Weekend Update

Friday

Dale and I went to Easton to poke around at the Apple Store. Having done some freelancing, I had a bit of cash to spend and I needed something Apple. I weighed my options: iPod Video, digital camera, new computer. As I was weighing my options, Dale grew increasingly bored so we just left and went home to watch "My Name is Earl."

Saturday

I needed to just get out and lose myself in Apple products. I gave Dale a quick kiss, then headed to Easton to visit the Apple Store again. I was there for HOURS, trying to decide if I wanted an iMac or a new laptop. I then went to Microcenter (their return policy is more fair than Apple's) and looked around. Realizing my PowerBook still has some life left in it, I decided to purchase an Apple 20" Cinema Display to use with my PowerBook. It's a SWEET set-up. My PowerBook screen is only 12" so going to 20" is a HUGE difference.

Sunday

We took Brody to Antrim Park for a long walk and some off-leash play, then went grocery shopping and to Lowe's. Then it was a quiet afternoon and Desperate Housewives that night. It was good, but not great.

Autumnal Joy

Fall

I love fall. Though the leaves havent started to really turn yet, this morning I woke up to Sweater Weather. Today is the first really chilly day of late summer/early fall,so I wore a sweater to work. I thought it was a great idea, but the office is kind of hot. I should've worn a thin shirt and a jacket. But I don't have a jacket, so I'm probably going to have to buy one this weekend. I'm not sure what's "in" right now. I might have to go to the mall and just people watch a bit to see what the hot guys are wearing.

Last night Dale and I walked Brody and it was quite chilly. He had on jeans, a hoodie and tennis shoes. He looked kind of hot. He also looks hot in his Marine T-shirt that he got on base when he was visiting his brother Joe. I might have to play the role of a naughty insurgent at some point.

Drama!

I was IMing with my friend Scott, telling him that I'm bored at work. I told him that I needed some kind of mini tragedy, like a Tragedy Lite, to alleviate my boredom and give me something to focus on.

If you look on CNN right now, it looks like there's a little Thai Coup going on. Thai Coup is much more entertaining than Haiku, though one of Paige's first spells on Charmed was written in Haiku. That was the episode with the firestarter. So that's a little something to while away the afternoon with.

In other news, the Atlantis is falling apart in the sky. An astronaut saw something else fall of the shuttle. That's something to be curious about as well. Who's building those things nowadays? Ford? Chevrolet?

In Honor of Julia Sugarbaker

My friend Kevin once told me that I was one of two people he knew who became more eloquent the angrier he became. He's even said, "You went all Julia Sugarbaker on his ass, did ya?" In honor of Ms. Julia Sugarbaker, here is one of my favorite quotes of hers.

Julia is in a televised debate with Commissioner Bricket.

I do not think everyone in America is ignorant! Far from it! But we are today, probably, the most uneducated, under-read, and illiterate nation in the western hemisphere. Which makes it all the more puzzling to me why the biggest question on your small mind is whether or not little Johnny is gonna recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning! I'll tell you something else, Mr. Brickett. I have had it up to here with you and your phony issues and your Yanky Doodle yakking! If you like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance everyday then I think you should do it! In the car! In the shower! Wherever the mood strikes you! But don't try to tell me when or where I have to say or do or salute anything, because I am an American too, and that is what being an American is all about! And another thing...I am sick and tired of being made to feel that if I am not a member of a little family with 2.4 children who goes just to Jerry Fallwell's church and puts their hands over their hearts every morning that I am unreligious, unpatriotic, and un-American!! Because I've got news for you, Mr. Brickett...all liberals are not kooks, anymore than all conservatives are fascists! And the last time I checked, God was neither a Democrat nor a Republican! And just for your information, yes I am a liberal, but I am also a Christian. And I get down on my knees and pray everyday --- on my own turf --- on my own time. One of the things that I pray for, Mr. Brickett, is that people with power will get good sense, and that people with good sense will get power...and that the rest of us will be blessed with the patience and the strength to survive the people like you in the meantime!

Weekend Update

Work

I actually did community interpreting this weekend both Friday and Saturday. Friday there were several deaf consumers there, and I got a few compliments and one person asked for my name so s/he could request me in the future. That was a VERY nice feeling, and not one you really get doing Video Relay Services (VRS) work since callers cannot ask for a specific interpreter.

Home

It is boring as hell around here without Dale. Brody was his adorable little self, and he learned something new--he can go downstairs (to the basement) all by himself now! That's not exactly good news, cuz now we have to make sure he doesn't go upstairs or downstairs. I think it's time to invest in those baby gates that keep toddlers away from stairs.

Columbus Drivers

This is a bit off-topic, but it has to be said: Columbus drivers suck ass--big time! Don't believe me? Check this out. Saturday I had to pick up Brody from daycare, and of course it was game day (OSU kicked UC's butt!) Noah's Bark, the daycare we use, is near OSU so they open up their parking lot for $10. Well, they did a piss-poor job managing their parking lot. They left enough room for ONE car to get in or out. Well I was wanting IN and about three or four cars were wanting out. So I sat in the left lane of southbound traffic waiting for both the northbound traffic to clear AND these people coming out of Noah's Bark. Well I must have sat there for 10 minutes. There were several cars behind me. I don't know why they didn't get in the right lane and go around me. What a Buick LeSabre did, though, was just jump straight into the oncoming traffic to pass me on the left. This nearly caused a huge accident, and when the carload of people scooted by me they gave me the finger. Because it was all my fault they started going down the road on the wrong side of the street. Fuckin-A!

Thursday Thidbits

Company News

I found out this morning that my company is now offering domestic partner benefits. I don't have any deets yet, but it's nice. We are probably one of the largest employers of interpreters, and interpreting is second only to cutting hair as far as gay careers go.



Weekend

Dale is out of town. He's gone to California with his family to visit his brother, who is being deployed to Iraq very soon. So Brody and I are going to be roughing it while he's gone, since Dale is our primary caretaker. :-) I'm actually working on Friday and Saturday, days I don't usually work, and Brody will be in daycare.

Politics

Ann Richards, former Texas governer, has passed away. She was known for her biting wit, open criticism of the "Good Ol' Boy" political system, and scathing message at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. She was an amazing woman who owned her faults and fought to make America a better place. RIP.

How Do You Like Them Apples?

Apple announced a few new goodies yesterday. Engadget had the best online coverage; several of us Mac heads were hitting refresh on our browsers like mad, anxious for a peak at the latest and greatest.

iPod
The iPod line was refreshed significantly. The video-capable iPod comes in a 30 GB or 80 GB size, both coming with brighter screens and longer battery life as well as a wide selection of games. More games are available for download at the iTunes Store (notice its not the iTunes Music Store anymore...more on that later). The iPod Nano is now skinned in anodized aluminum in some chic new colors and comes in 2,4 and 8 GB sizes.

The screens are also brighter. The iPod Shuffle got a huge makeover, too. It now comes in one size (1 GB), is also aluminum and is shorter but wider and has a built-in clip and a tiny dock for syncing with your computer.

iTunes
We're now on version 7 of iTunes, the best jukebox/download service available for Mac and PC. This version sports a 'cleaner' interface, with a slew of new features that you can check out here. The biggest addition is the availability of movies! There are about 75 titles availability immediately with more to follow.

iTV
This probably isn't the production name, but whatever it's going to be called it'll be genius. There was a working prototype at the keynote, and it looks much like a Mac Mini that's been chopped in half. Basically it's a way to let all your Mac goodies to connect to your big-ass HD TV wirelessly so you can watch all those movies you've downloaded. The interface is very familiar, much like Front Row but more robust. This should be available early next year.

What I'm Reading

Doing more interpreting in the community means that I have more down time. More down time means I've dusted off a few books and thrown them in my backpack to read in between assignments, or during assignments that are pretty slow. Here's a quick rundown.



The Power of Babel by John McWhorter


A deaf instructor in the Interpreter Training Program in Cincinnati recommended this book to me. With wit, humor and an occasional personal narrative, Mr. McWhorter takes us back in time for a look at how the very first language has split and morphed into over 6,000 languages that enable the world to communicate. Even if you don't have a pressing interest in linguistics, this book will both entertain and educate.

The Partly Cloudy Patriot & Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell


If you don't yet know Sarah Vowell, you should take the time to get to know her. She's an intelligent, engaging and witty writer. She's a self-admitted history nut, with a heavy slant toward the macabre. She takes a fresh and decidedly liberal look at history and politics, offering great insights that are easy to wrap your head around. She's the first writer to make history and politics readable for me.

Inaugural Post

It's Monday, September 11, 2006. I would love to pause and reflect about how the world and I have changed in the last five years, but I can't. It's too busy at work. I have ZERO time to play on the internet and chat with friends. Work is such a disappointment.

I can tell you that in the last five years, some things have changed while others stayed the same. I'm living in a different city. Professionally things are going very well. Personally things are good, too. Dale and I have been seeing each other for six months. While there is an occasional wrinkle, I'm happier with him than I have been with anyone else. I'm also beginning a slim-down period as I'd gained most of the weight back that I lost a couple years ago.

Saturday I went to Scott's birthday bash in Indianapolis, and had a great time. It was the first time we had met in person. I thought he'd be taller, but I'm not sure why. He and Jay are simply great, and I look forward to visiting again. I met Beau as well. What a nice guy! It was really a good time.

About the blog change...I had been using iWeb with .Mac, a bundled service from Apple. While I liked the "Macness" of it, it wasn't terribly usable. I could ONLY blog from my PowerBook (my desktop is a Blueberry G3 iMac running 10.3.9 and iWeb isn't compatible). So I'm back to Blogger where I can blog from work, or even on my Sidekick. So I should be a more regular blogger. We'll see.