tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74142782024-03-06T22:38:00.327-05:00Neither Here Nor ThereThe Pedestrian Observations of a Pedestrian ObserverBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-96412687305664042012-02-27T20:59:00.002-05:002013-01-31T00:35:07.574-05:00Mixed Metaphor: The Silver Lining of Kitchen NightmaresWe've all experienced something like the following. You invite someone over, hoping to impress that person with a tasty meal. You plan, shop, and seem to have all your ducks in a row. Preparation begins and Murphy's Law rears its duck-like head: the vegetables are inexplicably infected with a mysterious mold visible only from the inside, the relevant piece of cookware has been rendered useless by all those years of careless abuse (remember: <a href="http://www.townsendletter.com/June2006/healthrisk0606.htm">never use metal on non-stick surfaces</a> and don't let them get too hot!). It is enough to make one resign oneself to lonely one-pot meals prepared in a Crockpot. However, there can be a silver lining to such so-called "disasters." Assuming your guest is a human being and not <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz_01tjBwAE">Gordon Ramsay</a> such mishaps can be no less romantic than a dinner gone off without a hitch. In fact, in the grand scheme of things this is a low-stakes crisis (see previous Chef Ramsay link for caveat). It can be fun working through such episodes, and a bumpy start need not be an inauspicious sign vis-a-vis the rest of the night. A little improvising, perhaps a little assistance, and your meal can still turn out tasty. More importantly: having shared such an experience can make for an even more delightful evening and fond memories. So, don't let one apparent disaster scare you out of the kitchen. Make lemonade from these lemons (or panang chicken, as the case may be), and savor the results including the intangible ones.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-89625706010902677052012-02-14T08:38:00.006-05:002018-03-12T19:41:03.166-05:00Back?<div style="font-style: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Following a positive example, I have elected to deactivate my Facebook account. No, I have no profound reason for this, and no it wasn't internet drama that pushed me to amputate one of my digital limbs. I found myself asking myself "why do I have this [FB]?" too often. Finally, I practiced what I preach every semester in my Intro to Logic class and I thought seriously about the expected utility of having Facebook versus not having it, and not having it clearly won. I've no specific beef with social networking (after all, this blog is one form of that), but if you don't know why you've elected to bring some influence into your life, then chances are </span></span><span style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">you don't need it and you may very well be better off without it. This is an experiment. I may decide to reactivate, but a week on the wagon and I've yet to be tempted. I am hoping that my productivity will go up as I have plugged one significant time-sink, and perhaps I will become more focused on managing my own business instead of being so concerned with so-and-so's latest status update and additions to one's photo album.</span></span></div>
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<span do="" formatting="" is="" know="" not="" off="" on="" paragraph="" the="" this="" why="">Life is good these days, relatively speaking. Yes, reading the news is soul-crushing, and following the GOP race makes me angry for yet unactualized possibilities, but taking the liberty to be a little self-consumed and evaluate life within my own sphere of influence, I can say that I'm currently content. Between achieving some level of security with my job and the introduction of new positive influences, the outlook is guardedly optimistic. Tyson and I may end up returning to Georgia together after all (though this may come a<span style="font-size: 100%;">t the cost of another summer with my summer teaching job). This was yesterday's big news. As with every summer, we are waiting to see what happens with his summer funding/opportunities and it may yet not work out (as it typically does n</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">ot), in which case this cowboy may go it alone in that most wild of places, the Caucasus.</span></span></div>
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<span do="" formatting="" is="" know="" not="" off="" on="" paragraph="" the="" this="" why="">Spring is not far, which means more unethical gr<span style="font-size: 100%;">illing. For now I post a picture of my feast last night</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">: kimchi fried rice with mushrooms served between caramelized Brussels sprouts and a beaten, fried egg.</span></span></div>
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-65800684200328332672010-02-22T23:58:00.005-05:002010-02-23T00:26:56.043-05:00food in PensacolaI just thought I'd rattle off some Pensacola dining advice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pizza</span><br /><br />Ozone has half priced pies on Mondays. They aren't bad. The crust leaves something to be desired, so I recommend specifying thin crust; it is better.<br /><br />Hopjacks has some of the most interesting pizzas in town. They are pricey, but worth it. I recommend the roasted duck pie. Pizzas at Hopjacks are better than pizzas at Ozone, but if you're on a budget or you just want a good pie and good atmosphere, hit up Ozone. the atmosphere at Hopjacks sucks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Burger</span><br /><br />I have not eaten at the infamous Blue Dot. It is on my agenda. However, the best burgers I have had locally are at McGuire's. They grind their own beef, which means that rare burgers are (as far as I'm concerned) a safe option.<br /><br />The Pensacola burger crawl ranked the Kobe beef burger at Bonefish highly, but I disagree.<br /><br />McGuire's.<br /><br />Jack's Diner in East Hill is terrible. Wait, may be it is called Jimmy's Drive In. Whatever it is called, it sucks. So does the Times Grill up on 9 Mile rd.<br /><br />McGuire's<br /><br />Moving onto <span style="font-weight: bold;">sushi</span><br /><br />In order: Ichiban, followed <span style="font-style: italic;">distantly</span> by Fish House, Dharma Blue and then Horizen. I recommend the sashimi platter at Ichiban. I would not bother getting sushi at the other three places. I have not tried all of the sushi places here. I have ranked those I have tried.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Fine" Dining<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></span>There are no fine dining establishments in Pensacola. Jackson's is mentioned as a fine dining restaurant, but it is anything but. What it lacks in quality, it makes up for in stuffiness. You get all the attitude of a NY fine dining establishment stuck in the 80's, but none of the quality. The service is terrible and the food is mediocre. The cocktails are good though.<br /><br />The Fish House, owned by the same people as Jackson's, also thinks of itself as fine dining. It is pricey, but it is not fine dining. Dishes are uninspired and overpriced, as at Jackson's.<br /><br />The Global Grill is OK, but is not fine dining. OK, may be it is fine dining for this area, but it is neither innovative nor particularly tasty. It isn't bad, and probably it is a great place for a date, but I just don't really dig on tapas. It strikes me as a way to charge too much for too little. I did, however, enjoy the turtle soup and frog legs. It is a good place for reptiles.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oysters<br /><br /></span>The Marina Oyster Barn off of Cervantes is the only place I'd go. Prices are good, atmosphere is perfect, laid back, and family-friendly. I love this place.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Places to Avoid</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Taste of India</span>: yes, it is "exotic" for NW Florida, but it is the worst Indian food I've ever had.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cactus Flower</span>: ties to be upscale Mexican, but I don't think they even make their own salsa.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Seville Diner</span>: a place with much potential, but basically it is a Waffle House without all the yellow<br /><br />Really the best place to eat locally is at my house. Feel free to stop by.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-38634981384865436602009-08-24T10:05:00.004-05:002009-08-24T10:25:05.278-05:00IdentityToday I faced a trial I've been dreading for at least the past week: getting my UWF parking pass and ID card. Mind you, at Bucknell this was an extremely painless process. One might even say it was pleasant. However, I suspected that at a school three times the size of Bucknell, there would be lines and issues. My suspicion was vindicated when on Friday of last week I inquired about the process and was subsequently redirected to the appropriate office where there was quite the line of students. I opted to wait until Monday (today).<br /><br />For various reasons, none of which really worth mentioning, I did not sleep last night, or I slept very little. My alarm went off at six a.m. signaling me to shower, drink coffee, and face UWF bureaucracy. I wanted to be there prior to the offices opening at eight a.m. so as to avoid a line. Of course I did not manage to avoid the line to get my parking pass, but it was minimal. I had no problems getting the pass. The next stop is the ID center. I walk in and the lady expects a receipt showing that I paid the $10 ID fee to the parking pass lady. I show her the receipt from the parking pass lady and she says it will not do. I respond by informing her that I'm faculty and, therefore, do not need to pay for my ID. Here is where the story gets interesting. She asks me how she's supposed to know I'm faculty and if she's expected to simply take my word for it. After all, she points out, I'm wearing a backpack. She tells me to get a note from my supervisor attesting to my status. I tell her that I will not do that and that she can take as proof that I'm faculty the fact that I'm holding the faculty parking pass I just purchased without incident. Again she is incredulous. I instruct her to run my ID number (printed on my parking pass receipt). This request is met with a deep sigh (mind you, no one else was in this office, so it wasn't like she was dealing with a horde of ID-hungry students). Coldly, she tells me to look at the camera, 1-2-3, and my picture is taken for the ID. Transaction over. On one hand, I was irritated with this woman who doubted that I was faculty, in the face of credible evidence, simply because I was wearing a backpack, and I was shocked by her cold demeanor; on the other hand, however, I was happy to have a business transaction with someone who treated me like shit, didn't call me 'hon', and didn't inquire about my life story ("what brangs ya' down here?, etc."). It was like a little taste of the northeast way down here in the deep south.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to my appointment at the DMV a week from today.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-43060997285770478952009-06-21T09:49:00.005-05:002013-10-08T22:47:26.823-05:00MartyrsIf you are looking for a good horror flick, replete with gore, psychological torment (for both the viewer and the characters), and an uncompromising assault on your senses, see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1029234/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Martyrs</span></a>. Even the final credits are haunting. I won't say much about this film as doing so could possibly ruin the ample payoff of viewing it. Despite the fact that the film is at times nearly unwatchable for its brutality, this is not a piece of <a href="http://nymag.com/movies/features/15622/">torture porn</a>. Or if it is, it is much smarter than its torture porn kin such as <a href="http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/1903/alinterieurmoviepostercg6.jpg">l' interieur</a>, <a href="http://www.impawards.com/2006/posters/hostel.jpg">Hostel</a>, <a href="http://z.about.com/d/movies/1/0/G/2/5/sawpubf.jpg">Saw</a>, and <a href="http://www.comm.umd.edu/images/Passion-of-the-Christ.jpg">The Passion of the Christ</a>. Because the violence is essential to the story and is presented in a way that is thereto serviceable, I am reluctant to classify <span style="font-style: italic;">Martyrs</span> as "torture porn," a genre marked by its egregious depictions of violence for its own sake. <span style="font-style: italic;">Martyrs</span>, unlike most modern horror, is hardly "easy watching." For example, unlike movies such as Hostel, you don't sit down with a beer and expect to be entertained by gratuitous gore and cheap frights. Viewing <span style="font-style: italic;">Martyrs</span> is a different kind of experience; it is a <span style="font-style: italic;">personal</span> experience. You will not watch it with the detachment with which you watch <a href="http://roddysrockinreviews.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/28-days-later.jpg">28 Days Later</a> or <a href="http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/timewasters/cloverfield_galleryteaser2.jpg">Cloverfield</a> (though both of those are great films). You will not laugh, and at times you may forget to breathe or be afraid to do so. At the risk of inadvertently dissuading potential viewers, I will liken the experience of watching <span style="font-style: italic;">Martyrs</span> to that of watching <a href="http://www.sgnewwave.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/requiem_for_a_dream.jpg">Requiem for a Dream</a> (or may be <a href="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/16/161593/04_2008/the-descent.jpg">The Descent</a>) in terms of the film's ability to draw you into the story. It will leave you shaken, disturbed, and wondering what you did to make the director punish you so mercilessly.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Martyrs</span> is splendidly acted and written. The <a href="http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/the-cortez-brothers-on-creating-the-martyrs-soundtrack/">soundtrack</a> provides the perfect sonic canvass against which this heartbreaking story of abuse and obsession takes place. The color palette is subdued and sterile, which helps bring this feature to life.<br />
<a href="http://feedbackloop.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/martyrs1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feedbackloop.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/martyrs1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 559px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 420px;" /></a>Again, I leave this review brief so that you may discover the richness of this story for yourself. Do not read the Wikipedia entry on this movie as it is full of spoilers. However you may safely watch any of the official trailers, which are available on Youtube.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-18943380860891013672009-05-29T23:57:00.005-05:002009-05-30T11:55:55.038-05:00I hate being wrongTypically, I don't mind revising my beliefs when confronted with recalcitrant data. This is what any intellectually respectable robot would do. However, some revisions are more fundamental than others, and today I had a fairly earth-shattering revelation. Upon the suggestion of a colleague, I gave the new Metallica album, "Death Magnetic," a listen. I wrote off Metallica in 1992 when the "Black Album" came out and they lost their edge, going pop under the tutelage of producer Bob Rock. Bob made them superstars, making their music accessible to the redneck masses. A series of shitty albums followed. Some contended that "St. Anger," the album before "Death Magnetic," was a return to their roots. No. It was heavier than the pop crap on Load or Reload, but it was unfocused and stupid. "Death Magnetic" is not a return to the greatness of Master of "Puppets" or "...And Justice for All," but it is a return to greatness. This is an album to be proud of. It is not overproduced like the "Black Album" (and its immediate successors), and the song writing has improved immensely. What is similar to "Justice" and "Puppets" is the intelligent orchestration and speed. Best of all, Hetfield has stopped trying to sing, at least on some (the better of the) tracks. He has gone back to doing what he does best: minimally tonal growling. There are still losers on this album. "All Nightmare Long" sucks. "Cyanide" sucks. But that's ok, so did "Escape" (Ride the Lightning) and "The Thing that Should not Be" (Master of Puppets) and "Eye of the Beholder" (...And Justice for All). But at least these two shitty songs on DM suck only because of their lyrics; the music is solid. I'm not going to go on and on as I do about t.A.T.u since Metallica is no t.A.T.u., but if you've lost hope that Metallica will ever be anything more than an embarrassment to their past, check out "Death Magnetic." In the words of <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/22723926/review/22787142/death_magnetic">Rolling Stone reviewer Brian Hiatt</a>:<br /><br /><span class="content"><i>"Death Magnetic</i> is the musical equivalent of Russia's invasion of Georgia — a sudden act of aggression from a sleeping giant.</span>"<br /><br />Metallica, you proved me wrong.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-61245959829373233022009-01-24T14:32:00.014-05:002009-01-28T11:32:03.436-05:00Весёлые улыбки<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://shop.taty.ru/files/1/1554/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://shop.taty.ru/files/1/1554/1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">After waiting months for my signed copy of t.A.T.y.'s (aka t.A.T.u.) new album (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Smiles/dp/B001KQGCVO/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1232831075&sr=8-2"><span style="font-style: italic;">Весёлые улыбки</span>, trans: <span style="font-style: italic;">Happy Smiles</span></a>) to arrive, I lost my patience and ordered it over iTunes. Unsurprisingly, everyone's favorite Russian pop duo has delivered nothing short of a masterpiece. I feel compelled to post a short review. I shall proceed track by track, providing English translations of lyrics when necessary.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Интро" (Intro):</span><br /><br />In a fashion similar to that of their most recent release <a href="http://www.amazon.com/T-U-NEW-DISABLED-PEOPLE-envalidi/dp/B000BYSX5O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1232831149&sr=8-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Люди инвалиды</span></a>, the album starts off with an instrumental intro. My only complaint with this track is that it is three minutes and nine seconds of my life without the mellifluous voices of Yulia Volkova and Lena Katina. It is a tease, building tension in anticipation of the second track.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Белый плащик" (White Robe):</span><br /><br />This is the first single off the track, which came out nearly an eternal year before the release of the album. You are probably familiar with the video for this tune<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MenCtvA2zSI"></a>, which is as provocative as it is beautiful as it is moving. The synths swoop in, bombarding the listener like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Soviet_tanks">Soviet tank</a> only to retreat from the force of Lena's vocals. Yulia's haunting voice dominates the mix of the chorus:<br /><br />Bullet in the heart<br />Brain on the door<br />limb and wings<br />We’re putting on<br />This white robe<br />Soul to heaven<br />We put it in a box<br />We let it go<br /><br />This is one of the album's strongest tracks and rewards repeated listening. The poignant lyrics were penned by a 16-year old fan <span>named Maria Maksakova (Esa on the official t.A.T.y forum). Three of her poems comprise the lyrics.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"You and I":</span><br /><br />This track also follows in the steps of the album's predecessor. Like "All about Us" it is sung in English. Devotees will recall that this song is of the same title as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_and_I_%28film%29">t.A.T.y movie</a> whose release date seems to always be pushed back another couple months. In both structure and melody it resembles "All about Us." It is not nearly as strong as "All about Us," though it is still a delightful ditty. I cannot wait for the movie. I'll drive <a href="http://www.amazon.com/200-Km-H-Wrong-Lane/dp/B00006JJ1O">200 km/h in the wrong lane</a> to see it, 5 times. Desperation sublimates from the bridge:<br /><br />No truths to confirm<br />No lies to deny<br />Too hopeless to care<br />We're too scared to cry<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Снегопады" (Snowfalls):</span><br /><br />I admit that I don't quite understand the lyrics to this song. But this would not bet the first time that I am faced with the fact that I am just not intelligent enough to appreciate the profundity of t.A.T.y.'s prose. For example, consider the following lines:<br /><br />We appear together as stars<br />We're different<br />You're a blue star<br />I am bright red<br /><br />This is a metaphor, I am sure, but a metaphor for what? Whatever it means, I love it. This tune starts out a bit house-y, but soon transforms, becoming dark albeit beat-driven and irresistibly danceable.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"220":</span><br /><br />This is THE strongest track. My only complaint is that it is not long enough. '220', a reference to the voltage standard in Europe, begins with a cutting portomento analogue synth line. I could go my whole life listening to no other song. I also recommend <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK1VbLcmRXA&feature=related">viewing the video</a>, which showcases t.A.T.y.'s skills-of-a-dancer.<br /><br />Teach me to wait<br />And smile and say<br />I want everything returned<br />If this is love, to know at once<br />You don't understand the dream<br />If this is love, know that everything is used<br />Reflections of sunlight on the wall<br />After sunset I die<br />Death is twice as easy<br /><br />It is as if this song were written for me alone.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Марсианские глаза" (Martian Eyes)</span><br /><br />I used to be scared of Martians in my more xenophobic days (as a child, before I learned about relativity theory and the vastness of the universe, I was deathly afraid of an extraterrestrial alien invasion), but not anymore. Indeed, they must have incomprehensibly enchanting eyes to inspire this ballad.<br /><br />Alright go<br />I abolish you<br />I'm alone again<br />Obviously, I'm painful<br />And can't sleep again<br />Count the bunnies<br />Search the squirrel<br />I want to stay silent<br /><br />The listener finds himself suppressing the urge to weep in the face of "Martian Eyes," a moving and, dare I say, magical piece. Clocking in at three minutes and ten seconds, it is the perfect dose of melancholy. Just enough to make you appreciate how happy "220" made you.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Человечки (Little People):</span><br /><br />The vocal harmonies on this track are cool as hell, and the arrangement is, if anything, symphonic in its sophistication. We get more of the killer portomento analogue synth that we loved so much in "220." </span><span style="font-size:100%;">"Человечки" paints a picture of a foggy early morning in a pristine meadow. You're being chased by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403358/">vampires</a> hungry to taste your blood before the sun peeks over the distance. Or may be you are the vampire, famished, desperate for just one drop of blood. Willing to dare the sun to exist. </span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Весёлые улыбки" (Happy Smiles):</span><br /><br />The title track is probably the darkest sounding on the album, ironically. Throaty synths and highly reverbed drums construct a lush, eerie, and purple landscape. This short track is instrumental, but alone worth the price of the album.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Running Blind":</span><br /><br />The English tracks on t.A.T.y. albums are rarely as great as the Russian ones. This is one of those rare cases. Something important is about to happen. I don't know what it is, but it is damn important. This is what this song tells me. I'll wait t.A.T.y., I'll wait for you to show me.<br /><br />Are you near me?<br />Are you only in my mind?<br /><br />This song is so good it makes me sick.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />"Fly on the Wall"</span><br /><br />This song starts of incredibly layered, but softens up for Julia:<br /><br />When you're naked in the shower<br />When you're sleeping for an hour<br />When you're big<br />When you're small<br />Oh, I wish I was a fly on the wall.<br /><br />The chorus revisits the rich, orchestrated synths, which I happen to have a soft spot for, admittedly; however, the melody of the vocal part sounds a bit too predicable for my taste. The lyrical content is unassailable, but melodically it is a bit too close to what you might hear at a strip club.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />"Время Луны" (Time of the Moon):</span><br /><br />Back to their native tongue, this song opens with a tribal beat that is soon crushed by overdriven guitars and Yulia chanting in a hypnotic, monotone voice:<br /><br /></span>Start all over<br />Don't look up to the glass<br />Don't brake it<br />They shine contacts and bobbins<br />We put out their uselessness<br />Fire and wind<br />Too late<br />In order to stop us<br />Start all over<br />We take off<br />And don't dash already<br /><br />The girls are pissed, and you better listen. Anger makes way for a melodic bridge sung by everyone's favorite Russian redhead, Lena Katina. But Yulia is still pissed and answers with the brutal chorus.<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Не жалей" (Don't Regret):</span><br /><br />Atmospheric and downbeat, </span><span style="font-size:100%;">"Не жалей" is dangerously close to sounding new age (think: Enya), but the double-time vocals and ensuing addition of rock drums save this song from failure. Personally I could do without the acoustic guitar and piano, but it isn't bad. I would have liked to have seen the album end on more of a high note, especially given what triumph the album is as a whole. It is the duo's first release on their own label and they ought to be proud of the gift they've given us.</span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />With t.A.T.y. we learn, with t.A.T.y. we love. No matter how deep the waters in which they lead us, we know that we aren't alone. Yulia and Lena are there to guide us through the dark seas they, themselves, have created for us. Each song is an opportunity for reflection. You look into this ocean only to see yourself as you've never seen before, but illumated by <a href="http://briansranting.blogspot.com/2007/11/tatu-ya-tebya-lyublyu.html">t.A.T.y</a>.'s Happy Smiles.<br /></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-7629448949862368402009-01-15T10:14:00.003-05:002009-01-15T10:25:37.482-05:00New ToyI just bought a Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Roadster Rectifier amp. It is sweet. Luscious cleans and rich distortions. I can actually hear the tone of my guitar now, whereas before all the processing masked the character of my instrument. The thing weighs a ton! I could barely get it up the stairs. It has like eleventythousand tubes in the back (actually 6). The amp has 4 independent channels each with its own tone characteristics, which makes it basically 4 amps in one. I have yet to crank it past the 8 o'clock position because it is so damn loud. The amp can run in 50watt mode or 100watt mode (you can specify this for each channel!) and there's all sorts of other crazy things you can do with the amp that I haven't quite figured out. It is the most versatile amp at this price point and the second most versatile amp on the market (beaten only by its big brother, the Mesa Road King). I still haven't figured out how to get super saturated distortions out of it, but supposedly they are there for the taking. Yes, I know the music room is aclutter. I need to find an efficient arrangement.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0cUyGHEsoR-t7eVzPx-vxyucIoAi9FWYXxGZorE620XFM7ma2A-ep7-u_zGAb5Kz778k8VYL_ku2kWoSdoDDXI0gnkvKZ29AEyUH1pWjdqkKwjJbqpCeQ7BY-j-5LsEhRi7ejQ/s1600-h/DSC00133.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0cUyGHEsoR-t7eVzPx-vxyucIoAi9FWYXxGZorE620XFM7ma2A-ep7-u_zGAb5Kz778k8VYL_ku2kWoSdoDDXI0gnkvKZ29AEyUH1pWjdqkKwjJbqpCeQ7BY-j-5LsEhRi7ejQ/s320/DSC00133.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291540302257829010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAN53AtfAFipgj2l2EX-NcX3iCgmvlH5Jb3WIY0k_Jaa_EnAGtSUvz9PP7LFWmo74xtXjZkQh3DK3VBAcAP2H-c9m8Zg6u_WfnJwxuvDOMqxu0h4ikH5khSoQjpPOemGGIIkFqBw/s1600-h/DSC00132.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAN53AtfAFipgj2l2EX-NcX3iCgmvlH5Jb3WIY0k_Jaa_EnAGtSUvz9PP7LFWmo74xtXjZkQh3DK3VBAcAP2H-c9m8Zg6u_WfnJwxuvDOMqxu0h4ikH5khSoQjpPOemGGIIkFqBw/s320/DSC00132.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291540296013615938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHU5RLLhUU4zhYLF0c3ALawfoZrpV0r0OZz94tsN7M7WS2uIDnDGAKH3l8RWrjaggcNAC4YKHeezG-PvhhrzABb6Ma8B8NZ00pKMG_GZIEI-S8Tt8E69tm8tJjJwVSPJ6rxBdkA/s1600-h/DSC00130.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHU5RLLhUU4zhYLF0c3ALawfoZrpV0r0OZz94tsN7M7WS2uIDnDGAKH3l8RWrjaggcNAC4YKHeezG-PvhhrzABb6Ma8B8NZ00pKMG_GZIEI-S8Tt8E69tm8tJjJwVSPJ6rxBdkA/s320/DSC00130.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291540293868758914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FR4SmVqvO2xTHb80WejI9sI-MPBLTNGJ_9lLzYMzW5MmiNdnf-v6lI7OfwwVnRvfH_v7HJd684AT2mpMlyRES95bXb8wAG14sSrq5reiI-tpJfN8U5yi7oJsqouo9S2yneUZyg/s1600-h/DSC00127.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FR4SmVqvO2xTHb80WejI9sI-MPBLTNGJ_9lLzYMzW5MmiNdnf-v6lI7OfwwVnRvfH_v7HJd684AT2mpMlyRES95bXb8wAG14sSrq5reiI-tpJfN8U5yi7oJsqouo9S2yneUZyg/s320/DSC00127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291540286411532722" border="0" /></a>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-57748896045599809132008-12-19T13:11:00.002-05:002008-12-19T13:26:10.371-05:00Pics from Tyson's visit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc-sDDfP4nGAKXxsHXNzO8vIlkOeyJ1iQBVdTYvjyOus2ulN0FDuNgntghetqijWrP5EmxnwZM1mBrjOlU1tK82aNIwCclm0mo9NCqFPw7hIzMBAqMXr_E1D9Py_o1KNU_aRSrg/s1600-h/DSC00054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc-sDDfP4nGAKXxsHXNzO8vIlkOeyJ1iQBVdTYvjyOus2ulN0FDuNgntghetqijWrP5EmxnwZM1mBrjOlU1tK82aNIwCclm0mo9NCqFPw7hIzMBAqMXr_E1D9Py_o1KNU_aRSrg/s320/DSC00054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281568732629040674" border="0" /></a>Tyson and I decided to dress up as Santas and paint the town red...and white....or green, as it were. We were warmly received at the local watering hole.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzE48n_cy8zUnKQeF29W05sJ7t6TfhZFpYaZ08kA9s11lHVdsTKSXZJF0XXOV9WH6FXpeVQRV9l7MI55iTSrseL_86VdSofvFicCpMft-0IEoWs7DnhK0Rn8xra-eF3j_CrhOog/s1600-h/DSC00044.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzE48n_cy8zUnKQeF29W05sJ7t6TfhZFpYaZ08kA9s11lHVdsTKSXZJF0XXOV9WH6FXpeVQRV9l7MI55iTSrseL_86VdSofvFicCpMft-0IEoWs7DnhK0Rn8xra-eF3j_CrhOog/s320/DSC00044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281568726212394594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVB9aD0poxyYook7lurZZrDQbsfM0EMbWgUg8zdlM4HUvo0Hh7swiYBVTlmt1zw5wlJPrT9kyYU4xoBOfl8_4nogx_e2oEYMXkIBW8EdzYCJeci1kojNInmBooG8ieZasDaxdOQ/s1600-h/DSC00043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVB9aD0poxyYook7lurZZrDQbsfM0EMbWgUg8zdlM4HUvo0Hh7swiYBVTlmt1zw5wlJPrT9kyYU4xoBOfl8_4nogx_e2oEYMXkIBW8EdzYCJeci1kojNInmBooG8ieZasDaxdOQ/s320/DSC00043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281568718611859266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkV4ldd3LXxmm4hHvMlHBCO0-uVBnw-Mna0YwpAyNcSV_wqlEu3cSKmNh4CMHKmAXfNQKsF2rRlh32bou_rtnziKxM8fwD63tznMIsd5geY43qAsyatj64iVOrfdmRob1yCXhxQ/s1600-h/DSC00034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkV4ldd3LXxmm4hHvMlHBCO0-uVBnw-Mna0YwpAyNcSV_wqlEu3cSKmNh4CMHKmAXfNQKsF2rRlh32bou_rtnziKxM8fwD63tznMIsd5geY43qAsyatj64iVOrfdmRob1yCXhxQ/s320/DSC00034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281568708546094322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEN5Zy6aNOZBZhc-2GNsxLRYKybjkBlPv7Tp_Tx5snsGKNCyIMx8aorq-_NH2IjHd8kUHzaYB6Ln9DGy6mkwph6xg541LS_2I5Nn3vPueTGd8a8046C8ncew-GJ43u9FThArTQBg/s1600-h/DSC00029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEN5Zy6aNOZBZhc-2GNsxLRYKybjkBlPv7Tp_Tx5snsGKNCyIMx8aorq-_NH2IjHd8kUHzaYB6Ln9DGy6mkwph6xg541LS_2I5Nn3vPueTGd8a8046C8ncew-GJ43u9FThArTQBg/s320/DSC00029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281568316193636242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5fFEvv9s8CHAiFDY9OPJZVZPXQFcvZf1qh25HK4DwqAnDbxXg0cPKDdRpoxUlWyrvL-mSBmGNGRxD6q65OowyKaNEVA2b2r73UCjaCrVAGQ44hck2N3gymt0vq4F3K3OzifRhA/s1600-h/DSC00028.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5fFEvv9s8CHAiFDY9OPJZVZPXQFcvZf1qh25HK4DwqAnDbxXg0cPKDdRpoxUlWyrvL-mSBmGNGRxD6q65OowyKaNEVA2b2r73UCjaCrVAGQ44hck2N3gymt0vq4F3K3OzifRhA/s320/DSC00028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281568312920728178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLSOK_cbU8526VFXSx8BkHha3TU_Ihv45peID42E3l_DovBtoNUBAB9WJJdXyhkEC3pZBWw-44VHpZ3GywGqa-S9KhRkHCgcCAlNeHJqluelKRsI33rp60JfybWOjzBy7uX5Tlg/s1600-h/DSC00014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLSOK_cbU8526VFXSx8BkHha3TU_Ihv45peID42E3l_DovBtoNUBAB9WJJdXyhkEC3pZBWw-44VHpZ3GywGqa-S9KhRkHCgcCAlNeHJqluelKRsI33rp60JfybWOjzBy7uX5Tlg/s320/DSC00014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281568306883276178" border="0" /></a>We also decided to make Georgian dumplings, aka 'khinkali'.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitb0-cEbVU0SerhQXEJTlVhCzk7sBtXiOC__0qcckO-2BTYfOo46HZpfo4dKSAbbnAaAPt1NxtvteyxGBWItcvqFW7XXxBe6Jow6EUhV97AMvpTSEqKcapSObXxriw-nRotZ9feQ/s1600-h/DSC00011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitb0-cEbVU0SerhQXEJTlVhCzk7sBtXiOC__0qcckO-2BTYfOo46HZpfo4dKSAbbnAaAPt1NxtvteyxGBWItcvqFW7XXxBe6Jow6EUhV97AMvpTSEqKcapSObXxriw-nRotZ9feQ/s320/DSC00011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281568299433142754" border="0" /></a>Morning...oats.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_JQ2BHQf2gwaRsY5qtIl0BEj5OkeyhkMFlZnwaHVeZz2B8KjegyLYRBb_xdHY_x1TL19BwfwK7pRpY3vPLqLRHjflw8-wpgJS2BmPD8FQj2jbbr0NEi69Qc0ftTbCkEyuh_c_w/s1600-h/DSC00007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_JQ2BHQf2gwaRsY5qtIl0BEj5OkeyhkMFlZnwaHVeZz2B8KjegyLYRBb_xdHY_x1TL19BwfwK7pRpY3vPLqLRHjflw8-wpgJS2BmPD8FQj2jbbr0NEi69Qc0ftTbCkEyuh_c_w/s320/DSC00007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281568284951545122" border="0" /></a>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-3984789153173076592008-12-04T17:48:00.003-05:002008-12-05T15:31:41.584-05:00"Don't Make Me Get All Virtuous up in this Piece," or "When Various Facets of my Greatness Collide"I am the most punctual person you will ever meet. I would say that punctuality is my foremost virtue. You will never have to wait for me nor will you have to be inconvenienced by my dilly-dallying. If I cannot make an engagement on time, then I will just not attend the engagement. For example, if I cannot get to the symphony on time, I will not go. I will not walk in late or even wait until intermission. If you invite me to dinner and I know that a prior obligation would result in my being late, I will politely refuse the invitation. Much to my dismay, others are not as punctual as I am, nor are they as considerate as I am when it comes to avoiding showing up late, holding up the show, etc.<br /><br />Group dinners always annoy me. You try to assemble 7-10 or more of your friends to go to a restaurant. There's always someone running late that makes that planned departure time of 7:30 become 7:40, or worse, 7:45. That person ought not to go, in my opinion. If you cannot leave at the scheduled time of departure, you forfeit your place at the table or in the carpool. And of course, sorting out the check is another fiasco that invariably occurs in such situations, but that is another story. My summer job confronts me with situations like these at least twice per week.<br /><br />Students coming to class late annoys me. It is disruptive and disrespectful to the other students and me. If you can't make it one time, drop the class and sign up for something that fits with your schedule better. You might also consider dropping out of college because you're not gonna be able to keep that fancy job you get when you graduate if you can't get there on time.<br /><br />If you are chronically late, take this into account when making plans. For example, suppose you are always 10-15 minutes late. You want to have dinner at 7 pm with friends, whether you are planning to meet them at the restaurant or carpool, it doesn't matter. If you are the planner, take that hungry time of 7 pm and add a buffer to it. Do not fudge and say something like "7-ish". What does that even mean? Commit to a time, be there at that time (or slightly beforehand), or forfeit your right to make dinner plans. Don't punish other people because you are too disorganized or plagued by constant bad luck which makes you late.<br /><br />In short, I value punctuality in others. I know there is no one as punctual as I am, and I'm becoming resigned to the fact that I will never have a friend who cares about the fact that it causes me severe annoyance and anxiety to be late or pressed for time. It is a sad, sad world when I find myself feeling like it is Christmas morning when someone is actually on time. Planning effectively is not a superpower. Anyone can do it, though no one I ever know ever will. This brings me to my second most prominent virtue: patience.<br /><br />These two virtues often conflict. I am very patient when it comes to some things: restaurant mishaps, my dog's whining, slow traffic, slow people, crazytown, etc. I *cannot*, however, deal with tardiness. I may don a veneer of cool indifference at your lateness, but inside my organs are quickly poaching in my boiling blood, and in the back of my mind I am considering 1. all of the various terrible curses I would cast upon you if I had one of those Harry Potter magic wands, or 2. if I set your house on fire while you slept, whether you'd wake up in time to get out, or 3. the street value of your first born's kidneys.<br /><br />My general malaise is only exacerbated by the fact that tardy people trigger this cognitive dissonance, i.e., the inconsistency of these two virtues I exemplify. I cannot be a nonhypocritical servant of punctuality and also be patient in matters of timeliness. I may be a bastard, but you made me this way.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-24449999576860656872008-11-14T08:04:00.002-05:002008-11-14T08:06:30.446-05:00Pittsburgh<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iyuoi6tZ-xVeBCVWkaP4PK5TMj7ADOgKFrORcoZaq7uqpUvjiA6kaubp8lJeu67XhW38294cK74xsBoRxiocpYkWMfJM0JSoG3FwivRO29Xit7xSY8HFgE_43X1anvJmaGVStA/s1600-h/DSCF7510.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iyuoi6tZ-xVeBCVWkaP4PK5TMj7ADOgKFrORcoZaq7uqpUvjiA6kaubp8lJeu67XhW38294cK74xsBoRxiocpYkWMfJM0JSoG3FwivRO29Xit7xSY8HFgE_43X1anvJmaGVStA/s320/DSCF7510.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268498811201513922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYj0xESLASG6QK92nbhtezfH_JG-oS_9yFfDc2wMgm55mfsbSuTWXmnn9KX_3CNGg4Lq07unbsrFfwr0TCkPD4IKAnhwZ7vGOypUtGvkEJqCDbE81JbNliWLqQ-Z8ijx5je525w/s1600-h/DSCF7517.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYj0xESLASG6QK92nbhtezfH_JG-oS_9yFfDc2wMgm55mfsbSuTWXmnn9KX_3CNGg4Lq07unbsrFfwr0TCkPD4IKAnhwZ7vGOypUtGvkEJqCDbE81JbNliWLqQ-Z8ijx5je525w/s320/DSCF7517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268498807918083106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs7izKOFu2TjXlfJHZjdPBvotYjZYiqkn_iW_vsevzXfwTDg0_MceipSMOjxKkIR1oSTF7D8Cw_ZwFYFL3UgE7Q4b9c_YTqspvDRbA2UrGaBOSU9ZnDpsM2DP2mxIkz8ERAQWrA/s1600-h/DSCF7516.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs7izKOFu2TjXlfJHZjdPBvotYjZYiqkn_iW_vsevzXfwTDg0_MceipSMOjxKkIR1oSTF7D8Cw_ZwFYFL3UgE7Q4b9c_YTqspvDRbA2UrGaBOSU9ZnDpsM2DP2mxIkz8ERAQWrA/s320/DSCF7516.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268498805555276786" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrXByaUhjZsHsUnQmd0hzLPEXJqaJFN8a-7VK_hSOCY3lVzQ84bLTpJfPR-MwQyJJjGeBmsZ6IjZuqJM9fIPiUomvPitTVTCOlVphATQIdg4GXAhxyItQFoFKiq0kmhMV1ktkAA/s1600-h/DSCF7515.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrXByaUhjZsHsUnQmd0hzLPEXJqaJFN8a-7VK_hSOCY3lVzQ84bLTpJfPR-MwQyJJjGeBmsZ6IjZuqJM9fIPiUomvPitTVTCOlVphATQIdg4GXAhxyItQFoFKiq0kmhMV1ktkAA/s320/DSCF7515.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268498796942519250" border="0" /></a>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-71390903651684939402008-10-01T10:58:00.002-05:002008-10-01T11:09:10.192-05:00Long time, no seeSince my last post I fractured my radius skating. Now when I see a half-pipe, I have PTSD. Professional skating is not in the cards for me, it seems. My new backup plan is to save up my money this year and if I don't find a job, then I will move to Tbilisi and live for a year basically doing nothing except studying Georgian and writing philosophy. I'll scout for possible there jobs when I return in May of '09, but I'd be content just to hang out for the year.<br /><br />Other news...<br /><br />Nothing. Lewisburg is a place where nothing happens except arm breaking. I'm now nearly fully recovered, and now I'll have to find something else to do. In November I'll be in Pittsburgh for a conference. Matt will be there as will other grad school buddies. I'm looking forward to that. I have mixed emotions about Pittsburgh, however. Primanti Bros. with their pastrami, coleslaw, and french fry sammiches are calling me, but Pittsburgh represents some of my biggest failures in living up to the expectations I set for myself. So, going there will be a bitter-sweet hiatus from this place where nothing happens.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-53300049115053046582008-08-16T19:23:00.002-05:002008-08-16T19:26:01.760-05:00The Final CountdownTonight I requested (like 5 minutes ago) that the cover artist at my favorite Lewisburg play Europe's 80's hit (and Gob's theme song) "The Final Countdown." Hearing this in a little cafe, synths blazing, is pretty awesome and pretty surreal. What is this place?Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-39466022100736523332008-08-14T18:23:00.002-05:002008-08-14T18:26:04.321-05:003 Noteworthy things todayToday I witnessed a couple noteworthy things:<br /><br />Chiropractics seems to be the Lewisburg industry. There are tons of these places. <br /><br />One of my colleagues can unhinge his jaw. He has nearly a flip-top head like a Pez dispenser. <br /><br />The "Fully Loaded" Campbell's Turkey Pot Pie stew is bad for my belly.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-56439379368452103162008-08-13T12:23:00.003-05:002008-08-14T19:44:31.343-05:00Georgia ConflictI've stayed pretty tight-lipped about the *ongoing* Russian aggression in Georgia. There's enough on the news and other blogs without me simply repeating what other sources report.<br /><br />I am providing a link here to a website that gives the necessary information for making a contribution to the victims of the conflict. You can double check the legitimacy of the site by googling the title of the article and you'll see that the report is not fraudulent. The wire has been posted on several news sources including Reuters. So I ask that you consider making a contribution to this fund. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/wikio/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&ndmConfigId=1010152&newsId=20080813005641&newsLang=en">Click here</a>.<br /><br />or<br /><br /><a href="http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2008/08/20080810_georgia_update.asp">Click here</a>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-79162673559751836622008-08-04T11:57:00.003-05:002008-08-04T12:07:04.969-05:00What Lewisburg LacksHere are a couple things you'd be hard pressed to find in Lewisburg if you suddenly decided to move here:<br /><br />1. Mattresses <br /><br />For some reason there is no store in this town that sells the barest of sleeping essentials. I use 'essential' loosely since I currently sleep on the floor on a blanket and I have not owned a bed in well over a year.<br /><br />2. Bedding<br /><br />Ok, so may be it is logical. You don't sell mattresses, so why would you tease us by selling mattress accoutrements? There are lots of home knick knack stores here, but no place that sells sheets. I was told to go to Wal Mart. No thank you. Something tells me that I won't find 400-600 thread count Egyptian cotton top sheets, pillow cases, and fitted sheets there.<br /><br />3. Recycling<br /><br />There's no recycling program here. It is incredibly inconvenient to recycle here and you have to haul recyclables yourself, with the exception of one day (yet to be determined) when a truck will come around and pick up your stuff.<br /><br />4. AT&T coverage<br /><br />I'm no AT&T customer, but a friend visited who is one. He got no more than 2 bars on his iPhone. I had hoped to leave Verizon for greener pastures and purchase an iPhone, but it looks like I'll be sticking with Verizon for a while longer (excellent coverage up here, Verizon).<br /><br />5. Mail<br /><br />Why won't the mail man pick up my mail? My electricity will soon be cut off if he doesn't pick up my agreement with the electric company.<br /><br />This is not an exhaustive list of things that Lewisburg lacks, but these are the things that surprised me.<br /><br />It isn't all bad, however. People are polite, meter maids are vigilant, and the weather is great. The town is cute.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-89091435204043537972008-07-06T10:27:00.001-05:002008-07-06T10:29:21.375-05:00My new favorite song and music video.I want to live in this video.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dtqGoHouoE0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dtqGoHouoE0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-60454852277680953822008-06-24T21:46:00.003-05:002008-12-10T06:56:29.416-05:00More Bastysleepy buddy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUl-XtKK59I51GlGfxfv4Lk2O2xVWa8gFvvSzxx3eTyfSLxP3_ZYmoLMSXDSZzjgGIgd7hosLAIydzCqfzXRTGKDVIM3WVUTbWwChEzpl3UXNLxI-fcMO7gykzgFoJVUnFMcq_Q/s1600-h/DSC00321.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUl-XtKK59I51GlGfxfv4Lk2O2xVWa8gFvvSzxx3eTyfSLxP3_ZYmoLMSXDSZzjgGIgd7hosLAIydzCqfzXRTGKDVIM3WVUTbWwChEzpl3UXNLxI-fcMO7gykzgFoJVUnFMcq_Q/s320/DSC00321.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215646543719789074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwAkSo4Xso78keloCC6u2p4o_HnGSl3s1JKiXaUB-EUEBGmyHb86nSuh3fpKbzs83H6AD4FoUBPvkPeuoslRDVJA3f97vJ3Dx_Bhp2K58KjRXIzqql2VgekVXupMlfLds2F0Rbg/s1600-h/DSC00318.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwAkSo4Xso78keloCC6u2p4o_HnGSl3s1JKiXaUB-EUEBGmyHb86nSuh3fpKbzs83H6AD4FoUBPvkPeuoslRDVJA3f97vJ3Dx_Bhp2K58KjRXIzqql2VgekVXupMlfLds2F0Rbg/s320/DSC00318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215645398160192194" border="0" /></a><br />Babushka buddy<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_sF9B_WG68XDwrfTjAoozZ2Ur2CP6b-ozUsAGEVlSdFZwpzE-xte0UPN4Z0bS_kPUpO2UgVBwPGdt-0xmMvc3i8-kew8xlLZ1GrITLW9Lu4eSmGfhjnCPN8V6aMnAKikmOSZ0g/s1600-h/DSC00313.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_sF9B_WG68XDwrfTjAoozZ2Ur2CP6b-ozUsAGEVlSdFZwpzE-xte0UPN4Z0bS_kPUpO2UgVBwPGdt-0xmMvc3i8-kew8xlLZ1GrITLW9Lu4eSmGfhjnCPN8V6aMnAKikmOSZ0g/s320/DSC00313.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215645307379990674" border="0" /></a>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-43859134202095346382008-06-22T17:22:00.007-05:002008-06-24T14:11:05.618-05:00There's nothing in my trunkFor the past month and a half my life has basically consisted of waking up at noon, watching the food network, and playing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_IV">Grand Theft Auto 4</a>. It is not exactly what I'd call a meaningful existence, though my GTA 4 <a href="http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/855/855555/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080228082031241-000.jpg">sniper skills</a> have improved markedly. The high points of my time in <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2329712082_f07a032016_o.jpg">Florida</a> have been finishing a paper that will be published in early 2009, seeing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saw_III">Saw III</a> (and, by implication, <a href="http://www.fanunity.com/bahar-soomekh/images/bahar-soomekh.jpg">Bahar Soomekh</a> in a mind-blowing role which smashed my face). For the last two nights Sebastian has awakened me roughly every two hours to take him out. Not fun. <a href="http://english.people.com.cn/200603/28/eng20060328_254055.html">Oddly</a>, beginning the night after he spent the day at the vet/groomer, he began suffering from a particularly <a href="http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/997/748179.JPG">annoying intestinal ailment</a>.<br /><br />But there is light at the end of the tunnel. On Thursday I head up to Saratoga Springs, NY to reunite with friends and teach for 3 weeks.<br /><br />Recent thought: the coolness of the resurgent knitting craze and roller derby is lost on me.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-78387094767470534662008-05-20T23:18:00.002-05:002008-05-20T23:27:03.922-05:00Dear White BulldogLike a fighting bull from Hell, you came barreling out of your garage towards Sebastian and me on our evening walk. Probably because you noticed that my meat would be acrid and metallic, you went for the sweet meat of Sebastian. You got a couple good bites in, but your fate was sealed when later I returned to the house to make sure you were OK and your shots were up to date. Your master, who refused to have a civilized conversation with me, was combative and no less aggressive than you (though he didn't bite my leg). For his obstinacy, you can expect a visit from Animal Control tomorrow who will inevitably write your bulldog of a master a $50 ticket for violating the county leash law. I hope you are prepared to produce shot records as well. By the way, it'd be to your interest if you have had no prior convictions because after the third complaint, you go big nappy time. You mess with the bull, you get the horns; you mess with Basty, you get a world of hurt (or at least a $50 ticket).Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-12195578481562563982008-05-10T22:25:00.002-05:002008-05-10T22:35:43.548-05:00The Virtues of Brother HoodBecause I think it probably goes unnoticed too often, I feel compelled to acknowledge the generosity and good nature of my brother, Josh. Without him, I could not have made my trip to the Netherlands because of my parental obligations; however, he agreed to watch my canine companion, Sebastian. Once I returned to the US, he let me take up residence in his apartment for over a month. When I had to go to PA for a job interview, he did not hesitate to take care of Sebastian on short notice. He does the dishes after every meal and is very considerate; for example, once I had the television on and I noticed him unplugging the Xbox to take it to his room. when I asked him what he was doing, he mentioned that he saw that I was watching television (though actually I was just surfing the internet) and did not want to disturb my apparent television-watching. How considerate is that?! For those who don't know, my brother and I had a rough patch that lasted basically from his birth until very recently. I don't think we were that fond of each other for a long time. Little did I know that there was a great guy lurking there. He probably thinks of me as an inconvenience because of my constant needing for him to help with Sebastian, but I think he's a pretty great guy.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-53922475613392615202008-05-08T19:30:00.002-05:002008-05-08T19:41:11.296-05:00The Latest Greatest ThingToday I officially submitted the dissertation and printed out EIGHT copies of the 205 page document. Matt was kind enough to donate some of his print quota to the cause, and IU mistakenly gave me a summer print allotment, all of which I used. That's 1640 pages. And guess what, after spending nearly and hour printing out all this, I found out that it was all wasted. Earlier in the day when I was formatting the document for submission and making minor revisions, I had to delete the bibliography because Endnote is the worst program in the world and lets you basically do nothing to your document without screwing it up in some way or another. In a feat of virtual jerry-rigging I got everything set, or so I thought. Little did I know that Word, under the influence of the nefarious Endnote program, overwrote my section preferences so that the pagination was totally screwed up. I didn't notice this until after all the printing was done (who would have thought to check that, of all things?) and I had HAND COLLATED 3/4 of the dissertation 5 times (also took about 45 minutes, which was wasted). So I had to go back and fix the document and resubmit it to the Graduate School online. Tomorrow I have to print out a fixed copy and pay to have it copied 7 times since my print quota is gone and Matt can't afford to spare 200 pages. I'll also have to find a way to reimburse Matt for the 430 wasted pages (because I feel terrible about it) of his print quota. I also fear that IU will charge me for their mistake in giving me a summer print allotment when I'm graduating in the Spring.<br /><br />Of course, I would not have had to print out all these copies if the bindery accepted electronic copies of the dissertation; however, when I called and asked if they'd accept pdf's, the lady responded "I'm not familiar with that technology, and we don't do any copy services." First, what idiot who is in the printing business or has ever seen a computer is NOT familiar with pdf format? Second, why hasn't the only bindery in a college town caught on to what is not even that recent of technology, especially in the age where dissertations are submitted online in pdf format? I'm amazed that there is not another bindery in town that can do this. I have a headache.<br /><br />And don't even get me started on the hassle that my move to Lewisburg, PA is causing me. It never ends. But I guess I knew that there'd be some bullshit that would come up here at the very end that would complicate everything.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-27057468692209824482008-04-07T21:51:00.005-05:002008-12-10T06:56:31.155-05:00MoreHours behind schedule, the car is finally tinted, cleaned, and ready to drive away, though first the dealer, Jamar (unrelated to my <a href="http://www.jamarproperties.com/">property management company in Bloomington</a> by the same name), had to show me how to operate this <a href="http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=kVcHhJD9bh0">technological terror</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73KujawaIaTeECslQdd0hvyemlAD2oEQCKp_WBHUgXudJhCESxC_tVSBqO1Wg2zDxKKCk0126MzOR9qeBKgGGk6s_shSQb6Ms7nxrZaA7_dPYP66AM75AU9pr4Nbr3VDgvSdEig/s1600-h/DSC02059.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73KujawaIaTeECslQdd0hvyemlAD2oEQCKp_WBHUgXudJhCESxC_tVSBqO1Wg2zDxKKCk0126MzOR9qeBKgGGk6s_shSQb6Ms7nxrZaA7_dPYP66AM75AU9pr4Nbr3VDgvSdEig/s320/DSC02059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186702151973070626" border="0" /></a><br />The dealer and I. Navigation tutorial. A Ph.D. leaves one yet ill-equipped to figure out how to use the supremely complex navigation device.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9EzX21j2ZzvhFxY2jeAQcY3H4AFvw2GEc761DnxxacZx5ToApiZfEfTfPh3ynPz8JeK-kpByrDRtSeOLF0ZdYVabdzjiZn5Vmfe7AUstlWXpKsYsLjU4ewBdioI_nBCU8ew-4A/s1600-h/DSC02058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9EzX21j2ZzvhFxY2jeAQcY3H4AFvw2GEc761DnxxacZx5ToApiZfEfTfPh3ynPz8JeK-kpByrDRtSeOLF0ZdYVabdzjiZn5Vmfe7AUstlWXpKsYsLjU4ewBdioI_nBCU8ew-4A/s320/DSC02058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186702156268037938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Testing out the Bose sound system with a little t.A.T.u. (<a href="http://www.discogs.com/release/518051">200 Po Vstrechnoi</a>).<br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErjUa_ht1mGTdHqTg1QIcJ5as8bKXVCMF_2eJvVRZwPTWwUAHrzshbnDKk7sprR4UkgiKPZiyqtvzaEA3-pA9BVVXvqeAfgwA39oKebcWY5b-vT5yZL36tDUlPf61TWAGEurs7g/s1600-h/DSC02055.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErjUa_ht1mGTdHqTg1QIcJ5as8bKXVCMF_2eJvVRZwPTWwUAHrzshbnDKk7sprR4UkgiKPZiyqtvzaEA3-pA9BVVXvqeAfgwA39oKebcWY5b-vT5yZL36tDUlPf61TWAGEurs7g/s320/DSC02055.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186702160563005250" border="0" /></a>Turns out that the dealership screwed up and accidentally gave me a free technology package (navigation, voice operation, 6-disc changer, back-up camera) and fog lights.<br /><br />And the meal I cooked the other night: dijon super lump crab cakes and jumbo French escargot on baguette with gruyere and garlic infused butter. There's some asparagus there too.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACmLwheEz4ZgpWl-lHpzmTERBsQquIjslwLX1MIj1ZmP6Xe7UMg2g8y-49_JoOQAr5JGBakEQvWu3Chw3GK7XEncUsUi7ykILlwm2pr-WLkVdsjxj_BFlYrGcfnR5H33zqk4eFg/s1600-h/DSC02053.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACmLwheEz4ZgpWl-lHpzmTERBsQquIjslwLX1MIj1ZmP6Xe7UMg2g8y-49_JoOQAr5JGBakEQvWu3Chw3GK7XEncUsUi7ykILlwm2pr-WLkVdsjxj_BFlYrGcfnR5H33zqk4eFg/s320/DSC02053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186702164857972562" border="0" /></a>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-60834086814836666412008-04-06T10:20:00.002-05:002008-04-06T10:26:57.119-05:00My new car<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br />Yesterday I bought this.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.auto123.com/ArtImages/83477/2008-Nissan-Altima-Coupe-i001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.auto123.com/ArtImages/83477/2008-Nissan-Altima-Coupe-i001.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://keynissan.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/altima-coupe-interior.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://keynissan.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/altima-coupe-interior.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.beststuff.com/images/articles/062707a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.beststuff.com/images/articles/062707a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newvehicleimages.mjmi.com/NISSAN/2008_ALTIMA%20COUPE_DARK%20SLATE.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://newvehicleimages.mjmi.com/NISSAN/2008_ALTIMA%20COUPE_DARK%20SLATE.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7414278.post-73405606957587000222008-04-01T23:08:00.002-05:002008-04-01T23:11:17.749-05:00Me Ar Mivdivar SakartveloshiWell, regretfully, plans to go to Georgia in May have fallen through. Tyson and I hope to go in August instead, but I don't know what my schedule will be like in August yet. Sucks.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262183938642810022noreply@blogger.com1