John Cage would have loved this.
10.31.2009
Silly Facebook Q&As...Part 4
Last but not least...okay maybe least...here's one that veers slightly from the typical "question and answer" format. For better or worse. This is the last one I'm gonna post, too.
Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you can choose to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.
If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. (sure you do, old salt, sure you do)
1. I have a perfectly realistic understanding of just how difficult I am to get along with.
2. I believe there is much theological significance in the effects of anaesthesia.
3. My ears ring constantly. The best I can do is distract myself. I believe there is great theological significance in this as well.
4. If a random blood test were done on me today it would show, among other things, a significant percentage of Dr. Pepper. No, I do not find any theological significance in this.
5. When I was 14 my mom and dad would go out dancing. They wouldn't get home until 2:00 am so they left me and my brother two Fox DeLuxe pizzas and a six-pack of Coke each and we would stay up as long as we could watching Saturday Night Live and The Uncanny Film Festival. I am almost positive we had more fun doing this than our parents ever had dancing.
6. As a result of being an outcast most of my life I have a strong aversion to anything that reaches a certain level of popularity.
7. I have never put much stock in the old saying that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Uncontrollable wildfires are worth fearing. So are tsunamis. And Godzilla.
8. I get really, really pissed off when there is not fresh pizza on the all-you-can-eat buffet. You settle for what little is up there and wait for something fresh to come along. It doesn't but you want to get your money's worth so you eat a little more of the pizza that was already there when you arrived. Then just as you get up to leave (or have eaten so much that your gullet is stuffed) they'll put out not only fresh pizzas, but all your favorite kinds.
9. I have no desire to travel anywhere outside of the continental United States, except for Iceland.
10. I love my laptop and I will kill for it. Unless the Internet is down. Even then...
11. I have a son-in-law and two grandchildren who I've never met.
12. I love the house my family lives in right now and have no desire to live anywhere else, be it mansion or castle.
13. I have seen Sigur Ros in concert twice. My son accompanied me the second time. Tornadoes blew over the theater but no one knew or cared. I have resolved to see them every time they play within a three state radius of Oklahoma. Make that a FOUR state radius.
14. I have AT LEAST 30 Sigur Ros concerts that I've downloaded over the last year.
15. I am very likely the only 46 year old you'll ever meet who thinks Sigur Ros is better than the Beatles.
16. I really believe that the Internet is the greatest argument for postmodernism that ever needs to be made.
17. As a result of several unique and often bizarre situations I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as deja vu.
17. As a result of several unique and often bizarre situations I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as deja vu.
17. As a result of several unique and often bizarre situations I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as deja vu.
17. As a result of several unique and often bizarre situations I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as deja vu.
17. As a result of several unique and often bizarre situations I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as deja vu.
18. One time I was working behind the counter at a Love's convenience store and this guy came in to pay for some gas. As he walked through the door he had his hand in his pocket reaching for his cash. When he pulled it out a big bag of marijuana fell to the floor. I'll never forget the look on his face.
19. When I worked at CD Warhouse I was always amazed by the number of hip-hop/rap CDs that got ripped off. Probably 10 to 1 over any other genre.
20. In the eighth grade my best friend and I used to pretend we were drug dealers. This is no lie. We'd put flour and sugar in plastic sandwich bags, take them to school and pretend to sell them to each other. We were abnormally obsessed with the movie "Super Fly". Surprisingly neither one of us used "real" drugs throughout the entirety of our high school days.
21. That same friend and I used to hide out in a vacant room on the second floor of the school building every day during PE. It is disturbing now, when I think back on it, to consider that no one seemed to know or care that we were regularly ditching a class.
22. That same friend told me that Bela Lugosi was his uncle and that he was also in some way related to Boris Karloff. This impressed me immensely because I was all into old monster movies before I got turned on to "Super Fly".
23. I would love to be a member of a nudist colony.
24. I currently subscribe to Esquire, Wired, Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone.
25. My browser's bookmark toolbar currently displays the following: Yahoo Mail, Blogger, MySpace, Facebook, Sedaka, RS.Com Castaways, Garageband, Last.fm, Pandora Radio, Wolfgang's Vault, Allmusic, Allmovie, Spirit Library & Speakeasy Internet connection speed test. Isn't that awesome?
Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you can choose to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.
If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. (sure you do, old salt, sure you do)
1. I have a perfectly realistic understanding of just how difficult I am to get along with.
2. I believe there is much theological significance in the effects of anaesthesia.
3. My ears ring constantly. The best I can do is distract myself. I believe there is great theological significance in this as well.
4. If a random blood test were done on me today it would show, among other things, a significant percentage of Dr. Pepper. No, I do not find any theological significance in this.
5. When I was 14 my mom and dad would go out dancing. They wouldn't get home until 2:00 am so they left me and my brother two Fox DeLuxe pizzas and a six-pack of Coke each and we would stay up as long as we could watching Saturday Night Live and The Uncanny Film Festival. I am almost positive we had more fun doing this than our parents ever had dancing.
6. As a result of being an outcast most of my life I have a strong aversion to anything that reaches a certain level of popularity.
7. I have never put much stock in the old saying that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Uncontrollable wildfires are worth fearing. So are tsunamis. And Godzilla.
8. I get really, really pissed off when there is not fresh pizza on the all-you-can-eat buffet. You settle for what little is up there and wait for something fresh to come along. It doesn't but you want to get your money's worth so you eat a little more of the pizza that was already there when you arrived. Then just as you get up to leave (or have eaten so much that your gullet is stuffed) they'll put out not only fresh pizzas, but all your favorite kinds.
9. I have no desire to travel anywhere outside of the continental United States, except for Iceland.
10. I love my laptop and I will kill for it. Unless the Internet is down. Even then...
11. I have a son-in-law and two grandchildren who I've never met.
12. I love the house my family lives in right now and have no desire to live anywhere else, be it mansion or castle.
13. I have seen Sigur Ros in concert twice. My son accompanied me the second time. Tornadoes blew over the theater but no one knew or cared. I have resolved to see them every time they play within a three state radius of Oklahoma. Make that a FOUR state radius.
14. I have AT LEAST 30 Sigur Ros concerts that I've downloaded over the last year.
15. I am very likely the only 46 year old you'll ever meet who thinks Sigur Ros is better than the Beatles.
16. I really believe that the Internet is the greatest argument for postmodernism that ever needs to be made.
17. As a result of several unique and often bizarre situations I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as deja vu.
17. As a result of several unique and often bizarre situations I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as deja vu.
17. As a result of several unique and often bizarre situations I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as deja vu.
17. As a result of several unique and often bizarre situations I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as deja vu.
17. As a result of several unique and often bizarre situations I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as deja vu.
18. One time I was working behind the counter at a Love's convenience store and this guy came in to pay for some gas. As he walked through the door he had his hand in his pocket reaching for his cash. When he pulled it out a big bag of marijuana fell to the floor. I'll never forget the look on his face.
19. When I worked at CD Warhouse I was always amazed by the number of hip-hop/rap CDs that got ripped off. Probably 10 to 1 over any other genre.
20. In the eighth grade my best friend and I used to pretend we were drug dealers. This is no lie. We'd put flour and sugar in plastic sandwich bags, take them to school and pretend to sell them to each other. We were abnormally obsessed with the movie "Super Fly". Surprisingly neither one of us used "real" drugs throughout the entirety of our high school days.
21. That same friend and I used to hide out in a vacant room on the second floor of the school building every day during PE. It is disturbing now, when I think back on it, to consider that no one seemed to know or care that we were regularly ditching a class.
22. That same friend told me that Bela Lugosi was his uncle and that he was also in some way related to Boris Karloff. This impressed me immensely because I was all into old monster movies before I got turned on to "Super Fly".
23. I would love to be a member of a nudist colony.
24. I currently subscribe to Esquire, Wired, Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone.
25. My browser's bookmark toolbar currently displays the following: Yahoo Mail, Blogger, MySpace, Facebook, Sedaka, RS.Com Castaways, Garageband, Last.fm, Pandora Radio, Wolfgang's Vault, Allmusic, Allmovie, Spirit Library & Speakeasy Internet connection speed test. Isn't that awesome?
Silly Facebook Q&As...Part 3
Even God doesn't care to know me this well... The title of this quiz is "45 Things About Me That You Probably Don't Care To Know!" That is definitely and understatement.
(blah blah blah) If you opened this, copy it and paste it into your own note - FILL IT OUT!!! Learn 45 things about your friends, and let them learn 45 things about you! (/blah blah blah)
1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes I do...not straight up though. Wishbone salad dressing, babee. And not that nasty Kraft shit that tastes like Miracle Whip.
2. Have you ever smoked heroin? I thought you shot up heroin? Didn't know it was smoked. Maybe if I had known... But seriously, NO NO NO. Heroin is one drug I swore I would never touch.
3. Do you own a gun? I don't need a gun. I've got a baseball bat and my hands are registered as lethal weapons.
4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Starbucks? I don't patronize Starbucks often, but I like Hazelnut. Hazelnut likes me.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not unless they want blood.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? They look funny.
7. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas movies suck. Period.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I don't care. Whatever's around.
9. Can you do push ups? A few. Like 4 or 5.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? The kind I can send to Cash4Gold.
11. Favorite hobby? Producing music on the Acid Music Studio computer program. I also enjoy working on my blog...the one that nobody reads.
12. Do you have Kids? I wouldn't call them "kids" anymore. But I do have a teenage son and a grown daughter.
13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I'm a hateful S.O.B.
14. Middle name? Arthur...as in KING Arthur.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I wonder if those drops my opthamologist are working? I'll be spending a lot more time in this office since I moved the recliner in here. I have wasted too much time on my computer this afternoon and should put it away for the rest of the night. ***Bonus 4th thought: I probably won't. There are albums floating out there on the Internet that need to be downloaded and added to my collection.
16. Name 3 things you bought yesterday? 1. Nothing. 2. Nothing. 3. Nothing.
17. Name 3 things you drink daily. Water, Dr. Pepper, horse piss...okay, just kidding...that's about it.
18. Current worry? I should have found a psychologist a few months ago, before I actually needed one.
19. Current Dislike? The things I cannot change about myself.
20. How did you bring in the New Year? I let someone else bring it in. I couldn't be bothered.
21. Where would you like to go? Iceland
22. Name three people who will complete this? Larry, Curly and Moe. Hopefully Diane. She can always be counted on for a good laugh.
23. Do you own slippers? What would I need slippers for?
24. What shirt are you wearing? My extra large and comfortable grey one turned inside out because I don't necessarily condone the message emblazoned on the front anymore.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I don't think I would.
26. Favorite color? If I've told you once, I've told you a billion times, I HAVE NO FAVORITE COLOR. They're all pretty nice, but come on. What's the point in choosing a favorite?
27. Could you be a pirate? No. Pirates are rogues and thugs. Throughout history they have raped and pillaged. It amazes me that they are romanticized these days. They're no better than Nazis.
28. What songs do you sing in the shower? Singing in the shower is a pointless endeavour.
29. Favorite food? The tasty kind. The kind I like.
30. What's in your pocket right now? Not a damn thing.
31. Last thing that made you laugh? Listening to people laughing on Sirius XM's comedy station. Not the comedians, mind you. The audience. The comics are funny about 10% of the time, but the audience, they steal the show.
32. Favorite sheets? The ones on my bed, I guess. Favorite SHEETS? Come now!
33. Worst injury you have ever had? Brain sprained a leak one time.
34. Do you love where you live? Yep.
35. How many TVs do you have in your house? Three of 'em. I try not to watch them too often.
36. Who is your loudest friend? I tend to shy away from loud people.
37. How many dogs do you have? No doggies, only memories.
38. Does someone have a crush on you? I think so. But she only knows of me through a fake profile I put up on the NORML community forum. So it's not really *ME*. It's some guy with lots of connections and money to burn.
39. What is your favorite book(s)? "Be Here Now" (Ram Dass), "The Brothers Karamazov" (Fyodor Dostoevski), "Conversations With God" (Neale Donald Walsch), "A Widow for One Year" (John Irving), "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" (Dave Eggers), "The Book (On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are)" (Alan Watts)
40. What is your favorite candy? I like Heath bars. Snickers, too. Snickers with Almonds. Skor. All that shit.
41. Favorite Sports Team? Whichever one is winning the game.
42. What songs do you want sung at your funeral? I don't want any "sung". I will one day burn a mix CD of my favorite Sigur Ros songs and that's what I want played. "Glossoli" will be on it. That's all I can tell you for now, as I am of the decided opinion that question such as these are quite morbid.
43. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Listening to fools talking on the Sirius XM radio "Talk" channels.
44. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke this morning? "I sure wish I didn't have to piss so bad or I'd stay right here."
45. Favorite place to be? In a pleasant dream.
(blah blah blah) If you opened this, copy it and paste it into your own note - FILL IT OUT!!! Learn 45 things about your friends, and let them learn 45 things about you! (/blah blah blah)
1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes I do...not straight up though. Wishbone salad dressing, babee. And not that nasty Kraft shit that tastes like Miracle Whip.
2. Have you ever smoked heroin? I thought you shot up heroin? Didn't know it was smoked. Maybe if I had known... But seriously, NO NO NO. Heroin is one drug I swore I would never touch.
3. Do you own a gun? I don't need a gun. I've got a baseball bat and my hands are registered as lethal weapons.
4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Starbucks? I don't patronize Starbucks often, but I like Hazelnut. Hazelnut likes me.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not unless they want blood.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? They look funny.
7. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas movies suck. Period.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I don't care. Whatever's around.
9. Can you do push ups? A few. Like 4 or 5.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? The kind I can send to Cash4Gold.
11. Favorite hobby? Producing music on the Acid Music Studio computer program. I also enjoy working on my blog...the one that nobody reads.
12. Do you have Kids? I wouldn't call them "kids" anymore. But I do have a teenage son and a grown daughter.
13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I'm a hateful S.O.B.
14. Middle name? Arthur...as in KING Arthur.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I wonder if those drops my opthamologist are working? I'll be spending a lot more time in this office since I moved the recliner in here. I have wasted too much time on my computer this afternoon and should put it away for the rest of the night. ***Bonus 4th thought: I probably won't. There are albums floating out there on the Internet that need to be downloaded and added to my collection.
16. Name 3 things you bought yesterday? 1. Nothing. 2. Nothing. 3. Nothing.
17. Name 3 things you drink daily. Water, Dr. Pepper, horse piss...okay, just kidding...that's about it.
18. Current worry? I should have found a psychologist a few months ago, before I actually needed one.
19. Current Dislike? The things I cannot change about myself.
20. How did you bring in the New Year? I let someone else bring it in. I couldn't be bothered.
21. Where would you like to go? Iceland
22. Name three people who will complete this? Larry, Curly and Moe. Hopefully Diane. She can always be counted on for a good laugh.
23. Do you own slippers? What would I need slippers for?
24. What shirt are you wearing? My extra large and comfortable grey one turned inside out because I don't necessarily condone the message emblazoned on the front anymore.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I don't think I would.
26. Favorite color? If I've told you once, I've told you a billion times, I HAVE NO FAVORITE COLOR. They're all pretty nice, but come on. What's the point in choosing a favorite?
27. Could you be a pirate? No. Pirates are rogues and thugs. Throughout history they have raped and pillaged. It amazes me that they are romanticized these days. They're no better than Nazis.
28. What songs do you sing in the shower? Singing in the shower is a pointless endeavour.
29. Favorite food? The tasty kind. The kind I like.
30. What's in your pocket right now? Not a damn thing.
31. Last thing that made you laugh? Listening to people laughing on Sirius XM's comedy station. Not the comedians, mind you. The audience. The comics are funny about 10% of the time, but the audience, they steal the show.
32. Favorite sheets? The ones on my bed, I guess. Favorite SHEETS? Come now!
33. Worst injury you have ever had? Brain sprained a leak one time.
34. Do you love where you live? Yep.
35. How many TVs do you have in your house? Three of 'em. I try not to watch them too often.
36. Who is your loudest friend? I tend to shy away from loud people.
37. How many dogs do you have? No doggies, only memories.
38. Does someone have a crush on you? I think so. But she only knows of me through a fake profile I put up on the NORML community forum. So it's not really *ME*. It's some guy with lots of connections and money to burn.
39. What is your favorite book(s)? "Be Here Now" (Ram Dass), "The Brothers Karamazov" (Fyodor Dostoevski), "Conversations With God" (Neale Donald Walsch), "A Widow for One Year" (John Irving), "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" (Dave Eggers), "The Book (On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are)" (Alan Watts)
40. What is your favorite candy? I like Heath bars. Snickers, too. Snickers with Almonds. Skor. All that shit.
41. Favorite Sports Team? Whichever one is winning the game.
42. What songs do you want sung at your funeral? I don't want any "sung". I will one day burn a mix CD of my favorite Sigur Ros songs and that's what I want played. "Glossoli" will be on it. That's all I can tell you for now, as I am of the decided opinion that question such as these are quite morbid.
43. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Listening to fools talking on the Sirius XM radio "Talk" channels.
44. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke this morning? "I sure wish I didn't have to piss so bad or I'd stay right here."
45. Favorite place to be? In a pleasant dream.
Silly Facebook Q&As...Part 2
...a.k.a. even MORE than anyone could ever want to know...
(obligatory introduction designed to fill in the clueless as to what these stupid thinga are all about)...you know the rules. Tag people (if you want) in this note (including the person who tagged you!) to learn more about them. Also, try to tag people who you've tagged in other notes. Sometimes you learn things in new notes that you didn't know before about them.......(***end statement of the obvious)
1. First thing you wash in the shower? My hair
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Unfortunately I have no hoodie, but if I did I think it would be brown.
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? I guess.
4. Do you plan outfits? "Plan outfits"?????
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Bored (else I would not be filling out this questionairre).
6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red? My Webster's Dictionary.
7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? It had something to do with my ex-father-in-law chastising me in a violent manner.
8. Did you meet anybody new today? Are you kidding?
9. What are you craving right now? Something I'm not suppose to have.
10. Do you floss? No.
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Sauerkraut.
12. Are you emotional? Depends on the emotion.
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? No. There is no point in such a futile exercise.
14. Do you bite into your ice cream cone or just lick it? One would think it would take years to eat a cone just licking it.
15. Do you like your hair? No, but I'm glad I still have some.
16. Do you like yourself? I don't feel sorry for myself, if that's what you're getting at.
17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? If he's picking up the tab, I don't mind. We don't have to talk.
18. What are you listening to right now? An album called "Angelic Music" by noted new age composer/performer Iasos.
19. Are your parents strict? No.
20. Would you go sky diving? I say I would, but the "inner chicken" within me would probably hold me back.
21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes I do, by God. I like it plain or with pineapple chunks. Small curd, and none of that nasty Sam's Choice/Great Value/Wal-Mart brand crap either.
22. Have you ever met a celebrity? I don't know if country and western stars are celebrities, but I met Wade Hayes and actually got to play music with him.
23. Do you rent movies often? I get 3 a week from Netflix. If there's anything new I just have to see (a rare occurance) I'll get it from the video store.
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? I can't say there is.
25. How many countries have you visited? One, but I was only there for about an hour.
26. Have you made a prank phone call? I used to love doing that when I was a kid. No such thing as Caller ID back then.
27. Ever been on a train? No,
28. Brown or white eggs? I can't stand, and will not eat eggs.
29.Do you have a cell phone? Yes, but it's just a cheapo model and I only use when I absolutely have to.
30. Do you use chap stick? If I need to. What else would I use for chapped lips? Whale Blubber costs too much.
31. Do you own a gun? No.
32. Can you use chop sticks? No...I had a friend try to show me how once, and for a moment there I thought I was getting the hang of it. Then the moment passed and I grabbed a fork.
33. Who are you going to be with tonight? The wife and the kid.
34 Are you too forgiving? NO.
35. Ever been in love? Probably.
36. What is your best friend doing tomorrow? All of my best friends are scattered hither and yon so how the hell would I know?
37. Ever have cream puffs? I don't think so.
38. Last time you cried? Back in January when the pooch died.
39. What was the last question you asked? "...how th hell would I know?"
40. Favorite time of the year? Opera season.
41. Do you have any tattoos? No. I've never wanted one. I'll not let my body be a sketch pad for a half-assed "artist". No offense intended to any tattoo "artists" who may read this, but...
42. Are you sarcastic? Way too much. Sarcastic, cynical, just an all around pain in the ass.
43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? Unfortunately I have. I don't know what I was thinking when I rented that one.
44. Ever walked into a wall? I haven't walked into a wall, but I have turned around and stepped into the side of a door.
45. Favorite color? I have never had a favorite color. When I was a kid I used to say it was blue, but that was before I knew better.
46. Have you ever slapped someone? No, I haven't. Many is the time I should have done so, but no.
47. Is your hair curly? Yes.
48. What was the last CD you bought? I replaced my burned copy of Sigur Ros' "Takk" with the real deal.
49. Do looks matter? I hope not.
50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Probably not.
51. Is your phone bill sky high? No.
52. Do you like your life right now? It's okay. Could be a lot better, but hey, as long as there's air in the ol' lungs and the heart keeps a-pumpin'...
53. Do you sleep with the TV on? No way. Sometimes I like a little classical music.
54. Can you handle the truth? I don't really have a choice, do I?
55. Do you have good vision? No, and it just keeps getting worse.
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Only a long list of celebrities, not anyone I know in real life.
57. How often do you talk on the phone? As seldom as possible. I don't really like talking on the phone.
58. The last person you held hands with? Uh.....
59. What are you wearing? Cargo shorts, black boxer-briefs and a "M*A*S*H" T-shirt.
60. What's your favorite animal? Dog.
61. Where was your default picture taken? Sitting in a red chair in the living room of the dump we lived in before moving to our current residence.
62. Can you hula hoop? No.
63. Do you have a job? I'm not unemployed, lets just leave it at that, nosey.
64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Tickets to an upcoming performance of Bach's "Mass in B Minor" . I renewed my subscription to WIRED since then, but I don't know if that counts as "buying something".
65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes. That's just something you have to do a lot when you're trying to get into someone's house while they're away.
(obligatory introduction designed to fill in the clueless as to what these stupid thinga are all about)...you know the rules. Tag people (if you want) in this note (including the person who tagged you!) to learn more about them. Also, try to tag people who you've tagged in other notes. Sometimes you learn things in new notes that you didn't know before about them.......(***end statement of the obvious)
1. First thing you wash in the shower? My hair
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Unfortunately I have no hoodie, but if I did I think it would be brown.
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? I guess.
4. Do you plan outfits? "Plan outfits"?????
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Bored (else I would not be filling out this questionairre).
6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red? My Webster's Dictionary.
7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? It had something to do with my ex-father-in-law chastising me in a violent manner.
8. Did you meet anybody new today? Are you kidding?
9. What are you craving right now? Something I'm not suppose to have.
10. Do you floss? No.
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Sauerkraut.
12. Are you emotional? Depends on the emotion.
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? No. There is no point in such a futile exercise.
14. Do you bite into your ice cream cone or just lick it? One would think it would take years to eat a cone just licking it.
15. Do you like your hair? No, but I'm glad I still have some.
16. Do you like yourself? I don't feel sorry for myself, if that's what you're getting at.
17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? If he's picking up the tab, I don't mind. We don't have to talk.
18. What are you listening to right now? An album called "Angelic Music" by noted new age composer/performer Iasos.
19. Are your parents strict? No.
20. Would you go sky diving? I say I would, but the "inner chicken" within me would probably hold me back.
21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes I do, by God. I like it plain or with pineapple chunks. Small curd, and none of that nasty Sam's Choice/Great Value/Wal-Mart brand crap either.
22. Have you ever met a celebrity? I don't know if country and western stars are celebrities, but I met Wade Hayes and actually got to play music with him.
23. Do you rent movies often? I get 3 a week from Netflix. If there's anything new I just have to see (a rare occurance) I'll get it from the video store.
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? I can't say there is.
25. How many countries have you visited? One, but I was only there for about an hour.
26. Have you made a prank phone call? I used to love doing that when I was a kid. No such thing as Caller ID back then.
27. Ever been on a train? No,
28. Brown or white eggs? I can't stand, and will not eat eggs.
29.Do you have a cell phone? Yes, but it's just a cheapo model and I only use when I absolutely have to.
30. Do you use chap stick? If I need to. What else would I use for chapped lips? Whale Blubber costs too much.
31. Do you own a gun? No.
32. Can you use chop sticks? No...I had a friend try to show me how once, and for a moment there I thought I was getting the hang of it. Then the moment passed and I grabbed a fork.
33. Who are you going to be with tonight? The wife and the kid.
34 Are you too forgiving? NO.
35. Ever been in love? Probably.
36. What is your best friend doing tomorrow? All of my best friends are scattered hither and yon so how the hell would I know?
37. Ever have cream puffs? I don't think so.
38. Last time you cried? Back in January when the pooch died.
39. What was the last question you asked? "...how th hell would I know?"
40. Favorite time of the year? Opera season.
41. Do you have any tattoos? No. I've never wanted one. I'll not let my body be a sketch pad for a half-assed "artist". No offense intended to any tattoo "artists" who may read this, but...
42. Are you sarcastic? Way too much. Sarcastic, cynical, just an all around pain in the ass.
43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? Unfortunately I have. I don't know what I was thinking when I rented that one.
44. Ever walked into a wall? I haven't walked into a wall, but I have turned around and stepped into the side of a door.
45. Favorite color? I have never had a favorite color. When I was a kid I used to say it was blue, but that was before I knew better.
46. Have you ever slapped someone? No, I haven't. Many is the time I should have done so, but no.
47. Is your hair curly? Yes.
48. What was the last CD you bought? I replaced my burned copy of Sigur Ros' "Takk" with the real deal.
49. Do looks matter? I hope not.
50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Probably not.
51. Is your phone bill sky high? No.
52. Do you like your life right now? It's okay. Could be a lot better, but hey, as long as there's air in the ol' lungs and the heart keeps a-pumpin'...
53. Do you sleep with the TV on? No way. Sometimes I like a little classical music.
54. Can you handle the truth? I don't really have a choice, do I?
55. Do you have good vision? No, and it just keeps getting worse.
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Only a long list of celebrities, not anyone I know in real life.
57. How often do you talk on the phone? As seldom as possible. I don't really like talking on the phone.
58. The last person you held hands with? Uh.....
59. What are you wearing? Cargo shorts, black boxer-briefs and a "M*A*S*H" T-shirt.
60. What's your favorite animal? Dog.
61. Where was your default picture taken? Sitting in a red chair in the living room of the dump we lived in before moving to our current residence.
62. Can you hula hoop? No.
63. Do you have a job? I'm not unemployed, lets just leave it at that, nosey.
64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Tickets to an upcoming performance of Bach's "Mass in B Minor" . I renewed my subscription to WIRED since then, but I don't know if that counts as "buying something".
65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes. That's just something you have to do a lot when you're trying to get into someone's house while they're away.
Silly Facebook Q&As...part one
...a.k.a. more than anyone could ever wanted to know...
1.What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
Dr. Pepper
2.Where was your profile picture taken?
In the front lawn from the driveway at our house, in 1975 or thereabouts.
3.Can you play Guitar Hero?
No, but I can play the guitar.
4.Name someone who made you laugh today?
I ain't been up long enough to find an occassion to laugh.
5.How late did you stay up last night and why?
About 1:00 in the morning. Lost track of time while listening to my XM radio. Then I was attacked by Munchies, ate a ridiculous number of caramel rice cakes then went to bed.
6.If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Probably Iceland, cause I could sure use a change of scenery. Otherwise I like where I live just fine and would rather not have to go through all the trouble of moving again, even if I were so inclined to do so, which I am definitely NOT.
7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
If I have I would not remember it. It's not as if you get to make a wish if you kiss under fireworks, is it? Because if that's the case, and I'd known it, I would have run around the park every fourth of July kissing random strangers (okay, not THAT random), because I've long known that the "kissing under mistletoe" method does not work.
8. Which of your friends lives closest to you?
They all live too far away.
9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
In the big picture, I doubt that what I personally belive makes a damn insomuch as ex's are a curious lot and you just can't pin them down to say "well, this is the way it is, the way it always has been and the way it always will be" in regards to a transition between erotic love and philo love. Do I "believe" it? Well, why the hell not? It happens. Has it happened in my life personally? Nope. But, you see, there are usually some pretty good reasons that ex's part ways for good.
10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
How do I FEEL about it?
11. When was the last time you cried really hard?
Really hard? That's pretty damn hard. Don't rightly know that I would want to share that information with just anyone who happens to see it here.
12. Who took your profile picture?
I'm pretty sure it was my brother, but that was so long ago I couldn't say.
13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Probably the wife. It's a lovely portrait of the back of her hand.
14. Was yesterday better than today?
I don't know...today just started. I can only hope that today will be better than yesterday, but as long as it doesn't get any WORSE I don't think I'll have a problem with it.
15. Can you live a day without TV?
I can live a day without anything. No music would be the hardest, but nothing to read might be even worse. No TV? Oh, boy. If the biggest thing TV has to offer these days is Jay Leno at 9pm 5 nights a week...it should be easy why there's no sacrifice involved in spending considerable time without it.
16. Are you upset about anything?
I am still a little upset that my good Bose headphones bit the dust a couple of months ago. I am upset that the DVD-ROM drive in this here laptop is dead and it will cost me a hundred bucks to get it fixed. I'm upset that the last two DVDs Netflix sent me were cracked (one was broken completely in half). I'm upset that the chances of eating brisket at the Fillin' Station are slim to none today. I'm upset with the steadilly declining quality of Sirius XM's programming. I'm upset that I don't have the money to raid the Half Price Books & Records store in Oklahoma City.
17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
Of course, as long as you don't equate "worth it" with "getting what I want(ed) out of it".
18. Are you a bad influence?
I try to be.
19. Night out or night in?
Well, if there's an opera going on, I'm night out. Or a Sigur Ros concert or something monumental along those lines, I'll be night out all you need me to be. Otherwise, unless somethin's goin' down, you won't find me around.
20. What items could you not go without during the day?
Foodstuff. Beverages. A pot to piss in. Various music players and their respective media. And probably, hate to admit it, this damn computer.
21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
I do not like to go to hospitals, so I don't do it unless I absolutely have to. As far as I can remember, the last time I visited someone in the hospital it was my dad, just a day before he passed away, right at 10 years ago.
22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
I don't use text messaging. I've discovered something far better and much more convenient. It's called a telephone.
23. How do you feel about your life right now
About the same way I FEEL about Dr. Pepper, only not quite so much.
24. Do you hate anyone?
Can't say that I really do, but who knows. Tomorrow's gonna be another day.
25. If we were to look in your facebook inbox, what would we find?
I imagine you'd find pretty much what you'd find in any facebook inbox...messages and such.
26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
There's absolutely no reason on earth that I would be given a drug test, so it's kind of like "if a tree falls in an empty forest, does it really make a sound?".
27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Yes, on many occasions.
28. What song is stuck in your head?
I don't think there is one in there right now. Just wait until Bryan starts learning a new song on the piano...that will be the one, whether I like the song or not.
29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?
Well, Ed MacMahon is dead now, so...
30. Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50?
I've got 'em. I would hope that the majority of people would be delighted to have them before they turn 50.
31. Name something you have to do tomorrow?
Finish up that stuff and make a resolution to give it, who knows, maybe even a whole month.
32. Do you think too much or too little?
Too much. Unfortunately most of my thoughts are considerably less than "lofty", so I might as well not be thinking at all.
33. Do you smile a lot?
No, but if you see me smiling you know I'm sincerely amused. I don't roll with that bullshit.
1.What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
Dr. Pepper
2.Where was your profile picture taken?
In the front lawn from the driveway at our house, in 1975 or thereabouts.
3.Can you play Guitar Hero?
No, but I can play the guitar.
4.Name someone who made you laugh today?
I ain't been up long enough to find an occassion to laugh.
5.How late did you stay up last night and why?
About 1:00 in the morning. Lost track of time while listening to my XM radio. Then I was attacked by Munchies, ate a ridiculous number of caramel rice cakes then went to bed.
6.If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Probably Iceland, cause I could sure use a change of scenery. Otherwise I like where I live just fine and would rather not have to go through all the trouble of moving again, even if I were so inclined to do so, which I am definitely NOT.
7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
If I have I would not remember it. It's not as if you get to make a wish if you kiss under fireworks, is it? Because if that's the case, and I'd known it, I would have run around the park every fourth of July kissing random strangers (okay, not THAT random), because I've long known that the "kissing under mistletoe" method does not work.
8. Which of your friends lives closest to you?
They all live too far away.
9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
In the big picture, I doubt that what I personally belive makes a damn insomuch as ex's are a curious lot and you just can't pin them down to say "well, this is the way it is, the way it always has been and the way it always will be" in regards to a transition between erotic love and philo love. Do I "believe" it? Well, why the hell not? It happens. Has it happened in my life personally? Nope. But, you see, there are usually some pretty good reasons that ex's part ways for good.
10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
How do I FEEL about it?
11. When was the last time you cried really hard?
Really hard? That's pretty damn hard. Don't rightly know that I would want to share that information with just anyone who happens to see it here.
12. Who took your profile picture?
I'm pretty sure it was my brother, but that was so long ago I couldn't say.
13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Probably the wife. It's a lovely portrait of the back of her hand.
14. Was yesterday better than today?
I don't know...today just started. I can only hope that today will be better than yesterday, but as long as it doesn't get any WORSE I don't think I'll have a problem with it.
15. Can you live a day without TV?
I can live a day without anything. No music would be the hardest, but nothing to read might be even worse. No TV? Oh, boy. If the biggest thing TV has to offer these days is Jay Leno at 9pm 5 nights a week...it should be easy why there's no sacrifice involved in spending considerable time without it.
16. Are you upset about anything?
I am still a little upset that my good Bose headphones bit the dust a couple of months ago. I am upset that the DVD-ROM drive in this here laptop is dead and it will cost me a hundred bucks to get it fixed. I'm upset that the last two DVDs Netflix sent me were cracked (one was broken completely in half). I'm upset that the chances of eating brisket at the Fillin' Station are slim to none today. I'm upset with the steadilly declining quality of Sirius XM's programming. I'm upset that I don't have the money to raid the Half Price Books & Records store in Oklahoma City.
17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
Of course, as long as you don't equate "worth it" with "getting what I want(ed) out of it".
18. Are you a bad influence?
I try to be.
19. Night out or night in?
Well, if there's an opera going on, I'm night out. Or a Sigur Ros concert or something monumental along those lines, I'll be night out all you need me to be. Otherwise, unless somethin's goin' down, you won't find me around.
20. What items could you not go without during the day?
Foodstuff. Beverages. A pot to piss in. Various music players and their respective media. And probably, hate to admit it, this damn computer.
21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
I do not like to go to hospitals, so I don't do it unless I absolutely have to. As far as I can remember, the last time I visited someone in the hospital it was my dad, just a day before he passed away, right at 10 years ago.
22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
I don't use text messaging. I've discovered something far better and much more convenient. It's called a telephone.
23. How do you feel about your life right now
About the same way I FEEL about Dr. Pepper, only not quite so much.
24. Do you hate anyone?
Can't say that I really do, but who knows. Tomorrow's gonna be another day.
25. If we were to look in your facebook inbox, what would we find?
I imagine you'd find pretty much what you'd find in any facebook inbox...messages and such.
26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
There's absolutely no reason on earth that I would be given a drug test, so it's kind of like "if a tree falls in an empty forest, does it really make a sound?".
27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Yes, on many occasions.
28. What song is stuck in your head?
I don't think there is one in there right now. Just wait until Bryan starts learning a new song on the piano...that will be the one, whether I like the song or not.
29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?
Well, Ed MacMahon is dead now, so...
30. Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50?
I've got 'em. I would hope that the majority of people would be delighted to have them before they turn 50.
31. Name something you have to do tomorrow?
Finish up that stuff and make a resolution to give it, who knows, maybe even a whole month.
32. Do you think too much or too little?
Too much. Unfortunately most of my thoughts are considerably less than "lofty", so I might as well not be thinking at all.
33. Do you smile a lot?
No, but if you see me smiling you know I'm sincerely amused. I don't roll with that bullshit.
10.30.2009
New Bambo Syndicate track
There were a couple of things about the new Bambo track I've been messing with that I've decided to wrap it up and upload it to Garageband a bit more prematurely than I originally thought I would. It's still a pretty interesting composition, with some nice experiments in noise. But the microphone I have was never meant to be used with a program like ACID. So there are several spots where the sound clips, which I could probably go in and buffer, but it's just not that important to me. It would be very time consuming and I'd just as soon move on to something different.
At any rate, your welcome to listen to it...it may well provide a laugh or two (if, that is, you have as dark a sense of humor as I do). While you're there go ahead and listen to some of the other stuff. It's all big fun, you know.
At any rate, your welcome to listen to it...it may well provide a laugh or two (if, that is, you have as dark a sense of humor as I do). While you're there go ahead and listen to some of the other stuff. It's all big fun, you know.
by
10.29.2009
10.28.2009
10.26.2009
I went to the hospital this morning to have a few tests done. I'm not even sure what they are called...one of them is an "echo"...another involves taking pictures of my heart...Then there was the one where they monitored my blood pressure under stressful conditions. Sometimes they have the patient walk on a treadmill for a long time, speeding it up on an incline until a certain level of stress is reached. They can also simulate that stress by administering a drug. I wasn't given a choice...I had to use the drug.
People, let me warn you...this drug is a son-of-a-bitch. It made my upper legs and my ass tighten up, gave me a temporary headache and my heart accelerated like crazy. Which is exactly what it's supposed to do, but it's kind of jarring to have that feeling come over you without doing anything to bring it on. I think I would definitely have preferred running on the treadmill. But it only lasted for a couple of moments, and there's some kind of "reversal" drug that the tech administered. It worked well, and I wasn't tired at all when it was over. In fact, I felt a little giddy for a few moments. Too high a price to pay, though. I hope I never have to go through it again.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Well, it's been a long time since I was able to say this, but I have begun a new Acid music project. That's right, the Bambo Syndicate is gonna have a new song. It's another dark affair that will likely be lengthy. I plan on doing a lot of work on it, spending a good chunk of time on the production and mix down.
I've done something a little different on this one...a portion of the song will be made up of a spoken word section. It's a short story I wrote some while back, based on the lyrics to an old song, "Funk Daddy #6". Wrote and recorded that song in 1992 with Head...in fact, I think the recording of that one is on the Soundclick website, which can be accessed by clicking on the link provided on the sidebar of this very blog. It's a little creepy, and this aspect is not lost in the short story version. However, there is a bit of comic relief somewhere in the middle of that section.
People, let me warn you...this drug is a son-of-a-bitch. It made my upper legs and my ass tighten up, gave me a temporary headache and my heart accelerated like crazy. Which is exactly what it's supposed to do, but it's kind of jarring to have that feeling come over you without doing anything to bring it on. I think I would definitely have preferred running on the treadmill. But it only lasted for a couple of moments, and there's some kind of "reversal" drug that the tech administered. It worked well, and I wasn't tired at all when it was over. In fact, I felt a little giddy for a few moments. Too high a price to pay, though. I hope I never have to go through it again.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Well, it's been a long time since I was able to say this, but I have begun a new Acid music project. That's right, the Bambo Syndicate is gonna have a new song. It's another dark affair that will likely be lengthy. I plan on doing a lot of work on it, spending a good chunk of time on the production and mix down.
I've done something a little different on this one...a portion of the song will be made up of a spoken word section. It's a short story I wrote some while back, based on the lyrics to an old song, "Funk Daddy #6". Wrote and recorded that song in 1992 with Head...in fact, I think the recording of that one is on the Soundclick website, which can be accessed by clicking on the link provided on the sidebar of this very blog. It's a little creepy, and this aspect is not lost in the short story version. However, there is a bit of comic relief somewhere in the middle of that section.
10.24.2009
10.21.2009
Cardiologist didn't have much to tell me...just scheduled a bunch of tests for next Monday. He did, however, say I could have 4 grams (4,000 mgs) of sodium per day, which is a LOT more than what I've limited myself to the last month and a half.
He also said that my triglyceride levels were 1500 when they should be 150...I think it was 1500, but it may have been 15,000...I just know that it was a surprisingly disproportinate level.
I'm really NOT looking forward to the echocardiogram and the other tests I'm scheduled to take this coming Monday. In fact, I dread them.
He also said that my triglyceride levels were 1500 when they should be 150...I think it was 1500, but it may have been 15,000...I just know that it was a surprisingly disproportinate level.
I'm really NOT looking forward to the echocardiogram and the other tests I'm scheduled to take this coming Monday. In fact, I dread them.
10.18.2009
Haven't done much blogging the last few days. The usual reasons. Nothing much to say. Plus, with my wrist beginning to feel somewhat better, I have become keenly aware of just how much effort is required to punch the keys on this laptop's keyboard. It's very likely that this is the reason for the aching wrist in the first place. I've done a lot of typing practice on this VAIO. The keys and the "sharp" edges to either side of the touch pad have made me regret buying this model. I like almost everything else about it, even the Vista Home Premium OS it came with (which makes me a rare bird, I know). I have always been satisfied with SONY products, but I won't buy another VAIO. The only thing about the main part of the computer (ie. everything but the monitor) that I would absolutely want to keep in a new laptop would be the touch pad itself, which has a very nice surface that I prefer to the more slick ones I've seen on other computers.
But I didn't come here to bitch about wrists and computers. I figured I should give an update on the "health issues" I'd wanted to chronicle since the ER visit about a month ago.
All in all it's been pretty good since I last posted about it. I had a couple of instances where I was seized by uncontrollable muscle spasms like the one that followed the chest pains. They lasted for a couple of minutes each. It felt like I was very cold, shivering. It was kind of scary because I had absolutely no control over it. I tried to breath in and out very slowly, to relax, but that didn't seem to do any good, other than maybe ease the panic a little bit.
Other than that I seem to be in quite excellent health (relatively, of course). The non-fat diet has been a drag. I haven't stepped on the scales, but I'm positive I've lost a few pounds. I respect anyone who can do a non-fat diet without absolutely HAVING TO for health reasons. You just have to give up so much of the really GOOD food...and if you're on a reduced sodium diet it is even worse. You would be surprised at how much sodium is in practically everything you eat. It's not just a matter of "cutting back on your salt intake"...I miss salt like you wouldn't believe, but I'm surprised that, with the amount of salt I ate in the past, I didn't have serious hypertension already. Ah well...I have come to the decision that I will try as hard as I can to reduce my sodium intake, but I'm not going to put a number on it. I will try to regulate it, but only in the sense that I don't go overboard.
Otherwise, I've spent a whole lot of time watching Netflix's streaming content. I probably mentioned it the other day, but I finally figured out how to run the computer into the television...actually I had some problems initially and I feared that I might have screwed up the computer. I don't think that happened, or at least I haven't noticed much more than starting and shutting down seem to take a lot longer than they should. If anything is messed up I'm sure it has to do with plugging the RGB cable in with the computer power on. After checking out the Vista website I found out that the computer power should have been shut off before connecting anything. Everything worked fine when I did this. The only problem I've had since then is directly related to our ISP...it kind of irks me, in that we didn't have so many drop-outs until we upgraded to 12 megs a few days ago. If it weren't for the Netflix movies I would cut it back to 6. The faster connection speed seems to be vital to the picture quality and a couple of other issues. I do plan on utilizing the service extensively, and the drop-outs, so far, have not been very long in duration.
We've been watching "The Legend of the Seeker" television series. My wife is a huge fan of Terry Goodkind, and I enjoyed the first few books of "The Sword of Truth" myself. We didn't watch it while it was on TV because, well, we just don't watch a whole lot of commercial television. Plus, it just didn't look to be as faithful to the books as we may have liked...but then again, how many adaptations of novels, especially in the fantasy genre, are worth a damn? We decided to give it another chance...maybe it would be easier to digest without commercial breaks. And it's not too bad, actually. Little gripes, of course...the wife bristles when Kahlan's name is pronounced "Kay-lin" and I think the guy who plays Zedd (the Wizard) looks absolutely nothing like the image I have in my mind of Zedd. Small issues, to be sure, and not enough to keep us from watching. The story line seemed to go in a different direction than the book by the time the 2nd episode was over.
I've never subscribed to Showtime, so I was happy to find that the first couple seasons of "Weeds" was available. What a great concept. Upper class suburbanite pot-dealing mother...what's not to love? Even had I never seen an episode I would still know it was classic.
On a lark I played the early 70's blaxploitation classic "Coffy". What a hilarious movie...I don't know just how "humorous" the producers were when they made this, and it's certainly not a "so bad it's good" affair. But the stereotypes are so over-the-top you can't help but be amused. The storyline may as well have come straight from one of the ABC Movies of the Week that were on TV back when this movie was made. The nudity and violence, though, make it clear that this is no television fare. We haven't watched it all, because we don't want our son to walk in when something inappropriate is taking place...for instance, there is one scene where two guys are having a discussion, apparently in a go-go club, and between them, on a small stage and apropos of nothing, there is a butt naked girl dancing. Suffice to say I have absolutely no recollection of what the gentlemen were talking about or how important it may have been to the story. I've got a couple more blaxploitation films in the queue, so I'm hoping that they will be as entertaining as "Coffy".
I've got several Alfred Hitchcock films in the queue...Stacie has never really been exposed to Hitchcock, so I decided to pick one out for us to watch together. One that I hadn't seen. Unfortunately, the one I chose, "Torn Curtain", was not exactly representative of the great director's craft. Much too long...Flat out boring. Even with a star of such magnitude as Paul Newman, it failed to generate any interest whatsoever. Even the plot line was mundane. I apologized to the wife and plan on picking a better one soon. Probably "Vertigo", though I have seen that one before. The plan is to instill an appreciation in my wife for Alfred Hitchcock. I can only hope that "Torn Curtain" didn't spoil any chances for success in that endeavour.
Watched an old Robert Duvall movie last night, "Tender Mercies". I hadn't seen that one in YEARS, but I remembered it being very, very good. It's hard to go wrong with Robert Duvall, and this is one of his best roled, IMO. I'm pretty sure Stacie liked it (couldn't get Bryan to watch ANYTHING...he's got the teenage attitude going and doesn't want to do much at all with his mom and dad).
I've been watching the British series "Waiting for God" and I like it a lot. We gave "Red Dwarf", another British series, a chance, but hated it. I had put like 8 seasons in the queue because it looked like it might be really good. I was sorely disappointed and had to remove them all. It looked like the "special effects" might be pretty cool, and the story idea in the one we watched seemed interesting...but the actors delivery and the script were just so bad we couldn't make it to the end of the first episode.
I'd already seen the documentary "Hell House", or at least part of it, but it's so fascinating I had to watch again. It's about a church who put on an elaborate "Haunted House" each Halloween. It's not your typical haunted house, though. It's supposed to have some kind of evangelical message, and the tour through the building is filled with scenes about drug abuse, suicide, domestic abuse, AIDS (tied in, of course, with the homosexual lifestyle), promiscuous sex, and, most importantly, dying without having accepted Jesus Christ as "personal Lord and Saviour"...nothing you'd find in a "normal" haunted house. There is a scene that's stolen straight from the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy". So much so that the kid with the gun is actually called Jeremy. Another in which a young man lies in a hospital bed, dying of AIDS, while some girl (a relative?) tries very hard to get him to renounce the lifestyle that has, apparently, brought him to this end. He doesn't do it, though, and so he winds up in the final scene, in which Satan drags him, and every other "non-believer" straight to hell with him. TOTALLY ABSURD. Almost surreal, even. And these church folks take it SO seriously, from the audtion process to the actual process, you can tell it's something they wait all year for. And the event brings in thousands of people and has since it was first started several years back. No doubt many of those who pay to go through see it for the joke it is (not saying it's meant as a joke...in fact, these church folks are very serious about it...but come on...people are smarter than that, I hope). The best scene is when a small group of teens chastise the preacher of the church for what they feel are unsympathetic and/or inaccurate portrayals of the issues the spectacle exploits. It's so cool to see a kid, probably no older than 18 or 19, wearing a Fear Factory t-shirt, just lambasting this middle age hypocrite. The righteous indignation of this young unbeliever was so overpowering that the preacher seemed dumbstruck. Anything he had to offer in response was so "rehearsed" and typical (a witnesse's sound byte, I call it) that he was easilly railroaded by the TRUTH. The kind loses his temper once, shooting the bird at him and saying "fuck you", but his friends restrain him. He cools down quickly and the only admirable thing the preacher does in the whole exchange is keep his cool. But even that came off as some weird lesson in "turning the other cheek". The kids walked away and left the guy with egg on his face, even though, I'm almost positive, he felt like he'd done the Lord's work in dealing with them in the way he had...anyway, like I said, it's a great film.
I suppose I've written about as much...no, more, than I originally planned.
But I didn't come here to bitch about wrists and computers. I figured I should give an update on the "health issues" I'd wanted to chronicle since the ER visit about a month ago.
All in all it's been pretty good since I last posted about it. I had a couple of instances where I was seized by uncontrollable muscle spasms like the one that followed the chest pains. They lasted for a couple of minutes each. It felt like I was very cold, shivering. It was kind of scary because I had absolutely no control over it. I tried to breath in and out very slowly, to relax, but that didn't seem to do any good, other than maybe ease the panic a little bit.
Other than that I seem to be in quite excellent health (relatively, of course). The non-fat diet has been a drag. I haven't stepped on the scales, but I'm positive I've lost a few pounds. I respect anyone who can do a non-fat diet without absolutely HAVING TO for health reasons. You just have to give up so much of the really GOOD food...and if you're on a reduced sodium diet it is even worse. You would be surprised at how much sodium is in practically everything you eat. It's not just a matter of "cutting back on your salt intake"...I miss salt like you wouldn't believe, but I'm surprised that, with the amount of salt I ate in the past, I didn't have serious hypertension already. Ah well...I have come to the decision that I will try as hard as I can to reduce my sodium intake, but I'm not going to put a number on it. I will try to regulate it, but only in the sense that I don't go overboard.
Otherwise, I've spent a whole lot of time watching Netflix's streaming content. I probably mentioned it the other day, but I finally figured out how to run the computer into the television...actually I had some problems initially and I feared that I might have screwed up the computer. I don't think that happened, or at least I haven't noticed much more than starting and shutting down seem to take a lot longer than they should. If anything is messed up I'm sure it has to do with plugging the RGB cable in with the computer power on. After checking out the Vista website I found out that the computer power should have been shut off before connecting anything. Everything worked fine when I did this. The only problem I've had since then is directly related to our ISP...it kind of irks me, in that we didn't have so many drop-outs until we upgraded to 12 megs a few days ago. If it weren't for the Netflix movies I would cut it back to 6. The faster connection speed seems to be vital to the picture quality and a couple of other issues. I do plan on utilizing the service extensively, and the drop-outs, so far, have not been very long in duration.
We've been watching "The Legend of the Seeker" television series. My wife is a huge fan of Terry Goodkind, and I enjoyed the first few books of "The Sword of Truth" myself. We didn't watch it while it was on TV because, well, we just don't watch a whole lot of commercial television. Plus, it just didn't look to be as faithful to the books as we may have liked...but then again, how many adaptations of novels, especially in the fantasy genre, are worth a damn? We decided to give it another chance...maybe it would be easier to digest without commercial breaks. And it's not too bad, actually. Little gripes, of course...the wife bristles when Kahlan's name is pronounced "Kay-lin" and I think the guy who plays Zedd (the Wizard) looks absolutely nothing like the image I have in my mind of Zedd. Small issues, to be sure, and not enough to keep us from watching. The story line seemed to go in a different direction than the book by the time the 2nd episode was over.
I've never subscribed to Showtime, so I was happy to find that the first couple seasons of "Weeds" was available. What a great concept. Upper class suburbanite pot-dealing mother...what's not to love? Even had I never seen an episode I would still know it was classic.
On a lark I played the early 70's blaxploitation classic "Coffy". What a hilarious movie...I don't know just how "humorous" the producers were when they made this, and it's certainly not a "so bad it's good" affair. But the stereotypes are so over-the-top you can't help but be amused. The storyline may as well have come straight from one of the ABC Movies of the Week that were on TV back when this movie was made. The nudity and violence, though, make it clear that this is no television fare. We haven't watched it all, because we don't want our son to walk in when something inappropriate is taking place...for instance, there is one scene where two guys are having a discussion, apparently in a go-go club, and between them, on a small stage and apropos of nothing, there is a butt naked girl dancing. Suffice to say I have absolutely no recollection of what the gentlemen were talking about or how important it may have been to the story. I've got a couple more blaxploitation films in the queue, so I'm hoping that they will be as entertaining as "Coffy".
I've got several Alfred Hitchcock films in the queue...Stacie has never really been exposed to Hitchcock, so I decided to pick one out for us to watch together. One that I hadn't seen. Unfortunately, the one I chose, "Torn Curtain", was not exactly representative of the great director's craft. Much too long...Flat out boring. Even with a star of such magnitude as Paul Newman, it failed to generate any interest whatsoever. Even the plot line was mundane. I apologized to the wife and plan on picking a better one soon. Probably "Vertigo", though I have seen that one before. The plan is to instill an appreciation in my wife for Alfred Hitchcock. I can only hope that "Torn Curtain" didn't spoil any chances for success in that endeavour.
Watched an old Robert Duvall movie last night, "Tender Mercies". I hadn't seen that one in YEARS, but I remembered it being very, very good. It's hard to go wrong with Robert Duvall, and this is one of his best roled, IMO. I'm pretty sure Stacie liked it (couldn't get Bryan to watch ANYTHING...he's got the teenage attitude going and doesn't want to do much at all with his mom and dad).
I've been watching the British series "Waiting for God" and I like it a lot. We gave "Red Dwarf", another British series, a chance, but hated it. I had put like 8 seasons in the queue because it looked like it might be really good. I was sorely disappointed and had to remove them all. It looked like the "special effects" might be pretty cool, and the story idea in the one we watched seemed interesting...but the actors delivery and the script were just so bad we couldn't make it to the end of the first episode.
I'd already seen the documentary "Hell House", or at least part of it, but it's so fascinating I had to watch again. It's about a church who put on an elaborate "Haunted House" each Halloween. It's not your typical haunted house, though. It's supposed to have some kind of evangelical message, and the tour through the building is filled with scenes about drug abuse, suicide, domestic abuse, AIDS (tied in, of course, with the homosexual lifestyle), promiscuous sex, and, most importantly, dying without having accepted Jesus Christ as "personal Lord and Saviour"...nothing you'd find in a "normal" haunted house. There is a scene that's stolen straight from the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy". So much so that the kid with the gun is actually called Jeremy. Another in which a young man lies in a hospital bed, dying of AIDS, while some girl (a relative?) tries very hard to get him to renounce the lifestyle that has, apparently, brought him to this end. He doesn't do it, though, and so he winds up in the final scene, in which Satan drags him, and every other "non-believer" straight to hell with him. TOTALLY ABSURD. Almost surreal, even. And these church folks take it SO seriously, from the audtion process to the actual process, you can tell it's something they wait all year for. And the event brings in thousands of people and has since it was first started several years back. No doubt many of those who pay to go through see it for the joke it is (not saying it's meant as a joke...in fact, these church folks are very serious about it...but come on...people are smarter than that, I hope). The best scene is when a small group of teens chastise the preacher of the church for what they feel are unsympathetic and/or inaccurate portrayals of the issues the spectacle exploits. It's so cool to see a kid, probably no older than 18 or 19, wearing a Fear Factory t-shirt, just lambasting this middle age hypocrite. The righteous indignation of this young unbeliever was so overpowering that the preacher seemed dumbstruck. Anything he had to offer in response was so "rehearsed" and typical (a witnesse's sound byte, I call it) that he was easilly railroaded by the TRUTH. The kind loses his temper once, shooting the bird at him and saying "fuck you", but his friends restrain him. He cools down quickly and the only admirable thing the preacher does in the whole exchange is keep his cool. But even that came off as some weird lesson in "turning the other cheek". The kids walked away and left the guy with egg on his face, even though, I'm almost positive, he felt like he'd done the Lord's work in dealing with them in the way he had...anyway, like I said, it's a great film.
I suppose I've written about as much...no, more, than I originally planned.
10.16.2009
10.15.2009
1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321
1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111
9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888
1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321
1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111
9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888
1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321
10.14.2009
Music Video of the Week: MX80 Sound
"Why Are We Here?"
MX80 Sound
MX80 Sound
I was unaware that MX80 Sound had done a music video, but I suppose all of those Ralph Records artists were given the green light to make at least one. Always loved this song, since first hearing it on a Ralph sampler EP in the early 80s. THIS is the kind of music I like to associate with that decade. Pay attention to what's going on in the video, even though it seems to make no sense whatsoever until the last 30 seconds. Do this and you will know why I think this is a real work of art.
10.12.2009
"Forgetting"
I've been writing a lot of new poetry and posting it on Bipolar Confessional (yes, I changed the name back to the original...it seemed to suit it better). Haven't put any of the recent stuff here, as I really wanted to do more for BP. Anyone who is interested should follow this link. For now I will post the newest one, which I wrote this morning.
"Forgetting"
Ghosts and Spirits whirl like dervishes
Caught and crammed in a soft metal silo
Freed from time but tied to space by a coil
Clinging to dream, the lucky few
Vacate the hive for a minute
A short moment of remembrance
Denied a quick forgetting
Or consigned to lonely park benches
Behind seldom opened doors
Locked in basements, difficult to enter
Segregated from the swarm
Yet cursed in cherished imprisonment
They never grow old
They envy the ones ignored
Those who are being forgotten
Breaking their chains for good
Melting into the atmosphere
Where they belong
Parting the dead sea
They crawl without a leader
Too numb to appreciate this unexpected exodus
Caring less for those left behind
Knowing that they, for all their loneliness
Are the blessed ones
"Forgetting"
Ghosts and Spirits whirl like dervishes
Caught and crammed in a soft metal silo
Freed from time but tied to space by a coil
Clinging to dream, the lucky few
Vacate the hive for a minute
A short moment of remembrance
Denied a quick forgetting
Or consigned to lonely park benches
Behind seldom opened doors
Locked in basements, difficult to enter
Segregated from the swarm
Yet cursed in cherished imprisonment
They never grow old
They envy the ones ignored
Those who are being forgotten
Breaking their chains for good
Melting into the atmosphere
Where they belong
Parting the dead sea
They crawl without a leader
Too numb to appreciate this unexpected exodus
Caring less for those left behind
Knowing that they, for all their loneliness
Are the blessed ones
10.10.2009
10.09.2009
Haven't felt too bad the last several days, except for a brief "shivering" spell last night. I don't really know how else to describe it...it's like I feel cold all over my body, kind of the way you do when you've got a bad fever. But it doesn't go away when you get under the covers or do whatever it is you do to get warm. This one lasted for a couple of minutes. The worst thing about it was that I had no control over it. I tried to breath in and out slowly, to relax, but to no avail. I was really scared that the muscle spasms would somehow affect my heart. It's exactly what happened the night I went to the ER (without the preceding chest pains, I would add). I thought it was just cold in the room...and surely it was in the bathroom, where the window was open, and where the whole thing started. But the wife insisted that it wasn't cold at all in the bed.
But enough of that.
I was reading an article in Wired about Netflix, and it said that anyone with Vista/Windows Media Center could hook up directly to a television and watch the streaming content. I was not aware of this! I was under the impression that we would have to purchase a special device. I never had any use for the Media Center before, so I hadn't read up on it. Sure enough, when I had tracked down an RGB cable and ran it from the laptop to the tv, voila! Access to all of Netflix's "Watch Instantly" titles. The picture quality on our big screen actually looked quite good with our 6mps connection speed, but there was a little bit of "stuttering" when the image in the picture shifted from left to right (and vice versa) and some of the darker hues seemed more pixelated than brighter ones. If I weren't so picky that would have been fine. But I decided to take a chance, call Windstream and ask if they had 12mps available in this area now...when we upgraded to 6 we would have gone up to 12 at that time, but they told us it wasn't in this area. As it turned out, it IS available now, so I upgraded. We've got lightning fast internet speed and the picture quality of the streaming video is much better.
I beefed up my Instant Queue, seeing as how I'm sure we'll be utilizing the function extensively. I've got well over 200 titles there, but I'm a little disappointed that the display on the Media Center interface only shows 200. I don't know if they roll over as titles are pulled or what. I would think so. It's still pretty new to me, so I'm looking forward to figuring it all out.
Watching a concert from Einsterzende Neubauten right now. Good God, those guys are awesome. Originality means a whole lot to me...and these guys have always been one of a kind. So good! I'd like to own a copy of this one.
Posting this from my son's laptop, and it's kind of depressing because it has a few advantages over my Vaio. For one thing, the screen is wider and there doesn't seem to be quite as much "glare". The keys aren't quite as hard to push as those on mine. There's a nice, rounded front...I don't know who designed the Vaio, but it's sharp corners make for some very uncomfortable typing. But this computer does have it's drawbacks...I don't like the touch pad at all. It's too smooth for my tastes. I also prefer to not have a numbers pad...though I think I could get used to that. I've had a good run with my laptop, and have always been happy with Sony products...I don't see it biting the dust any time soon, but when it does I will take these things into account.
10.07.2009
10.05.2009
10.03.2009
We went to Wal-Mart to buy groceries today...which would not normally be a big deal, but this time we had to be conscious of the sodium and fat levels in the food we bought. The wife and I have kind of gone into this diet thing together. She's wanted to do it for a long time, but always became discouraged at some point. Now that I HAVE to diet she sees it as an opportunity to support me while getting herself in shape at the same time. She's had heart problems for most of her life, so she really should have been eating better up until now. Better late than never, I suppose.
Wal-Mart was ridiculous. I guess a lot of people got their food stamps and/or social security checks.
We went to the football game last night, as we wanted to watch Bryan march with the band at halftime. I insisted that we sit on the north end of the bleachers. We have always sat on the southside in the past, but I was wanting to avoid having to listen to and watch the cheerleaders. God, I hate cheering. Plus, I thought it might be a nice change to be on the other end. Stacie didn't have a problem with it, but she kind of moaned and groaned about there being no one she knew that she could talk to. I guess everyone she knows always sits on the other end. I could tell she was wishing we hadn't changed the routine. Then, next thing you know, here come a family from her church. Not too long after that the preacher and his wife showed up and sat behind us. Needless to say, she didn't bitch after that.
The game was a good one, though the home team lost by one point. It was clear to me, fairly early one, that the visiting team was the better of the two. Not by a whole lot, but obviously enough to matter.
I'm still feeling pretty good, as far as I've been able to keep my anger in check. I've had a couple of bouts with depression, but without the meanness mixed in I've been able to handle it. Actually a little glad that they came along because it assured me that my medication was working---I guarantee you that I was in the beginning stages of a manic escalation...great feeling when that happens, but you don't want to lose control...so the fact that I didn't get any higher was an indication.
I know that's not much interesting to say...I suppose it has been a little boring.
Wal-Mart was ridiculous. I guess a lot of people got their food stamps and/or social security checks.
We went to the football game last night, as we wanted to watch Bryan march with the band at halftime. I insisted that we sit on the north end of the bleachers. We have always sat on the southside in the past, but I was wanting to avoid having to listen to and watch the cheerleaders. God, I hate cheering. Plus, I thought it might be a nice change to be on the other end. Stacie didn't have a problem with it, but she kind of moaned and groaned about there being no one she knew that she could talk to. I guess everyone she knows always sits on the other end. I could tell she was wishing we hadn't changed the routine. Then, next thing you know, here come a family from her church. Not too long after that the preacher and his wife showed up and sat behind us. Needless to say, she didn't bitch after that.
The game was a good one, though the home team lost by one point. It was clear to me, fairly early one, that the visiting team was the better of the two. Not by a whole lot, but obviously enough to matter.
I'm still feeling pretty good, as far as I've been able to keep my anger in check. I've had a couple of bouts with depression, but without the meanness mixed in I've been able to handle it. Actually a little glad that they came along because it assured me that my medication was working---I guarantee you that I was in the beginning stages of a manic escalation...great feeling when that happens, but you don't want to lose control...so the fact that I didn't get any higher was an indication.
I know that's not much interesting to say...I suppose it has been a little boring.
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