The Voice Mail

It’s amazing how a simple voice mail from your girlfriend can put a smile on your face for the entire day.

Note To Spammers

NOTE TO SPAMMERS: No I do not want or need bigger boobs. The last time I checked I was a guy. And for the record I don’t need spam asking me to buy anti spam software. Nor do I want to try Boca Java. I don’t drink coffee and I don’t plan on drinking it for a very long time. Like when I’m old. I don’t need viagra for much the same reason. All my various parts are functioning just fine thank you and I’m perfectly happy with the size of my….member.

Every day more and more. If I don’t empty my SPAM folder at least twice daily it balloons to well over 100 messages. And don’t let me take a 2 or 3 day net hiatus. Then it’s upwards of 300 messages. This has got to stop. But I know it won’t. At least Yahoo has decent SPAM filtering now so most SPAM goes into it’s own folder where it sits and waits for me to delete it. In closing I’d like to quote a line from one of my favorite Monty Python sketches. It was years ahead of it’s time in expressing a dislike for SPAM. So the guy with the squeaky voice says, “But I don’t like SPAM!!!” Ditto my man. Though I do like baked beans.

Weather Update

We’ve gone from 70 degree weather yesterday to a wind chill of 32 degrees today. I know I asked for it to get cold but I had a more gradual transition in mind. Oh well it’s cold which makes the covers all the more toasty when I crawl into them in a few minutes.

In other news, I think I’m hooked on Dawson’s Creek again. This is the second day this week I’ve watched the back to back reruns on TBS. I know this is illogical. I’ve seen every episode of the darn show at least twice now but I can’t help it. True love, heartache, friendship, drama. The show has everything. And it’s all wrapped up into 1 hour bite sized chunks. I can’t get enough. This is sad I know but what can I do? I was watching Sportscenter yesterday. A commercial came on so I started channel surfing. Blame Time Warner. They positioned TBS 4 channels up from ESPN. DC happened to be on so I stopped to see which episode was on. It just so happened to be the critical plot point where Pacey kisses Joey for the first time. That’s the plot point of all points. It’s the critical event that sends the show spiraling off in a new and unforseen direction. That direction is what the next 3 entire seasons are bult upon. I couldn’t NOT watch. This is where the show really gets interesting. I’ve got it bad. I really wish TBS would start showing Felicity reruns. At least that show is based around people closer to my age bracket. I know. I know. Okay here goes. My name is D and I’m a Dawson’s Creekaholic.

The Coolest Squirrels You’ll Ever Meet

These Squirrels Are Super Cool This is incredible. Talk about some cool squirrels. The trick they use to lower their body temperature is straight out of a sci-fi novel. And they do it naturally without any outside apperatus. That’s tight!

I Hate Say I Told You So….

Worm hits Windows-based ATMs : I hate to say I told you so but….. I told you so. This isn’t exactly a hacker or cracker (to use the proper term) attack but I might as well have been. If a worm can get in a cracker can get in. Windows running the ATMs is a bad idea. It’s a bad idea I pointed out on this very blog a few months ago. But nobody ever listens to the lowly tech support workers. We don’t know what we’re talking about. That being said I think my 93 year old grandma could have called this one. First it’s two bank networks. Next it will be whole regions and then the entire banking system. Don’t switch to Windows banks. It’s too risky. You’ve been warned. This was just a warning shot off the port bow. The real torpedoes are coming. Mark my words.

Weather Would You Make Up Your Mind Already

The weather is so weird especially here in Memphis. It’s dreadfully cold one day and warm the next. We’ve gone from highs in the lower 40′s/upper 30′s back to the low 70′s. Make up your mind already. If it’s going to get cold stay cold. Please for the love of peanut butter. This hot cold stuff is for the birds. I know I usually grumble about the Memphis weather in relation to how it effects my soccer playing but this fall/spring weather pattern is getting annoying. The poor trees are confused. Some have gone ahead and dropped their leaves. Others are holding onto them for dear life. The poor things don’t know what to do. Last week I needed my winter coat and old navy scully cap. This week no cap and I could probably get by with a wind breaker. It’s time for it to be winter. Winter means it’s cold. Please get cold weather. Cold weather means warm hot chocolate or tea. It means breaking out the extra blankets and snuggling up under the toasty covers. It means not wanting to wake up in the morning because its cold outside the confines of said toasty covers. Weather I demand that you get cold this instant. Please.

Hallelujah!!!

(Post Written Sunday Dec. 7. Slight delay in posting.)

If you could only see me now. I’m sure I’m a site to see. I ‘m sitting here in my cube at work with the music for the Hallelujah Chorus in my lap singing away to the song in midi format on my computer. I guess you could say I’m cramming for a final.

We have a holiday dinner tonight at church. It’s an every year thing and since I’m half way musical I always get roped into to doing something for the dinner entertainment. This year my dear friend and cousin (sort of…. long story) Angie drafted me into this chorus group to sing the Hallelujah Chorus. Who knew that one of the most beautiful pieces of music to ever grace this earth was so difficult. I was in band and even a gospel choir in college but I’ve never in formal chorus setting so needless to say I feel a bit intimidated. I don’t think my singing voice is all that great. Others around me unfortunately disagree. I think my voice is weak and reedy especially when I have to sing at the upper end of the register like the Tenors do on this piece. I sing from my throat not my diaphragm except when I remember to which in turn throws me off cause then I’m trying to concentrate on singing from my diaphragm and not the music. Anyway, I’m cramming because I haven’t made the time to practice in the days and weeks prior to this. To be fair we did get a little more lead time than we usually do for these Holiday Dinner pieces. Almost 3 weeks in fact but I’ve been busy with other things. The last two weeks I’ve been sick which brought about the need to miss 3 important practices. When I get sick the first thing to go is my voice (like mother like son.) And even when my speaking voice came back my singing voice remained shot another week after that which brings us to now. I’m sitting here at my cube trying to practice while not singing so loud that I awake the security guard at the front desk or the other 3 or 4 poor souls that inhabit this place at 6:25 in the morning on the weekend. I’m sure I’m a site to see. Feels like I’m back in school again. Putting things off until the very last minute. At least I’m singing with other people that way I can lip sync through the difficult parts (I’m hoping to keep that to a minimum though). Everything always works out in the end. This will be my 3rd holiday dinner to perform at. After it’s all said and done the folks always clap and say how wonderful everybody did and all the missed notes and slightly off pitches are a thing of the past. Anyhow back to it. I’ve got less than 12 hours. That would be plenty of time if I didn’t have church to go to plus our final practice before the big event. Practice normally is a good thing but our strongest tenor, David, won’t be able to make it (to the practice not the performance) which means our next strongest tenor (Lord help us) is me which means I’ll be exposed for the singing fraud that I am with no time to remedy the situation. Aw man. I’m sweating now. Gotta get back to practicing. Phone don’t ring for the next hour and a half. I’ve got other work to do. HALLELUJAH! AND HE SHALL REIGN FOREVER AND EEEEEVER!!!!

The Diary of Alicia Keys

There are two words to describe Alicia Keys new album. The Bomb Digity (well three if you count the). Most definitely! You feel me? It’s an instant classic; an automatic head bobber; a finger tapper; a showstopper. I’m loving this album. I happened to see her performing a song off the album called Diary yesterday morning on Good Morning America of all places. That peeked my interest because it’s been 3 years since we’ve been blessed with new material from the braided wonder girl. I decided to do some Googling and find out the 411 on her new album. Google lead me to MTV.com. Turns out her album came out today (well yesterday now). That’s all I needed to know. I put on my sweats and a coat and made a bee-line to Walmart to pick up the disc. Alicia is just that good. Most albums I like to hear two or three good/great singles off of them before I drop my hard earned cash but for certain artists it’s simply enough to know they’ve got a new project out and I’m there. Alicia Keys is one of those artists. This is a must have disc. I think one of the things I like about Alicia is the fact that she plays the piano and uses that along with string arrangements in a lot of her music. That aspect of her music is in full effect on this CD. I’m a sucker for piano and strings. On the flip side of that though is the hip-hop flavor combined with a 70′s soul vibe that’s infused into each and every song. Mix all that together with her distinctive voice and slammin’ beats and you’ve got my new favorite album of the moment and probably for quite a while into the future. Nice job Alicia. What took so long? More drama like you had trying to release your first album? I hope not.

Linkin Park Live In Texas (The Best State in The Union!!!!)

I finally got a chance to listen to the Linkin Park Live in Texas DVD that my roommate bought for me Friday. Amazing. The whole production was really well done all the way around. As a broacasting major I can really appreciate the time, effort, and quality workmanship that went into the production. As a Linkin Park fan I can appreciate Linkin Park doing what they do best. Rockin’ my freakin’ socks off. I’m literally sitting here with no socks on. Well that’s not all that abnormal. I don’t like socks or shoes and tend to wear them as little as possible. But Linkin Park really does rock and this disc simply reinforces that. I felt like I was there which is kind of the point I guess. Well mission accomplished boys. This is a great disc. It’s a must for all Linkin Park fans. I’d also advise folks who are new to the band or on the fence to pick the CD/DVD combo. It’s a good primer to their hit songs and provides insight into the energy they bring to their songs not only in the studio but more importantly in their live show. They’re coming to Little Rock some time early next year. I’m planning and hoping to be there front and center. I’ve seen them live twice before here in Memphis so take my word for it. They ROCK. That’s all for now. Be sure to tip your waitress. Alrighty then. Time for some sleep. But not before some FIFA 2003 on the PS2. Peace.

Is it just me?

Is it just me or is the spam getting stranger and stranger. The piece of spam that’s really freaked me out/made me laugh uncontrollably of late are the ones talking about finding Christian lovers in your area. Thats trips me out. Those two words don’t belong in the same sentence. How can I not laugh at subjects like Christian? Single? Looking for a lover? Very funny in my opinion. Since I get so much spam these days with no end in sight I figure I might as well find ways to laugh at it.