JWT - Day One

Just finished my first day of the 2005 Summer Season at Jenny Wiley Theatre. It was good to do some hard work again. Every once in a while, good old fashioned manual labor feels good.

All the tech crew arrived yesterday, and man, I'm really starting to feel old in this line of work. All the crew seems like a really good bunch of people. There are a couple of pseudo-annoying people this summer, but I think I'm learning to tune them out - er - I mean get along with them. But everyone seems ready to work and really has a lot to "bring to the table".

Well, I'm beat - Two more things before I to head off to a quick shower and then to bed. First, if anyone gets curious about when shows are and how much they cost - check out Jenny Wiley Theatre's website.

Lastly, I would love to send many warm wishes and a LOT of prayers to my best friend, Stephanie. She's heading off to London, England for the summer. I'm gonna miss her a lot. Love you, Steph!!!!

I'll buy that!

For a dollar eighty-nine, yeah, I'll buy that!

That's the cheapest I've bought gas for in several months! The Speedway at Exit 104 (off I-75) in Lexington is selling it for that right now. Go quick, hurry, fill up!!!

Focus

UPDATED updates in bold italics

It's really easy for us sometimes to lose focus. I fully believe that people mostly focus on the good in their lives (and in their friend's lives). Sometimes some people have what I'll call a "social hickup" which causes their focus to waiver and then they focus on different things, or the wrong side or notion of a particular thing. Sometimes people even become obsessed about certain things. Sometimes people feel that they have every right to know something that is really none of their business.

Now, even I have been guilty of having a social hickup. I don't think anyone can really say that they haven't, whether it was just for a brief moment, or if it's chronic for some people. The trick is to realize that you have the social hickups, and fix it. Or at least correct what you've done during the social hickup. I'll give you an example from my own life.

A very dear friend of mine (Stephanie) is going away to London (yes, England) for the summer. I had BIG social hickups when I found out about that. Instead of focusing on the good of the excitement on the trip to a foreign country, and how much fun she'll have, I hickuped and thought only about how it would affect me, how much I would miss her this summer. I eventually realized that I was being selfish in my thoughts, and that was my social hickup. Since I realized that, I've been much more supportive and excited for Steph and her trip. I'll still miss her a lot, but I know this experience is going to be awesome for her, especially since she's met a special someone over there... and she'll get to experience all of her joys with him. And I'm incredibly happy for her. And our friendship is stronger for it.

Unfortunately, focus is an easy thing to lose - and only when we realize we've lost it, can we do anything to fix it. I learned this lesson the hard way. I can only hope that everyone doesn't have to. Of course, there are SOME people out there, that just don't get it. Some of you will know who I'm talking about, the rest of you may not. But that's okay. Have a great day, and keep focus!

As per Steph's suggestion - check out Mike's recent post "Pardon Me While..." to see what the "instigation" of this post is all about.

Eulogy for CommentThis

As many of you who read my blog regularly know - I recently switched to blogger's comments system due to a server problem with my old comment host, CommentThis! I originally found out about this service from Patrick Drury. This was the "goto" service before blogger introduced their own commenting system.

After the server problem, I scoured the "how-to" archives at blogger and found a way to preserve the old comments on the old posts while implementing the newer blogger comments on all of the new posts. I also helped a friend to do the same with her blog.

Just a few minutes ago, I went to check on the status of the old comment host, and found the following message.

It looks like the Comment This! service is no more.
It's been a good run, but the hard drive that the Comment This! data resided on died, and is not recoverable. I only received about $160 in donations, and that doesn't even cover my bandwidth for two months, much less replacement hardware. Blogger's comments system works well enough, maybe you should try it.
Regards,
The CommentThis! admin.

P.S. If you want to contact me to praise or complain, you can reach me at:
comments@commentthis.com

Good-bye CommentThis. You've given me a lot of memories over the past year and a half. Thanks.

What's in a Name?

Actual horse's name.

Hoof Hearted

Say that one out loud a couple times.

I was watching one of those "blooper shows" last night on TV, and that was an actual horse's name. And the announcer was like, "Hoof Hearted" in the back!

Hilarious.

Victory is Mine!

Stewie

Which Family Guy Character Are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


Which Family Guy character are you?

All Things New

The new design that I've been keeping mostly under wraps is finished. Right now just the blog and bio pages have made the transition. Next will be the design pages, followed by my online photo album, and then the guestbook. Oh, and I've updated the bio page - enjoy. Tell me what you think.

Last Chance

This weekend went amazingly well! This is truly the most fun I've had in a LONG time. I haven't had an actual good vacation in several years. The guys I hung out with this weekend are some of the best. An amazing group of people to go on a trip with. The group was almost TOO laid back - it was tough to get them to make a decision! But it made for a very stress/drama-free weekend.

In attendance were: Dustin McClain (the doomed), Me (the best man), Jarred Winebarger (groomsman), Eric Whitson, Jason Bowles, and Brian Ink.

Here's what we did:
rented:
cabin - (click to see)
van - Chrystler: Town & Country (we rode in style, automatic everything - power sliding doors, windows, etc.)

played:
poker
Halo2
putt-putt
lazertag
ping pong
pool (billiards)
air hockey
raced gocarts

soaked in hot-tub:
combined total - 12 hours

watched:
Shaun of the Dead
Hellboy

bought (at China Bazaar):
soft pellet guns (3)
"samurai" sword

ate:
burgers and dogs, chips, potato salad
steak, baked potatoes, cornbread
ribs, shrimp, chicken, potatoes, fries, onion loaf, bread
bacon, sausage, eggs, waffles

drank:
pepsi, coke, sprite, O.J., milk, water, ginger ale, and other various juices
corona, bicardi O3, Smirnoff Ice, and other various beers/wine-coolers

slept - very little

For Your Eyes Only

I'm really excited. I'm working on a new look for my website. It's going to look a lot nicer and more professional than this one. Basically I'm trimming a lot of the fat off of the old one. It just felt too bulky to me at times. I love this design, but each design for me is just a stepping stone to the next - honing and sharpening my skills and craft.

Be excited... VERY excited.

Roll with the Punches

This is definitely something I need to learn how to do.

The past few weeks, I haven't really been myself. To some, I may've covered it up well - then again, maybe not. And to others, well, there's just no fooling some people, they'll always know when your not yourself (and thank goodness for those people).

So, to anyone that's noticed - worry no more, I'm on the quick road to getting back to me. To those that I've weighed heavily on... I apologize greatly. To everyone else - no sweat, I'm here and as good as ever.

" Life as it happens is rarely the way that you planned
Roll with the punches or you'll end up a mad, little man "
- "Six String Rocketeer" by Daily Planet

Dark Side of the Blog

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

Did you realize that the dark lord of the sith himself kept a blog? Neither did I until I stumbled upon it.

It's pretty humorous... and a little scary. Check it out.

Posts Revisited

// Quotes from Real People

"It's like butter and chocolate syrup."
- Greg Chandler (describing how performances were good, just not good together)
Originally Posted on: 11/30/2003

// Two Words

Huggies Thong
Originally Posted on: 02/08/2004

// Past Weeks:: Barenaked Ladies Concert

click to view post
Originally Posted on: 03/15/2004

// Video

Japanese Commercial - too weird... and too funny.
Originally Posted on: 04/13/2004

Video

Ever get bored sitting in front of your computer? Me too. Oh, and not to mention this guy.

Discuss. And feel free to post links to other videos you think are funny, stupid, crazy, cool.

Time's Ebb and Flow

Whoever said, "The more things change, the more things stay the same" should be drug out into the street and shot.

Too much? - Nah.

Last Chance for Fun!

Updated!

For those of you that don't know - one of my best friends (Dustin McClain) is getting married this summer to Katie Winebarger. When he proposed, he also asked me to be his best man. Now we all know what the best man's REAL job is.

To throw a killer bachelor party!

Well, due to mine and Dustin's nature... we're not really into the traditional bachelor party fare (aka - vomitting from being sloshed and strippers). So I figured out a really awesome idea to make it an awesome party. Next weekend, 6 guys are headed off to Gatlinburg, TN, to live it up for one last weekend of fun (before Dustin's not allowed to have anymore). We rented a cabin and a van, and are headed down Friday morning, and won't return until Monday afternoon/evening.

Less than 7 days to go! (at time of posting - 6 days: 23 hours: 28 seconds)

Update:
----------
Oh yeah, if you want to check out the cabin we're staying at and it's amenities, click here.

Housekeeping

Did a bit of housekeeping on the ole' blog tonight. Got rid of a few links where people rarely (if ever) updated them. Also added a new one.

Update! Update! Update!!

My Design Portfolio has been updated. Go check it out.

Quick! Hurry!

Comments. Questions?

Today, I switched to Blogger's Comments from CommentThis. The cool thing is... all the previous comments will still be there, just the posts from now on will have the new comment style. The reason I did this was due to the CommentThis servers being down for a few days. This way it'll be an all or nothing kind of deal. I've enjoyed CommentThis, and who knows... may go back to them eventually, but they've had problems in the past, so I'm going to try my luck with the Blogger comments. Hope you all enjoy!

-spg

Free Time

Okay, so I've got 18 days until I leave again for Jenny Wiley. Here's a few possibilities for my free time. I'm either going to be:

a) productive
b) lazy
c) counter-productive
d) counter-lazy
e) a small ethiopian child
f) none of the above
g) all the above
h) 30 mph
i) a rock
j) paper
k) scissors
l) or a combination of some of the above, but not others

Somebody Hates Me

Lyrics by Reel Big Fish (from "Why Do They Rock So Hard?" album)

did you misunderstand something that i did
or was there one of my jokes that you didn't get
or do you think you've got the way i think all figured out.
what did i say, to make you feel i'm not cool now?

i know,
no matter what no matter who no matter what i do,
somebody hates me, and i hate somebody too.
i know its wrong, but i do it too
and i guess i should say,
don't let it get to you

Seussical - Part Two

SOLD OUT

[no rhyming this time... not even for a dime] (D'oh)

Seussical - Opening Night

What a great performance by such a talented group of young adults. The show went off without a hitch, and the singers were all on pitch. The audience raised a loud noise, and the cast was greeted with great joys.

Mark Smith and crew put on one heck of a show. And it feels great to be open, don't you know.

So from Georgia to Who to Solla Salloo, have a great night, and I'll see all my friends soon.

Atlanta, revisited

Well, down in Atlanta... yes, again. We had our final dress rehearsal tonight for 'Seussical'... and we open tomorrow night. I still have a few polishing up items to take care of... but it's a phenomincal show. This is kind of a school play on crack kind of deal. It's a school show, but with professional scenic, lighting, and sound design. And Mark Smith (director) is a supremely talented and accomplished director. With such high production value going on, you might think, "yeah, but it's still a cheesey school production." Well, you'd be wrong. While not ALL the actors/singers are Broadway material... there are a few stand out performers in the bunch - Nia (The Cat in the Hat) & Katie (JoJo) are two such performers. Great stage presence, wonderful timing, talented voices, and absolutely sweet people.

If you happen to be around the Atlanta area this weekend and want to take in a great show... gimme a call, I'll get you in touch with the right people and we'll get you some tickets.

Oh, and of course, later, you'll be able to catch a few moments from the show in my design portfolio gallery.

Signing off - spg

Home... ?

Hey Gang. I'm home from my 2 week stint as Stage Manager and Props Master at Jenny Wiley Theatre. It was a good time, lots of work, lots of fun, and lots of friendly familiar faces. Here's a quick run-down:

Worked
Ate
Slept
Drank (some)
Geeked out a bit
Worked
Was invited to dinner by a local cast member
Watched Smallville Season 3 DVDs
Watched a few of Buffy Season 3 (4?) DVDs
Hung out with friends around a fire
Cooked food on said fire (hobo burgers)

Good times, yeah, I know. Well, now I'm off to Atlanta Georgia for another gig. I'm designing lights for a show called 'Seussical' for one of my good friends, Mark Smith. I'm down there for a week... and I'm not sure if I'll have internet access or not. Just know that I'm doing well, and if any of you gets the bug and wants to drop me a quick call... feel free to do so! Hearing a friendly voice in a sea of strange faces is an uplifting feeling.

Now... i'm off.

Worth

Do you ever have those days when you just feel like you're not worth anything to anybody?

I have them sometimes. I've had a couple of those days kind of recently and it pretty much blows huge chunks. I'm talking about one of those days where nothing goes right. You feel pretty useless at work, you don't feel like that good of a friend, and just generally a waste of oxygen.

But on the other end... there are those awesome days... the days when every friend you know calls you - or in my case, both of them ;) - and you have great advice, or just a really fun and light conversation with them. And at work... the ideas won't STOP coming... and you have this uncanny 8th sense about how the best and quickest way to accomplish your tasks is. I haven't really had any of these days... well, not in a while, anyway. But I've come close to them before. I've had a couple of days close to that recently, too. Those are much better than the other ones.

Now - Naked Shaven Mud-Wrestling Grizzly Bears!

Forecast

:UPDATED:
Weather forecast for Wednesday, April 6, 2005.

Dark Skies. Cloudy. With a good chance of thunderstorms.

Also be on the lookout for floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and tornados.


[note: not an actual weather forecast]

----------------------------
update: 8:26pm
No actual storms or anything. Clouds are mostly gone... but the sky doesn't seem quite as blue as it did yesterday.

Back to Work

Well, I'm down in Prestonsburg, KY, again. I'm here Stage Managing 'Babe, the Sheep-Pig', a play based on the hit box-office record breaker 'Babe'. Yeah, the one with the talking pig... and NO we're not having an actual pig on stage.

All's well, and pretty much how it was at the end of my last job here. The office staff is super cool and fun as always... like a big family. The crew are a couple of guys I worked with last summer, and a lot of fun to hang around... yeah, they're good workers, too. The cast ... well, mostly kids... and I know about half of them from previous gigs. There's only 4 people in the adult cast, all of whom I've worked with before, and are great people.

Not sure how often I'll post while I'm here... so in the words of Jim Carrey in "The Truman Show" - "... If I don't see ya'... good afternoon, good evening, and good night!"

... Happily Ever After

Just got home from my cousin Jenny (Glascock) Anderson's wedding. What a beautiful ceremony! And what a fun reception!!

This wedding had all the classic ingredients - beautiful ceremony, beautiful bride, crying relatives (happy tears), the cute kids on the dance floor, the weird drunk old guy, hot single women, dancing, a great band, and at least one gay guy who can really dance and show all us "movers" up.

It really was a blast though. I got to see three of my cousins, whom I have not seen in well over 13 years. Jenny (the bride), Tom, and Jill. These are all cousins on my dad's side. And it was SO nice to see them all again, and they seemed really happy to see me too.

I miss getting to see that side of my family as much, but it's tough that Jill and Jenny live in Atlanta. I don't really have much of an excuse not to see my aunt Jane or Tommy... my aunt lives in Winchester (30 minutes away?), and Tommy lives around Cinci, OH... which is on my way to my mom's house.

To me it was a family reunion of sorts. It really was a great time, I just hope it doesn't have to be another 13 years before I see all of them again. In fact, it's my goal to make sure it's not another 13 years.

I have some pictures to post - I'll dump 'em on here when I get home.

Okay, if I ramble on too much longer, all the alcohol is going to get to me and I'm going to start whining. And I know you don't want that.

More to come... (?)

Swank

Down in Atlanta, GA, right now. My mom and I are down here for my cousin Jenny's wedding. She's one of the few cousins I have on my dad's side, and I haven't seen any of them in something like 10 - 13 years. Two of them (Jill and Jenny) live in/around Atlanta, the other one (Tommy) lives around Cinci. I'm super excited to see all of them - we actually just had lunch with my Aunt Jane and Tommy in the Hotel Restaurant... which brings me to the original point of this post.

Swank.

We're staying at the Marriott Suites in Mid-town Atlanta. This room is uber-nice. It's actually a suite - has a king size bed, a pull out sofa-bed, a bathroom with a shower and separate tub, two TV's, a mini-fridge, High Speed Internet Access, and a really neat view of Midtown. We found out that this room normally rents for over $300.00 a night!!! Since we're with the wedding group, we're staying here for $90.00 a night... how awesome is that!?!!??

The REALLY awesome part that I'm fascinated with is how helpful and friendly the whole staff is. I've never stayed at a nice hotel before where there was a concierge, "bellhops", doormen, and such hospitality. Everyone that sees you tells you to have a nice day, asks if you need anything, and we're using the Valet Service for the car... that's really nice to just hand your keys off and let someone else park the car, and when you want it, just call down and ask for it.

I'm taking pictures and I'll post some when I get home (I don't have the means to get them onto my computer til then). I'll probably post later tonight after the wedding.

I know - you guys are all on the edge of your seats, aren't you?

Uhm... what?

Watching "Attack of the Show" tonight (formerly "The Screen Savers) on G4TechTV, there was a webserver that claimed it was so small it could fit up someone's rectal cavity. That's right... his ass.

And it did. Care to visit? www.yourassgotserved.com

Where are the good shows?

In the past couple of weeks, a lot of shows have been getting cancelled or are being closely looked at to decide if cancellation is the right move or not.

After watching Point Pleasant for a few weeks in a row, there was a two or three week hiatus, and then it returned for another week... and then again stopped. After that, I got news from a friend that it had been dropped by the FOX network, and was being replaced with episodes of TRU CALLING that had never aired due to it's cancellation.

This made me a bit suspicious of another of my favorite shows that started this season. Committed. It was a funny, quirky show in the midst of all the reality TV and "become a star" shows on these days. The show had not been on for a few weeks, instead being replaced by re-runs of "Scrubs" (which I also watch). So I did a little digging. Went to the NBC website, and it said that no shows were currently scheduled. I dug a little deeper, and found a couple of forums that talked about it. Basically, Committed is dead in the water for the moment, it's fate is being decided and will be announced on May 16 when NBC offically announces it's Fall lineup for 2005.

How do you get a hold of one of those Nielson Ratings boxes?! Give it to me!

Tools of the Trade

While having lunch with my good friend Stephanie this afternoon, I did something that I had never done before, and it was really cool, and I felt cool saying/doing it. Steph said it was kind of cool, too.

Steph had kind of a "downer" day yesterday - so, when we got to Logan's for lunch, I told her I'd treat her. Inside Logan's we were seated and browsing the menu, and I mentioned that Filet Mignon was really good, and it turned out that she never had one and decided to try it.

Okay, now here's where the cool part comes in - when we ordered... I did all the talking, yep, I ordered FOR her. It went a little something like this:

Waitress: What can I get you?
Me: We'll have Mozerella Sticks for an appetizer, and two 6 oz filet mignon's... I'll take mine medium well.
[waitress looks to Steph]
Steph: Medium, please.

It was too cool. It was the first time I'd ordered FOR someone like that before. I couldn't help but smile really dumb like a couple times during the meal. I kind of surprised myself.

While we were waiting to order, I noticed I felt tall... it was like I was sitting on some kind of weird nexus in Logan's. After that, the meal and the company and the conversation was great!

As we were leaving, I was opening the doors for Steph. The first one was SUPER easy to open, and as she was messing with something on her coat, I attempted to open the second door - this one was a bit ... stuck. So I leaned in a bit more... nothing. Gave it a little harder push... nothing. Finally, I put my shoulder to the door (while still leaning a good deal). The force of my shoulder was enough to open the door, and ALMOST enough to send me onto the sidewalk outside of Logan's. Thankfully, it was just almost enough.

We laughed a lot... and ate WAY too much.

I'm gonna miss that girl when she leaves for London. A lot.

Good Game

Okay. UK got beat by Michigan tonight... bummer. I really got into the tournament this season, too. Had been several years since I really watched college hoops. It was a great game, though. UK had nothing to be ashamed of, and from what I can tell, the refs were much more fair this game than the one vs. Utah.

Now, in the fine tradition of a fellow blogger:

G0 North Carolina!!!!
Go Illinois!!!!

Insomnia + Boredom =

Steal... I mean, borrowing ideas from other people.

Okay I totally ripped this idea off of Patch... but I wanted to see what my top 25 most played songs were on my iPod/iTunes.

Here they are:

* Never Going Back - Big Daddy Weave
* Rest in Peace - James Marsters (Spike on Buffy)
* Fields of Grace - Big Daddy Weave
* Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
* Another Postcard - Barenaked Ladies
* Exciting Times - Across The Sky
* Happy - Goldfiner
* Look What Happened - Less Than Jake
* Humor of the Situation - Barenaked Ladies
* Eight Days a Week - The Beatles
* Grey Street - Dave Matthews Band
* 3000 Miles Away - Daily Planet
* These Walls - Trapt
* Kit Kat Jam - Dave Matthews Band
* Drunk Again - Reel Big Fish
* Meet You There - Simple Plan
* Ticket to Ride - The Beatles
* Zak and Sara - Ben Folds
* Scenes From an Italian Resaraunt - Billy Joel
* Flying Blind - Daily Planet
* It's Your Life - GOldfinger
* He Reigns - Kirk Franklin
* Crutch - Matchbox 20
* Lonely Day - Phantom Planet
* What I Like About Your - The Romantics

Commercials

If anyone has been watching any of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, you may have noticed that there are some good commercials during the timeouts. Many of these commercials outclass many if not all the SuperBowl commercials this year. They have some good stuff! I can't remember any at the moment because my brain is fried from the past week plus today. Just know that they're good. So what's up with that? I guess the companies that are spending the "bajillions" of dollars for 30 seconds of air at the SuperBowl, spent all of their budget on buying the timeslot and couldn't afford to make a commercial that was interesting or at least memorable. Even if I HATED the commercial... I at least remember it.

Good Day/Bad Day

Well, today started off a really good day. The evening was even really good. Right around 1 o'clock, everything went crappy. But first the hightlights...

+ Had lunch with a good friend of mine
+ Worked on something at someplace that I have a huge passion for
+ Watched the U.K. game at a friend's house
- Ref's for the U.K. game must've hated Kentucky, or been paid off by the other team
+ Watched the season finale of Stargate Atlantis
+ Taped season finale of Stargate: SG-1
- Got pulled over by a cop on way home from above friend's house
- Failed to put my new Insurance card in my car
- Have to go to court to prove I have insurance
- Other realities are starting to hit me as well, but I won't go into them here or now.

Let's just say that the day ended in a tie for either a good or bad day... unfortunately, it didn't start off bad and got better... it started off great and went into the crapper.

Confucious Say

Surfing the web a little today... none of the usual "haunts" were too interesting, so on a whim, I dropped by my Church's recently redesigned website. I stumbled upon their FAX of Life, a weekly message of inspiration sent to you via FAX or email. I don't subscribe to this, but apparently it's online, too. Anyway, part of the message caught my attention, and so I thought I'd share it.

That great philosopher Drew Carey once said, "Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar."

I'll see you at the next meeting.

Halo 3 Wishlist

Yeah, yeah... I know... Halo 2 just came out a few months ago... what's all this talk of Halo 3??

I jumped on Bungie.net tonight. I've been in a serious mood to play Halo2. I've beat the game twice since I bought it, and played through a couple of my favorite missions countless times. So let me tell you what I want (what I really really want).

I REALLY want to play some Halo2 multiplayer. Just me, and two or three friends duking it out via Xbox. Unfortunately... it's difficult to get people together to play video games. So what I'll settle for is "bots" - computer controlled players - to play against in a multiplayer atmosphere.

Well, luck has it, my wish is on someone else's wishlist, too.

Friends, Romans, Bloggers...

[new updates in bold blue old ones just bold]
[the updates will stop when everyone has finally updated their blogs]

The following people need to update their blogs...

blogger/last update
Music Box Girl - - - 03/24/05
Dustin McClain - - - 03/23/05
Ben Stewart- - - - - site is down
Mr. HibGib - - - - - 03/22/05 - okay
Erin Adams - - - - - 03/17/05 - 6 days ago
Patrick Drury- - - - 03/24/05 - "freakin' awesome"
Katie Winebarger - - 02/22/05 - 29 days ago
Mike Tuttle- - - - - 03/16/05 - 7 days ago

That is all... GO.

ASS of U and ME

[updated]

Never assume... unless the assumtion is that your assumptions are wrong until proven correct.

- Scott P. Glascock, 03/23/05 @ 12:58am

------------
update:
I got a phone call this morning. I didn't mean for this to be a cryptic entry. Nothing's wrong. I had a coversation with a friend on AIM last night, and this was one of the things I said. It kind of caught me off gaurd, and I thought it was interesting. Almost a "how much wood would a woodchuck chuck.." situation. The quote really makes sense if you think about it and break it down. It's really just one of those kind of sayings that are very factual... kind of like "if it's not here, it's there." There's probably a better example... but I don't have the discipline to keep thinking about this any longer.

On another note: I give you this - and this too.

Bad Ass

This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while!

Well, it's working on me...

Stumbled upon an article from MacWorld.com that has firmed up my decision to purchase a Mac Mini in the near future. Wanna read it? Okay, here it is.

Patrick Drury is the Devil

Okay, not really. But unfortunately, he's sparked an interest in me for a show on Fox Thursday nights... The O.C. This week, there was no "Joey" on NBC, so I ended up watching The O.C. before Point Pleasant. Now, an small curiosity has turned in to me getting hooked on the show. Thursday nights are going to be a struggle between me and my remote control... too bad I don't have Tivo.

Oh, and btw, Happy (late) Birthday Patch! See ya' on Saturday!

Two Button Mouse?

Have you ever heard of such a thing?! What is this fantastical new innovation in personal electronics? A two button mouse? What?

... apparently, Apple is FINALLY getting around to developing a two button mouse. Uhm... took long enough. For PC users, the ability to have up to eight programmable buttons has been around for a long time. Two button mouses have been around... well, as long as I've owned a computer (at least), and I got my first computer way back in 1991. Back in the days that MS-DOS was an incredible operating system, and Windows 3.11 was just another program you could run on your computer.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very impressed with Apple products. As a PC owner/user, I also own a 20GB iPod w/Click Wheel, and am in the process of saving up money for a new Mac Mini. It just stikes me as funny that it's taken them this long to get to this point.

Hopefully, Apple won't develope a two button mouse and say that PC's stole the idea.

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Busy

Hey all. Hope life is treating everyone fairly. The blogging scene is getting kind of stale and dry. I wish I had a lot of things to report on, but really, I don't. I've been busy trying to finish my lighting design for a show in Atlanta, GA, in mid April. Unfortunately, without the proper tools... it's a slow process. Plus my computer is getting on in years (I've had it since February 2002) making the process just a tad slower. Maybe if I get a chance, I'll post a screenshot of my work so you can see what I've been up to. Well, enough frivolity for now. Back to work.

Back in the Groove

Over the past week and a half, I haven't had internet access at my house... which has been a huge bummer. So I had been leeching off various places (with their knowledge and permission) to gain a few minutes here, and a few minutes there. It was particularly upsetting because I've needed to be in contact with several people about different jobs that I have coming up. But today, I regained my "freedom". My access is back up, and I feel oddly "whole" again. :) It's good to be back.

Learning to Praise Him

A couple of kids from the SCC Teen Theatre Festival (see previous post) recognized me from playing in a Christian Rock band when I lived in that area. We called ourselves Extol (which means "praise").

I was the drummer for the band... we were good, not great, but we enjoyed ourselves and spread the message of Christ the best we could. I remember when I played, it didn't even feel like I was playing, it felt like something (or someone) else was controlling my arms and legs. Two of my favorite memories of playing with the band was we played for a church's Jars of Clay CD release party (when they released "Much Afraid"). One song in our repetiore was Flood (one of my favorites to play)... so of course we played it. The other memory was playing for a neighborhood block party. We just kind of jammed out. The bass player layed down a rhythm, I joined in, the guitar started jamming out, and then the vocalists just started singing... and it came out in the form of a song that (in my opinion) was really fun... it was titled "Wizard of Oz"... the only line I can vaguely remember (other than the chorus) is close to the end saying something about if a house landing on you and what are you going to do... (not exact quote at ALL).

Since we broke up as a band, I kind of struggled with what gifts I have and how I could use them to honor Him. I didn't really think there was much more I could do than what I had done when I was with the band. I really felt connected to God when I played... and I knew I was serving Him how He wanted me to.

Over the past couple of years, I think I've found another way to serve... I've gotten really involved with the Tech Team at Crossroads Christian Church in Lexington, KY. I'm helping bring the message of Christ to people in the best way that I know how. I have a difficult time bring the topic up to people. I wish I had an easier time of it, or knew how to approach it. I guess I'm just hoping that by the way I live and act, people will realize that I am a christian and know the love of my Father and Savior, and by seeing me, will begin to ask questions and realize that Christians don't have to be "uptight" and "boring".

In fact, thanks to a few people I know, I've realized I can be a real person AND be a follower of Christ.

Another Great Weekend

Yeah, it keeps going and going!

Friday night was relaxing. Watched Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis on Sci-Fi Channel. Great couple of episodes.

Saturday morning and afternoon, I spent in Somerset for SCC's Teen Theatre Festival. I DIDN'T pickup any girls down there, so I don't have to run from any cops or angry fathers with shotguns. It was really cool. A couple of kids actually recognized me from playing in a Christian Rock band when I lived in that area. We called ourselves Extol (it means praise) pronounced: EX-TOLL. (more about that in the next post)

Saturday night a bunch of friends and I got together for a surprise birthday party for our friend Jennifer Redmond. We had pizza and birthday cake, and then went to a coffee house downtown to listen to another friend of ours play guitar and sing. She did an accoustic verson of Evanessence's "Bring Me To Life" and ROCKED.

Sunday was probably the best day of them all. I went to church, and then got to hang out with one of my most favorite people... all day long. It was great. One of the best times I've had in a long while. We had been having a slight bump in our friendship for a month or so... but we worked it all out, and just totally went back to how we used to be around each other. Incredible! Thanks God!

Soundtrack - The Last Track

I don't know if you've ever heard a song, and thought, "this would be great for (such and such situation)!" Well, I found a song that I want to be played at my funeral. Now before everyone thinks I've gone nuts, or I'm paranoid about my own mortality and this and that... don't worry. I ran lights today for a memorial service that really seemed more like a celebration than a funeral. This is how I have always said I want my funeral. Now, the inevitable crying will happen, cause hopefully, people will be sorry that I'm gone or miss me a little bit, but I want them to ultimately celebrate my "home coming". Here's the song:

I'll Meet You There - by Simple Plan

Now you're gone,
I wonder why you left me here,
I think about it on, and on,
and on, and on, and on, again.
I know you're never coming back,
I hope that you can hear me,
I'm waiting to hear from you..

Until i do,
you're gone away,
I'm left alone,
A part of me is gone, and I'm not moving on,
So wait for me, I know the day will come..


I'll meet you there,
No matter where life takes me to,
I'll meet you there,
And even if I need you here,
I'll meet you there.

I wish I could have told you,
The things I kept inside,
But now I guess its just too late.
So many things remind me of you,
I hope that you can hear me,
I miss you,
This is goodbye,
One last time..

You're gone away,
I'm left alone,
A part of me is gone, And I'm not moving on,
So wait for me, I know the day will come..

I'll meet you there,
No matter where life takes me to,
I'll meet you there,
And even if I need you here,
I'll meet you there,
No matter where life takes me to,
I'll meet you there,
And even if I need you here,
I'll meet you there.

I'll meet you there....

And where I go you'll be there with me,
Forever you'll be right here with me..

I'll meet you there,
No matter where life takes me to,
I'll meet you there,
And even if I need you here,
I'll meet you there,
No matter where life takes me..
I'll meet you there,
And even if I need you..
I'll meet you there...

I'll meet you there...
I'll meet you there..

Obligated

Okay, I'm feeling obligated at the moment to update my blog... so here it is!

There's not been a whole lot to report since this weekend, really. I finally got my stuff organized from moving in (in January). In my defense, most of January for me was spent traveling. I lived out of a suitcase for most of that time. But it's neat now, and it feels much more like a home to me. I forgot to mention that Friday night was spent hanging out at Common Grounds with a few friends from Church. Another friend of ours was playing that night, and we went to watch him.

In other news... a friend has introduced me to Diablo II (game for PC). I'd just like to say that there aren't many things (in video games) more satisfying than pummelling monsters until they pop. Also, I'm holding my own protest of the NHL Season being cancelled due to negotiations failing. I'll make my own season - by playing NHL hockey for the Xbox... so take that NHLPA.

Forward thinking - I'm looking forward to this weekend... it seems to be a promising one. I'm going to be traveling to the town I grew up in and visiting my old Community College to judge "auditionees" in a High School Theatre Festival. This will make my fourth or fifth year doing so. It's actually the only time each year I make it down that way. (Don't worry, my family doesn't live there anymore, I'm not a horrible son... at least not for that reason.)

Quotes (out of context)

This quote was said on: Tuesday, February 22, 2005:

" Alright everybody - Hold your balls, and let's pray. "
-Steve Edens (said unknowingly)

Hours upon hours of entertainment. Thanks, Steve.

no whammies, no whammies... stop!

Updated (see bottom)

I really don't want to jinx it, but I find it really amazing the number of great weekends I've had in a row... and this one is looking just as good as the previous ones. The weird thing is they all haven't been like "big" and "action-packed". And even one weekend in there, I didn't do anything except go to church on Sunday morning, but I felt it was still an incredible weekend.

Now then the question I would pose, is... what's different about how I've gone about the past several weeks since Christmas vs. before Christmas? If anyone figures that out, let me know. I want to keep it up.

Update: (02/27/05 @ 12:20am)
- Frisbee Golf (free)
- Halo 2 multiplayer (free)
- 2 tacos and a drink @ Taco Bell ($3.19)
- The Incredibles (for $1.50)
- an evening out with the guys (priceless)

... not bad for a Saturday night.

Soundtrack to my Life - Track 1

Carlita -- by Goldfinger

Empty man hollow man
I call myself a hermit
My self esteem contingent on the way you look at me

I'm hanging on your words
yeah I'm reading all your thoughts
If only I could be you now cause you got the control

----Chorus----
Well after today I'll never see you
and you'll be left with your life
Collecting all your souvenirs
I'll never get it right


Empty man lonely man
I call myself depressed
I'm finding ways to avoid you at the expense of sanity

I'm hanging on your words
and I'd like to share a thought
I know I can't be you now but I'd like to stay a while

the end

... is the end of an era in sight?

Is this a good thing... or a bad thing?

I can't tell yet.

design - more good stuff

Hey everyone. Just wanted to draw your attention to the sidebar "Photo" section. I know, it looks pretty much the same, except I made the thumbnails a little bit "prettier". Also, if you refresh the page, you'll get a different set of photos. Since it is purely random... you might get one or two of the same images.

That's done. The list gets shorter... thank goodness.

Enjoy!

taking attendance

1001101001110101... present.
1011101000110110... present.
0111010011101011... present.
Schools are taking a cue from wildlife experts. Tag those kids.

it's a ferocious beast

Okay, I saw this on a friend's blog today, and had to pass it on. It once and for all, answers the question: What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow. The Answer.

(this post courtesy of Monty Python/Holy Grail and Mr. Hibbity Gibbity)

Update: Questions are posted for Mr. HibGib in the comment section of The Interview Game post.

In other news:
Dogs are becoming addicted to Toads.

Things of the Day

I couldn't be more specific in the title, because I have a couple of interesting websites and programs to share today.

Websites:
deviantArt - this is a great site to find icons, wallpaper, skins & themes for a variety of programs. I've found skins for Trillian and Mozilla here... as well as buddy icons for AIM and other chat programs.

Tired of paying upto $5.00 for a ringtone for your mobile phone?
Check out: Smash the Tones a free service that let's you take ANY mp3 you own and make it into a ringtone. They were recently featured on G4TechTv's The ScreenSavers, so they've had to revamp the site. Check it out.

Ever wonder what it would look like if you or one of your friends were a southpark character? Check out this website, and wonder no more. Create-a-character.

Another website devoted to the ever sought after desire to make your computer as personalized and unique as you are brings us to wincustomize.com. Just check it out to really get a grip on what all you can do with your PC.

Program:
Object Dock is a fun program that lets windows users have a program dock like on Mac computers. Complete with smooth flowing animation and attention grabbing icons. Many options available for customizations, and find new icons and themes at deviantART or wincustomize.com. There are even little options called "docklets" which are basically little programs that can run on your Dock. Two that it comes with are a clock, and a temperature/weather program that updates from weather.com. (kinda like weather bug)

So that wraps it up. Hope someone out there gets a kick out of a least one of these sites or program. Let me know what you think if you try any out.

Wal-Mart

Okay. So when did Wal-Mart become "high-brow" enough to have hardwood floors?

Yeah. I walked into the Richmond Wal-mart a couple days ago, and in all of the clothing sections (men's, women's, shoes, jewlery) is hardwood floors. What's up with that? When did this happen? Is this a sign of the end-times?! This is a bad sign.

Very bad.

First Time for Everything

Last night was my first time taking a DVD player apart.

Last night I took apart Stephanie's DVD player in order to get a DVD I had rented out of it. It seems her player died and wanted to take a hostage. It was kind of interesting to see the inside of one. It's actually kind of hollow... not jam-packed with as much stuff as you would think. Of course, her's is a slightly older (and larger) DVD player, so that might've had some bearing on it, too. Unfortunately, all I could do was get the DVD out... I'm not knowledgable enough to try to fix it for her. :( But, I won't get charged for my movie, now. :)

The Design

:::UPDATED - 2:27pm::: (new update in bold)

Well, the new page design is up, but not perfected. You may notice little things that make the site have that "not-so-fresh" feeling, y'know... the one your mother told you about... I mean...

So. The page. Yeah. It's up, and I'm fixing the bugs and tweaking some things to make it all look pretty and work nicely. I hope you enjoy.

Comments, questions, and suggestions are all appreciated (as always).

UPDATE -
Sorry to my viewers using Internet Explorer. Apparently my side bar has become a bottom bar when viewed using IE. My apologies, I'll work on this as time allows.

- Show/Hide Archives and Bloggers isn't working properly.

Interview Game

(questions provided by Mr. Hibbity Gibbity).

1) If you could be an article of clothing, which would you be and why?

I would be 1 of two things (or types of things)... 1) an article of women's under garment... or 2) a warm sweatshirt. Why? 1) to be close to her heart 2) to keep her warm :) You thought I was going to go somewhere dirty with that didn't you?

2) Of all the nicknames you've had over the years, what's been the worst? The best?

- The worst - donkey dick. Sure, it seems like a compliment, doesn't it. And NO, I haven't accidentally exposed myself in public... and YES it is that big. :) A close second is "you little F#@ker".
- The best - skip or skippy... and a particular fav variation - skip nasty. Of course I've always been fond of a lispy "scottie" spelled sthcottie - but it's not really a nickname.

3) What are your top 5 favorite movies of all time?

Army of Darkness, The Princess Bride, The Jerk, Airplane, Pirates of the Caribbean

4) Is Ken gay or is Barbie just playing hard to get?

Barbie is just a little tease who has everything while Ken just sits there and pines away for her... whoa... sorry. That's the 26 years without a girlfriend talkin'.

5) What's one thing that you absolutely, positively must do before you die?

Before I die, I must begin to live. Do more things... travel more. Enjoy life to it's fullest because we're only here a short time. Oh, and have sex. I hear that's a lot of fun.

-------------------------------------------------
Official Rules for The Interview Game

1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying "interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions
6. I will answer reasonable follow up questions if you leave a comment.

Love smells a lot like Gas

I can't tell if they think they know me... or they're mocking me.

from Excite Horiscopes
Less than a week to go before Valentine's Day and you know what that means. It's time, once again, to reinforce your reputation as the most romantic sign in the zodiac. Not that you mind, or that it's hard work for you to pull off. You love being in love, you love being romantic, and you're very, very good at it! So get started. Think about what to do to make it the most special day of all for your dear ones.

Getting close

check out the progress

Believe it or not... I really do listen to you guys when you comment.

And thanks, in part, to your comments, the creative block has been removed. I've been showing some of you my progress every now and then just for poops and grins, and to kind of get a reaction from people... so far, so good. I'm getting really close to getting it just how I want it. Hey, check out my progress, and then come back and tell me what you think. I'm going to bed, now.... zzZZZzzzzzzzZZZZzzZZzZzZzzzZZzzzzzz

(Stand-by... and GO feedback!)

Bathroom

... apparently, that's what my car is

The past couple of days, as I've gotten into my car, there has been bird poo on the driver side door and front window. Apparently there is some sick bird, or birds, that decide the tree I park under is the designated restroom. Submitted for your approval are two photos of said "poo".

As with all the photos on my blog, click them for a larger image.



Needless to say, I've moved my car.

Poo on me once, shame on you... poo on me twice, shame on me.

Looting...

from the blog archives of patrick drury

Okay, a comment that Patch made on one of my posts made me go dig through his archives to find what he was talking about. He's talking about the new Apple Stuff. Check out the comments especially... I think you need to read straight through them to understand the conversation.

Enjoy.

[this has been an advertisement for Patrick Drury's blog.]

weekend update

on the lighter side

After a barrage of weekends out and about and traveling, I had the opportunity to just kick back a little. I had a really great weekend! Can't really be compared to last weekend, but it's apples and oranges. Get-aways and get-togethers.

Friday...
The weekend started out kind of slow with a Friday night spent at home... but I actually enjoyed it. At first, I really wanted to go out and see a movie, but staying at home and just spending an evening on the couch catching up on some shows I hadn't seen in a while, due to my busy schedule, was just the thing I needed to slow down the pace. Easy Mac, wheat-thins and beer cheese, vanilla candles, and Stargate SG-1/Atlantis. Wow, the candles make it sound kinda girly.

Saturday...
I slept in until about 10:00 am. Woke up, grabbed some breakfast (Eggo Mini-Waffles) and jumped in the shower. Headed over to the church at 1:00 pm to setup for the weekend services. It had been over a month since I had ran lights for church, and almost that amount of time since I had actually been able to attend a service. Last one was Christmas Eve. I've been on the road every weekend since Christmas. So this was a breath of fresh air. It was good to see everyone again.

After church, a friend of mine, Jon Adams, hosted a poker night at his home. It was an extremely fun night. A bunch of guys playing poker, having a drink, shooting the bull, and cracking up. Best part was Jon's wife, Erin, was our "beer-and-snack wench" although, she just mostly played with their son, Addison and watched Seinfeld in the living room. It was just fun to call her "beer wench". Those in attendance were: Jon (host), John Graul, Mike Tuttle, Bret Butler, and myself. Later in the evening Bret left, and Mike's friend, "Lito" Tamez joined. We played until about 1:00 am, then we finally broke up the party and headed home. I definitely needed a night to just hang out with a bunch of guys. I don't get that too often as most of my friends either are girls or have girlfriends/wives. That night... er... morning, as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a baby.

Sunday...
7:30 am came way too soon on Sunday morning. I had to be at church at 8:00 am for the 3 Sunday morning services... first one at 9:00 am. Quick shower and a granola bar, and I'm out the door. The services all went fine, and I got to talk to some friends I hadn't seen in a while. Afterwards, I went home, called a friend (left a message), checked the ole email and worked on the new design for the blog. A few hours later, my friend (btw, it's Stephanie) returned my call, and we made plans to hang out for a while that evening when she got home. I set aside my work, curled on the couch to take a nap. The evening came and I had a nice visit with Steph, even if she did have a headache. About 10:00 pm, I headed back home.

This was a great weekend. I spent time with God. I spent time alone, happily. And I spent time with friends.

Sabotage

my own worst enemy

I get thoughts in my head that make me doubt, second guess, and rethink certain situations (way before they ever happen). Sometimes I think it's just a defense mechanism so I don't get hurt (this has roots stemming back from when my dad passed away). Other times I think it could be low self-esteem. And then a thought that popped into my head today, "Do I sabotage myself because I don't want myself to be happy?" I don't know. I can't figure it out. Oh, and if you didn't figure it out, I'm talking about love.

For those of you that know me... advice would be nice. If it's a bit too personal, an email would be appreciated.

Friday Night

Too bad I don't have any cheesecake. :)

Creative Block

the ideas are flowing like molasses

I've had this site design since I moved my blog to my own server, it was never meant to be a permanent look. It was just meant to be a learning opportunity and a template for me. Now, I'm stuck. I've been working on a couple things for the past couple of weeks, and here's what I came up with. But they just don't feel quite right (one reason could be, because they aren't finished). It's like inspiration came kinda sporatically, and now it's dried up a bit. I know the layout I want for the site. It's not too different from what it is now... it's more the color scheme and graphics and the FEEL of the site.

I frequently visit several design websites and just look at them in awe and wonder, and think "Hey, I could do that". But of course I don't want to do THAT... I want to do my own thing... but what is my own thing?

Ah, perhaps that's where the block comes in.

Is she coming onto you?

help wanted

Okay. I was sent this article by a friend, and I need some actual women to put their input in here... and I mean all of you. I know at least two women that read this blog, and I want comments from ya' both. Go to the article, read it, and then return. You can add advice, debunk the article, or what-not... just do it! Men, if you feel you have any good input on this subject... feel free.

Read the article, then come back here.

My Favorite Toy

a story about innocence lost

Did you ever have a toy when you were younger that was just your most favorite toy in the whole world? You played with it and played with it. You would play with it with all your other toys, even if it wasn't like the others. For example if your favorite toy was a G.I. Joe and you played with him with Ninja Turtles, or your favorite toy was a My Little Pony, and you played Barbie with it. Whatever or however you played with it, you made sure it was safe and secure when you put away your toys for the day... it may have even been on the very top of the toybox. Maybe you even took it to bed with you when you slept. It was important to you.

Then one day, an accident happened, maybe you did it, maybe a neighborhood friend did it... all you knew is it was done. Your toy was broken. You may have cried... even loudly. You may have been angry, or in shock. You probably took your toy to your mother or father and begged for them to fix it. But in the end, you knew... no rubberband, no kind of tape, and no amount of glue would ever make the toy complete and whole again. It would never be able to bend and articulate like it once did... its hair would never shine as bright. You try to play with it as you once did, but it's just not the same.

Eventually, your toy gets lost under the bed, or at the bottom of the toybox. You grow up, and forget about the toy. You go off to college, and one day when you're home for the holidays, your mother or father asks you to go though some belongings in order to get ready for a garage sale or to just make room for other boxes. You open up a box marked, "junk" in sharpie, and begin to go through it. There are papers and awards and trophies. Eventually you find the toy that was once your favorite, still with the rubberband or glue or tape on it. You take it out of the box and set it aside, not willing to give it away or sell it. You take it with you, and now as an adult, you put your toy on a shelf, maybe in a case, or on a mantle. You do this as a reminder of simpler and happier times, knowing they will never be the same again. Times when innocence was all you were, and adventure was in your imagination and just outside your front door. And your favorite toy was your best friend, and your best friend was right at the top of your toybox or on your bed, eagerly waiting for you to come play.

The end.

Gatlinburg 2005

good food, cold weather, warm friends

On January 21st at about 7:00pm, 11 friends, some new, some old, headed down to Gatlinburg, TN, for a weekend that they would never forget.

We started off by grabbing a quick bite to eat in Richmond, KY, and then endured the rest of the trip to Gatlinburg. When we got there, we took a quick tour of the 3 story, fun feature filled cabin, and then quickly set to the task of unloading luggage and groceries from the three cars.

Friday night, until the wee hours of the morning, sounds from arcade games, video games, people enjoying the hot tub, people watching family guy on the big screen TV echoed through the cabin.

Saturday was greeted by a veritable feast of Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage, and Bacon. The gang split into two groups and headed toward Pigeon Forge to do a little Outlet Shopping and other activities. When the two groups returned to the cabin, another feast was instantly in the works. This time, spaghetti and salad and garlic bread adorned the tables. And many enjoyed a glass, or bottle (or two) of their favorite adult beverage. After dinner, there was more enjoyment of all the amenities the cabin had to offer. And again, those sounds echoed through the cabin until the wee hours.


Sunday came upon us with a surprise. Snow had fallen in the night. Some debate was held whether we would be able to make it down the mountain safely. Some HOPED we would have to wait it out by spending another day in the cabin. But by noon, the roads became clear, and the group of 11 headed home. Their one last stop was the Applebarn, to eat lunch. Then the three cars travelled at their own pace, each to their own destination, until everyone made it safely and soundly... home.

P.S. - The trip was fun, the cabin was great, and the company... well, you can't beat 'em... they were the best. We might try to do it again, next year.

seasons

now is the winter of our discontent

I sense the inevitable autumn turning to winter in a friendship. I can only wish for spring.

DRUM SOLO

who's a rock-star?

Anyone with (or without rhythm) or anyone who loves music, has ever dreamed of being in a band, playing drums and having that sweet drum solo where everyone is looking at you and watching your mad stick skills as you pound the skins and feel the energy of a whole crowd of people feeding into you.

Oh, it's time. The dream becomes real.

Time to "throw down".

testing

anyone seen my #2?

Paul Harvey

the rest of the story

Paul Harvey says:
"I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution. Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game.

So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

"But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect-somebody chanting Hare Krishna? If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome...

"But what about the atheists?" is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds.. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer. Unfortunately, one or two will make that call.

One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep.

Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well..........just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we let that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard, know that the vast majority don't care what they want. It is time the majority rules!

It's time we tell them, you don't have to pray, you don't have to say the pledge of allegiance, you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right but by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away... we are fighting back and we WILL WIN!

God bless us one and all, especially those who denounce Him. God bless America, despite all her faults, she is still the greatest nation of all.

God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

May 2005 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions.

Keep looking up! In God WE Trust.

The Best ... The Worst

aka - the good, the bad, and the ugly

Okay, I'm ripping this idea off of my friend Ben.

What's the WORST gift you got this year?
What's the BEST gift you got this year?

When I say "WORST" gift, no one should take offense, it's just the least of the gifts you recieved. No hurt feelings should happen. For instance, the worst gift you recieved could be video game console (Xbox, PS2, GameCube) - if the other gifts you got were: a Mercedes, a huge wide screen Plasma TV, etc.

My best gift was the poker chip set mentioned in the last post.
My worst gift was an Angel Visor Clip from my mom (she got it free at Halmark for buying so many cards).

Get it? Got it? Now go!

The End

took me long enough

Christmas is finally over for me (I just have one more gift to GIVE), but all my booty is in.

I got the coolest gift from my best friend Stephanie this year. She usually does a good job picking out gifts for me, but I think she outdid herself this year. Here's what she got me:


These are 11.5 gram official casino weight/size poker chips! I have recently gotten into playing poker (when I can find people to play) and I've enjoyed watching the Celebrity Poker Tournaments on Bravo. I don't know exactly when I mentioned to her that I would like those chips... but I'm glad she remembered. I've got a few trips to Gatlinburg this year with friends, and I plan on bringing them on each trip. I'm very excited about this... it can easily be the best gift I recieved this year.

Thanks Steph!

Fun Fact of the Day

don't you love randomness

EMBARGO spelled backwards is O GRAB ME

Quote of the Moment

real quotes by real people... really

The Quote:
"I have my pulse on the vein of... the music... scene... "(trailing off, then busting out laughing)
-Stephanie, January 07, 2005

The Story:
I was telling Steph about Ben, Rebekah, and myself trying to figure out who sang a certain song... none of us knew, and at the time we didn't have access to a computer to figure it out. She said I should've called her beacause: [quote]

What she was trying to say was (for you laymen): "I have my finger on the pulse of the music scene."

Merry Christmas

...finally

As many of my regular readers/guests know, I was unable to be with my family for Christmas (the first time EVER in my 26 years of life) due to weather and road conditions. Well, this weekend, my mother and I finally celebrated Christmas. It's not quite the same when it's over two weeks later... but it was still well worth the trip. Sometimes I wish I lived closer to my mother and the rest of my family, or that they lived closer to me. Or maybe we could all split the difference. Anyway, I enjoyed my visit with my mom, we exchanged gifts and the natural balance of life returned to its equilibrium.

As of right now, I have almost completed my Christmas rounds...

Here's the booty tally so far:

Simpsons - Season 1
USB 2.0 card for laptop
HALO 2
Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again DVD
Piano Cheese/Dip Server set
Candle
Cookies
Cash

Okay, I can now finish up 2004... on to 2005!

A Happy Occasion

if you like that sort of thing...

Weddings can be a happy occasion... and I guess this one is for some... for me, I'm amazed, and hope he's grown up.

Photos from The Edge

the NEW good times




Top Row: Bruce & Rachel (The Kids Table) • Rebekah & Ben
Bottom Row: Chris, Ben, Me • Tyler & Craig

Gatlinburg Trip #1 - the Preview

I should just move to Gatlinburg

In three weeks, I'll be heading to Gatlinburg for a nice vacation with friends (at least if all goes well). I'd just like to let everyone know where I'll be spending my time.

Click the photos for a better view.



Hey guys, you see on the left side of the screen of the second photo... BIG SCREEN TV! I'm bringin' the XBOX baby! I'm talking BIG SCREEN 4 PLAYER HALO/HALO 2, BABY!!!!!

Dawn of a New Era

the crowd rejoices

Blockbuster has announced that they are getting rid of LATE FEES! (you read that correctly) No more late fees! I'll say that one more time, No More Late Fees!

Dustin mentioned it to me a few weeks ago, but I had forgotten about it until I saw a commercial making the announcement. The new policy started on January 1, 2005... see, it's already starting to be a great New Year!

Check it out at Blockbuster.com and check out their F.A.Q.

Link of the Day

c'mon... click it. CLICK IT!

penisland.net

... discuss.

Voltage Brothers

and other wonderful findings

Throw Down
While at dinner one night this week Chris Ross, one of the guys I worked with this week, was talking about how he worked at a college radio station and that the station had all kinds of records that were pretty much just strewn about around the studio... so late one night, he decided to go through them, and he found an album by " The Voltage Brothers". One particular song he found and played on the air, became popular and requested quite often was called "Throw Down". Now, Chris sang the first part of the song, and it was great.

Update: I am now in search of a copy of this song.

Ad Graveyard
While perusing a frequented design website, a friend of mine found this wonderful discarded ad.

Check out more at: www.zeldman.com/adgraveyard/

Over.

half way there

oh, oh, livin' on a prayer

Well, 2/3 of the EDGE conference is over. The first two, three-day events are completed and I'm in Nashville, TN, for the night before returning home for a couple of weeks. I'll post more detail later, but I just want to say that it was an AWESOME experience! God was there 100% and doing great things in hundreds of kids... and I've been affected as well.

I'll post more about the conference later - I'm tired and have another post I want to make before I go to bed.

Love and God Bless.

should auld acquaintance be forgot?

for auld lang syne

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

the name game

let's do "chuck"... chuck, chuck, bo buck...

Ever hate your parents for your name? Be glad you're not one of these kids.

backtrack

allow myself to introduce... myself

Okay, so it wasn't a HORRIBLE Christmas. It just really wasn't what I had in mind as to how I was going to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I didn't get to go visit my mother in Ohio, but I DID get to attend the 2:00 Christmas Eve service at my church. I was excited about this because I put in a lot of work on the service and wasn't going to get to enjoy the fruits of my labor. So it would've been pretty much like last year. A lot of people were surprised and happy to see me at the service. In fact, a few people even invited me to join them on Christmas Day so I wouldn't have to be alone. So I spent most of my time alone, but it wasn't horrible. And tonight I headed down to Nashville, TN, to get ready for the EDGE conferences in North Carolina this week. When I arrived, Ben, Craig, and Craig's wife - Brittany went to the "chop suey joint" for dinner. When I walked in, I felt like it was "A Christmas Story"... Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

So, even though I didn't get to be with my family for Christmas, I survived. You could almost say I just about "skipped Christmas" altogether.

Tis the season

fa ra ra ra ra

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year, may your season be blessed with family, friends, fun, and safe travel.

worst christmas ever

yep, it's official

Well, Christmas 2004 will be henchforth known as the "bad year" for me. Due to weather conditions northward, it will be impossible for me to see my family for the holidays. This is the first time ever that I will not get to be with anyone during this time of year. As my mom stated, "I always knew some year you wouldn't be able to make it, but I always thought it would be because of a girlfriend."

So here I am, and here I'll be. No family, no friends, no cheer, no eggnog, no wrestling with the little cousins, no getting to see the face of people opening the present I gave them; just me, a TV, a bag of chips, and my computer... [sigh].

I must be getting punished for something.

Christmas alone?

mother nature has it in for me

It looks like for the first time since I've been alive, I might have to spend Christmas alone. If the weather has anything to say about it, anyway. It's looking like I won't be able to spend Christmas with my family, this year. Which really sucks. I like my alone time as much as anyone, but not around the holidays... that's the worst. And to top it off, I've just moved into a new place, so it feels even weirder being alone in a place that's not really home, yet.

Is this cause to be unhappy? I think so.

quote of the moment

i'll be your huckleberry

Jack Johnson: Why you do it?
Doc Holliday: Wyatt Earp is my friend.
Jack Johnson: Hell, I got lots of friends.
Doc Holliday: I don't.

- from "Tombstone"

words

the simplest phrase can touch the soul

A friend of mine named Mike Tuttle has said some amazingly kind words in reference to me... I would like to repeat them here. They've patched a little piece of my soul.

"Scotty loves life and he loves the little things. Everyone should have a Scott Glascock. If you don't, you can borrow mine."
- Mike Tuttle

Y'know... I just think it's wonderful that the words and sentiments that you seem to need but don't know you need, come your way when you really need them to.

3000 miles away

I need to get back to You

This post is really geared toward the people who know me best, but also to anyone who knows me well enough to understand what I'm talking about.

Over the past month (or maybe more, I don't really know) I have been acting strangely toward people, and I have not really been acting my normal "happy, energizer-bunny style, zesty, excited about life and living and the small things", self.

I'm the kind of person that doesn't realize I'm doing something until someone brings it to my attention - and when it's brought into the foreground of my mind, I'm able to at least recognize I'm doing it, although I may not know or understand why. Once I'm able to recognize, I then move into trying to figure out why I'm doing, saying, or acting the things or ways that I am. I have come to one general conclusion for the moment.

I'm not happy.

I realize that the basis of my happiness is and has always been God. And the reason for my unhappiness is that I'm so far away from God right now, and I just feel like I'm struggling to hang on to where I am and trying to get back to Him.

To my friends: I know I have not been the friend to you that I normally am or should be, and I apologize. I don't have that many friends, so I cherish, treasure, and appreciate every one of you.

If you don't hear from me before then, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and an exciting and fun (yet safe) New Year.

Parting Shot (ala Mike Tuttle):

"Your absence changes me and everything seems so wrong;
but with no sense of irony I write you this sweet love song;
Distance is my tutor - so well he's teaching me
in the education of appreciation - and I got my Ph.D.;
Take me home to that face - 3000 miles away."
- 3000 Miles Away by Daily Planet

Quote of the Moment

inspired by Mike Tuttle

I want pancakes! Yo quiero pancake! Click click, bloody CLICK - PANCAKE!!!!

-Stewie, Family Guy

moving

pull the truck around back, boys!

Don't worry, my blog isn't moving. I am. Physically. For the record, I really dislike moving. I don't like packing up and taking all my stuff from one place to another. I don't like finally getting set up or settled in somewhere and then having to do it all over again.

Well, that's what I'm doing all this week. And what makes it worse is that my stuff is going to go to three different places. Storage, my mother's, and my new place. So I'm slowly moving some of the small stuff to my new place and storage as I can with my car. Saturday, hopefully, will be the BIG move day. At least that'll be the day to get all the furniture out and in... and in.

Ah well. This too shall pass.