Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh...

...to keep from crying.

Jordan admits drug-dealing past

Newly appointed Knox County Commissioner Josh Jordan testified as a teenager that he sold cocaine for a drug dealer connected to the notoriously violent Florida Boys drug gang but said Friday he’s turned his life around since then.

Records from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1996 show that Jordan admitted peddling drugs — in the same district he now represents — when he testified against members of the gang.

I'm glad the guy's turned his life around. But in a normal world, how many former drug-dealers would be elected to Commission of a county the size of Knox? And in a normal world (not even a perfect world) how many would be appointed to a vacant seat without that kind of fact being brought up to assist in making an informed and responsible decision?

Friday's Feast

Friday, February 02, 2007 - Feast One Hundred & Twenty Nine

Appetizer - What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager?

I was a teen in the 80's - in fact, the entire 80's were my teenage years pretty much. So take your pick - parachute pants (had 'em), pastel shirt with white jacket (had 'em), Members Only jacket (had it), Panama Jack painters hat (had it - maybe that was a local thing), leg warmers (didn't have 'em)


Soup - Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you.

If they meet me in the course of my job they probably think I'm a techhead. Although I design websites for a big local company, I'm probably the least internet tech savvy web designer out there.


Salad - On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how hard do you work?

Another work question. Actually the volume of work fluctuates from maybe 5 to 9, depending when I'm between projects or waiting on followup. I enjoy working and being productive, especially when the site is interesting or poses a creative challenge. It's doing the little piddly stuff like changing phone numbers on pages or adding and removing docs from the list of specialists in a local surgery center or some such that gets really tedious...


Main Course - If you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise?

I can't think of anything I have that I actually want to sell, but if I had 30-seconds free in the Super Bowl I'd tell everyone across the country and the world how much I love my wife and kids, and that you can't buy that in a store from a commercial. Oh, and to hire me to direct a play. Wait-is my 30 seconds up??---


Dessert - Fill in the blank: I love to ________ when it is _________.

I love to lay on the couch and read a book or take a nap when it is warm and sunny outside, there's a nice breeze, the windows in the living room are open and it's utterly quiet with no one around.

Ultrasonic

Have you seen the commercial for the new movie The Messengers?

Next time it comes on, ask your kids if they hear the ultrasonic whistle...

Here's the premise: Supposedly there's a set of ultrasonic frequencies that only kids can hear, and as we get older we lose our ability to hear in that frequency range. This is a scientific fact - the movie states that there may be a visual range kids can only see and adults can't....and there lies - MADNESS!!!

Well, whatever. Anyway, at the beginning of the commercial there's a graphic of a sound wave, with the word "Ultrasonic" at the top (while the movie scenes are playing). The commercial came on last night while we were watching TV. We asked BrainyBoy and Tink if they could hear the sound, and they nodded as if, "duh..yeah". Laura and I looked at each other with surprise, thinking they were joking around. I backed up the DVR several times and we played it over an over - every time they could hear the whine, and we couldn't. This caused great amusement for BrainyBoy, though Tink thought it was "creepy" and wanted it to stop.

Amazing they can hear this frequency just fine, but can't hear me tell them to finish eating their dinner or pick up their shoes...

Note: the link to the preview site above doesn't contain the TV commercial, only the theatrical trailer. I haven't found it on YouTube yet, but if I do I'll post it.

Our Only Recourse?

Yesterday the Knox County Commission held allegedly illegal backdoor meetings to replace their term-limited brethren. In violation of state Sunshine laws, they apparently decided amongst themselves without public input who would be appointed to fill the vacant positions. The practice of fair governing was blatantly usurped in front of our eyes to insert relatives, friends and supporters of previous commissioners onto the board. A lawsuit was filed immediately thereafter contending said violations.

What can be done about it by Knox Countians? The obvious first option is to vote at the polls. But since 20% of the populace ever gets out to vote at any one time, that's difficult to do in an organized way. Plus since most candidates are floated out by the local corn-fed versions of the two political parties, there is often not much to choose from.

Lane wonders if we should "impeach the whole bunch for just being idiots." Were it that easy, we'd do it in a heartbeat.

I wonder if it's not time for another recall proceedings, this time not directed at the city mayor's office at City Council but County Commission.

The 2006 True Stella Awards

The 2006 True Stella Awards

Issued 31 January 2007

(Click here to
confirm these are legitimate.)

#5: Marcy Meckler. While shopping at
a mall, Meckler stepped outside and was "attacked" by a squirrel that
lived among the trees and bushes. And "while frantically attempting
to escape from the squirrel and detach it from her leg, [Meckler]
fell and suffered severe injuries," her resulting lawsuit says.
That's the mall's fault, the lawsuit claims, demanding in excess of
$50,000, based on the mall's "failure to warn" her that squirrels
live outside.

#4: Ron and Kristie Simmons. The
couple's 4-year-old son, Justin, was killed in a tragic lawnmower
accident in a licensed daycare facility, and the death was clearly
the result of negligence by the daycare providers. The providers were
clearly deserving of being sued, yet when the Simmons's discovered
the daycare only had $100,000 in insurance, they dropped the case
against them and instead sued the manufacturer of the 16-year-old
lawn mower because the mower didn't have a safety device that 1) had
not been invented at the time of the mower's manufacture, and 2) no
safety agency had even suggested needed to be invented. A sympathetic
jury still awarded the family $2 million.

#3: Robert Clymer. An FBI agent
working a high-profile case in Las Vegas, Clymer allegedly created a
disturbance, lost the magazine from his pistol, then crashed his
pickup truck in a drunken stupor -- his blood-alcohol level was 0.306
percent, more than three times the legal limit for driving in Nevada.
He pled guilty to drunk driving because, his lawyer explained, "With
public officials, we expect them to own up to their mistakes and
correct them." Yet Clymer had the gall to sue the manufacturer of his
pickup truck, and the dealer he bought it from, because he "somehow
lost consciousness" and the truck "somehow produced a heavy smoke
that filled the passenger cab." Yep: the drunk-driving accident
wasn't his fault, but the truck's fault. Just the kind of guy you
want carrying a gun in the name of the law.

#2: #2: KinderStart.com. The
specialty search engine says Google should be forced to include the
KinderStart site in its listings, reveal how its "Page Rank" system
works, and pay them lots of money because they're a competitor. They
claim by not being ranked higher in Google, Google is somehow
infringing KinderStart's Constitutional right to free speech. Even if
by some stretch they were a competitor of Google, why in the world
would they think it's Google's responsibility to help them succeed?
And if Google's "review" of their site is negative, wouldn't a
government court order forcing them to change it infringe on Google's
Constitutional right to free speech?

And the winner of the 2006 True Stella
Award: Allen Ray Heckard. Even though Heckard is 3 inches
shorter, 25 pounds lighter, and 8 years older than former basketball
star Michael Jordan, the Portland, Oregon, man says he looks a lot
like Jordan, and is often confused for him -- and thus he deserves
$52 million "for defamation and permanent injury" -- plus $364
million in "punitive damage for emotional pain and suffering", plus
the SAME amount from Nike co-founder Phil Knight, for a grand total
of $832 million. He dropped the suit after Nike's lawyers chatted
with him, where they presumably explained how they'd counter-sue if
he pressed on.

©2007 by Randy Cassingham,
StellaAwards.com. Reprinted with permission.

Is Instant Communication Too Instant?

I have three email accounts that I keep up with regularly. One is my work address, that I use to communicate with other employees and the occasional member of the public with whom I have business. Since we're on Microsoft systems here in my office, we use MS Office and I have Outlook open the entire time I'm at my desk. I could get an email at any time advising me of a system outage that might affect my company's websites, an error on a page that requires immediate correction, or feedback from the public on any of the 30+ feedback pages scattered about all the hospitals' sites.

It's also set to deliver me local and national breaking news stories emails, enewsletters, error notifications and of course spam. The company's spam filters intercept most of it, but sometimes it gets through. There are rare occasions I will access this email account remotely from home but it doesn't happen often. The vast majority of my work is done at work.

I also have a personal Yahoo account that stays open all the time in Internet Explorer, the same browser I use to build my websites. This account is mainly for communication with friends and acquaintances, a lot of personal newsletters and Yahoo Group post notifications, theatre communication, and freelance web design work I do here and there. I don't advertise that account on the blog but it does exist and several people I know have it.

Finally, I also have my Inn of the Last Home email account open in Firefox all the time. I use Firefox simulatenously to test sites in the other most popular browser, keep up with blog postings and post to this site (like I'm doing now). And email sent to me having to do with blog feedback or other of that type of online business comes through there.

Here's my point - all three of these email accounts are open while I'm at my desk, and any time someone sends me an email on any of them, I get it fairly quickly. When I'm at home the lag time increases but I frequently check both Yahoo addresses often during the evening and the morning to see if there's any personal business or correspondence that needs to be taken care of. Typically if I receive an email that needs a response, it will be sent out very shortly after receiving it. Sometimes in minutes. Since chat is blocked at my work, Big Orange Michael and myself have been known to let the emails fly back and forth at times.

None of this email attention affects my work productivity, as it's always answered or read during slight downtimes between tasks. Sometimes my wife looks at me funny when I'm checking my email first thing in the morning ("who's going to send you anything at 3am?") but I feel it's my responsibility to answer an email as quickly as possible. If you were standing in a room and someone asked you a question, you wouldn't walk away, take care of some business, eat a meal, watch some TV, then walk back in and answer would you? I feel it's rude on my part to not respond in due haste.

This is an unknown practice at work, as most of my marketing manager clients check and respond to email haphazardly. I may send an email linking to a test site for review and it could be days before I hear a response. Which throws my productivity schedule off, because I have to stop what I was doing waiting for further instructions and comment. This is common in the print world they're accustomed to, but in the online world where communication and decisions are made instantaneously and on-the-fly it can be maddening.

What is your email etiquette?

How many email accounts do you use regularly?

How quickly do you check it? How quickly do you respond?

Do you handle work emails and personal emails differently?

Do we have a responsibility, ethically - if we accept that our email accounts are as viable a way of reaching us as telephones - to respond with all due haste? Or do we treat them as Caller ID and answer when we feel like it? I admit I screen calls at home, but only when I can tell they're solicitors or political calls. I think it's also rude to ignore call from someone you know just because you don't want to talk to them.

That's My Girl

A few days ago, helping 2nd-grader Tink with study her spelling:

Me: Spell "turkey".

Tink: T-U-R-K-E-Y.

Me: Good... (searching for next word, but saying under my breath) "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly..."

Tink: (smirking, under her breath) "Oh, the humanity!"




Do I raise 'em right or do I?

Word of the Day

Because I coined the phrase preggerventures to describe what lies ahead for my in-a-family-way-friend Tiger at Tiger Babble, I've submitted it to the Urban Dictionary.

I'll let you know if it's accepted...






Try to remain calm.

Friday's Feast

Friday, January 26, 2007 - Feast One Hundred & Twenty Eight

Appetizer - If you could take lessons to learn any musical instrument, which would you want to learn?

I've always been fascinated by the tone and emotion of the cello. I've never attempted to play a string instrument before, and I'm unsure if I'd have the patience to learn but I'd love to give it a try. A cello has such a plaintive, melancholy sound that (to me) is much more expressive than any other string instrument (except the piano, of course). How much would a used cello go for, anyway?


Soup - Have you ever mistaken a person for someone else?

I don't recall a specific instance, but if you're caught staring at someone by accident and you feel like a fool you can always say, "Oh, I'm sorry - I thought you were someone else.."


Salad - On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

C'mere...let me let you in on a little secret... Actually, I don't know very many secrets unless they're privileged information from my work or something like that. I suppose I'd have to be a 9, because there are sometimes I'll share information with my wife that I might not've been given strict permission to include her in the discussion - simply because I believe a married couple should not be considered separate entities in that regard.


Main Course - What's the closest you've ever been to a dangerous animal?

You mean, outside a zoo? :) Last summer we took a trip through the Everglades and came close to several gators - we were in no danger, but they were right there in the water outside our airboat. At Animal Kingdom in Orlando there are no cages separating your tour bus from the animals. I guess the closest would be the time I was bitten twice on the leg by a brown recluse spider. Oooh...big game hunter, me...


Dessert - When was the last time you lost your patience?

I lose my patience with my kids sometimes when they take forever to finish a task, like cleaning their room or picking up toys. I've lost patience with people at my office before, when they take too long to get back to me with information or complete a project. But I usually keep a good handle on my patience and temper.

Boring?

My daily readership has gone way down. Am I just that boring? Do I need to post something controversial to get the interest going?

BlogFest Coming Up

Rich has announced a Blogfest get-together:

Where: Calhoun's on Kingston Pike at I-140 (that would be near Pelissippi and Mabry Hood Rd.)
When: Saturday, February 10 starting at 5:00PM
Who: Everybody
Why: Because.

I may have a band gig that night, but if not I hope to be there. Anyone in Knoxville who blogs or reads blogs or even just reads is welcome!

The New Ferret Face and Hot Lips

Aren't the pretty much filling the same role as characters in their respective shows? Dwight/Frank is the second-in-command, always wanting more power and abusing it when he has it, rival with the smarter and funnier co-worker, gets pranks pulled on him all the time, rigid and by-the-book. Angela/Margaret is the "secret" lover everyone knows about, very disciplined and whiny, looks down on her coworkers, plots with Dwight/Frank against everyone else.

The True Basis for Theological, Cultural and Political Differences Between Shia and Sunni Muslims

Does this answer part of your question, Rich?

Congratulations Colts!

And on to Super Bowl XLI!!

One More Reason to Subscribe to Netflix

I get Netflix's RSS feed for New Releases - coming up this week:

• Pride FC: Shockwave 2005
  
  Shockwave 2005 presents every no-holds-barred match held at Japan's Saitama Super Arena. Relive the bone-crushing thrill of matches featuring top-rated Pride fighters such as Wanderlei Silva, Takanori Gomi and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic as they face off in this premier mixed martial arts event. The Pride championships showcase a unique form of extreme hand-to-hand combat incorporating elements of judo, karate, jujitsu, kickboxing and wrestling.
  
  
• The Best of Hooters
  
  Get ready to enjoy plenty of toned, tanned and exceptionally endowed talent with this scorching hourlong compilation of highlights from five years of the legendary Miss Hooters International Swimsuit Pageants. Previously unavailable raw footage supplements traditional clips of these vivacious young beauties as they take to the runway to model some of the sexiest -- and scantiest -- swimwear around.
  
  
• Mystery of the Megavolcano
  
  Join "Nova" science detectives as they journey to Southeast Asia to reveal details of one of Earth's most destructive volcanic events. Known as the Toba eruption, this cataclysmic explosion that occurred 75,000 years ago is considered one of the most devastating natural occurrences in history. Watch scientists reconstruct this monstrous catastrophe as they ponder the fragile nature of Earth's crust and the power of the magma within its core.
  
  
• Monster of the Milky Way
  
  The award-winning science series "Nova" explores the galaxy for evidence of astronomy's most foreboding monster: the supermassive black hole. Though historically scientists have scoffed the black hole's existence, recent data points to the startling reality of the universe's most destructive objects. Computer imagery helps illustrate the creation, structure and movement of this cannibalistic phenomenon that sucks up everything in its vicinity.
  
  
• Hooters: How Sweet It Is
  
  You'll travel to one of the world's hippest hot spots -- Miami's famed South Beach -- with this sizzling collection of highlights from the Hooters Swimsuit Pageant week. More than 100 Hooters girls from around the globe display their ample assets as they take to the runway in the skimpiest swimwear you've ever seen. After the winner is crowned, you'll join the ladies on the beach for some extended party action.
  
  
• Abba: In Performance
  
  In this video critique (which includes archival concert footage), experts and insiders discuss the legacy of Swedish sensation Abba -- who burst onto the pop scene in the 1970s and quickly became one of the world's most commercially successful bands. With such catchy tunes as "Dancing Queen" and "Waterloo," combined with marketing smarts that led the group to record in several languages, Abba remains popular long after disbanding in 1983.
  

Wow, something for everyone!

And the Old Get Older...

Everybody join me in wishing Big Orange Michael a very happy birthday!!! Go visit his site and leave him a comment, he lives for that stuff...

Gave Up

I just gave up on a project I was working on, trying to figure out how a new piece of equipment can be used here at work. I couldn't get it, our IT guy couldn't get it, so we've submitted the equipment to a higher power.

I hate it. I should've been able to figure it out, but I couldn't. So now once again I let someone else take up my slack. I hate this.

Why Not - Everybody Else is Doing It?

Since everyone else in Knox County has apparently decided they want to be one of the new County Commission appointees, I figured it was my turn. I'm officially throwing my fedora into the ring for 5th District County Commission. I figure my singular lack of experience in any sort of governmental protocol is more than outweighed by the fact that I'm a) nonpartisan, 2) not beholden monetarily or by political or business relationship to any entity, party, group or individual, c) have slightly more common sense than the average water mollusk, and 4) probably have more personal integrity than all politicians combined.

What the heck, I'm not doing anything important these days, except raising a family, holding down a full-time job, working part-time at my church and now supporting two full grown after-hours hobbies in theatre and my band. I should be able to give the job more real attention even with all those conflicts than most any other Knox politico ever has...

You Know Your Day's Gotten Off to a Bad Start When...

You notice the cat has jumped up onto the sink and is gnawing on your toothbrush...



Needless to say it was discarded. The toothbrush that is, not the cat.

Although it was close...

Just in From NetFlix

• Disk 1 of the first season of The Office
  
  
• The first (and only) season of Leslie Nielsen's Police Squad
  

Although with Galactica, Studio 60 and 24 starting up again, who has time?

Um, I guess I do.

So Long, Valencia...

...we hardly knew ye (*sniff*)

Gone:

Six Flags Magic Mountain
CalArts, home of the Walt Disney Modular Theatre
(CTU Estimates) 100,000 people.



Does the fictional nuking of an American city bother anyone else besides me? This is the reason I haven't been able to watch Jericho and why "The Day After" still resides in a dark place in my memory...


UPDATE: Just a point of order, after Season 3 of 24, Jack's daughter Kimberly was said to be living in Valencia with ex-CTU'er Chase and his daughter. After Season 4 and Jack's faked death, Chase left her for parts unknown - presumably she stayed put. During season 5 she is in a relationship with her psychiatrist, but no mention (that I recall) of marriage or moving. Therefore, with a lack of evidence to the contrary Kimberly Bauer may now be so much nuclear vapor.

It may never be mentioned one way or the other, but the one residence that was referred to for her was Valencia, so I would imagine that could be a very devastating plot point very soon for Jack Bauer.

Plus they'll never get to go to Magic Mountain together again...

Zombie Commisioners

If you don't live in Knox County, you won't get this at all. And for that I envy you...

Randy Neal asks:

If someone is appointed and then stands for election and wins, does their appointed term count against the two-term limit?

Michael Silence answers:

No.

Which leads me to ponder:

If it's true that appointed commissioners won't have their abbreviated term count against them should they decide to run for office in 2008, doesn't that logically also mean the term-limited Commissioners could simply be appointed back to their old seats - since the abbreviated terms won't count against term-limits?

They wouldn't be able to run again in 2008, but they would still serve out the remainder of this term.

I can totally see, politically, the Commission doing this "to ensure a smooth transition of power" and to "not disrupt the efficient running of Knox County government services" and to "thank all the outgoing commissioners for their years of outstanding service", etc. etc.

Zombie Commissioners - rising from the dead to eat your brains...

24...Up to its Old Tricks

It's like slipping into a ratty old robe - worn and frayed, but still comfy and satisfying:


One perimeter set up - fails.

Another mcguffin (the mysterious package in the wall).

Wild-eyed Arabic-quoting "your-family-will-be-notified-of-your-heroic-sacrifice"-jargon-spewing Islamic terrorists (although they're so less interesting than Victor Drazen and his Chechnyans or Vladimir Bierko and his Russians..)

Disgusting torture/assault methods - Jack biting the neck of his captor (should we now call him "Jackula"?), shoulder nerve cluster severed, spinal cord skewered, Muslim traitor's kneecap muscles sliced..

Jack miraculously survives and recovers from his wounds (see previous shoulder nerver cluster sever and flat-lining after spinal cord skewering).

American citizens becoming paranoid.

FBI throwing its weight around.

Chloe getting involved in a hair-brain scheme (she would've fit right in with the Scooby-Doo gang), almost compromising the mission, then all is forgiven as Buchanan gets involved.

Shady, weaselly White House personnel...

Over-their-head CTU managers.


Did I miss anything?

And in the "Don't Let the Door Hit You..." Department:

Supreme Court upholds term limits

Sheriff Tim Hutchison, eight of 19 county commissioners and other officeholders must leave office under a ruling issued today by the Tennessee Supreme Court.

The court upheld two-term limits approved by voters in 1994 for all government officials except court clerks and school board members. Politicians who have served more than two terms therefore must leave office.

Affected are Hutchison, Register of Deeds Steve Hall, Trustee Mike Lowe, County Clerk Mike Padgett and commissioners Mark Cawood, John Griess, John Mills, Diane Jordan, Larry Clark, Billy Tindell, Phil Guthe and John Schmid.

Question about "The Office"

Who else watches "The Office"? (counting show of hands) Ok, good.

Laura and I just started getting into this show regularly for just a few weeks now. We're divided on the concept of the show - are we supposed to assume there's a film crew taping the antics of Dunder-Mifflin for some unnamed, long-term documentary (i.e a similar concept used in Christopher Guest's amazing "Waiting For Guffman"/"Best in Show"/"A Mighty Wind" set of mockumentaries)? Or are just supposed to assume we're another worker in the office there with them, watching everything that's going on?

If it's the documentary option, I found it hard to accept(even for the purposes of sitcom satire) they had five different "film crew" that would go out and cover each sales team as they made their visits around the city in last night's episode. Nor do I find it easy to believe the "film crew" would be allowed to film some of the more intimate, emotional or embarrassing moments - at least without some interaction between the characters being filmed and their imaginary documenteers.

Maybe on earlier seasons this whole concept is addressed, we've just missed it. Any assistance?

Friday's Feast

Friday, January 12, 2007 - Feast One Hundred & Twenty Six

Appetizer - What comes to mind when you see the color orange?

Ha! Well, in Tennessee this is certainly a loaded question. I could say it's the color of all the construction cones and barrels we see all over the roads and interstates for months and years on end...I could say it's the color of the gorgeous sunsets we always seem to have this time of year...I could say it's a fresh glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice...but I will have to say that, along with white, it's the team colors of the greatest school to grace the face of the Earth - the University of Tennessee Volunteers.


Soup - Did you ever get in trouble while you were in school? If so, what was it for?

I don't think I ever got in trouble when I was in school, at least not after I was old enough to know better. I never cut class, never sneaked off early, never smoked, never smarted off to a teacher - I don't know what you call that, I guess when it came to personal responsibility I just matured in that respect very early. I'm sure my parents will remind me if I've forgotten some long-ago incident...


Salad - Which topping(s) make up your perfect pizza?

That's funny, we had pizza for dinner tonight. For me the basics: pepperoni and sausage, with cheese. My kids went through a long stage where they had to have "Hawaiian" pizza (with ham and pineapple). I do like the occasional meat-lovers with pepperoni, sausage, ham, beef, bacon, rack of lamb, salmon, elk, ostrich, blue whale blubber and petrified dodo meat. But that doesn't happen too often. And NO veggies. I don't want to see a speck of peppers, olives, onions...and ESPECIALLY NO mushrooms. I don't eat things that have been growing on a forest floor and have been peed on by frogs. Oh, and lay off the "goat cheese", "feta", "smoked swiss tofu" and all that other weird stuff you get at Tomato Head and Mellow Mushroom. Just mozarella, 'kay?


Main Course - Do you believe in UFOs/aliens/etc.? Why or why not?

While I don't necessarily believe we've ever been visited by a UFO or any other aliens, I find it very difficult to believe that there isn't life somewhere on another world. In the almost infinite varieties of solar systems supporting infinite varieties of planets with their own unique ecosystems, there must - by law of averages - be life somewhere out there. And if you assume there is life, by those same infinite varieties out there, there must be higher life and even intelligent life. I'm just going to assume they haven't progressed much farther than us yet. I hope that in my lifetime, if they do exist, we find out for sure.

It will be a huge theological question though - for Christians, are they saved? Did Christ make an appearance on their world in their species as well as ours? Does that make us less unique or more mundane? All the aliens-land-on-Earth books and movies I've ever seen have mostly dealt with assimilating (hah!) the "newcomers" into Earth society and rarely touch on how religions and creation stories might fit together...


Dessert - What color is your bedspread/comforter/quilt?

That's it? After a feast of epic proportions, that's the dessert question you ask?? *sigh* Oh, geez, I have no idea...I think it's maybe green. Shall I delve into the philosophical and sociological implications of such a choice? What does it mean in the continuing harmony of the family and married relationships? Why is it--

Oh, forget it. It's green.

DeLurker Week

Apperently it's DeLurker Week around the web, the age-old traditional time when we all gather around the campfire, roast marshmallows and sing songs about--

Oh wait, that's not it. It's the time when folks who read certain blogs regularly but rarely if ever comment finally take the time to de-lurk and say hello. So if you visit the Inn every once in a while but don't typically make a comment, break tradition and say hi in the comments below.

You'll be glad you did, really ;)

Time Enough at Last!

Ex-teacher gets more time for nude photos

Well, this is good because teachers these days are very busy, and rarely find enough time in their hectic day to take nude photos of themselves.

Oh wait, I'm not sure that's exactly what it means....

Ask and You Shall Receive...

Due to popular demand (well, Becky), now's your chance to hear me and the boys (and girl) caterwaul:

Play That Funky Music

- as interpreted by The Atomic Horns

Fourth Bloggiversary

Four Years Ago today I opened the Inn of the Last Home blog for business. It's been insightful, frustrating, eye-opening, maddenening, boisterous, cantankerous and exciting. I've made some good friends, met some wonderful people and reconnected with friends long gone.

A hearty thank you to everyone who's ever visited, commented, and gotten close to me in these four years. Here's to as many more as the web will allow!

It's been customary for me to publish a year in review - I don't know if I'll have time to do one this year. Maybe a small one. We'll see.

Thank you - the bar is open!

Gators Win National Championship

Ok, rah rah, yay...whatever. Can I go now?

Uh-1...uh-2...uh-1, 2, 3,....

Friday night I performed on stage in a rock band for the first time.

For years I've been in an orchestra pit (such as they are) leading a band and playing keyboards for stage musicals. I've also performed onstage for plays and musicals, sung everything from jazz to swing to Broadway to oldies and standards. I've been in the chorus, behind a mike, pretended to play a trumpet in a ragtime band, punched out an unruly member of the Argentinian rabble to protect Juan Peron, served drinks to George and Mary Bailey, channeled Ed Sullivan to introduce Conrad Birdie and given Ado Annie a "Persian Goodbye".

But the other day I actually stood behind the keyboard, surrounded by bass, lead guitar, drums, trumpet, sax and trombones. The Atomic Horns band, based in Oak Ridge, played its first gig - a wedding at Cedar Bluff Holiday Inn attended by an estimated 200-250 people.

The bride and groom were young, early-to-mid-20's in my estimation, so the whole wedding party was young. And subsequently had a lot of energy - and they showed it on the dance floor. One couple from the guests obviously had dance experience swing dancing, which was impressive. It felt like the evening was a big success, and gives me encouragement for the future.

I sing solo or "Burnin' Love,", "T-R-O-U-B-L-E", "Volcano", "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You," and "Play That Funky Music" plus backup on most of the rest of the songs in the three sets. Eventually we'll add "CC Rider" and "Fins". I'm also one half of a "Blues Brothers" section where I don the black hat, jacket and shades.

We finally started around 9:30pm and played till pushing 1:00am before the stragglers folded up shop.

We meet Tuesday night to go over and review how we did, and prepare for our second show in early February at a fundraiser for the Oak Ridge Playhouse. This is your chance to come hear us yourselves - more info will be forthcoming.

I can't believe I'm the one singing "Play that Funky Music".....

Flowers on the Wall

This song has been running through my head. I don't know why...

I keep hearin' you're concerned about my happiness
But all that thought you're givin' me is conscience I guess
If I was walkin' in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none
While you 'n' your friends are worried about me I'm havin' lots of fun

Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me I've nothin' to do

Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town
As long as I can dream it's hard to slow this swinger down
So please don't give a thought to me, I'm really doin' fine
You can always find me here, I'm havin' quite a time

Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me I've nothin' to do

It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete

Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me I've nothin' to do

Don't tell me I've nothin' to do

The Statler Brothers are a underappreciated act in the history of popular music.

Listen to a snippet here if you're unfamiliar with the tune.

Course if you sung it today you'd have to substitute Spongebob for Captain Kangaroo. But then if I were up all night I'd just be on the computer or watching something I'd DVR'd...

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire...

Dec. 7th, SI.com - No thanks! Saban declines chance to interview for 'Bama post

Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban said Thursday that Alabama approached his agent about its coaching job but he declined to meet with school officials."I'm flattered that they may have been interested in me, but it never really progressed, because we just never let it progress," Saban said.

Speculation tying Saban to the Crimson Tide job first surfaced the day they fired Mike Shula on Nov. 27. Saban publicly denied interest several times, but on Thursday, he acknowledged that the school had contacted his agent, Jimmy Sexton.

"They called Jimmy and said, 'Is Nick interested?' And Jimmy said no," Saban said. "Jimmy asked me on several occasions, and I said no.

Dec. 12thMontgomery Advisor - Saban continues to deny UA interest

In his weekly news conference Monday, Saban was again asked about the situation.

"I think I've addressed that enough. I mean, when does this become a dead story?" he said. "I've already said what I've said. I've already talked to our team, and I don't think that I need to continue to address this. I don't see the issue here, and I don't see any reason to talk about it."

Dec. 21st Miami Herald - Dolphins' Saban: `I'm not going to be Alabama coach'

Challenged to state flatly he would not be the next University of Alabama coach, Dolphins coach Nick Saban said today, ``I guess I have to say it -- I'm not going to be the Alabama coach.''

''I shouldn't even have to comment on this,'' Saban continued. ``I think I've said this over and over and over again.''

Jan. 3 - ESPN.com - After repeated denials, Saban takes Bama job

Nick Saban has accepted an offer from Alabama to coach the Crimson Tide and leave the Miami Dolphins, two weeks after declaring "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach.

Saban's agreement with Alabama is for eight years and a fully-guaranteed $32 million, according to ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli. Saban can potentially earn an additional $700,000 to $800,000 annually in bowl-game bonuses."

My Office Looks at Forty...

Gaze upon the destruction and mayhem wrought by my wife and coworkers...

May I Recommend....

Go See It: - Night at the Museum

Very, very good movie. Great special effects, funny, nothing objectionable, and with a little history and science thrown in. Oh, and Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt. Great movie for the family.



Go Buy It: - Olevia 332H LCD HD-Ready TV


I believe my friend Ferris Bueller said it best: "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

Probably best birthday present I've ever gotten. Thanks, everyone!

Not To Be Insensitive, But...Why?

WATCH LIVE: Gerald Ford Funeral Services
(ABC News) Ford left his beloved Capitol for the last time, as the period set aside for ordinary Americans to say goodbye gives way to an invitation-only funeral. more

A Winner, Finally

Last week, I won a free Fandango movie pass from Blingo, which is a search engine that supposedly piggybacks on Google but gives out prizes to users. I know Doug and Cathy use it and have won before, so finally it was my turn.

What's interesting is that if someone who signs up for the service at my invitation wins a prize, I also win whatever they won. So whoever signed me up (I think it was a blogger friend who has long since quit blogging) also has a Fandango ticket coming to her...

So, hey, it actually works. Click below to sign up and see if you can win something, too!

Tennessee loses..

Ah well, UT lost to Penn State in the Outback Bowl yesterday. We're now 0-3 against the Nittany Lions in bowl games, although thank goodness this loss wasn't nearly as bad as the Fiesta "Fiasco" Bowl loss back in the early 90's (does anyone remember the hit on QB Andy Kelly back against our own goal that caused him to cough up the ball straight into a Penn State defender's arms, who ran it into the end zone?).

I can definitely agree with Big Orange Michael that the ESPN coverage of the game was unfairly slanted toward Penn State. Now, it's the network's prerogative to feature one team over another if they feel the attention is warranted. I can understand the repeated shots of Penn State fans in the stands (including the three idiots in the football players rubber masks and shoulder pads and the other idiot in the JoePa rubber mask they kept showing - I mean, we do have Checkerboard Head so I can't really complain). I can understand the stories about the guy who cut his hair even though Paterno was really instructing someone else to, but the guy did it "just in case" - cute college football player story. And since ESPN was pushing Bobby Knight's 881st win, the anecdote about he and Paterno almost coaching for the same school was a big reach but hey, they have to promote it somehow. Then there was the timeline of Paterno's career, the trivia question about who was president when he started coaching, the Lion mascot... Does someone detect a trend? I may not like it, but all the camera angles and feature stories about one team over another may be annoying to the other team but I can live with it.

However, inexcusable was using Todd Blackledge - former Penn State alumni and, oh, did I mention All American quarterback from 1983 under Joe Paterno - as color commentator on the game was extremely unprofessional of ESPN. I counted at least three times they put up either photos of Blackledge as a player or video clips of him introducing his Penn State teammates before their 1983 bowl game. While I thought he handled himself fairly graciously, praising Tennessee when they did things right (not often) and chastising Penn State when they messed up (again, not that often) the appearance of impropriety was as blatant as I'd ever seen.

Can you imagine the uproar if Peyton Manning had been calling the game? We would have never heard the end of the bias accusations.

Of course, all the network bias in the world didn't affect the outcome of the game in any way - even if Manning had been the color commentator, John Ward calling play-by-play for ESPN and the network strung orange crepe paper around the broadcast booth while running clips of Eric Ainge in his first 5-yr-old grasshopper league game, we still would've lost. It just made the experience that less pleasant to watch.

Bob Kesling and the WIVK radio call feed was inexplicably almost 5 seconds behind the live TV coverage, so I turned them off after a while. Another inexcusable error, not that I minded not hearing Kesling mangle the down-and-distance like usual or praise Travis Henry for running the ball, even though he's been in the NFL for 5 years...

But really, the worst thing about the ESPN coverage wasn't the bias, or the clips, or Blackledge in his 1983 mullet - it was the interminable shots of that Troll, Paterno relaxing in the coaching box, watching the game like any other fan. I can't stand that guy.

Explosion

I got to my office this morning and it was plastered with "Happy 40th Birthday" signs, photos, balloons, confetti - even a "Pin the Tail on the Old Man" game taped to my door.

My wife and co-workers have outdone themselves ;)

Happy New Year!

Our annual gigantic New Year's Eve blowout bash is over - 5 families, 19 people over for a grand total of about 10 hours. Les came by at 3 to start the rib smoker, the rest of his family arrived at 5 and everyone else filtered in by 7:30.

We ate, and ate, and ate...and, oh, ate some more. Then played "Things" and "Cranium" till ringing in the New Year at midnight.

There's something surreal about watching 8 kids running around the front yard fighting lightsabers and plastic swords, screaming at the tops of their lungs at 12:30 am in a warm January. :) Welcome to East Tennessee in the winter!

One of the kids is spending the night with BrainyBoy. All is well.

I hope 2007 is a blessing to all of you and your families.

A Pirate Looks at Forty

Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call,
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all, you've seen it all

Let's get the basics out of the way first. On December 30th, 2006 I turn forty years old.

Several people have told me lately that forty is no big deal - it's fifty, or sixty. Or just forty-one, because that proves your on your way to fifty. Whatever. After all it's really just an arbitrarily ordered random number. It's based on our base10 decimal counting system, which has its origins in the fact that we all have ten fingers and ten toes. As this guy taught us, had we been born with twelve fingers and twelve toes our counting system would've been quite different, and our age milestones would come about (what we call) thirty-six and forty-eight. This wouldn't even be the year 2006, it'd be... um, well actually I have no idea what 2006 would be in base12 but that's not the point - the point is that just because forty, in human terms is a nice round number and starts off an other set of ten numbers, it really doesn't mean a heck of lot different than thirty-nice or forty-one.

Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of 'em dream, most of 'em dream.

So what does this mean to me? I don't really consider myself a "pirate" like the song says but I do see myself as a romantic, a dreamer, a creator - someone who enjoys the lure of adventure and drama.

Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late,
Cannons don't thunder, there's nothin' to plunder
I'm an over-forty victim of fate.
Arrivin' too late, arrivin' too late.

But I've not traveled the world, barely ventured beyond the borders of the U.S. I've not written a Great American Novel (though last month I sure tried). I'm not a captain of industry, not a great leader, not a person of any particular note outside my immediate sphere of family and friends.

I've never sailed a sloop through the Keys, never climbed El Capitan, never rode horseback in the Colorado plains. Never scuba'd the Great Barrier Reef, never watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace or walked the Great Wall of China.

I've done a bit of smugglin', I've run my share of grass
I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last

I've never started a business, run a business, been responsible for the management of a business. I don't have a stock portfolio - if you ask me if I have Bonds, I'll ask you "Barry or James?" I'm not sure what my future holds for employment - I'm still looking for what I want to be when I grow up.

I've had some small success in performance arts. I've created a small name for myself in musical directing plays, which certainly keeps me in theatre but it's past time I move up and become a fully invested director.

And I have been drunk now for over two weeks
I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks
But I got stop wishin', got to go fishin'
Down to rock bottom again
Just a few friends, just a few friends

So now, at forty, where does this leave me?

I have a wonderful family. A wife who loves me, and whom I love. Two kids I think the world of and are growing up before my eyes. My parents still encourage me, my brother's getting married. My church has given me a host of friends I will cherish the rest of my life - of which about 16-20 will be at our house Sunday night for New Year's Eve. I'm comfortable, I can still get out and play a game of softball without keeling over.

Heck, maybe now that I have my thirty's out of the way, I can start really living.

Mother, mother ocean, after all the years I've found
My occupational hazard being my occupation's just not around
I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown

Who knows? Guess I'll untie from the dock and shove off - looks like the sea is smooth and the weather's calm. I wonder what's beyond that horizon?

Let's find out. Wanna sail?

"A Pirate Looks at Forty"

-- Lyrics by Jimmy Buffett

Friday's Feast

Friday, December 29, 2006 - Feast One Hundred & Twenty Four

Appetizer - How do you usually celebrate on New Year's Eve?

For the last several years, we've had 4-5 families that we go to church with come out and spend the evening with us. This year we're smoking ribs (per Laura's request) and adding a lady whose family will be in New York for New Year's. It's a great time we look forward to all year.


Soup - Name one thing unexpected that happened to you in 2006.

Here's two - I suffered some employment setbacks that had me reevaluating my place there. Most of the immediate problems have at least been addressed, though time will tell what the ultimate resolution will be.

The other would be the fact that, unexpectedly, I ended up in a horn band that rehearsed throughout the year and will have our first public performance at a wedding on January 5. I've never actually played in a band before (keyboards) and I'll also be singing a few numbers, and I'm really looking forward to it. I also had a couple other good experiences music directing shows in 2006 that have put my hobby/career on a nice path.


Salad - Where was your favorite place that you visited in 2006?

We visited Ft. Lauderdale and spent the week there during the 4th of July and had a wonderful time.


Main Course - What resolution is your top priority for 2007?

Same as every year, Pinky...to take over the world.

Well, absent that to perform necessary home repair that we've been putting off for a while. Also we'll be moving BrainyBoy from his small room to the bigger playroom downstairs, and moving the playroom into his old room. He'll be 11 in February, and really needs a bigger space since he's becoming a young man.


Dessert - Using just three words, describe 2006.

Preparing, evaluating, enduring.

Merry Christmas from the Inn of the Last Home

Here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2007!

Friday's Feast

Friday, December 22, 2006 - Feast One Hundred & Twenty Three

Appetizer - What is one of your Christmas traditions?

We always travel to visit my wife's extended family in West Tennessee on Christmas Day and spend several days down there.


Soup - Who is the easiest person on your list to buy presents for?

I'm a guy so my list's not too extensive: my wife, and...well, that's about it. She generally takes care of buying for the kids and our parents (although I do have some advisory responsibilities).


Salad - What is your favorite Christmas scent?

Hmm...the sausage balls my mom makes every year :)


Main Course - If you could give a fellow blogger a Christmas gift, who would it be and what would you give them?

I'd give my good buddy Michael someone to share the rest of his life with who respects him and appreciates his wacky sense of humor and inexplicable love for Dr. Who and the Washington Redskins.


Dessert - What's something on your Christmas wish list this year that you need (not just want)?

I don't really "need" anything, per se.

Come See the World

My 25th Anniversary World's Fair blog gets props and a link in today's online edition of the News Sentinel.

The story is about the vendor with the kiosk at West Town Mall selling 1982 World's Fair memorabilia, hoping to drum up some interest in a 25th Anniversary celebration. A noble goal :)

"The whole point of selling the T-shirts was to gage what Knoxville's interest in a 25th anniversary celebration would be," [co-proprieter Ronnie] Wilson said. "Across the board, people have been really interested in it. The fair is so nostalgic. People are definitely proud of the fact that we were just a small city and hosted the world."

Halloween Comes Early in 2007!

The news is in! The title of the final Harry Potter book will be:

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is the title of author J.K. Rowling's seventh and final book in the wildly popular Harry Potter series. Rowling handed fans a special Christmas present this morning by unwrapping the eagerly awaited title on her Web site, jkrowling.com, launching feverish speculation about the meaning of each word and clues for the outcome of the series.

Speculation is running rampant regarding meanings behind the title. I'm just bummed because my guess was blown out of the water, "Harry Potter and the Disdainful Stare".

Blogettes

Congratulations to a couple of local bloggers who recently welcomed new members of their extended families:

Rich of Shots Across The Bow has a new grandson, Mason.

Cathy of Domestic Psychology has a new niece, Elizabeth.

I'm sure they'll each be getting new laptops from their proud relatives any day now!

How the Mighty Have Fallen...

My wife would probably laugh at me for posting this..

But let's put it this way - Tennessee fans out there, think back to when UT won the national championship in 1998. Great, huh? And for you Red Sox fans, remember when they won the Series 2-3 years ago? What an experience! Finally, there must be a time when your high school team won the state basketball title, or your cousin's Jr Varsity Lacrosse team won the Region?

Now imagine three of those championships rolled into the span of one or two weeks. Pretty exciting, heady stuff right? And wouldn't you feel like at least one of them would do nearly as well the following year, right?

Right?

(here's where the laughing starts)

Last year I placed 1st in all three of my fantasy football leagues. All Three. First place. Won the league, won the tournament, the whole thing.

This year?

Flopped in all three. Because of the less-than-stellar machinations of New Orleans QB Drew Brees, who was on two of my teams, and other factors they all lost in the first round of our playoffs.

So no three-peats this year.

I'm sorry, why all of you are out there laughing about how pathetically sad this sounds, I'm going to go off here and sulk.

Oh wait - one more thing that just makes it that little touch worse.

The aforementioned wife? Her fantasy team had a bye this week, and now plays my opponent for a shot at the championship.

Hmm...I think I'll try Fantasy Golf...

Yeah, This Is a Good Time To Post...

...when nobody's online.

Finally finished all my "productions" this weekend, culminating in the great Christmas youth drama/comedy Sunday morning. I'd be happy to provide details, but you'd just skip over them anyway so there's no real point.

So what's everyone's plans for Christmas Day and the immediate vicinity thereof? We'll be headed for Jackson, TN Christmas Day to visit the in-law relatives for several days. Probably will bump into Big Orange Michael at some point coming back.

World's Fair Anniversary Update

Check out my 25th Anniversary of the 1982 World's Fair site. A couple of updates, especially a link to a recording of Red Skelton reciting his inspiring "Pledge of Allegiance," and some photos I posted of the Tennessee Amphitheater from during the World's Fair.

The 25th anniversary is May 1, 2007 - Little more than 4 months away. What's Knoxville doing to commemorate this huge milestone? As far as I know to this point, not so much.

Anyway, enjoy.

Friday's Feast

Friday, December 15, 2006 - Feast One Hundred and Twenty Two


Appetizer - What was your very first job with a paycheck?

I worked as an usher at Halls Cinema 4 when I was in my first year of college - that was my first job with an actual paycheck. In fact I may have actually started that summer after I graduated before I started UT. Later the theatre upgraded to 7 screens, and I heard recently that it is now or soon will be closing. Bummer. I had a lot of good times in that theatre :)


Soup - Did you ever lose something really important to you?

I watched "Arrested Development" three times over a span of months, as a favor to Michael. Unfortunately that's an hour and a half of my life I lost and will never get back...


Salad - What is the best Christmas present you ever received?

A fiancee :) My wife and I publicly "proposed" to each other at the Wesley Foundation Christmas service at UT back in December of 1991.


Main Course - Tell about a favorite "hang out" place for you and your friends when you were in high school.

While it was never quite the equal of Arnold's on "Happy Days", after football games a lot of us went to Mr. Gatti's pizza on Clinton Highway. I enjoyed doing that. It's gone now, too.


Dessert - Name something that always brings a smile to your face.

My kids would be the sappy answer, but I always laugh if I'm watching "Who's Line is it Anyway" or "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

Well, That Was Annoying

Apparently the site filtering system my company subscribes to, our old friend WebSense, has decided that the Beta Blogger editing site falls under the category of "Sex".

I'm not sure how that happened...

Anyway, I'm home now and unable to blog at work for the foreseeable future. Which I'm sure has most of you just on your knees bawling, I'm sure...

UPDATE (12/15): Huzzah! It's not filtered anymore! So now I can waste more time posting from work. Like....I am right now.

And....now.

And...still now.

Wow. More time wasted. Hey, this is fun.

Apocawhositz?

Whenever I hear about this movie, I start humming this song.

Thanks, Becky...

Ponderances, Perplexions, Puzzlements...

Here are a few things percolating around my brain these days.

• Remember the old hit song about the guy who's calling long distance information in Memphis, TN to try and find the number for his little girl, Marie?
  
  How dumb was his uncle to write the message on the wall, anyway?
  
  
• Whose bright idea was it to remake "A Year Without a Santa Claus" as a live action movie? Amen, sister. I refuse to watch the Grinch or Cat in the Hat live actions as well as one of her commenters does.
  
  
• I went to the mall Saturday afternoon around lunch for over an hour. Probably one of the worst times of the whole season to go to the mall, right? Wrong. People were friendly, it was crowded but not too much. Traffic was heavy but not too bad. I was able to park close enough to not have to hike. Sales clerks were helpful and friendly - not just to me but to other customers, cause I made it a point to watch. No pushing, shoving, raised voices, bad feelings. Where in the world do people actually find these rude holiday shoppers and workers I keep reading about?
  
  I think you bring into situations what you yourself possess, and expect to find. I'm typically a pretty friendly person and I expect to find friendly, good-hearted people. And that's who I find.
  
  
• Why is David Cutcliffe's name not being mentioned in connection with the Alabama coaching vacancy? Should I mention Alabama grad David Cutcliffe? Should this fact in itself give me cause to worry?
  
  
• Isn't the fact that we might be able to put a moonbase on the moon sufficient reason? Does everything have to have a zero sum cost-benefit analysis? Can't we just do cool stuff for the hell of it? I mean, we found 71 trillion dollars to fight the war in Iraq and didn't take a hit, we can scrape up a couple billion and go to the moon to stay, right?
  
  Oh, and...take me with you?
  
  
• Why are anti-global warming pundits always so fired up to repute the facts of global warming, as they understand them? Regardless of whether our coal-fired emissions and auto exhaust and everything else causes holes in the ozone layer and is raising the temperature of the earth or not, isn't it still, like, a good idea to reduce that pollution if we can? So c'mon, lay off it the resistance - even if it's not necessarily going to affect global temperature or whatever, it's still a good thing.
  
  
• Why do semi trucks continue to get free passes to pull out traffic and pull into truck stops around Lovell Road, while blocking cars all over the place? I'm just waiting to get behind a slow-moving semi getting on the interstate and suddenly realize the light's turned red while I'm still in the intersection - and then get zapped by the traffic camera. Not to mention the way they always line up and pull right into your path to go wherever they want to go.
  
  
• (checking the political news) What...we still have functioning political parties in America? C'mon, give it up already!!
  
  
• Why does December 30, 2006 loom ever closer and closer like a big black hole on the horizon, threatening to devour me and suck the ever-loving life out of what's left of my quaking, dessicated limbs?!?!?!?!?
  
  GUESS.
  
  

Safe Landings...

Long-time Knoxville traffic reporter Pete Michaels will attempt an emergency landing at Downtown Island Home airport around noon. Reportedly his landing gear is stuck and won't come down, so he's circling to burn up fuel before attempting the landing.

Godspeed, Pete. Good luck.

UPDATE: CNN has live video.

UPDATE 2: All clear. Belly landing successful. Return to your homes - nothing to see here...

Resolutions

Well, the work situation has resolved itself somewhat. My supervisor has worked her magic and whipped up a compromise, and my "nemesis" has apologized. I'm somewhat mollified, although there are still some unresolved issues. While the actual details of the problem have been addressed and clarified, the principles involved by and large have not. My job requires me to be the lead source of expertise on web design, how the internet works and how it relates to healthcare marketing and the the truth remains that I was completely bypassed in all areas.

Like I said, the marketing rep apologized and said she had had a lot of pressure from all sides to produce a working site and took what she felt at the time was the path of least resistance. She assured me that while she's never had a problem with my responsiveness to their needs or my skills, she knew I'm usually backed up with a number of projects at once and the third party they contracted with would be able to provide them with easy and personal access. And that she just took what she thought was the easiest path for everyone. I told her that I understand wanting things to work out the easy way, but next time to at least consult me for assistance and let me use the things I've learned to help pave the way.

I know, clear as mud without specifics... I've tried to keep the details and people vague, because as we all know it's bad juju to blog about work, but this is more of a personal thing to me than a work thing, really. It goes back to the old self-confidence/self-esteem/respect by others thing I mentioned a couple of posts back. It'll be awhile till those needs are met to my satisfaction, but it's a start.

So the manager and myself are ok, which is good. It's completely in my nature to forgive easily and I hate knowing that I'm carrying a grudge of any kind and anyone would be carrying a grudge against me. It is a bit of a load off my mind.

Now we'll see where the practical compromises arrived at this afternoon lead us, and whether they will actually solve the problems.

Friday's Feast

Friday, December 08, 2006 - Feast One Hundred & Twenty One

Appetizer - Which language would you like to learn and why?

I took several years of French in high school and college and still retain enough to be able to translate a little bit of the written language. Not much spoken. I'd love to be fluent in French. I just think it's a beautiful language to speak and hear.


Soup - What's the funniest thing you've heard or read so far this week?

Tink has been in rare form in the "Conversations" mode this week. That'll be a separate post... Suffice to say sometimes kids when they're angry or upset can really say some funny things...


Salad - Which movie was so bad you couldn't watch the whole thing?

I can't recall ever actually leaving a movie theatre or turning off a video just because it was unwatchable. The worst movie I recall seeing in the theatre was "The Stuff", a wretched little "horror" movie with an stupefyingly boring Michael Moriarty.


Main Course - If there were a holiday in your honor that didn't use your actual name, what would the day be called?

There already is: Father's Day.

(cue "awwwwwwww"'s)

No, if I were a big time famous dude who like, freed slaves or invented Jello or something, my holiday would be called: Arts Appreciation Day where all forms of art: music, dance, theatre, painting, etc. would be honored and performed/created. And they would serve nachos and dip, cause I love nachos and dip. And Cheese Bings from Old College Inn.


Dessert - Name one movie which is coming out soon that you would like to see.

I'd like to see "The Nativity". If the production quality is anything like "Passion of the Christ" it's going to be a heck of a film...

My son wants to see "Night at the Museum" because he just finished the book about the movie, and he started it before he even realized it was a movie that was coming out soon...

Hierarchy of Needs

I've never seen this - what do you think of its use or value?

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a theory in psychology that...contends that as humans meet 'basic needs', they seek to satisfy successively 'higher needs' that occupy a set hierarchy. .

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often depicted as a pyramid consisting of five levels: the four lower levels are grouped together as deficiency needs associated with physiological needs, while the top level is termed growth needs associated with psychological needs. While deficiency needs must be met, growth needs are continually shaping behaviour. The basic concept is that the higher needs in this hierarchy only come into focus once all the needs that are lower down in the pyramid are mainly or entirely satisfied. Growth forces create upward movement in the hierarchy, whereas regressive forces push prepotent needs further down the hierarchy.

I found it very interesting to examine the levels of needs and use it as a guide to see what holds one back in life.

Based on my previous post, I see one notable area of deficiency - The Esteem level. At least in my work, I have a need for self-esteem, confidence, achievement and respect by others. I do not think it has affected my respect of others in a base way, except where circumstances have cause others to fade in my estimation of their professionalism.

I notice other areas scattered throughout the pyramids I feel lacking in as well.

I wonder, though at the Self-Actualization at the top - I don't feel a loss of creativity, though it's possible I just don't recognize it. It will take some thought to consider the other areas of Self-Actualization I have lost sight of while waiting for the baser needs to be met.

As I said, it's an interesting map to better understand oneself. Where do you feel some of your own basic needs are being unmet, and how does that affect your life and how you live it?

(Hat tip: Michael Williams)

Adrift

Whenever a show finishes, I sometimes feel a bit lost - as if I should be doing something, but I'm not. I feel like I should be getting ready to do something tonight, but all I have is a small church rehearsal.

It's not just creatively, either. Although I work full-time, I find I'm unable to devote my entire attention to my job (obviously that's never the case, since I'm typing this here at my desk). But it's moreso during a show. Now that the play is over, I'm trying to jump headlong back into my real job and I notice things I either neglected, set aside till later or just missed or let slide while I was "gone". One of them jumped up at me yesterday afternoon, when I learned that while waiting on a set of web updates to come from a particular department, said department decided to contract out to a 3rd party vendor for their services. Which completely circumvents the entire purpose of my being here - I'm charged with handling all web design for the whole company, and for someone to go behind my back and spend extra money for someone else's design is a huge slap in the face, an unprofessional action that involved deception and irresponsibility. Tomorrow I'll see the person responsible for it, and I will need to contain my own emotions and maintain professionalism when all I want to do is chew them a new one.

It's so wonderful to be appreciated for the things you do.

Meanwhile I received today a wonderful note from one of the members of my King and I band thanking me for the opportunity to play and complimenting me for how I handle that large part of a show. It was very kind and considerate of him to do so - he in fact had nice things to say about everyone involved - and in that case I felt quite appreciated, as if the things I do and work hard for actually meant something to someone.

We put up Christmas lights last night and the night before - I'll try and get some pictures if I can snap that 2-1/2 minute window between when I get home and when it gets too dark (see what I mean about hating Standard Time?). At least I get to spend a little time with my family now before everyone goes to bed...

We're gearing up for the first performance of "The Atomic Horns" just after the new year. It's a wedding, then we play a huge gig at a fundraising gala for the Oak Ridge Playhouse. I'm enjoying and looking forward to concentrating on the band for awhile and laying off the theatre. In fact, unless something irresistible comes up like a directing job (ha! talk about unappreciated...) I'm going to do nothing performance-wise but the band for the first half of 2007.

So at times I drift, sometimes I'm stable. Not sure which happens more right now I'm looking for a rope...

And What Was Your Sunday Like?

Here's mine:

• 6:45 Get up, drive to church.
  
• 9:00 Direct choir in big Christmas cantata with orchestra accompaniment
  
• 11:00 Direct choir in big Christmas cantata with orchestra accompaniment again
  
• 12:00 Run to Buddy's directly after last note of 11am service, pick up lunch for myself and Tink while Laura fixes Tink's makeup for the show coming up...
  
• 12:30 Drive myself and Tink to Oak Ridge
  
• 1:15 Prepare for performance
  
• 2:00 Direct band for final "The King and I" performance
  
• 5:00 Strike band equipment, load everything into car while helping get Tink out of costume
  
• 5:05 Learn panic-stricken Tink believes she's lost her street clothes
  
• 5:10 Find Tink's street clothes hanging where she left them, resolve panic
  
• 5:40 Finish loading car, say last goodbyes, drive back to church
  
• 5:41 Realize you left Tink behind, return to theatre
  (just kidding on the last)
  
• 6:15 Get to church, grab bite to eat from youth supper, hand Tink back off to Laura who was there for handbell practice
  
• 6:30 Rehearse with church youth for Christmas play coming up in two weeks. Rejoice because all of them get there eventually.
  
• 8:15 Go home
  
• 8:45 Spend small amount of quality time with family, watch Seahawks kill Denver defense and ruin my fantasy team's chances this week, watch replay of last second Titans field goal I taped earlier, cuddle with Tink and her wet hair just out of the shower, watch a bit of Harry Potter with BrainyBoy
  
• 9:30 Rest of family goes to bed. I'm too wired to sleep. Watch more football. Eat popcorn.
  

And how was your Sunday?

Four to Go

The Tennessee Titans (5-7) have four games left in the season. Today they beat AFC Super Bowl favorite Indianapolis with a last second field goal, similar to how they beat the NY Giants last week with a last second field goal.

Tennessee has four games left to play in the season: Houston, Jacksonville, Buffalo and New England (all AFC teams). I believe Indy was probably the toughest team left on their schedule before today, with the Patriots running a close second.

It's very possible the Titans could end up the season, after starting off 05, at a respectable 9-7 or 8-8. Going by past history, it's entirely possible for a 9-7 or even an 8-8 team to make the playoffs. That's a very, very big IF but it's exciting nonetheless - especially they way the Titans have been playing of late.

Gas up again

Gas went up another 6 cents everywhere yesterday. Inexplicably. Amazing, wot?

Then I noticed this morning that the first station I saw go from $2.07 to $2.13 is now at $2.19. In two days gas went up 12 cents. I expect other stations to quickly follow suit.

Sorry, did a pipeline burst and I missed it? Did the price of crude suddenly rise? Whoops, quite the opposite although there are fears it might rise. Sometime. In the future. Whenever. Best to hike the prices now, before the holiday travel season actually starts, because, you know, people might be paying too little.

Expect it to go back toward the $2.50 mark at least by Christmas.

Blackout

No, not the power outage kind - although that did happen this morning at our house and apparently all over Knoxville.

I'm talking about why the Ravens-Bengals game on the NFL Network was blacked-out in Knoxville last night? What's up with that, NFL Network? You think anyone from Knoxville is going to drive four hours to Cincinnati and catch this game? The purpose of a black-out game is to keep locals interested in attending the game...

NFL Network, supposedly you're trying to drum up interest in your channel by televising these live games...

Wouldn't it help to, like, actually televise the live game?

Just a thought.

Citizenship Test

Frank at Left of the Dial has posted the first 10 of the proposed 144 new citizenship tests prospective US citizens are required to take. Since he challenged his readers to see how well they'd do, I thought I'd test my retention of Mr. Secrist and Mrs. Payne's American History/Government classes and see how I do:

1. Name one important idea found in the Declaration of Independence.

That all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights: the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.


2. What is the supreme law of the land?

The United States Constitution


3. What does the Constitution do?

It sets up and explains our system of government, as well as spells out our basic rights and responsibilities as Americans.


4. What does “We the People” mean in the Constitution?

It certifies that the people, the citizenry of the United States are solely responsible for creating, upholding and following the laws of the land. The government is to be a servant of the people's will and not their ruler. We the people take it upon ourselves to create a nation, united together in a common cause in pursuit of perfection. We ourselves establish what laws will be created and followed, and how our people will be protected from within and without. We will help our fellow citizens and defend them, no matter who they are or where they live, ensure that all citizens are well and fairly treated and ensure that these freedoms are secure and stable to last for all generations to come. And we the people sign our names to this document, via our representatives, and swear to uphold these laws and guidelines.

Funny, I learned more about that question from Schoolhouse Rock than in high school...


5. What do we call changes to the Constitution?

Amendments


6. What is an amendment?

An alteration or addition to the basic rules of the Constitution that spells out a law affecting all citizens, regardless of state citizenship.


7. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

The Bill of Rights


8. Name one right or freedom from the First Amendment

The people have the right to free speech, and not have their ideas, words, writing, music, art or opinions regulated by the government or risk persecution, prosecution or imprisonment for holding and relating such views.

I think it's important for all Americans to remember that with that right we must be responsible with how we use it. Nobody has the human right to scream "Fire" in a crowded theatre, since it could immediately produce a panic that might bring harm. Similarly we don't have the human right to release information that might prove harmful to other people, especially in times of war or other conflict. There are moral differences between the legal rights spelled out in the 1st amendment and the human rights we all as civilized and responsible people should understand.


9. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

Wow - got me there. I'd have to look the exact number up... 25 maybe?


10. What did the Declaration of Independence do?

It established the 13 British colonies as a separate and independent nation, free from fealty to the throne of England and all taxation responsibilities, etc.


How'd I do?

Two Heads are Better Than One

Prepare to be creeped out, spellbound and amazed for about 9 minutes. Unbelievable.