Whiplash

Went to visit the in-laws this week, and all I got was this lousy whiplash. Know, nobody threw turkey legs at me in response to my last post, causing me to dodge swiftly, forcing my neck to snap in one direction really fast. And, obviously, I wasn't in a any sort of automobile accident. And, for the curious, no, I'm not wearing one of those nifty neck-braces. I fell on the ice outside of everyones favorite capitalistic paradox -- Wal*Mart. I don't know why I'm among the thousands of people insane enough to visit a store on the day after Thanksgiving. I guess the fact that Michelle and I are 95% done with our shopping makes me even more insane to go out early Friday morning. But we do it, simply because we help out my Mother-In-Law, and hey, nothing says family bonding like tag-teaming an old lady just to get your hands on the last Video-Now or Barbie. So we did early shopping yesterday morning, and I'm still feeling it today. Overall, yesterday was a good lesson in the human condition. The store opened at six, and there was a line over a mile at the door at about 5:30. Michelle and I had already picked up what folks needed at Kay-Bee Toys by then, so we chose to join my Mother-In-Law, my Brother-In-Law, My Sister-In-Law and my Nephew at the door for the festivities. Once the door opened (about fifteen minutes late, which added to the tension in the air, already turned up to a high pitch by the cold weather and the fact that my Brother-In-Law decided to fart pretty much the entire time he was there), the shoving began. It was like a mosh pit in there. When the door opened, it wasn't a run into the doors, it was a wave. I grabbed my Mother-In-Law by the shoulders and bore the brunt of the push for her as we went in, hoping to God that I could hold it back before falling to certain death by hillbilly stampede. I don't get it. Why shove? Is there a reason for it? Is a thirty dollar DVD player really worth hurting somebody? Lesson #1: Yes, a Thirty Dollar DVD player is worth hurting somebody. But we survived and made it into the store with no injury. All of us made our way to our pre-determined destinations, and in under fifteen minutes we had all gathered at our pre-determined rendevous point. By 6:45 a.m., we were checked out. Waiting at the door for my other Sister-In-Law to show up in her van, I decided that I would be a good husband and go get the car so I could pick Michelle up at the door. Chivalry is not dead, but it doesn't always go well. It was cold yesterday, and by the time we were out of Wal*Mart, a fresh blanket of snow covered the ground, concealing the pavement and it's new coating of ice. I tried my best to be careful, but New Balance Sneakers are not made for frozen terrain. I saw my car in the next aisle over from the one I was in, so, like any normal human being, I decided to cut through the aisle and get to my car faster. Was it Tolkien who wrote "Short cuts make long delays", or something of that nature? My feet tried to find their purchase on the ice, but it was too late. It happened so fast, there really was no way I could try to stop it. I slipped, fell flat on my back, and my head snapped to the ground. My first instinct was to check for bleeding. I've had a few head wounds in the past, but never in the back of my head. I reached back, hoping that my gloved hand would return dry, and when it did, I checked three or four more times just to be sure. As soon as I had fallen, I screamed. I yelled for help. I was in horrible pain, and for what seemed like an eternity (but in reality was probably twenty seconds), I was on the ground, alone, writhing in pain. And I heard some lady (who in my mind is 300-plus pounds, with a moustache, no teeth and a T-Shirt with Garfield, with some sort of smart alec quip like "I hate Mondays" or something like that on it.) chuckle "I'm so glad I was able to get that My Scene Barbie for..." and her friend (who had the voice of a person who prefers filterless cigarettes of the generic persuasion) said "I got me four of 'dem Dee-Vee-Dee Videer players". I would've accepted their help, had they offered it. Figuring I wasn't going to get any help, I gathered all of what I thought had fallen out of my pockets and limped into the store, holding my head all along. Lesson #2: No, don't expect any help among euphoric redneck shoppers, happy to get their hands on one of them newfangled Dee-Vee-Dee Videer Players. I'll spare the rest of the boring details, but I was pissed off more than I was hurt. People have gotten ugly over the last few years, and I don't mean ugly in the cosmetic sense. They'd rather shove than be pleasant. They'd rather gloat in their success than help a person in need. I was angry at the human condition. I filled out paperwork, and I'm sure the Wal*Mart insurance company will be busy this week, going over claims. Should I have to see the doctor for this, they'll be hearing from me. My head was throbbing, and Michelle and I started to head to the car. And I didn't have my wallet. It had fallen out of my pocket when I fell. Just another reason to make me mad, but this time it was anger at myself. We weren't frantic, but we began to look for my wallet when Michelle saw a woman leaning into her SUV and saying to her friend "What should I do with it?" The dome light was on, and Michelle could see that she had my wallet in her hand. It didn't take long, but I got my wallet back. The woman smiled and handed it over happily - glad she didn't have to go all the way back into the store or call the police about it. I was happy that I still had my eighteen bucks and my credit cards. And I was happy that there's still some good left in the world. Lesson #3: There's still folks who will give you back your wallet when you lose it. The world is dark, but there's slivers of light still shining through. It reminds me of the refrain in the last song of the newest U2 CD - Yahweh, Yahweh/Always pain before the child is born/Yahweh, Yahweh/I'm still waiting for the Dawn Me too, Bono. Me too. Soundtrack: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - U2

Thanksgiving Memories

I don't think I've ever blogged about this, but I think it's funny and I wanted to write about the big Holiday on Thursday. That, and I wanted to write something memorable since I'm not going to be able to post for a few days, given all of the travel, eating, football and video games involved in the next few days of celebration. [Start: Disclaimer] I really do love my in-laws. When I got married, I almost expected life with in-laws to be a lot like television, where the mother-in-law is my nemesis and the father-in-law is an oaf, but it's not like that. I love my in-laws and we get along great. So, should any of you read this, think of it as something being seen through the eyes of a newcomer. [End: Disclaimer] I've been married to Michelle for a little over six years. I've known her for over twelve years. Prior to our marriage, we dated exclusively for a year or so. I remember meeting her family when I was in high school; her sister dated a good friend of mine for a while, and I dated Michelle for a few months back then too. I even went to her confirmation into the Catholic Church back in the day too. So on the Thanksgiving of 1997, it wasn't like I hadn't known her family before, but this was the first time that I "knew" that I was going to be joining them as family on a more permanant basis. See, I intended on being old fashioned, and asking her father for his permission to marry his daughter that week, so I was already going into that three day excursion with considerable butterflies in my stomach. I can't remember whether or not Michelle and I travelled together or not, but the first night I was there, I hadn't eaten dinner on my way. I think I drove straight there after working at Sam's Club. So I was hungry. And it was late. So Michelle and I are chatting in the kitchen moments after our arrival (okay, now that I think about it, we did travel together), and she asks "Are you hungry honey?" I replied in the affirmative, and she opened the refrigerator. And, to our not so pleasant surprise, we found ourselves staring at a Turkey Carcass wrapped in newspaper. I know what you're thinking - "Everyone has a turkey in their fridge two days before Thanksgiving.", and I'd say you were right. Everyone does have a turkey two days before Thanksgiving. But most of those people (I'd say, around 99%) have a Turkey wrapped in plastic with the name "Butterball" stamped on it. But this Turkey was wrapped in the front page of the Watertown Daily Times and was still wearing it's feet and feathers. After doing some research, we found out that we were having a home grown Thanksgiving that year - complete with homegrown turkey, vegetables and cranberry sauce. The entire concept was foreign to me, having grown up on a steady diet of Hamburger Helper, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (or some cheap knockoff) and Ramen Noodles. Home grown? My grandmother used to grow vegetables and make a mean Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, but we never had home grown meals. Particularly home grown meat. And don't think I didn't draw a correlation from my future father-in-law using a hatchet to butcher a turkey and the possibility of his using the same hatchet to give me an answer regarding his daughter and I. Guess I saw Uncle Buck a few too many times. So anyways, the first thing I see in my future in-laws fridge is a turkey that just days prior was running around their backyard. The next day was even more eventful, full of plucking feathers from the aforementioned turkey and other fun family events that I can't remember. I still didn't have the guts to talk to Michelle's dad. I might've hidden behind a book half of the day. It was Thanksgiving Eve, and my future wife was soaking a dead bird in warm water and pulling it's feathers out by hand. I tried to drown out the dueling banjos in my head, and hoping to God I wouldn't blurt out a reference to Hee Haw or Deliverance. I succeeded, but not by much. Thanksgiving came, my first of many with a family I've grown to love over the years, and despite my trepidations regarding eating a bird I probably could've gotten to know had I lived closer, I had no problem digging in. Home grown squash. Homemade cranberry sauce. Homemade wine. My sister-in-law brought along Green Bean Casserole, made from canned green beans, French's Onions and Cream of Mushroom soup and I felt some semblance of post-modern normalcy. It was filling. It was comfortable. It was lovingly prepared. And man, that was good turkey. But then my mother-in-law to be decided to reminisce about our food. She sat back, picking away at a wing, and said "I'm glad we killed this one. It used to pull the laundry off of the line." The dueling banjos in my head were deafening. I took a sip of the homemade wine and thought I had it mixed up with Nyquil. Turns out that was a bad batch. I washed it down with water and prayed I'd be able to keep the parts of that "laundry pulling, kid chasing bird" in my stomach. I did. It was hard, but I did. In that moment, I looked at the woman I love. She was laughing, I don't know whether it was embarrasment or genuine laughter at the good time she was having. Either way, I knew I wanted to hear that laugh for as long as I'd live. Hours later, the meal had been eaten, the dishes were cleaned, and I was sitting with Michelle on the couch, with her Mom in her easy chair and nobody else around. Her father was setting out to smoke a cigarette, and I stopped him. This was my time. I stumbled through asking him, and he smirked. Michelle was watching and wearing a smile. He said "If you want too, I guess." It was the first of many times my father-in-law would bust my chops. "C'mon Jigs, tell him yes or no." My mother-in-law prodded, and he smiled, gripping his unlit cigarette between his teeth. "I don't want to blamed if it goes sour." He laughed. I knew he was joking. And that was as close to a yes I got. And, ever since then, I've chosen for my marriage to be homegrown. Sure, we won't kill our own Turkey or grow our own veggies, but my life with Michelle, and our son, will always be rooted in our home. Sure, there might be times we resemble a turkey with it's head chopped off, but it always ends up being filling, comfortable, loving. I'd eat a bunch of home butchered turkeys for that.

Less than Five Weeks Till Christmas

I made a vow last year that I'd try to get all of our Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving, and, by a narrow margin, we did it. This year, I'll be almost completely finished by Wednesday, which means I won't have to brave the world of retail much at all in the next five weeks. It's weird, but as I've grown older, I've gotten more and more like Charlie Brown, completely dissilussioned with the commercialism of the season. And, the truth is, that whole dissillusionment is only enhanced by the crappy way folks act around the holidays, stemming from their own poor planning and selfishness. Why does Christmas shopping turn people into jerks? I'm just glad I won't have to deal with them. Much. Soundtrack:

Fun for a while, but might wear off...

Yesterday I rented: And, while it's tons of fun blowing up AT-AT's, I have to wonder if it would be worth the investment if I don't have broadband or X-Box Live. But hey, it's still fun.

Memo to Left Wing America

Jeremy over at Simian Uprising posted a link to a site called Sorry, Everybody, where a bunch of left wing crybabies have been posting pictures of themselves with handwritten signs (and some made with their computers, and candy, etc.) apologizing to the rest of the world for Bush's re-election. I laughed at most of them - a lot of the folks posting look like ill informed college students more concerned with their next beer than the future of the world and democracy as we know it, but that's just an assumption. There is one old guy on there that I saw. But anyway, one kid had the balls to use this as his sign: The non-millionaires of America? So the Fifty-Plus million of us who were smart enough to vote for Bush are all millionaires? Where's my million dollars? I don't have a million dollars. My friend Eric isn't a millionaire and he voted for Bush too. Where's our money? What a dumbass. I know the left is ticked off that Kerry lost. If they really wanted Bush to lose, they shouldn't have picked such a lame duck candidate. Heck, I'd venture to say that more than half of the people who voted for Kerry weren't voting for him but against Bush. Now, is that a good enough reason to vote for somebody? Had they stuck with Howard Dean, or maybe even Dick Gephart, they would have won. But no, they sabotaged themselves by nominating a guy with no moral core, no solid stances and an uber-wench for a wife. So they got what they deserved. Bush is our President, so suck it up and stop your crying, you bunch of pansies. Or even better? Don't like it? Move to Canada. I hear it's nice up there. And, with that, I made up my own message to left wing America:

Movies of the Year

Alright, so it's only November, but so far, the two greatest movies of the past year are Napolean Dynamite and The Incredibles. I've yet to write about my experience viewing The Incredibles, but I intend on doing so sometime in the next few days. But today, armed with a few extra dollars, Michelle and I decided to take Josiah to his first movie ever. I wouldn't do this if we didn't have a dollar theater, simply because with a three year old you never know if they'd be into sitting still in a dark theater for close to two hours. And I was right. Josiah did a lot of standing and running around. And talking. But I wasn't there. I was sitting in another theater, watching Napolean Dynamite and getting text message updates from Michelle on my phone. So, about forty five minutes into the film, I get one that says "Come watch with us." Figuring Josiah was getting out of control, I slipped out of the theater and "jumped" into the one showing Shrek 2. I've only theater jumped once (after the utter dissappointment of Aliens Vs. Predator, I felt that the theater, and maybe even all of Hollywood owed me that last twenty minutes of some Seth Green movie with a title I can't think of), and despite the bulletproof "My son needed me to be with him" excuse that I would have for the pimply faced usher that I was sure would bust me, I kept my eyes peeled. Josiah was scared (I don't blame him, the animation in the Shrek films gives me nightmares, it's so bad), so he sat on my lap for the rest of the movie. Well, most of it. He did stand up a couple of times, but after a little parental encouragement ("Do you want me to take you to the bathroom and have a little 'chat'?"), he would get back up. Needless to say, I saw the twist ending of Shrek 2 from a mile away. It wasn't terrible - it was okay. Eddie Murphy's Donkey character is about ready to jump the shark though. But, the boy loves 'em. We bought him a box set for Christmas already. But let's face it, Shrek 2 isn't even in the same league as The Incredibles or Napolean Dynamite. In fact, I saw the trailer for Shark Tale and I have to wonder, how the heck does Dreamworks get away with this crap? But, my thoughts on that are for another post. Not sure when I'll get to it, but someday. Soundtrack: Rich Mullins In America

New Design

I think I like it. Time for sleep.

To Do List:

I used to be the king of lists. Every week, I'd set out with a list of tasks I'd need to accomplish, and as they were completed, I'd check them off. It got me prioritizing and made my life far less complicated. But recently (Probably in the last four or so years), I've gotten off of the "To Do List" Track. It's not surprising then that I forget stuff I need to do more often than I used to. So I'd like to write a "To Do List" for the next week. 1) Burn Photos to print on a CD for Michelle 2) Mow the Lawn one last time this year. 3) Sort out books on Bookshelf 4) Christmas Shopping for Michelle 5) Call about that job I applied and interviewed for 6) Send out Invoice for work this week 7) Find out how to fix the links in my current blog template, or find a new one 8) Fix License Plate 9) Get Gutter fixed 10) Get Chimney cleaned/Check Wood Burning Furnace 11) Take Kia to get Head Gasket Cover Replaced 12) Read Dark Tower VII and try to finally finish it - no matter how angry Stephen King makes me. 13) Three Words: Christmas Mix CD 14) Try not to let the X-Box get in the way.... 15) Make Signs for the Teen Center 16) Write Teen Center Newsletter, or Calender Here's hoping I get all of this stuff done. Next week is Thanksgiving. Sheesh - can't believe that one. That means there's five weeks/three days left until Christmas. Wow. Let me add another one: Pitch Christmas Party Idea to church folks I'm sorry this post pretty much sucked. But here's something to make you laugh: Yesterday, Michelle, Josiah and I tried to get some Christmas shopping done, mostly for Operation Christmas Child, but we grabbed a couple of things for other folks on our list as well. We were at my favorite store (Wal*Mart) and they had a whole display of discount Christmas CD's. And there before me, like a beacon of light, was an Elvis Christmas CD. I'm no fan of Elvis, really. I liked the young, rebel Elvis of the fifties, but the fat, bloated, drugged out Elvis of the seventies sorta spoiled him for me. But who can resist his version of "Here Comes Santa Claus"? Not me. So I picked the CD up and immediately began singing every song in my horrible Elvis voice. Imagine me, overweight, blonde and bearded, crooning "Blue Christmas". Michelle let me buy it, probably because she wanted me to stop embarrasing her. Alright, so that wasn't very funny. Must be losing touch in my old age. 18) Find Sense of Humor. It's probably under the bed. 19) Write funny post.

Birthday Booty

I had an awesome birthday. It's an odd thing, but I have to face the odd hypocrisy that comes with days when I get gifts, where I feel selfish on one hand, but on the other, I feel elated to get all of this stuff. Maybe it's because I get stuff throughout the year for myself, and on my birthday I overdose. Maybe I should stop spending so much on myself throughout the year so my birthday and Christmas feels special? I might do that. But nonetheless, I had an awesome birthday. Here's what I got: You already know about this: And with that, came these: I really dig Top Spin, which is surprising considering I love football and rarely pay attention to tennis. I guess it's because it's college football. Either way, I've mastered the backhand and the volley. I'm still working on the forehand. But I have one question: Who the heck came up with the scoring system where zero = love? Also for the X-Box, I got this: This is a great game. 73 Wrestlers? Awesome. It's been fun reliving classic matches like Hulk Hogan vs. The Iron Sheik and "Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. On the music front, good ol' Amazon had a dream package and Michelle let me get it, probably because I asked really nice. I've wanted this for a long time, it brings back memories of college and hanging out on Fish B (at RIT) with all my friends: It's been remastered and sounds great. And two of the B-Sides were recorded here in Rochester! This is an awesome CD, and it's mostly because Rivers Cuomo is a great songwriter. He tells stories of love, loss, and being a nerd. Stuff that I can relate too. Now, I can't quite relate to the sadness anymore (not that I'm never sad, I'm just not a pissed off, angst ridden college kid any longer), but there's a lot of fun here too. And the other half of the package? I have to wait for it, since it's being released next Tuesday: From all accounts, this CD is gonna kick tail. It's gonna rock. Will it be better than Achtung Baby? Perhaps. Bono has gone from great to plain awesome as a songwriter, and since All That You Can't Leave Behind was a return, of sorts, to the feeling of The Joshua Tree, this could be a return to the feel of it's follow up, the aforementioned Achtung Baby. With "Vertigo" finding itself in heavy rotation on my PC, this could end up being my favorite album purchase of the year. And, speaking of U2, I've had one volunteer to pitch to the "U2 (or, as he referred to it as, the A-Team Van) iPod Fund". Any other takers?

Birthday Conundrum - Solved!

This morning Michelle asks me "What Video Game would you want more, a PS2 or an X-Box?" Obviously, this is a question she knew I would look into, being my birthday and all. So I replied "Probably a PS2 - they have a larger library to choose from, and I can play regular Playstation games as well. Why?" "I dunno." She replies. After six years of marriage, she knows me all too well. She knew I'd figure it out. "So what? You going to buy me one?" "I dunno...maybe." "What if I want an XBox?" "Well, decide by tonight." "Really?" "Yeah, can't have a birthday without a present." And here I thought I was getting dinner, a movie and possibly a little marital hanky panky. But a video game console? It's a banner year in the ol' Zehr household! I've wanted a console for a long time, but held off. Mainly due to cost, and also because of time. But it's a guilty pleasure that I've wanted for a while. We got hooked up with a little extra dough, and Michelle has given me permission to do my research. My gut has wanted a PS2 since it came out, but after experiencing the X-Box, it's really been a hard decision. Do I want high end graphics or a larger library to choose from? Do I want to listen to the music for the games, or do I want to create my own soundtracks with my own CD's? Which is the lesser of Two evils? Sony or Microsoft? After researching online and making a few phone calls, I've made my decision. Tonight I'm going to buy: It actually came down to the peripherals. At Sam's Club I can get a console, two controllers and the DVD remote, plus a game for $187. And they were all outta PS2's. So I'm gonna get an X-Box. I picked out a game too, I'm gonna buy Showdowns: Legends of Wrestling used at Blockbuster for thirty bucks. Why used? Because new games are so darn expensive. I still want to get X-Men: Legends, but I'm going to wait a while. Until then, I think I'm gonna enjoy being Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan and Jake "The Snake" Roberts.

A Must Have for Peanuts Fans...

These books are awesome. Apparantly Fantagraphics, an indy comic publisher has struck a deal with the widow of Charles Schultz. The deal? They have the rights to release two books of the Peanuts strips per year, in glorious hardcover. Eventually, there will be 25 volumes spanning the fifty year history of the Peanuts gang, and all of them are bookshelf ready. Not to mention that they look pretty sweet, huh? But the single volumes are around thirty bucks each - that's pretty steep. But, now they have a plan to sell the first two volumes in a really sweet boxset. And the kicker? You save ten bucks! Fifty bucks for two complete years of Peanuts from the fifties? Really cool, if you ask me. I remember when I was a kid, my grandparents had a stack of the old Peanuts strips collected in paperback books, and they gave me hours of laughs. With Josiah starting to recognize Charlie Brown, Linus and Woodstock, I'm thinking this might be a good family gift for Christmas. After all, we all have a little bit of Charlie Brown in us, don't we? Get more info about them here.

Still Tweaking Things...

I've made a few more tweaks here at my blog, hoping to make it look cooler. The problem is, I'm a total perfectionist with a little bit of ADD, so I always end up not liking something and changing it at some point or another. The only thing I probably won't ever change is my template itself, since I like the look. I added a poll and removed the recommendations field, until I can figure out why I couldn't get it to work. If you're noticing that my blog looks funny on your computer, you're probably using Internet Explorer. I use Mozilla on my PC, so if you're having trouble, download that. You'll be thankful when you have a lot less spy ware and other junk associated with the world of Internet Explorer Security holes. Download it Here. And, anybody can afford it - it's free. I even added a button for everyone in my buttons section. I added a new blog to my links as well - The Rough Woodsman. It's good stuff. And, if you can't tell, the title image is different. Now it's in Full Color! Soundtrack: Over the Rhine - Ohio

I don't own an iPod yet, but now I want to Really bad...

Check out the U2 iPod Most of my loyal readers know about my love of all things U2 (except for Discoteque - blah), so it's no surprise that I really want the Special Edition iPod. Granted, I've wanted an iPod for a long time, but this is putting me over the edge. Sleek colors to match the latest CD (which I ordered bundled with the Tenth anniversary remastered version of the debut Weezer album last night), and laser engraved autographs from the guys in the band? Anything made with lasers has gotta be good. Right? So, if there are 18 of you that want to pitch $20 each, or 35 of you that want to spend $10 each, or, if there are even 70 of you who want to pitch a mere $5 each, go for it! My birthday is in two days.

I donated my body to science and I got a CD for my trouble...

Today, out of my intense greed and fear of the flu virus, I took part in a flu vaccine study at the University of Rochester. Basically, the school (in conjunction with the major hospital in the area, Strong Memorial) has a deal with a immunization company to test out a new flu vaccine on healthy folks ages 18 - 49 during the flu season. Considering that I was just inches shy of the CDC requirement (I work in pediatric offices, but no, I don't have direct contact with patients. So what if they sneeze in my face while walking by?), I'd give it a shot. And, well, they're paying $250. So yeah, I'm a sucker for a little bit of greenbacks. And what's the worse that could happen? I get the flu? That's a risk I'm willing to take. (And the fact that they pay you $30 per visit on top of the original $250 doesn't hurt either.) So I took the vaccine (or placebo - I'll never know) and they gave me my homework. Yes, when one donates one's body to science, they have homework. Thermometers. Diagrams. Charts. Thank God they didn't ask me to draw my own blood. Arm sore and tired, I made my way to Record Archive, figuring the pain was deserving of a treat. So I bought myself two nifty CD's: Both are uber-cool albums on far ends of the spectrum from the other. The Rentals is a band that is so fun it should be illegal, and Over the Rhine is just so deep, it takes care to swim in their lyrics. Both of them were good buys - $20 well spent. Soundtrack: The Rentals - The Return of the Rentals

And now, a return to normalcy...

So I've spent a good amount of time absorbed in ranting about politics lately, that I haven't really taken time for the things that are important. Like Music. Sure, I've shared my desire to purchase The Steve Burns CD in the past couple of weeks, and I have yet to do so. Soon, though, I've gotten permission. But anyway, I was checking out the website of a new fave www.dorfsmith.com, and after checking out his links, and then a link in one of his links, I felt like "checking in" on a couple of the bands I used to dig. Around Ninth or Tenth Grade, my favorite band was a thrash metal outfit called Deliverance. A great alternative to Metallica, Deliverance gave plenty of bang for your buck, with heavy guitars, pounding beats and melodic vocals. I really dug 'em. Deliverance was also the band that introduced me to the mind of Terry Taylor, who's band Daniel Amos (along with various other side projects) are counted among my favorites now. As Deliverance grew over the years, they dropped the thrash and began to experiment more, growing as a band into something more electronica/guitar/vocal based. Not to mention more heart wrenching lyrics than the average band as well. But after high school, I left them (sorta) behind, favoring other, softer music, or even more experimental stuff. But I was waxing sentimental tonight, so I looked them up. Jimmy P. Brown II, the brains behind Deliverance is still doing music, but he's got a new project called Fearful Symmetry, which in turn, is a nod to the Bible and chapter four of the infamous Daniel Amos "Alarma Chronicles" - an album which, to this day ranks as one of my favorite five. But Fearful Symmetry is wonderful blend of the old school Deliverance guitar sound, with David Bowie, Terry Taylor and something I just can't place right now. It's cool stuff, and I'm glad to see that Mr. Brown is still making great music. On a completely other front, my favorite band throughout my last two years of high school was, without a doubt, Jacob's Trouble. They had it all going for them - unique sound (well, unique to that time - they sounded like the Beatles, America, and the Monkees, for the most part - in the midst of early nineties grunge), a cool look and clever lyrics. And, Terry Taylor as a producer didn't hurt either. It stunned me in the summer of '94 to hear of their breakup. They had good reasons, so I supported them despite the bittersweet feeling of it all. I still had the music - at the time they had four albums and a CD of rarities that I really dug. Fast forward a couple of years, and I still love Jacob's Trouble, even if they don't exist anymore. They put out another rarities disc that I picked up immediately, but it just wasn't enough. So I did another search, and found out that almost the entire final lineup was in another band out of Atlanta, called Janah. Sounding like a much cooler version of Rusted Root, I downloaded every one of their freebies from their site, and have yet to order an album (sometime soon, I'm sure), but now I've found out they're done touring. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but they came to Rochester last fall, and I found out two days later that they had been up here. I would have gone to the show, had I known about it. I was kind of hoping they'd make their way back up here, but looks like I'll miss out. Guess I'll have to order their CD's sometime. Not sure when. In other news... I've begun a hardcore job search now, I sent in a few resumes on Thursday, and had an interview for a job on Friday that seemed to have gone well. The only downside is I interviewed early, while there is a whole string of interviews this week. Here's hoping I impressed them enough that they'll remember me when all is said and done. It'll be nice to return to a real job, after two years of working for myself and not knowing from week to week if I'd have any place to go the next. So I'm going to send more resumes out, call more places, and hope that something comes out of this. I need a regular paycheck - I own a house now. So, if you're of the praying persuasion, drop the Lord a line on my behalf.

This is sad, on so many levels....

Newsday.com: Man commits suicide at Ground Zero Man commits suicide at Ground Zero BY ROCCO PARASCANDOLA, DEBORAH MORRIS AND SEAN GARDINER Staff Writers November 6, 2004, 7:11 PM EST Distraught over the re-election of President George W. Bush, a Georgia man traveled to New York City, went to Ground Zero and killed himself with a shotgun blast, police said yesterday. The suicide victim, Andrew Veal, 25, was discovered just before 8 a.m. yesterday when a worker for the Millennium Hotel looking at Ground Zero from an upper floor saw a man lying atop the concrete structure through which the 1 and 9 subway lines run. The worker, thinking the man was sleeping, alerted colleagues and the Port Authority police were notified. But when they got to Veal's body, they realized he had killed himself with a shot to the head from a .12-gauge shotgun. No suicide note was found, but according to a Port Authority police source, family members said Veal, a registered Democrat, was despondent over Bush's defeat of Sen. John Kerry. A second source said Veal, who lived in Athens, Ga., and worked for the University of Georgia, was also adamantly opposed to the war in Iraq. More than three years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Ground Zero remains a top tourist attraction, the site rife with symbolism. Visitors there yesterday reacted in different ways to news of Veal's suicide. Bobbie Jensen, 54, a Republican from Phoenix, said that while she understood how Bush's victory disturbed those who dislike him, Ground Zero is not the place to act on those emotions. "You can be upset about the war, about Bush, but this is a sacred place," she said. "You got to accept what happened and not kill yourself." But Frank Franca, an East Village artist and registered Democrat, suggested the suicide was symbolic. "I'm very moved by it," he said. "Obviously, this person was devastated. I can see why he would come here." Franca's friend, Jeffim Kuznetsov, a 25-year-old student from Russia who lives in Atlanta, said the suicide is evidence of how deeply many Americans were affected by Kerry's defeat. "It's a national tragedy," he said. "This election is devastating to all who believe in democracy." Another visitor to Ground Zero, Arushi Raval, 34, a businesswoman who lives in Chelsea, said Veal might have been active in campaigning for Kerry, only to taste defeat. "Maybe he felt ineffective," she said of the victim. "You feel ineffective if you tried and it all failed. "I know so many New Yorkers who are depressed over this." Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc. I'm sad this guy had to kill himself. Sad that he took politics so seriously. Sad that, for some reason, the Left thinks that only us Right Wingers are nutjobs.

I guess I just don't understand the liberal mindset...

I've had, well, let's just say, an interesting couple of days post-election. Being a Republican, a born again Christian and a proud supporter of President Bush, (not necessarily in that order), it's been a good few days, that have been slightly euphoric. But, they've also had their share of bizarre incidences. First off, I woke up Wednesday morning, confident that Kerry would concede, but not sure of when. Maybe when little Johnny Edwards finished counting the votes, no matter how long that would've taken. Thankfully we didn't have to wait long. But I looked out my window, and of course, somebody, probably an ill informed Kerry supporter drying their tears on their copies of the illusive "plan" that ol' Longface kept mentioning but never showing. Either that or that list of "world leaders" that were supporting him but he never gave us the names of. But they stole my sign, and that's okay, Bush won by a decisive margin that they won't be able to take away. Then my pals over at Art Barn wrote a hilarious e-mail to a bunch of folks about their secession from the USA after Bush's victory, and I had a good laugh. I responded to everyone, told them it was a funny e-mail, but I was proud to have voted for the man who won and was better suited, in my opinion. Then the hate-mail began to pour in. One guy, obviously out of ammo and needing to resort to name calling asked me if I was "filthy rich, radically religious or fucking ignorant", which, to be quite honest, couldn't be further from the truth. This guy obviously didn't know me. But I took it all in stride. Don't get me wrong, there are several facets to my life besides my political leanings and my faith, I'm into a lot of things liberals are. Just as, I'm sure, there are a lot of liberal folks within the church. But I can tolerate them, I can gracefully bow out of a debate when I know it won't get anywhere, and, I won't call them names, especially if I know them. But most of all, I won't generalize. The double standard among the Left is unbelievable. For example: - Speech is free, as long as you agree with me! - We should tolerate everyone! Except, of course, Christians and Conservative thinkers! - Every woman should have the right to choose an abortion. But don't tell them the risks involved, that might effect her choice...well, her only choice. God forbid one of those couples incapable of having kids might want to adopt. - Abstinence is a foolish thing to teach in schools. Kids don't need to know anything about self control. - Save the whales! Save the Baby Seals! But yeah, if you want to suck the brain out of a baby that's almost full term, that's okay. - War isn't necessary! So what if confronting evil might possibly prevent more loss of life in the future? The world might not like us.... - There's so much variety in the country, we shouldn't generalize people groups. Well, unless you're on the right wing, and then you're an ignorant overtly religious whackjob who watches Nascar and laughes at Everyone Loves Raymond. I'm sure there's more, but there's a race I taped that I want to watch before I go to church tomorrow morning. And yes, that was sarcasm. Us Right-Wingers are fully capable of utilizing that tool as well.

Nothing much to write today -

But I've had Adam Again music on the brain. I'm gonna have to spin one or two of their discs tomorrow. Good stuff.

One out of Two Ain't Bad...

So my hopes were realized at around two today, when Kerry conceded, realizing that no matter how fuzzy the math, there was no way he would take Ohio away from Bush. I couldn't be happier, I guess I'm almost euphoric. But, I really liked my yard sign. Some punk tore it down and ran off with it. Sore loser. Those grapes must be pretty sour, huh?

Pre-Election Day (and it couldn't come fast enough)

Michelle will be uber-happy after tomorrow, should there be a clear winner at the end of the night. Simply because she'll have a husband who doesn't insert terms like "527", "Electoral College", and "Margin of Error" into every conversation we have. Also, I started a novel for National Novel Writing Month, and I'm publishing it online, hopefully as a motivator to actually write every day. Check it out Here and make sure to comment. Constructive criticism will be good, but don't expect Dickens or Shakespeare, we're focusing on Quantity at this point.