Thoughts in Motion...

another blog account bites the dust...

2011-03-06T07:51:00.001-05:00

On 2/24/11, I got the following email:

Dear MyBlogLog Customer,

You have been identified as a customer of Yahoo! MyBlogLog. We will officially discontinue Yahoo! MyBlogLog effective May 24, 2011. Your agreement with Yahoo!, to the extent that it applies to the Yahoo! MyBlogLog, will terminate on May 24, 2011.

After May 24, 2011 your credit card will no longer be charged for premium services on MyBlogLog. We will refund you the unused portion of your subscription, if any. The refund will appear as a credit via the billing method we have on file for you. To make sure that your billing information is correct and up to date, visit https://billing.yahoo.com.

Questions?
If you have questions about these changes, please visit the Yahoo! MyBlogLog help pages.

We thank you for being a customer on Yahoo! MyBlogLog.

Sincerely,
The Yahoo! MyBlogLog Team

-----

I was linked to this for various networking reasons though I barely used it directly, however there has come a time to say goodbye to yet another blog, group of online contacts, and a decent networking resource. I enjoyed having it while it was available and enjoyed gaining new acquaintances, too. It seems a shame that Yahoo, has been slowly removing a lot of resources over the years and it gives me pause to wonder if the Microsoft merger had any influence on these actions. Regardless of cause, I am reminded that nothing lasts forever...

digital transition...

2011-02-26T14:34:00.000-05:00

I recall this supposed to be taking full effect quite a while ago, but instead it seems a lot of parties have broken the transition into smaller steps which always seems to leave me a step behind. With everything that has been happening to me in the past, it's not much of a surprise that I am not completely ready for it, yet it seems I must catch up to some extent before it's too late. I received notice in the mail from Comcast that March third is my cutoff point to acquire free equipment to fully adapt to the new digital transition. I still have yet to unpack my new tv and hook up various other new equipment to make sure that I have everything I already need. I didn't want to needlessly acquire anything I didn't need. Of course my latest setbacks have been my mother getting sick so frequently this month as well as my root canal, but I am trying to make things ready, including assembling an a/v center and wall mount for my new tv. This also means removing the old tv cabinet that has sat in the same place for about 40 years or so as well as the dead tv within. I look forward to seeing things finished. I have a lot to set up and several consoles I have yet to use and enjoy for the first time. I think this is one change in my life that I can be happy about...

back-words... recent poems...

2011-02-25T03:31:00.000-05:00

If you have been following my blog from the beginning, you will be familiar with the heading "back-words," which is my little play on words indicating writings from the past. Previous writings can come from various sources, such as blogs, notebooks, as well as randomly found articles on which to scribble.
Today's back-words is an assortment of writings I came across in a small memo book I've been keeping for important reminders, temporary record keeping, as well as random thoughts and drawings. The book is starting to get a little worn and pages are coming loose so I thought I might as well remove some pertinent pages to transcribe over here. I hope you enjoy this small collection...

There are questions
that I cannot yet answer
which are deep in meaning
and require fuzzy logic
for finding an answer,
however these questions
easily and quickly
take a backseat
in my mind
when I am with you.
I can find security
in knowledge
and the truth of things,
but I find comfort in you.
Easily, in the name of love,
these issues that I endlessly ponder
can wait for another time,
and often have.

-----

please forgive my tooty
which may not have been very fruity,
or maybe it was
and that's the problem.
all i did was
lift my booty
and out it came: poot, poot, pooty.
i lift my booty
so it's nice and loud.
i squeeze really hard
so it'll come out proud.
then i can walk a away
knowing it's strong
and i feel better
all day long hoping that
the gas i passed
will last and last.
sharing a good vibration
is only part of the sensation...

*note: this was inspired by my uncle's brand of humor and was created for him.

-----

shall we take a chance?
let's go out and dance.
the summer is full of romance.
i don't care if we can't stay out late.
maybe it's destiny or fate.
this moment is another chance
for our souls to be together.

-----

i stand at the threshold
of a new life.
as always,
it is just the beginning
so the future isn't clear
and how to get to my goal
is precarious.
nonetheless,
i will try
and do what i can

-----

so many tales told
of love saving one's life,
winning one's affection,
and of course
feeling love which isn't returned.
i'd do anything
for love,
anything...

-----

sometimes i feel jealous
of joyous lyrics
because they sound great,
but i've never been able
to write like that.
i don't write much
once i am swept away.

-----

pastimes no more-
we used to sit on the floor
and listen to music
and dance in silence
just because we were happy.
we used to eat outside
under trees and giant parasols
when the weather was fair
and the food was handmade.
we used to wear simple clothes
decorated with colorful threads
and simple beads.
we used to dream
and let our minds wander,
yet all this has changed
over the years.
what happened?

familar pain...

2011-02-25T02:52:00.000-05:00

I just recently had a root canal. I lost count after my tenth. I know when I need a root canal by the specific kind of pain and I also know hoe to combat the pain down to a science so that I can handle unforeseen delays in desired dental visits. I also have a favorite endodontist at this point, having had a few perform this routine. It's never a walk in the park, but at least I know how to reduce my suffering in such a situation- before, during, and after.
When I deal with a needing a root canal, I become unable to function as I normally would. I cannot think straight and I sleep more than usual. Obviously, you just saw a break in my blog flow and probably wondered what specifically might be wrong this time. Now you know...

birthday haiku...

2011-02-18T17:32:00.000-05:00

I wrote a little haiku for a friend of mine because it was his birthday today. I thought I would post it here as well for posterity sake. I hope you enjoy it, too.

another year here
your friends want to see you smile
a milestone is made

valentine's day...

2011-02-14T08:47:00.001-05:00

What other topic would I have for today? Wait, scratch that; it could have been anything, really... I was looking for some good information to talk about, but decided in the end I would simply redirect you to Wiki for the details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day They had plenty that I was not aware of as well as plenty that I already knew. My particular interest grew in the "Similar days honoring love" section, particularly Japan. If you hadn't realized by now, I enjoy learning about Japanese culture. So with that I bid everyone a happy Valentine's Day...

masterful escapees...

2011-02-13T11:06:00.001-05:00

Some people are animal lovers and some aren't. I used to not understand this, but over the years I am slowly beginning to see some reasons why some animals would not be liked very much. My mother is an animal lover and has had various pets over the years. I also like animals, but slowly I see myself appreciating animals more which are in the wild or owned by other people. I dig my dog, but even he can get under my skin from time to time. It also doesn't help that I think I have been developing minor allergies to animals such as birds and little critters, which brings me to the subject to which my title refers.

My mother has a couple tiny hamsters. They are teeny tiny and very cute. I doubt they weigh an ounce, soaking wet. These little escape artists manage to get out of their cage and adventure the world known as our home. It's never noticed and we can't tell how they get out because there are no signs of where or how they departed from their cage. Worse yet, they can and have disappeared for days at a time until they are found quite by accident. Even more astounding is the fact that there were previous pet hamsters that escape and were never found again- and they were bigger! How do they do it? Houdini would be in awe. I certainly am. Time will only tell what will happen to our current escapees...

get well soon...

2011-02-12T19:55:00.000-05:00

My uncle was been ill recently with a lighter version of what my mother had. So once he was on the mend and could laugh without fear, I sent him a little email that would gratify his sense of humor (by the way, Raul is pronounced rah-ool for added effectiveness of this joke):

Hey Sparky,
This is Ralph from Raul's Hork Emporium. Your chunks came up today during our meeting and we have them on backorder. By the way, the usual brand has been discontinued so we hope that you will accept Barf brand chunks, instead. As soon as those Barf chunks come out, we will give them to you directly. As a consolation for not being able to receive the usual brand, Raul's is prepared to offer a fine porcelain product of your preference. You have a choice between porcelain pedestals and telephones. We can even program the porcelain telephone with a speed dial so you can reach Raul directly for consultation and additional services. We wish we could offer more, but our supplier has come down with dysentery after a ceremonial bathing in the Ganges River with his cow. Fortunately, the cow is fine. Thank you and we hope you will order our Barf chunks again and again.
Regards,
Ralph Yakman

P.S. Remember to keep in mind our catchy motto: if it's gonna be anything it's gonna be Raul or nothin!

sorry, friends and sorry friends...

2011-02-11T12:24:00.000-05:00

Two things have been on my mind lately concerning friendships that I have and no longer have. The first is that maybe I am not always the best friend I can possibly be, but then again who is. We are all only human and make mistakes. The second is that some people cannot maintain a friendship and hurt someone as a result of their choices. As I go on, you will understand how one is different from the other and while one is somewhat forgivable, the other seems less so.

When I make a friend, I will be casual in my attitude because I choose to let myself be comfortable in their presence, while I can also be very polite for other people (who usually are much younger or older than I am) and I will do my best to communicate with them so long as I am not bogged down by depression or whatever. When there are long spaces of time between communication, I try to initiate a conversation whenever I feel good about things and I will apologize for not talking sooner. If someone initiates a conversation with me, then I make sure to reply as quickly as possible; I don't want someone feeling ignored or disliked.

Sometimes life gets wonky and people get even wonkier. Some folks can't handle that, which is fine, but they should say so instead of arbitrarily ignoring messages and so forth; that is rude and hurtful. Some folks may need a little space to deal with things, but they shouldn't just ignore those who try to reach them as that is also rude. When times get hard, leave a metaphorical "out to lunch" sign so that others realize you are not a supreme oxygen thief.

I have not always been the most communicative or stable friend around and I apologize to all my friends for being that way. Hopefully they are the forgiving sort. Some have not, which has in the long run made some good friendships and/or relationships go sour. I do my best when I can and apologize when I haven't. I think it's the fair thing to do. When people don't do that, it is frustrating and annoying. This is a main reason why I employ the three strikes policy. After the third screw-up or failed attempt to make things right, I walk away. I cannot perpetually spend my life subjecting myself to those who ignore or hurt me (and never seek forgiveness). I have to have at least an ounce of pride and protect myself from such behaviors when and where I see fit. Hopefully I have made that choice correctly when I have done as such...

i am packrat...

2011-02-10T12:18:00.000-05:00

Yes, I admit it. I am a packrat and come from a line of packrats (among other things). I save sentimental stuff as well as the useful stuff that everyone else should also be saving, but among this sentimental stuff is a lot of garbage and every so many years I need to go and sift through it all and see what still holds any interest to me and throw away (gasp!) what doesn't.
Some people collect stamps or wine labels, while others have fascinations in other fields. Mine is probably music, but that's not what I am about to get into today. I was inspired from wine label collecting to keep some of my favorite limited edition bottles and cans. Some of you may recall that in 2006, Coca-Cola released a limited edition beverage called Blak, which was essentially a fusion of Coke and coffee. I happened to love this drink and yet I only ever obtained a single 4-pack due to availability problems. I thought it was great and I thought it would be great if I fused it further with Kahlua (yes, drooling is permitted). Unfortunately, this product was never resumed and I wish it had been. Recently I was scouring through my, uhm, keepsakes (I'm really trying not to sound like Golem referring to his Precious) and found that I had kept the only 4-pack I ever had, complete with paperboard holder. Curious to see if I could find any news about a resurgence of this drink, I started Googling and discovered that it was still gone and that only individuals were selling anything related. I saw some official Coke Blak glass tumblers, an empty sleeve, empty bottles, and full bottles that were still sealed. Yuck, someone is probably going to get ill if they try to drink that because drinks expire after time and when they get even older they start to separate. I've seen a lot of beverages go bad and I wonder if these sellers even know the potential harm in what they are doing. Yes, I would love some, but not a single five-year-old 8 fluid oz. bottle for $15 or more. That's insane...

no gaijin allowed...

2011-02-09T18:18:00.000-05:00

I got this t-shirt a while back. Why? Why else? It's funny yet somewhat accurate in its sentimental expression. A place that prevent a race -- any race -- from patronizing an establishment has got some screwy racist policies which are outdated, regardless of reason. It's worse than segregation when you won't even allow someone's presence because of their physical cultural heritage. The sad thing is it's all borne out of hate and fear. I really don't want to be hated and/or feared so to any physical characteristic and yet I know it has happened to me before. I love the t-shirt. My only regret is that the printed design is not larger...

forgotten artifacts...

2011-02-09T18:04:00.000-05:00

In the summer before twelfth grade, my grandmother gave to me the remainder of a small bottle of cologne called Canoe by Dana. It had a nice smell and it wasn't getting used anymore so she let me have it. That summer I had to go to Lynchburg College to attend a yearbook seminar hosted by Jostens. It was a rather bad experience for many reasons which I won't bother getting into for now since it is a moot point to my story. The only relevant point being that my lighter ran out of fluid while I was there and I had not brought along more so I used a little of the Canoe to extend my lighter use during the trip. I knew since it had an alcohol content it would basically turn my lighter into an alcohol lamp, which worked well for me. It also smelled very good.
I still wasn't really shaving much and I wasn't dating at all so I otherwise had no use for it so like many things of mine, I put it away for safe keeping and forgot about it. Recently, I was going through a box of things and found the bottle of Canoe I had stowed away years ago. I decided to mix the small remainder with my aftershave, that way I could extend its use for even longer. I can now remember something nice when I use it, which is nice because not all my memories were good.
I like being able to find things like that. I'm sure I have more waiting to be uncovered. Some of them will be bad, but others will be good and I look forward to those.

it's just one of those things, baby...

2011-02-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

I saw this used for a travel article and was quite taken with it. Sometimes you would like to get lost or tell someone else to get lost. Well there it was, right in my face telling me to get lost. So I did- lost in creative thought, that is. Sometimes I like to use various phrases, stickers, and whatnot for collage art when doing posters or album cover art so this seemed really appealing to me. Even if I don't use it, it still tickles my funny bone...

ghost in the shell compilations...

2011-02-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

These two compilations are movies assembled from the two seasons of ghost in the shell, some blandishment was required to give the films a better sense of flow as a singular entities so different voice actors were used. WHY??? Actually I am not looking for an answer, I am merely voicing my discontent. I am disappointed they didn't recruit the original actors to fill in the gaps and/or re-voice the project. It felt like they were trying to make it different when it was blatantly the the same stories retold, minus the filler and streamlined. To me, that is an epic fail. I am almost sorry I purchased them, but the good news is that I got them at an extreme discount. Huzzah!

trying not to be fooled by imitations...

2011-02-09T09:37:00.000-05:00

...or at least not getting albums of the same title- oh wait, I did that already. Yes it's one of those cases where you hear a song on the internet radio and say, "Wow, I would like to have a copy of that, and I bet the other songs on the album would be pretty nifty as well!" Little did I know that finding the cd was going to be so difficult and that there were actually two cds for sale that had completely different contents. Long story short, I ended up buying both, but fortunately I have not regretted it. I like songs from both albums, however the album cover shown above was the one I originally wanted because it had a great cover of Tomorrow Never Knows. I would recommend getting the other album as well because it has an amazing track called Asian Flowers and it gave me chills because it sounded like John was singing. If I am not mistaken, it was actually his son, Sean. If ever another tribute album is made, I would like to see his other son, Julian take part in it was well. Years ago, Julian cut a track called Too Late for Goodbyes and he sounded just like his dad.

sau tao instant soups...

2011-02-09T09:17:00.000-05:00

Instant Noodle King flavors beef and wonton, came in two sizes with slightly different variations. The smaller size had thinner noodles and the larger size had wider noodles, of which I preferred the wider noodles. The thing I wasn't quite understanding about the wonton was that there were no wontons in there and I wouldn't exactly say it was wonton flavored, either. I never really considered wontons as having a specific flavor when they can be made with various ingredients, however the manufacturer had something very specific in mind: prawn. I am not terribly fond of prawns, otherwise known as shrimp. Worse yet, the flavoring packet didn't seem very prawn-like to me, but rather like really smelly fish. It was a very strong oder and I almost tossed it out, but I hate to waste money so I just ate it. It wasn't as hideous as it smelled, but it didn't taste like wontons to me, either. On the other hand, the beef was quite nice, especially after trying the wonton flavor first. Normally I would go for flavors like chicken or pork, but this selection was what was available and I hadn't tried them yet so I thought I would give them a shot. Of the four, I would get the larger beef with the wide noodle again. It sure beats going hungry!

ramune...

2011-02-09T00:14:00.001-05:00

Yeah, Ramune... technically it was made to impersonate lemonade, only its is a light, fizzy soft drink and it is available in a variety of flavors and produced by several companies. I like it quite a bit and have had most of the flavors, as you can see, this one was green apple flavor and it was quite nice. I like them better chilled, but will drink them at room temperature without batting an eye. Some of your local Asian food shops should have some in stock but they can be ordered online from a number of sources. I love the shape of the bottle and how it opens; both unlike anything I've seen before. I thought the original Orangina bottles were pretty cool, but I had to save a couple of these. i recommend trying a flavored version first before getting the plain, if at all. It isn't that it's bad, but why get original of anything if there are flavors available, right? Cheers/kampai!

red ninja - end of honor...

2011-02-08T23:56:00.000-05:00

This is the most recent game I have played on my PS2. Currently I am stuck on the final boss and Youtube videos have indicated the battle will be extremely difficult and long-winded. This has emphatically decreased my interest in this game. I think all games should have an easy mode and all opponents should have a skill that reflects such a mode. Making it so that I have to battle an opponent for nearly fifteen minutes with very little surplus is not what I consider a fun challenge. This is particularly a shame because I actually enjoy the game quite a bit- up until this point, that is. I have enjoyed the plot, the character development, and the relative ease of controller use, not to mention the art is fabulous. I have already seen the ending, thanks to my Youtube research and have to say I'm not to fond of that, either. The story threw me some curve balls that I didn't expect and felt weren't necessary to furthering a successful plot. On the whole, I would still recommend this game, but maybe you should rent it first before deciding on a blind buy, like I had. These days, I rent most of my games first and I use GameFly to do it. For anyone curious to give it a shot, this game is available at GameFly on both PS2 and Xbox platforms. I'm on the single game plan because while I have various gaming con soles, I don't interchange games until one is finished. It works well for me that way...

oronine ointment...

2011-02-08T20:29:00.000-05:00

"Actions: Itching and irritation due to sting by mosquito, flea, bedbug, louse, gnat, etc. For pain caused by burns. For cuts and scratches. Protects sensitive skin due to shaving. Use before make-up application. Pimple remedy. Cure athlete's foot. For ringworm, scaldhead and psoriasis. For shoe-sores. For your baby's diaper and heat rash, For frost bite and chapped skin."
Yep, yet another multipurpose cure. I thought it might be helpful in a number of cases, but never really saw any beneficial results. I guess an open mind is not enough; maybe you need to truly believe in something for it to work. I can't say for sure, but I can surely say that this, too, won't become a staple in my medicine cabinet. Everything is worth trying at least once, but I don't offer a second chance to everything that crosses my path.

mopiko ointment...

2011-02-08T20:13:00.000-05:00

"For relief of bites by lice, mosquitoes, bees or other poisoning insects. Itching ulcers. Measles. Irritation from shaving. Headaches. Muscle fatigue due to exercise. Burns or abrasion." While curiosity allowed me to buy this, I am not sure if I will be a repeat buyer. Not that it is ineffective or anything, but simply because it is an overseas purchase and I didn't find it anymore effective than anything else I have tried. It also seemed to multi-purpose to me to be true. I don't think it will become a staple in my medicine cabinet anytime soon.

po chai pills...

2011-02-08T19:57:00.000-05:00

This alternative medicine is purported as the general cure-all of stomach ailments. "Indications: help relieve diarrhea, stomach flu, vomiting and gastrointestinal diseases." I got some out of curiosity. It comes in a small vial in the form of small reddish-brown pellets with a smooth and semi-gloss surface. I didn't know whether I should try to swallow them whole or chew them up, but after trying to chew a few, I decided swallowing them whole was decidedly the preferable choice. The flavor, aside from being rather herbal and medicinal in nature, was bitter and the texture was very gritty. In other words, it was quite nasty and the flavor lingered in my mouth even after having something to drink. Furthermore, I don't think it really did anything for me other than possibly make me feel more ill than I had felt before. I was really intrigued with the packaging and format of this medicine, however I would never get it again. Ok, you can stop laughing now...

action resulting from motivation vs. intention...

2011-02-04T14:00:00.001-05:00

My mind has been on my previous post as well as the fact that I haven't posted here in over a year. It strikes me so that the thought keep rolling around in my head: I haven't posted in over a year- close to a year and a half, actually. I never intended to let my blog go for so long, but so much has happened since I last discussed my life that this truly did slip way down on my priority list and many times when I thought about posting a new entry, I really had no desire to do so; I just didn't have the emotional energy that I felt I needed to get into deeply personal topics. I certainly wasn't planning on resuming blog entries with a rant, but it ended up happening anyway. At this point, I should talk about what has been happening in all this time and get everything up to date because I actually have set aside things that I did want to eventually share and discuss.
Anyone reading far enough back or who knows me personally will recall that my grandmother passed away in 2008 and my grandfather passed away in 2009. Things are still not fully reconciled, but have been mostly reconciled at this point. There has also been a great emotional and physical drain that accompanied it- both a conscious and subconscious shutting down that I imagine are part of the grieving process as well as depression, from which I already suffer.
At the end of 2009, My laptop died. It was brand new and I was stymied. At this point in time, I still have yet to get it repaired. I have not had what I considered an adequate opportunity to do so. My mother's laptop also foozed out, but repair was an easier process so it has already been repaired as of this past summer. My even newer desktop took a dive recently and while most of everything is ok, there are a few cosmetic damages and it is not economically feasible to get it repaired, which was a major disappointment to me.
Last year welcomed a new lunar year for the tiger, which I was rather psyched about because I was born during the year of the tiger and usually am hopeful of things looking better than usual in the coming year- not that I take it to particularly seriously, but it did give me a little fuel for hope. Well, things did not look up. I got food poisoning on my birthday. It was so bad that I suffered for months afterward, but as bad as my mother, who was ill for eight weeks at the beginning of the year and nearly lost her job as a result of being out for so long.
I also came to the unpleasant realization that I had acute hypertension; my blood pressure was so sky high that I literally thought I was going to die one weekend just before I sought medical help.I'm not much for doctors as I have had very few positive experiences with them and I no longer have medical insurance and have to pay for everything out of my unemployed pocket which already receives no financial aid whatsoever. Therefore, resigning to do this was a big step for me.
Additionally, I ended up having yet another root canal last year and I am already anticipating needing one for this year as well. I have started to lose count, but I think this will be number 11 for me. It seems mt grandmother's dental issues may have been genetic and the torch has now been passed on to me, as it were.
Speaking of medical issues, I also had another session with kidney stones this past year. Eventually I ended up going to the emergency room for help. Based on my descriptions, their tests, and what I eventually passed afterward, it would seem that I passed seven stones inside a two week period. To say the least, I was wiped out for a long time afterward.
I finally found a new doctor that I like who is local to me who genuinely takes an interest in my health and can relate to many of my situations. In the same medical center I have also found specialists who may be able to tend to my various other needs as well as a dentist in the adjoining level below. This gives me a sense of hope that I might be able to get more of my needs tended to, which haven't received treatment in literally years.
With things finally shaping up for my health, I am looking into resuming many old projects I had set aside, such as fixing my car, getting the heating and air conditioning fixed, possibly replacing the water boiler as well, and a lot of other minor tasks because let's face it, my grandparents' house was already old when we moved in and these things all needed tending to anyway. I also have projects for my room including building a bathroom and kitchen in the adjoining area because I would like to make my area more apartment-like and self-sustainable. Also on my list is doing things to resume working in music, including refinishing and upgrading my guitar, a 1965 Fender Musicmaster II. I am saving the older components for posterity. I am trying to keep it as original as possible, wherever it hasn't sustained damages from time and previous users.
This all having been said, I hope to continue the year with more interesting posts to intrigue and amuse. May the year of the rabbit be better than the tiger. So far it has been a rocky start- my mother has been to the emergency room twice two weeks ago for various problems.

flaming mad about twitter...

2011-02-03T16:23:00.001-05:00

Ever have one of those days, weeks, months, or longer? Well I am and Twitter is what's burning me up this time. For those of you who don't know, Twitter is a microblog that allows its users to post 140 character blurbs about pretty much anything that's on their minds. It happens to be a great utility for business among many other things. I like Twitter- that is, unless it doesn't function properly. Several months ago, I noticed all communications that mentioned me had disappeared. I have reported the error numerous times to no avail. They have not been recovered and nobody has contacted me about them. However, I have noticed as of this month I am able to receive new ones. Also, off and on in the past and more so this month than ever, I am no longer able to post. I cannot make new posts, I cannot reply to others, I can't do anything but read the swarm of posts coming from other users, which is not very useful to me, especially when someone is expecting a reply from me. As of today, I can no longer even register my complaints about defect in Twitter's service. If I wasn't angry before, I am boiling now.

Hey Twitter, this was for you (minus the specific error being reported):

NOTE: I am not leaving a comment so you can simply sip your coffee and let your eyes glaze over as you continue to ponder life. I want this issue resolved. I want every issue that I have reported to be resolved. I still am missing all my old @ mentions. Nobody contacts me ever about a solution to these problems. Do you like your users to feel ignored? I feel ignored. I feel Twitter is useless if I cannot communicate with others and fear they cannot communicate directly with me. Should I delete this account and create a new one? Would that solve my problems or would Twitter continue to be as useless to me? I have been waiting a long time and it seems all I get are more defects in Twitter's service. Is Twitter that afraid to communicate with its users directly? Where is the support? I feel like I have no support. Am I supposed to feel better that Twitter knows about its issues? Am I supposed to feel Twitter is that much closer to resolving such issues? When can I use my Twitter account without defects. I see all these users with the same problems and nobody is getting any results. This is unacceptable.

It would seem Twitter is trying to avoid contact. Even their "contact us" button doesn't actually let me contact them. They have no email address, no mailing address, no phone number, and if you can't post then you can't mention them in a post and expect (make that "hope for") contact. It would seem the more irate users get or the more frequently they complain, they eventually are silenced by getting blocked from posting future continuances of errors. I guess they assumed I should sit quietly in the shadows and let moss grow on my account until it gets fixed, if it ever gets fixed. In case Twitter doesn't understand yet, I want my account fixed, ASAP!

it was a month ago today...

2009-09-30T04:25:00.002-04:00

...that my grandfather passed away.

i just got back home a couple nights ago and was up 'til all hours. without much surprise i needed a couple days recuperation time on top of getting ill from pushing myself so hard, but i'm getting ahead of myself...

on saturday, august 29th, i went over to see my grandfather for a weekly visit, dinner, and movie (video) as weve been doing for the past several months since my grandmother passed away last year. his health had been deteriorating worse in the last few months with multiple cases of aspiration pneumonia, delirium, and non-coherent speech. in essence we could see he had changed his mind once again and was giving up on life (something he had been deliberating for a while, off and on). unfortunately with his disease (inclusion body myositis), he just couldnt afford to be negative about such things- although he probably had little choice in the matter anyway.

shortly after we arrived, he became clinically unresponsive. he passed away shortly after nine on the following night. we watched him die. hospice was there giving him morphine regularly and everything was done to make hime as physically comfortable as possible and we helplessly sat there and watched him die. it was fairly peaceful for him. it was hard to take and still is from time to time.

we had planned a nice evening and even invited my grandmother's younger brother for a special dinner and a movie. sensing the end coming, we took special consideration to prepare my grandfather's more favorite meals so he could enjoy is last days as best as possible. my mom had even taken to hand-feeding him; he had become so weak. we chose movies that we felt he would enjoy. we ate with him in his bedroom so he could be apart of things virtually from start to finish since he couldn't move anymore. we also tried to get my uncle down more regularly and fortunately he was there when my grandfather passed. things probably couldn't have transpired better than they did in regards to how he passed away and yet my family is heartbroken with sorrow, remorse, and even some regret.

the aftermath was very difficult. we lived in their facility apartment during this past entire month. a lot of things needed to be done and a lawyer did most of it. the rest was left up to us and it was a strain, emotionally and physically. even now there are still a few remaining loose ends, such as canceling various subscriptions and whatnot. we successfully vacated the apartment by the end of the month, but after filling a 10x10 storage unit we still have so much that it was piled on the back porch at home with drop clothes pulled over. so that it can be brought inside in a more accommodating fashion. the lighter side is very little bickering was done over belonings- mostly my mother simply told my uncle he could have whatever he asked for (when he bothered to ask; mostly he just grabbed). since i don't have a home of my own yet i felt i had no place asking for any of the things that i spent more of my life growing around than they had, to which my mother disagreed with that line of thinking saying that i had just as much right if not more so than them as i grew up with all those possessions and dedicated a lot of my life helping them, interrupting things like college, work, and living at home off and on over the years to help both of my grandparents with their various needs. i felt more like a hyena that needs to wait after the lions are through. i didn't want to fight over stuff and i didn't really feel like divvying it up, either.

he was cremated a couple weeks ago as per his wishes. initially he wanted to be buried at sea since he was in the navy, but my grandmother wanted him to be resting with her so that was his concession, however after the way her body was handled/prepared, he decided emphatically that cremation was what he wished for himself. he will be receiving a full military honors service this winter; it was the earliest that could be offered. i feel like a lot of this is far from being over. being the rock of my family has been wearisome so i'm not surprised i became ill as soon as i got home. i hope maybe things can make a turn for the better now, but in all honesty i feel a little sad...

health, health, and more health...

2009-06-23T05:34:00.003-04:00

...or the lack thereof.
this month has seen more immediate medical needs than i care to see in a year. two weeks ago, i had to get a root canal- asap! yes, i have been putting off some dental work for over a couple years, but i had been managing pain control relatively well and then all of a sudden i could no longer manage it and i was tending to it practically on a minute by minute basis. i guess one tooth in particular just couldn't withstand anymore, so started coaxing my family to help me out with dental expenses, transportation, and that sort of thing. finally, i got an appointment and like magic the worst of it was over, however i am still suffering as a result of putting it off for so long (bone inflammation is slow to recuperate).
last friday saw a completely unexpected health matter. i spent the night at the emergency room to learn i had a kidney stone. i was in pain like i had never felt before and i cant remember the last time i was so ill. fortunately i don't have an infection, but it took forever til i was able to supply a specimen for analysis. i was fairly dehydrated although their charts didn't indicate it. i might add i am glad i didn't have to coax people into helping me with this situation. as it was i had suffered for hours before my mother got home from work. fortunately the hospital they took me to was pretty awesome (as far as that sort of thing is concerned) and i hope that if i have an emergency again that i am fortunate enough to go there.
now i have to take new meds, see new doctors, juggle appointments, and recuperate as best as possible. unfortunately i hadn't planned on any of this, but this is one of life's curve balls. i just have to learn to accept it and move on to the best of my ability.

dealing with dead relatives...

2009-06-04T19:06:00.004-04:00

Sometimes you know them, sometimes you don't, sometimes you love them, and then again sometimes you don't. Most of my relatives are buried in the same place. Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my grandmother's death. It seemed all of a sudden to be too fresh for everyone. It's left me with plenty to chew on since.

My grandfather decided he didn't want to go after all. I think several thought motivated his last minute change of heart. I think my uncle was a little reluctant to go and had lowered expectations as a result. My mother went and had a dramatic reaction that I once again wasn't expecting from her. It was all very non sequitur from my point of view.

I wasn't satisfied with the end of the funeral last year. We were rudely ushered away several times. The tomb stone wasn't ready, The coffin was wrong. My grandmother had been prepared poorly in advance. I wanted to leave a parting gift- a mere token offering, which I couldn't do because nothing was ready and we had to leave. At least I got to do that much this year.

This year, I also took photos of all the grave markers. Both sets of my maternal great grandparents are buried in the same place as is a great uncle and my grandmother. My grandfather will be laid to rest here as well, when his time comes. Setting out some incense and taking a moment to have a few thoughts at each marker was enough for me. Things could have been better. Grass had not yet grown in the time that had passed since my grandmother's burial. I think we were all disconcerted by this fact, but my mother was particularly affected by this. All of her past feelings came rushing back to her. My uncle, who was seeking some sort of final closure, didn't find what he was searching for, either. The stone for her place didn't look right to me; I felt there were aesthetic errors. It also looked way too fresh and clean for my preference. Perhaps "fresh" is an apt word to describe how each of us had unhappily come to terms with the day's excursion. I think everything was just a little too fresh for everyone.

Then we went on to another cemetery where another great uncle of mine has been placed to rest. (I do not say "laid" as he was cremated and no longer had a whole body to lay.) His resting place is beautiful, peaceful, and serene. There is a wonderful calming scent that is both earthy and sweet. My uncle remarked that it smelled like his grandparent's house as a child. There is no stone present but rather a plate in the ground and my great uncle's ashes are in an urn placed under the plate. I think visiting his place last may have been a good way to end the day. I think it calmed everyone down and made them think of better things. Again I took some photos and left more incense.

It was a tiring day and we finished by reconvening at my grandfather's apartment and had dinner together. It stormed badly, just like it did last year and at about the same time as well. It seemed too close for comfort- like it was more than mere coincidence. Who knows? I felt tired and ill because I had exceeded the limits of my current sleeping pattern and I had been more active than I am accustomed to, not to mention I was feeling very motion sick as a result of all the driving around and sitting in the back seat. Not being in a car much anymore has made it worse, but particularly not being the driver is what makes me prone to feel ill like that every time. After a certain point all I wanted to do was get home, but it seemed like time still had to drag on another hour or two.

In conclusion, I think my uncle will eventually develop a sense of closure, but it probably won't transpire as he expects. I think my mother may never really get over my grandmother's death; I think it was just way too traumatic for her. She retains every thing with its corresponding emotion intact. Unfortunately, this causes her prolonged suffering when it comes to negativity in her life. I think my grandfather may never see her/their grave again. There is a chance we won't see it again either until he passes away and then after that I have no idea. Maybe no one will go to visit again. It took my grandmother's death to go this year and last year. Last time I was there was possibly more than two decades ago. With my plans to eventually leave the country, I should try for at least one more time. And with that thought in my head, I am left once again with the thought of how I might die, and what I wish to be done with my body and estate upon my death. Such thoughts are rather sobering...

(repost) goodbye yahoo 360...

2009-05-30T11:13:00.003-04:00

Having received word today that Yahoo 360 is finally shutting down, I thought I would pop on over here and see if there was anything lingering that I needed to transfer elsewhere. As things are, I have already reposted these blogs to a central blog I keep for everything now.

http://djsquelchandphaseshifts.blogspot.com/

Any blogging that I might do would go here first before being posted any sub-blog. How ironic I chose to do that for posterity. Also, my most pertinent photos and art are archived on flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djsquelch/sets/

I have been a Yahoo member since 02/98. A lot has happened over the years and I have blogged so little of it, particularly here. I hope you will take the time to stay with the links I have posted in this entry. These are slices of my life and I hope you enjoy them as they come about. Thank you for sticking with me. Words cannot express my appreciation effectively. Goodbye to all things Yahoo 360 and see you later on the other side...

of goals and destinations...

2009-05-30T02:12:00.002-04:00

While my life may be a work in progress, I do set goals for myself along the way such as completion of chores, accomplishing projects (which sometimes sit around for a bit first, gathering lots of potential energy), and short/long-term work that I wish to do for a living. Anyone who's followed me for a while knows of my pursuit in and commitment to music (spec edm) and most likely equally aware that I am working towards a goal of teaching English in Japan. I recently came across a blurb discussing flexible careers that also pay well and I was intrigued that teaching was actually one of the options. I have always considered teaching as an underpaid and thankless job meant only for those with a passion or at least a genuine interest for such a thing. I think that reservation may only hold up to certain levels, i.e. i imagine an inner-city elementary teacher will make less than a private tutor, who will make less than an undergraduate college professor, who will make less than post secondary teacher, for instance. I am sure there is a breakdown on salary rank based on various contingencies that is more clear, but I don't have that information on hand at the present time. The article I found did actually specify a level of teaching that is more monetarily rewarding and it gave me food for thought that while I am aiming for teaching that maybe i might give consideration to seeing how far I can go in such a field (a bit of a personal challenge, as it were).

"Post Secondary Teachers

Did you know that many college teachers and university professors are retiring? You'll work on a school calendar, with summer, spring, and winter holiday vacation time if you want it. Some professors only report to campus two days a week. They make up for it by the work they do at home, but not reporting to campus every day can lead to flexibility.

You'll need a master's degree to teach at the community college level and a doctorate in your field to qualify for tenure-track professorships at four-year colleges. Positions for post-secondary teachers are predicted to rise by an exceptional 12 percent through the 2006-2016 decade. 2007 salary averages were $98,974 for professors, $69,911 for associate professors, and $58,662 for assistant professors."
Source: http://education.yahoo.net/degrees/articles/featured_six_flexible_careers_that_pay_70k.html

On a side note, I would like to reiterate that I still have no intention o giving up on music and think that pursuing teaching will be rewarding in multiple ways, including financially facilitating my pursuit in music, which is also an underpaid career field- hey, why do I keep choosing underpaid fields as career choices!?

beware of unauthorized transactions...

2009-05-29T16:01:00.005-04:00

Today, I was checking my bank account online and came across a transaction I did not recognize.
05/27/2009 ACH Transaction - Web Revenue Svc 4242390433 $14.95-
Some of you may have seen this before. Some of you may see it soon. I ran a few searches online. The White Pages reverse phone number search didn't turn up any results, but Google said the area code 424 is Santa Monica, California. I also turned up a very interesting search result for "Web Revenue Service."
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-424-239-0433
Guess what? Some creep is randomly conducting unauthorized account transactions. Guess what else? People are irate and I figure it won't be long before this criminal is brought to justice. Banks in particular do not take this sort of garbage lying down. My bank has already heard from me twice about this. I expect a satisfactory resolution and that is not negotiable.
So check your statements and your caller id's regularly! I have no idea how this person is getting everyone's account number, but s/he is currently actively stealing money on a frequent and regular basis! Let's put an end to criminals like this...

trigun...

2009-05-28T11:11:00.002-04:00

I pulled a couple images I liked from the Trigun manga, dropped them into Photoshop, and hand-colored them. One image is of Legato Bluesummers and the other is of Vash the Stampede and Nicholas D. Wolfwood. I used to do stuff like this quite a bit a long time ago. Seems I still enjoy doing it...

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from djsquelch's posterous

unexpected tears...

2009-05-28T08:55:00.003-04:00

this week, i was told about the passing of an old family friend. i havent seen her in over a decade, most of which she has been in a rest home (which i barely even recall). my family and her family have been next door neighbors since well before i was born. taking into account recent considerable detachment, i wasn't phased initially when i first heard the news (other than realizing it was rather sad). however within a short while, i found myself tearing up while preparing my meal. i had started digging into old memories...

this woman was good friends with my grandmother. she was a sweet lady and indeed the majority of her family and my family were friends with each other. we have seen many things happen to each other over the years- death, marriage, and birth as well as everything in between. even after i was in my twenties, she was still favoring me as if i were one of her own. you could say she was like a grandmother to me and i enjoyed that very much. i wish i had more opportunities to share time with her.

i have lost several friends and family over the years- teachers, distant relatives, and other family friends. for some reason, i think this loss has struck me harder than all the others; perhaps because she was so personally special to me and nothing had a chance to damage any of those memories. i think it is in that last thought that explains why the tears i couldnt find for my grandmother i had found for this lady. last year, i said goodbye to my grandmother; this year to her, and i know my grandfather wont be living much longer either. i am tired of digging out my funeral clothes to say goodbye...

cooking with dog...

2009-05-26T09:37:00.004-04:00

Yeah, I know: "with dog," right? Only it's a play on words. Allow me to elaborate further...

For those of you familiar with YouTube (a site featuring videos of various topics), someone is using the medium to release a short feature cooking series and guess what? Dog isn't the ingredient- he is the host! Francis, a French Poodle, hosts every video which teaches the viewer how to cook Japanese meals (one meal per video since each video is about 5 minutes in length). An excellent mix of humor and instruction keeps even the most contemporary attention span glued just long enough to learn how to make something simple and amazingly delicious (yes, sometimes acquired tastes apply, but substitutions often work in a pinch). Ingeniously, a recipe is also provided in the info area to the right of the video for those curious enough to want to try any of the recipes on video. I gave them a "Stumble" and I was glad to find I wasn't the first to do so. I think you might enjoy their videos as well, if for nothing more than sheer entertainment value.

Here is the main link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/cookingwithdog

music article and commentary...

2009-05-26T09:07:00.004-04:00

I haven't posted a news article with commentary in a long time. In fact, I used to do it on my MySpace musician page fairly often about things that caught my eye which I felt were noteworthy. Yes, lots of things in the news are noteworthy. I realize that. Many people do not realize that a person cannot buy things such as books, music, videos, etc. just because they live in a certain country- or rather because they do not live in a certain country. Policies like this actually hurt global economy more than they offer protection (against what is something I don't even wish to bother discussing). The one major flaw I see in economy is when consumers are not granted relevant rights- or worse yet, when their rights are not observed. I'm starting to encroach upon a tirade I'd rather steer clear of for now since it is something I have more than sufficiently touched upon in the past. If you're familiar with my past posts, chances are you already know what I'm hinting at. Anyway, anytime I see an article discussing the music industry it naturally catches my eye, esp. if it involves even a remote attempt to put the industry in its place- trust me, they need it. At some point, this world is going to see more global policy being implemented to some extent in various fields. I think it's a smart step in the right direction. Some people's standards are too low while others are too high. I have always felt a happy medium is a good thing to strive for since there are so few in this world, let alone in our lives. So yeah, you take an article about one thing and pretty soon you can see some basic concepts covered that can be applied to other things in life. Pretty neat, huh?

---------------------

EU pushes music industry to open up online rights
by AOIFE WHITE, AP Business Writer
Tue May 26, 2009 7:02AM EDT

BRUSSELS -

EU antitrust regulators told the music industry Tuesday to move quickly and change licenses that currently restrict online music stores such as iTunes from offering the same songs for sale across Europe.

Internet music downloads in Europe lag behind those in the United States, pulling in just a fraction of revenues the record industry is losing from falling CD sales.

Part of the problem in Europe is that music rights are sold separately in each country, which has prevented Apple Inc.'s iTunes from setting up a single store to service all of Europe. Instead, it has to seek licenses from each EU member state where it wishes to sell and to set up separate national stores with different music selections.

EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said regulators' talks with the music industry mean that French collecting society SACEM and record label EMI were now willing to license their music to rights managers across Europe.

Apple has also said that it would offer music tracks to all European customers if it was able to license EU-wide rights.

"There is a clear willingness expressed by major players in the online distribution of music in Europe to tackle the many barriers which prevent consumers from fully benefiting from the opportunities that the Internet provides," she said.

She urged publishers and music copyright groups — also called collecting societies — "to move quickly to adapt their licensing solutions to the online environment," saying she would review progress.

This carries more than a hint of a threat. The European Commission told collecting societies last July to end a system of contracts that allow artists to collect payments only from an agency based in their own country.

It found the 24 European collecting societies guilty of breaking EU antitrust rules, but did not impose any fines. The collecting societies are members of CISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors of Composers.

Musicians make money from their music after they register copyrights with collective rights managers. Those managers then license songs to online services, radio stations, nightclubs and other outlets.

Some artists have complained that altering current licenses could see them shortchanged and miss out on income from increased sales.

Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090526/ap_on_hi_te/eu_eu_online_music

botan calrose rice...

2009-05-26T08:59:00.003-04:00

Interestingly enough this is a product of the US which features Kanji as well as a little mascot sporting a hachimaki (headband) indicating his toukon (fighting spirit). Not sure if he is supposed to be a single grain of gohan (cooked rice) or perhaps an onigiri (riceball). However, I do know that this is oishii (delicious) even if it isn't as sticky as some generic brands I have had over the years. It is particularly good with sushi rice seasoning and soy sauce. I thought the packaging was very nice both in terms of graphic and industrial design. Sometimes I get to try a specific product only once so I wanted to retain an image for posterity- you know, 'cause I'm such a sentimentalist...

Posted via email from djsquelch's posterous

tohato tyrant habanero...

2009-05-11T02:28:00.002-04:00

a snack straight out of japan. very thin and crispy, but round like the letter o. it is also hotter than blazes. i could feel it burning in my mouth for about ten minutes afterward and another twenty or so sizzling away in my stomach. while i love spicy stuff, this truly blew me away. i am still debating as to whether i will purchase another bag as it was quite tasty.

Posted via email from djsquelch's posterous

easter haiku...

2009-04-24T10:49:00.002-04:00

this was off the top of my head and sent to my cousin and uncle on easter.
neither of them ever acknowledged it so i guess it wasn't very good...

easter

the rabbit brings eggs
you eat some yummy candy
this is a nice day

fewer posts often indicate a busy mind...

2009-04-23T11:47:00.002-04:00

...or at least it is often what my situation is.

typically, i might have had an entry last month in regards to my birthday and my various insights toward life and whatnot- believe me, there was (and still is) plenty to write about. i could have even even had a post at easter for similar reasons. perhaps because there has been so much transpiring on an emotional level that I just couldn't bring myself to start writing and it's in the advent of seeing so little entered recently that i finally feel compelled to the point of writing.

my birthday passed without a word, literally. i had fought with family enough that nothing happened on that day. no words were exchanged at all. it took mentioning my birthday online for strangers and a few friends and extended family to whom i barely speak to actually comment at all. i'm sure a few were sincere in their wishes, but it irked me that automated reminders weren't enough- i actually had to prompt people via wishing myself a happy birthday. i found out the next day a few presents were waiting for me, but i hadn't been told of this nor was i really in a present opening mood by that point.

because my grandfather's health has been deteriorating rapidly -- especially since my grandmother passed away -- i felt my family should be with him. i've already discussed this concept in previous posts so i won't bother with all the various details, except to say that my mother's ex is an absolute pig and i was dismayed we had to rely on him for transportation and subsequently his presence at our little family event. he got presents and to eat dinner and eat all the leftover meat and was still displeased about being there- not that he had any better offers because he did not. unfortunately, my uncle and cousin were unable to attend due to schedule conflicts, but my uncle said they would be able to come two weeks after that (yes, they will be in town this evening and we will all gather tomorrow for dinner). i would also like to get my great uncle more involved in our family. i think making invitations only on holidays is a back-handed compliment. i would like to see him during other times of the year which have no importance whatsoever. he is a special man to me regardless of his profession or familial relation. i simply enjoy his presence and i feel like i never get to see him enough. i am trying to get him more involved. i don't know how all this will pan out, but i am hoping for the best.

so there you have most of the familial junk going on, but there is more (oh no), but i won't get into it for now (oh phew). what i will mention is that two of my best friends, who quite ironically share the same first name, are both having very difficult times in life right now. one is emotionally unstable to very serious proportions and is having troubles arriving at her goal of marriage. the other is having serious troubles with her marriage and has been emotionally affected by most of her family passing away over the course of the past decade or so. so even their situations are ever so slightly flip-flopped as well. neither one talks to me much anymore, but when they do the alway seem to have a boat load of bad news. it's sad to hear such things from friends. i wish i could help them. as it is i can barely help myself...

maybe i will have something better to offer next time i write. the best i can do now is say that i am still interested in all things japanese and my studies are actually showing results. i have a small investment which isn't doing as much as i would like so i am considering not renewing it into rollover, but rather using some portion of it to advance aspects of my life. at my age, progressing at a snail's pace is an extremely poor option for me and i need to feel some personal growth and development because right now i am feeling very little.

djsquelch and phase shifts header...

2009-04-19T23:36:00.004-04:00

I needed to have a header for my justin.tv account so I borrowed one of my photos of myself and edited it a tad. I may do more with it later, but I'm pleased with it for now...

Posted via email from djsquelch's posterous

retro candy...

2009-04-04T09:00:00.002-04:00

I love it!

Posted via email from djsquelch's posterous

just to set the record straight...

2009-03-29T12:12:00.001-04:00

i generated this image as well as most of the info presented for the kabuto ova page on anime news network. crunchyroll is now posting the same image for their page on the kabuto ova. i just wanted to set the record straight that i scanned the vhs art provided from the kabuto ova and used four images from that scan to create the final image.

Posted via email from djsquelch's posterous

e-prime and other languages of interest...

2009-03-19T01:18:00.004-04:00

ok, raise your hand if you have heard of e-prime. no, it isn't a robot fighting for the side of good. no, it isn't a computer language either, but it is a language so i might give you half-credit for that guess. this is a term that has stuck with me for generations and i have never found a practical use for it yet other than conversation topic. guess where i heard it... give up? a raver brought it up online back in the day when hyperreal was at its peak and vrave was still running under the hyperreal domain. oh you're curious now, right? guess what- it's covered over at wiki! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Prime

here is an excerpt just to get you started on a very interesting article:
"E-Prime, short for English-Prime, is a modified form of English. It uses very slightly simplified syntax and vocabulary, eliminating all forms of the verb to be: be, is, am, are, was, were, been and being (and their contractions). Sentences composed in E-Prime seldom contain the passive voice, which in turn may force the writer or speaker to think differently (compare the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis). By eliminating most uses of the passive voice, E-Prime encourages writers and speakers to make explicit the agent of a statement,[1] possibly making the written text easier to read and understand.

E-Prime is used as a mental discipline to filter speech and translate the speech of others.[2] For example, the sentence "the movie was good", translated into E-Prime, could become "I liked the movie". The translation communicates the speaker's subjective experience of the movie rather than the speaker's judgment of the movie. In this example, using E-Prime makes it harder for the writer or reader to confuse a statement of opinion with a statement of fact."

"Contents:
* 1 History
* 2 Different functions of 'to be'
* 3 Rationale
* 4 Discouraged forms
o 4.1 Allowed words
o 4.2 Allowed words with prohibited homophones or homographs
* 5 Examples
* 6 Examples of literal translation vs. translation "in the spirit" of E-Prime
o 6.1 First example of literal translation
o 6.2 Second example of literal translation
o 6.3 An example of translation "in the spirit" of E-Prime
* 7 Criticisms
* 8 References
* 9 Footnotes
* 10 See also
* 11 External links"

as you can gather, it's actually a very interesting article. however, this wouldn't be the only unusual formulation of language in existence. Who's heard of esperanto? no, it isn't a coffee, car, or bean. it's an auxiliary language and guess what- there's more than one kind of auxiliary language. check it out here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Esperanto and while you're at it, look up auxiliary languages here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_auxiliary_language. these are very interesting reads, folks. seriously!

creative envisioning...

2009-03-18T23:25:00.003-04:00

last month, i received an unsolicited letter from an artist. her name is soojung cho and you can check out her website here: http://www.soojungcho.com/home.htm and over in my "check it out" section as well. whether she knew it or not, we are contemporaries as i spent a lot of time painting as well, not to mention all my other activity in the arts. i enjoyed having the chance to go to her site and see what she had to offer, so much so that i have been back a few times already and plan to visit again in the future.

not only do i encourage you to view her portfolio, but also her statement page as well. i could relate to her thoughts on her artistic expression and why she chooses to paint in the way that she does. i am refreshed to see such gallery quality work on display. i enjoy her recurring themes and her color choices. i think her work sets a peaceful, ambient mood in its softness. i look forward to seeing more of her works.

online activity...

2009-03-18T22:53:00.003-04:00

i was randomly giving thought the other day regarding my online activity. sure, i am online all the time. just ask my isp. specifically, i am referring to when i choose to join new sites. it's been years since i was a regular user of forums or taken an active interest in e-communities; after enough bad experiences, i am a tad gun shy about taking part in such places. however, that doesn't keep me from joining altogether.

what was capturing my interest the other day was my membership tracking. it seems a lot of sites keep a record of how long i have been a member, at least down to the month and year. it suddenly occurred to me that i have a tendency to join websites more during the winter months, and more specifically during february. case in point, i joined at least three sites last month and only a couple this month. its completely a subconscious action on my part. i have no idea why i follow this particular pattern, but i did think it was interesting.

so yeah, that's all i had to offer...

contemplations and speculations...

2009-03-18T21:46:00.004-04:00

perhaps it is the winter slump, perhaps it is my grandfather nearing death so soon after my grandmother's passing, or perhaps it is a culmination of things that has left me lethargic, unusually uninteractive, and generally disinterested. that doesn't mean that i have lost all interest in everything, but it has been narrowed to a slightly limited range.

the weather has been crazy, alternating between a chilling gray and a warm blue sky, it's like spring is trying desperately hard to come out, but winter is still clinging to the area. i quickly tire of winter, especially when there isn't any snow. i suppose i'm one of those folks who needs those special yellow-tinted lenses to keep my mood up. however, that isn't all that has been bothering me...
my grandfather's health has been getting progressively worse and my family bickers about it instead of doing something about it. the other day he stopped breathing for a while and it took some effort to get him to resume breathing again. this could happen to him at any time and he doesn't always have someone watching over him. i find it troubling because after personal experience, i know i am not qualified to tend to all his needs. aside from that i have taken my life off-track so many times for my grandparent's needs that it isn't even funny to consider the state i am in these days. few fully understand all this entails. however, that, too, isn't all that has been bothering me...

extenuating circumstances can put a person into a bad place in life. after two back surgeries, surgery on each foot, scratching both corneas, becoming unemployed and not qualifying for unemployment, moving to a place where i cannot walk to a job, nearly totaling my car and slowly repairing it over the last five years, losing a relative, watching the deteriorating health of other relatives, etc. etc., there is very little i am able to do now emotionally, physically, and financially speaking. I was trying to work at home by making music and and as a dj, but critical hardware failure and a most crucial juncture virtually shut down my home business since i cannot afford to repair the damages as of yet. i have adjusted my goals since then in hopes that a pursuit of interests my lead to some future stability. i am referring to learning japanese fluently and doing what is necessary to teach english. this has been giving me hope, but it is not always enough to carry my spirits...

lately i have been trying to train my ear to be more receptive to the japanese language. in addition to my lessons, i have been listening to japanese music, watching anime, reading manga aloud to get my pronunciation accurate, and i have been exposing myself to more japanese culture through my online stumbles and ordering various food products and other merchandise. the packaging has plenty to learn to read and the cuisine itself is a broadening experience. this is something i value if i should end up going to japan as i am hoping to do. i figure every little thing should help...

as i said earlier, this isn't enough to always keep my spirits rejuvenated as there are plenty of other things to enter my mind on a daily basis and weigh me down. i accept the responsibility of this emotional burden, but i wish i had a way of better dealing with many of my situations to leave my daily life feeling a little less... challenged, shall we say.

at this point in my life it seems everything revolves around finances whether i like it or not. food costs money. shelter costs money. transportation costs money. education costs money. clothing costs money. medical and dental needs cost money. there's no escaping it- living costs money, even by the most modest means. if i could secure my financial situation i feel everything else would fall neatly into place. however, that is a mighty big "if." i am still recovering from declaring bankruptcy more than seven years ago. that wasn't when everything started to fall apart, but rather upon hitting rock-bottom and things still continued to get worse in other aspects of my life. just because i am no longer in debt doesn't make things alright. i still have expenses i need to meet and i won't always have poor family members to help me when possible. this weighs heavily on my mind. i want to establish financial security before i find myself looking for a cardboard box as a home. i would like to work from home doing something i like. it should be possible. i really didn't want to sell things, collect debts, and so forth by phone, nor did i want to spend my days copy writing or data processing.

with my 35th birthday coming up this month, i am feeling especially reflective. not having a grasp on living properly as of yet is definitely regurgitated food for thought. unfortunately, answers to problems like this never come easily to me...

joke...

2009-03-03T00:24:00.002-05:00

***a friend sent me this joke the other day. i tidied it up a bit. still makes me grin. enjoy...

A woman takes a lover home during the day while her husband is at work. Her 9 year old son comes home, unexpectedly sees them, and hides in the bedroom cupboard to watch.

Just after getting into bed, the woman's husband also comes home. She puts her lover in the cupboard, not realizing that the little boy is in there already.

After a little while the little boy says, "Dark in here..." The man, who obviously got a real fright not expecting to hear anything, let alone from a little boy, replies, "Yes, it is."

Boy: I have a soccer ball.
Man: That's nice...
Boy: Want to buy it?
Man: No, thanks.
Boy: My dad's outside...
Man: *sighs* Ok, how much?
Boy: $250.00

In the next few weeks, it happens again that the boy and the lover are in the cupboard together.

Boy: Dark in here.
Man: Yes, it is.
Boy: I have soccer cleats...
Man: *sighs* Ok, how much this time?
Boy: $350.00
Man: Sold.

A few days later, the boy's father says to the boy, "Grab your cleats, soccer ball, and let's go outside and have a game of soccer." The boy says, "I can't, I sold my ball and boots." The father asks, "How much did you sell them for?" The boy replies, "$600.00." The father says, "That's a terrible thing, overcharging your friend like that. That's four times what they cost when they were new. I'm going to take you to church and make you confess your terrible sin."

They go to the church and the father makes the little boy sit in the confession booth and he closes the door. The boy says, "Dark in here..." The priest says, "Don't start with that nonsense again, you little jerk. You're in my cupboard now!"

candy...

2009-02-26T06:35:00.004-05:00

as much as i adore savory foods, i still have a lingering sweet tooth form my childhood. in particular, i still enjoy the things i ate then, but it gets difficult with the passage of time to find some of those things. sure, you can go online to special order many of them or even go to specialty shops, but some things are no longer regularly accessible (which i suppose defines these rarities a "treat" more so than other sweets). ive also discovered geography also plays a part in where you can find things- even within your own country, state, or town.

recently, my mother went out of town for astronomical observation and while she was a away, she happened across a specialty shop dealing in retro merchandise- including candy! it was a great surprise to get a massive bag of goodies full of retro candies including tootsie rolls, unicorn pops, zotz, hard candy sticks, nonpareils, and more. a lot of these candies are associated with fond childhood memories which make them all the more special to me. i love the sensation of nostalgia and when i have something tangibly associative, it gives me a very happy feeling. i even considered pulling out ma camera to photograph some of the packages not knowing when i might see them again, if at all, but i resisted the urge. maybe i might some other time- documenting for posterity isnt such a bad thing after all...

to be or not to be...

2009-02-21T16:46:00.003-05:00

...is often a pretty common question in regards to various things in our lives. recently i deliberated whether or not i would pursue further work on 1974central.com or not. the only real reason i see do do it is that it is somewhat enjoyable; i like learning and sharing. however as i believe i mentioned before the site is fairly dead, the only traffic has been spam, the only contributor has been me, and the admin never replies to anything i write (or at least thats the way things have seemed). i just wrote the admin again after spending the better part of 12 hours working on the site today. i did some good things, but i messed up a bit as well and then couldnt correct my mistakes. i think part of that is that i suspect that i dont have full control over things as she does. im hoping that the good i have done will be taken into consideration. i would like to see the site take off and do well, but it needs a lot of work and it needs serious contributors who are willing to put in some time to make it nice. its all about personal passion driving this site to better places. i think it could happen. however, i also kind of doubt that it will because the odds are so highly against its success as things stand now. im actually a little surprised i did bother to accomplish what i did with that site today considering i have nothing concrete to base my work upon; i have no guarantees. it was more of an act of self-indulgence. go figure...

being productive, sort of...

2009-02-20T14:56:00.003-05:00

something i have been wanting to do for a while is make a banner for my myspace pages to direct profile viewers to come here for my blogs since everything will be posted here first from now on if not exclusively. i had already saved and edited a screen capture of this blog's banner which i had made. the only thing left was to make it a convenient size to fit within my myspace layouts that would still be legible. for that all i did was drop my banner into photoshop, drag the text in to more appropriate positions, adjust the banner frame, and save it. after that, i uploaded the newly saved banner to an image host that i typically use for such things, copied the hyperlink text, and popped on over to myspace to drop it into each of my accounts (remember, i have two?). The hyperlink text is never exactly what i need but it gives me the structure so i dont have to type everything from scratch, since im a tad lazy in that department. since i still remember oldskool web lingo, i was able to modify the code in a short amount of time. after previewing and double-checking my work, i felt it was spiffy enough to add to my flickr account, a link which you may find in my "Check It Out..." section, and added a little blurb about it while i was there. in retrospect, i almost never supplement my photos/work with text, but perhaps with some of the more technical things it might be useful if i added some detail so the viewer might understand more about what they are looking at. otherwise sometimes things might seem less intriguing to some who dont understand what efforts went into something or simply the purpose behind sharing such an image.

radio stations i enjoy online...

2009-02-17T00:40:00.005-05:00

itunes supplies me with some pretty fantastic internet radio stations to tune in to, but sometimes it would like to listen to something else. perhaps my tastes in music are more eclectic or diverse- or maybe as large as the itunes offering may be, it just isn't large enough. who knows?
subjection aside, i thought i would share the stations which i like to occasionally listen to (which are not offered on itunes, or that i know of as of yet). i will try to group them since my list is alphabetical, that way you can peruse by grouping. i hope you find some enjoyable stations in my list. since some of these sites offer more than one listening link and/or server, i will simply post the main page for you. by the way, i will post some pertinent links in my "Check It Out..." section on my main page here.

anime soundtrack, j-pop, j-rock, edm, etc.
these stations are basically anime related. some focus on one genre more than another. that being said, the majority of the music will be in japanese. the remainder will be either english or instrumental.

anime seed radio
http://www.animeseed.com/

animeamaze radio
http://www.animeamaze.net/

animenfo radio
http://www.animenfo.com/

armitage's dimension
http://www.armitunes.com/

kawaii-radio
http://www.kawaii-radio.net/

keiichi.net ex² extreme anime radio
http://www.radio.keiichi.net/index2.php

shinsen radio
http://www.shinsen-radio.org/

toon radio
http://www.toonradio.net/

aznv.tv radio
http://aznv.tv/?p=home

edm, alternative, etc.
the main reason i tune into these stations is for some excellent edm (electronic dance music) broadcasts. a few of these stations also broadcast non-edm-related programs, which aren't so bad if i happen to be curious enough to catch them.

lowercasesounds radio
http://www.lowercasesounds.com/

lunacast radio
http://www.lunacast.com/

wfmu
http://www.wfmu.org/

wmbc
http://www.wmbc.umbc.edu/

wmuc
http://www.wmucradio.com/

wber
http://www.wber.monroe.edu/site/html/index.php

poem...

2009-02-16T12:28:00.003-05:00

the will of love

when we pass on,
time goes on.
would you still love me
from where we lie?
will our souls entwine;
would our essence combine
for one last time?
there's a chance
we might dance
on the leaves of trees,
waltzing in the breeze
in love, endlessly;
you and i, eternally,
in dust and snow
as seasons come and go...
would you be mine
til the end of time?

valentine's day...

2009-02-14T06:07:00.004-05:00

or should i say, "meh..."

i've never really been one to favor this day since my early elementary school days. back then it was really fun. every one passed out really cool valentines and candy. in fact, it was about as fun as easter in terms of candy factor. i also enjoyed creating hand-made valentines in class for friends and family. however, all that stopped after the second grade. the next school i went to, didn't do that sort of thing, neither did the school after that, which was also boy's only. i was in yet another school during grades 7-8, but by that point you didn't have valentines, you had dances and most everyone sat in opposite corners or in small groups until at least the first hour of the dance had crawled by. ah yes, teens and their hormones. i didn't see girls again until my last two years of high school, and by that point it certainly wouldn't have been cool to do valentines then, if you dig my lingo. not only that but socialization with the opposite sex was a real issue for a lot of kids, including yours truly.

ever since my late teens/early twenties when i finally got into relationships i've seem to have nothing but bad luck around valentine's day, usually taking the form of girls girls dumping/breaking up with me. i've also found myself alone while other family members have had plans or other spontaneous activities. then there's also finding out the hard way that an ex of mine was married whom i had pledged my love two shortly before valentine's day. frankly i'm tired of the day.

one should express their love all year long and not just one day of the year. to focus such strong feelings of togetherness on one day of the year is very harsh for those who are alone. even worse if you actually feel alone; loneliness can be a real killer-even worse if someone suffers from depression. there are already other holidays that focus on togetherness without having to drag love into the whole thing. when i am alone such holidays are cruddy. when i am with someone, its fine, but i still feel empathy for those who aren't.

the commercialization of the holiday is a real kicker, too. restaurants tend to be booked solid and they are too noisy. sometimes their planned valentine meals are price higher than normal. it's exploitation at its finest. it makes me tired...

networking is nice...

2009-02-13T05:07:00.003-05:00

Last month, I was contacted by another website. They wanted to know if they could make a link to my blog because they thought it was something that would interest their customers. I gave it some thought and looked at their site. They sell shoes, Nike's to be specific. They also have a page full of links to sites that they think their customers might enjoy, not to mention other cool pages to browse through. Ironically, another sneaker site specializing in custom kicks recently wrote to conduct the same sort of exchange of links. I think this is great; it allows a mutually beneficial exposure to each party- something that everyone wants. You will notice I have posted the links as "Nike Shoes" and "Paint or Thread." Hey, everyone needs some new sneakers to kick around in at some point. Why not do it with a little flair...

commentary...

2009-02-11T03:08:00.003-05:00

*** this is probably the only other time i have made any attempt at international socio-political commentary. it is a reply to something posted in the china digital times (http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/04/my-friends-what-do-you-want-from-us/#comment-1354). i would rather not be in a position to speak of things particularly close to my heart as i don't like getting involved in situations where i have to defend those beliefs from those who disagree. i should also add that this probably should have been posted with the back-words series, but it slipped through the cracks as it is nor a blog, but rather a public posting.

i personally do not make any demands nor have any expectations of china or its people. however, it seems to me this is a world of extremes and china is living those extremes to one degree or the other. one does not need to live life to an extreme in order to be happy or successful. one can truly find contentment balanced within a happy medium. somewhere in the middle, most people, businesses, and countries find a mutually beneficial success.
i think china is a wondrous land, full of beauty. years ago, i was lucky to find friendship in a chinese girl. we have been pen pals on and off the internet for over five years and she is a very special person to me. if i could choose a future with someone, it would be with her. unfortunately, she lives in china and i live in the usa and aside from the physical distance between us, i do not feel i would have the same opportunities and freedom in china if i were to live there. unfortunately, she does not want to leave china, as she is already a long way from her family and does not want to be any further from them. i cannot blame her for feeling that way; family is very important and i have similar concerns.
is it possible china could change enough for a person such as myself to feel comfortable with living there? would i ever feel comfortable expressing my thoughts and living a life the way i choose under such a tightly controlled superpower? anything is possible, but such a change from china is not probable and it disheartens me. however, one can only hope that some day, all nations can see a little more eye to eye on level ground.
By djsquelch | April 14th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

poem...

2009-02-11T02:42:00.002-05:00

my good wish

my good wish reaches out
from the ether to touch my heart.
the feeling, profound as always,
sends my emotions soaring.
sometimes i wish that good wish
was for me and me alone,
but i know that wish is selfish
and is easier said than done.
my good wish is adoring,
kind, gentle, and searches for ways
to bring happiness while we're apart.
my good wish is special, without a doubt.

old friends...

2009-02-10T19:54:00.003-05:00

recently i've been in search mode for old friends again after having a few find me. some of my results have been wonderful and some have been quite sad, but today it's left me smiling as i stumbled across a particular group of friends i held dear to my heart for many years, and still do. just because i haven't been in touch with them doesn't mean they've been forgotten and it seems i've been remembered as well. life pulls people in different directions and after 20 years, it's understandable when you realize your only method for keeping up to date recently was a school mailer. that's wen you start reaching out on your own for something more substantial. fortunately there are places like facebook and myspace which help facilitate that endeavor. i guess most of the time i've only used those sites for networking and keeping up with a few current friends, but i'm glad to have awakened to the notion that i can find some very special people from my past on there as well. it's my hope that i will be a better friend and maintain somewhat more regular contact with the people who still are important to me.

moving on...

2009-01-29T11:47:00.002-05:00

one of my blogs is completely gone as the site where it was located crapped out and the admin said everything was lost. unfortunately, it was some of my earliest blog work and was possibly the most emotionally impacting work i had written. it had even been given the nickname "mental meatloaf," which was never really explained to me, but i think in all honesty it may've been a back-handed compliment (or just back-handed).

i have plowed through my other blogs, sifted through cross-posts, and i think i may've tapped every original blog-worthy post. of course there's my stumbleupon account, but most of that isn't blogging, however i did transfer the blog-like entries over to here. if there's anything i missed, i'll post it if i come across it. therefore, all posts past this point should be completely new and current.

thanks for reading thus far and i hope to further provide you with quality future reads...

back-words... just a thought or two...

2009-01-29T11:31:00.003-05:00

*** this excerpt accompanied a photo and between the two, i had a fairly strong reaction. btw, the city is called shinjuku. here is the image link: http://www.androniki.com/images/homeless/01-Sinjuku.jpg

November 24, 2008
just a thought or two...
"Homeless in Tokyo - Tokyo
A homeless man in front of the lockers outside Keio department store. Sinjuku is a very busy area with a lot of department stores and a lot of people passing from there every day. While the shops are still open homeless people just wonder around waiting till they close so that they can lay their paper mattresses outside them and sleep. There is usually no interaction between the homeless and people passing by as homeless people don't usually beg and passers by try to ignore their presence. Tokyo, © Androniki Christodoulou"

The way homeless people are treat across the world is much the same. During the Great Depression many people were homeless due to no fault of their own. Sometimes that is still the case. Sometimes I wonder how it would be if ever I were to become homeless. That's why I try to help when I can- even when I haven't had an income. My mother and my great uncle also do what the can, each in their own way (she gives food and he is a minister at a homeless shelter). I know charity begins at home first, but sometimes I feel like my poverty may be a king's wealth to another, so I try to help when it doesn't absolutely break me because I, too, am usually hurting for money. I would be one of those people, silently hurting, never asking for help. To be in such a position is embarrassing enough as it is without having to as for help as well...

back-words... joke...

2009-01-29T11:29:00.001-05:00

September 20, 2008
joke...
here is an old favorite joke of mine. i told it years ago and recently had a chance to tell it again, so i thought i would share...

There once was an Indian whose given name was "Onestone". So named because he had only one testicle. He hated that name and asked everyone not to call him Onestone.

After years and years of torment, Onestone finally cracked and said, "If anyone calls me Onestone again I will kill them!" The word got around and nobody called him that any more.

Then one day a young woman named Blue Bird forgot and said, "Good morning, Onestone." He jumped up, grabbed her and took her deep into the forest where he made love to her all day and all night. He made love to her all the next day, until Blue Bird died from exhaustion.

The word got around that Onestone meant what he promised he would do. Years went by and no one dared call him by his given name until a woman named Yellow Bird returned to the village after being away for many years. Yellow Bird, who was Blue Bird's cousin, was overjoyed when she saw Onestone. She hugged him and said, "Good to see you, Onestone."

Onestone grabbed her, took her deep into the forest, then he made love to her all day, made love to her all night, made love to her all the next day, made love to her all the next night, but Yellow Bird wouldn't die! What is the moral of this story?

Well, you just can't kill two birds with one stone...

back-words... recipe...

2009-01-29T11:28:00.001-05:00

September 19, 2008
recipe...
Congo Bars

Makes about 15 dozen
Cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, or pecans are all fine substitutes
for the macadamia nuts.
6 cups macadamia nuts
1 one-pound box graham crackers
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1.5 cups packed sweetened shredded coconut
Caramel for Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread macadamia nuts on a baking sheet, and
bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Set baking sheet on a wire rack to cool.

2. Line an 11-by-18-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Using a food processor or rolling pin, finely crush graham crackers. Place in a medium bowl. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of prepared
baking pan in an even layer. Sprinkle the chocolate over the graham crackers. Sprinkle the coconut over the chocolate. Sprinkle the reserved nuts over the coconut.

3. Using a microwave or double boiler, heat the caramel until liquid. Drizzle caramel over macadamia nuts. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. Cut into .75" x 1.25" pieces.

back-words... recipe...

2009-01-29T11:26:00.002-05:00

September 19, 2008
recipe...
Martha's CONGO BARS

Martha's version of the Congo Bar varies slightly from traditional
recipes in that she prefers to use Valrhona chocolate chunks instead of
chocolate chips. The fine-quality Valrhona chocolate makes them taste
better than ever.

Congo bars became popular in the 1950s, back when cacao beans were
imported from Central Africa, which, in those days, was known as the
Congo. But bar cookies have been around since at least 1896, when a
recipe for them appeared in that year's edition of the "Fannie Farmer
Cookbook." Bar cookies are just that much quicker to make than drop
cookies, which can mean a world of difference if you're pressed for time
but are still inclined to give your family home-baked cookies. They are
deliciously dense, rich, and moist in the center and perfectly crusty on
top. You can substitute chocolate chips for the Valrhona, if you like,
and you can use walnuts, almonds, or peanuts instead of the pecans.

CONGO BARS
Makes 18 two-and-one-quarter-inch bars

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for
buttering the baking dish
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
Vegetable oil spray for spreading dough

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9x13" glass baking
dish, reserving butter wrapper. Set aside. Sift together the flour,
baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. Using a wooden spoon, beat butter and sugar in a medium bowl until
light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time,
mixing well after each addition. Add sifted flour mixture, and mix until
just combined. Add chopped nuts and chocolate, and mix to combine.

3. Place the dough in the prepared baking dish. Using the reserved butter wrapper, spread dough evenly. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove to rack to cool slightly before cutting, about 20 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut into 18 2 1/4-by-3-inch bars. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

back-words... recipe...

2009-01-29T11:22:00.001-05:00

September 19, 2008
recipe...
Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

brownie batter:
4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

cheesecake topping:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups raspberries
1 tablespoon sugar

confectioners sugar, for sprinkling Brownies (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Butter and flour a 13" x 9" baking pan.

Make brownie batter:
In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter stirring, and cool. Whisk in sugar and eggs, 1 at a time, and whisk in vanilla and salt. Whisk in flour until just combined and spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Make cheesecake topping:
In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in lemon juice, egg, vanilla, and salt. Beat in flour and spread mixture in an even layer over batter. Scatter raspberries over topping and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake brownies in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top is puffed and pale golden and a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack and chill, covered, at least 6 hours or overnight. Cut brownies into bars and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

back-words... funeral...

2009-01-29T10:57:00.005-05:00

*** i wrote this after 10pm. it was a hell of a day. since my dog, pogo, has separation anxiety due to being weened from his mother much too early and because i think of him as family, it was my choice to bring him along rather than leave him at home. my great uncle conducted the memorial and funeral services. i wasn't allowed in with pogo and i wasn't going to leave him in the car alone. so we stood outside of the chapel while the memorial service was conducted. later we went to the plot where the funeral service itself was conducted. there was no wake; the casket was closed. there was no tombstone present at the time; it wasn't ready yet. afterward some cemetery authorities shooed us away rudely several times. we couldn't even see her lowered into the ground. i had wanted to light incense at her grave, but circumstances didn't allow for it then.
since then, i have slowly eased my way back into doing things. some things still remain. i had been researching buying a new car to replace my current 14 year old car, but that will have to wait even longer. i had also looked into schools to resume and complete education so i could make a career shift/adjustment, but at this point i'm not sure if its time to resume that effort quite yet since i scratched the other cornea this month. i have resumed studying japanese, but i need to study more diligently.
time is no longer on my side for certain things, and yet i still feel like i need more time. i always felt more comfortable about moving on when there is nothing left to leave behind, but it's hard to move on when you are also leaving things behind. what concretely marks a point of separation/moving on, or is there even such a point in every situation? lately i think maybe such a point doesn't always exist and you have to make one for yourself while forging your way. i think maybe that has always been a difficult thing for me to do.

July 25, 2008
funeral...
today was my grandmother's funeral. it was a difficult day for many in different ways. i came home and crashed afterward yet i am still tired... tomorrow my family celebrates my uncle's birthday early before he and my cousin leave town to return home. i should find some time to talk to her since we almost never have that opportunity. next week, i should think about easing my way back into life and routine again. what a long strange trip its been...

back-words... still dealing with death...

2009-01-29T10:46:00.002-05:00

*** my grandmother's passing was not instantaneous; it was a long and extensive process full of suffering and emotional trauma. the day they took her off life support proved to not give her a peaceful death. instead, her body struggled, but wasn't strong enough to keep her alive on its own. my mother suffered the worst of all my family members. its ironic because she and my grandmother weren't close at all, but they had made their peace in the end, so that changed how she would feel about things. she continued to stay at the apartment for a bit longer, but eventually came back home...

July 8, 2008
still dealing with death...
i'm slowly getting back into stumbling again, with the help of a few precious friends. My grandmother's funeral won't be til the end of the month, so i'm kinda holding off on life's guilty little pleasures- to some extent... once that has come to pass, i feel like then i can get back on track with things i withdrew from shortly before she passed away.

on an additional lighter note, my grandfather is out of the hospital and his pneumonia is starting to clear up. i am glad he didn't throw in the towel upon my grandmother's death. we know he doesn't have much time left in this world due to an incurable longterm illness which he has had for decades, but we aim to make him as comfortable as possible while he is still here. after all, the point is he should be happy...

back-words... dealing with death...

2009-01-29T09:38:00.003-05:00

*** this was posted to stumbleupon, hence "stumbling." my grandfather has been in and out of the hospital a couple more times since then with the same problems. the help isn't helpful and i think they will be replaced, or at least they should have been when things started to disappear from my grandparent's apartment at the facility. my grandmother's funeral was july 25th, 3 days before my uncle's birthday and less than a month before my mother's birthday. her passing was less than a month after my grandfather's and cousin's birthdays. everything has moved on to some extent since then and yet it also hasn't. most of the family has been permanently affected in some way to this loss. i, for one, never got to prove to her that i am not a failure, as she once deemed me to be. i hope i show some sign of change to my grandfather before he passes. mostly it doesn't matter to me anymore. i finally made peace with those sorts of issues long ago...

June 23, 2008
dealing with death...
i just figured maybe i should drop a blog since i havent really been stumbling for a while... my grandmother's health has been getting worse over the last few months and she finally passed away tuesday, june 3, 2008 at 7:00 pm, est. her services will be in late july. since then my grandfather's health has significantly deteriorated. it seems maybe he has given up on life. he is in the hospital with pneumonia- a kind that can be fatal to people either in his age range or with his kind of medical condition. as he has both counting against him, this is a very serious situation. he has also recently lost control of his mental faculties and in their place, is dementia, hallucinations, and memory issues which all seemingly transpired over night. its possible that it will clear up when the pneumonia is gone, but there are no guarantees. he also has a wound on his ankle which hasnt healed for over a year even with skin grafts and now the doctors are discussing amputation. the remainder of my family is at odds with each other. i feel alone more than ever and have postponed most things until life gets better, which includes stumbling. i hope to be back soon...

back-words... jung at heart...

2009-01-29T09:30:00.002-05:00

*** there will definitely be more on this later. i have about 4 different results on the jung myers briggs personality test- most saying i, not e, but i am sure i feel a little e in me...

April 9, 2008
jung at heart...
why i dont test the same every time, i dont know. however i do have my suspicions the tests just arent adequate enough to fine tune the gray areas- now jung says im an enfj, however i know while i may have occasional social tendencies, i vastly prefer remaining home. go figure- an introverted former raver who still works with music...

back-words... holiday greeting...

2009-01-29T09:28:00.000-05:00

March 23, 2008
holiday greeting...
happy easter to all near and far.
get some chocolate and rub it all over someone who deserves it!
just kidding...
maybe.

back-words... unreliable technology...

2009-01-29T09:16:00.002-05:00

*** oddly enough, i can't find a blog anywhere that specifies the date of death of my eternal hard drive. this blog would be the earliest to mention it and while i know it was right around this time frame, i'm a little surprised i didn't mention anything sooner, except perhaps i was hoping to acquire more concrete information in regards to a solution. many times i will not post about a problem until i am aware of how to resolve it, unless i am searching for feedback.

March 10, 2008
unreliable technology...
After owning a couple LaCie drives and having them both die, I finally understand it wasn't my fault. Upon searching for a replacement drive, I found reviews on Amazon for the exact product I had which just died after a little over a year. I have never seen more negative than positive reviews for a product before. This was really enlightening and I just wanted to share this with anyone considering a LaCie product.

back-words... updates...

2009-01-29T09:12:00.002-05:00

February 7, 2008
updates...
updates:
snocap store is set up and posted to several sites.
soundclick store is up to date.
remastered a collaborative album into a solo effort and loaded it to all stores.
set up an account with tunecore to distribute works to several online retailers.
set up accounts with shoutlife, reverbnation, purevolume, & scriggleit.
still resolving issues with last fm regarding former label association.

one thing i have learned through all this was that even though i didnt sign any contracts things quickly became legal in the end. regaining control of my rights has been a challenging process. further more, i discovered i was once again a victim of identity theft, which has been a great burden. I am working hard to make everything right and remove or gain control over all fraudulent accounts. progress continues...

back-words... music update...

2009-01-29T09:10:00.001-05:00

February 3, 2008
music update...
a reply from apple:

Dear Scott Cherry,

Thank you for your interest in iTunes.

After careful consideration of your application, we believe that the most efficient way to get your content up on iTunes in a timely fashion would be for you to deliver the content through one of the several digital service providers with whom we currently work.
______________________________________________
ive been approved! hooray for me! =)

back-words... music update...

2009-01-29T09:08:00.000-05:00

February 2, 2008
music update...
from snowcap:

Thanks for joining SNOCAP!

Your artist account has been created and you should receive an email message from us shortly.
Next steps:

* Follow the link provided in the email to activate your account.
* Log in to SNOCAP with your email address and the password you created during signup.
* Upload your mp3s, set your track prices and get your store on the web!

Thanks again for choosing SNOCAP. We look forward to working with you!

back-words... music update...

2009-01-29T08:58:00.001-05:00

February 2, 2008
music update...
this from apple:

You have submitted your application. You're done!
Thank you for submitting your application to the iTunes Store.

We will review your application and contact you about getting your music in the iTunes Store. We will also keep your application on file, so there's no need to submit it more than once.
_________________________
i will be keeping my fingers crossed as i can use any avenue of sales available...

back-words... info update

2009-01-29T08:05:00.003-05:00

*** my feb. 1st entry stated i had parted company with a label. stumbleupon was the only place where i apparently blogged a follow up update.

February 2, 2008
info update...
both myspace pages have been corrected,
my soundclick store is up to date,
and i will be loading more mixes to lowercase sounds.

have a good weekend...

back-words... poem...

2009-01-29T00:36:00.002-05:00

January 16, 2008
sweat

over here, over there
cuff you to a chair.
give you a mouthful,
pull your hair.
nibble on an ear,
taste a salty tear-
can't get enough
of that sexy stuff
called lovin'...

back-words... fruitcake recipe...

2009-01-29T00:23:00.002-05:00

December 27, 2007
Fruitcake Recipe
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups dried fruit
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
lemon juice
nuts
1 gallon whiskey

Sample the whiskey to check for quality. Take a large bowl.
Check the whiskey again to be sure it is of the highest quality.
Pour one level cup and drink. Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer; beat 1 cup butter in a large, fluffy
bowl. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat again.

Make sure the whiskey is still OK. Cry another tup.

Turn off mixer. Break 2 legs and add to the bowl and chuck in the
cup of dried fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets
stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift 2 cups
of salt. Or something. Who cares? Check the whiskey.

Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table.
Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever you can find. Check the
whiskey... repeat...

Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget
to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out the window.

Check the whiskey again.

Go to bed. Take the rest of the whiskey with you. Who the hell likes
fruitcake anyway?

back-words... holiday greeting...

2009-01-29T00:12:00.003-05:00

November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends!
Eat well, be happy, and be thankful for all the little things in your life. :)

back-words... surprise...

2009-01-28T22:28:00.003-05:00

November 7, 2007
today i found myself with the surprise of updating my information all over cyberspace. why, you ask? because my record label gave their site a face lift. among many additions of features includes a collective page for the artists they endorse. we no longer have individual pages, so i no longer have a specific page that is just mine. i am, as the pet shop boys put it, one of the crowd. i also have to toss out my business cards since they feature a homepage that is no longer mine- in fact, it now shows videos made by other artists. life happens and you move on...

back-words... 1974 Central - apology…

2009-01-28T20:58:00.003-05:00

*** this was my last post to 1974 central. nobody replied. sometimes i debate if i want to post any further to this site, but i feel like everything has been falling on deaf ears thus far. i would like to see 1974 central really take off and become an amazing archive to the world for the year 1974, but somehow i kind of doubt that will ever happen. i'm just not sure how to make it work on my own, plus while it may be my desire, it really isn't my place; i don't think i even have all the controls the admin does. additionally, this is very draining to do with such limited resources that one really needs a team to work on such a project...

June 17th, 2008
Apology…

I would like to take a moment and apologize for not posting anything in recent weeks. Things have been very difficult here as my grandmother passed away recently. My family has been doing many things to try to keep each other going. Unfortunately, it has left me physically and emotionally drained on a perpetual basis. It’s difficult to carry on with many things recently, but rather than keep you hanging as to what happened to my regular posts, I felt I should offer an explanation. We were in hopes she might survive, but her health continued to decline. I have felt the need for a little time off from this while I get family arrangements sorted out. I was in hopes to feel motivated to post trivia sooner, but I am still lacking the drive and have had to put many things off while things are still being resolved. I hope to return with more posts as soon as possible. Thank you…

back-words... 1974 Central - Trivia Post #6...

2009-01-28T20:57:00.001-05:00

May 19th, 2008
Trivia Post #6

QUESTIONS:
1. Which Premier Russian dancer defects to Canada and joins the American Ballet Theatre?
2. Feb. 27: People magazine debuts, with ____ gracing the cover as Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby. Who was that actress?
3. Jan. 21: The U.S. Supreme Court decided that pregnant women of which profession could no longer be forced to take long leaves of absence?
4. Feb. 8: The three-man crew of ____ space station returned to Earth after spending 84 days in space. Which space station was this?
5. Who was the first black model on the cover of a major fashion magazine (Vogue)?
6. Which world renown life-saving maneuver was developed to save choking victims?
7. Which English classic rock group formed the new label Swan Song Records with their manager Peter Grant?
8. Who resigns as premier of Israel?
9. April 3-4: The second worst storm of the 1900’s struck America’s heartland, killing 315 people and injuring over 5,000 people. What was this storm “event” called?
10. How many tornadoes occurred during The Super Tornado Outbreak?

RANDOM FACTOID:
The Super Outbreak is the largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period. From April 3 to April 4, 1974, there were 148 tornadoes confirmed in 13 US states, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and New York; and the Canadian province of Ontario. It extensively damaged approximately 900 square miles (1,440 square kilometers) along a total combined path length of 2,600 miles (4,160 km).
(Source: Wikipedia)

ANSWERS:
1. Mikhail Baryshnikov
2. Mia Farrow
3. teachers
4. Skylab
5. Beverly Johnson
6. the Heimlich maneuver
7. Led Zeppelin
8. Golda Meir
9. The Super (Tornado) Outbreak
10. 148 tornadoes

back-words... and you thought you were a Tiger…

2009-01-28T20:52:00.002-05:00

May 16th, 2008
and you thought you were a Tiger…

Have you ever been out to eat Chinese food and you see one of those Chinese Zodiac placemats at your seat? It tells you what what your Chinese sign is based on what year you were born. Guess what? The Chinese year is based on the Lunar Cycle, not the Gregorian calendar followed by most civilizations. Therefore, just because you were born in a specific year, 1974 in the case, doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a specific sign, such as a Tiger. Huh???

OK, show of hands- who understands the Chinese Zodiac? and who doesn’t? I’ll explain some things to bring everyone up to speed.

The Chinese Zodiac is a 12 year cycle. Each year of the 12 year cycle is named after one the original 12 animals. The Chinese zodiac refers to a pure calendrical cycle; there are no equivalent constellations like those of the occidental zodiac.

That was pretty simple, right? Sure it was. Now here’s where things get interesting…

The 60-year cycle consists of two separate cycles interacting with each other. The first is the cycle of ten heavenly stems, namely the Five Elements (in order Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) in their Yin and Yang forms.

The second is the cycle of the twelve Zodiac animal signs (生肖 shēngxiāo) or Earthly Branches . They are in order as follows: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (ram or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and boar .

This combination of 5 elements × 12 animals creates the 60-year cycle, which always starts with Wood Rat and ends with Water Boar. Since the zodiac animal cycle of 12 is divisible by two, every zodiac sign can also only occur in either Yin or Yang: the dragon is always yang, the snake is always yin, etc.

It’s a little mathematical, but still fairly comprehendable. Now let’s get a bit complicated…

Since the (traditional) Chinese zodiac follows the (lunisolar) Chinese calendar, the switch over date is the Chinese New Year, not January 1 as in the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, a person who was born in January or early February has the sign of the previous year.

Are you scratching your head yet? sort of? not really? Let me explain further…

Feb. 3, 1973 - Jan. 23, 1974 is the year of the Ox (Water).
Jan. 24, 1974 - Feb. 10, 1975 is the year of the Tiger (Wood).

Therefore, my fellow 1974′nians, if you were born between 1/1/74 & 1/23/74, you are an Ox. If you were born between 1/24/74 & 12/31/74, you are a Tiger. Can you dig it? Sure, it’s no sweat! Next time you’re out having Chinese with your friends and/or family you can blow their minds while waiting for your meals.

back-words... 1974 Central - Trivia Post #5...

2009-01-28T20:50:00.001-05:00

May 13th, 2008
Trivia Post #5

QUESTIONS:
1. February 19: BRMB (now 96.4 BRMB) begins broadcasting to which area?
2. January 6: ____ Radio Mystery Theater (1974-1982) debuts and is broadcast on 218 stations. Which major broadcasting company owned this serial?
3. Which American comedian, vaudeville performer, musician, and radio, television, and film actor passed away on December 26, 1974 (aged 80)?
4. February 8: After 20 years, ____ airs its 5195th and final episode on CBS Daytime. What was the name of this epic serial?
5. August 5: For the first time on a preschool children’s program, the UK show ____ covers the death of the main character, Inigo, as the actor who played him (George Woodbridge) had died & the show is renamed Pipkins. What was the name of this serial?
6. Which popular British sketch comedy which aired its final episode this year, is first shown in the US on KERA-TV in Dallas, Texas?
7. May 6: The $10,000 Pyramid moves to ABC with whom as the host?
8. September 11: Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983) starring whom, premieres on NBC?
9. Name That Tune premieres on ____ daytime with Dennis James hosting, and in nighttime syndication with Tom Kennedy hosting. Which major broadcasting company hosted this series?
10. January 7: ____ debuts in a 90-minute special on NBC daytime. The episode shows the first nudity (which was merely simulated and not visible) on American daytime television. What was the name of this series?

RANDOM FACTOID:
March 11: The children’s special Free to Be… You and Me, produced by comedic actress Marlo Thomas, airs on ABC. Free to Be… You and Me is a record album and illustrated songbook for children, first released in November 1972, and later in 1974 as a television special, featuring songs and stories from celebrities (credited as “Marlo Thomas and Friends”). Using poetry, songs, and sketches, the basic concept was to salute values such as individuality, tolerance, and happiness with one’s identity; a major thematic message is that anyone, whether a boy or a girl, can achieve anything one wants. The album has become a cult classic across the United States amongst many who were children in the 1970s.
(Source: Wikipedia)

ANSWERS:
1. Birmingham, England
2. CBS
3. Jack Benny
4. The Secret Storm
5. Inigo Pipkin
6. Monty Python’s Flying Circus
7. Dick Clark
8. Michael Landon
9. NBC
10. How to Survive a Marriage

back-words... 1974 Central - contributions & submissions…

2009-01-28T20:42:00.002-05:00

*** since i have admin duties and capabilities i took it upon myself to make an additional request for contributions and submissions, neither of which has ever happened since my request, that i know of...

May 6th, 2008
Contributions & Submissions…

I would like to reiterate the desire for materials to post to the site. We would love to see photos, specifically of 1974, to post for nostalgia sake. Many of us have little or no visual documentation of our birth year and all that was important and popular. I handle our trivia section and it would be great if people sent links of their favorite nostalgia sites. While I have by no means exhausted my sources of information, I would like to keep a strong variety of information so that I may continue posting 1974 trivia as long as possible. Additionally, we would also like to see other documentation from the year 1974- video, sound bites, etc. Please contact our hostess or me if you have anything to contribute. Together, we can shed light on what happened throughout the world during this spectacular year. Thank you…

back-words... 1974 Central - Trivia Post #4...

2009-01-28T20:41:00.000-05:00

May 6th, 2008
Trivia Post #4

QUESTIONS:
1. March 3: Turkish Airlines Flight 981, a DC-10, crashes into a forest near Ermenonville, ____, killing 346 people. At the time, it was the worst aviation disaster in history. In which country is Ermenonville?
2. May 1: Who creates the first draft of what would eventually become Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope?
3. August 7: Peter Wolf, lead singer of the J. Geils Band marries which actress?
4. November 1: Which corporation ceases its legendary dye-transfer printing process?
5. March 17: A freight train on which railway is derailed when it hits a rock slide near Spences Bridge, British Columbia?
6. August: The Seoul subway opens in which country?
7. February 8: After 84 days in space, the last crew of the temporary American space station ____ return to Earth. Which space station was this?
8. Which robotic space probe had three scheduled flyby’s- Venus (Feb. 5), Mercury (March 29), and Mercury again (Sept. 21)?
9. March 25: the United States division of Service Games changes its name to ____. What is that company name which is still in use today?
10. The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics was founded at Naropa University in 1974 by which two Beat Generation poets?

RANDOM FACTOID:
Mariner 10 was a robotic space probe launched on November 3, 1973 to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. It was launched approximately 2 years after Mariner 9 and was the last spacecraft in the Mariner program (Mariner 11 and 12 were redesignated Voyager 1 and Voyager 2). The mission objectives were to measure Mercury’s environment, atmosphere, surface, and body characteristics and to make similar investigations of Venus. Secondary objectives were to perform experiments in the interplanetary medium and to obtain experience with a dual-planet gravity-assist mission.
(Source: Wikipedia)

ANSWERS:
1. France
2. George Lucas
3. Faye Dunaway
4. Technicolor
5. Canadian Pacific Railway
6. South Korea
7. Skylab
8. Mariner 10
9. Sega
10. Allen Ginsberg & Anne Waldman

back-words... 1974 Central - Trivia Post #3...

2009-01-28T20:39:00.000-05:00

April 28th, 2008
Trivia Post #3

QUESTIONS:
1. February 18: The rock group ____ sells out the first of two nights at Madison Square Garden, without a bit of advertising for the show. Which group was it?
2. March 12: John Lennon is involved in an altercation with a photographer outside the Troubador Club in Los Angeles, California. Lennon and friend Harry Nilsson had been heckling comedian ____ and were forced to leave the club. Who was the comedian?
3. Who leaves Genesis and begins solo career?
4. The original Alice Cooper group breaks up. The band’s leader, ____, changes his name to Alice Cooper and goes on to a solo career. What was Alice Cooper’s original name?
5. Who released the album Autobahn?
6. Who released the album Natty Dread?
7. Which artist had the #2 hit Seasons in the Sun?
8. Which comedian/musician was born on September 19, 1974?
9. Angel and the Snake formed in 1974, but changed their name to what in 1975?
10. Who released her debut recording, “Hey Joe”, which many consider to be the first punk rock single?

RANDOM FACTOID:
In 2007, Fallon wrote the song “Car Wash for Peace” with all the proceeds donated to charity. He performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The View and dedicated a MySpace page to the cause. Around the same time, a video circulated on various Internet sites called LonelyFallon32, in which Fallon parodied YouTube celebrity Jessica Rose (a.k.a. lonelygirl15) and later performed the song.
(Source: Wikipedia)

ANSWERS:
1. Yes
2. Tommy Smothers
3. Peter Gabriel
4. Vincent Furnier
5. Kraftwerk
6. Bob Marley
7. Terry Jacks
8. Jimmy Fallon
9. Blondie
10. Patti Smith

back-words... 1974 Central - Trivia Post #2...

2009-01-28T20:37:00.001-05:00

April 22nd, 2008
Trivia Post #2

QUESTIONS:
1. October 30: The “Rumble in the Jungle” between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman takes place where?
2. November 24: A skeleton from the hominid species Australopithecus afarensis is discovered and is given what name?
3. December 24-December 25: Darwin, Australia is almost completely destroyed by what?
4. Volkswagen’s ____ automobile first enters production. VW will go on to sell 22 million, and the model is still in full scale production as of 2008. What model was unveiled?
5. The world population reached ____ billion people. How many billion?
6. April 9: Which American actress and adult industry queen is born?
7. Which infamous British graffiti artist touted to have been born in 1974?
8. Which “Mama,” an American folk rock and classic rock music vocalist (b. 1941) passed away on July 29?
9. Which American jazz pianist and bandleader (b. 1899) passed away on May 24?
10. Restrictions on holding private gold within the United States, implemented by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, are removed on what date?

RANDOM FACTOID:
Australopithecus afarensis is an extinct hominid which lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. In common with the younger Australopithecus africanus, A. afarensis was slenderly built. From analysis it has been thought that A. afarensis was ancestral to both the genus Australopithecus and the genus Homo, which includes the modern human species, Homo sapiens.
(Source: Wikipedia)

ANSWERS:
1. Kinshasa, Zaire
2. Lucy
3. Cyclone Tracy
4. Golf
5. 4 billion people
6. Jenna Jameson
7. Banksy (aka Robert Banks)
8. “Mama Cass” Elliott
9. Duke Ellington
10. December 31, 1974

back-words... 1974 Central - Trivia Post #1...

2009-01-28T20:34:00.001-05:00

April 14th, 2008
Trivia Post #1

QUESTIONS:
1. The year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on which day of the 1974 Gregorian calendar?
2. In response to the energy crisis, Daylight Saving Time commences nearly 4 months early in the United States. What day did this take place?
3. February 8: The debut album from KISS is released. What was it called?
4. March 29: Mariner 10 approaches which planet?
5. April 24: Stephen King publishes his first novel under his own name. What was that novel?
6. May 18: Under project Smiling Buddha, _____ successfully detonates its first nuclear weapon, becoming the sixth nation to do so. What was that nation?
7. June 6: A new Instrument of Government is promulgated, making which European country a parliamentary monarchy?
8. August 9: Richard Nixon becomes the first President of the United States to resign from office, an action taken to avoid being removed by impeachment in response to his role in which scandal?
9. Which professional stunt man fails to cross the Snake River Canyon in Idaho, when a drogue parachute deploys prematurely on his rocket-powered Skycycle X-2?
10. October 20: Ending nine years of nearly constant touring, which group began an extended hiatus after finishing their Fall U.S. tour at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco?

RANDOM FACTOID:
A common year is a common type of calendar year. It has exactly 365 days and so is not a leap year. More generally, it is a calendar year without intercalation. A common year of 365 days has exactly 52 weeks and one day, so consequently the next new year is one day of the week later. In the Gregorian calendar, 303 of every 400 years are common years. By comparison, in the Julian calendar, 300 out of every 400 years were common years.
(Source: Wikipedia)

ANSWERS:
1. Tuesday
2. January 6, 1974
3. KISS
4. Mercury
5. Carrie
6. India
7. Sweden
8. Watergate
9. Evel Knievel
10. The Grateful Dead

back-words... 1974 Central - frippery pursuit…

2009-01-28T17:01:00.006-05:00

*** last year, i was asked to take part on a website based on the facebook group 1974 central. the website is actually a blog which allows its members to contribute various data specifically regarding the year 1974- births, deaths, discoveries, awards, achievements, world events, etc. officers were appointed for each month and i was appointed for trivia, since i suggested it and the month of march was already being represented by someone else.
to tell you the truth, the site is kind of dead and has been since mid-'08. the last ten posts were by me from april to june. no one posted since or even in between. none of the monthly officers have posted; nobody has posted at all. i took a hiatus when my grandmother passed away and haven't posted since, but i have been to the site a few time to check on things and sift through the comments awaiting approval. tonight i spent a few hours clearing out 105 pages of spam-ridden comments. the only traffic to this site since i last checked in has been spam. now that's amazing. for a while the site was offline, but i guess i have the admin to thank for that. funny thing is she doesnt ever reply to my messages anymore, so i guess she is pretty busy. i'm not sure if the site is worth maintaining further or if it will even stay up for much longer.
i would like to keep a record of the posts i have made while i am busy transferring old blogs so i will include a small 1974 central section within the back-words series. i hope you will enjoy reading these posts...

April 14th, 2008
Frippery Pursuit…

Welcome to the trivia section! I hope to shake things up a bit for you and provide an entertaining and (*gasp*) educational experience. Some things you may already know, some not so much. I’d like to keep it fun and not too much of a brain buster for everybody.

I would like to try a couple different formats and see what everyone prefers. Our lovely admin and hostess has given me carte blanche to Run this section as I best see fit. First, I will present a regular trivia posting regarding things that transpired during 1974. Second, I would like to present random 1974 factoids which may or may not be educational which will usually pertain to one or more questions I have posed in a given trivia post, but should certainly be interesting. Finally, a lot of consideration has gone into how to present you the questions and answers to the trivia posts:
How often do I present new trivia- daily, weekly, monthly?
How many questions should I pose per trivia posting- one, five, ten?
Do I present the answers below the questions within the same post?
Do I present the answers a week later?
Do I use invisible ink so you have to wipe your screen with lemon juice to reveal the answers? — well, that one is a bit of a stretch, but trust me, I have been interested in enhancing your trivia experience to the fullest.
So how about upside down text? No, just kidding… maybe.
I figure I will start off with a weekly posting of ten questions and I will present the answers below the questions. If that works well for most of you, I will maintain that format.

With this introduction out of the way, I will commence on some trivialities for your cerebral pleasure. I hope you enjoy the section. If you have any feedback, send me a note. I can’t make any promises, but I will do my best to run a decent section. Thank you.

back-words... welcome and intro...

2009-01-28T16:45:00.003-05:00

Sunday, May 18, 2008
Welcome and Intro…
Hi, thanks for checking out my blog. There’s a few things I would like to detail before going any further. As you will see in my blogroll, I have several blog links listed. I keep more blogs than I have listed, but I use those the most. As a result, I will not be using this one page very often, except for posts related to 1974 Central which do not pertain to the main site, itself. In other words, posts that are specifically about me and my childhood would be here while posts about trivia and generalities about the year 1974 would be found in 1974 Central. If you would like to read about my work and general music topics as well as edm culture, then check out my dj and producer blog. If you would like to read my poetry, random meditations, and things that capture my interest, then check out the other blog i keep on myspace (scott blog). In case you’ve come across this page without knowing about 1974 Central, allow me to explain. 1974 Central is an e-community devoted to those who were born during the year 1974. It started out as a Facebook group and took off from there. This blog space is allotted as a result of being a member of that e-community, but I am not only a member, I am an officer as well. I am in charge of Trivia and I help with other contributions, submissions, and announcements. It’s something I enjoy doing in my spare time. I hope you will enjoy my various blogs and if you have a chance, I hope you will enjoy 1974 Central as well. Thank you…

back-words... introduction

2009-01-28T16:11:00.003-05:00

*** links invalid. introduction is a culmination of information from other posts but a necessity being the first post for facebook.

welcome...
October 7th, 2007
while im bound to repeat some of this info on a subsequent basis, i would like to use this first blog to introduce myself and provide you with some important links.

most of you know me as scott, some of you know me as djsquelch, and some of you also know me also as phase shifts. my life has always been and will always be about music. i dj and produce various styles of electronic dance music, or edm. these styles include ambient, downtempo, lounge, idm, acid, minimal, trance, house, techno, jungle, breaks, dnb, hardcore, happy hardcore, gabber, industrial, avant-garde, experimental, noise, acid jazz, dub, reggae, turntablism, jazz, disco, rock, & spoken word.

a lot of this is looking familiar, right? thats because i post variants of this information just about everywhere i go where i have a chance to post an introductory blurb about myself. i like to get the word out about what i do because this isnt a hobby; it is my life and i have many big plans.

i have many places where you can find me and i encourage you to take the time, listen to everything whenever you possibly can, and add me as a friend. while a lot of my work is available for free, i do offer a lot of it for sale. if you cant afford it i understand, but if you can, i would really like to see some financial support via album sales. theyre not that expensive, actually, and you can hear it all before you buy it. additionally, the free albums may not be free forever. i have yet to determine an album is no longer free, but it is my intent to pull an album from remaining accessible for free after a certain point. my album downloads are in the thousands, but it isnt paying the bills. other ways to support me would be to hire me to dj at your parties and clubs, request owners to have me to play at venues and festivals you attend, and recommend me to your friends. i would appreciate it beyond what words could describe.

without further ado, here are some useful links:
myspace-
http://www.myspace.com/djsquelch (my musician page)
http://www.myspace.com/djsquelch2 (my personal page)
amducias records-
http://amdusciasrecords.4t.com/Page5_1.htm (my artist page)
soundclick-

http://www.soundclick.com/Store/byArtist.cfm?bandID=600809 (my sales page)
lowercase sounds-

http://www.lowercasesounds.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=19&Itemid=75 (my dj page)

i usually release an album every month. when i do, i post an announcement along with some important links. i spin live online and i am about to resume a weekly show over at lowercase sounds. they host some of my mixes, which are available for download. more mixes will be supplied soon as well as a broadcast schedule. i am proud to call these places my home. i hope you will enjoy my work and encourage your friends to listen, too. thank you for your support.

plur…

back-words... my feedback for facebook...

2009-01-28T13:57:00.003-05:00

*** sometimes i gripe by invitation. this was one of those times. i still don't like the new layout. i like the old layout of everything on one page. that way no one misses any details. i know how it can be; sometimes i feel lazy and don't feel like browsing extra pages. i know others feel like that, too. unfortunately, this is one of those times you bite the bullet and move on...

Thursday, September 11, 2008
My feedback for facebook...
I despise the new facebook layout. In fact, it isn't even design! Design is more than merely rearranging how things look; it's about clear and effective communication of visual information. This does not succeed in that effort. The worst failure being in hierarchal arrangement of critical features- menus are alway on the top or the left; this is the way most English-speaking cultures function. It would seem the individual or team facebook hired to create this monstrosity didn't not learn design in college, if they even went to college.

Part of facefook has been about allowing the users to make their pages look as they want it, but now that freedom has been effectively destroyed. Initially users had a choice in using the new format. I tried it and witched back on the first day. I hated it then and I still hate it now. I am disappointed facebook has forced this upon me, but then again facebook doesn't see a need for many of my freedoms since I must endure messages and notifications both in my email and here.

Just because I am not spammed to death on here doesn't make this better than MySpace. I'm not too happy with them either, but at least they didn't change the layout so disruptively for its users. At least their features are useful. Facebook, you've let me down again.

back-words... general update on life and such...

2009-01-28T13:32:00.007-05:00

*** i could've sworn i posted this somewhere, but at this moment i cant seem to locate it so here's this one...

Entry for November 12, 2008
this is one of the few blogs where i haven't posted anything in a long time, so i figured i was long overdue for providing an update in regards to things that have been transpiring in my life since my last post.

this year has seen many things: another birthday, identity theft, a self-run business slowly rise and quickly fall, admin-level status at a web site, the loss of a family member, communication briefly re-established with other family members, and contemplation of career change accompanied with going back to school again. all this is on top of the daily and other incidental stuff with which i already deal. without a doubt, it's been quite the emotional roller-coaster ride, especially when i take into consideration my past and my future.

my birthday serves as a yearly milestone where i assess how far i've come, what i've accomplished, what i'm currently doing, and what my plans are. it's not so much of a comparison with other people as much as it is a comparison with what i feel i could be doing based on a potential happy medium that i generally try to strive for- nothing too great nor too poor.

as many of you know, last year saw considerable marks in success. i released 10 albums (with a cumulative 15,000+ download result) including a collaborative album which i later remastered as a solo work which i released this year. indeed i have plans for future works, both specifically and generally speaking. after pulling off to work independently, i was accepted to sell my work with apple itunes along with several other companies online. before i was able to send my work to each of these companies, my external hard drive died, which i have described in great detail in a previous post. this put my life at an abrupt standstill. i had no backup plan. if anything, returning to music was my backup plan. due to various medical situations, i've become limited in what i can do so working at home on music seemed like my best option considering my abilities and resources. even though it seems life has other intentions for me, i will not be giving up on this dream and it is my intention to slowly rebuild my way back to where i was before and surpass that milestone.

in the meantime, i'm still limited as to what i can and can't do. time has been slowly healing physical and emotional wounds. i have had time to reconsider life, options, and so forth. an option i've been giving strong consideration to is teaching english as a second and/or foreign language, specifically in japan. why japan? because before i was a live my family had been there while my grandfather was still in the navy and i have grown up seeing all sorts of things attesting to their love of being there and i have been captivated by these relics and on my own experiences found myself gravitating to all things japanese over the course of my life, so it only seemed natural that my first thoughts were of japan. asia, in general, is seeking native-speaking english teachers for all levels of education and they are paying very well and if you get a private job, then the pay is pretty phenomenal. I could really use something that would provide a decent, reliable income. that is something i have never had- its always been decent or reliable, but never both.

so here i am trying my best to become fluent in japanese so that i can go out there and get a job teaching english, but wait- don't i need some sort of experience and educational background in that field before landing such a job? yes, indeed i do. this means completing my existing education so i don't lose all the work i've already done over the course of about 7 years in four colleges. then i need to get an additional degree and perhaps certification as well as work experience before i can even go over there and work. additionally, i will have to perform a massive overseas move as well as getting a home, which will be monumental tasks in of themselves. i've already done all the research into that as well, but i've determined this is something that i want to do and even if it takes me around 7 years to accomplish, i will get it done.

sounds great, but what about the music? that will be sitting on the back burner as little as possible while i am trying to get all these other things accomplished. another goal of the teaching would be to better afford my ability to work on music and probably the repair (if possible) of my external hard drive. if i can get that repaired, then i can get back on track where i was with music sales and continuing further album work, broadcasting, and more. everything i had previously entertained doing in the line of music i still would like to do and i think i can be successful doing that anywhere in the world.

ok, so you mentioned a lot of other stuff happening thats been messing with your abilities... yes, my grandmother passed away this year. her health has been deteriorating for several years now and this year seemed to bring some considerable problems- a broken leg, a heart attack, and then spending her final days in a hospital where she would eventually die. the last medicine the doctors gave her lead to her death. they knew it might do it and my family was informed and for some reason everyone thought it was ok to do. well, she went into a coma, stopped breathing on her own, and after two weeks they finally unplugged her life support and she died a painful, scary death. she was also buried this summer and that was also an ordeal in of itself. i saw relatives i had stopped talking to for quite some time. i saw my grandparents' latest poor choice in assistants there as well. it was not a good day. i chose to bring the dog because he is family and he has emotional problems with being left alone for various reasons. because i had him with me, i was not allowed to go inside for the memorial service which was performed by my great uncle, her brother, how ever i was allowed to attend the burial service as that was outdoors. i miss the person she sometimes was, but not the person she became. her death cemented that things would never be good between us again, much as i had already suspected. in a way i had already said my goodbyes long ago, so the day felt very awkward for me. i think everyone had slightly different feelings on that day and continue to have slightly different feelings. everyone is slightly different now and yet they're still quite the same. things have quieted up between me and my relative once again. everyone is doing what they had been before, the only difference being that my grandmother is no longer part of the picture. it's been hard dealing with things in a way i can't quite describe. i intentionally abandoned certain activities i knew i wouldn't be able to perform during that time and i have resumed most of those activities, such as career and educational research, learning japanese, and a couple of recreational things online, but not everything is back to normal.

i was an active trivia official on a website dedicated to my birth year where i posted on a weekly basis, but now i merely hold the title as i haven't done anything there for months except excuse myself from activity due to family matters. i have resumed recreationally surfing the web and talking to friends online, but i still find myself testier about many things that i used to be more patient about and i've noticed with every major life-affecting event, that i get more and more like this and i don't really care for it. it's something that i try to keep in check, but i can't quite control it 100% of the time, either.

my grandmother's passing hasn't brought much change. my grandfather has seemed to grow more bitter of her, and he continues to tire of life. many of her things have vanished and it seems the help was involved, but he rehired them instead of hiring new help. this places quite a bit of unnecessary tension around the place because my mother will not go while any of them are there and if they are, she insists they leave. my uncle lives out of state so he isn't much help in many matters unless my mother pesters him to do something by phone or during one of his rare visits.

it's hard to keep focused when you have so much swimming around in your head, even more so when you're predisposed to having problems with maintaining focus. things have been breaking down right and left this year as well. my tv died so i have to use a small old one which means i can't really read anything on it or appreciate any rental in any great detail. i can't really afford a replacement at for the time being, either. my home has flooded some more this year and it got pretty bad. i am still fighting mildew problems and telecommunications problems as a result. i've been repairing computers in hopes i can get them all completely functional so that mine will work as they used to (if not better) and i can sell some others online so that i can get a little money. finding ways to make money has been a pain because it almost always costs money to make money. i was hoping to find ways to get ahead and it seems like i am barely staying afloat, all the while i am still receiving minimal financial assistance from my mother when she is able to afford it. i am lucky as most mothers wouldn't do this. i am trying to make the best use of her financial assistance, which does not always come as the easiest of choices. there are so many distractions and oh so many things to do, and there is always more to do than before. all i can do is keep trying and keep planning and someday i might manage to make things work ok...

back-words... yahoo300 button...

2009-01-28T13:28:00.002-05:00

Entry for November 07, 2008
Hey who remembers having a Yahoo 360 button on their Yahoo browser toolbar?
Now who remembers why it was removed?

I remember both. Because I use so many yahoo e-community resources, I do use a yahoo toolbar and it has all the buttons I use to access the yahoo sections which I frequent regularly. One of those buttons used to be the Yahoo 360 button. Among many of the changes and plans yahoo has made over the years, they were planning to do away with Yahoo 360. However this never happened. Who knows why, but Yahoo 360 is still around. However, the button is not.

Guess what Yahoo? I want my button back!

back-words... production update...

2009-01-28T13:08:00.003-05:00

*** i believe this entry may've already posted under another title, but it seemed fitting to post it again here after the last entry i just posted. i really don't want to get into specifics as to why i parted ways with this label. it's a terribly long story, there has been some lasting damage, and frankly i wouldn't be surprised if i were being watched occasionally for things that i may say and/or do, therefore at this juncture you will see no residual bitterness nor laundry-airing. aside from legitimate concerns, it just isn't very professional and i prefer to maintain a quiet distance. it's over and i have moved on. once things are right with my external hard drive, i will be on the path to bigger and better things, including hopefully picking up where i left off in terms of selling my work. i hope i will not have completely lost my entire fan base by that time as i've rebuilt from scratch before and it was a difficult and time-consuming process.

Entry for February 01, 2008
Today marks the end of one path and the start of a new path.
I have parted ways with Amduscias Records in search of greener pastures and broader horizons.
This means my music will no longer be available for free download at The Internet Archive.
During this time, I will be keeping my Soundclick store current.
You will be able to purchase my work there as usual.

I may also be reviving a record label I started a few years ago, Groove Rhythm.
I have several options and I will keep everyone posted with my progress as usual.
Thank you all for your continued support.

PS - While aspects of my production takes a new shape, I still broadcast weekly on lowercasesounds.com. Continue to count on great sounds from djsquelch & Phase Shifts!

back-words... update...

2009-01-28T12:59:00.002-05:00

*** this link is no longer pertinent...

Entry for November 07, 2007
info update: i no longer have an artist page on the amduscias site.
begin here: http://amdusciasrecords.4t.com/

back-words... broadcast schedule update...

2009-01-28T12:44:00.004-05:00

*** while this link is valid, i have not broadcasted live on there since march '08 when my external hard drive died. i do have a couple of recorded mixes that circulate the playlist when others aren't broadcasting live and they are available for download as well. it is my intent to resume broadcasting on lowercase sounds asap...

Entry for October 21, 2007

i finally have a new schedule with a new station. starting 10/30/07, i will be hosting labor of love on lowercase sounds every tuesday night, 8-10pm eastern. tune in and kick back as i play deeply chilled sounds. broadcast sessions will be focused around ambient music, ambient sounds, and other chilled genres and tempos applied in an ambient nature. often resulting in delicious fusions that promote relaxation and an upbeat vibe. i already have a couple mixes posted for free download and i will have more to share soon.
check out the site, bookmark it, and get ready for a weekly adventure that will rejuvenate your souls.

http://www.lowercasesounds.com/
i will provide additional updates as changes occur.
tune in, feel the vibe, dig it.
plur…

back-words... update...

2009-01-28T12:07:00.005-05:00

*** none of the links are pertinent/valid except for the myspace and soundclick links. as previously mentioned, i am no longer with a label and acid grave folded. this post is also a culmination of other posts. sadly, i barely used the yahoo360 blog at all, wasting great potential for additional exposure; i was still learning facets of self-promotion at the time...

Entry for May 14, 2007
hey there, its been a while since i last posted, but i have a number of things to share...

first off, im sorry if you cant find my broadcasts anymore. im sure this problem is not uncommon lately. i have also been affected by legal actions courtesy of the riaa, so i no longer have a home that can afford to let me broadcast sweet tunes online. i will not let this stop me. i am in the process of finding a new home who can afford to let me play...

in the mean time, i have mixes posted at http://www.acidgrave.com in the form of torrents. there are 15 active seeds currently and i will keep them up or reseed upon request as long as possible. there are tracklists with each mix.

and last but not least, i have signed on with amduscias records. i have two releases posted online for free downloads right now. you can find several free releases under the amduscias label right here: http://www.archive.org/details/amduscias

just as a reminder, i dj as djsquelch and produce as phase shifts.
current info always hits my blog first so you may want to add me over on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/djsquelch
...and if you wish to purchase any tracks, you can find my shop here: http://www.soundclick.com/djsquelchandphaseshifts

i hope you all will enjoy the tunage!
plur...

back-words... introduction

2009-01-28T11:42:00.004-05:00

*** none of the links are valid/pertinent except for the myspace links. this was my first post on my yahoo360 blog and it was a culmination of part of one of my myspace introductions and part of a broadcast schedule posting. i figured the combined information would be a good way to start off this blog. I've never really been much of a blogger, so most of my blogs and postings to various forums and mailing lists have been music related. considering that factor, there will be many blogs and posts i will not be transferring here as they are merely cross-posts stating things already stated and posted here. when the transfers are complete, that will conclude the back-words series of posts. i hope you appreciate the play on words, homophonic with backwards, since these are all posts from the past...

Entry for September 01, 2006

artist, musician, writer, thinker, dreamer... life is about finding a balance and being happy while youre here... my music helps me find and achieve that balance. to learn more about my music, go to http://www.myspace.com/djsquelch/.

My personal page is located at http://www.myspace.com/djsquelch2/.

i am also a photographer and traveler and have driven alone all over the united states and been to europe. i have driven to upstate new york, down to south beach miami, chicago, and i have driven to california twice; once to long beach l.a. area, and once to santa cruz. i have documented these travels a bit and every month i add about 45 more photos to my spot at http://flickr.com/photos/djsquelch/.

a lot of the time i just clicked while i was driving because of no place to pull off, but theres some good ones in there. these journeys have taken me to some intense places physically and spiritually. as much as i learned from all that i am still finding myself picking up new lessons from those experiences. life is an incredible journey. keep your eyes open and experience as much as you can while its still possible. more to come...

i broadcast regularly on a few stations online. if you are familiar with my djsquelch and phase shifts accounts on slsk, then you know what to expect... check it out:

my stations:
to listen - http://68.49.148.32:8002
to listen - http://69.143.136.14:8100/listen.m3u
for info - http://www.myspace.com/djsquelch
for info - http://www.myspace.com/djsquelch2
*daily broadcasts.

lazy station:
to listen - http://lazystation.com:8000/
for info - http://www.lazystation.com
*mondays live at 7 pm est for 5 hours.

radioation:
to listen - http://radioation.armed.us:8000/
for info - http://www.radioation.com
*daily prerecorded and live broadcasts.

for those who dont know me yet, i dj and produce the following genres:
ambient, downtempo, lounge, acid jazz, idm, trance, minimal, acid, house, breaks, jungle, dnb, avant-garde, noise, hardcore, happy hardcore, gabber, experimental, industrial, dub, reggae, turntablism, jazz, disco, rock, and spoken word.

tune in, enjoy the vibe, dig it...
thanks to all for listening and continued support.
*plur*

snow...

2009-01-28T01:59:00.002-05:00

i just thought i would mention that it snowed about an inch or two yesterday. it's noteworthy because it almost never snows in this area anymore. it is at least the first snow of the year, if not for the whole winter season, thus far. i love the snow and cant get enough of it, especially when so little falls. i miss the snow. i have many fond memories associated with snow. Unfortunately, today it is gone, much like those moments i so fondly remember. at least it will snow again...

taking yet another break...

2009-01-27T15:16:00.003-05:00

this concludes transferring blogs from both my myspace accounts, but never fear, i have more to go! yes, it does seem like a lot and this was the majority of it. if you thought 65 from my music account was a lot, todays count was 74 transferred, plus i omitted several cross-posts that were musically related. i still have some more to go before i am through and as usual, i will continue to try to omit repeating further cross-posts. i will call it a day for today and resume soon with more- possibly even the rest! i hope you've been enjoying reading along. thank you.

back-words... haiku...

2009-01-27T15:09:00.002-05:00

*** originally this was untitled, but i think surprise makes a nifty title. it's the only haiku i have written that i can think of- at least, there wasn't any in my archive. i hope you enjoy this one...

Monday, November 10, 2008
haiku...
surprise

sipping her hot tea,
she choked spitting in disgust,
this is old water.

back-words... banking frustrations...

2009-01-27T15:04:00.002-05:00

*** this is almost more of a multi-part blog as i had additional follow-ups posted.

Friday, November 7, 2008
banking frustrations...
Recently, I came across a situation with my bank charging me a $50 penalty fee based on an error they made. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't like having my money disappear unless I knowingly and willingly spend it. I thought I would share my note to them. I have yet to receive a reply. By the way, the subject line of my note to them was "NFCU makes an error and I eat a $50 penalty fee..."

Hello,
As you can infer from the subject line, I am very upset with the way NFCU has been keeping track of my account. Not only did I opt out of paper statements since my accounts are now accessible online, but I check my account on a regular basis to keep track of my balance standing so that I may ensure I do not over draft my account. NFCU, on the other hand, does not seem to live up to their promises.

If I were to overdraft on my account NFCU used to allow such a thing as long as it wasn't by too large of an amount and I would always replace the missing funds within a day or two, max. These days, NFCU will automatically prevent an overdraft from happening during the transaction at the sales location, be it online or at a store. At least NFCU will usually do that- not always. NFCU is also supposed to display pending transactions to my acount, but often those pending transactions will disappear a day or two before they are posted, thus making my account appear to have more available funds than what it actually has.

This discrepancy is a gross inconvenience when I make a point to ensure I have available funds before I make a purchase. Under the presumption that NFCU account tracking is accurate and up to date, I make a purchase. Only later, such as today via a letter in the mail, do I find that I have been hit with penalty fees amounting to $50.00 for two transactions totaling less than $22.00 that should have been able to clear based on NFCU's accounting.

Another situation like this happened a little while back where I was waiting for an e-check to clear. It was listed as pending for days beyond when it was supposed to clear. Then the pending listing was gone and I saw I still had available funds for another transaction (which I made) and I find myself hit with another penalty fee for overdraft, of all things.

Today's alert of a penalty fee hits particularly hard. I confidently conducted transactions under the presumption that NFCU was keeping my account balance accurate and thus I had funds available. Instead, I find this was apparently an inaccuracy and now my sharecheck account is showing a negative balance and NFCU withdrew what little I had in my savings account, which of course didn't even compensate for the $50 penalty that I feel I've been unjustifiable awarded. If anyone should have a penalty fee, it should be NFCU for not keeping better track of my account balance.

These days, I conduct all my transactions electronically. This should make it considerably easier for NFCU to keep my account balance as accurate as possible. I also find NFCU's arbitrary decision to charge $25 as a flat penalty fee regardless of penalty amount to be in gross abuse of its account holders. What if I had made 5 small transactions that day? That would have amounted to $125 in penalty fees! Does NFCU think that is fair? Surely, I hope not.

For years NFCU did not conduct business this way. My entire family has been using NFCU for generations and I feel NFCU has been slowly declining in appeal in recent years. It's frustrating to me to see this happen. If NFCU will not relinquish such a short leash on its account holders, the least NFCU can do is keep the account holders' accounts accurate! If NFCU cannot keep an account holder's balance up to date and accurate, then the penalty fees should be reconsidered. The reason I am faced with these penalty fees is do to NFCU's own error in displaying my account balance incorrectly. Therefore, I would like to see these penalty fees removed as they affected both my accounts adversely. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Scott Cherry

------------------------

I have a reply from my bank and it came the very next day- imagine that! Interestingly enough they removed the $50 penalty fees from my account. However, they also contradicted themselves more than once. They said it was a one time courtesy and its is in fact the second time they have removed penalty fees they charged in error. They also said they prevent overdrafting the account balance and yet they clearly dropped the ball because they failed to keep my account balance accurate and up to date when i had double-checked prior to making purchases. In essence, They said, "we're wrong, but we will pretend we are not wrong and we will more than likely make this mistake again at your expense. Without further ado, here is their reply...

Subject: NFCU makes an error and I eat a $50 penalty...
Navy Federal Response 11/07/2008 : Thank you for using Navy Federal Online. A review of your account indicates that on 3 November 2008, PAYPAL INST XFER tried to debit your account for $5.93 and $15.94 but they were returned due to insufficient funds (NSF) and your account was charged $50.00 in NSF fees. Please understand that each time the amount of a Visa Check Card Point of Sale (POS) transaction is processed and exceeds the balance in your checking account, your account will be charged $25.00. Each time a check/ACH debit is presented for payment and returned for insufficient funds, your checking account will be charged a fee of $25.00.

As requested we have waived $50.00 NSF fees as a one-time courtesy. Please note that Navy Federal will not waive any further fees unless a fee is charged due to our error.

Please note, when a member makes a purchase with a Visa Check Card, the merchant usually sends through an authorization request which is approved or disapproved. If approved, a one-day hold is placed on the checking account for the amount of the transaction. The following day, the hold is removed and the funds are returned to the checking account. This is a standard operating procedure with many financial institutions. After the hold "drops" off the account, you have the opportunity to "use" the funds again until the transaction actually posts. Since the merchant is responsible for submitting the transaction for payment, Navy Federal has no control over the amount of time this may take, in some cases, it may take several days for the actual transaction to post to the checking account.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please let us know.

Posted by scott on Saturday, November 08, 2008 - 9:33 AM

----------------------------

imagine my great dismay when i woke up this morning to find my banking institution had fucked with my account again. theyve done a better job of trying to cover their collective ass this time, yet they still contradict themselves plus the overdraft service they offer is supposed to already be covering me. does acquiring it again make life magically delicious? i think not...

Your Message 11/13/2008 : What are you doing to my account??? you just took out $50 dollars again today and I have not been conducting any transactions since I last communicated with you. I have had no notice of and failed transactions, nor any any other problems. Please stop removing $50 dollars from my account! You are supposed to refuse transactions that would overdraft my account when there are insufficient funds, not let people overdraft my account and then charge me for it. This is only few days after my last correspondence with you. Frankly, I feel like I need overdraft protection from NFCU! I've never felt so violated! Leave my account alone!

Subject: NFCU makes an error and I eat a $50 penalty...
Navy Federal Response 11/13/2008 : Thank you for your follow up message. A review of your account indicates that on 10 November, the available balance in your checking account was $1.53. On that day, PAYPAL INST XFERT tried to debit your account for $5.93 and for $15.94, but they were returned as NSF and your account was charged $50.00 in Return Check Fees.

Please be advised that when an item has been returned to the payee's bank, the payee is permitted to submit the item for payment as many times as necessary until it is paid; therefore, you will need to obtain the status of the item from the payee. Each time an item is presented for payment and is returned for insufficient funds, your checking account will be charged a fee of $25.00 the next business day.

Please note that we are unable to waive any more NSF fee as we have already waived $50.00 in Return Check fees for you as one-time courtesy. It is your responsibility to ensure that sufficient funds are available at all times in your account in case an item is presented for payment.

Our NAVchek Line of Credit service provides overdraft protection for a checking account and allows access to the credit line directly without first having to deplete the checking account balance by the negotiation of special NAVcheks. This service is available in increments of $500.00 up to a maximum of $15,000.00, subject to Credit Committee approval. The annual percentage rate (APR) on a NAVchek Line of Credit is 14.9%. The minimum monthly payment required on a NAVchek Line of Credit is 2% of the total outstanding balance shown on the monthly Statement of Account or $20.00, whichever is greater. If the account is over limit and/or past due, these amounts will be included in the amount billed on the statement.

You may apply for a NAVchek Line of Credit online by clicking on "Checking" located in the center of our Home page. When the next screen appears, click on "NAVchek Overdraft Protection" and "Apply Now" to complete the application. If you prefer, you can call 1-800-336-3333 or 703-255-2626, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to apply. If your NAVchek Line of Credit request is approved, we will mail a NAVchek Line of Credit Agreement and Disclosure for you to sign. It cannot be faxed to you or printed at a branch. Once we receive your signed agreement, we will activate your new line of credit and make it available for your use.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please let us know.

Posted by scott on Thursday, November 13, 2008 - 5:32 PM