Category: general

Where I put something when I’m too lazy to categorize it.

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bits of ham at christmas dinner


Both Saturday and Sunday I was tired; too tired. I also had that tight-muscled feeling. Both those things together usually mean I’m coming down with a cold. As a first response, I decided to see if a Sunday afternoon catnap might help. Not sure I was able to stave off any sickness, but it should felt good to take a nice long nap. I put the new Shins record on the iPod and drifted off while Sharaun watched Home Alone on TV and played with Keaton.

Speaking of Home Alone being on TV, “they” (the powers that be) sure are starting the Christmas stuff early this year. I went to Home Depot on Halloween day to pick up some last-minute needs and they had already taken down the Halloween stuff and were busily assembling the glut of Christmas lawn decorations and green extension cords. I can remember not being Christmas-marketed until after Thanksgiving, seems now that’s moved to after Halloween. When my kids grow up, they’ll start making their lists in August.

Speaking of Christmas, I’m all kinds of excited for Keaton to experience it for the first time. Although I realize there’ll be a limited amount of actual “experiencing” going on, at least that she’ll be able to remember, it doesn’t really matter because I’m also excited about us getting to experience Christmas with her. I’m excited to give her something to tear into on Christmas morning, excited to see her reaction to the Christmas tree, and excited to be back in Florida with friends and relatives to tell us how cute she is. I’m excited to dress her up in warm clothes (although not too warm, as Christmas in Florida is generally shorts and flip-flops weather), excited to feed her bits of ham at Christmas dinner… excited about all that.

Alas, my friends, I’d’ve liked to have followed up that Keaton-based paragraph with a link to a new gallery of her pictures – but I just didn’t get it done. I’m shooting once again for a Monday night posting this week. Oh, and I’ve also decided that this weekly posting thing will more than likely turn into a monthly one after I get to the 52nd week. I’ll try and keep it up for the entire first year, but after that it’s anyones guess. After all, I don’t want to back myself into a corner in terms of precedent when kid #2 comes.

Well, I guess that’s a lot of nothing for tonight – but it’s an entry. Goodnight.

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i am not voting for that dickface


Didn’t write yesterday, wasn’t in the mood. Also wasn’t in the mood last Thursday night, which explains Friday’s non-entry. So, after my long weekend, I thought I’d better get some words on paper. Had a great weekend, though, nice winesoaked dinners and rewarding fits of yardwork, some daddy-daughter time on Saturday and some manfire-stoaking metalworking with a freakin’ plasma cutter and mig welder. It was good, for sure. Let us, though, friends, get our heads out of the past and move forward into the here and the now. Three, two, one…

Today is vote-day. I know where I stand on the major state ballot issues, and the house, but I decided today that, rather than abstain from voting for the many ham-and-egger offices (school board, water rights, sanitation, etc.), I’m instead going to vote for whichever of the candidates I saw the least amount of roadside campaign vomit for. I’m serious, one of these dickfaces had supporters put literally hundreds of campaign posters along the road from the highway to our house. I am not voting for that dickface, just for that.

Remember all my hesitation about the new Shins album? Yeah, that turned out to be quite unfounded. All it took for me to hit the fainting couch with every falsetto croon was a deep-listening session afforded me while mowing the lawn Sunday afternoon. Since the album is a scant 40min, I was able to cycle through it twice and then some (found myself pulling weeds and trimming hedges just to get some more ear-time). The Shins’ music always sounds to me like it would be at home in the mid-sixties, and I like that. I love the way the Shins-singer-guy “turns” his melodies, always trilling up and down where you least expect it, sliding up the scale unexpectedly, it makes for interesting listening.

Continuing on the music tip, I’ve recently re-started (once again) my efforts to digitize my entire CD collection. Re-started is really the wrong term, since it’s been an ongoing thing… it just languishes when the wind’s not in my sails. Last week I did a big “rectify,” comparing everything I’ve ripped thus far to what I have – just to get a better assessment of what’s left to do. Oh, yeah, I have a spreadsheet for that which I was supposed to use and keep updated… but I also stopped updating that regularly enough during my last ripping bout. So, I cleaned everything up and took a fresh look at my progress. Seems I only have about ~100 discs left to rip, not too bad.

Well the, that’s enough too call it a proper entry, I do believe. Before I go though, I also got caught up on Keaton’s gallery, posting her latest pictures – you can check them out here.

Goodnight beasties.

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a truly awesome way to spend an evening


Hey hey friends, I want to pre-let you know that I have next to nothing to write about tonight. In fact, before logging into WordPress and typing this I had actually planned to go entry-less tomorrow. Then, I got the vapors and decided to go for it. I’m crazy that way y’all, it’s just a part of my chemistry. Don’t leave me alone with your women, I might get all crazy and pitch woo (in blog form, of course) at them.

Tonight I got home from work and almost immediately hopped in a car with Sharaun and Keaton. Sharaun had, in an awesome display, cooked soup for an older couple from church with whom we’ve become acquainted. We headed over there and had an outstanding meal with this couple we barely know. We traded abridged life stories, theirs much more abridged than ours (by necessity,) and just sat and talked. I had a terrific time, listening to stories from a former WWII B26 tailgunner in the European theater; stories about his children, his time in the army, his various home-improvement exploits, his thoughts on aging… it was like sitting down in front of a living, breathing piece of history. Not just history though – a man with experiences, a piece of history you can interact with and ask questions. Honestly, I had an outstanding time, simply taking 3hrs to have a meal with people; to listen. Don’t misunderstand me, this isn’t the same “high” that you’d get from dishing at the downtown soup-kitchen – not a charity high. What I am beaming about is some kind of “human contact” high, some idyllic Mayberry porchswing thing. I place high value on sharing experiences with people, even if just by listening to accounts of past events. When we got home, I made sure to thank Sharaun for her selfless act of non-charity – it was a truly awesome way to spend an evening.

And now for something completely different. I have no idea quite how this happened, but last night I somehow happened to find scans online from a 1935 Santa Barbara, California highschool yearbook – one of the years my grandmother attended that very institution. Amazing, right? So, curious, I began “thumbing” through the scans to see if I could spot any photos of her. Turns out, my grandmother was quite active in school clubs and activities, and as such I was able locate her in several different group photos (apparently, only the graduating seniors got headshots, and she must’ve been an underclassman that year).

Anyway, I had already posted this blog by the time I found the yearbook after midnight – but I came back just to add this bit, so I apologize if the writing is hasty. Pretend I’m conveying all sorts of amazed sentiment at such a random online find – the only digitized Santa Barbara yearbook online and it’s the one my grandmother’s in. So, without further ado, here is a picture of my grandmother in highschool, as a member of the “Welfare Council” (click for larger versions):

But wait, as amazing as that is – want to see something even more incredible? In this particular picture, the young woman standing next to my grandmother is none other than my great-aunt. That’s right, my grandmother standing alongside her future husband’s sister in the same Spanish Club – now that’s a true internet find! Check it out (grandma on the left, her sister-in-law to-be on the right):

Seems my my great-aunt and grandmother were also both members of the apparently less exclusive “Scholarship Society” and “Girls’ Athletics Association,” although they’re not standing next to each other in these (my great-aunt in green, grammy in red):

That internet y’allz, that thing is wild… OK seriously, it’s like 1am and I haven’t even taken out the trash yet – goodnight lovers.

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now it’s now


Tuesday night, almost-finished-but-didn’t the final Halloween prop, I ended up missing a few minute but crucial bits and couldn’t leave the house as I was alone with Keaton. Tomorrow it is, then, for the finished product – time is ticking though, and I’m ready to have it done. Maybe I’ll come home tomorrow at lunch and finish it off. After working on, and quitting working on, the prop, I came inside and worked a bit on December’s “Best of 2006” post a little… then stopped to take a dump… and now it’s now. Sharaun’s busy fabricating our costumes for Friday’s soirée, and I should be working on making a replacement tombstone for the one that got jacked – but I’m not… I’m just not motivated. So instead I’m listening to music.

I absolutely loved this article (and the comments are particularly good too), the seafaring metaphors make for an entertaining read, and the meat is nice and meaty. Lamenting the many IED-pockmarks in Great Britain’s road to from March 19, 2003 to now in the Iraq war, the writer makes some interesting statements – including this one:

It is no small thing to find oneself on the wrong side of an argument when the debate is about the biggest disaster in British foreign policy since Suez; … no small … to have shackled our own good name to a doomed US presidency and crazed foreign-policy adventure that the next political generation in America will remember only with an embarrassed shudder.

Anyway… remember when we hastily invaded Iraq without international backing, the administration’s reasoning firmly based on the “overwhelming probability” of WMD (despite what revisionist history may say)? Fast-forward to now: North Korea most certainly has WMD, not one nation on Earth would question that. Remember the fear that the administration whipped up on the “likelihood” that Iraq might be producing and plotting to use WMD? Where is that fear for North Korea? Why is the nation not being whipped into a frenzy this time? (More stunningly, but slightly off-topic, why aren’t people taking note autonomously… must we wait to be told what to fear and who wears black?) We’re not seeing the same fear mongering because we can’t afford it. We’re completely committed to a theater of war that is now, without a doubt, a solid loss. We fucked up, fucked up big. Invaded a country on false pretense, blowing the horns of WMD and Democracy when we were really after a toehold in the Middle East and a more secure supply of oil. Oh sure, way back in 2003 this foreign policy may have seemed logical.

But oh, my friends, where we are now. Now – it’s crystal clear that Iraq, while it was no poster-child for human rights or fair government, was no imminent threat. But, while we were busy spreading ourselves thin and spilling blood for pure lies – the world was not idle. North Korea got the bomb, shadowy extremist networks like Al Qaeda mobilized and struck in far more sophisticated plots than we imagined them capable of. And all the while, we tore down a country that was, at its most threatening, a sticky situation for international diplomacy.

Anyway, the whole thing made me wonder, when I help Keaton memorize names and dates on flashcards for her 10th grade American history class, how this war will be memorialized in the books…

Anyway, we need to get off this war crap. The big ol’ Halloween party is in a mere two days, and things are pretty much ready. My mom and dad are coming down to spend a few days with us and Keaton, and are going to help out by babysitting the night of the fête (apparently English didn’t have enough synonyms for “party,” so we jacked a bunch from the French). I’m going to try to not get too ridiculously loose as the shindig, so Saturday won’t be a complete waste. Anyway, I have high hopes for what will be our fourth annual bash – and I’ll try and get some pictures of the costumed action up sometime early next week.

Goodnight lovers.

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q&a


Tuesday night, but tomorrow is my Friday – as Ben’s wedding sees me taking both Thursday and Friday off to do my groomsmenly duties. Can’t wait, should be awesome fun and drunk-relaxing to boot.

You know, a few months ago when I finally decided to add my e-mail address to the sidebar of sounds familiar, I wondered at first if anyone even noticed. Then, the mails trickled in. They were simple at first, although I got the occasional nugget. Over time though, I feel I’ve collected enough of these gems to assemble a choice little review. So, here we go friends, a rundown of what I feel are some of the best e-mails I’ve got as a result of my blog entries:


Did this really happen? (written in response to my poop entry)

Why yes, it really did. My old college roommate at the time even confirmed it here. I assure you that I really did spend an afternoon cleaning feces off the floor, wall, and ceiling.

i like to be gay with u, and in some of ur blogs u sound like u might b ok with it?

Sure! You’ve keenly picked up on the obvious homosexual undercurrents in my writing. Let’s meet sometime in real life and see if we get along. Maybe then, and only if you’re cute, can you be gay with me. I want to make it clear that, while I’m not 100% gay, e-mailing me random propositions is probably the best way to increase your odds.

Chinese people make me nervous, they always look like they will rob you. How can you relax there? (written in response, I think, to my entries on trips to Asia)

Well, you’re right – Asian people certainly do come across all back-alley thug, don’t they?. But, you have to work through it if you want to really connect on a global scale. Look, I’ve been to Taiwan like, ten times, or something – and I’ve only been stabbed twice (and one of those was with a chopstick, so that doesn’t even really count). Plus if you’re able to conquer your fears, the Asian tail is saweeeet.

Your daughter and wife are beautiful, but your fat and your hair is thin.

You have keen powers of perception, dear reader. I am indeed a bit oafish, and a good bit of my hair has gone the way of the dodo. I also agree heartily that my wife and daughter are some of God’s finest creations. However, I have a very logical explanation for it all: Panties shake loose in fits of laughter around me.

I can’t believe you think that fukken album is good, you must have retardness of the brain and cancer of the ear and a permanent shittaste in your mouth from all the shit you listen to. You are a dick idoit bitch. (written in response to this entry)

Whoa, padner… slooow your roll here. What gives you the right to criticize my taste in music?! I have a blog, you idiot, and that makes me an expert on whatever I deem myself an expert of. I won’t let your negativity impact my genius, I just won’t.

I think I also have this allergy. Did you ever feel itchy in the shower after football? (written in response to this entry)

Football? Shower?

do u go to mihs? i think i am who blew u in the field. (written in response to this entry)

Wow, where to start on this one – this is probably my favorite one to date. First off, no, I didn’t go to “MIHS.” Second, I’m preeety sure you’re not the girl I was, uhhh, writing about. Your first clue should have been the fact that you seem to be writing about events which transpired relatively recently, while I, on the other hand, am writing about something which happened in my storied past. Wow.

You could do this much easier with real robots. (written in response to this entry)

“Real” robots? Now why didn’t I think of that?

Brilliant! I showed this 2 my youth group that my stopid mom makes me go 2!! (written in response to this entry)

Just what I need on St. Peter’s roll when I show up, spreading heresy to impressionable kids. Seriously though, don’t take anything you read on the internet as gospel. In fact, don’t even take the gospel as gospel – question everything and you’ll be better for it.

Lately, my el-cheapo Pioneer receiver has started to tick me off. Thing is, I don’t even do anything with it. I don’t have a CD player hooked up anymore, it’s up in a box in the garage with my record player. I simply don’t listen to anything at home that’s not the free XM feeds that come with DirecTV, piped off the iPod, or playing from my hard drive – no need for all that media (in fact, all my already ripped CDs went into bins and subsequently into the rafters in this past weekend’s organization fit). Anyway, for some reason the damn thing has taken to enabling only the right speaker more often than not. Oh, the other speakers are still functional, the test tone confirms this, but they just don’t work. I fear an internal circuit inside the budget box has gone lame. Certainly not an insurmountable problem, but the whole thing just makes me think I’m being told it’s time to upgrade the whole A/V solution… plus stupid Pat keeps talking about the falling prices of flatscreens…

Well, that was nice. As for the rest of the week, I think I’ve got something creative planned for Thursday and Friday’s posts – if it works. For more good stuff today, pop over and read this piece – it’s a good one.

Goodnight.

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mostly pictures


Sunday I decided to organize the garage, partly because the house was in such disarray that I wanted to clean something. We had some folks over Saturday for football, Halloween prop-building, and smoked pork butt. Borrowed Pat’s homemade smoker, woke up at quarter to four to take the meat from it’s brine, dry-rub it, and put it in. So, Sunday morning found the house a little untidy – hence my OCD urge to clean and organize. Managed to make some more room by shifting things around and moving stuff up into the rafters. I’ve written before about how better utilizing the space we have makes me feel good, and today was no exception.

Not gonna write much today, don’t have much to say. Basically, I’ll just point you over to Keaton’s gallery – which has been updated with her week thirty-one pictures. I also added back the ability to comment, although with a little captcha style confirmation code. So, comment away again please.

Goodnight lovers.

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coffee and pizza


Hey hey Thursday again, and I’ve written nary a word as the clock tick-tick-ticks towards 8pm. I could be working on the new tombstones, but I’m not. Usually, when I come home from work, I take everything out of my pockets, peel of my shoes and socks and get down to a pair of shorts and my undershirt and then collect my cellphone and head to the living room. When I forget my cellphone on the dresser, I can’t hear it from the front part of the house. So, I end up missing calls. Later, when I find my cellphone and see how many missed calls I have I rarely return any phone calls, and even more rarely listen to the pileup of voicemails. I don’t know why I don’t listen to voicemail, I guess I have some notion that, if people want to talk to me or tell me something, they’ll probably call back. I know it’s a dick point of view, but if you’ll remember I’ve never actually said I wasn’t a dick.

Today I came home for lunch and made a pizza, those frozen oven kind with a french bread crust. I had four of the smallish pieces and some soda before playing with Keaton for a while, kissing her forehead, and heading back to a packed day at the office. When I came home, I decided to once again not mow the lawn (this is perhaps my longest dereliction of the duty), and I held and kissed and played with the baby a little more before Sharaun left for a “girls night out” with friends. On my own for dinner, I surveyed the options: leftover spaghetti (my go-to, always works, never tired of it meal), leftover sausage and peppers (but I’d have to cook some rice to put it on), or the remaining slices of the very pizza I had for lunch. Faced with the choices, I went with pizza. So, today, I had coffee and pizza; that’s it. Coffee and pizza do not fine-dining make, my friends. Not by far.

Update: Seems Apple fixed the artwork issue with the release of iTunes 7.0.2, read here to find out how I got my artwork back. Read on for my original entry.

Anyone else having issues with their 5G iPod not showing album art anymore after firmware 1.2 and/or iTunes 7.0.1? I consider the album artwork display feature to be one of the better “perks” of the iPod, but also one of the most poorly implemented. Why do some MP3s with embedded artwork just “work,” while the iPod seems to ignore others? Why do I have to uncheck the “show artwork” and then recheck it to get the iPod to “optimize artwork” so it’ll display properly? Should the damn thing “optimize” it when I drop the files onto it? Why did the new firmware/iTunes break artwork for newly-added albums?

Last night, I tried to fix this and the damn thing ate all my lovingly added artwork and now I can’t get it back. Oh, it’s still embedded in the files – it shows up in iTunes, just not on the iPod. I was so angry, I just laughed. Yeah, I was that mad. This website says I should “remove all the tracks” from my iPod and then “re-synchronize it.” Great, except I don’t use the “synchronize library” feature, I manually manage the songs and have no established library with which I can re-synchronize (the measly 60GB that is my iPod represents a mere fraction of my entire music collection). Moreover, there’s no “approved” way to get the tracks currently on my iPod off my iPod so I can re-add them. I guess, I’ll use SharePod to take all the songs off my iPod, blank it out, and then re-add them through iTunes 7.0.1. Yeah, I’ll do that when I have 3hrs to spare…

I’m not the only one either, others are also struggling with album art issues in 7.0. Anyway, I’m hoping somone will hit this page with a Google search for the subphrases “artwork shows in iTunes” and “not on iPod,” and comment here with a quick-fix because this…

If you are in manual mode, the ONLY way to put artwork back onto your iPod right now is to add the artwork to the song in iTunes and then re-transfer those tracks back to your iPod. The artwork can be added either manually or automatically, but it must be added to the file in iTunes and then the file transferred to the iPod.

…is bullshit. Goodnight.