ManicRobThrill

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Long weekend rewind (merge ahead)

A great weekend--busy, fun and yet relaxing. Ran all the necessary chores Saturday, but hit a brick wall when the new printer didn't have software available either in the box (a blank disk!) or on the HP website (which baffled the customer service rep). It also wasn't a glass-top, which negates Liz being able to use it for prints and her jewelry designs. Took it back to the store whose website we'd ordered it from for refund then decided to regroup with a quick Target run. What do I find at Target? The right printer, which had the disk and was completely compatible with our (now ancient) OS 10.2.8 system on the iMac. Did a run to Vintage Vinyl and picked up a few classics I'd had on vinyl (and sometimes, you have to invest in at least 1 Johnny Thunders CD) and out for a laid-back Mexican meal. Had to take the car to the garage as the wipers aren't working and need to have the motor replaced (can't wait for June now!) and relaxed at home with the guitar for the balance of the holiday.

Saw these articles this morning. It's not so much the cost of the service going up, it's the idea of having to buy new equipment. That should not happen, by any means. And the fact that I despise Howard Stern, but that's more acceptible (hoo hoo hoo). With a broader service, one would have to expect that prices increase. And what is the new name going to be? This is not going to be a quick marriage, that's for sure.

Still believe the Rangers will make the playoffs!

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Work, rest & play?

Another busy week; work is great and motoring at breakneck speed. The nightly commute makes me realize how glad I am that we decided to move back to Staten Island at the end of this lease. It's ridiculously expensive -- parking/N.J. Transit/MTA -- and unnecessarily time consuming. Cliched, I know, but you never know what you've got until it's gone. Thankfully, this is something we'll be correcting. The only travel cost will be the monthly MetroCard, which gets you everywhere in the 5 boroughs (unlike these costly strict-zone train passes on N.J. Transit). A walk to the ferry will be heaven again.

Saw this in the morning's Washington Post. It reminded me of how AOL was the single reason why Time Warner's good reputation and name were irrevocably soiled; how we all lost our jobs once AOL came into the fray and why I feel no particular sympathy, should AOL go under completely. Aside from being an antiquated system, it's a typical "evil" company. It's also of note that this article very quietly mentions that layoffs at AOL have been kept under wraps.

Nothing special planned for this long weekend, which is what I prefer. Went to the gym last night and feel great. The usual chores loom in a short while and then we'll see. I do have time apportioned tomorrow for working in the studio as I'm pleased to say I'm nearly done with a new track, "Postcard". No, it's not an original song; it's one I've loved for years and felt the time was right to record and hopefully do justice.

Okay, time to get moving. Need some Starbucks and to pick up our new printer.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Weekend rewind (wait... it's over already?)

Busy week; busy weekend. The usual, with no drama, but I swear it seemed like it was Friday night and all of a sudden, it's Monday morning.

Stopped for dinner here and watched a riotously funny movie Friday night; did our Starbucks and grocery run Saturday and a fab lunch at the great, God-like Golden's. Chilled at home on Saturday night and just a run for burgers as Sunday lunch. Liz is feeling a little under the weather and I didn't mind the low-keyness of it all. Returned to more of the purging process and spent some quality time in Synchronic East.

Seeing The Police on the Grammys last night meant absolutely nothing. If anything, I was annoyed by the obviousness of using the old backing tapes for the harmonies on the chorus.

No, I do not care about Anna Nicole Smith. Less said, the better. One word: disgraceful.

Think about it.

Friday, February 02, 2007

An editorial... but NOT by me

Once again, the main man writes. Stepping outside of the intellectual and putting on my "regular guy" garb, I just want to say I'm a Jets fan and I really have no emotional investment in the Super Bowl, except for the fact that the good people I work with are die-hard Bears fans, so with that spirit of kinship in mind...

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay credited God with his team’s come-from-behind win over the New England Patriots in the American Football Conference title game.

Excuse us for saying so, but we don’t think God gives a God damn who wins football games. At least, we certainly hope not.

The idea that God is up there fixing football games disturbs us for two reasons. One is that if God is spending his weekends watching the NFL, then we’d have to ask whether he couldn’t use his time more wisely on, say, Iraq. We don’t like to question God, but really: the weekend the Colts won the right to go to the Super Bowl, 27 Americans and who-knows-how-many Iraqis were killed. And if God’s tired of the quagmire in Iraq, how about the genocide in Darfur? And if not genocide, famine. Malaria. AIDS. Poverty.

We’re glad the Colts won, but not at the expense of people’s lives and health. If Irsay’s right, then God needs to, um, keep his eye on the ball.

The other reason we’re atheists in the God-picked-the-Colts discussion: We’d be a little concerned about God’s loyalties. For years, he seemed to be a New England fan. Then last year it was Pittsburgh. This year, it’s supposedly the Colts.

Are you telling us God is a flip-flopper? That he voted against the Colts before he voted for them? Frankly, those are fighting words. You can say what you want about us, but don’t be talking trash about God.

Invoking God’s name to explain sports victories is trivializing God. That’s likely to make God angry. And just in case God IS deciding the outcome of football games, you don’t want God mad at you just before Super Bowl Sunday.

**********

Let me (again as a Jets fan, anyway) make mention of this: the Irsays are the same people who, under the cover of darkness, packed up the Mayflower moving vans and took the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis, thus thumbing their noses at a once-proud football tradition. Remember, the Colts (then of the NFL) were the team beaten by the New York Jets.

Ah, I'll end it with two words: da Bears.

Have a great weekend!