dry spell for blog entries. Working, turning 30, and closely following Wimbledon for the first time in about five years were some of the things keeping me occupied over the past week or so. I've also spent a fair amount of time connecting on multiple levels with someone who's quite possibly my mirror image, while at the same time working out various life issues.

Unfortunately, this leaves little time for dwelling on life observations and jotting down sarcastic comments. There just hasn't been room in my head. Perhaps my idiocy threshhold was slightly raised. Or, like a drug addict, it simply takes more and more to motivate me to make cutting remarks.

I'm sure the bug will return soon. But, in the interim, a couple of recent events merit some treatment.

I played with a small group of musicians at my church for the 4th of July. It was a sort of hodge-podge of smooth jazzy (blech), pop and rock instrumental stuff. I was sort of nervous. I did a fair amount of personal preparation, but was unable to attend the single rehearsal that was held. And, I unexpectedly ended up playing on a few songs I hadn't practiced.

All in all, I don't think I did all that badly. Yes, it could've done better. But, it could've been so much worse. I shock myself with that attitude. A friend of mine was slightly shocked when I conveyed this feeling to him. Perhaps maturity is starting to catch up with me.

The other event -- well, I changed my mind about sharing it. Let's just say that it was a situation that had the earmarks of the first five minutes of a soft-core, r-rated adult film and from which I promptly escaped.

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AND THE WINNER IS...

I decided that I'd use a third, different song as my "Birthday Theme." I can't remember if I've mentioned this song before or not. But hey, it's my birthday and my blog :) -- 7/3/MCMLXXIII!

Many reasons that hold you back
Tell you no, make you fall short of what you want to say
Too many voices in my head
Where's the boy who used to take chances
Used to say when I grow up to me a man someday
True to my heart in every way
Seems so simple
Why's it so hard
I'll never know

Take the time seize the moment
Don't let go
The state of mind is everything about
The love you call your own

The Love You Call Your Own
words/music by Robert Lamm & Gerard McMahon

Of course, however, the show still must go on...

And I'm tired of turning my back on myself
Throwing truth away
Let the fire burn down the front door to myself
And give me a season to play

The Show Must Go On
words/music by Bill Champlin
perf. by Chicago

'Nuff said

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MORE BORROWED LYRICS

For E...

Did you ever love somebody
Did you ever really care
Did you ever need somebody
Just to rub your hair

All the energy we spend on motion
All the curcuitry and time
Is there any way to feel a body
Through fiber optic lines

...

Don't you wanna be right here, right now

Right Here, Right Now by Cassandra Wilson

:x

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TURNING

George Carlin on age:
(I highlighted a relevant secion)

And then the greatest day of your life... you become 21.

Even the words sound like a ceremony... YOU BECOME 21... YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk. He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40.

Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50... and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

There was a sort of bittersweet, sad tradition I sort of developed about 4 or 5 years ago. At some point during the day of my birth, I'd find a quiet spot and play the song Birthday Boy by Chicago. It's sort of a sad song that I guess (20/20 hindsight) made me feel like I was being all pensive when I was in reality indulging in a good dose of self-pity.

This year, however, feels different. For all the good and bad times in the past couple of years, some really good things have happened -- some as recently as last week!

So, I've decided that starting this year, I'm going to start listening to something else on my birthday. It's a tie. I can't decide between the song My Thanksgiving by Don Henley (I've posted a link to the lyrics some time back) and the song The Show Must Go On by Chicago, the song I've sort of adopted as my personal theme song over the past year or so. (Sorry, I can't really find a link to any accurate lyrics anywhere).

And, here I have about an hour to decide...

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THE HILLS ARE ALIVE...

It's been a pain downloading all of that Chicago concert, but I've only got one more file left. It's so funny listening to how this band has evolved the way they play some of their songs over the years. The concert is chock-full of all those wierd funny synth effects that EVERYONE thought was so cool back then (Including YOU, if you listened to any music at all in the 80s - admit it!).

There should be a notice attached to this music under the copyright infringement note:

WARNING: This music could cause spontaneous flashbacks of scenes from Miami Vice.

I swear I can see that white Ferrari Testarosa zooming through the streets.

I know what you're asking. "Well, gee, Don, don't you like any music specifically targetted to your demographic? Hey, the Dave Matthews Band has a fiddle and a sax in it -- you like that, don't you? Or are you just too much of a pretentious, hipster, Wynton Marsalis purist jerk to just listen to music and enjoy it like the rest of us?"

The answer is yes, after college I got off my musical high horse and started finding the occassional pop-MTV-VH1-Top 40 song that I find interesting, regardless of musical quality or lack thereof.

Currently, that song is Big Yellow Taxi by the Counting Crows featuring Vanessa Carlton. It's on Winamp at this moment.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go dig up Bitches Brew by Miles Davis.

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MORE WinMX EXPLOITS

I've got more than half of a 1987 Chicago concert at the Concord Pavillion. Man, I can't remember the last time they played a set of songs from a new album (Chicago 18 in this case). It's also funny hearing all these 80s synth effects that they (and every other band at the time) used.

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ALWAYS KNEW I HAD IT IN ME

If I were a Dead Russian Composer, I would be Igor Stravinsky. Known as a true son of the new 20th Century, my music started out melodic and folky but slowly got more dissonant and bizzare as I aged. I am a traveler and a neat freak, and very much hated those rotten eggs thrown at me after the premiere of "The Rite of Spring." Who would you be? Dead Russian Composer Personality Test

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MOVIE NIGHT

Unsatisfied with Hulk, I rented a flick which I just got around to watching tonight, The Transporter. As good as it is, I think I may take it off my wish list now. It was basically a hodge-podge of movies. Whether intentional on the director's part or not, I saw blatant references to Shaft, Enter the Dragon, Game of Death, and possibly a few others.

Good martial arts stuff thanks to Cory Yuen (the fight choreographer), but not enough, IMO.

That's it. Straightforward movie = straightforward ranting.

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BAH! PUNY HUMANS!

Yes, I caught a showing of Hulk this afternoon. As a movie, it was ok. It was definitely Crouching Tiger-style filmmaking. What I mean is that once again Ang Lee tries to take characters and drama with some degree of depth and disguise it as something else, be it a kung fu movie or a comic book film. I think the problem was that it worked almost too well. I think that's why a lot of people have been slamming the movie. I could see why people would be disappointed if they were just expecting a "comic book flick." It was meant to be more than that. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was certainly no Enter the Dragon, but it wasn't meant to do that, either.

I don't feel like restraining myself like I did when I posted on Matrix: Reloaded, so I'm gonna try a trick I picked up on some anime website. This means I'm about to post some SPOILER INFORMATION. If you still wish to read, just drag your mouse in between the horizontal lines.

---

Hulk's biggest strength, along with all the Marvel Comics movies to come out in the past couple of years (yes, even Daredevil) is the high degree of faithfulness to history. As far as Hulk, we saw some tweaking as expected. But, we also saw the following:

David Banner (played by Nick Nolte), doing some classic TV things including masquerading as a janitor AND subjecting himself to gamma rays.

Some say Jack Nicholson was the perfect choice as The Joker in Batman, and Patrick Stewart was born to be Professor X. Well, Sam Elliot was perfect as General "Thunderbolt" Ross (even though I don't recall him being called Thunderbolt in the movie). I will say that this didn't make itself evident until the last 1/3 of the movie. Only then did you see the classic mix of fear, hate, respect and pity that the character had for the Hulk in the comics.

Ripped purple pants! Who the hell wears purple pants in this day and age that isn't a raver or a pimp? But, the comic book Hulk did, and so did the movie one. Heck, they even had stretchable purple briefs just like Hulk had for awhile in the mid-80s.

Going back to "David Banner" for a second. In a key scene, he subjected himself to the same conditions that created the Hulk to take advantage of the genetic modifications he passed on to his son. I'm not going to explain it further -- see the flick yourself. Suffice it to say that I knew he wasn't going to be another Hulk. But the way his skin changed, I was sure they were going to make him "The Abomination" (one of Hulk's arch-enemies in the comic). I was fooled -- he ended up being "The Absorbing Man."

There might have been no gamma bomb, but there were big, green mushroom clouds.

There was no Rick Jones, per se, but the one fact about Hulk's origin stayed the same: Banner gets nuked while trying to save someone.

It was the ultimate thrill to see the same basic template of all of Hulk's confrontations with the military in the comic books on the big screen, right down to the bending of tank turrets!

Finally, two words from the script: "Puny human!" said by guess who :).

---

Thus endeth the ranting.

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LATE NIGHT WITH WinMX

Current Music: Tenacious Boogie and The Last One by Howland, Laug, Morrison & Pinnick

Yes, that is Keith Howland, currently the guitarist for Chicago and Chris Pinnick, former lead guitarist for Chicago. It's just sad that music this good (along with The Howland-Imboden Project referenced a few entries back) will never see the light of day in a record store. Check out these tunes for some seriously frightening guitar chops.

It's just a cool concept, though, especially if you're familiar with Chicago's history with guitar players. Now, if only Dawayne Bailey and Donnie Dacus would cut some track together. Hell, even team up with Howland and Pinnick... I shudder to think.

Other Current Music: Chicago - Live by Request

Yes, the whole shebang, available online that I discovered just as I was about to go to bed at 1:30 AM. 14 mp3 files -- looks like MS Office will have to go! Just kidding. Man, it was a rough download with sources that flittered in and out. I was tired.

And before you gasp, "*Gasp* You illegally downloaded mp3s -- that makes you a thief and an all around b@$tard!" let me just say what I said after I downloaded the whole Stone of Sisyphus album. The second it's available for sale, I'll buy it, but until then, I'm enjoying the stuff now.

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ROUND AND ROUND THEY GO

The way they switch around the schedule willy-nilly on Adult Swim is giving me a headache. They have now bumped Trigun in favor of REIGN: The Conqueror and put Lupin the 3rd in place of Cowboy Bebop. And, they started Lupin at the beginning of the 1971 series.

It took awhile to grow on me, but I think I'm beginning to understand the appeal of Rurouni Kenshin.

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MY NEWLY ELECTED FAVORITE WORD

MONKEYPOX

Don't you love how that just rolls off the tongue?

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For all those who asked, re: Pet Peeve #624...

PET PEEVE #1

People who leave a roll of toilet paper sitting on top of an empty toilet paper holder.

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20 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE

I love technology, but I've never felt the need to have the newest, latest thing out there. True story: My first computer was a 486 with Windows 3.1 on it. I didn't get Windows 95 for it until the day after Windows 98 is released. I've got a new computer since then -- still running Windows 98. I long for the speed of Windows 95. Heck, I didn't own a CD player or any CDs until about 1997.

I have yet to own a DVD player, but I'm itching to get one. I can't believe the stuff I'm rapidly adding to my Amazon.com wish list (see left). Complete episodes of almost all of my favorite shows -- I just added The Young Ones! I haven't seen them in years! It almost makes me sad the amount of videotape I used taping episodes of Doctor Who off of PBS as a kid.

Then again, I can't be doing all that bad if I've been posting stuff on a blog.

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You've seen the personality quizzes. You've read the deep introspection. You've heard the whining. You know what "Current Music" I'm playing.

Now, prepare for...

THE CD REVIEW

I guess we could go song by song through The Trouble With Being Myself, but I'm too tired. I'll just make these brief points in this preliminary review. As always, all opinions are subject to change.

THE GOOD:
This CD is everything a third album should be -- evidence of musical growth. I don't think there's a song on here that's just "I Try Redux." I always felt The Id, as good as it was, aimed to be a new and improved version of On How Life Is. Consequently, the music -- writing, arranging, the performing, the funk -- was laid on a little too thick for me.

The new album is definitely "retro-cool" at its finest. The songs and arrangements are so much more complex and mature. My favorite thing about Macy Gray's CDs is that they're such a group effort. It's not one person's vocals above a group of muted studio musicians. It's the same core funkiness taken in new directions. Not too far off so as to be a "concept album" -- you know the type. The one that every artist makes to explore new musical territory that no one except 2% of their fans understand, which makes their next album a quick return to the "same old crap" so that the record company can recoup their losses.

If those aren't good enough reasons to dig it: Beck co-writes a song and performs on it!

THE BAD:
My only complaint - no bonus track (at least not on mine). I'll probably need to listen to it about 5 more times before I find something to complain about.

THE UGLY:
I wouldn't change a thing on ANY of her albums. I just have one question -- Can she go through one CD without a song about her killing or threatening to kill someone?

I've committed murder and I think I got away
I've Committed Murder from On How Life Is

Give me all your lovin'
Or I will kill you
Give Me All Your Lovin' Or I Will Kill You from The Id

She gonna hurt you daddy never again,
She wasn't a friend,
So I killed her
My Fondest Childhood Memories from The Trouble With Being Myself

You thought I was joking, didn't you? Like I said, though, I wouldn't change a thing.

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MY OWN PERSONALITY QUIZ

This is one by me, for me.

You found out today that June 10 was the international release date for Macy Gray's third album The Trouble with Being Myself. And, you found it out as you were about to shell out $22.99 at the Virgin Megastore for a copy of the CD and didn't think twice about it until you got to the cash register where you asked about the price and was told it was an Australian import. You bought the CD anyway. This makes you...

a) A really big fan of Macy Gray
b) The worst kind of Western materialist (I got the credit -- gimmie it now!)

Eh, who knows? I'll write more about the music when I'm finished listening to it -- I'm on my second run-through now.

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KNOWLEDGE OF THE ARCANE

A few entries back, I posted a quote from the show NewsRadio. I always liked that show; it's probably the closest that American TV will ever come to something as smart and witty as The Kids in the Hall -- and that's only because it had Dave Foley in it.

I didn't know about one cool tidbit concerning the episode titles until I read epguide.com's NewsRadio Titles and Air Dates Guide.

Check out the titles to episodes 20-28 and 41.

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MISCELLANEA

ITEM ONE
For those who informed me about trouble with my blog archives, reposting them seems to have solved whatever problem they were having.

ITEM TWO
Why couldn't I find Macy Gray's new CD anywhere yesterday?!?!

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THE SECRET ORIGIN OF THIS BLOG

Well, aside from voracious reading of Fran Lebowitz, Dennis Miller, and anyone else who'd make cutting remarks about the world around them, Bruce Campbell's (yes, the Army of Darkness guy) was the seed that was planted in my brain that eventually drove me to put my rantings in blog form. Hey, that sort of sounds like a B-movie plot, doesn't it?

The things you rediscover as you go web surfing through your Favorites list.

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PET PEEVE #624

Current Music: Inching Toward...? by The Howland Imboden Project

The blurb of this song reads:

This song from the upcoming release from The Howland Imboden Project features Robert Lamm and James Pankow from the band Chicago as well as drummer Tris Imboden and guitarist Keith Howland. The tune weaves latin, jazz, and rock together in a melodic vehicle for the soloists to improvise over.

This song completely kicks @$$, mostly because of the kick-@$$ musicians on the track. Now, this song features 1/2 of the band Chicago. It should follow that the band as a whole should be able to produce music of equal or greater quality.

But they don't. And, I don't buy any of that "Boo-hoo, we were pigeon-holed in the 80s as a ballad band" crap. Listen to a live show. They can make that "ballad band" stuff rock when they can be bothered to do so. So, why have they released strings of rehashed greatest hits and cover CDs for the past 10 years? The frequency of new songs they'd produce (often as the "bonus tracks" to these CDs) is as sporadic as the quality of the music.

Check out the (hard to find) solo efforts from different band members -- from the originals like Robert Lamm, the vets like Bill Champlin and Jason Scheff, and the newer members like Keith Howland and Tris Imboden -- everything just sounds SO much better. The writing, the vocals, and the instrumentals are of a caliber that, I say, hasn't been heard on a Chicago album for a good 20 years!

Inching Toward...? is a prime example. In it, there's a lengthy trombone solo by James Pankow. Pankow hasn't had a 'bone solo on this good on a Chicago album since Chicago VII. How long ago was that? A long time, since they're supposedly recording Chicago XXVII now.

Just ticks me off. I don't buy Chicago's reasons for why their music just isn't as good as it was in the 70s (You can find them if you do enough web-searching on the subject). I personally chalk it up to what they must be thinking which IMO has to be, "Hey, Chicago has paid our dues for nigh on 40 years now, so why put in the effort of making new music when we can play Saturday in the Park for the 5 billionth time at a show you still paid $30 to see, plus another $20 on a t-shirt?"

It wouldn't tick me off as much if they'd at least have the stones to come out and say that. At least that'd be honest, and I can enjoy their solo efforts without my metaphorical stomach churning.

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ON A SAD NOTE

Once again, Adult Swim changes its rotation, and once again the show that gets the shaft is Lupin the 3rd. They could've at least let the new episodes run one more time. Eh, I'll give Kikaider a chance if for no other reason than it's followed by Inu Yasha and Trigun. I might like it -- who knows? The last time this happened, I was introduced to REIGN: The Conqueror.

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MUSIC OF THE DAY

DSL is getting to be a bad thing. I'm downloading way too much music that I really don't have the hard drive for. I intended to take a bit of time today to clean it out. And, I just downloaded more, though I may end up deleting most of it. It made for quite the interesting playlist:

Africa and Rosanna by Toto
Kaze wa Mirai ni Fuku, the end theme to the Trigun anime series.
When I See You by Macy Gray (CD comes out tomorrow, though I probably won't have time to get to a store until Wednesday or Thursday)
My Will, the end theme to the Inu Yasha anime series.
Valerie, by Steve Winwood. This one I'll keep -- for me, it has that "songs I grew up with" quality.

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ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Readeth thou the official Blackadder Quote Generator.

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THE LITERARY AGENDA

Last week, I flipped briefly though the next book I intend to purchase and read, Mike Nelson's Mind over Matters, by, you guessed it, Michael J. Nelson, former head writer/host for Mystery Science Theater 3000 -- though, I always missed Joel.

And, on a side note, I'm completely addicted to The Real Folk Blues by Mai Yamane & The Seatbelts. Do a Google search and download it. You won't be disappointed, even if you don't know jack about anime, Cowboy Bebop, jazz or blues.

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COUNTING DAYS AND PENNIES

Three more days to the new Macy Gray CD!

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FREEDOM! (ALMOST)

Summertime and the livin' is easy

Summertime
by Heyward & Gershwin

Well, it's summertime, and I'm free from my primary job. Now, I get to subsist on my secondary job. But, provided I can scrape by, I've got my mornings free to do stuff like planning how to breakback into my social work, get my finances in order, and practice kung fu.

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WISDOM OF THE AGES

DAVE
Have you ever heard the expression, "When life give you lemons, make lemonade"?

BILL
Have you ever heard the expression, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade and then toss it in the face of the person who gave you the lemons until they give you the oranges you asked for in the first place"?

from NewsRadio: Airport

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FINALLY SOME GOOD MUSIC

I just completed a download of The Real Folk Blues by Mai Yamane & The Seatbelts. This song is the ending theme to Sessions 1 to 25 of the anime series Cowboy Bebop.

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IDLE MUSINGS

These are the thoughts that kept me out of the really good schools.
  -George Carlin

And, you thought Matrix Essays went too far.

ITEM ONE
I'm really digging all these "new" episodes of Lupin the 3rd that I'm seeing. I just have a few questions...

First off, he's supposed to be the grandson of the (fictional) French thief Arsene Lupin. Now, in all the episodes I've seen so far, I don't have any reason to think he's of mixed heritage or anything, so, why is his gang all Japanese? You have Fujiko, Goemon (a samurai), and Daisuke Jigen. Jigen's supposed to be this "Chicago gunman." Hey, I can buy that, I guess. Lots of Japanese in Chicago (?).

I suppose it's the same sort of reasoning that always brings Doctor Who, even though he can travel anywhere in time and space, back to England. Or, how the key to the conquest of the universe in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers centers around first taking out Angel Grove.

ITEM TWO
24 will undoubtedly go down as one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I realize the difficulties they must've had trying to top the first season, but still. In the last "few hours" of the season, the main character is tortured, clinically dies, is revived, escapes and accomplishes his mission all in the span of about 3 hours.

ITEM THREE
Something I couldn't quite put my finger on always bugged me about Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. When it first came out, comedian Jon Stewart made a disturbing observation. When you boil it down, the plot is about two grown men in pirate shirts and pony tails taking a young boy away from his mother to whisk him off in some "great adventure."

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I CAVED

I'm now the proud (not) owner of The Very Best of Chris Botti. I feel so unclean. I truly felt like retching when I looked up the listing on Barnes and Noble's lookup thingy and saw that if I liked this artist, I'd also like Kenny G and Boney James. I hate Boney James even more than I hate Kenny G.

Thank God I had some Miles Davis CDs with me to listen to so I could cleanse myself. OK, OK, the CD wasn't all that bad. It was the thought that I'm now a mere two or three steps away from damnat... I mean, buying a Boney James CD that made me ill.

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AN APPROPOS QUOTATION

Pardon me, I have nothing to say!
-George Carlin

Maybe I spent more on the last few posts than I thought I did.

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FIRST OF THE MONTH

No, I will not be getting any sort of check. Just a new month, and an old 1967 song lyric from the Spencer Davis Group to share with you.

Well, if I had my choice of matter I would rather be with cats
All engrossed in mental chatter showin' where our minds are at,
And relating to each other just how strong our will can be
In resisting all involvments with each groovy chick we see

I'm a Man
by S. Winwood and J. Miller
perf. by the Spencer Davis Group

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"TOO MANY VOICES IN MY HEAD"
or, "Continued from Last Night..."

ITEM FIVE
Earlier this week, I got to page through a copy of the Bulletproof Monk graphic novel. Man, the reviews were right -- it wasn't all that great. The flick was actually better.

I also got to leaf through a copy of some Lupin the 3rd manga. I've heard of fanservice, but damn. Monkey Punch must've had some serious childhood repression when he wrote this stuff.

ITEM SIX
Ten days until Macy Gray's new CD is released.

ITEM SEVEN
Apart from Adult Swim, my secondary addiction is the BET On Jazz channel. It makes me LONG for the days when I used to play. It also made me remember how STUPID I was trying to play under the influence of alcoholic beverages that probably could be properly classified as chemical weaponry.

ITEM SEVEN-A
I'm really confused about something. Every once in awhile, they do a rundown of Billboard's top jazz albums. Someone answer me this question: How in the blue hell did Norah Jones get a contract with Blue Note-freakin'-Records?

I'm not down on her music or anything. Musically, it really is decent stuff. But, I don't like it. Frankly, I tried listening to her CD and all I could think of was, "Half these songs will probably end up on the next Dawson's Creek soundtrack." But -- and Lord, forgive me for saying this -- Kenny G is more "jazz" than Norah Jones!

I've definitely matured past the Wynton Marsalis 'tude of "If it don't swing, it ain't jazz." I do idolize Cassandra Wilson, after all. But still, exactly what makes Norah's music "jazz"?

ITEM SEVEN-B
This is an appeal to anyone out there who might know. I ask this question out of sheer lack of knowledge and the sincere desire for an answer: Do I really need to know who Peter Cincotti is? I have neither the time nor the inclination to hear another Sinatra knock-off. I already have enough Harry Connick, Jr. music (good as it might be) as it is; I don't need to clutter up my CD collection with his clone.

ITEM EIGHT
I may have mentioned before about my sickening realization that "smooth jazz" is starting to grow on me. Lord help me, I might actually break and buy some soon.

Here's my justification. It looks like sometime in the near future, I'm going to be tapped to play lead/solo for the worship team in my church. In other words, me on trumpet in front of a rhythm section. Trouble is, most people aren't used to hearing trumpet; at my church, the lead horn player is a sax guy. Plus, I'm a jazzer. I (attempt to) play with a jazzer's tone and phrasing. On top of that, the style of music is 99% "contemporary Christian" which basically means pop and rock with a bit of smooth, contemporary jazz thrown in.

I tried using Miles Davis's You're Under Arrest album from 1985 as my guide, but his style of jazz fusion (not the smooth crap) is a bit too hardcore. So, maybe I need to get a couple of (shudder) Chris Botti CDs? Rick Braun, maybe?

I think I'm going to be ill.

ITEM NINE
A new Battlestar Galactica? A remake with a female Starbuck? Who, though the writers deny it, will probably end up in the sack with Apollo if the show lasts long enough?

I am going to be ill.

ITEM TEN
I forgot to mention something eerie about last week. Last week, I saw something on VH-1 having to do with New York, Tribeca, Robert DeNiro, something. There were some live shows and I saw The Roots with Cody ChestnuTT playing The Seed (2.0). The Roots kick @$$! Anyway, the eerie part is that I hit the remote button accidentally and flipped it to MTV where [insert Twilight Zone music here] The Seed (2.0) video was playing at the same time.

Spooky.

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TODAY IN MY BRAIN...

ITEM ONE
Believe it or not, I've spent way more time actually filling this blog thingy in than I originally envisioned. I'm now wondering if I should actually, somehow, someway start trolling for some sort of audience beyond the two to three people who actually read this. That, or just shut it down. Decisions, decisions.

ITEM TWO

I wonder if I should cop Adult Swim's new format. Do you think Williams Street would actually mind? Could I actually go white print over a black background? Maybe I should try something original.

But, as Fran Lebowitz once said,

Original thought is like original sin. Both happened a long time ago to people you could not possibly have met.

Or, maybe I could go all Space: 1999 with the Century Gothic font?

Nah.

ITEM THREE
A few entries back, I posted a snippet of the song My Thanksgiving by Don Henley. I finally ripped it from a friend's CD. I've grown attached to this lyric:

And I don't mind saying that I still love it all
I wallowed in the springtime
Now I'm welcoming the fall
For every moment of joy
Every hour of fear
For every winding road that brought me here
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving

Really, this has become one of those songs where you can directly relate to at least 90% of the lyrics. In order that I avoid breaking copyright laws any further, I'll provide a link to the lyrics of the song in its entirety -- let Henley's lawyers go knocking on their door.

ITEM FOUR
Incidentally, that song has made it onto my .mp3 playlist of songs whose lyrics I can relate to. They're mostly songs about self-examination and the process of searching. They reflect my search for the hows, whys and wherefores of where my life's been, where it's going, and where I want it to go.

I have no idea why I think this might be of interest to anybody, but I'll list them anyway. If nothing else, it's all good music. The list isn't complete and the order constantly changes. But as of today, these songs are...

How Great Is Your Love - Promise Keepers Live/PK2002
Man In Me - Peter Cetera
Sleeping in the Middle of the Bed Again - Robert Lamm
Same Old Song - Bill Champlin
Desperado - The Eagles
Overkill - Men At Work
The Heart of the Matter - Don Henley
They're Only Words - Beckley-Lamm-Wilson
Watching the Time - Robert Lamm
A Moment To Myself - Macy Gray
Skinny Boy - Chicago
The Love You Call Your Own - Robert Lamm
Life in Motion - Beckley-Lamm-Wilson
Today - Beckley-Lamm-Wilson
Plaid - Chicago
My Thanksgiving - Don Henley
Peace of Mind - Boston
Right Here, Right Now - Cassandra Wilson
Cry For The Lost - Chicago
When Will The World Be Like Lovers - Chicago
In the Stone - Earth, Wind & Fire

I may add...

Sacrifice - The Roots
Almost There - Mercy Me

Buy the CDs, download the .mp3s -- find the lyrics and pore over them with a yellow highlighter like the Zapruder film, or just enjoy the tunes.

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MUSING OVER MUSIC

Current Mood: None of your business :)
Current Music: My .mp3 playlist of all-time favorite tunes, one of which contains the following lyric:

I remember when you learned about love
In the back of a Chevrolet
No good for an old memory
To mean so much today

When You Close Your Eyes
words/music by Blades/Fitzgerald/Gillis
perf. by Night Ranger

Incidentally, my current mood is probably "sleepy." Not only does "Adult Swim" have cool shows and that interesting new format, but they've had these short "Not For Air" segments. They're carefully chosen clips from the old Challenge of the Superfriends cartoons with dialogue carefully bleeped out to make it seem like swearing. I always dreamed of hearing Robin say "Holy [bleep], Batman!" The best one is Batman saying, "Grodd did a masterful job of f[bleep]ing us."

I haven't heard such masterful editing since the dearly departed good vs. evil TV show.

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ALL KIDS OUT OF THE POOL

Even if you don't like any of the cartoons currently showing on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, I sort of dig their new look. They used to have these parodies of those Worst Case Scenario books between their shows. I thought that was cool. Now, they just have these white letters on a black screen set to ambient/techno stuff. Saves a ton on editing and effects, I'm sure.

At first, I thought it was kind of arrogant. I thought to myself, "I bet some geek college kid thought this thing up, thinking "Oooh, let's go all minimal and put in a bunch of smarmy, smart alec quotes and stuff to show off how hip we are." It's the kind of thing my friends and I would've thought up back then. But, some of the stuff they write is funny. Example...

2 trains leave from Atlanta. Who rides trains? Are there still word problems like that?

[Forgive the poor HTML facsimile I've created here.]
Just random little bits of silliness and sarcasm. And, I'm all about sarcasm, as you know.

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NEXT ON THE MOVIE AGENDA

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. No, I've never read the comic -- excuse me, "graphic novel." I hear the movie will differ from the comic, anyway. I am hesitant about this one, though. If any movie has potential to suck big time, I think it's this one. I also forsee the possibility that it'll end up as one of those weekend tv shows you see wedged in between Adventure, Inc. and reruns of Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda.

I'm also looking forward to The Hulk. It'll be worth seeing for no other reason than the fact that it was directed by Ang Lee. At first, I didn't know if I liked what I saw of the Hulk rendered a la Scooby Doo. But, I'll live.

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MR. ANDERSON...

Hey, as eye candy, I thought Matrix Reloaded was as good as the first, not better. Why? Well, remember the broomstick scenes in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? They had a few shots of an obviously computer-generated Harry flopping around in the sky. That's exactly Neo and others looked in some of those fight scenes. It occurred to me why Neo's outfit had no real detail. I don't believe it was for that "Superman's cape" effect or an homage to Wong Fei-Hung's Once Upon a Time in China costumes. Being a black mass of cloth with a head on it just makes the FX people's jobs easier.

Fight choreography: Kick @$$, but from Yuen Wo Ping, anything less would've caused me to demand my money back. The close quarter fight sequences (in a car and later in a hallway) were especially good! Neo even got in some Filipino double-stick fighting moves.

Best of all, for me anyway, this story actually had a PLOT TWIST! That's right, something that actually gives me another reason to see Matrix Revolutions beyond the fighting.

Speaking of which, in my opinion, I probably could've lived without sitting through 10-12 minutes of credits just to see the 30 second trailer for the new film.

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HOT-HANDED SUPER TEST

I'm officially a quiz whore, but I don't care. This test is too damn cool!


You are Jeffrey, the iconoclastic hitman from
The Killer. You have a very particular
personal code which governs your actions, and
will not deviate from it. Your enemies admire
your integrity, and your friends rely on your
loyalty. You're occasionally given over to
sentimental musings and give corny nicknames to
friends.


Which Chow Yun Fat Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

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THE MOST ACCURATE TEST...

...because I like the results the most.


AVON: "I relied on other people." -- You
perfected the snarky, amoral geek act when
Seamus Harper was still a zygote. You've
always got an eye out for number one, and you
don't even try to hide your contempt when your
coworkers can't keep up. Yet, somehow, you
keep on coming through for them in the end.


Which Season One Blakes 7 Character Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

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PERSONALITY TEST BATTERY

Here are the results of a recent battery of tests.

[This was somewhat surprising, yet not.]


You are PATRICK TROUGHTON!


what doctor who are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

[Couldn't I have at least been a Dalek?]


Sontaran. People laugh at you when you walk down
the street in your purple boiler suit, but
they'll be laughing on the other side of their
faces when you finely conquer Gallifrey. Fat?
Rubbish, the Sontarran figure is "at the
height of fashion."


Which Doctor Who monster are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

[I find nothing wrong with being a season from the Pertwee era]


You are The Years of Pertwee. Sorry about that,
would you like to try the quiz again?


Which Doctor Who Season Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

[Muahahahahaha!]


You are the Master! You like black. And phallic
shaped destruction rays. When you're not
trying to prevent the signing of the Magna
Carta, you're just being yo' badass evil genius
self. We salute you o' villian of the strange
facial hair.


Which Time Lord are you? (a mildly novel Doctor Who quiz)
brought to you by Quizilla

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NOW I KNOW THESE TESTS ARE WHACKED


You are Neo, from "The Matrix." You
display a perfect fusion of heroism and
compassion.


What Matrix Persona Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Don't I wish?

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REALITY IN SCI-FI

I got this from the Happy Fun Pundit via wilwheaton.net -- from the Top Ten Things I Hate About Star Trek:

5. Rule by committee.

Here's the difference between Star Trek and the best SF show on TV last year:

Star Trek:

Picard: "Arm photon torpedoes!"
Riker: "Captain! Are you sure that's wise?"
Troi: "Captain! I'm picking up conflicting feelings about this! And, it appears that you're a 'fraidy cat."
Wesley: "Captain, I'm just an annoying punk, but I thought I should say something."
Worf: "Captain, can I push the button? This is giving me a big Klingon warrior chubby."
Giordi: "Captain, I think we should reverse the polarity on them first."
Picard: "I'm so confused. I'm going to go to my stateroom and look
pensive."


Firefly:

Captain: "Let's shoot them."
Crewman: "Are you sure that's wise?"
Captain: "Do you know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I'll BEAT YOU WITH until you realize who's in command."
Crewman: "Aye Aye, sir!"

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This is only a test of the emergency blog-moving system. Had this been an actual blog entry, you would've seen a title and some musings only slightly less banal than this one.

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GOOD OL' COLLEGE TRY

I will try to forego my nightly dose of Adult Swim and go to bed early. Well, maybe after Lupin the 3rd...

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RETRACTION

Flipping through channels just now, I see that Trigun has been moved to 1 AM, even though the commercials I've seen tonight still state that it's on at midnight.

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MISH MASH

ITEM ONE
Saw X2: X-Men United this afternoon. I'm dying to rave about it, but I don't want to spoil it. Suffice it to say, it was almost like Chris Claremont wrote the script -- old school Claremont, that is, not that stuff he put out in Extreme X-Men.

ITEM TWO
Good news: Lupin the 3rd is back on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Bad news: I don't see Trigun there anymore.

I'd research it, but I was too lazy, as you can see by this entry's utter lack of links.

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SHATTERED INNOCENCE

I remember when Huey Lewis & The News was one of the biggest bands on the planet. I remember not being able to walk into a record store without seeing that poster of Huey in the red suit/black t-shirt outfit looking over his sunglasses. I have all of their albums, even their latest one.

Today, I listened to the album Fore!. I've listened to that album a million times since it first came out in 1986. In 17 years, I never thought twice about a line from this one song, and never realized what it meant until earlier today.

I'm tired of these girlie magazines
I want to get back to the real thing.
Late last night I read the letter you sent
Woke up this morning under a tent
Uh huh, we've got a whole lotta lovin' to do

Whole Lotta Lovin'
words/music by Johnny Colla & Huey Lewis

Woke up this morning where?? And to think, I used to sing this out loud during recess in 7th grade.

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DISAPPOINTMENT

Macy Gray's new album did not come out on 5/15 like I had read. It won't be out until 6/10.

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DEVELOPING THEME

Here's yet another quiz I took. Remember when I first took the Trigun character quiz and tried too hard not the end up as you-know-who? Well, I took this one and didn't even know this was a possible answer. Yet, the result speaks for itself...



What's Your Anime Weapon?

No one would ever see it coming. In the series, Vash's robotic (yet not noticably robotic) arm would turn into a gun when he would lose his pistol. This weapon is great because it is easy to conceal and very difficult to knock away from it's user.

I'm starting to see a pattern here. My hair's already kinda spikey. Some hair dye and a red trench coat would be all I need.

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IT'S A POST, POST, POST, POST-MODERN WORLD

Hey, I'm a big fan of literary deconstruction, too. But it is possible to take things too far. Case in point: Matrix Essays.

Oliver Stone didn't go this far with the Zapruder film, for pete's sake.

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AM I REALLY THIS BAD??

Why do I keep coming out as the bad guy?


Which Cowboy Bebop Character are You like?
Take other quizzes at Newsies Meets Anime...Anime Meets Newsies...

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CONFIRMATION

I tried to retake this test, being as honest as possible. Guess it must be true...


Which Trigun Character are You like?
Take other quizzes at Newsies Meets Anime...Anime Meets Newsies...

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A BIT OF RESOLUTION

I didn't really notice until recently the slow increase of Don Henley music I've been listening to lately. I always dug his music, I have a few CDs, and The Heart of the Matter is on my .mp3 mix of my favorite songs of all time. But, I'm finding a lot of songs resonate. Didn't I put a few lyrics on here a few entries back?

Here's something that hit me regarding the recent issues I've been slowly trying to resolve. I just heard it earlier tonight.

Have you noticed that an angry man
Can only get so far
Until he reconciles the way he thinks things ought to be
With the way things are

Here in this fragmented world, I still believe
In learning how to give love, and how to receive it
And I would not be among those who abuse this privilege
Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge

My Thanksgiving
Don Henley/Stan Lynch/Jai Winding

That last line is my favorite.

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CINEMATIC AGENDA

X2: X-Men United
Ok, it's gotten pretty low to average reviews. Of course it won't stop the comic book ner... I mean, "afficianados" like me from seeing it. Sequels are generally bad enough to begin with; it's almost expected in comic-book movies. It's sort of sad, actually. Everyone automatically says, "God, I hope it doesn't turn into another Batman." (That's an entirely separate blog entry right there.) But, I'll give it a chance.

What I'm really worried about is the Spider Man sequel. Doc Ock and the Lizard? Sounds like having The Riddler and Two-Face. God, I hope it doesn't turn...

The Matrix: Reloaded
I must've been the only one in existence who didn't go ga-ga over The Matrix when it first came out. I don't think I saw it until a few months after it came out on video. When I finally got to see it, I sort of liked it, but still failed to see why people went nuts over it. Props to the effects people, and all that, but still.

I remember the suspense (not) as I asked myself, "Gee, could Neo be the One?" Apparently the Brothers Wachowski didn't want to take the risk that you couldn't see that one coming a mile away. They had to advertise it. I haven't seen ugly, blatant foreshadowing like that since Heathers. Still, the main reason I saw it and the main reason I'll see "M2" is Yuen Wo-Ping's fight choreography. And, even then, most of the moves in the original Matrix I automatically recognized from the Once Upon a Time in China series.

I know it seems I'm really down on the film, but I'm really not. It's probably jealousy that my 5'6" @$$ will never look good in those long black trenches.

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FURTHER DOWN THE SLIPPERY SLOPE

Or, Music: Lots of stuff by lots of people

I always wondered why that seems to be such a standard on blogs. There were many random things on my CD player today. Trouble is, music tends to ellicit all kinds of reactions in me. I can rarely listen to anything just to tap my foot to it. I either criticize the technical or overpersonalize the lyrics. Cases in point, these represent facets of my... issues.

Knowing that you would have wanted it this way
I do believe I'm feelin' stronger every day

Feelin' Stronger Every Day
words/music by Peter Cetera & James Pankow
perf. by Chicago

That's me, most days. Other days...

Every time I see her face
On the street in the hollow on the hill
Another time and another place
I feel her in my heart still
Every time I see her face
On the street in the hollow in the bend
I see her in my mind and then
I go down the road not taken...again

The Road Not Taken
Bruce Hornsby

I'm learning to opt for the middle ground, assuming whatever attitude is necessary to get me over it:

yeah you, you tell me that you love me but boo
if this is love
it's a good thing you don't hate me

boo
Macy Gray

Her new album comes out next week, by the way.

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PLUMBING THE DEPTHS OF MY SOUL...

...with the intellectual equivalent of Liquid Drano. Hey, aren't blogs all about self-examination anyway?

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Second Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	Extreme
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very High
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Very High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	Very High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Extreme
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Extreme

Take the Dante's Divine Comedy Inferno Test

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THIS BLOG'S LOSS OF DIGNITY IS COMPLETE

This time, I tried to take the test as honestly and accurately as possible, no matter how the answers might have turned out.


Take the Which Lupin III character are you? quiz.
Created by Bicky Flannigan and Edward Tivrusky

Ed. note: At least with Lupin's pic, the quiz people missed putting a subdirectory in their generated link. I had to fiddle before I got it up. You're smart; you'll figure it out what you have to do.

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I HAVE BEEN ASSIMILATED

I finally succumbed. I so wanted this blog to have at least a semblance of dignity, at least at first glance. But, I said to myself, "Self... what the heck?"


Which Trigun Character are You like?
Take other quizzes at Newsies Meets Anime...Anime Meets Newsies...

I'm not sure I like the answer. Maybe I was trying too hard to avoid those answers that I thought would make the answer come out to me being Vash the Stampede himself.

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FINALLY...

I saw Bulletproof Monk this afternoon! As it turns out, the idiot who posted spoiler-type information that I ranted about a few entries back actually didn't spoil the whole movie. Ok, so the plot had a few holes and the fight choreography was hardly Yuen Wo-Ping stuff, but still. Chow Yun-Fat kicking butt is all I need. I swear his english has gotten a bit better, too.

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BORING DAY

How boring is my life? So boring that I take time to document how boring it actually is. Today's big task: Getting a new antenna for my cell phone.

Tomorrow's big task: See a matinee showing of Bulletproof Monk. The reviews I read haven't been all that great, but hey -- Chow Yun-Fat holding two guns in both hands, playing another bad ass. What more could you ask for?

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BRIEF UPDATES

ITEM ONE
Still haven't gotten around to seeing Bulletproof Monk. Procrastination, I guess.

ITEM TWO
Last weekend was the Easter season, and it always makes me think of ex-girlfriends. There is in fact no direct connection between Easter and any ex. But the Easter holiday includes Good Friday, and there's a song called Good Friday by the Black Crowes that makes me think of one ex from long ago. This year, it brings to mind a more recent ex. Some sample lyrics...

You, you come and go when you please
I know unfulfilled needs
I know you do too
But I, you know I never see things through
Never paid attention to you
But honey I tried
I will not forgive you
Nor will I accept the blame
I will see you on Good Friday
On Good Friday

ITEM TWO-A
Actually, the song Not Enough Love in the World by Don Henley makes me think about my most recent failed romance.

I was either standing in your shadow
Or blocking your light
Though I kept on trying
I could not make it right
For you girl
There's just not enough love in the world

ITEM TWO-B
Hmm... maybe I still have some issues I need to work through with that one.

ITEM THREE
I decided to go out and get a part time job, just something mindless and silly for like 15 hours a week. I just want a bit of extra cash for once.

ITEM FOUR
Preparing for the Easter season at church was a bear. My lip wasn't this worn when we played our Christmas musical. We had a song that was, in trumpet-speak, a "chop-buster." I kept missing them all over the place, which was frustrating because all the notes in question were in my range. But, I had to jump octaves. While I can play licks in the upper register, I was never good at jumping octaves. I actually through a little temper tantrum during a rehearsal. I made myself apologize to the rest of the band. I thought I'd gotten rid of my old "perfectionist/trumpet-ego" ways, but I guess they can and will rear their ugly heads when I'm stressed enough.

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INSENSITIVE B@$TARDS

I went cruising the net for reviews for Bulletproof Monk, and some idiot actually spoils the movie. Don't ask me where it is. I was so ticked off that I shut my browser down immediately and I really don't want to spend the effort to find it again.

Even AOL users who post on Usenet know better, sheesh.

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TODAY'S NEW WORD

MILITATE
vi 2 to be directed (against); operate or work (against or, rarely, for): said of facts, evidence, actions, etc.

from Webster's New World College Dictionary, Third Edition
Not the usual one, but the one within reach.

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CHRISTMAS ALL YEAR ROUND

At least it could be. Check out my Amazon.com wish list.

The link has also been permanently added to my blog template :).

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NEVER BE AFRAID TO SEEK HELP

Have some advice from my personal therapist, the Doctor who runs the Asylum for Shut-Ins.

Now, before you start emailing me concerning how sick this material is and/or the salvation of my soul, please understand this is all part of a cable access TV show shown in Cleveland in the late 80s/early 90s, and that even now has a small national cult following. No one, not even the creator (and I'm guessing even The Creator) takes this stuff seriously.

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GO ON, TAKE A GUESS

Guess what I plan to do between now and this weekend. Here's a hint.

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COUNTDOWN

A mere three days until the release of Bulletproof Monk.

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MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

I just found the website of a trumpet player with whom I had the privilege of studying the trumpet for a year in college, Mr. Mike Wade.

I'd re-establish contact, but I'm afraid to tell him that I really haven't been keeping up with my horn. Playing jazz is that one dream of mine that slipped away. The one dream that required me to take a left turn in that fork in the road of life, and I ended up taking a sharp right. He told me I needed a mere two more years in the woodshed. I'll never forget what he said.

"You're 21 now? You practice this [stuff he gave me to work on], you could be bad by 23."

And, here I'm supposed to tell a man who jammed with Earth, Wind & Fire that I didn't follow through. Worse yet, I only ever made it 1/5 of the way through the stuff he gave me to work on. Then again, I suppose he'll be glad to know I've picked up the horn again and have been playing in church regularly for the past year.

At the risk of sounding too whiney, I'll share about how I was twice offered lessons with a Cleveland jazz trumpeter Kenny Davis, who toured briefly with the Duke Ellington Orchestra under Mercer Ellington. Another chance passed up.

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COUNTDOWN

A mere 10 days until the release of Bulletproof Monk!

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LET SLIP THE BLOGS OF WAR

CNN.com did a feature on soldiers who blog from the Gulf. Check out a few!

In the interest of equal time, there are blogs from people living in that region. It's interesting to really see the different perspectives.

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Disclaimer

Today's date had no bearing whatsoever on the timing of the previous post.

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WAR *HUH*, ETC. ETC.

Here it is, my take on the war on Iraq for all it's worth.

ITEM ONE
I simply have not seen sufficient evidence to justify this military action. What I have seen of the evidence indicated a need for continued unified, multilateral, international pressure.

ITEM TWO
I'm personally disturbed by the school of thought that equates any further debate with treason and lack of support for our President and the men and women of this country fighting and dying overseas.

The time for debate is never over. However, it is no longer our first priority.

ITEM THREE
Our troops have been committed. They are fighting and dying. Debate all you want, but do something constructive for the people fighting while you do it. There are all sorts of services you can provide. "Such as?" you may ask. Find out.

You can at least pray -- not just for our people, but for everyone suffering on both sides.

ITEM FOUR
That being said, I refuse to stop exploring the truth of why we're fighting in Iraq.

ITEM FIVE
President Bush has a rare opportunity. At least implicitly, he seeks the trust of the American people. I wonder if he realizes just how many people are willing to set their doubts to one side and follow his lead.

Let's face it, when was the last time in this nation that we implicitly trusted a President? When we actually trusted someone willing commit lives and resources based on things to which we weren't privvy? It did exist once -- or so I've read.

When this is all over, and we have accomplished out military objectives in Iraq, I had better see the rooms with the store of weapons of mass destruction. Better yet, send in Geraldo Rivera into the first hidden vault that's uncovered.

Then, I will eat crow and post it on this blog for all to see. But more importantly, at least for a time, faith in an American President will be restored. What a blessing that would be for this country.

Don't let us down, Mr. President.

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HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!

Many times in my life, I've seen small miracles. No water turned into wine, crippled people suddenly walking, or anything like that. But I can now officially say I've seen enough of them to know that they do happen.

My trumpet has been recovered!!

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THE WHOLE STORY

Isn't it funny how this version of an AP story on Al Jazeera's website being hacked is slightly different from this version posted less than 12 hours earlier?

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NEW QUOTE FOR YOUR EMAIL/USENET SIGNATURES

People are misquoted all the time. This time, however, there appears to be no mistake.

"F____ Saddam. We're taking him out."
  -George W. Bush

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FINALLY... ONE REASON TO SMILE

Guys like these are why the Time Lords strictly enforce the laws of time.

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A MOMENT OF SILENCE PLEASE

My most prized possession - my trumpet - is missing. It really is like losing an arm.

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FREE TOYS

Courtesy of the same person who introduced me to Lime (the music notation program from the Cerl Sound Group).

Since I got Lime, I managed to hack out transcriptions of jazz solos, and lead sheets. I even picked out a random Chicago song to transcribe a horn soli. It actually came out pretty well, too. But since I didn't have a MIDI input device, I had to hack it out with my computer's keyboard -- not that I was complaining. It was exactly what I was wanting, short of having a MIDI keyboard. Heck, I don't even know how to play piano, anyway.

Well, my friend gave me his old Casio CT-670 keyboard and a stand. How old is it? The demo track is The Way That You Love Me by Paula Abdul, if that's any indication. It's even operating out of the old MIDI standard, but hey... as an input device, it'll suit my needs just fine. I just need to find cables.

Looks like I just might eventually get to live out a few of my old "pipe dreams" after all.

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FUTURE GOAL

I saw a commercial, and immediately marked my calendar for April 16. I just have to see Bulletproof Monk!

Damn, Chow Yun-Fat rules!

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WHAD'YA THINK?

I fiddled with the layout a bit. I don't know if I like it or not. Might keep it. Might change it back. Don't know yet.

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IDIOT-BOXING

Last night was the series finale of Farscape on the Sci-Fi Channel.

Now, no one will ever convince me that Farscape wasn't a copy of Blake's 7. In fact, do a little research and you can even see the behind-the-scenes similarities of both their finales.

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LYRICS CORRECTION

Tell you one lesson I've learned
If you wanna reach something in life
You ain't gonna get in unless
You give a little bit of sacrifice
Ooh sometimes before you smile you gotta cry
You need a heart that's filled with music
If you use it you can fly
If you wanna be high

The Roots, Sacrifice (feat. Nelly Furtado)
words/music by Trotter, Thompson, Gray, Hubbard

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REVENGE OF THE 70s? OR IS IT THE 90s?

don't it make you angry the way war is dragging on?
well, I hope the president knows what he's into, I don't know.

Chicago, Dialogue, Part I
words/music by Robert Lamm

My take on current world developments is quite different than what it would've been back in the 90s during our first go-round in Iraq. No rants about right or wrong, how to weigh freedom of dissent vs. support for our troops, or whether or not we've got questionable motives.

I was just struck by the poigniancy of watching high school students debate to struggle to understand the burning, if unspoken issue: "If I'm going to be called to serve, I want to understand why."

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NOTICE

Before you plan on sending me yet another email of a list of "Full Deck" -isms, please be informed that I already know where to look.

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What Was I Thinking?

I can't let the day slip by without acknowledging the Ides of March.

I wondered -- when exactly did 3/14 become known as "pi Day?" No one sent me the memo.

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Random Updates

I apologize in advance for any boredom that may ensue by reading today's entry.

LIME SUCCESS!
I managed to use Lime to finally work out a lead sheet transcription for the song Speedball by trumpeter Lee Morgan. I was working on that thing for months! Maybe I'll finally get around to finishing this one Chet Baker solo that I've been working on.

RANDOM WORRIES
I gotta find a part time job for the summer. Maybe a part time job for right now. Gotta make ends meet, you know.

SPRING IS HERE
I actually got to talk a little walk around the neighborhood today in a tshirt and jeans. Just what the soul needed.

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My New Toy

Over the past year, I've been making an effort to revive some of my old musical skills. Not only do I play trumpet at my church, I'm blessed enough to be at a church that actually plays decent contemporary Christian music, not old hymns with a backbeat.

The orchestra director is a friend of mine who turned me on to Lime, a music notation software program from the Cerl Sound Group. Now, I've got reason, motivation, AND a tool to finally relearn and maybe expand my musical knowledge. It always was one of my life's goals to write a song or two.

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Cleveland Rocks!

How my hometown helped Superman!

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Shout Out

Happy birthday, Dad! He turns LXXV today! Longevity tends to run on my dad's side of the family. I hope it remains a family tradition.

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Back to Basics

This blog took quite the personal turn for awhile, lately. I suppose there's nothing wrong with that in and of itself. But, I feel I've lost touch with what this thing's supposed to be about - mostly thoughtful, if slightly uninformed and possibly mad ranting about nothing in particular.

If you recall, somewhere in my first entry or two (I won't link. You're intelligent enough to find your own way there.) I lamented over the fact that I couldn't load my blog directly onto my AOL site. Hence, the "freedom" link underneath the title -- the area on my website that originally contained my rants. Going there, then clicking "instant gratification" would cause this to load in a frame, giving the illusion that the blog was just a seamless part of that site.

But, I become more displeased with it. There's really no intuitive connection between my AOL pages and this one. I'd like to forge one, but I don't know how. I could add a column on here and throw a bunch of links on it. Have it not load onto the frame on my AOL page. Endless possibilities it seems, and yet it seems more effort than it's worth to make the effort, aside from the affront to my personal aesthetics.

Ok, I'll write back when I have something a bit more important to consider.

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Psycho Babble

Credit cards crystal shards no backyards
Blah blah blah
Empty trains winter rains see-thru brains
Blah blah blah

Robert Lamm, Sacrificial Culture
words/music by Robert Lamm & John Van Eps

Most people know of George Carlin's classic routine, the Seven Dirty Words -- the ones you can't say on the air.

Well, I can think of 100 Words that you shouldn't use, just by virtue of the fact that they're currently popular with bloggers and random undesireables everywhere.

Courtesy of Word Spy

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Idiot Boxing

I watch too much TV. I remember a game I played at a party a few years ago. It was a contest to see who could name different TV theme songs. After awhile, it was like "Name That Tune" with me being able to name the song within a couple of notes.

What do I watch nowadays and why? Before you ask, no, it's not reality TV. I don't rail against it because I just haven't seen any of it. The first and last reality show I saw was the first season of Survivor. I almost cried when Rudy lost. Since then, I just haven't been interested.

Law & Order - Remember that period a few months ago where there was an episode every other hour of the day? Most people don't realize it's been on more than a decade now. I love the spinoffs, particularly LO: Criminal Intent - Vincent D'Onofrio is definitely the new Columbo. But nothing tops the originial. The two things I love the most: Jerry Orbach's pre-title sequence wisecrack and Fred Dalton Thompson as the new DA. His character is like Dr. Phil without the compassion.

24 - I thought for sure this concept would get old after the first season. I wasn't too impressed with the first few episodes of this season, but now, I'm hooked.

The Dead Zone - I've said it before, he's no Christopher Walken, but Anthony Michael Hall is just as good. I can hardly imagine him in braces accidentally swallowing a birth control pill anymore.

REIGN: the Conqueror - It's interesting if sometimes overwrought. It takes itself a little too seriously in it's "retelling of the story of Alexander the Great." It's better than Aeon Flux, though.

Lupin the 3rd - Or Lupin III or Rupan Sansei or whatever anime purists choose to call it. And yes, I know what they show on Adult Swim is merely a watered down, newly translated version for Cartoon Network. I surrender - I'm a dork for liking it anyway. Maybe I'll be "graced" enough to one day see it in the original japanese with subtitles.

Those are the shows I make it a point to watch. The ones I'll actually tape. The following shows I catch when I can, despite whatever inference you might draw from the comments I make.

Enterprise - I like the theme song, sue me. There might be a lot of negative things to say, but it isn't consistently lame like Voyager was. Though, I question the wisdom of using time travel story lines with Scott Bakula. I saw all the episodes of Quantum Leap.

Farscape - I do watch it, though I'll go to my grave saying it's a Blake's 7 ripoff.

Stargate SG-1 - One word: MacGyver.

Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda - This show's going downhill faster than Earth: Final Conflict. What started out as interesting premises degenerate into dumbed down shades of what they were. I bet Gene's turning in his grave if I were convinced he were really dead. I swear with all these new shows, he's the Tupac Shakur of sci-fi TV.

Mutant X - Horrible, yet oddly compelling.

Angel - I needed a TV vampire fix since Forever Knight got cancelled.

Everwood - (Mostly) clean and wholesome, not too preachy. I like it.

That's what -- 13-14 hours a week, give or take the odd Law & Order reruns on TNT? Or, the odd WWE Wrestling show I catch now and again? I don't think that's enough to call me an addict, do you?

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Today's New Word

PRESAGE
v. 1. To indicate or warn of in advance; portend. 2. To have a presentiment of. 3. To foretell or predict.

From The American Heritage Dictionary, 2nd College Edition

Not the Kreskin

can you honestly evaluate the story from within
without part of you blocking the way

The Sons of Champlin, Freedom

Something I've finally come to terms with is that I have the INFP personality temperament. (You can do a web search on Myers-Briggs personality types yourself -- I'm feeling too lazy to link at this precise moment.) Translated, that's a personality type that is (I)ntroverted, i(N)tuitive, (F)eeling and (P)erceiving.

I'll explain with a snippet of a brief summary of a Readers Digest version of a explanation. My locus of control and source of renewal is basically internal. My primary way of obtaining/filtering information and interacting with the world are through my perceptions, intuition and feelings. It's said that people like us have some kind of "sixth sense." Basically, it's because we perceive the subtle, the less obvious and can put it in the context of the big picture.

My personal problem is that up until very recently, I've never been able to distinguish between the strengths and weaknesses of my personality. If INFP types are guilty of anything, it's missing the trees for the forest. That can be dangerous for people who use their feelings as their primary guide through life. Emotions and "the big picture" can sometimes lead us to false conclusion. Emotions sometime run so strong that sometimes we inadvertently believe our own press about having a "sixth sense," when we sometimes discount what we sense around us using our first five senses.

What does all this mean? No idea, specifically, other than to say that this is one area where I need to mindfully strive for more balance.

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Affirmation of the Day

"Because I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. And, doggone it, people like me."

all of my life I've been searching and hanging on
turn a corner, never know what I'd find
but now I'm back again like I never went away
let me in, I'm through with wasting my time

Phil Collins, Inside Out

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I Had To See It To Believe It

I heard the rumors, saw the link, and finally checked out:
Wil Wheaton's Blog

Yes, TV's Wesley freakin' Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation! Read the blog, especially his FAQ. I swear, he cracks me up almost as much as Bruce Campbell.

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And Now For Something Completely Original

Maybe one day soon, I'll post my mission statement. That standard, that compass that, in theory, guides my day-to-day decision-making. Now, there are a million and one ways to construct one. I just happened to use Stephen Covey's method. Here's another.

I won't post mine, but suffice it to say I feel out of touch with it. Intuitively, that should indicate that I need a new one. But, I'm not sure where to begin. It's almost like I lost my grounding -- not totally, so it's not necessarily as dramatic as it sounds. I've still got one or two things to center me.

It's like I know exactly where I am. Just not exactly where I'm going.

Ok, this thing's getting way too personal.

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While I'm At It

I might as well go for broke and tick off my second favorite songwriter on the planet. It's a new month and a new outlook. Actually, it's an old outlook that I've been trying to live up to. For the sake of documentation, here it is.

The Show Must Go On
words/music: Bill Champlin [transcribed the best I could]
performed by Chicago

I've been trapped in the madness
From the shadows of sadness
I laugh it away
I've been blind to the passion
While the whole world is flashing
I stash it away
While I'm singing of freedom
I'm trying to sell
What I never had
Hoping I'll be released from my own kind of hell
'Cause I've lost the key to my past

The show must go on
It seems like there's something I'm leaving behind
The show must go on
'Cause the dreams that I'm having
I'm having all the time
The show must go on

And there'll be no confessions
'Cause I'd only be guessing just where to begin
There's only one thing I'm knowing
This feeling ain't blowing
Away with the wind
And I'm tired of turning my back on myself
Throwing truth away
Let the fire burn down the front door to myself
And give me a season of play

The show must go on
I just keep pretending to live for the game
The show must go on
I just keep on bending the rules to fit the pain
It's time for collecting
What I've been neglecting
It's gonna be a little strange
'Cause one day I'll be gone
And I'll be back in town
Nothing's gonna, nothing's gonna be the same

The show must go on
And I just keep pretending to live for your game
The show must go on
I just keep on bending the rules to fit the pain
And I put on the face
Win every race
It's only the strong, can't you see
And I'll keep up the pace
I won't leave a trace
Of yearning for some room to breathe
Still going on, still going on

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