Thanks for the Memories courtesy of bushflash.com

Open Sauce.

As if you guys really needed to read another article about it, here is a very long, very good article about open source software.

And my other favorite axe-to-grind:

A message from Don Henley, you know, the Drummer for the Eagles, about the state of the music industry.

In their world,
music is generic. A major record label president confirmed this recently
when he referred to artists as "content providers."

I have a new axe to grind.

If you clicked on that last link, and I hope you did, you’ll find that the WaPo.com now has a login requirement. If you’re reading from abroad, they might not let you in without a matching zip code and city. So use mine: Nashville, TN, 37212 (ahh, my beloved Hillboro Village, I think fondly of Thee).

It only goes to show that the system not only allows you to lie, it provokes you to. The Washington Post thinks I’m an 90 year old woman, the CEO of an Aerospace company with 10,000 employees. Who does the the WaPo think you are?

Test grading time
Is a really fine time

No, not really. I hate it. But so far, so good. Nobody has failed. I think the questions were maybe too easy. I have until the end of next week to get it all done, so I am taking my time. I have more pressing things to deal with just now, like being a rockstar and stuff.

There has been a bit of a scare over at my esteemed colleague Sarah’s place last week. When she was holding Lil Wee in her arms, Lil Boots jumped on Sarah’s lap and went straight for Wee’s neck. It was a shocker because the cat has never acted openly aggressive to the bunny before. And to do it right under her nose. You have to wonder what that cat was thinking.

Sarah swore if that happened again she would put the cat down. That would be kind of too bad, because the cat was really just acting out its cat nature. But everyone involved is totally mad at Boots, and again going along with cat nature, he doesn’t care.

We’re back on line. The lads from T were nice enough to come down. They came in and said “what a friggin’ dump!” Then they said the NTBA was kaput due to a power surge, because of the storm last Thursday. I asked them if they bought their jackets, which were pretty sharp except for the big pink “T” and reflectors, at the same store.

Telephone line is dead,
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Love Conquers 2004

I’ve been buggin’ since I haven’t finished any new tunes since last November. Finally I added two more verses to Love Conquers All.

I wrote this little ditty for last year’s Valentine’s Ecard, but I could never write it to its fitting artistic conclusion without the right inspiration-or desperation. But hey, just wait a year, young songster; then you’ll have plenty more axe to grind. And voila. Three minutes, but a narrowband friendly 1.7 Meg.

The mix is a bit shabby, so is the orchestration, but hey, it’s all in a day’s work. I had to do away with the on-the-fly fx and automation because it overtaxed my little compy in the rendering to mp3.

But it has some nice open D bottleneck action, and the empty bottles are back. It was tough drinking four beers at once at different rates to get that pentatonic scale right.

I bought a Pummice-like sponge today.
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Last weekend marks the 40th aniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in the states. Not super newsworthy but it makes feelgood copy and it’s a great excuse to push the brand down our throats.
But that’s okay; who doesn’t love the Beatles? Probably the same people who pull wings off of flies and takes candy from babies, that’s who.

Here is some nice multimedia about those early Beatle days. They look so young, like little babies. Around five minutes into the first interview section (is that Cmdr Riker in the background?) we get to hear an early take with Pete Best at the kit. And yes, he was a lizzard.

I could not hardly make heads or tails of
This.
But I know at least two New Zealand vegetarians and one guy who always yells Hare Krishna everywhere we go. Their comments are welcomed.

The recent winter storms back in the states have made last weekend a sad one for me.

Dr Kurt and Mamie Jeter, both church youth counselors years back when I had great times at the Franklin 1st United Methodist, have lost their daughter, Katie. She was killed in a car accident two days ago on a college road trip. Katie was 19, about the age of some of my younger students at the University of Dresden.

I must admit, I hardly remember little Katie. The most time I spent with her was when I was about thirteen or so. She could not yet talk at that time. I used to ask her, “did you see what Katy did?” Katydids are these grasshopper-like bugs we have back home, also there was a fairy tale called “what Katy Did”, so I thought it funny at the time.

I am pretty sure that at least one or two times I said to her as she was just a babe, “you is one ugly baby!” in this crazy voice. She found that funny, regardless of whether or not she understood what I said; she was a basket of sunshine. I thought she was absolutely adorable.

Mamie, Kurt, I’ve sat and I’ve counted how many friends and family I’ve lost in my life; it took almost the both of two hands. But no loss is greater than to not die before your own children. It is a sorrow I cannot fathom, and I cannot provide any words as salve to your pains.

I bid you grieve to the fullest. It is your right. And then at somepoint remember that you are still alive.
Then walk on.
That your footfall be divine verse.

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