8.24.2009

What's going on around me? Not a whole lot. Here's what I see...

Directly in front of me, of course, is my laptop computer, a Sony Vaio that was pre-loaded with the Vista operating system. People from all over complain about Vista. They must be needing something from their computer that I don't need, because I like it just fine. A lot more so than Windows XP. My Vaio is a decent model...not their highest end product, but surely no bargain basement bare bones computer, either. It's done me well in the year since I first bought it...unless you count the DVD capabilities. It stopped reading DVD discs a few months ago. I don't know what's up...friends say maybe need a new driver, but I'm clueless as to which particular one I should install. And it won't read the Acid Music program disc...thankfully I don't need it to use the studio, but the loops on there were good and I certainly had not exhausted that library. I'm up a creek if something happens to the program that's on my hard drive. If I don't have the problem taken care of by then, I guarantee you it will go straight to the shop if my Acid program bites the dust.

In the near distance over the top of this computer screen I can see out television, which is a 40-something inch screen LCD HD model that I bought at the same time I purchased this computer. Other than cars it represents the biggest chunk of money I've ever spent on a single item...I think I paid about $1300 for it, tax included. Took a little time to get used to the larger screen. When I first hooked it up I was disappointed that the HD channels weren't as crystal clear as what you see in the stores. I've since come to realize that store models are calibrated extremely proficiently to look as good as they do...I could probably achieve the same effect but it require hours of work and study on my part and/or a significant investment paid to a "professional" who would come in and twiddle it's knobs. Things ain't like they were in the old days, playas. So I just got used to the look, which, it must be noted, is definitely better than regular television sets (a dying breed, to be sure). It's got a feature called "Intelligent Sensor" that's supposed to automatically adjust the set when there are changes in the room lighting. I guess it works okay. I can barely tell the difference.

Beneath that, on a nice marbled glass stand, is my Samsung home theater system. This component has given me much grief. Though it sounds pretty good playing a DTS 5.1 DVD, I KNOW it could sound better, and as for playing CDs through it...no way. All those Dolby HQ effects and shit they've added for CD and iPod playback are just wasted as far as I'm concerned...although I must confess that I don't have an iPod and I haven't tried using my mp3 player with it...could well make all the difference in the world...but I kind of doubt it. About a month ago it stopped reading discs so I had to box it up and send it back to the manufacturer for repairs...I was very lucky because the warranty expired just a day or two after they recieved the product. Now it's working just about as good as it ever has. My wife likes the home theater well enough, but she hates how I've just let the front and rear speaker wires hang down the walls on their respective corners. I told her I'd do something to hide them, maybe get some of that goopy "tacky" stuff and affix them to the walls. That was probably my only real plan, but alas, it was made a year ago and I still have not bothered with it. I guess the wires don't bother me all that much and the wife has given up on my remedying the situation.

Also on the stand, beneath the bottom left corner of the tv, is a DVD box set collection of "Gilligan's Island"'s 3rd season. I have all three of 'em. I used to watch that show all the time...every day when I came home from school I would turn on the tv, watch "Gilligan" and fix up a couple of "bread sandwiches" (nothing but bread and that ain't no lie). The DVDs are pretty cool, but I must confess that the "dumbness" quotient is much higher than I remember it being.

On the bottom shelf of the tv stand (which, incidentally, only has three levels) is a small photo frame that holds four pictures. Three of them are of my son, taken when he was probably 6 years old. In the fourth window is a piece of light brown paper with the initials B.J.C. embossed across the front. This frame belonged to my aunt Imogene and was given to us after she died (not all that long ago, actually). She had no children of her own and always loved my boy. In fact, when she passed away she left him a really nice, big chunk of money for his college education.

On top pof the coffee table in front of me...3 remote controls, a candle stand, a plastic sandwich bag, a small pipe, a purple Bic lighter, a 34 ounce cup from Jack Griffith's convenience store (just under half full of Dr. Pepper and slowly melting ice), a copy of "The Beatles Anthology" (the perfect coffee table book, IMO) and finally the most recent issue of Rolling Stone magazine. The Beatles are on the cover of that one, too, with a story called "Why the Beatles Broke Up". I haven't read it yet, though I'm sure I will in the coming days. I've already read a couple of the other stories in this one, and they were both great. They reminded me of why I subscribe to the magazine even when they offend me so often by putting talentless pop music phenomenoms on the cover so often. Not much to complain about this time.

On the wall to my right hangs a photo of my dad, who passed away 10 years ago. It's a very good picture of him, all decked out in a black suit jacket and cowboy hat. He did like to wear a cowboy hat, that's for sure. He's got that good natured smile on his face that won him a lot of friends at the coffee shop. This is one of the only portraits we have hanging on our walls, but it seemed fitting to include this one, since so much of what made this house so special was a result of his work.

Alright...that's enough of this for now. I'm gonna fiddle around with the Acid and try to make some simple demos of three or four new songs I'm working on...not Bambo Syndicates songs, but more traditional singer/songwriter fare.

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