Insignifica

Counting crows tix

I've got one ticket to see the Counting Crows tomorrow (July 1) at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa. The seats are in the front row of section 6 - good seats.

Would you like to go? My girlfriend can't make it, but says I should bring a date. If you're a Counting Crows fan, cute, female, and between 18 and 30, leave a comment or email me. Preference goes to friends, but even if you're a stranger, you'll be considered. See you at the show!

new monitor

Score! Back in April of 2002, I bought a monitor at Fry's - 19 inch off-brand for $140, plus a 3 year service plan. It was nice and large, but the brightness didn't adjust right, and as time went on, the left side of the screen went wiggly. This didn't particularly concern me, and I got used to it. In May that monitor died (it stopped turning on one day), so I took it in to Fry's to see what my options were. That $25 service plan entitled me to repair and a loaner while my monitor was being fixed. My loaner was a beautiful 19 inch ViewSonic, with a flat screen, working controls, and a nice black exterior - overall a much better monitor than the one I had purchased.

The folks at Frys estimated 6-8 weeks before my monitor could be repaired (they had to ship it to the manufacturer), but since I had the loaner, this wasn't an issue. I only dreaded having to take it back - it was nicer than what I'd be getting back, and it didn't fit in my car unless I removed it from all packaging first. I found out yesterday that wouldn't be an issue, though. Fry's called me to say that my monitor was unfixable, and to just keep the loaner as my replacement. Score one for me!

Fahrenheit 9/11 and weekend recap

Another too-quick weekend, and a busy one at that. Went out Friday to say farewell to Joe, who's leaving OC for the high sea to take a job on a cruise ship. We celebrated, as we're prone to do, at Maggiano's, enjoying a fine Italian meal. Saturday was some Strat-o-matic baseball followed by a "summer kickoff" party at my place, got to see a lot of the old Santa Cruz crowd, as well as all my locals. Sunday we slept in then went to see "Fahrenheit 9/11" - very good, very emotional, and hopefully it'll set a fire under the choir it's preaching to. A busy but great weekend.

Speaking of Fahrenheit 9/11, it looks like it was the top grossing movie this weekend, with around $22 million in ticket sales. While not a huge weekend in cinematic terms (Watch for Spiderman's numbers next weekend for that), it's the best opening weekend for a documentry in history, and amazing considering it was only in 900 or so theaters, about 1/3 of what major movies open in. Congrats to Michael Moore.

Further on that topic, shame on everyone calling Michael Moore "UnAmerican" for his film. For decades, the right's been quick to label anything that disagrees with their ideal of patriotic as "UnAmerican", mostly in an attempt to minimalize it, but also to guilt/scare people into believing differently. This has been said before here and many other places, but when one man speaks out against the government in the way Moore's done, that's not only acceptable, it's uniquely pro-American. He's using his rights to question the actions of his elected officials, something the founding fathers explicitly wanted Americans to do. Moore is presenting information to people who have a choice in whether to see it, and whether to believe it. This is pro-American in itself - we get the choice, and we can futher research the facts he's presented and decide for ourselves. The film he's made opens up debate, gives people a reason to pay more attention to the world, and perhaps opens up some eyes. If you disagree with Moore or the film, or what he's protrayed on screen, say so. Present facts to the contrary. Make your own movie or print your own pamphlets. But don't just name call and say he's UnAmerican - what's he's done is perfectly and wonderfully American, and is something all of us, on all points in the political spectrum, should be doing.

maggianos, metroblogging, weddings

Friday already? This week's gone by a little quicker than I thought it would. Busy weekend ahead - going to Maggiano's tonight, then throwing a party tomorrow (if I know you and you'd like to come, send me an email), then seeing Fahrenheit 9/11 on Sunday. More busyness this coming week, with a Counting Crows concert on Thursday, and Gary's wedding on Sunday. Good times! Also, Steve's getting married on Saturday, but prior commitments mean I can't make it. I'm going to be the only unmarried one soon...

Still waiting for some more Orange County bloggers to become involved before my local Metroblogging site will be up and active. If you live in Orange County (California) and are a regular blogger, check out the application page.

june gloom

For those of you not in the greater Southern California area, we have a weather phenomenon called "June Gloom". This refers to marine layer buildup in the late evening that lasts through morning, resulting in low clouds and fog. The clouds typically "burn off" by mid-day, and we have 8 or so hours of sunshine. This condition happens in late May and early June, by July it's as warm as you'd expect California in July to be. What I've never understood is why people dislike June Gloom so much. It keeps temps down but still allows for ample sunshine. It also keeps some smog out of the air, and reminds you that the beach is only a few miles away. We've had temps in the mid 70s this week - just about perfect.

In 10 days, when I'm wearing a tuxedo (with the jacket and vest and shirt and ties that go with it) for Gary's wedding, it'll be 95F. Just you watch.

solstice

How can I forget? Happy Solstice, everyone! Yesterday and today are the "longest" days of the year, with the most sunshine (in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway). While the days will be getting shorter, we've still got months of warm, late nights and sunsets after I get off work at 7pm.

news and weekend roundup

Happy Monday, folks. Hope you had a great weekend.

Lots of little news tidbits to share today:

SpaceShipOne Flight Completed Successfully - This is important milestone for our society - the first privately funded space flight. While I believe space belongs to everyone, I think this is the way we're going to have to go - competition really helps push things along.

Bradbury wants "Fahrenheit 9/11" to be renamed - Ray Bradbury, author of "Fahrenheit 451", wants Michael Moore to change the title of "Fahrenheit 9/11" because "That's not his novel, that's not his title, so he shouldn't have done it." I'm not sure where this falls under the law, but I think it's good for both men in terms of book sales (how many thousands of people are going to reread/rebuy/ask about Bradbury's work again?).

Supreme Court: Keeping name from police can be crime - This ruling troubles me. It says that police can arrest/detail you simply for not giving them your name. They don't need cause, they don't need a reason, they can now just ask for your name, even if you've done nothing wrong. In an age where just your name can give police all sorts of data about you, this is very troubling for privacy.

In non-news news, Metroblogging has a huge number of new authors listed, meaning more sites (including OC, which I'll be writing for) should be up soon. Looking forward to the writing, the meetings, etc. It's nice to be part of a community like that.

Party this weekend - if I know you, feel free to email me and I'll hook you up with an invitation. Looking forward to the good times.

my representatives

For as political as I am, I haven't been as up to date as I should be regarding my elected officials. I've moved a lot in my time as a voter, which has a lot to do with it.

The following are my elected representatives. Three male republicans, two female democrats. You can find yours at the main sites for your representatives (i.e. the US House and Senate sites, and your state's sites).

US Senate

Barbara Boxer
http://boxer.senate.gov

Dianne Fienstein
http://feinstein.senate.gov

US House of Representatives

Edward R. Royce - 40th District
http://www.royce.house.gov/

California Assembly

Todd Spitzer - District 71
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/Spitzer

California Senate

Dick Ackerman - District 33
http://republican.sen.ca.gov/web/33/

exciting blogging announcement

Finally, after a few weeks of being told to keep it quiet, I can make my Exciting Blogging Announcement!

I've been a reader of blogging.la for a while now, I love the local feel, even though it's Los Angeles, and the way all the bloggers connect to the site. Joz let me know a few months ago that Sean and Jason were looking for Orange County bloggers for a similar project - I was immediately interested. I didn't hear back for a while, but it came up again a couple weeks back, and I found out I'll be writing for the site.

Today, Metroblogging.com went live, as did the local sites for San Francisco, Chicago and New York. They look great, and will be hopefully be great resources for those residents of those cities, as well as anyone interested in living/working/playing there. Sites for the other metro areas, including Orange County, will be coming soon. If you're interested in writing for OC (we still need 8-10 more authors) or any of the other areas, check out the metroblogging.com application.

I'm really looking forward to writing for the site, sharing my years of Orange County experience, and getting to know the other metrobloggers in OC, LA and points elsewhere. Congrats to Sean and Jason on the sites!

Cornmo needs a ride!

Want to go on tour with They Might Be Giants and Corn Mo? I got the following email from Corn Mo, aka Jon Cunningham:

Hi, My name is Corn Mo. I'm going on the road opening for TMBG in July. I need a ride for tour. I'll pay for gas, help you drink beer, and give you the chance to see TMBG almost every night in July. If you're interested, email me back for details. If you just want a souvenier from the road, let me know. Otherwise, truck stops, diners, and walmart parking lots are gonna be your new homes.
love,
Corn Mo
www.cornmo.com

Corn Mo is an awesome performer - I saw him with TMBG back in April on my birthday. I'm probably going to one of the shows in July, but can't take CM on the road. If you're looking for an Adventure, this might be a great way to have one.

atheist meetup

Tonight is my monthly Atheist Meetup, being held this time at the Cafe Ruba in Costa Mesa. For as social as I am online (I have a lot of friends I've never met), I belong to very few groups, and even fewer than meet in real life. I'm not against it by any means; it's just not something I've found myself doing too often.

Atheists, by their nature, tend not to be the most likely "joiners" in society. We've theorized that the same thing that makes people atheists points to why there are few atheist political action groups. This is a shame, really - while atheists rarely suffer the same sorts of prejudices as ethnic and religious groups, we tend to fair the worst when the question is asked "Would you vote for a _____", and the blank is a minority group like homosexual, Jew, Swede, atheist, etc.

These meetings are fun, though. Religion's not always the main topic, but it's nice to chat politics with people who have a similar belief system. We typically eat and drink, talk a lot, and get to know the new people who've shown up. Politics is usually at the forefront, though pop culture is another good topic for common-bond strangers. It's just great to get out and meet new people - no matter what you believe, I encourage you to do the same with a meetup or other online group.

weekend, pledge

Great weekend, celebrating the impending marriage of Gary by enjoying alcohol, limo rides, and poker. I believe a good time was had.

I'm disappointed in the Supreme Court's decision to not make a decision toady - I especially dislike the fact that the law doesn't seem important here, or the issue, just the standing of Newdow's unrelated custody case. My feelings on the issue are very well established at this site. Even though I would have loved the court to rule, I was worried what they would come out and decide. At least this way it gives the country a bit more time to come to their senses regarding church/state before a ruling comes down. More discussion is available at Atheistweb.

I'm still waiting to make my exciting blogging announcement, but it's still coming soon...

bachelor party weekend

Happy Thursday!

I love Thursdays. In college, I often didn't have Friday classes (chosing instead to concentrate my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays), so Thursday was my Friday. Even now that I have a full work day on Friday, Thursday is still close enough to the end of the week that if I get a little less sleep than I need, I'll be able to recover it the next night.

This should be a fun weekend - we're holding Gary's bachelor party, meaning we'll be playing poker, enjoying drinks, and crusing around in our rented limo. I've also discovered that limos aren't that expensive if you get a lot of people in on it together - we're paying $35/person for 4 hours in a limo that comes with a rum/vodka/whiskey, a bottle of sparkling wine, and sodas/juices. It pretty much makes it's own party. I'm excited.

Also exciting is a important blogging announcement I'll be making next week. Exciting!

vegas recap

Fun weekend in Vegas. I was able to leave early on Friday and return early on Sunday, thereby beating almost all the traffic. Did a lot of gambling and broke even overall, which is always a good trip. Next planned trip is a large group event sometime next February or March. There's always the possibility of a quick weekend trip, however, later this year.

I'm meeting Chris and his lady for dinner tonight, which should be a good time. Next weekend is Gary's bachelor party, and we're possibly throwing a party the weekend after that. A busy, fun month upcoming!

If you notice comment spam, please let me know. It's coming through in waves, and because it's from multiple IP addresses, it's very difficult to block. It's able to come from multiple computers because they're virus infected, and many viruses out there exist to spread spam (both email and in comments). If you haven't lately, get a copy of AVG anti-virus software and get rid of your virus problems.

vegas time!

Vegas.

Vegas, Vegas, Vegas.

If you couldn't tell, I'm a little excited about going to Vegas. I leave tomorrow morning (or late tonight, if I get impatient), and will be staying at the beautiful Days Inn. Why the Days Inn, you ask? While I love the larger resort hotels, they're often MUCH more expensive, and fill up more quickly. Mandalay Bay, for example, didn't have rooms on Saturday at all, and Friday night rooms are going for $600/night. The Days Inn is $65/night. Don't get me wrong, I'll probably keep the Las Vegas Hilton as my hotel-casino of choice, but this time around, I'm glad the Days Inn was there.

I don't have any hard plans, really, other than just being in Vegas. I'm going to play a lot of blackjack, as well as some Let it Ride and video poker. I'm going to find some great restaurants to eat at, perhaps take a dip in the pool (it's going to be 107F on Saturday), and just enjoy the resort atmosphere. There is the new Star Trek Expireince attraction, "Borg Invasion" at the Hilton; going to the Expirience is pretty standard for me, so I'm sure I'll hit it at some point. Hopefully a good time will be had by all.

And if I win a lot of money, I'll buy you a present!

word of the day - meating

From the Mike's New Words Dictionary:

Word: Meating (noun)
Pronounciation: 'mE-ti[ng]
Definition: 1: The act or process of eating meat. 2: Eating meat unknowingly, esp. a vegetarian accidently eating meat in an otherwise vegetarian dish.
Usage: My subsequent unintentional meatings are much like Mike's. (by Gary, in comments).

hair cut

For a few weeks now, I've been thinking it's just about time to get rid of this huge mane of hair I've been growing since 2001. I love what I can do with it, and I like the look a lot, but if you've never had long hair, you don't know the pain it can be. I was very used to not having to actually "style" my hair - I could comb it back, maybe put in a little gel, and it was done. Washing my hair was similar - a minute to lather, rince and repeat. As it grew, I finally understood why some people only washed their hair every few days, or why people were late getting it "just right". It's nice to have, but it's a bit of work.

So finally, on Saturday, I went to Great Clips salon near my home and had them chop off the 20+ inches it had grown to. About 12 inches of that will be donated to Locks of Love, a group that provides hairpieces for children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. I chose Great Clips because they cut your hair for free if you're donating it - very nice of them. Below you can see the before and after pictures:

On the left, the hair in all its glory, Halloween 2003 (the best picture with hair showing), and on the right, today's hair.