Musings

Tue - April 5, 2005

Looks like it's gonna work

I checked my FreeiPods.com account yesterday, and it said I'd been approved to order my free iPod. So I did that... the order's processing, and I'll report if and when it arrives.

And for a bonus, I bought a Pepsi last night, and the cap told me I won a free song on iTunes . Cool!

And before I forget... GO BEARS!

Posted at 01:41 PM

Thu - March 31, 2005

Glowing praise for Pat

Patthebone clicked on my freeiPods.com link, completed an offer and received credit, becoming referral No. 6-- my emergency backup referral! Thanks, Pat! Now, your praise...

A "Renaissance man" is defined as one who dares to "acquire more than superficial knowledge about many different interests"-- an apt description of my friend Pat Gary. He is an accomplished musician, skilled at playing more instruments than I can even imagine. He's an incredible composer and songwriter, and he currently lends his talents to Dallas rock band Full of Eels. Plus, he's smart as a whip and one of the wittiest people you can know... and he is never satisfied in his quest for further knowledge. All this, with his progressive stance on political and social issues, makes him an outstanding friend and an all-around great guy.

There you go, Pat, and thanks again for helping me in my quest toward a free iPod. Now that I have all the referrals I need, if anyone is interested in helping my friends out in their iPod endeavors, here's how.

• To help out Jessica , click on this link, sign up and complete an offer. She's a good friend to have, and she'll repay you with kindness, I'm sure.
• To help out Leila, click on her referral link, sign up and complete an offer. She's offering a choice of incentives: Glowing praise, a free T-shirt or $10 in cash.
• To help out katjabee , you'll need to click on her referral link, sign up, complete an offer, and probably do a little dance. (just kidding about the dance). Her incentive: Glowing praise, and I bet she's better at it than I am.

Posted at 01:47 PM

Things I learned while home sick

I stayed home Monday and Tuesday with a bad cold and a particularly nasty sore throat. I don't get sick very much, so being puny at home is kind of a foreign concept to me. Here are some things I learned:

1) It is possible to nap more than the doglet.
2) The doglet likes it when you nap. He gives you an expression like, "Finally! He gets it!"
3) Hot tea is very good for a sore throat.
4) Contrary to what you might expect, the tea called 1812 Gunpowder isn't actually laced with high amounts of caffeine. Bummer.
5) When you're battling a particularly bad headache, nothing tastes better than that forgotten bottle of Dublin Dr Pepper you find hiding in the back of the fridge.
6) Nothing, that is, except maybe that cherry danish your wife bought you from Central Market .
7) No matter what all TiVo has recorded for you, it is easy to get incredibly bored by 2 p.m. of your first day home sick.

Posted at 10:08 AM

Wed - March 30, 2005

Glowing praise for Glenda Brown!

Well HERE was a nice surprise! Glenda, Jessica's mom, clicked on my freeiPods.com link and became my fifth referral! That means I have enough to be eligible for a free iPod. I'll keep everyone updated on the status. And since there are a couple of others in the system still pending, I'll continue to write your paragraphs o' praise when they alert me that you've completed your offers!

Now, without further ado... glowing praise for Glenda:

Glenda Brown is the second mom everyone would like to have. She cooks great food, pours a tasty glass of wine, and takes good care of people. She's also a gifted quilter, and her quilts are treasured gifts for all their recipients. On top of all that, she's Jessica's mom, so she is indeed quite accomplished!

There you go, and thanks!

Posted at 02:07 PM

Tue - March 29, 2005

Glowing praise for katjabee

Now a belated -- but heartfelt -- thanks to katjabee , who clicked on my free iPods link and completed an offer, thus giving me one more referral toward the goal. Get five friends to complete an offer, and I qualify for a free iPod. So, Princess Mary Sue, here is your praise:

Katjabee is one of the most vivacious and friendly people you could ever know. In addition to being smart as a whip, she's one incredible performer. She's the frontwoman rocker-chick for Dallas band Full of Eels , and she's a proven talent on the Renaissance Faire stage. And she hails from my hometown, which makes her even more of a delight.

I hope I could do you justice in just a few sentences. Thanks!

Posted at 01:30 PM

Wed - March 23, 2005

Glowing praise for Leila

Special thanks to Leila for clicking on my FreeiPods link, signing up and completing an offer. That's three down, two to go!

Now, her paragraph o' praise:

Leila Merrill is quickly becoming one of The Dallas Morning News' star copy editors. Her award-winning headline skills are matched only by her uncanny sense of style. In addition to her professional skills, she is a human of exquisite character, known especially for her caring attitude toward animals. She is a fantastic caretaker of the feline phenom Eliot, and she is dedicated to the humane treatment of all creatures. A devoted vegetarian, the flesh of no animal shall ever cross her lips!

There you are, Leila. And thanks!

Remember, those who sign up via this link and complete an offer (a very necessary requirement -- Jeff and Jessica did Blockbuster Online; I don't know yet about Leila) will receive a few sentences of glowing praise. What's not to like?

Posted at 01:55 PM

Mon - March 21, 2005

Synthetic Organics and the Tire-less Weekend

I'll wrap up the weekend in a second, but first an observation. Central Market recently introduced their own line of organic foods. So I thought I'd try their microwave popcorn... it might make a good snack at work. I detected a slightly "earthier" flavor than regular popcorn, so I checked the ingredients list:

Certified organic gourmet popcorn, certified organic palm oil, certified organic butter flavor, salt, annatto.

Could someone please tell me what is "certified organic butter flavor?" Not actual butter, mind you-- butter flavor. How can imitation anything be organic?

SATURDAY

Jenny & I slept in for the first time in several weeks. We had a leisurely breakfast... next to the Highland Park high school crew team. One of our favorite breakfast spots is right by our apartment-- Barbec's . It's just a classic diner, but a guilty pleasure nonetheless. And it's usually enjoyable... except when you have a bad headache and a bunch of boisterous teenagers right next to you. I know, I know... it's kinda petty to complain about loud teenagers on a Saturday morning.

After a couple of errands, we went to Cedar Valley College for a production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers . Jenny's brother Jonathan was one of the brothers. The cast was pretty darn good. The musical itself was awful. let me explain-- The best cast in the world can't rescue a poorly written script and disjointed musical score. But the performers were great.

The rest of the day involved some shopping, dinner and crashing in front of the TV, catching up on stuff TiVo found for us. Boring? Perhaps. But we'd had a busy day. Then came Sunday.

SUNDAY

We knew we were in for a bad day when we headed for the car to go to church and found that the two back tires on my Mustang were flat. VERY flat. Like they had been slashed, or punctured. Having no time to inspect them (we were running late), we decided to deal with the tires later. Church. Lunch at Maggiano's , where we had awful service for the second time in our last two visits. (How does one forget to turn in the order for THE MAIN COURSE?) Then back home to deal with the tires.

When you have one flat, it's not hard to change the tire, put on the spare, and head to the store to get it fixed. But when you have two flats-- it gets a bit more challenging. You have to take both tires off and take another car to the store. Unless you're lucky enough to have two spares, but we weren't. So here's my sad car in our parking lot:

I wish I'd thought to take a picture with the two flat tires... alas, I did not. Anyway, off to Pep Boys, where we saw the cause-- two screws, thoughtfully placed in the treads. Freak accident or deliberate job? Who knows? One screw, I wouldn't think twice about it being an accident. Two? I just don't know. Whatever the case, since they were screws and not, say, a razor blade or knife across the sidewalls, the damage was covered by my road hazard warranty, and we got the tires fixed for free. Our luck was turning around.

It shot most of the day, of course, but that was resolved, and we didn't want to mess with the world anymore last night. So we ordered a pizza and watched a marathon of Alias, season 3, courtesy of the fine folks at Netflix . Things were looking better. Then, of course, the weekend ended. Darnit.

Posted at 10:00 AM

Wed - March 16, 2005

Glowing praise for Jeff

Jeff clicked on the FreeiPods link and completed an offer, so now I have two referrals... Thank you, Jeff! And now, your glowing praise:

Jeff Franks is an emerging master in the field of visual arts. His video production skills are unmatched, and his set design skills are among the best anywhere. In addition, he is an accomplished actor and a person of impeccable character. He's the one you want standing next to you on the biggest day of your life. Reliable, strong, witty, smart and talented -- Jeff Franks has it all.

There you go, Jeff! And thanks.

Posted at 11:08 AM

Mon - March 14, 2005

Thank you, Jessica!

Jessica is the first to have signed up completed an offer so I can selfishly get a free iPod. Thanks, Jess!

As promised-- glowing praise:

Jessica Brown is one of San Antonio's brightest young engineers. Work from her latest project is being used the world over in the battle against heart disease. Her amazing talents, combined with her fortuitous good looks, make her one of Texas' most desirable professional women.

There you go, Jess-- copy that paragraph and put it on your Web site, a book jacket, or anywhere you'd like it.

Who's next?

Posted at 12:54 PM

Thu - March 10, 2005

"I'm sorry James, I'm afraid I can't do that."

My computer is restricting what I can buy on iTunes. At least that's the only way I can explain the "unknown error" message that keeps popping up whenever I try to buy OutKast's "Hey Ya."

Jenny got me an iTunes gift card for Valentine's Day, and I'm just now getting around to redeeming it. I've downloaded several U2 songs I didn't have, and of course, U2 is fully agreeable with my computer. I then branched into Jazz and found an album by Diana Krall. Again, no objection. But click on OutKast, and the computer says "nuh." It's like it doesn't approve!

Posted at 01:27 PM

Fri - March 4, 2005

Television and madness for Martha

I think my little talk yesterday to the Mesquite high school students went well. I gave 'em a little song and dance and wrapped up with my tap number... Actually, I talked about my career path-- what led me to radio to television to the newspaper, stuff like that. They seemed to like my tape of stories I did in College Station, even though that was 4 1/2 years and about 25 pounds ago. But I think I burst their idealistic bubble a bit when I told them how much I made then and why I got out. (Two different reasons, but pertinent nonetheless) I think I may have effectively scared all of them from ever pursuing a career in television news.

The speaker who followed me is a DJ for a local country station. He started off by saying how his first professional radio job paid him $6 an hour... He didn't realize how bad that was until he went to Jack-in-the-Box after a shift and saw a sign recruiting employees. Starting pay: $8 an hour.

Being on the air doesn't pay a whole lot, at least not when you're starting out.

Afterward, I got to talk with Jeff for a little bit. He works in the same building, doing video production for the school district. He showed me a project he was working on, which was really too good to be used by a school district. Jeff, you have great talent! You should be making 5 times what they're paying you, whatever that is.

---

Any shred of hope I had for the future of television news was dashed last night. We turned on the TV at work to CNN to find live team coverage of Martha Stewart's release from prison. This put the OJ coverage to shame. I mean, there was a reporter & camera outside the jail, hoping to get footage of Martha leaving. They caught two SUVs leaving the property... you couldn't see inside either one. Nevertheless, CNN replayed the video of the SUVs over and over.

Actual quote from last night: "And this just in... Martha Stewart has been released. MARTHA STEWART HAS BEEN RELEASED!"

What... are we supposed to lock up our children? Is she going on a raffia spree? Is it no longer safe to use store-bought instant cake mix? She lied about a stock sale and spent five months in prison... it's not like she's a serial killer or anything. (Cereal, on the other hand...)

Then there was a reporter & camera at the municipal airport, where Martha boarded her private jet. And Nancy Grace at CNN's studios anchoring the whole shebang with two analysts in studio. IT'S JUST MARTHA STEWART, for cryin' out loud!

I liked the play-by-play on savemartha.com last night:

FREEDOM! At 12:30 AM Martha is released!!!!

Update: 12:56 AM MARTHA ARRIVES AT THE ARIPORT...12:50AM. Martha's plane taxis up and prepares for boarding...carvan is 15 minutes out...12:31: 10 media chase crews following Martha from Alderson Prison to Greenbrier Airport 30 minutes away....Falcon jet will take Martha and Alexis back to Westchester...fans are gathered at the gates....media goes wild for Martha: Nancy Grace says "We are waiting for Martha to break out of the big house"..."MSNBC: Midnight release is highly unusual, most let prisoners go at 7 or 8AM...Fox News shows split screen: Middle east crisis on right, Martha watch on the left...everyone waiting in 16 degree bitter cold...

Now, the big news is Martha's broken cappuccino machine . Oh, the horror!

Posted at 02:19 PM

Wed - March 2, 2005

Corrupting tomorrow's leaders

I've been asked to be a guest speaker at KEOM's career day tomorrow. This is a radio station, owned and operated by the Mesquite Independent School District, where I got my start in the world of media. I was a student DJ there my senior year in high school, and I worked weekends for a couple of years afterwards. From there, I got an internship at the Texas State Networks (radio) and later a weekend gig at KRLD .

I'm supposed to talk to high school students about my experience in radio, television and newspapers. This should be fun! Also, I'll be in the same building as Jeff , so I can help the effort to give the kids "Every Reason to Succeed" along their "Quest for Excellence."

Posted at 01:29 PM

Adventures in advertising

How do inanimate things grow? I ask this because of two recent ad/marketing campaigns.

Jenny & I watch Gilmore Girls on the WB each Tuesday night. After the credits and previews for next week's episode, there's a promo for One Tree Hill, which the announcer bills as "America's fastest-growing new show."

I don't understand... is it because the cast is so young? Or that they're adding new cast members every week? Is the tree getting taller? How can a TV show be America's fastest-growing?

OK, I assume it's referring to ratings or something like that. But that would be the audience growing, not the show.

Another was an ad for a beer... I think it was Bud Light, but I didn't really pay attention. The tag line: "America's fastest-growing beer." Again, are the cans and bottles getting taller? If there really is a way to grow beer, wouldn't Homer Simpson be all over it? For that matter, *I* would be all over it. Guess that's what happens in a "beer garden."

Posted at 12:12 PM

Mon - February 28, 2005

Pancakes, Party and P... er, Vagina Monologues

This weekend was an odd assortment of events. We'll start with a review of my Kiwanis club's pancake breakfast. After working Friday night, I awoke Saturday at 5:40 a.m. Made it to the church at 6 a.m., where I helped everyone get set up for the pancake breakfast.

Then we waited. In the first hour we were open, we had three diners. And about 15 or so Kiwanians running the thing. Now, it doesn't take too many people to run a pancake breakfast. And since the club has been doing this for years, everyone has a silently assigned role. So I'm pretty far down on the depth chart. Since we had hardly anyone show up, and because I worked late the night before, my dad told me to go home at 8:00. I needed more sleep, so I obliged. Came to find out that at around 8:30, the people started pouring in. Including Pat , who figured he'd surprise me... Guess he was the one surprised, as I was no longer there! Anyway, I'm told we made about $400 or so... not bad for a "free" breakfast!

After dad got home, Jenny & I picked him up and went to my sister's place for a birthday party. Ian, my nephew, turns 5 next week, but Verna had a conflict, so we celebrated Saturday.

Sigh. Family events always bring together an interesting assortment, don't they? Attending this one were John & Elsie (Ian & Caitlyn's paternal grandparents), Jenny & me, my dad, my sister of course, my mother and my ex-girlfriend and her husband.

Yes, you read that right. Things are pretty tense between my mother and me right now, so that was awkward enough. But my ex-girlfriend and her husband? Brief back story: XGF & I dated for almost two years, during which Ian was born. Because things were very serious between us at the time, Verna asked us both to be Ian's baptismal sponsors. Even though we broke up more than four years ago, she's still part of Cait & Ian's lives. Why we broke up? She cheated on me with the guy who is now her husband. So to have both of them there is quite awkward for both Jenny & me. Add to that the fact that XGF is now pregnant. So shortly after we arrived, there's my sister, Elsie and my mother talking with her about pregnancy and babies and motherhood, etc. Meanwhile, Jenny & I are in the room... we're not pregnant, of course, but isn't this a little too surreal? Why my family members can't seem to grasp that XGF CHEATED ON ME and that that may possibly, I don't know, MAKE THINGS AWKWARD FOR ME AND MY WIFE is beyond me. It's as if they don't care about what happened! Yes, it's been more than four years, but am I not allowed to think it's strange and a little unhealthy for her to be so involved? And am I not allowed to be annoyed that my family treats her like she's the one who married in, not my actual wife?

Anyway, back to the party-- Ian's a Star Wars freak, so he got lots of Star Wars-related toys, including a Millennium Falcon, another light saber and various spaceships. Jenny & I gave him some Hot Wheels stuff, which was ignored at first because it wasn't Star Wars. Cait urged me to start assembling the Hot Wheels track... then Ian took some interest! Jenny assembled one of the other Hot Wheels items, too. I'm told that after we left, the track was bombed by the Millennium Falcon. Ah, well.

Saturday night was spent at a performance of The Vagina Monologues at UTD. By the way, if you missed my LJ post the other night, here's how not to write a headline about such an event. Bottom line: GREAT show. Read Pat's and Leila's blogs for some pretty good takes on the performance. I'm a little concerned that some of the actresses are a little too comfortable with their bodies, though. Several ill-advised short skirts and unflattering spandex outfits. We thought one of them was pregnant, and I was thinking that it was great for her to show off her belly like that. Pregnant? Not so much. Eesh.

Posted at 02:07 PM

Fri - February 25, 2005

There's no such thing as a free lunch...

...but there is such a thing as a free breakfast. (with a possible caveat, of course.)

My Kiwanis Club is holding its annual pancake breakfast tomorrow at Trinity Lutheran Church in the Lakewood area of Dallas. The breakfast is free, but we will accept donations. We'll be there from 7 to 10, so come on out, say hi, eat pancakes and help the Kiwanis Club!

Posted at 11:04 AM

Amy & J.D.'s photo album

First look at photos

Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...

Warning: Potentially embarrassing photos ahead

Why isn't this a national holiday?

Curious sales pitch

What to make of this?

A portrait of the blogger as an old man

It IS blue under the sea...

Last-minute plans for the last day of the year

Packin' up the Christmas stuff