Something new

Question: Do we know how it will affect the band blog if someone switches to the new Blogger? I'm just wondering because I'm considering switching, but I don't want to lock anyone out or make it so that everyone has to switch whether they want to or not. Anyone out there using the new Blogger who might be able to lend some assistance?

And now for the Really Big Shoe:

Flute 12
Clarinet 12
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 22
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 4
Harp 12

trpt++; fhrn-- // For any of you who are not programmers, the ++ and -- simply mean add or subtract 1 respectively. :)

And have a very happy New Year, if I don't post on here before then. Also, please be safe in all of your celebrating. Don't drink and drive. :)

GREETINGS one and all

Hmm... I thought I posted before, but it doesn't seem to have appeared. Too bad.
So I suppose there's a reason that only the veteran band citizens have continued posting. Just imagine what it will be like when (1. Jon is nimptopsical, I thought that was funny) you are an old man...

Well, I send my greetings to all and play "taps" for the funeral of the string family in your game. No vote at this time as I can't defend an instrument I haven't played for almost 2 years now. But oh well. PS there is a recent post on my blog for a change.

If any of you be wondering, I will once again grace the VBC with my presence starting next semester. So be prepared for the new, updated Jarrett Wheatley experience - the world will never be the same.

All sarcastic boasting aside, I wish you all the best, a Merry Christmas ('n Geseënde Kersfees) and a Prosperous New Year (n' Voorspoedige Nuwe Jaar) in all aspects and languages.
But I must hie. Salani Kahle!

The Ultimate Answer...

...to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything:

Will It Blend?

Ooh, a site dedicated specially to turning ordinary household objects into dust (another ordinary household object.) It's almost like alchemy, but with more horsepower.

Happy Holiday-type-days for you all.

Add one for my wife and minus one from that wooden woodwind.

Flute 12
Clarinet 12
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 21
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 5
Harp 12

Rollercoaster

Flute 11
Clarinet 13
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 21
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 5
Harp 12

Well, darn it all if you guys aren't just the best friends a guy could have
*sniffle* I mean, seriously. I just don't know what I'd do wivoutd awl of you... *sob* I just..... BWAAAAAAwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....

(My impression of what I think I would blog like if I were plastered. Sorry, I had a glass of eggnog for dinner last night and it made me think of what I'd be like if I were inebriated).

I am locked out of my office right now, so I'm sitting in my old/Ben's new office blogging. I didn't have time to make rice pudd'n yesterday like I was supposed to for our office party today, so my ex-/Ben's new boss will be mad at me. Oh, well. I'll just have to bring some in later this week.

And speaking of Ben, yeah, I agree - a clarification on the no-undo-previous-move item would be good. <opinion>I was under the impression that you couldn't undo what was just done by moving the point directly back from where it was put (undoing both moves), but that moving another section's point to a recently-deprived section was ok. </opinion> Anywhoo.......

Yay for elipses.
Yay for adventures.
Yay for my spider plant in my office not being dead like I though it was (I watered it not enough, then way too much).
Yay for summer that is drawing closer every day.
Yay for Atari.
Yay for the stuff.

Kaybye.

Flute 11
Clarinet 13
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 21
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 5
Harp 12

I'm scared........that's all.
Flute +, French Horn -

.5

Well, ok, you undid half of what I did. I took from the trumpets and you gave back to the trumpets on the next move. So then, are we able to undo half of the previous "move"? An answer to this would 4 shore change the way I play da game. I just understood it as we couldn't undo any part of the previous "move" but I did look at the other moves and there are 2 times (that I noticed) where this has happened so I'm assuming it's ok?? Either way it's not biggy cause it's just a game.

I did not undo what you did. Notice that you took from trumpets and gave to french horns. I took from tubas and gave to trumpets. That's how it works. Look at the older posts...

Flute 10
Clarinet 13
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 21
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 6
Harp 12

What happens now??

"Rules: 1) You can't undo something that someone just did" I'm guessing the score stands as it was? Not sure though, it was never talked about.

Flute 10
Clarinet 13
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 20
Trombone 12
Tuba 16
French Horn 6
Harp 12

I am incredibly offended.

And yes, I am completely serious too.

Flute 10
Clarinet 13
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 21
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 6
Harp 12

..............................................................................

yup, Version 2.156743857565645

yeah.....

Flute 10
Clarinet 13
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 20
Trombone 12
Tuba 16
French Horn 6
Harp 12

French fries are up, Donald Trump is down.

A fun poem

"There once was a Lady named Bright
Whose speed was much faster than Light
She went out one day
In a Relative way,
And returned -- the previous night!:

—Anonymous, early 20th century

This point change, however, is by no means anonymous. Nor is it vindictive. Or earth-shattering. Or edible. But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

Flute 10
Clarinet 13
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 21
Trombone 12
Tuba 16
French Horn 5
Harp 12

Trumpet to Clarinet 2-point conversion. Ding!

yup.

I know that this is in good fun and all, but I simply just don't like the trumpets and I think it's time to take them down a few notches. Join me, won't you? (Just kidding....well, actually, not really. I wouldn't lie about something like that)

Tuba+, trumpet-. Now somebody else needs to post so that we can end this trumpet lead and take them down. I mean, seriously, does anybody (besides trumpet players) actually like trumpets. They just sound so puny and weak.

Flute 10
Clarinet 12
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 22
Trombone 12
Tuba 16
French Horn 5
Harp 12

yup. This will be fun now :)

Merry Whatever-us

Flute 10
Clarinet 12
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 23
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 5
Harp 12

I must avenge my wife. No hard feelings.
Flue +++, Trumpet ---

Harppy Holidays Everyone

Flute 9
Clarinet 12
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 24
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 5
Harp 12

Harp +1, French Horn -1

Happy Birthday, Tycho!

No, not Tyco, maker of fine children's toys. Tycho, observer of the heavens. From Denmark, too. :)

Clarinet+ Horn-

Flute 9
Clarinet 12
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 24
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 6
Harp 11

So...............................
how's everyone doing? That's just great. Since the semester is (practically) over (for those attending classes), I think we need to have somewhat of a celebration by way of social gathering and food and games and such.

The other day my brother gave me a set of the original Atari pong paddle-style controllers which are now gracing my office desk here at the Stick. Isn't retro fun?

In other news, it's supposed to be 49 degrees today. Crazy, no?

Well, for anyone with any finals left to take, I wish you goodest luck.

T minus 14...

...hours and Disneyland opens! Yay!!!

I just thought I'd throw that in there because that's where I'll be. Photos will be forthcoming. :)

And now on to bizz-ness.

Flute 9
Clarinet 11
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 24
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 7
Harp 11

trpt++; flt--;

It's not that I have something fundamentally against flute players; my ears are damaged and have a very hard time listening to high-pitched sounds. And really, that was more of a "--" against piccolos because they hurt so bad to listen to. I've spent too many years listening to loud sounds (such as being in a jazz band and marching bands). Do I regret my hearing loss? Not one iota. It's like a war wound. I'm very proud of it. But, it does call into question my ability to listen to mp3 players. :) I also revel in loud sounds like those from good old American muscle (Chevy 350 small block, Ford 427, and Chrysler 426 Hemi). Those are some beautiful sounds, something no Euro-lib car or Japanese rice burner will ever [properly] imitate. :) Speaking of which, the Corvette is the most beautiful 4-wheeled creation to ever grace the surface of the planet. Ever. Period. I think this one comes in near the top, too. ;)

Wow! I went from flutes to sports cars in one paragraph. I like to gravitate to cars, if you can't tell.

Anyhow, take it easy, y'all!

This just in...

...French horns are going down!!

Flute 10
Clarinet 11
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 23
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 7
Harp 11

Take that, Frenchie!

Flute +, French Horn -

Flute 10
Clarinet 11
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 22
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 8
Harp 11

Ajax can be fun

So can sending the violas to be with the violins. They will be happier together, I think.

Flute 9
Clarinet 11
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 22
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 9
Viola 0
Harp 11

Not much new here - just life in the fast lane.

Quote of the day:
"Never, never, never give up."
- Winston Churchill

Meh

Flute 9
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 22
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 9
Viola 1
Harp 11

Trumpet +, Viola -

That is all.

Yay! Trumpets are legal now!!

Flute 9
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 21
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 9
Viola 2
Harp 11

Andrew, I can only think of a couple of people I know who actually like Microsoft. And I am not one of them. I use Windows out of necessity; it provides some services that other systems do not, that I have discovered to be difficult to live without. I forsook MSN messenger a couple of years ago because of its desire for constant attention. I use mostly Jabber for IM (Google chat, gaim), but if I do need to connect to MSN/AOL, I use Trillian. So yeah, I don't much care for Microsoft either. Except, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I do think the Zune player is pretty cool.

Y'know, a couple of years ago, I purchased some speakers for my computer so that I could upgrade the sound experience. I forked over about $50 and bought the Logitech X-230 2.1 speaker set. Previous to that, I had this fairly nice 2.1 system by Altec Lansing which I donated to Kristin so that she wouldn't have to listen to her old crackly speakers anymore. Anyway, when we moved to Ogden, we set up our TV and DVD player, but desperately needed some decent movie sound. So, I sacrificed and connected my nice speaker system to the DVD player. It really wasn't a sacrifice at all. Over the last year plus, we have really enjoyed the sound that the X-230 puts out. The subwoofer is enough to actually blow air across the room. The sound rivals some Bose systems for clarity. Just last night, we were watching "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and during the end credits, I went in the other room. I could still hear the music loud and clear through the concrete walls. I do try to keep the music down after 10:00 pm so we don't come off as being bad neighbors. But yes, those little speakers are really quite impressive.

Anyway, that's my product review for the day. Take it easy, y'all!

Trombone +1 and Viola -1

Flute 9
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 20
Trombone 12
Tuba 15
French Horn 9
Viola 3
Harp 11

I looks like we'll have an interesting time once Viola goes the way of all that is Violins (violence).

I am running out of post titles...

I must have just sat there for litterally minutes trying to think up a title for this post, but nothing is coming to me. Also, Messenger is not signing me in, and I am getting quite pissed at the little bouncing MSN icon in my dock. Which leads me to my next point, I hate Microsoft. Seriously, can't these people ever get anything right (granted, the XBox is pretty cool)?

On the better side of life, I finished one class completely and now just have two more to go. My cinematography class is all but finish. I just need to get a sound mix done, then fill out a picture log, then send the whole shebang out to Denver and pay $100 and pray I have the patience and nerve to wait six weeks. Then, I just have one measly little project to do for ASL. I'm just worried about my grade in sign language. I need a C- or better. Wish me luck!

Also, I decided that my neighbor is an annoying twerp who keeps his music up too loud. Good thing he's getting evicted from the dorms.

On to business:

Flute 9
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 20
Trombone 11
Tuba 15
French Horn 9
Viola 4
Harp 11

Tumpet +, Viola -

A first

Just Strong Bad's mask not on his head.

Flute 9
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 19
Trombone 11
Tuba 15
French Horn 9
Viola 5
Harp 11

Flute - Clarinet +

And if you want to see a video about a different look at wiki editing, check this out. (Click on #3)

Trumpet +, Viola -

Flute 10
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 19
Trombone 11
Tuba 15
French Horn 9
Viola 5
Harp 11

Anyhoo, how's everyone doing? Us school people are all winding down for a nice, well deserved holiday break. As a fine arts major, I don't have to do any finals, just projects. I am split whether or not that is good thing. On one hand, I don't have the stress of tests, on the other hand, projects are large and take lots of time. Either way, the semester is nearly done. Happy semester break everyone!

KML != Camel

Cory, KML stands for Keyhole Markup Language. In other words, Jon wants to do some more stuff with Google Earth, like designing cool structures and placing them in certain places on Google Earth. That's what .kml means. But, if you like, you could create a really cool 3-D camel and place it somewhere and make everyone look for it. :)

Tired of meta tags? Try sketching it

If you've ever needed a CC licensed image to use for a website, flyer, or other purpose and you've tried searching flickr.com, but just can't quite find that perfect picture using search terms, you should check retrievr out. It's pretty amazing what they did. You basically sketch what you're looking for and every brush-stroke does a new search and returns more photos, narrowing the search.

Check it out.

I've been waiting...

Bwwwaaahahahahaha!!!

I get to destroy the violins! STOP THE VIOLINS!!

Flute 10
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 19
Trombone 11
Tuba 15
French Horn 8
Violin 0000000000
Viola 6
Harp 11

The violin gets one zero for each of its former points. Whoever goes next, feel free to just delete it from the list, also, feel free to add more points to trumpets.

Jason, I remember each and every single one of those people. In fact, I was just sitting down last night and thinking about the really cool arrangemnet Seth did of the Disney Electrical Light Parade for brass quintet.

Jon, I dig the events idea. Let's do it!

Jarrett, I had a strange experience the other day when I ran into your double here on the U of U campus. I swear, he looked almost exactly like you. Hope you have a pleasant journey home.

Okay peoples lets chip away at the viola and french horn...

Who's...

...scruffy lookin'? I mean, old?

So Jon, do you want Win3.1 to burn into your monitor? I have a copy of it if you'd like to use it for just such a devious purpose.

And why did I not know aboot the concert at St. Joe's last night? Geez! I played in that concert once. I had to fill in for Dave Cox who had some other engagement that night. Present was Seth C. Miner (Minor), Joel Green, Matt Moore (see him almost every week on Music and the Spoken Word), Chris Stubbs, and me. Well, and then there was the orchestra and choir. It was a cool concert. Now, anyone who knows all of the aforementioned people, raise your hand. I guess that would make me a little "old" now, wouldn't it. But, I'm not using the word "old," only "experienced."

Anyhow, I guess I have to do my civic duty to stamp out competition wherever its stinking corpse may lie. Oh wait, that's Microsoft. Never mind. My civic duty is to advance the cause of trumpet players the world over!

Flute 10
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 18
Trombone 11
Tuba 15
French Horn 8
Violin 1
Viola 6
Harp 11

And the "aye's" have it.

Old Computer Stuff and Other Stuff

I love old computer stuff. So nostalgic. My brother offered me a bunch of old computer stuff yesterday. I'm putting the Atari pong paddle-style controllers and a couple classic Atari controllers in my office as decor. And the CRT in my other office has the older Windows logo burned into it (95-2000 - not the 3.1 version). Yay.

Jarrett, good to hear from you. I hope everything is still going swimmingly. Can't wait to hear about S. Africa and all your adventures. Keep it up.

Flute 10
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 17
Trombone 11
Tuba 15
French Horn 8
Violin 2
Viola 6
Harp 11

Violin: one more nail in the coffin
Clarinet: TTL += 1

Everyone come to the Bell Tower at noon today and get a free hug.

There was a most excellent choirs/orchestra concert at St. Joseph's in Ogden last night. If you missed it, you really missed out. But then, I'm admittedly rather biased. Aside from my bias, though, it was still a very good concert.

I propose...

Summer Games

Hiking
Movies
BBQ's
Road Trips
Ultimate Frisbee
Stargazing
Boating
Rock Climbing/Ice Climbing
Concerts
Dancing
Breakfast
Volleyball
Ice Skating
Firesides
Game Nights

Starting when the weather warms up after this upcoming mini ice age we call "winter", I think we ought to have a communal calendar of events that we can all refer to and show up to as many or few of the events on it as we can or want to. Maybe a little .kml for each event that shows the meeting place and includes meeting time and/or other pertinent info. Each activity could happen once or more than once during the course of the warmer months ahead. Just an idea.

Hmmm....

this blog is starting to look like my Nelspruit district. They all called me "the Old Man". And it seems only the old men have continued to post lately. Funny how life goes on.

All I can say about your game is Bagpipes + 1, Panpipes - 1
or Accordion + 1, Nickelodeon - 1

I am not scared to fly... but I dread flights greater than 9 hours in length.

Well, I hope you're all doing well. And... well, that's all really

A. 2 J. W.
(or "wheatface" as some would have it).

Oops. Sorry.

Flute 10
Clarinet 8
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 17
Trombone 11
Tuba 15
French Horn 8
Violin 3 <--
Viola 6
Harp 11

As Andrew pointed out, I forgot to decrement a point from someone else. So, here's the correction. Sorry for the slippage of the transmission. :)

Hooray for Jason!

Thanks for doing your part! One question though, who did you take a point away from?

Now, on with the game!!

Flute 10
Clarinet 8
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 17
Trombone 11
Tuba 15
French Horn 8
Violin 4
Viola 6
Harp 11

There. I certainly feel better now.

Blasted embedded Flash movies!!

Flute 10
Clarinet 8
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 16
Trombone 11
Tuba 15
French Horn 9
Violin 4
Viola 6
Harp 11

I voted for trumpets! I voted for trumpets!

If anyone is looking for a really good meal, you need to try TGI Friday's Jack Daniels Sampler. It hits the spot. Mmmmmm.

And embedded Flash movies (like the ones on MySpace and YouTube) are good for one thing: heating up my CPU! So, I have FlashBlock!

Chao!

Ok, I'll do my duty.

Flute 10
Clarinet 8
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 15
Trombone 11
Tuba 15
French Horn 9
Violin 4
Viola 6
Harp 11

Now see what you made ME do.

Do your duty!

Vote for trumpets!! Don't make me keep doing it (but I will anyway).

Flute 10
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 15
Trombone 11
Tuba 14
French Horn 9
Violin 4
Viola 6
Harp 11

There, now see what you've made me do?

Clarineh-eh-eh-eh-t + / Saxophone -

Just evening out the reed instruments a little bit.

Flute 10
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 14
Trombone 11
Tuba 14
French Horn 10
Violin 4
Viola 6
Harp 11

Good to see you Andrew. Yes, I know - I also feel bad about never coming down to visit. Curse my lack of self-discipline! I haven't seen a lot of my friends for a while now. :(

Graduation = job_opportunities^2 - social_life

For a few pictures from Resonance 2006, head on over to my photo blog.

Up with trumpets!!

Well, hello my band geeky friends. It's been quite a while since I checked into the virtual band hall. I thought I would take a break between procrastinating on my 14 page paper and procrastinating on my film to swing by and say hello.

What does it take to ever get anyone to show a little love and visit me here in Salt Lake? I sure to miss all of you, my dear band friends.

So, as the first order of busines, here is my response to Ben's game:

Flute 10
Clarinet 8
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 14
Trombone 11
Tuba 14
French Horn 10
Violin 4
Viola 6
Harp 11

If you know anything about me, you know my undying hatred for french horns, so I had to stick it to them by stealing their point and giving to the greatest instrument of all time, the trumpet.

Ah, I have a random joke to tell you:
A pirate walks into a bar and has a ships wheel shoved down the front of his pants. He sits down at the bar and orders a drink. The bartender says, "Hey, you know, you've got a ships wheel down your pants?" And the pirate says, "Yarrr. I know, and it's drivin' me nuts."

Let's see, what else? Oh! I went out to a couple movies recently which I feel you all need to see. First, Casino Royale. It's possibly the best 007 film I have seen in a long time, and maybe even ever. They just nailed it. The action is awesome, and Daniel Craig makes one mean Bond. Kudos to the James Bond team and a nice achievement. Second, The Fountain. What an incredible film. If you have been paying attention to the reviews, you know what I mean. Darren Aranofski is best known for Requiem for a Dream, which is the best anti-drug film ever made (it'll scare the crap out of you and make you never ever want to take drugs). Here, he continues to push film in new and interesting directions. Check it out.

Website of the day: http://www.boingboing.net

Okay! That's all I have. Go go trumpet!!

Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for trombones and not for violas

You know, Thanksgiving is great: long weekend with no school/work, family, a big feast, pie! So, in light of the pending holiday, I'd like to say that I'm thankful for the pilgrims and what they continue to do for me.

Flute 10
Clarinet 8
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 13
Trombone 11
Tuba 14
French Horn 11
Violin 4
Viola 6
Harp 11

UP WITH TUBAS, down with violins

Flute 10
Clarinet 8
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 13
Trombone 10
Tuba 14
French Horn 11
Violin 4
Viola 7
Harp 11

That is all.

Trumpets up, violins down

Flute 10
Clarinet 8
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 13
Trombone 10
Tuba 13
French Horn 11
Violin 5
Viola 7
Harp 11

And thus we see that something will happen.

So, I have a question. What the heck do you do with 60GB or 80GB of storage for music? I have an mp3 collection that spans two DVDs, and now about 7 CDs. I don't think that's even approaching 30 GB yet. You'd have to have an enormous music collection to fill one of those bigger iPods. Now, I understand that many folks have movies on them, and I can easily see taking up 80 gigs with movies, but if I just wanted to have music on it, how many songs is that? Wow! I think with that much space, I could put enough music to listen to it for two or three weeks straight and never hear the same song twice. That blows me away.

I'm not criticizing it in any way. I'm just saying that it's incredible to have that much space devoted to music. And I'm sure there are geeks out there with iPods chock full of music, most of which they've never listened to.

To put it into perspective, I can stuff about 150 songs onto a CD in mp3 format. That's 150 songs per 800MB or ~.8GB. Now, that's about 1% of an 80GB iPod capacity. By that logic, I think you might be able to fit 15,000 songs onto an 80GB iPod, assuming AAC requires approximately the same storage as mp3 and WMA. Wow. That's a crapload of music.

IPOd Stuff

My wife and I recently aquired a 60 gig video ipod (2 weeks before the 80 came out). We love it. If we can put a song on itunes, we can put it on our ipod.
Also, I do see the point of itunes not remembering the songs you buy, but as with other important things, I like to always have a hard copy as a back up. A hard copy, in this case, being a cd.
Now, I don't want to force my beliefs or knowledge on anybody, but Apple is the best company ever!!!
That's all.
Cheers

1,000

Cory, I appreciate the insights into your iPod. They must've changed something along the way since the early iPods, because everything I've read recently about them is that they're very proprietary to iTunes and won't play straight mp3s, wavs, etc. So, if you have an older iPod and it does play those other formats and uses other software, more power to you! I'm also pretty sure there are hacks available for newer iPods that allow them to play all kinds of stuff.

Oh, and this is post #1,000. It sure has been an interesting journey and I hope that the journey will continue for several more thousand.

Lost Fingertips

For anyone who enjoys that one show that reminds me a lot of Gilligan's Island and/or who likes that one band that sings about that one star and how it works, I suggest you check out this creative mix of the two.

trumpet++; violin--;

Flute 10
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 12
Trombone 10
Tuba 13
French Horn 10
Violin 6
Viola 7
Harp 11
(this is going to go on for a really long time)

Jon, I do admit that Apple does produce some world-class products. I wish they were more affordable. I might actually buy a Mac if I felt like I could afford it. I don't want a Mac mini; I want a freaking powerhouse box. And I don't want to spend $8,000 on it. Of course, to get a real powerhouse box on the PC side, I'd spend about that much too. :) So, I guess I'm stuck, eh. Geez! $8,000 is about as much as I have tied up in my two cars! That's right. I have less-expensive vehicles. At least MacOS X isn't the hack job that Windows Veesta is. I feel bad for all those who will be upgrading anytime soon. Having been using the next Windows for quite some time now, let me tell you that it's nothing but pain. I think the minimum system requirements for it should list IBM DeepBlue as the base hardware.

My issue with the iPod is just like you said: Apple doesn't remember if you have purchased a song or not. Also, I don't like being forced to use iTunes when it is almost unusably slow. I will give it this: it pegs my CPU at nearly 100%, so it is getting good mileage out of my CPU. The same can be said with QuickTime.

So, Jon, what is Vista 4? Is that the new WebCT system?

...and when you're a Professional Pirate, you don't have to wear a suit.

Viola ++; Flute--;

Hooray for the underdog!

Flute 10
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 11
Trombone 10
Tuba 13
French Horn 10
Violin 7
Viola 7
Harp 11

Jason, I also do not own an Eye-Pawd. But I will give apple this: they wait and do things right, even if it means they're slow on getting things to market. That said, it is indeed annoying that you have to purchase songs again if you lose the file. For now, I guess I'll stick with my nearly-ancient RCA Lyra. It has downsides which are numerous. But I'll probably still keep it around for until it breaks for one reason - I can dump my digicam's memory card onto it w/o using a computer. Still, it would be nice if there were a feasable way to get it to do voice recording. iPod has an add-on (maybe third-party?) to allow that. I'm sure the Zune will as well. As with computers I'll wait until something decent appears before making my next purchase. For the computer, I will buy a McBook for myself when I actually buy one (the one I'm using now is WSU property).

Anywho - Vista 4 is going to be used starting next semester. The kick-off luncheon was today.

I have a sick. It is a cough and general tiredness. Go away, sick! :(

Ok, bye.

Now this is something I can get excited about

I hate to say it, but I think Microsoft actually has me impressed. They do that from time to time. Windows doesn't even raise my heart rate any more. But, this looks like it might be kind of cool. It's called Zune. It's supposed to be Microsoft's iPod killer. I doubt that it will seriously dent Apple's iPod sales, but it looks to be a really cool digital music player.

I, personally, have never been able to get excited about the iPod. I think Apple puts too many restrictions on it. For one, it won't play mp3 files; you have to convert everything using iTunes to AAC format and then dump it to your iPod. Also, if your computer ever has problems and you lose your music library (that you paid $1 per song), you lose everything. Period. Apple doesn't remember that you purchased those tracks and so you have to purchase them again. For someone with a couple thousand songs, the reality of that is painful. Also, I don't know how iTunes is on a Mac, but on a Windows machine, it's downright slow. For me, at least, it's very overblown and too slow to actually use. Granted, I don't have the latest, greatest quad-processor Intel Core 2 Duo (that's a really stupid name, by the way) machine. But, I do have a 1GHz Pentium III with 512MB of RAM. What is it about iTunes that doesn't work right on that platform? Anyhow, I digress... Please correct me if any of the above information is not correct. I don't actually own an iPod.

With Zune, Microsoft remembers what songs you have purchased, so in the event of an incident, all you need is a bit of extra bandwidth to download the songs again. Also, Zune plays lots of different formats, including mp3 and AAC. It also has a built-in radio tuner and 802.11b/g wi-fi capability to "beam" content to other Zune users. Granted, I'm sure Apple will build in some of these features to their venerable music player (and it will be a hit, of course.) I guess the real bone of contention for me is the universality of Zune as opposed to the highly closed architecture of iPod. I'm sure Zune users will be required to use the Zune software to update their players, but at least they can use existing music formats and not have to worry about losing their libraries in the event of a boo-boo.

Anyhow, be that as it may, Zune appears to be a great product. I don't think it will unseat iPod as the reigning heavyweight champion of digital music players, but I do think that users will have a much better offering in the non-iPod corner. Maybe, just maybe, I'll actually look into buying a digital music player, though I really do still like my CD player.

Norton Internet Security Design Document

The following is an actual* design document from Symantec documenting how their Norton Internet Security Suite should work.

int main()
{ // This gives the impression of something important
long wasteTime = 100000000000;

for(int i = 0; i <>
{
// Insert code to make the hard drive chatter a lot but not do any work.
// This should take about two minutes.
// block all other processes from running.
i++;
}
// Pop up the icon in the system tray
}

As you can see from this highly detailed design document, Norton Internet Security doesn't really do anything. When you turn your computer on, it only *appears* to be doing any work, when in reality it is just causing the hard drive to chatter a lot and block other processes from their opportunity to start. So, boycott Norton! Get a real anti-virus software like AVG and then put a decent firewall on your network.

Oh, and that last posting by RMT CTL was not mine. It was Kristin's. Jon, will you create her a login so that she can do her own posts? From the look of things, we can all see who we don't like. (ahem, VIOLINS/VIOLAS!) :)

*actual as in Jason made this up because he hates Norton Internet Security.

Viola -1, Harp +1

I must apologize for the lack of percussive instruments here. Sheesh, I'm a moron. It was in my initial intention to not forget drums, but when I wrote up my blog, I forgot in the heat of the moment. Maybe next game we do all percussive insturments? or we could add purcussion on here with the original 10 because we aren't THAT far into the game. Please way in...
Oh, and Jason, it doesn't matter if Kristen posted, just as long as there is someone else that has posted in between when you (Jason) posts, its fine.


Flute 11
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 11
Trombone 10
Tuba 13
French Horn 10
Violin 7
Viola 6
Harp 11

Saxophones +1 Viola -1

Flute 11
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 12
Trumpet 11
Trombone 10
Tuba 13
French Horn 10
Violin 7
Viola 7
Harp 10

stuff

Based on what Ben said I was thinking it was ok to duplicate what someone did, just not ok to undo it in the very next post. Either way, you're certainly welcome, Ricky.

I like my new job, for the most part. It's more work than I had before, but I'm fine with that. The part I don't like as much is that it's much more loosely structured. I'm in charge of managing my time between many different projects whose respective urgencies are rather fuzzy. That I don't like as much. I'm getting more used to it, though.

I'm looking forward to the Resonance concert tonight. Which reminds me - I need to charge up my camera batteries for the event. If anyone has a tripod they'd care to loan me, I'd be obliged, as I was unable to locate the one I had borrowed from my dad.

Ramblin' ramblin' ramblin'...

Hooray for sNOw. (emphasis on NO) :(

Correction!!!

So I'm not sure Jon, if ya didn't notice my post or if because we posted within 20 mins. of each other, that my post just didn't show up before you posted. Either way, thanks for the point!!!

Flute 11
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 11
Trombone 10
Tuba 13
French Horn 10
Violin 7
Viola 8
Harp 10

Tuba+ Viola -

Flute 11
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 11
Trombone 10
Tuba 12
French Horn 10
Violin 7
Viola 9
Harp 10

I guess if I give a point to tuba for Tim's last concert I certainly better give one for Ricky's Phantom run. And for some reason I'm on an anti-strings kick today.

Just group percussion in with whichever instrument wins, umkay?

Tuba +, Violin -

Takin' down the violin while breakin' the four-way tie!!

Flute 11
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 11
Trombone 10
Tuba 12
French Horn 10
Violin 7
Viola 9
Harp 10

trumpet++; violin--;

I know that RMT CTL already posted on here once, but that was Kristin. This is Jason posting and I do have to put in my $.02. (Is that taxable?)

Flute 11
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 11
Trombone 10
Tuba 11
French Horn 10
Violin 8
Viola 9
Harp 10

After reviewing this list, I have to ask: How come there's no Blaster Beam on here? Doesn't Jerry Goldsmith get any respect? Any instrument made with rotating magnets and artillery shells has got to be cool.

Flute +, Clarinet -

Ya, what is the deal with no percussion? who invented this game anyway?
My wife is the best!


Flute 11
Clarinet 9
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 10
Trombone 10
Tuba 11
French Horn 10
Violin 9
Viola 9
Harp 10

Tuba++; Violin--;

Just because I saw a t-shirt once that I thought was funny. It said simply "STOP THE VIOLINS". (Another for sale in the same catalog said "VISUALIZE WHIRLED PEAS") And in honor of Tim's final concert at this fine institution of higher education.

Flute 10
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 10
Trombone 10
Tuba 11
French Horn 10
Violin 9
Viola 9
Harp 10

Saxophones +1 Harp -1

Flute 10
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 11
Trumpet 10
Trombone 11
Tuba 10
French Horn 10
Violin 10
Viola 9
Harp 9

- Kristin

Viola -1, Trombone +1

Flute 10
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 10
Trumpet 10
Trombone 11
Tuba 10
French Horn 10
Violin 10
Viola 9
Harp 10

Game Time!

OK, a game I wanna try out on this here blog of band geeky-ness. I'm gonna list 10 instruments and each one gets 10 points. What each of you do: Repost the list, but take one point away from an instrument and add one point to another instrument. Make the repost reflect your change and put what you did in the post title. Rules: 1) You can't undo something that someone just did, 2) you can't post twice in a row. When one instrument reaches zero, they'll be dropped from the list.

Flute 10
Clarinet 10
Saxophone 10
Trumpet 10
Trombone 10
Tuba 10
French Horn 10
Violin 10
Viola 10
Harp 10

I'll repost first to give an example to all y'alls.

To All Band Geeks

I found this today and thought that this would be a very appropriate forum to share it. I do believe that most people who read this blog are or have been in marching band so I think it'll be pretty good. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Official Band Dictionary.

Enjoy!

Geek to the power of Geek

For anyone who has ever written any considerable amount of code, go here and watch the demo videos for TextMate. You'll probably wonder how this guy developed such an advanced case of terminal geekiness.

Welcome aboard...

...TWA Flight 978 with service to Long Beach, California. My name is Jason and I'll be your captain. In just a few minutes, we'll begin our pushback, but first the ground crew needs to apply de-icer to the exterior of the aircraft. The maple syrup smell is normal for the de-icing procedure.

Okay, that was super geeky, but I just had to do something to introduce post number 978. Actually, the jab about the de-icing procedure and the maple syrup smell would not be normally mentioned by the captain on a commercial flight, but rather by one of the flight attendants. Speaking of flight attendants, how the heck do they maintain the kind of composure that they do? I mean seriously, they look like they've just come out of some sort of a press or something. I don't know about y'all, but I hate being jammed in an airplane. I love flying, but man, do I hate being jammed in one of those small seats. And what's up with the people who fly? I mean, it seems to me that even though flying is pretty much something we take for granted, the folks who do fly are a cut above everyone else. I have met some really interesting ones on planes. I mean, I never meet just some person flying for the crap of it or because it's a trip. No, people who fly have some very serious, intense reason to be there.

Of course, it's always interesting to see what happens when the captain gives the go-ahead for electronic devices. It's like device city all of a sudden! Everyone pulls out the cell phones (despite the fact that I think it's probably less effective to make a cell call from 32,000 ft), and the PDAs, and the microwave ovens, and you name it. It's crazy. You don't see that on a bus, now, do you. Of course, now they're starting to feature Wi-Fi on buses so you can be hacked and still get to work on time.

On airplanes, it is often customary to be served a bag of peanuts and a soda. Okay, that's interesting because the only other time I would really consider having peanuts and soda is when I am watching the Super Bowl, and even then, it usually involves other enhancements like chips and salsa, and Li'l Smokies. So, the airline industry is what's keeping the peanut industry going. I guarantee that if we stop flying, peanuts will cease to be sold. However, if we stop buying peanuts of our own free will and choice, that means that there will be a peanut surplus and we might just get bigger bags of peanuts on the airplane!!! Go for it!

Finally, if you've ever flown more than a couple of times in your life, being a passenger in that big pressurized metal tube becomes a bit less exhilarating. The tops of clouds look exactly the same. The only time it's actually fun to look out the window is when a) there are no clouds and you're flying over a city and b) when you're taking off and landing in clear weather where you can see the city features. Either way, it's looking at the city that's fun. Okay, I'll admit that flying over Japan in the middle of the night was pretty cool, but only because the sky wasn't filled with clouds. That was just a collection of lights; I couldn't really make out any discernible features. So really, the windows in airplanes are non functional for most of a flight. And why the crap can't they ever line up the rows of seats with the windows? I mean, seriously, nothing ticks me off worse than having to look through the window that really should belong to the row in front of me. It's like I'm stealing their window space. The "screen peeking" is, of course, impossible if the seat or half of the airplane next to that window is occupied by anyone under the age of 10. Their little face will be planted firmly in that window for the duration of the flight. This will enhance any desire for you to catch some shuteye during the flight, but will make the job of cleaning and disinfecting that window quite the chore for the ground crew.

Amen.

Every Single Time

I'm beginning to realize that whenever I have a good idea, someone else has had it first.

For example(pdf).

Tribute

To the men of the 80's:

those at work

those without hats

Sorry - I know. It's pretty bad. But my co-worker declared today to be 80's day, so what could I do?

How To Build Stonehenge

If you happen to have a lot of spare time on your hands, why not try to build Stonehenge? Of course, you have to build it without any machinery. Oh, also, you'll need 22,000lb blocks of cememt and some wood and a large field to build it in. Not sure how to do it? Try this approach.

Ready. Go.

Eye GOTO skool

Self explanatory.

Sometimes I wonder if there shouldn't be some kind of periodic teacher competence requirements evaluation in the public education system that determines continuation of employment status, rather than tenure making it all-but-impossible to extricate poor teachers from our schools.

From Tim....

The party is on!!!!!! Lets do it!
My house anytime you want to show up. However I have set
6:00-6:30 pm as the mandatory attendance time. Call me if you want
breakfast in the morning from 7:00 am to 9:00 am. My house is in the condos
just outside of the Ogden Canyon. Call if you need directions.
Tim The Tuba!

Party Pending

You heard right, people! This Friday at the Koster residence. Most likely in the evening. More details will follow. Tell all your friends! Tell all your co-workers! Tell your parole officer! (That way you can come to the party.)

I vote that everyone bring a potluck item.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

The World Wide Web has changed quite a bit in the last 10 years. Pages have gone from being relatively stoic text frames to being nicely designed, dynamic creations. For the most part, this is a positive progression (although, sometimes, newer is not always better.)

I stumbled across a really great website that keeps archive copies of web pages in a huge database. This site is Archive.org and they keep a really impressive array of pages archived in their Wayback Machine. For instance, if you want to see what KSL's website looked like 5 years ago, you can go there and see it. Keep in mind that not all of the pages are very functional, but it does give you an indication of how things have changed.

Anyhow, I just thought y'all might like to see that.

Chao!

ps: Ricky, that is a sweet video of the Phantom Regiment

I hear ya

Seriously, Ricky. I know what you mean. I would be pretty miserable if someone forced me into a bee costume and posted pictures of the incident online.

If any of you liked line rider, here's another fun "game."

Honestly....

I looked at a lot of those beedogs and every single one I saw looked miserable. Also when I looked up how to spell the word miserable on google (ya know when you write a word and it just doesn't look right so ya gotta check?) the first page that came up was president Bush's biography. I thought that was kinda funny.

Jon, I don't have a dvd yet but when I do, I'll be sure to let everybody know.

Too Much Time Part V

.:beedogs:.

I mean, come on! Who has enough time to make a website about beedogs?


By the way, Ricky - loved the vid. If you have a DVD of finals I want to see it.

Awesomeness

Here is a nice little video of the 2006 Phantom Regiment finals night warmup.

Big

Jason, that building you mentioned is big. I figure from what Google Maps tells me that it's roughly the size of Ogden City. Or Hill. Roughly.

Too Much Time Part IV

This looks time consuming.

Family Guy - Soron's Contact

Clip from Family Guy

Too Much Time Part III

This edition starring not only this guy, but you also.

Note: You should click on the "you also" link and try it out for a while before clicking on the "this guy" link and appreciating how much time you wasted.

If you still have time, go to iTunes and check out episode #23 of the Ask A Ninja video podcast (sorry for no direct link - too lazy).

And thanks, Jason and Cory and Katie and all others who've expressed condolences.

Crap Happens

Jon, I feel for you. I know how it is to lose a beloved vehicle due to someone else's negligence. It kind of sucks. I know this all too well:














Y'know what really bites about the whole thing is that your car (like mine above) was probably completely paid off. Now, like me, you'll have to go out onto the market and deal with a car dealer and possibly go into debt for an automobile. I hate buying cars and I've done it enough to have really good reasons not to like it.

Anyway, Jon, from one wreck recipient to another, I totally understand your plight. Good luck on finding another vehicle.

Ta-Ta Ta

Honest.

Last night as I was driving home I thought about how I needed to get a new car sometime. Then I thought to myself that I would just put off buying a new car as long as possible. I thought, "I'm gonna drive this car into the ground." Well, what I meant by that was that I wanted to drive it until it would cost more to fix it when something major went out than it would be to buy a better car - you know, just use the thing right up - and then get a new car.

As it turns out, my car was indeed driven into the ground, although not by me.

It all happened early this morning about 8:30 or so. I was peacefully sleeping through my alarm, so I didn't hear the neighbor across the street ring the doorbell to let us know that some guy had hit my car which had been parked on the street in front of our house.

Spot was the only one in the vehicle at the time. As you can see from the picture, he was traumatized. As far as I know, he hasn't recovered at all. The fact that he has, as long as I've had him, always appeared traumatized doesn't change my opinion that the accident shook him up pretty badly. I'm just glad he didn't sustain any bodily damage.

As you can see here, there is not much hope for the Jingly-mobile. Now I'm minus a set of wheels.

The Parable

Matthew 24:32-33:
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.



Need I say more?

Space Shuttle Atlantis

If you have ever wondered what it looks like to be launched into space, check out this page. To view the super cool launch video, click on the "Video from Atlantis' Left Booster Rocket" and sit back and enjoy a really, really cool ride. They take you from launch, which is surprisingly fast, all the way through SRB jettison through splashdown of the SRB from the point of view of a camera mounted on the SRB itself. Keep in mind that when they jettison the boosters, they have passed through 200,000 feet MSL (Mean Sea Level.) That's over 37 miles in the air. This is seriously one of the coolest videos I've ever seen. I so love the work that NASA does. I don't know about y'all, but I want to fly on the Space Shuttle. That would be so freaking cool!

Too Much Time Part II

Pen spinning.

David Bowie wannabe.

Sand art. (this one isn't really, a "too much time" - more just a talent one)

One mouth band.

And then there's this guy.

Ok, so these links are getting further and further astray from the "Too Much Time" theme (unless you count the time I'm spending to collect them for posting up here), but I thought you'd all enjoy this one.

And how would you like a digital camera that sports a few more megapixels?

Or OLED meets solar cell?

World's Largest Building

In Everett, Washington, there is a little facility we all are quite familiar with. In fact, most of us who read this forum have probably used their products on occasion. The company I am referring to is none other than the Boeing corporation. One of their main production facilities produces the fuselages (bodies) of the 747, 767 and 777 models. The production of these mammoth aircraft (especially the 747) takes place in one building. The building has 472,000,000 square feet of floor space. To put that into perspective, a typicall grocery store is between 40,000 and 60,000 square feet. Wal-Marts tend to go a little over 100,000 sqare feet. The building that produces the 747 could house, within its walls, 4720 Wal-Mart stores. That's what's required when you produce aircraft with 224-foot wingspans, such as the 747.

I was browsing around on the Internet and came across this little photo montage of the interior of the production facility where 747s are made. I found it really interesting and it made me want to visit that place to learn just a bit more about how a fueslage is produced.

Correction: I re-read some of the facts about the Boeing facility and found that it does not have a floor space of 472,000,000 square feet, but an interior volume of 472,000,000 cubic feet. This doesn't really diminish the building that much (though nearly 5,000 Wal-Marts are not going to fit inside.) It does however have the ability to house 911 basketball courts or 47 American football fields. Disneyland would also fit in it along with 12 acres of Disney's California Adventure. So, it is still a pretty impressive structure.

A Fun Game

Takes about 15 minutes.

Ever have just a little too much time on your hands? (Yeah, that second one was stop motion and legos.)

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"
-Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005)

Bureaucratese

Jon, the link in your last post was awesome! In my Engl3100 class, we talked about Bureaucratese, or inside language, that is generally very pointed at a certain group of people. The movie that you linked is a beautiful, shining example of bureaucratese. I sent it to my instructor and she emailed me back and said that she really enjoyed it. So that may be used a few times in class. :)

Also, that time machine with the luminescent droplets was incredible. I would love to see a demonstration of that live. Of course, you'd have to do it in a fairly dark room or it would be ruined. It was very awesome. Thanks for sharing.


New subject...

I was reading this guy's blog the other day and he said that BMW and Mercedes were the only worthy car manufacturers in the world and that Audi was a close second to those. He later blatantly said that the Big 3 U.S. manufacturers (Ford, GM and Chrysler) should cease and desist because their products are not worthy of being produced. Okay, personal gripe here: I really have a fascination with all things American, especially the American automobile. American car models are accessible. For instance, how many folks have been able to purchase a Buick Electa versus how many folks have been able to buy a Mercedes-Benz C Class? BMW and Mercedes are premium cars -- not accessible. And on top of that, the Electra was a nice car. It was comfy and rode smooth and was very well suited for long drives. The last time I rode in one of those Euro-barges, it was nice inside, but not intended for long drives. They're commuter cars. Also, have you ever seen how BMWs and Mercedes rust? It's awful! You'd think with all that German engineering, they could engineer some better rust protection.

Anyhow, I hate to bring that personal sidenote into a public forum, but it's just been bothering me for a couple of days. Americans can make good products. We understand the clientelle that we cater to. I just don't like this "Foreign only" mentality.

Ta Ta!

Today's

...fun vid.

Of course. We understand perfectly.

emiT

That is, Time, but backwards.

Check it out, yo.

And if you like Rube Goldburg machines, you should like this.

Art, anyone?

Fun in the water.

Ahhh

This morning my boss discovered the funniest site on the internet. At least all of us here couldn't stop laughing. The more you read, the funnier it gets.

Please, friend, feel welcome to read the AhhhMuse site. It brings joy to you, now.

Adendum: Defense 2
(Fun mindless game)

And also check this one out: comBOTS

If you want you can pit your skilz agin my bots:
26298AE24FF6B4ACE82746307B97DD82408D1F3D7A03FB0B552

or

092644C9051CF28B613D8A807AB0CA2AE6ACDC88500802177

or

3A2644C9051CF28B61B58D803965F7E2323D7782104CF6895A27031B
Just paste the string into the bot when you're selecting the opponents in compete under the add-a-bot (the one on the end).

I hope they call me...

...on a mishun... Good times, good times.

Being a missionary is awesome! It's sweet because you work hard and you're tired and yet, you feel really good! If I could only be a missionary again: no bills to worry about, no car to worry about, nothing to worry about except my companion, the people in my area, and that pesky neighbor dog that likes to chase bicycles. However, there's nothing quite like being a returned missionary, or as we called it in my mission, the Great Transfer North.

Heather-Marie, good luck on your mission. Please, please keep us posted as to where you go and when your farewell (oops, not supposed to have those anymore) is.

Okay, Jon, I don't know what Zombo.com was supposed to be, but I listened to it all the way through the loop and then, well, it looped. I don't want to sign up for any newzletter. :) Now, I must say that the Pandora site was pretty impressive. I just wish Flash didn't consume so much CPU time on my machine. I typed Weird Al Yankovic into the search and it immediately found a song by him and started to play it. It was cool.

I was also going to ask you about Joomla. Do you use it? If so, how do you use it (or what do you do with it?) Also, have you heard about a new technology called Ruby on Rails? It looks pretty cool.

TTFN

I was going to wait...

...to tell ya'll, but, yeah, Jason...I am going on a mission. :) One more interview and I should be waiting for that all important, life-changing envelope. :) Wa-who! :)

Happy day

:) Reports of my underenthusiasm are greatly exaggerated. I believe my exact words were, "Cool." I was not un-enthusiastic. When, then, is this going to take place and where and what should I bring to eat, etc.? It does sound like fun. Anywhoo.

Also, to everypeoples who care, I had a second interview with a company down south-a-way and it looks like if they can get the budget for a contract position for me that I might have a job. The WSU-place is reclassifying the position I applied for earlier and it will pay more, so if I don't get the first job, I'll still have this one in the worx. Wish me luck.

Also, it is Joomla!'s birthday tomorrow. It will be 1.

And you thought that when Cap'n Whomever-SciFi said, regarding some blurry camera footage, to his Ops Engineer, "Freeze and enhance" that it was impossible! Well, it's not.

Hmmmm. Looks like they finally got the timing down right.

Ok, bye.

More like most repetitive website ever

Jon-thats annoying....so did Beth tell ya about the big "Brittany and Anderson family reunion with Andersons Jon, Beth, and Lauralee (did I spell her name correct?) and Bailey's Brittany?" I hear all you said was "yeah, great!" Curse you and your lackage of enthusiasim!!!!

The very best website EVER

I simply cannot describe the awesomeness of this website. It must be experienced firsthand. This is truly the epitome of Web 2.0.

But if you don't like that, maybe you'd like the second best site ever.

DCI on ESPN2

So everybody should watch the Drum Corps Internation World Championships on Tuesday, Sept. 5th at 6pm local time. It'll be really cool because....well, just cause drum corps is really cool!! I'm not sure where I'll be watching it yet, but I'll probably be at my girlfriends house, unless somebody wants to open up their place for the evening, in which case, I'll probably do that. I'd open up my house but we don't have cable/satellite and with my girlfriend, well her house is a kinda small. Well, talk to ya'll later.

P.S. If you go to my myspace page (yeah, i'm one of those people... anyways) you'll see a funny family guy clip and a small preview of Phantom Regiment's show!!!

Take that!

The good news for today is that polygamous leader Warren Jeffs is now behind bars. He can no longer marry young, innocent girls off to these sick bastards who just want to have some fun. (Pardon the language, but I'm very passionate about this.) He faces charges of sexual misconduct with a minor stemming from marriages he performed. One such marriage is alleged to involve a 13-year-old girl. Now, come on, a sexual encounter between a 13-year-old girl and a middle-aged man can leave the girl injured, both physically and emotionally. Obviously, Mr. Jeffs had absolutely no concern whatsoever for the safety and wellbeing of this girl, and possibly (or probably) many others. I'm absolutely elated to see him finally at the mercy of the long arm of the law.

A Moment of Silence Please

One of my jazz idols has passed away. Maynard Ferguson, the king of the stratosphere, passed away last Wednesday due to complications with an abdominal infection. During the last decade or so, Maynard traveled with the Big Bop Nouveau, a six-piece band that packed a real punch. I had the priviledge of seeing them live at Bountiful High School in 1995.

Listeners desiring to familiarize themselves with Maynard's recordings can start by listening to the Grammy-nominated theme from Rocky: "Gonna Fly Now." Other great charts by this master of faster are "Conquistador" and "Coconut Champagne." I will never forget the many hours I spent in the band room at my high school playing along with recordings of Maynard Ferguson as he belted out the painfully high notes time after time. During those months, I spent so much spare time in the band room that I went for almost six months without getting my hair cut. This guy, I thought, was truly amazing.

Maynard, I'm going to miss you.

Kid's got a set of lungs

Just in case anybody avoids reality TV like me and didn't catch this when it was (apparently) aired, you should really watch this. I can't hold a note half that long to save my life.

Welcome Back!

I just wanted to take a second and welcome you all back to school. I hope the summer was good to you. I know it was pretty good to me. How was band camp for all you folks in marching band? Gol, I miss that!

Anyhow, I just wanted to say welcome and wish y'all a successful semester in school.

Heather-Marie, are you going on a mission or something? What's up with not being present for 3 or 4 semesters?

Chao!

olleH (ole'!)

So, I was sitting the other day and realized that I haven't been to the blog in awhile. It is very true that very few people have made comments on here lately. I think I will help in changing that. :) I hope all have had a most wonderful summer. As some of you (the ones still going to Weber) might notice, I will not be there this semester (or the next 3-4 or so...depending on when I leave). I wish I could tell you where I'll be, but I can't, yet. :) So, with that, I must tell you all that I will miss seeing everyone everyday. Good luck with classes and so on.

I must thank Jason for the much-needed update on the Rootisms. That gave me a good laugh and brought back some fond memories of the VFW thing. :) Keep it up!

With that, I think I will end this blog, er... posting...thing. :)

Best wishes!

G'day to you too

Hi, Batman! It's nice to see some not-so-oft-seen faces (er, postings) on here. I don't have that much to say this time except that I have a couple of new Rootisms. I caught them while I was listening to an Ogden Concert Band concert (...) the other day in the Layton amphitheater. Of course, Dr. Root was conducting most of the concert, which did involve some Tooele Twisters, to use his own words (brief strong wind strong enough to blow away a goodly portion of the music.)

So, without further achoo, here are the new Rootisms.

Keep the Rootisms coming. Send them to jason[dot]schill[at]gmail[dot]com.

Soooo

Hey I was just checking the blog and realized in like the whole last month no one but jon and jason have blogged at all, so I thought I would post and say hi. I saw all you marching band kiddies out the other day whilst I was at work, so far, so good, have fun this year! I miss everyone and I hope that all is well with all y'alls!

Batman Out

Not so sharp

It turned out that the worm exploited three or four different holes in the
system. From this, and the fact that we were able to capture and examine
some of the source code, we realized that we were dealing with someone very
sharp, probably not someone here on campus.
-- Dr. Richard LeBlanc, associate professor of ICS, in
Georgia Tech's campus newspaper after the Internet worm.

Taken from output from the Fortune command on Persephone (schillclan.homelinux.net).

OOoooooh AAaaaaaah

Pretty.

Digg had a link about Kevin Mitnik's site getting hacked. Lawls.

And this is an interesting look at Google's latest endeavor.

And these are some of the bleeding-edge of development robots out there.

Excess

Here's a bit of excess (for all you car audiophiles out there.) If you can figure out how you would install one of those in anything smaller than an Abrams tank, let me know. :)

Party Pending

This Friday evening, my house. My sis, Beth, is hosting it and said to invite everybody.

Also, for those who need a cheer up or just like off-the-wall stuff, this is how a video blog should be done. Sara's friend guest hosts.

Five bundles of fur and teeth

In recent weeks, it has been the pleasure (or misery, depending) of Kristin and me to watch over and raise five little kittens. When we picked them up, they were orphaned on our neighbor's porch and she didn't want them. So, we took them in and started to care for them. They have been a real headache, but they're so cute. We often used to have to get up at midnight to feed them, only to return again at 4 a.m. When we got them, they were only 12 days old and couldn't move very well. Their eyes were mostly still closed as were their ears. However, now, at 6 weeks of age, they are active, energetic and fully aware bundles of joy. They play with each other and roll around on the floor.

Something really strange and awesome happened this morning. We have one Calico kitten that has refused to eat as we have successfully weaned the others from bottles to eating out of a bowl. We have had to continue bottle-feeding this little one for fear of her just not eating. However, this morning, I mixed up the kittens' formula in a bowl and put it in their box. Then, I went and got the regular cat food to feed Psycho, I mean, Orion, our adult cat. The little Calico followed me over to the cat's dish and watched as I poured the food into it. As soon as I got done pouring, she jumped up on the food and started munching away. Just like that! No coaxing, no prodding, no suggestions on my part at all. She just decided that she was done with this baby food crap and took her lumps. Soon, the others came over and started fighting over the food. They all were up on top of the cat's dish (which really pissed off Orion, by the way) munching away at the solid food. So, we have now officially stopped feeding the cats liquid kitten formula and they are now well on their way to eating solid cat food. Now, if we can just get them to realize that the water dish isn't for walking in and choking on...

Anyone want a kitten? I'm posting pictures as soon as I can get the pictures sized for the Web.

So.........................

What does everyone think about a hike either this Saturday or next? Or both?

Suggestions:
- Mt. Ogden
- Mt. Timpanogos

I'd suggest doing the Mt. Timpanogos midnight hike on the 25th. It's a tradition down in Happy Valley to do that the last weekend before school begins in the fall. Last year I went with Aaron and Lena and a girl from orchestra and her ppl. It was a blast. And Mt. Ogden is just a great hike, so whatever is good.

Also, do you want your own wiki? Here you go.

The Uncanny Valley and Other Delights

Have you ever watched a movie, say, like, A.I. or The Polar Express and wondered what it is about CG characters in those films that make them so disturbing? What is it about Aki Ross's character in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within that makes it hard to relate to her? I have this problem from time to time and according to the critics, I'm not alone. I can't say that I don't like any of the aforementioned movies. In fact, I really liked watching The Polar Express. I must admit that I have not seen most of A.I. and if you know me, you'll know that's quite uncharacteristic, seeing as it was directed by Steven Spielberg.

Well, I was doing a bit of research today and discovered the phenomenon known as the uncanny valley, which tries to explain why it is that we have a hard time dealing with photorealistic CG characters. The uncanny valley is an emotional graph that shows our emotional attachment to various types of humanoid characters. The graph starts elevating on the left with highly un-human characters, such as industrial robots and elevates to things like stuffed animals and rag dolls. However, it is at this point that the emotions take a severe negative turn dropping into the valley. Things like corpses and zombies rank at the lowest points on the graph because they are almost human but not quite. This is sort of where those photorealistic CG characters come into play. They're almost human, but not quite. They suffer from some very disturbing "flaws." For instance, subtle eye movements that we consider so natural are often not well duplicated with CG characters. This produces a zombie-like stare. Also, in the case of the Final Fantasy characters, little skin nuances like deformation due to speach and a lack of visible perspiration are to blame for their fall into the uncanny valley. They have a sort of "painted statue" look to them. This is one argument as to why the film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within did so poorly at the box office.

Sometimes, the uncanny valley can be used as a tool to create emotional attachment/detachment to a character. This is the case with A.I. where many of the characters are deliberately almost human. The same goes for the film I, Robot, where the new generation of robots come with faces that can move. You see, the further to the right we progress on the uncanny valley chart, the more emotional attachment we have for the character. Also, as we progress to the right, the more human the character is.

There, that concludes my discussion of the uncanny valley. I thought it was a particularly fascinating thing to study this morning. Now, go out and watch a good movie.

R

Rather than clutter this blog with lots of images that ppl on dialup would not appreciate, I hereby refer the reader to my photo blog.

It's a fun game I've been playing after work.

Speaking of...

Well, I just got back from another camping trip to Flaming George with my student ward. What fun. My friend Nate had a 12-man tent (that's 6-man tent in layman's) that we slept in. We stayed at Antelope Flats. For those of you who haven't been there it is basically sagebrush and nothing down to the water's edge. We went up Thursday morning. Tin foil dinners. We played Bang! that everning. Bang! is a fun card game that everyone should try. The next day we went out wakeboarding and tubing. Some guy named Robbie had a huge 4-person tube (about 8 ft. across) and a screamin' fast boat. And he could drive that sucker. I was on the first group to go out. He let the line go tight and then would take off and turn hard so the tube would go skipping sideways over the wake and across the chop. We had to hold on tightly just to keep from being thrown to the... ouch of hitting the water at 30 mph. His boat could go 50 or 60, but I doubt he was taking us that fast. Sometimes the tube would drop 3 or 4 feet off the side of the wake. He would also take you in a big loop which made a big wake and then double back and slide the tube sideways pretty fast across the wake from the first pass. Very jarring and very fun. My knuckles are all bruised from hitting the tube. It was as good as most theme park rides I've been on, and even better since there was more of a chance of being thrown from the ride. We were laughing and screaming the whole time. And today I am quite sore, but I'll still go play ultimate here in a little while. We also played Bocce around camp which, aside from the pavillion and campsites and trails, was very un-level and covered with sagebrush and cacti. One place the marker ball got thrown was near where a couple of rabbits were hiding which got scared up when we started lobbing balls at it (at the marker ball, that is - we didn't know the rabbits were there until we started aiming for the marker). The balls were red, yellow, blue, and green which reminded me of Google Earth. Le Sigh. That's the drawback of being a geek: when you go camping you have tech withdrawl for a while. There was glass on the water most of the time with the exception of a few breif rainstorms. We toasted Starbursts and had great dutch oven and devotionals and a lot of that very important element of camping: sitting around doing nothing in the middle of nowhere. Desiree's boat stripped a gear in the starter, so they only got to take it out once, but there were several other boats to go out on. Nate's had a decent sound system in it and I hooked up my PMP (personal media player) and tape adapter to it for tuneful cruising. I'm sore and tired and happy.

Ricky, sounds like you're having a blast. Although, by the time you read this you will likely be done with finals. I imagine you're looking forward to these finals much more than the finals you have for school each semester. I can't wait to hear stories and watch your show. I wish I could've been here for the Jordan Commons showing.

I got bored at work the other day. Pictures will be posted soon.

Camping delights

Y'know Jon, I just got done reading your blog about your camping trip with your family. Sounds fun. I just got back from camping with Kristin's family a couple of weeks ago and I'm going camping with Kristin this weekend. Of course, I can't give away the location of our camping ventures this weekend for in the [likely] event that Kristin should read this blog, she would find out prematurely where we are going. :)

Camping is a fun venture. Injuries always seem to come as part of the package. Hopefully, however, the injuries sustained are not serious ones but are ones that can be [fairly] easily laughed off. During my last camping trip, I sustained an injury, but not one with any loss of blood or skin. You see, when we go to Ferron for the annual Fink family reunion, we always bring lots and lots of ATV-type vehicles to go exploring on. Well, our family is the only one that brings motorcycles; the rest bring quads or side-by-sides. The motorcycles are more fun to drive than the more car-like quads and side-by-sides, but they do suffer from one drawback: they get stuck in the mud easier. Kristin's dad managed to get our "big" motorcycle mired quite badly in the mud during a long trip. When he and his son got back to camp, they recruited me to drive the smaller motorycle and help them see if they could get the bike unstuck. Well, to make a long story short, we couldn't get the bike unstuck so we decided to leave it on the mountain until morning. On the ride back to camp, I was trailing Kristin's dad and son, driving the small motorcycle. They were both on a quad. When I passed a certain tree, a bee came out and flew straight into my neck and stung me. Let me tell you, there's nothing like going 25 mph on a dirt bike and getting stung by a bee. Not wanting to lose my lead, I decided not to stop to remove the bee, so instead I simply plucked the bee and stinger out of my neck. As I was pulling the stinger out, bolts of pain were shooting up and down my neck. Suddenly, around a bend, a car came towards me. I had to maneuver the bike, remove the stinger and avoid a head-on collision all at the same time. It was fun.

So yeah, camping is a great thing. I can't wait to go again!

Now, I do have to put in a plug for a fairly cool software package. It's the CodeThat suite. It's for making cool JavaScript menu systems for web pages. I'm still trying to figure out how to use it properly, but the concept seems really cool. Caveat: you have to run the program as an administrator. Other user levels will not work with the program. The program is free for personal use on a single web site. Use beyond that scope requires purchasing the program (which can be expensive.)

Fortune: Look! Before our very eyes, the future is becoming the past.

only 5 more days

Hey everybody!! How ya'll doing? I'm still haveing the time of my life although, it's kinda sad cause in 5 days, it'll all be over. That being said, I wanted to let ya'll know that this thursday, DCI quarter finals will be broadcast live down at Jordan Commons and that all ya'll should go!!! Not just to see me (although that is a good bonus!!) but just to see some drum corps, cause it is just plain awesome!!! And we are going to RIP THE PLACE A PART!!! My family and girlfriend will be going so if you go, don't hesitate to say hi, that's if you recognize them.... Well, talk to ya'll in 6 days or so!!!

Ricky
SUTA

Or the man inside the AT-ST... kinda

Go Nipon. For only $300k you can get (only in Japan) a nice robot for you to wear.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

Sup yall?

Jon

Return to GEWar...PLEASE!!!! I NEED HELP!!!

The Open Road

There is very little in this world to rival the feel of the highway whipping by underneath you at 60 miles per hour as you glide over it on a big motorcycle. Seriously. That is an amazing sensation. If you get the chance, do it, but do it as the driver, not a passenger. I'd say it's a rush, but that's not a very good description. The best description of the sensation is intimate. When you're in a car, you're numbed to the sensation of what the road really is. On a bike, you're in the sensation. You become part of it. It's uncut and unadulterated. It's seriously one of those things in life like flying an airplane and going to the seashore that everyone should experience. But, please, experience it safely.

Over, Oveur.

Jason, I like your post title

I haven't seen Ben^2+Hava since the big day. Or lotsa my other friends for long times for that matter. :( A party is in order. Tim'n'Amy have offered their flat as festivities locale.

Free Food Is Good

Cool deal, Heather. I don't remember him, but then if he does remember me, just don't believe a single word of what he says about me. (It's most likely all of it true.)

Invite's away, Elder W. We have so much to catch up on when you return.

I like XSLT. I hate IE.

How to hack a Masterlock.

And the EU GPS system.

rwxrwxrwx

Jarrett, do you mean to say that you don't have write privileges to the Jinglesthula blog? I thought you created that blog. I'm not sure what you mean by inviting you to the blog. ?:)

An Idea

Could someone reinvite me to the Jinglesthula blog? I am starting to get ideas, here and there - number one is, we have to use the "1492 - conquest of paradise" theme by Vangelis somewhere in there.

...and then they made me their Chief.

Yesterday (Saturday), I went with Kristin and her sister to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. I'm only here to report that if you want a really fast, action-packed ride with no discernable point, you should go and see this film. I'm not saying that the movie is bad; I'm just saying that it really felt, to me, at least, to be a stopgap between The Curse of the Black Pearl and At World's End. The action was almost nonstop and the monsters and villains under the command of the ultra-baddie, Davy Jones, are a bit scary for younger audiences. This is why the movie is rated PG-13. That's 13, folks, not 1.3. So, please, if you have young brothers, sisters, or cousins, don't take them to see this film. That's a major pet peeve of mine, when folks bring their little babies to see these PG-13-rated films "because it's a Disney movie." There are some things in Dead Man's Chest that, in my opinion, exist solely for the purpose of ramping up the gross-out factor, but they are done tastefully and sometimes, even done humorously. (The effects guys must've had a blast at Mr. Depp's expense in one particular scene. He seems to beg for that kind of treatment in his films - think Sleepy Hollow. Anyhow, it was a pretty enjoyable movie, but I am definitely pumped up to see the third installment of Pirates: At World's End. I just hope they don't add everything you see in this movie to the Disneyland attraction. I know they've done some extensive remodeling since the first film, but I hope they don't use the films as a license to severely revamp a classic ride.

Now, on to the purpose of this blog entry: a movie trailer attached to Dead Man's Chest. The DCI World Championship Quarterfinals are coming to Jordan Landing on August 10. Get your tickets!

Show your true colors

I'm kind of interested on just how accurate this Color Quiz is. I know that things like personality tests and such are often broad and that people change and might score differently on them at different times in their lives, but this one intrigues me.

Everybody (who feels like it) should take the quiz and post here whether they thought the results were accurate - maybe on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being way off and 5 being dead on.

Don't just hurry through it either or be careless. Just click on the colors one at a time until they are all gone in whatever order you want to.

Just curious.

96K ought to be enough for anybody

Big things come in small packages. And the implications are potentially cooler and more impressive than the current example itself.

Holy rusted metal, Batman!!!

An interesting thing I have discovered. There are no rated "R" movies playing at the Tinseltown in the Newgate Mall. Just thought you all should know.

For Jon (since I don't have your email address)

I just wanted to tell you that I met somebody from your mission. He's in my ward here in Dugway. It didn't sound like you two knew each other, but he knew who you were. Anywho. His last name is Gunnell. Thought you might like to hear that. :)
Have a good one!

Web 2.0

Well, kind of. Here's a nice AJAX homepage: NetVibes

Oh, and here's a really funny recording of... well, just listen to it.

Also, check out Box.net

Woa there...

...I didn't think Leopard was supposed to be unveiled until August. Dude! What's up with that? And they have touch-screen iPods? I didn't know that. Well, at least Apple can release their OS on a fairly regular schedule (unlike Windows Longwait, er, I mean, Vista.) Now, Vista Beta 2 isn't too bad, really, but it certainly isn't as slick as Mac OS X.

Geek kool

OSX Leopard Mobile on an iPod? See for yourself.

Conversation Starters

So, I think that I have been a bit callous lately on this forum and I don't really mean to be. I am just really amazed at the condition of the world today. I think that too many people are in too much of a hurry to be nice to each other. It's like society is in the withdrawal from the drug-induced high of the '90s and we're just a bit crabby with each other.

So, to ease the tension of the world just a bit, I introduce a most hilarious website: The Wonderful World of Longmire. Now, please remember to take with Mr. Longmire says with a grain of salt (or maybe a whole mouthful of salt, depending.) My personal favorites of his are his Awkward Conversation Starters and his Longmire Does Romance Novels. This guy is absolutely hilarious, in his own geeky sort of way. He's a guy who pokes fun at just about everything.

So, for some good laughs, check him out.

Feeds on the road

If you want to have access to all your favorite RSS feeds no matter where you are, check out Google Reader. And if you find any cool sites that have a feed worth subscribing to, feel free to link them here so we can all add them to our Readers.

Peekup Trucks and Ess Yoooo Vees

Anyone who says that they bought a pickup or an SUV because "I can see farther and therefore I'm safer" is lying their butt off. I make that bold statement after the idiocy I saw on Highway 89 this afternoon. I saw a lady in a Ford Explosion totally jump out into oncoming traffic and just about get T-boned by a car that was really close to her. The lady was making a left turn from a side street and needed to cross HWY 89. Obviously, the stratospheric height of her SUV made it so that she saw a long ways off but totally missed the car coming close to her. So, out into the road she leaped and were it not for the diligence of the driver of the car, a bad T-bone collision would have occurred.

Now, on to the matter of business. I don't know if you have noticed, but it seems that Utah Power (not really Utah Power) has decided to forcefully lower my power bill this month. Something has brought down power to my apartment two days in a row for about an hour in the afternoon. Yesterday, power went out between 4:02 pm and 4:42 pm. Today, there was a power outage from 5:00 to 5:35 and another from 5:41 to 6:29. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but I'm running a couple of servers at home and I like to be able to get to them from out there in the world. I can't exactly do that when they're down because a power outage took them out.

Anyhow, so yeah, I'm kind of not happy with the power company right now. They not only took out my servers, but they caused me to take an hour to get home because of malfunctioning traffic lights. :) It still blows my mind that people don't know how to do a four-way stop.

Chao!

It's your civic duty...

...to vote, that is.

If you've ever been to a Jazz game, or even seen one on TV, you know that Bear is super cool! So, do your civic duty and vote for the Jazz Bear as this year's mascot in the Mascot Hall of Fame! Something I didn't know about him was that he has his own Utah holiday established by the governor. Now that's cool.

Vote Now!!

Chao!

Here is an update of the other stuff

Ok, so when I said "the scientific method can be fun" what I meant to say was this:

The scientific method can be fun

Oh, and by the way - Canada has finally produced something good other than a Photoshop pro

The chef is quicker than the hammer: Shaolin cooks

If you liked 1 and 2, you'll maybe like 3

Oh, good. I was waiting for these.

Gaming is about to get a whole lot crazier.

And speaking of crazy, here's a fun music video: Weapon of Choice

A thought....

I have to disagree with Jason about the cell phone ban. Yes, they're a distraction in school, but there's no reason they can't take a phone with them to school. I support a rule that requires the phone be OFF in class, and if it's not it may be confiscated or whatever. In my experiance the whole note-from-the-office thing never works. (besides, Jason's a decade out of school, he's a little behind the times) ;) Often, when it came to notes from the office for me, I'd get them an hour or more after my parents called, they'd say call ASAP, and the office wouldn't let me use their phone anyway.

So, in conclusion, I think phones are a distraction, but rather than be banned outright (like guns and knives) they should simply be controlled.

-Kristin

Good on ya!

Congratulations are in order for Ben and Hava for the arrival of their baby! I found out about this the other day and was very happy for the news. Kristin and I send our best wishes!!

Okay, I have to rant about something. It's just not my nature to not find something controversial and exploit it a little bit. :) I am just blown away by the fact that we're only now realizing that cell phones are a distraction. I don't get it. Couldn't the "experts" see this one coming? According to CNN, cell phone ringtones are a distraction in work and school. I just can't believe that it has taken so long for this to catch on. Of course they're a distraction!! I remember being really angry by customers when I worked at the grocery store who would stop conducting business with me and answer their dang phones. Or, what burns me up now is to see a group of supposed friends hanging out together all chit-chatting on cell phones. You know that they're not talking with each other. No, they're talking with other, unseen people. It seems that the ringing cell phone has become more important than the person in whose company you find yourself. I mean, I can get pretty insulted when I'm talking to someone and they brush me off to answer the blasted phone. I can understand if they warn me that they're expecting a call. I won't be annoyed in that case, but when it's just, "Oh, hang on; I have to take this call," then I feel put down. It's as if I am not as important as the person on the phone.

I totally support cell phone bans in schools. I mean, come on, schools are where kids are supposed to learn. My tax dollars are going to support schools. I don't want kids bringing their cell phones and causing distractions "because their parents need to be able to reach them." That's not a very good reason to send a kid to school with a cell phone. For crying in the mud, when I was in school, if my parents needed to get a hold of me, they called the office and they got a message to me. No cell phone distractions in class, no annoying ringtones, nothing. Just a note from the office. What's so wrong with that? I guess people are just too inconvenienced by that. It takes too much time out of their already too-busy days. People should slow down and learn to choose their activities wisely.

Anyway, I don't mean to sound like an old sourpuss, but I don't think cell phones have really helped us THAT much. The few times I really could have used one when there wasn't a regular phone available do not, in my opinion, merit the cost of having one.

And now for a really great show! The Rootisms page has had its first content update in over a year! Thanks Jon! It's awesome. I really liked the stuff from the VFW rehearsals. Visit the Rootisms page now! Dr. Root continues to amaze and entertain with his seemingly endless supply of whimsical, yet wise, statements.