The Empirical Manifesto

Moving a family involves a cast of thousands. catttitude and I (mostly catttitude) put a lot of prep-work into our moving to make it as smooth as possible, because let's face it - it's not. Smooth that is. In fact it sucks. But every time I've moved since leaving the military (they took care of everything) I have enjoyed help. Hell, in moving from drax0r's house in Anna to my own, an entire moving-party showed up to assist. Touching, really.

And when we were loading up to move to STL my wife and I worked a 12-hour day standing alongside that very truck in my avatar. I had five people assist (four if you include my father's "supervision" assisting): My mother (who tackled the child angle), drax0r (who showed up when we were finished), Big Dave, (who can curl small cars like barbells), and celtmanx (who did more visiting than *actual* moving). Nonetheless, when I discovered that he was moving from his 4000-sq/ft house in Fort Worth, 30-minutes Southwest to a 100-year-old Victorian off the town square in Granbury without engaging my assistance, I volunteered.

And this is where my title fits in. First, he plied me with Monster drinks in the garage fridge. Secondly, he presented me with a box of Macanudo tubos - ! - Then he worked me like a beast of burden.

I feel dirty.


My wife deserves half that box of cigars for watching the kids alone for 12 hours!


Eight hours later our 26' U-Haul was loaded and we were in Granbury where he hired a 20-year old college student to unload the truck so I could make my way back home. With it being a holiday and every State, City, Town & Municipality cop on the road trapping speeders, I had to restrain myself from driving 100+ mph across Interstate 20, my usual modus operandi. This decision was just one in a confluence of events which lead me to overwhelming enjoy an unexpected surprise: Redwoods.

Seeing the cover didn't bring back any memories of the entry whatsoever (though I did go back and read it as soon as I got home), and the minimalistic title gave me no clues. A quick check of the track listing wasn't conclusive, as I couldn't tie anything together on my own. Of the 21 tracks I wasn't familiar with fifteen of them. Because there were so many cops out, I simply put my cruise on the speed limit - something I almost never do. And because I wasn't barrel-assing across the Interstate at a hundred miles an hour dodging traffic, I was more relaxed. Finally, because I had been worked like a beast of burden I was exhausted. Everything formed the perfect shell in which to enjoy this very discrete album.

I popped in the disc and was immediately rewarded. swashbuckler332 has a tendency to "set the tone" of the album with the first track. It was a beautiful track. I checked the liner notes. "Wendy Carlos." Huh. I know her from her classical Moog album (the first..classical album to ever go platinum? Anyone? Is that right?) and her later work with Telarc. This sounded very un-Moog like. It was light and angelic. I was smiling. I looked down and was on Track 3. "GODDAMNIT! HE DID IT TO ME AGAIN!" I backed up three tracks and started over. It was even better the second time. I hear something I haven't heard in a very long time - Pleasentville. I've wanted that album since the movie came out - the first thing I ever saw Tobey Maguire in, and the best role he's ever played. He embodied his character and the score embodied him. I close my eyes and get goosebumps. The tree fucking ignites! "HOLY SHIT I'M DRIVING A CAR WHY ARE MY EYES CLOSED!" I don't know why I don't own this movie on DVD. I'm angry about that. I'm also angry I missed this song the first time around - of course...I'm on track four! What happened to Tracks 2 & 3? Mostly, I blame the album on the clarinet. It seems to me that some of the tracks end and begin with the *same* clarinet playing the *same* note. "Incomprehensible!"

Unlike Excelsior! where each theme was selected for its individual properties and woven into a tapestry of similarly oriented themes for an overall purpose, Redwoods appears to try to accomplish perhaps a less difficult task, and in doing so, allows for greater continuity. I'll put it this way: Even of the albums I have, the tracks are made better on this disc than they are in their original setting, because they all compliment each other.

I may have to shelve Excelsior! for awhile, because I've found a new favorite.

Thanks Swash. You're full of surprises.

The pro's and con's of xanga's internal tracking function notwithstanding, for you, my gentle readers, a comment I posted to a girl's site in response to the comment she left on mine, (which is how things are done, you see, in xanga-land) "you visited my page quite a number of times yesterday any particular reason?" Might I add that atop her page when I came to respond, this edit: "for all you wierdo's checking out my site....i can see you so either stop snoopin thru my shit or comment!" Sweet girl.

Howdy. In response to your comment, no. I have no idea how I managed to visit here multiple times yesterday. I recall having a surprise message from [username] on my xanga, and I didn't understand it (I initially read her missive as 'forget I exist' rather than what was probably her intent of 'forget the connotations my nomenclature suggests') and went to her site for clues, running across an ungodly volume of messages from you. As both your avatar, and sheer number of comments piqued my interest, I visited your site. I glanced at some of your posts and saw you reference Q102, which made my think of my now-defunct Q102 in the greater DFW Metroplex and I'm sure I poked around a little further to try and determine your origin at that point. So, no need for alarm - though I must say, this light-pink text on white in the comment box, while very pretty, plays hell on one's eyes. Then again, it just could be the LCD monitor. Have a fantastic day ma'am.

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I've owned five Nokia phones.



Models 638, 2160, 6100, 6560 & 3120

Generally, I've been pleased with them. And I like how the user interface is familiar from model to model. Makes for a short learning curve. But Nokia's PC Suite software is pissing me off. I found my data cable, installed the application, connected my 6560 (approved for the software, but not the data cable) and successfully downloaded my hundreds of contacts onto my computer. I removed the phone, connected my 3120 (approved for both) and...nothing. The application doesn't even see it. This marks the second computer I've seen this on. I don't understand. Why can't shit just work? I decided to try drax0r's Jellyvision method, but it seems that Nokia doesn't list an email address. Excuse me? They instead listed a phone number on their web page with a note which said, "Call us Monday." WTF? Sure enough, a quick dial, and I confirm they're not taking calls until Monday! Bullshit. 'Site Index' turns up a valid email address for support. Business support. Business Support email address which is not visible of course on the Business Support page, mind you - only on the site map. I sent them a very polite email, which will likely be ignored.

time passes...

Well they did reply. Suggesting I call the help desk. Nice.