Archive: November 2005

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Tuesday - November 29, 2005

Message from Kate

'Got home last night and laughed and laughed at the message Katie left on my answering machine:

Oh. Joey, it's me. I just called to tell you that my excitement over the Shaggy song was...was...I don't know! I don't even know what to call it because there has not been one SINGLE song on the radio since then that I have enjoyed. And, most of 'em really REALLY have grated on my nerves. And! One of the stations has gone to completely playing Christmas music. All the time. And, it's only November! Okay... Ummm... I'm going outside NOW to shovel the six inches of snow off of my driveway that have fallen since noon. And, there's more comin' down so I'm pretty sure if I don't shovel it now, by morning it'll be a foot and a half! Okay. Good-bye.

With that, she abruptly hung up. Heh heh. Poor Katie. 'Guess that's what happens when you live in Podunk, USA, eh? We've got lots of radio stations here. 'Course, I don't bother with them. 'Got that iPod, doncha know. And, our high Sunday was 86 or 87. And, yesterday? The high 60s. The forcast for the rest of the week? Gradually going back up 'til we hit the mid- to high-70s this weekend. Snow? What's that? Heh.

Posted by Joanna | Permalink

Monday - November 28, 2005

More iPod love + birthday notes

My iPod just played two (count them...two!) Alan Parsons Project songs in a row: "The Fall of the House of Usher, IV Pavane" and "Psychobabble"...how cool is that? Woo hoo!

Have I mentioned lately that I really like my iPod? Well, I do. Heh heh heh.

. . . .

And, while I'm here...I guess I'll send out belated birthday greetings to Jennie and Katie. Happy birthday, girls!

I did something fun for Jennie's birthday. When we were in New Mexico this summer, we got to see our cousin Donna. Donna had a new little dog with her. I think his name was Rufus. Or something equally silly. Jennie, as is her wont, went nuts over the dog. I snapped a couple of photos. I wasn't really very happy with the results:

I liked the expression on her face. 'Thought it was great. And, the dog looked awfully cute. Sadly, the exposure and lighting stunk up the place. I have no idea what settings I was using on my camera. There really wasn't much I could do to improve upon it. But, I realized there was something I could do with the photo. I could turn it into a print! I came up with:

I printed it out as an 8x10 and matted it in a fairly plain black frame. When she was opening her presents, she thought it was gonna be a painting from Mom. Ha! 'Fooled her. And, she loved it. Fun, eh? 'Told ya!

Posted by Joanna | Permalink

Wednesday - November 23, 2005

Greggy turns 21

Happy Birthday, Greggus! Twenty-one. Wow. How can that possibly be? I remember so clearly waiting for you to come along. And, now you're 21. Simply amazing. It's time to rerun one of my favorite photos (originally posted and discussed in August of last year):

And, of course, I cannot let things go without pointing out one of the best (if not the best) baby photos I ever took. It just happens to be of Greggus (odd coinky-dink, that):

(I really need to re-scan that. I've got a much better scanner now than I had back then. But, that'll take time. And, I've not got any of that handy at the moment so...)

. . . .

By the way, I'm not gonna go along all day pointing out the lovely songs playing on my iPod the way I did yesterday. But, I do feel compelled to point out that the first song presented to me this morning was "Before You Were Born" by Toad the Wet Sprocket. A rather bleak song, overall. But, I do like it.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled broadcast...

Posted by Joanna | Permalink

Tuesday - November 22, 2005

Doin' the iPod shuffle

First song on my iPod this morning? "Lines Around Your Eyes" by Lucinda Williams. What a great song.

Additional selections as the day wore on...

• A couple of hours into the day: "Unforgiven" by The Go-Go's. Immediately followed by "Big Boned Gal" by k.d. lang and The Reclines! 'Love my iPod.

• And 35 minutes later? "Going Away Party" by Asleep at the Wheel with Willie Nelson and The Manhattan Transfer (from the "Ride With Bob" CD). How cool is that?

• Shortly after I got back from lunch: "Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry. I used to love that song. And, I still like it. It was followed by "Down at the Twist and Shout" by Mary Chapin Carpenter (with BeauSoleil off her "Party Doll and Other Favorites" CD). This version was recorded at the Super Bowl in New Orleans in '97. Now there's a half-time show! I just wanna get up and start dancing around my office when this song comes on. Somehow I manage not to do that, though. It is a struggle. But, I manage.

• And, close to 3 o'clock: "The Dog Song" by Nellie McKay. Talk about a great song. I saw her perform it on Letterman a year or two ago and had to go find the CD. 'Glad I did. It's a good CD. And, this particular song just makes you smile. I defy anyone to hear it and not smile. Can't be done.

• And, later? "Voices on the Water" by David Olney. Good stuff.

• Still later... "Wolverton Mountain" by Claude King. 'Makes me think of my childhood. Back when I hated country music. Heh.

• 'Bout 4 o'clock? "White Trash Wedding" by the Dixie Chicks. 'Love that song. It gets my vote for best new song of 2002.

• Right after that, my iPod picked "If I Had a Boat" by Lyle Lovett. Which I think may be my favorite Lyle song of all time. Maybe. It's a very tough call. I do like that song, though.

• Just a bit after 5, on came "Any Other Day" by the bluehouse. Yes!

• And then? Why..."Volaré (Nel Blu di Pinto di Blu)" by the Gipsy Kings. Another one that I have to fight to stay in my chair. Heh.

• Ohmygosh! What came next? "So Long Baby Goodbye" by Jo-El Sonnier. It's just one great song after the next 'round here.

• 6:15. "Mississippi and Me" by Kate Campbell from her "Songs from the Levee" CD. I think this was Kate's first CD. It's fairly new to me, though. I have to say, all of her music is just plain good.

• And, as I went to shut my iPod down for the day just after 7: "Mercy" by Melissa Etheridge. Yet another good song. Surprising, I know!

I dunno how you people who don't have iPods make it through the day.

Posted by Joanna | Permalink

Tuesday - November 15, 2005

Lookin' for Pinky and the Brain on DVD

I really liked the Pinky and the Brain cartoon. So, from time to time, I go looking around to see if it can be found in some dark corner of my TiVo schedule or if it's been released on DVD. And, invariably, the answer is no. I enjoyed the variaton on that answer found on amazon.com today, though. Screen shot:

So, it'll be shipped when it's released in 1969, eh? Cool. And, somehow, very very appropriate. Doncha think? Heh heh. Narf!

Posted by Joanna | Permalink

Wednesday - November 9, 2005

Campus Watch #33

From today's Campus Watch crime report:

Theft / Credit Card Abuse (Jester Center East, 203 East 21st Street)
A key ring with an attached identification card holder containing a UT ID card was stolen when it was left inside a secured 7th floor community restroom. Prior to the discovery of the stolen identification card, an unknown subject used the UT ID card to make unauthorized charges totaling $102.38 on the owner's Bevo Bucks account. The charges were made at two dormitory cafeterias and dormitory vending machines. Based on the vending machine purchases, the culprit prefers Pepsi, but will drink Coca Cola. Occurred on 11-8-05 between 1:00 PM and 4:36 PM.

Those wacky Campus Watch reporters. 'Love the Pepsi/Coca Cola remark. Heh heh.

Posted by Joanna | Permalink

Monday - November 7, 2005

Campus Watch #32

From today's Campus Watch crime report:

Disorderly Conduct, 2 counts / Exposure / Evading (Harry Ransom Center, 300 West 21st Street)
Two UT students were found running on the east side of the building wearing little more than their smiles. The students ran from the police officer when ordered to stop. When stopped, the students stated they had recently watched a movie that included a scene where the actor was streaking and a friend bet them $20.00 they would not streak around the Dobie Center. The students won the bet. Occurred on 11-5-05 at 2:00 AM.

$20 to run around wearing little more than a smile, eh? Somehow that just doesn't seem worth it to me. It is plenty warm enough, though...here in the first week of November with our highs in the mid 80s.

Gail, Ivan, and I were at the Ransom Center just a couple of weeks ago to check out the Ansel Adams exhibit. Alas, no such shenanigans then! 'Course, we weren't there at 2 in the morning, either.

Posted by Joanna | Permalink

Sunday - November 6, 2005

Strolling with Grandma

After the game yesterday, Grandma and I went for a walk down the road near Mom's and Dad's house. I decided to take my camera along on the off-chance that there might be something worth photographing along the way. I'm not sure there was anything. But, I didn't let that stop me! To wit:

Posted by Joanna | Permalink

Friday - November 4, 2005

Paying attention

I just stumbled across the following bit of text:

"...it can be much more accurate, based on how well you pay attention to what your doing..."

Heh heh heh. Funny stuff. How well you pay attention, indeed.

. . . .

Later... Yahoo! Maps new beta. Wow! That's all: wow!

Posted by Joanna | Permalink

Thursday - November 3, 2005

Work site redesign

'Been working on a re-design of the main site I maintain at work for a few weeks now. I only get to work on that project in little 30- or 40-minute snatches of time. Other things take up the majority of my time at work these days (things like rebuilding brain-dead Windows boxes) so it took some doing. But, it's done. I just finished uploading everything. Whew. Here 'tis.

Posted by Joanna | Permalink

Wednesday - November 2, 2005

GG's Babette

One of my favorite shows is Gilmore Girls. It's well-written, well-acted, and terribly funny. Last night, The WB aired a re-run from earlier in the season. It was the second episode (title: "New and Improved Lorelai"). I caught the last 5 or 10 minutes as I ate dinner and laughed out loud all over again as Babette (played quite memorably by Sally Struthers) came running frantically toward Luke. The thing that made me laugh is that I could feel her pain. She's rather well-endowed and had to hold on to her "boobage" as she ran. I know the feeling. I've lived that scene. It was hysterical. Some still shots:

Normally, I wouldn't bother writing about this sort of thing. In point of fact, I did not write about it the first time I saw the episode. However, today, I came across a rather interesting article...all about the science of bras. The timing was too good to pass up. And, since I, if nothing else, aim to educate with this here web page, I give you: The Physics of Bras from Discover Magazine. 'Gotta love the subtitles: "Force = Mass x Acceleration" and "Overcoming Newton's second law with better bra technology." I tell you, I'm gonna be first in line when this science pays off!

Posted by Joanna | Permalink