|
saturday, august 12
Sitting In With The Band
Last night at the gig, we had a couple of middle-aged guys come up to the stage to sit in with the band. One guy
was actually quite good. He had an E flat harmonica and he really knew how to play that thing. It was a pleasure. You
could tell he was a professional kind of guy, maybe a businessman, a doctor or lawyer. It's amazing what some guys
can do outside of their "day gig"!!!
The other guy gave us this big tip, and told us he wanted to sing "Stormy Monday", a classic Blues tune. Well, I must
say, he seemed like he had a little too much to drink, he couldn't remember the words to the song so he made up his own. It was very
entertaining and we had fun accompanying this guy. His wife, however, appeared to be either upset or embarrassed, maybe
both. But she stormed out of the restaurant in the middle of the song.
4:10 PM
~
Autumn In New York
Could I really be a sucker for sappy, predictable romance flicks? Well, the word is out that although
Winona Ryder and
Richard Gere look great individually, they
pretty much lack sparks when cast opposite each other on the silver screen.
Yesterday, Autumn In New York opened in movie theatres across
the nation. Word is also out that this film should have been titled, "Winter in Antarctica".
Still, because I'm a Winona Ryder fan, much to my wife's dismay, I will probably end up seeing the movie anyway,
and possibly alone too. Everyone is already saying this movie is a blowout disaster, but then again, they said the
same thing about The Sixth Sense.
2:22 AM
~
Madonna
gives birth to a baby boy!!! Wow!
1:58 AM
~
friday, august 11
Weep Not For The Memories
Cami sent me an email telling me of her woes! I'm just glad I was
able to help, and that she's feeling better. Yes, sometimes it's good to get an outsider's perspective.
I am reminded of the Sarah MacLachlan song that goes: I will remember you,
will you remember me,
don't let your life pass you by,
weep not for
the memories. This excerpt summarizes the past loves of our lives that have failed. Somehow, they
were not wasted kisses and embraces, but experiences that we learn from, and grow on...
4:48 PM
~
Living Life In The eBay Lane...
Okay, this whole
eBay thing is taking on a life of its own. It's getting to be a real obsession.
And now my two boys are sorting through their "mountain" of toys and assorted action figures, and separating some
into boxes designated for eBay! As a matter of fact, they are marking each
box, "ADD TO EBAY"!
Ah! I have an idea... my boys are computer savvy now, and so I will train them to do some of my eBay tasks for
me. It'll be a "family business", a family of eBayers!!!
4:09 PM
~
A Zen Quotation
Who is asking?
We assume that we know who we are. But upon deeper reflection we realize that there is so much we don't know, about ourselves and the world around us. We identify ourselves with our body and our personality, but looking at our whole life, our body and personality have gone through so many changes. In essence, we are continually adapting, continually changing with our surroundings. And thus, our outward identity changes.
I suppose that this is a part of the illusion of life that Zen teaches. That, in reality, the only truth is the very essence of our being, the soul... the inner-consciousness.
We are not the idea, but the consciousness that is experiencing the idea.
From the
Zen Koan Card Pack.
2:44 PM
~
thursday, august 10
The Infamous Buddy Rich Tapes
I found this a while ago online. On this web page are the
infamous Buddy Rich tapes where legendary jazz
drummer, Buddy Rich, can be heard "chewing out" his side musicians using almost every four letter word he can
think of and more...
This doesn't make me lose my respect for him as one of the greatest drummers who ever lived. But it does bring
insight into the life of someone of this stature. I'm sure he was a consummate artist, and demanded nothing short
of perfection from his side musicians. He DID run a tight band, just like a Marine Drill Sergeant. As a matter of fact
he DID serve in the Marines during World War II.
7:42 PM
~
Boys Will Be Boys
I had to break up a fight my two boys had earlier today. There was the usual sibling rivalry and the tears.
Eventually they made up with each other amongst hugs and smiles.
Ironic that the next time I passed by their room they were happily playing "war" with each other! So, it's basically the
same battle for world domination, but on a happier note... weird!
3:03 PM
~
Friends With Cancer
I found this touching entry from Halcyon:
My friend Kaycee started a weblog. She's 18 and fighting cancer. I've learned volumes from her.
I've known a few people who've suffered at the hands of cancer. One who passed on in a matter of months, and one
who suffered greatly but was able to conquer this dreaded disease and move on with his life. An old friend and colleague
of mine suffered through testicular cancer. I was a runner at the time and he took up running too as a psychological
means of battling the cancer.
Around the time that his cancer had gone into remission, he ran a 10K race with me.
He was a little weak from all the chemotherapy he'd been subjected to, but he was hanging tough with me the whole
time at a 7 minute per mile pace. When he got to the finish line he was in tears. Symbolically, he had beaten the cancer and somehow, this 10K race was the cornerstone of that victory. We hugged each other and basked in HIS victory.
I was touched by Kaycee's site and her positive spirit... she's being a Warrior in her battle against leukemia. Although I don't know her at all in real life, I wish her the best.
10:58 AM
~
wednesday, august 9
If a plane crashes into my house, I want to be able to be a survivor like the two occupants in
this one! It seems that with all these planes crashing, I'm
beginning to wonder if there is still a greater probability of dying in a car crash as opposed to a plane crash... hmm...
something to ponder about... but not too much!
7:13 PM
~
FREE TIBET!!!
5:19 PM
~
Our Community Values
- We believe people are basically good.
- We believe everyone has something to contribute.
- We believe that an honest, open environment can bring out the best in people.
- We recognize and respect everyone as a unique individual.
- We encourage you to treat others the way you want to be treated.
Now, this was taken from the
eBay "manifesto" that's available on their website for all to read. Although this "creed" is specifically for the purpose of promoting integrity in auctions during the eBay experience, this message also applies directly in a broader sense to our relationships with whatever communities we have contact with. For most of us online, the above words have a direct relationship to those online communities that we are a part of, be it the online journaling community, the blogging community, or any community for that matter.
I was reading eBay's words and thinking... hey... these are basically the fundamentals that are important to us on all levels of society, and in our very existence. From our personal, intimate relationships with loved ones and close friends, to the people we work and play with in the various circles of our social lives.
We have to have trust, integrity, honesty, a faith in our fellow human being. Otherwise, the whole system falls
apart, and we begin to errode the very cores of our society, our community. But like a chain whose very existence
is dependent on its weakest link, we as individuals play an important part in our community, whether we are aware
of it or not. We do count, all of us.
Well, I believe in that community spirit. I think it's all very important. We all need to feel a sense of identity, of belonging to something, being a part of a whole. And I think that's what keeps us all together in spirit...
2:47 PM
~
Okay... This one is
precious!
3:08 AM
~
Teri mentions her "lovely" head cold. And just to give you a little report
regarding mine? It actually feels
like it's going away... but... I still have it, just barely!
Becky mentions the need for
a See's Candies fix, and I offered to send her a box of chocolates. But she advised me against it as the cost of
a shipment like that to France would be prohibitively expensive.
Cyn wrote that she just found out someone had stolen her credit card
identity (scary stuff). Girl, I'm totally devastated by your terrible experience. I wish that things will sort themselves out
and the perpetrator of this crime will be caught. That's rough, girl...
2:33 AM
~
SIXTY-THREESee simplicity in
the complicated.
Achieve greatness
in little things.
Tao Te Ching
Well, I just wonder about the simplicities of life as opposed to its complexities. To me, my life seems complex, but
perhaps because I make it out to be. Maybe I need to focus on trying to make the seemingly complex things in my
life appear simple. I think that's part of the essence of coping with life in general.
2:23 AM
~
My eight year old son loves
this site!
2:20 AM
~
tuesday, august 8
I see that
Zannah
and her hubby are back from their trip to Disneyland. Such a fun place to spend their honeymoon! Anyway, she's back in
action, and I noticed she posted a link to
a Mac Portal. Actually, "The Macintosh Portal", at
MacLaunch.com
Now why didn't I know about this sooner?
Anyway, thanks
Zannah.
6:41 PM
~
You Too Might Have A Cancelled Flight
If you have an upcoming flight with United Airlines, I'd check to see if you still have it. They say almost 2,000
flights are being
cancelled
because of the company's negotiation problems with its pilots, and their refusal to do the overtime.
I have to drop off my family at
Lindbergh Field
tomorrow, and guess who they're flying with? UNITED!!!
But they continue to insist that they're scheduled and ready to go... yeah... after I asked my Mom three or four times,
just to make sure she understood what was going on with United Airlines.
5:05 PM
~
Featured On Comabound.com
This is really cool! What a pleasant surprise... I was making my rounds, going to all my favorite sites when I found out
that I am featured on the latest entry of
Comabound.com.
Thank you so very much... I reply with my sincerest gratitude at having been linked again, and by another popular site.
I love the
Comabound
site. Ms. M does an excellent job on her reality-based reviews of "Survivor" and "Big Brother", and I love the way
each page is done, with lots of nice photos and graphics to go along with her well-written commentaries.
Lemme tell ya. This makes my day!
12:30 PM
~
Like Daughter, Like Mother
I think it's so nice that
Meg's
Mom is filling in for her while she's vacationing in Hawaii. I couldn't get neither of my parents to do something like that. They
are so "anti-computer" it's ridiculous. I guess they're from the "old school". And this to me seems sad.
A computer is nothing to be afraid of. It's just a tool to communicate, just like the telephone, but on a grander scale.
"Hey Sis... tell Mom and Dad to get off their couch potato arses and do some REAL surfin".
12:12 AM
~
monday, august 7
Bubble Wrap Fun
Have you ever used some of that plastic bubble wrap stuff? The kind that's used for packaging? Well, getting
into all this
eBay stuff
I bought a whole bunch of this bubble wrap stuff... a whole roll of it!Well guess what? My two boys got a hold
of that stuff and began POPPING all the plastic bubbles! Did you ever do that? Pop the plastic bubbles? It's fun,
no? There's something enjoyable about popping the plastic bubbles. I don't know what it is. Anyway, I need to
buy me some more plastic bubble wrap!!!
11:32 PM
~
Chanting "I Kiss You!!!"
My eight year old son was running around the house yelling, "I kiss you"... "I kiss you"... "I kiss you"... Well, immediately I was thinking, "hmm... he doesn't know about
Mahir's website,
does he? Well, I asked him where he learned about the phrase, "I kiss you!!!", and he said he was watching something
on TV last Saturday with his Mom. And he described this Turkish guy playing ping pong, and wearing red swimming
trunks, and playing the accordion...
Mahir!!!
Well, it turned out to be one of those shows, possibly Saturday Night Live, where they did a spoof on Mahir
and his (in)famous website. I'm just glad my son didn't say, "I like SEX!!!!"
Oh, if I only had the number of hits Mahir gets on his site...
10:59 PM
~
Welcome To My Home Office
For those of you who might be wondering what my version of "computer central" might look like, here is a recent photo on a
day when the
home office
was immaculately clean. But let me point out to you that it's never always this clean: On a typical day you'll
find beer cans and empty pretzel bags scattered all around. Last year's issues of Playboy and Penthouse are
stacked up high, right next to the hard drive, a half empty bottle of Jack Daniels beckons... Well, yes, I'm just kidding...
Actually, the place DOES get a little cluttered at times. And so I managed to take a photo to show the
times when the room looks more clean than dirty.
12:01 PM
~
Whoa, Pat!!! Kauai is beautiful! Check out this
sunset.
12:09 AM
~
sunday, august 6
Pat
and his family had just gotten back from their vacation on the island of
Kauai.
I've heard people talk about Kauai as being THE island to go to if you want to see more of the untouched beauty
of the Hawaiian Islands.
11:53 PM
~
Japan
remembers the dropping of the Atom Bomb on Hiroshima. Although I am not Japanese, nor do I know anyone who's
family experienced the bombing of Hiroshima, I still feel a direct connection to the
lives, permanently shattered on that fateful day. I feel an immense sadness for the lives lost and
a sense of horror regarding the incredible destruction that followed the bombing. It is my sincere
hope that this will not happen again.
9:08 PM
~
Sir Alec Guinness
( aka Obi-Wan Kenobi ) is dead at the age of 86.
8:53 PM
~
I'd give anything to be in
Heather's
shoes right now. I mean, a trip to Italy... haven't been there yet... well, maybe someday...
8:51 PM
~
go to the archives
|
|
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
