March Morning Musings

March 31st. The year 2008 is 25% over already. Hard to believe, isn't it? I start back to my Grad School studies tomorrow. I've set myself a goal to get the last of my current Champions stuff finished by the time I go to bed tonight so that I'll have one less distraction tomorrow. I'll need to be more focused this time around; I learned that much from my previous experience, at least. I suppose that's the point—to learn from one's mistakes and shortcomings, and not to make the same mistakes again. Time marches on. Progression is optional.

--

We've had one of those springs here in Utah. It was a cold, wet winter, but March rolled around and brought warmer temperatures with it. But we've also seen our share of foul weather this month. Yesterday, for example, it was overcast and lightly precipitating for most of the day. When I awoke this morning, I was greeted by bright sunshine—and three inches of fresh snow on the ground. I had to smile. Barren desert, indeed.

--

We spent most of Saturday afternoon and evening helping Nancy's sister move. I didn't do a lot of the actual moving, heavy lifting, etc. Most of what I did was to keep the nephew entertained while the grown-ups did the actual work. (Good gig, if you can get it.) The nephew's idea of 'entertainment' was playing soccer in the front yard. It was a lot of fun, but it was a little chilly, and my perpetually bad left ankle was starting to feel the strain by the time we left the house.

When I awoke yesterday, my ankle was killing me. I managed to hobble around and accomplish everything I needed to at church, though I got a lot of, "Oooh, you're limping, what's wrong?" comments. It's good to know that there are so many people there who 1) noticed and 2) cared enough to inquire. My ward really is good to me. After Sunday dinner at Nancy's mom's house and a family viewing of Undercover Blues, we returned home and I iced the ankle before going to bed.

Today I'm feeling—and walking—a lot better. I'm still limping noticeably, but every step does not send pain shooting up my leg like yesterday. I need to do my exercises more consistently.

--

Today is opening day for the defending NL Champion Colorado Rockies. They open against my mom's lifelong favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Most of the media outlets I've seen are picking the Rocks to finish second in the NL West, though one of the guys at Yahoo Sports picks them to win the division. It's interesting to note that since the realignment, every team in the NL West has won the division at least once...except for the Rockies. Is this their year? Maybe. It's certainly the best the team has looked at the beginning of the season for a long, long time. And I've seen at least one writer picking the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series this year, so you never know. Anything's possible.

--

We're leaving in a few minutes to meet Nancy's sister and her son (the aforementioned soccer-playing nephew) for lunch. They've been in Utah for the past week and a half on spring break. They're flying back to Chicago today, so we're having one last meal with them. We're going to Cafe Rio, which is always a treat. I've No idea what I'll have. I'm not feeling the salad or the burrito today. I guess I'll just have to see when I get there.

And that's about it. TTFN!

Food for Thought

"To hurry pain is to leave a classroom still in session. To prolong pain is to remain seated in a vacated classroom and miss the next lesson."
-Yahia Lababidi, writer (b. 1973)

Brought to you by the friendly folks at A.Word.A.Day

The Wisdom of JMS

"Evolution teaches us that we must fight that which is different in order to secure land, food, and mates for ourselves. But we must reach a point where the nobility of intellect asserts itself and says, 'No.' We need not be afraid of those who are different. We can embrace that difference, and learn from it."

-Citizen G'Kar, Babylon 5 (The Ragged Edge)

Good Luck, Bro

My brother just called to ask me to be one of his groomsmen when he gets married in June. Part of the invitation was something about "getting into a monkey suit" for the occasion. I said, "Why not? You did it for me." We had a good laugh about it.

He then told me where he was getting the tuxedoes: Men's Warehouse. Knowing that's who I had used when I got married, he said, "I figure you'd know where to find one of those."

"Actually, I know where to find three of them," I told him. "The one where I got fitted, the one where they were supposed to deliver my tux, and the one they actually sent it to."

I hope he has better luck than I did....

My Life in Music

Lord Mhoram issued this challenge over on his blog a few weeks ago:

Start with your birth year, and pick one album per year that you really like - preferably what would be the "Album of the Year" for you for that year.

I've spent the past couple of weeks, on and off, updating my music catalog. Every album (in the Popular Music folder, at least) is now labeled by the year of its original release. So I'm ready to accept the challenge now.

1968: The Beatles [The White Album] by The Beatles
1969: The Chicago Transit Authority by Chicago
1970: Déjà Vu by Crosby Stills Nash & Young
1971: Every Good Boy Deserves Favour by The Moody Blues
1972: Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits by Simon and Garfunkel
1973: Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
1974: A-1-A by Jimmy Buffett
1975: Symphonion Dream by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
1976: Hotel California by The Eagles
1977: Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
1978: The Cars by The Cars
1979: Monolith by Kansas
1980: Hi Infidelity by REO Speedwagon
1981: The Music of Cosmos
1982: Asia by Asia
1983: Synchronicity by The Police
1984: In 3-D by 'Weird Al' Yankovic
1985: Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits
1986: Balance of Power by ELO
1987: ...Nothing Like the Sun by Sting
1988: Look Sharp! by Roxette
1989: Mystery Girl by Roy Orbison
1990: Wilson Phillips by Wilson Phillips
1991: Kiss My Axe by The Al Di Meola Project
1992: Don't Tread by Damn Yankees
1993: Walk On by Boston
1994: Beggar on a Beach of Gold by Mike + The Mechanics
1995: A Change of Seasons by Dream Theater
1996: Golden Heart by Mark Knopfler
1997: Calling All Stations by Genesis
1998: Perennial Favorites by Squirrel Nut Zippers
1999: Oblivion Days by Rocket Scientists
2000: The Sugar Tree by Amy Rigby
2001: Magnification by Yes
2002: Between Sunlight and Shadow by Singularity
2003: Fallen by Evanescence
2004: Upside Down by Crenshaw
2005: Wicked Twisted Road by Reckless Kelly
2006: Falling In Between by Toto
2007: Snakes & Arrows by Rush
2008: Red Planet Boulevard by Lana Lane

Quite a variety, if I do say so myself. And some interesting changes from the last time I did this little exercise. Fun!

The First Memes of Spring

Part I: Friday's Feast
Friday's Feast One Hundred & Eighty One

Appetizer Given the choice, would you prefer to live in the country or in the city?
I'd prefer to live in a small town that was within reasonable driving distance of a small-to-medium-sized city. That way you get the best of both worlds.

Soup Who is the cutest kid you know?
A couple we go to church with has four little blonde-haired boys, all under six years old. They're all really cute.

Salad Fill in the blank: I couldn’t believe it when I heard ___________.
I couldn’t believe it when I heard that Hero Games is coming out with a Sixth Edition. I really haven't even converted from Fourth to Fifth yet!

Main Course If you could star in a commercial for one of your favorite products, which one would you want to advertise?
What ever happened to the old 'Got Milk?' commercials? I could do one of those.

Dessert What type(s) of vitamins and/or supplements do you take on a regular basis?
I take a multivitamin and glucosamine sulfate each day.

--

Part II: Top 5 On Friday
Top 5 On Friday - Week 167 from The Music Memoirs:

Top 5 Cover Songs or Covers Albums
I'm going to go with songs:

» "...Baby One More Time" by Ahmet and Dweezil Zappa (Originally recorded by Britney Spears)
That anyone was able to take this song and make it enjoyable to listen to is quite an achievement.

» "You Won't See Me" by Anne Murray (Originally recorded by The Beatles)
According to the liner notes of her greatest hits album, John Lennon once told Anne that her version of this song was his favorite Beatles cover ever. Who am I to argue with John Lennon?

» "Eleanor Rigby" by Godhead (Originally recorded by The Beatles)
Of course, John never heard this recording. The industrial sound this band gives it fits the mood of this song even better than a double string quartet.

» "Gypsy (Of a Strange and Distant Time)" by Rocket Scientists (Originally recorded by The Moody Blues)
While Rocket Scientists do a lot of fantastic covers (their version of "Welcome to the Machine" on their debut album being one prime example), this is my favorite. In some ways, lead singer Mark McCrite sounds more like Justin Hayward on this song than Justin Hayward did on the Moodys' version!

» "It's My Life" by Paul Anka (Originally recorded by Bon Jovi)
There's a little musical in-joke here. Part of the Bon Jovi lyrics is "Frank said I did it my way", a clear reference to the classic Frank Sinatra song "My Way"...which was written by Paul Anka.

» "Hurt" by Johnny Cash (Originally recorded by Nine Inch Nails)
If there are words to describe how powerful this song is, I can't find them. Just listen to it.

A Few Days

Wednesday, March 19th
As you all know, I have two jobs. I've been working both of them quite a bit for the past few weeks, actually. In the mornings, I've been doing a lot of substitute teaching, almost exclusively at my favorite school, the Granite Technical Institute. And then I've been going to the call center in the afternoons. Generally, these two worlds do not meet. But today, they did.

As I was getting ready for my afternoon class, I looked up to see someone smiling at me. It was Ara, one of our newest employees at the call center. She was there for the Medical Terminology class.

It was fun to see someone I knew from somewhere outside the school, even if it was just from my other job. And her presence provided a funny moment. You see, at the call center, everyone knows me by my first name. In school, obviously, they call me Mr. M_____. So near the end of class, she came up to me and asked, "Mike...uh, Mr. M_____, can I go to the restroom?" She was a little embarrassed, I think, but we both had a good laugh from it. And we both laughed about it again later when she told my fellow supervisor D120 about the incident this evening at work.

Tuesday, March 18th
One of the classes I substituted for on Tuesday was an Anatomy and Physiology class. They were just wrapping up a unit on the cardiovascular system, and they had a special lesson for the day. They were dissecting a cow's heart.

Two of the other teachers from the school came in and led the group through a step-by-step tour of the organ in question. Each student (five showed up out of twelve that were scheduled) had their own heart to dissect. I don't know how many of you have ever seen a cow's heart (or any kind of heart, for that matter), but it was really interesting. Each heart was about the size of a football, with the major blood vessels (aorta, vena cava, etc.) still attached at the top. Using paring knives instead of scalpels, the students systematically made a series of cuts to examine the various chambers of the heart, the vessels leading to and from them, and the valves that separated them. I was a little surprised at the relative sizes involved. The atria were much smaller than the ventricles, and the muscles around the left ventricle (which sends oxygen-rich blood to the entire body) were more than twice as thick as the those around the right ventricle (which sends oxygen-deficient blood to the lungs, only a few inches away). And the valves, working on a positive-pressure system to keep the blood where it's supposed to be, were equally interesting.

It was amazing to me to think that inside of me and everyone else in that classroom, there was a smaller version of that marvelous structure, alternately pumping and relaxing but never stopping. Whether you credit evolution, an intelligent designer, or a flying spaghetti monster, it's an amazing little organ that's keeping us all alive. And there are dozens of others in each of our bodies, equally amazing. What a remarkable collection of atoms, molecules, and structures each of us is.

Monday, March 17th
As you may recall from a previous post, I've been in the process of getting back into graduate school. While the financing had been provisionally approved, I still needed to get the green light from the school to re-enroll. I'd talked to and e-mailed an enrollment counselor at the school several times over the previous week, and finally received confirmation by e-mail that I would be back in as of April 1st. Now I was just waiting for a paper version of that confirmation as the final bit of paperwork to send to the loan company.

When I arrived at the call center on Monday afternoon, I saw that the fax I had been waiting for had finally arrived from the school. Placing it in with all the other requested information, I faxed everything (7 pages total) to the loan company. Now I'm just waiting to hear back from them with final confirmation. With any luck, I may even have the tuition check by this time next week.

Sunday, March 16th
We had Ward Conference on Sunday. This meant, among other things, that the Sunday School lesson I was supposed to teach was pre-empted by the Stake Sunday School presidency. This caused some small consternation among some of the congregation (and the teachers, too) that I wasn't teaching. My lesson will probably be made up on the second Sunday in April. Anyway, instead of teaching, I got to spend the second hour of the block sitting on the stand (I'm the ward Sunday School president) with the Stake Presidency while the Stake Sunday School presidency gave a series of talks about teaching with the Spirit. They were good talks, but I probably would have enjoyed them more had I been in the congregation with Nancy instead of sitting on the stand and staring at the backs of the speakers' knees. You can't have everything, I guess.

I also made stew on Sunday. Not that this is difficult, of course. Stew is one of the easiest things in the world to make. (I understand that when Adam and Eve sat down for dinner on that first night, they had stew. It was all they knew how to make.) You just need the right ingredients, a good spice collection, and a Crock Pot. All of which we had. I browned the meat, cut up the vegetables, mixed it all up, and set the Crock Pot on high before we left for church. When we got back, the aroma that greeted us told me I'd done all right. And the leftovers have provided me with lunches for the past few days, too.

Saturday, March 15th
We celebrated Nancy's birthday on Saturday. True, the actual birthday was the Sunday before, and we had celebrated a little the previous Saturday night by spending some time with Krista, one of Nancy's old friends. But Saturday the 15th was the celebration with the family. We drove down to the new movie theater in Sandy for a showing of Penelope. It was fun. The main character was no Wednesday Addams, but she was all right. After the movie, we went over to Iggy's Sports Bar for dinner and some basketball viewing. And while I don't normally get too excited about basketball during hockey season, I was just interested enough in the two games we saw to be annoyed by the results.

First, BYU lost to UNLV in the Mountain West Conference tournament championship game. BYU was the top seed and UNLV was seeded second, but the tournament was in Vegas, just like last year. So UNLV won what was essentially a home game for them...just like last year. Bother. They need to find somewhere else to hold the tournament. Fort Collins, maybe. Or at least Reno. Anyway, the TV was then switched over to the Jazz game, where we got to see Utah lose to New Jersey. What the...? How does a team go into Boston and beat a Celtics team with the best record in the NBA, and then to lose to the Nets twenty-four hours later? Ish.

Oh, and it snowed last Saturday night, too. A lot. Which is funny, because the last time we went to Iggy's and this theater, it was on a Saturday night a few weeks ago. And it snowed then, too. Just for the record, we will not be holding my birthday celebration there.

Friday, March 14th
In previous writings, I'm pretty sure I've mentioned Lula, the silver 1990 Dodge Dynasty that used to belong to Granny. After her death, we were sent home with the car. At that time, it was registered in Montana until October 2007. So we figured we'd have plenty of time to get things taken care of to get it registered here in Utah. As soon as my aunt, who was the executor of Granny's estate, sent down the title, we could just go ahead and change it over. Of course, we'd probably wait until the end of October 2007 to do that. We'd already paid the registration for that period, after all. So we didn't think too much about it until about late August.

At that time, we started a series of e-mails with the aunt in question to arrange to get the title sent down. Unfortunately, she told us she'd found out that being the executor of the estate did not necessarily give her the power of attorney to sign over the title. She was going to look into it, so we waited...until the end of September...and then until the end of October. And then into November.

Long story short, she did figure out how to transfer the title, and we got it in January. From there, it was just a matter of paying all the appropriate fees. Unfortunately, with Nancy having lost her job and my experiencing the downturn the market research industry usually experiences between November and February, we were a little short on cash. Registering the car was just not our highest priority.

Well, several weeks later, Friday finally provided the opportunity to get it taken care of. So I left the house around 11:00 a.m. and headed to Jiffy Lube for the state safety and emission inspections, preparatory to registering the car in Utah for the first time. Lula passed the emissions test with flying colors...but failed the safety inspection. Why? Because the passenger's side mirror wasn't properly secured. The hard plastic mounting bracket that holds the mirror onto the door of the vehicle attaches at three points. Alas, the bracket was cracked, and attached at only two points. So they told me I either needed to find a way to re-attach it, or just take it off completely.

I made my way down to Pep Boys just a few short blocks away in search of advice and supplies. I had one of the sales associates come out and take a look at the mirror bracket. His diagnosis: there was no way to fix it short of replacing the whole bracket. So the question became to wait another couple of weeks and buy a replacement bracket with my next paycheck (it's a dealer part, after all), or just take it off and get registered that day? I decided to take it off.

So there I was, parked in the Pep Boys lot, taking apart the interior door panel so that I could get to where the bracket was attached inside the door frame. Fortunately, I had just the right combination of tools and know-how (I won't say 'expertise') to get it done. And it only took until about 1:00 p.m. to accomplish it. I headed back to Jiffy Lube, where they declared that my car was now safe enough to drive in Utah after all. The hard part was done. I thought.

I made my way to the DMV. Work was supposed to start for me at 2:00 that afternoon, so I called my boss to let him know where I was and what I was doing. Having gone through this whole song and dance himself just a couple of weeks before, he was quite sympathetic. So I went up to the reception desk, told the lady what I needed, and got a number. It was number 591, time-stamped at 1:36 p.m.

The monitors said, "Now serving 570." Unfortunately, at the Utah DMV, they run four or five series of numbers at the same time, depending on what different people need to do. That day, they were running a 000 series, a 400 series, a 500 series, and a 700 series. So assuming an equal distribution, there weren't really just 20 people in front of me. There were more like 80.

I finally made it up to the counter at around 2:45 p.m.

Once there, I found that the lady I was dealing with didn't really have a clear grasp on how to deal with out-of-state titles. She had to leave me at the counter and go into the back room to ask her supervisor what to do. Twice. In the end, though, I left the DMV with the registration completed and new license plates in hand. And my boss was completely understanding about my being more than an hour late for work.

When I registered the Dreadnought for the first time, I chose the 'Utah Centennial' license plate pattern, the one featuring a picture of Delicate Arch. This time, however, I decided to go with the new 'Life Elevated Skier' design. It looks like this:



The red-orange area on top shows pictographs reminiscent of those found in the Canyonlands of southern Utah. And of course, there's the skier. It's a nice plate.

I thought about getting a vanity plate, but ultimately I decided I didn't want to pay the extra money each year. But it would have been fun. I'd already decided how it would read:

YYZ 2112

A vanity plate that doesn't look like a vanity plate. Someday, maybe...

Point/Counterpoint

I came across these two bits this evening. I can't verify that they're true, but I thought they were amusing.

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play, bring a friend if you have one."
-George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second...if there is one."
-Churchill to Shaw, in response

Ah, crazy old Churchill, always good for a laugh.

Pi Day Memes

Today (3/14) is Pi Day. Happy Pi Day, everyone!

Part I:
Feast One Hundred & Eighty Three from Friday's Feast

Appetizer On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how much do you like your own handwriting?
7. It's legible, but I don't write very quickly. When I try, the legibility goes right out the window.

Soup Do you prefer baths or showers?
Yes. Showers to get clean, baths to relax.

Salad What was the last bad movie you watched?
Dark Star. Yes, I know, it was John Carpenter's college film, and he didn't have a budget. But it's clearly a beach ball!

Main Course Name something you are addicted to and describe how it affects your life.
I eat too much fast food. It's expensive, and I know it's not good for me. But it's not an addiction. I can stop any time I want to.

Dessert Which instrument is your favorite to listen to?
If I had to pick just one, I think I'd have to say the cello. It has a rich, warm tone unmatched by any other instrument. But I prefer groups of instruments (and voices, too) to just one. I'd almost always rather listen to a symphony than a sonata.

--

Part II:
Top 5 On Friday - Week 166 from The Music Memoirs

Top 5 songs from the 60's
Wow, it's like they've been reading my blog lately or something....

» "And Your Bird Can Sing" by The Beatles (from the album Revolver)
Any serious discussion of the great songs of the 60's--or any era, for that matter--has to start with the Beatles. This one is my current favorite.

» "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by The Beach Boys (from the album Pet Sounds)
You might think of the Beach Boys as Salieri to the Beatles' Mozart; the two groups will always be linked. I consider this the group's best song from their best album.

» "Beginnings" by Chicago (from the album The Chicago Transit Authority)
Say what you will about the Peter Cetera/Jason Scheff era Chicago of the 80's and 90's. In the beginning, Chicago was a rock band with serious jazz and R&B clout--as their 1969 debut shows. Check out the horn and percussion sections in this track.

» "Thunderball" by Tom Jones (from the album Thunderball)
A musical discussion of the 60's also has to include at least one James Bond song. Tom Jones gets the nod.

» "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues (from the album Days of Future Passed)
This song wasn't fully appreciated when first released in 1967; it's moment in the sun had to wait for a re-release in 1972. One of the most lush and lyrically beautiful songs of the era.

Morning Laugh

I got an e-mail this morning from the Desert Star Playhouse. It was an invitation to buy season tickets. And while I usually route such things directly to my spam folder, I thought this one was worth sharing.

Top Ten Reasons To Buy Season Tickets

10. Two hours of family fun where your teenagers are prohibited from texting friends.

9. Win valuable points with your wife.

8. More laughs per minute than the Presidential race (not a guarantee).

7. People think you have class and maturity when you have season tickets to the theatre!

6. Laughter improves your health. Consider Desert Star a medical expense!

5. Attending all Desert Star productions will improve the gas mileage in your vehicle by 50%!!!*

4. For 2 hours, your Tahitian Noni and NuSkin selling neighbor won´t be able to find you.

3. We make fun of stuff so you don't have to.

2. You'll have 5 sure-fire date nights lined up that aren't a family member's wedding.

2. Bring the whole family and for 2 hours your kids will sit quietly and drop food on OUR floor.

1. You deserve it!

*This is simply a wild, unsubstantiated claim

I love this place!

The Usual Friday Memes

Part the First:
Feast One Hundred & Eighty Two from Friday's Feast

Appetizer If you could be any current celebrity for one whole week, who would you want to be?
Brett Favre. That way, I could have a week off with nothing in the world to worry about.

Soup On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you enjoy talking on the phone?
Eh, maybe 5 or 6. I'd rather talk to someone in person, but sometimes the phone is the best you can do.

Salad Name a charitable organization to which you have donated (or would like to).
The American Red Cross. I've donated many times. And you should, too, if you're able. Blood donors are always needed.

Main Course What is a food you like so much you could eat it every single day for a month?
Water. Duh.
Okay, tortillas. I could eat 'em with every meal.

Dessert Have you or anyone in your family had the flu this year?
Not to my knowledge. I actually got a flu shot this year, so that may have something to do with it.


Part the Second:
Top 5 On Friday - Week 165 from The Music Memoirs

Top 5 "Dreaming" songs...(song with dream in the title...about dreaming...make you dream etc)

» "I'm Only Sleeping" by The Beatles
When I wake up early in the morning,
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream

Please don't wake me, no
don't shake me
Leave me where I am
I'm only sleeping

» "I Have A Dream" by ABBA
I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail

I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream - I have a dream

» "Nocturne" by Rush
Dream - temporary madness
Dream - a voice in the wilderness
Dream - unconscious revelations
The morning says, the answer is yes

» "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" from Guys and Dolls
I dreamed last night I got on the boat to heaven
And by some chance I had brought my dice along
And there I stood and I hollered "Someone fade me"
But the passengers, they knew right from wrong.

» "Dreamtime" by Yes
Dreamtime begins
Where every song is the perfect place
Words never spoken
Are the strongest resounding

Life force is meant for us
To remember the stars, the earth
Still we forget
So asleep in this dreamtime
Lost in this dreamtime day

Honorable Mention (Album): "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" by Sting
Honorable Mention (Band): Dream Theater

On Loan

Over the past several weeks, I've taken advantage of the Salt Lake City Public Library to fulfill my entertainment needs. I've got my hands on some really good stuff. Take a look:



1967-1970 by The Beatles
I've had the Red Album (1962-1966) for years on cassette and recently got it on CD. It only stood to reason that I'd need to listen to the Blue Album too. Hard to believe it's the same band, in some ways.



Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
A.K.A. "The album that inspired Sgt. Pepper's"
If you're expecting the same old "fast cars, big waves, cute girls" formula that made the Beach Boys stars, well, you won't find it here. This album is experimental, complex, and thought-provoking. And no matter how good the Beatles were at everything else, they never could harmonize the way the Beach Boys could.



Rubber Soul by The Beatles
A.K.A. "The album that inspired Pet Sounds"
The first step on the Beatles' journey from boy band to musical revolutionaries. A darker, less exuberantly optimistic tone than earlier Beatles releases. I never thought I'd hear a song where John Lennon threatened someone (a woman, no less) with violence, but it's right here ("Run For Your Life"). Great songwriting and great performances.



Revolver The Beatles
Actually, I'm picking this one up from the library today. Can't wait to expand my Beatles horizons even further!



Justice Leage - Seasons 1-4 (including JLU)
I was completely enthralled by this series. Sadly, I didn't read a lot of DC when I was growing up, just Marvel (Mostly X-Men, Avengers, and Alpha Flight). I thought this was an excellent introduction to these characters. And from what I've deduced by talking to persons more knowledgeable than myself, these stories are quite faithful to the original characters and their personalities. Highly recommended.



Teen Titans
I loved this series when it ran on Cartoon Network. And it's still good. But after watching the entire Justice League series, I have to confess that this was a bit of a letdown. I'll probably give it a look again later.



Astro City: Life in the Big City by Kurt Busiek, Brent E. Anderson, and Alex Ross
I love comic books and superhero stories. (Can you tell?) The stories in this book are among the best I've ever read. The humanity of the characters is almost unparalleled in the genre. I can't recommend this too much.



The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 2 by Alan Moore
Some will undoubtedly question my taste, but I liked the movie a lot better than the book(s) on which it was based. There were just too many "Ewwww!" moments for me. Most of them involving the Invisible Man.



Eternals by Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr.
I've always thought the Eternals were an interesting, if underutilized, group in the Marvel universe. Nice treatment of the team by Gaiman.

I've also borrowed some stuff from Lord Mhoram in the past few weeks.



Vinland Saga by Leaves' Eyes
Not my usual cup of tea, musically speaking, but this is a very nice album. A great balance of power and delicacy.



Red Planet Boulevard by Lana Lane
I really enjoyed Lana's take on the Scottish Play in her concept album Lady Macbeth. This album is nothing at all like that one. This one's a lot more organic and melodic. Fortunately, Lana's versatile enough to make both of them enjoyable.

So that's what I've been doing with my free time lately. Now, if you'll excuse me,I have to go update my Amazon.com wish list....

Update #1

A few weeks ago, Nancy had a job interview. At that time, we asked for any and all hopes, prayers, and positive vibes anyone would care to send our way. Then, a few days later, I reported that things looked good, both for her job search and for my return to grad school, at least on a provisional basis. Now I actually have something to report.

Nancy got an e-mail back from the company last night. She got the job!

She has a call in to the recruiting office this morning to find out when she'll start. There's a six-week training course, one of which starts at the end of this month. We're hoping she can get into that one. (Again, any and all hopes, prayers, and positive vibes anyone would care to send our way would be greatly appreciated.) If not, then she'll start at the end of April. Either way, though, she's got the job.

One down, one to go.