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A lucky woman am I

I’ve enjoyed connecting with family and friends. I ate my fill of turkey, dressing, ham, a wide assortment of sweetened vegetable casseroles and colorful salads, and let’s not forget — my mother’s delicious Southern pecan pie. I watched my daughter play football with my father, then my husband, then I took a turn.

My God, she’s got a cannon for an arm! If she learns a little control, she’d make a decent QB. Look out, Bama, I’ve got one coming your way in a few years!

We’re sitting around listening to some Loreena McKennitt, anticipating the oncoming turkey-induced coma that follows such feasts as we’ve had today. My husband has been sitting here trying to talk me back into singing — and with everything I have going on, I admit that I have missed it. (Performing is another matter, but singing I love…)

I told Jim I’d think about it … and I am …

But in the meantime I’m happy sitting here enjoying the warmth and I’m thinking to myself, what a lucky woman I am. I hope everyone is having a great holiday.

Love and blessings to you all!

Humpday Hilarities

This one came from my mother:

The 6 Phases of Work

Phase 1

You are listening to jazz — Your first day at work is great. Your coworkers are wonderful, your cubicle is cute, and your boss is the best!

Phase 2

You are listening to pop music — After a while you are so busy that you are not sure if you’re coming or going anymore.

Phase 3

You are listening to heavy metal — This is what you feel like at month end.

Phase 4

You are listening to hip hop — You become bloated due to stress, feel sluggish and suffer from constipation. Your coworkers are too cheerful for your liking and the walls of your cubicle are closing in. You have started thinking ‘WHATEVER’ about your boss.

Phase 5

You are listening to GANGSTA RAP — After more time passes, your eyes start to twitch, you forget what a ‘good hair day’ feels like as you just fall out of bed and load up on caffeine.

Phase 6

You are listening to the voices in your head — You have build a makeshift door on your cubicle to keep people out, You have a dartboard with your bosses picture on it in your cube, You wonder why you are even here in the first place.

Happy Buy A Gun Day!

Today’s my birthday. Even worse, it’s Tax Day. I’ve always hated that. As I tweeted just a little while ago, if one more person says to me, “Oh, you’re a tax baby!” I’m gonna slug ‘em!

Screw the IRS, this is *MY* day!

However, according to Beth, today is also known as Buy A Gun Day. I can dig that! :mrgreen:

“Democrats believe every day is April 15. Republicans believe that every day is July 4.” — Ronald Reagan

There … feelin’ happy. Now how ’bout we celebrate with a little song? :twisted:

Lyrics: (courtesy of Moron Pundit)

I want to keep my money
And give away absolutely nothing
To the government who moderates my spending
and obliterates depending on what time of the year
brutality is near

in the form of income tax
I’d rather take a fucking ax
to my face, blow up this place

with you all in it, I’d do it in a minute

If I could write off your murder
I’d save all of my receipts
because I’d rather you be dead
than lose a tiny shred of what I made this fiscal year

I’d rather you be dead than ponder parting with my second home
I’d rather you be dead than consider not opening a restaurant

I’d rather you be dead
I’d rather you be dead

Prepare the laser-beam
I’m gonna use it tonight

Engage the laser-beam
It’s gonna end your life

I’m gonna use it tonight

If I could write off your murder
I’d save all of my receipts
because I’d rather you be dead
than lose a tiny shred of what I made this fiscal year

I’d rather you be dead than ponder parting with my second home
I’d rather you be dead than consider not opening a restaurant.

Big thanks to Beth for the reminder. I love love *LOVE* Metalocalypse! :cool:

Looking at my own personal bridges

I ran across a real gem of an album recently: “Sign of the Times” by Queensryche. It’s a “best of” compilation. I’ve been listening to it, reminiscing … I had forgotten how much I loved this group. Many of their songs carry special meaning to me for various reasons, but one song in particular struck me very deep and listening to it again just now, its message resonates very loudly in my mind — and I’m trying like all Hell to ignore it.

Bridge (Chris DeGarmo)

You called me up on the phone today
Struggling with the right words to say
Time can change a thing or two
Time has changed the lives of me and you
But you know… it could have been different, dad

The word brings back a sweet memory
I’m sitting on a bluff on a broken tree
By my side a distinguished man
Giving me encouragement, telling me I can
And you know… you’re not there

You say, “Son, let’s forget the past,
I want another chance, gonna make it last.”
You’re begging me for a brand new start
Trying to mend a bridge that’s been blown apart
But you know… you never built it, dad

And so I sit here through the night
And I write myself to sleep
And time keeps ticking…

Time has made you finally realize
Your loneliness and your guilt inside
You’re reaching for something you never had
Turning around now you’re looking back
And you know… I’m not there

You say, “Son, let’s forget the past,
I want another chance, gonna make it last.”
You’re begging me for a brand new start
Trying to mend a bridge that’s been blown apart
But you know… you never built it, dad

You never built it, dad
You never built it, dad
You never built it, dad
You never built it, dad

Let it go, let it go, let it go

There’s a song I love by Cowboy Mouth called “Jenny Says” … a friend of mine used to send it to me all the time, especially the bridge, “Let it go, let it go, let it go.”

Wise words to live to by. Bloody good advice that someone else recently gave me that my ass really DOES need to follow more often.

I’ve got no reason for the things I fear
The things that plague me when I see and hear
A dime’s a nickel and a nickel’s none
I throw myself into the Sunday sun
That summer Sunday when you went insane
You said you’re going, but instead I came
I’m throwing oranges in an apple cart
The ties that bind are tearing me apart

Jenny says turn off the radio
Jenny says turn off the light
Jenny says turn off the video
You beat yourself up to bring yourself down
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go
When the world keeps coming down on me
I let it go

I’ve got no reason for the things I say
She turned toward me then she turned away
There’s lots of voices in a modern world
They take their toll upon a modern girl
I’ve got no reason for the things I fear
The things that plague me when I see and hear
I press my finger on an itchy trigger
What once was small right now is so much bigger

Jenny says turn off the radio
Jenny says turn off the light
Jenny says turn off the video
You beat yourself up to bring yourself down
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go
When the world keeps coming down on me
I let it go

I’ve got no reason for the things I do
The dealer deals and then the deal is screwed
You throw your cards up on the playing table
My name is Cain and I am now unable
I’ve got no reason for the things I fear
The things that plague me when I see and hear
A dime’s a nickel, a nickel’s none
I throw myself into the Sunday sun

Jenny says turn off the radio
Jenny says turn off the light
Jenny says turn off the video
You beat yourself up ’cause you love it
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go
When the world keeps coming down on me
I let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Let it go, let it go, let it go
When the world keeps coming down on me
I let it go
I let it go, let it go, let it go
I let it go, let it go, let it go
I let it go, let it go, let it go

I’m stressing over too much stupid shit that doesn’t really even fucking matter tomorrow, much less a month from now. Money’s tight today, but I have a side project coming up this weekend and next week that will keep me busy for the next couple of weeks and I will hate every minute of it but it will be money in our pockets and pay for more wedding goodies and pay a few bills early. (Paying bills early is always good and I like doing things like that, I’m a super organizer freak when it comes to the bills.) Things at work are going well, I get along well with my coworkers. The guys are helping me out with my .NET project and we sit around and goof off when we can (obviously not with our feet propped up on the office desks or anything but we always get the work done and still manage to have a good time!) … it reminds me of the old MACESS.

*nostalgic*

Happy Ripping Day!

Today is the celebrated anniversary of the origin of MP3s. Funny enough, the whole thing started with the following email from Juergen Zeller:

Date: Fri, 14 July 1995 12:29:49 +0200
Reference: Endings for Layer3: mp3

Hello,_according to the overwhelming opinion of all asking: the ending for ISO MPEG audio Layer 3 is mp3. i.e. we should for coming www sides, Shareware,_Demos, etc. on it respect that no more bit endings rausgehen. It has a reason, believes me : -) Juergen Zeller

Thank you, Juergen!

Well ain’t that a blast from the past

I was browsing my feeds this morning and ran across this:

<nostalgic>Ah … high school … listening to NKotB on I-95 and gleaming every word that came out of the Mark and Brian show.</nostalgic>

:shock: My God, radio sucked back then. LOL!

City Stages this weekend

As much as I used to LOVE going to this event, I can’t seem to drag myself out to City Stages anymore. Maybe I’m getting “too old” as a friend of mine loves to say. LOL!

Maybe it’s the fact that:

• It’s almost always on a holiday (Father’s Day).
• It’s almost always way too hot to justify spending the whole weekend out in the sun.
• It almost always features musical acts (and I use that term LOOSELY!) that IMO should not be played anywhere NEAR “the Gospel stage” and other family-friendly shows.
• It’s almost always way too crowded for my taste.
• There’s almost always too many stupid drunks trying to start things they would otherwise never dream of saying/doing.
• The food/drink prices are insanely high and you cannot even bring water in with you.

I could go on …

Me, I’d rather save my money for a nice set of concert tickets. I hear Kid Rock is coming to town soon, I’ve always liked him. Keb’ Mo is supposed to be coming this way soon, I’d LOVE to see him play again. Wayne Brady is even making an appearance in a few months — that oughtta be sweet! And so on …

One thing that “the Stages” used to do well, but hasn’t done as much in recent years is support local musicians. I’ve seen several friends’ bands play over the years, and honestly that’s what started me going to City Stages in the first place. (Well, I was dating a bassist of one of said acts at the time … but you get my drift.) When is this city going to show some love to its fine local talent?

I brokeddeddit :)

As Jessie used to say when she was little, “I brokededdit!” (pronounced ‘broked-dead-dit’ LOL)

I finally upgraded to WordPress 2.2 but unfortunately it seems to have fubar’d a few of my plugins, including my beloved WP-CaTT and the javascript slide/hide thingy on my sidebar, so guess what I’ll be doing tonight, tomorrow, or however long it takes me?

In the meantime, things are going well with the new job. I endured “Diversity Training” yesterday which is (I hope) the last of my “newbie” training sessions. For now, anyways.

Now if only I could find where all the good gel pens are stashed!

Today I was lucky enough to catch up with Glas, a friend of mine who also works for UAB. Had a yummy BLT and some faboo hummus dip ‘n pita slices at the always entertaining Mellow Mushroom on Southside. (YUM!)

I hopped on over to Zooomr’s site earlier this afternoon and saw that they are still experiencing technical difficulties in getting Release Mark III launched. :cry:

Poor guys. Keep your chin up! I still lub y’all! :grin:

In case you Firefox users hadn’t already been notified, the latest updates were quietly released in the early hours yesterday. So far I haven’t experienced any issues with existing plugins … I think most everything was either already compatible or already updated.

YAY!

At least tomorrow’s Friday. The annual Bluegrass Festival is going on at the Civic Center in Gardendale Saturday night, so I might go slink over that way and catch the show. Last year’s was a blast, and I’m hoping to get more pictures this time.

The Onion, our Nostradamus?

Smurfed from Michael:

Five years ago, in the Onion:

“It’s criminal,” RIAA president Hilary Rosen said. “Anyone at any time can simply turn on a radio and hear a copyrighted song. Making matters worse, these radio stations often play the best, catchiest song off the album over and over until people get sick of it. Where is the incentive for people to go out and buy the album?”

[…]

RIAA attorney Russell Frackman said the lawsuit is intended to protect the artists.

“If this radio trend continues, it will severely damage a musician’s ability to earn a living off his music,” Frackman said. “[Metallica drummer] Lars Ulrich stopped in the other day wondering why his last royalty check was so small, and I didn’t know what to say. How do you tell a man who’s devoted his whole life to his music that someone is able to just give it away for free? That pirates are taking away his right to support himself with his craft?”

Yesterday, in the Los Angeles Times:

With CD sales tumbling, record companies and musicians are looking at a new potential pot of money: royalties from broadcast radio stations.

For years, stations have paid royalties to composers and publishers when they played their songs. But they enjoy a federal exemption when paying the performers and record labels because, they argue, the airplay sells music.

Now, the Recording Industry Assn. of America and several artists’ groups are getting ready to push Congress to repeal the exemption, a move that could generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually in new royalties.

Mary Wilson, who with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard formed the original Supremes, said the exemption was unfair and forced older musicians to continue touring to pay their bills.

“After so many years of not being compensated, it would be nice now at this late date to at least start,” the 63-year-old Las Vegas resident said in Milwaukee, where she was performing at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino. “They’ve gotten 50-some years of free play. Now maybe it’s time to pay up.”

Rather sadly, the Onion is becoming the new Nostradamus — only a lot more accurate.

(via eukaryaeukarya)

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