Chris, Natasha, Jamie and I went to see Ben Folds on Wednesday night. Chris has a nice post about the show on his blog.

There were Wolf Trap employees vigilantly patrolling the seats to make sure people don’t take pictures of the show. The irony of it is that most people’s shots wont event turn out. I saw a guy in front of me setting up his cell phone to take a shot. He made sure to use his flash (which falls of at a bout 3 feet) and his 4x digital zoom to shoot a pic of Ben from about 30 rows back. But why should I judge them when I thought it wise to capture some less than compelling bootleg concert video* on my phone. Sorry, if my inner photojournalist just came out.

*You’ll need quicktime to play the vid.

The nameless church got an article in the Free Lance-star regarding our Worship in the Spirit of Justice event (that is going on today at 1:00 p.m. at the Market Square in F’burg, for those who are interested).

I was quoted on a few things. That makes me nervous. This is the second FLS article that I’ve been quoted in, and each time, I didn’t quite realize that I’d been interviewed until about halfway through the conversation. Also, the quotes she chose weren’t the best. But, hey, what are ya gonna do? Press is some of the most free and best advertising. So, I should really stop complaining.

The important thing is that those who attend the event will get to hear about a horrific genocide that is taking place in Darfur, Sudan. They will see a world bigger than their own comfortable, relatively death and rape-free world. God willing, they will take steps to help end this genocide. Maybe we will grow toward being a world with a priority toward the “least of these,” the marginalized, the voiceless, and the nameless.

Read “The Worship in the Spirit of Justice” Article

In the past 3 years I have fallen in love. My abusive relationship with the Windows operating system needs to come to an end. It has been too many years, with too many blue screens, too much poor software design, and a lack of “open” mindedness that is causing me to fall in love with something else. The apple of my eye is not Windows XP, it is Mac OX 10.4 Tiger. This is what my heart longs for, this is what I desire.

I’ve been using Macintosh computers at my past two jobs and I am amazed with how much that computer returns its love to me. It is as if it loves me as much as I love it.

To segway to something great about mac, here are my “How do I love thee? Let me Count the ways”: Expressions of Love to a Macintosh (in no particular order).

1. iSync: Your love keeps my hear in sync to the beat of your heart, my palm’s heart, and the heartbeat of my cell phone
2. Tiger: You keep suprising me with you expressions of love., they are constant and over flowing. I can search your heart and mind, “spotlight”ing what is important.
3. Dashboard: You are always there for me. Keeping me up-to-date on all that is going on, allowing my world to be accessible to me.
4. Mac Mini: You’ve made it wonderful for me to transition from that hiorrible PC to you.
5. Design: You love and support me in my chosen profession. In fact, without you, my chosen profession would difficult and frustrating. For that I am greatful.

The only problem with this is THESE ARE ONLY DREAMS. Merely twinkles in my eye. I do not own a mac. I only use one at work. I am still in an abusive relationship with Windows XP and there is no end in sight. But, you can help!

YOU: “Me?” you say.
ME: I say, ” Yes, indeed, you!”
YOU: “But,” you say “I am just one (wo)man. How can I stop this corporate personal computer juggernaut from abusing you?”
ME: “By helping me get a Mac Mini for free.”
YOU: “What, did you say, FREE?
ME: “I certainly did.”
YOU: “HOW?!?!?”
ME: “Just check out this link ”
YOU: *Click* “That was easy”
ME: “Yep, just sign up for the site and complete one offer and have a few friends do the same.”
YOU: Wow, I’ll get right on this.
ME: You won’t regret it. I didn’t when I got my FREE iPod.

http://www.FreeMiniMacs.com/?r=14668523

Someday, this tyranny will end and I will be free to love again.

Jamie and I took a little trip up to D.C. on Monday night to check out Glenn Phillips (formerly of Toad the Wet Sprocket) play a show at Jammin Java in D.C. Aside from there being absolutely no seating left when we got there and also my back itching like mad from a peeling sunburn…we had a great time.

Glenn was great. He played a couple of old Toad tunes including Walk on the Ocean, Crowing, and Windmills, all songs that I thoroughly enjoy, a few tunes that I recognized from his solo stuff. He teased the crowd with almost playing a few songs, and obviously leaning from many songs as the heckled him in proper intimate acoustic set fandom. He was cool. He played a pretty funny version of the Star Trek theme song (with the lyrics by Gene Roddenberry) and metioned about how his family were nerds and how they used to watch The Prisoner together. I so bad wanted to go up to him and say “Be seeing you, number 6.”

It is funny, the last time I went to a show at Jammin Java it really sucked. I bought tickets to see Over the Rhine, and two the guys from my small group that said they would come, didn’t show up. Mike came with me and we got there too late to get a seat, so we ended up standing next to a pole. This was a few days after Jamie joined my small group and I was hung-up over a different girl. I so wished to have the other girl by my side that night. I kept wishing the pole that I was next to was her instead… It was a crappy night.

But, Monday night I had a girl next to me…the girl I’m gonna marry. It was so much better. I don’t have to worry anymore, I don’t have to be keep looking and waiting for the right one to come along. I don’t have to clutch architecture next to me at concerts, because Jamie is next to me to hold. I love that.

Btw, Jamie and I had a great time on our Mid-western vacation. We visited the great States of Indiana & Illinois. And, with the help of my dad, we now have visual stimuli left over from our vacation.

I hate to think so selfishly on a day where many people were slaughtered by brutal bombings in London and also while many people are being killed and displaced in Darfur, Sudan, but here goes somethin’.

1. My car is good. Some one actually bumped it at a stoplight the second day I got it. Still need to have my car checked out by the fine folks at All State.
2. My new job is going well. I’m working in the Pre-Press dept and I am using QuarkXpress day in and day out, and the horrible thing is…I am starting to like it a little.
3. Had a date with my lovely lady, Ms. Jamie Marie Smith, tonight. We went to the Olive Garden and got a free dessert, thanks to opening the dinner with bad service by not getting a waiter for 15 minutes. Got some Chicken Scampi in the fridge for Friday’s lunch Mmmm.
4. I’m doing some sports photography this weekend. I’m really not looking forward to it.

Hopefully my next post will be more meaningful and less about me.

I bit the bullet yesterday and bought a new car. Yes, a car made not only after 1990, but in this millineum! I upgraded from a 1988 Honda Accord DX to a 2005 Honda Civic LX.

See the Civic in Full Effect.

After diligent research I discovered a few marked changes from my 1988 Honda to my 2005 Honda. It looks like the engineering staff has been hard at work these past 17 years.

{{ scroll down the see the comparison chart }}
td {border-bottom: solid 1px black;padding: 5px; clear: left;}

My brother, Jeremy, found me a pretty cool video about a new kind of computer interface technology that seems like minority report in its infancy.

Upon investigating this web site more fully I found a some pretty hilarious and interesting videos, everything from Acapella Nintendo VG music, to someone beating windows solitaire in 59 seconds, and from Bill Gates showing the world how Windows Media Center doesn’t work to a homemade super soaker flame thrower.

As my time is precious, I did not have time to look through all of these videos, but If you find anything else that sparks your attention, gives you goose bumps or makes you want to vomit, please, feel free to post your a comment about your favorite video from gprime.net.

I finally have some full-time employment! I interviewed at Cardinal Press in Fredericksburg this past week. It was for an opening for a graphic designer/pre-press Position. I got an offer today and accepted it. So, I am gainfully employed and I am a happy man.

Jamie and I are leaving tomorrow from Dulles to fly to Louisville to drive to Evansville to drive Springfield to drive to Bourbonnais to drive to Chicago to fly back to Dulles. It should be fun. I’ll get to seem some old peeps and my family. Jamie will get to meet everyone, which I am very excited about.