Dilbert documents America's obsession with the British accent

Sooo funny these Dilberts of late. What's especially great is that they were sent to me by my British friend and co-worker Malcolm. Its also funny that Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, will be speaking at Teradata Partners where I'll be spending time with my British friend Rupert. They could do this same series about Aussies, I think. Have him tossing out a few "Maaaaaaate", "Bastard", "No worries" and a "Cop you later". Could work.

Ahhhh vacation

Spent a week here at Orange Lake near Orlando. What a great time! Went to Disney parks (Rock N Roller Coaster in MGM is fuuuuun! and Claire got to meet Chewbacca)


, we relaxed, I went wakeboarding, Claire went tubing, and she and Al went jetskiing.




This vacation met my criteria for a good time...
1) Spend more on your drink at lunch than you do on the food--yummmy Rum Runners.
2) Wear nothing but flip flops in the evening--dress, black Reefs.

Should have no trouble meeting rule #1 and #2 at Bonnaroo. I may have to change my footwear choice to cowboy boots for Wyoming.

More Josh Ritter...

OK, so I'm still obsessed with Josh Ritter. They just published the schedule for Bonnaroo and Josh Ritter is one of the first artists on the first day. WOO-HOO. Dave Mathews plays until midnight on Friday and The Mars Volta plays from midnight-4AM on Friday night/Saturday morning. Check it out here http://www.bonnaroo.com/2005/ at the schedule link on the artist lineup section.

Here's a link to a video of one of my favorite songs. The video itself is pretty bad--some art school attempt to make a boring visual subject look cool through odd lighting and focus techniques. But the song is GREAT!!! "Kathleen"

Some of my favorite lines from him are...
"All the other girls here are stars, you are the Northern Lights."

"Every heart is a package tangled up in knots someone else tied."

"oh the heart has no bones you say so it won’t break
but the purpose of loving is the pounding it takes"

"don’t stand so close to me
don’t be another tragedy
I’ve burned everybody who had a hand to lend
a man burning at both ends"

"I’d rather be the one who loves than to be loved and never even know"

"I’m singing for the love of it—have mercy on the man who sings to be adored"

Bonnaroooooooooooooo!

T minus 30 days until Bonnaroo 2005!!!

Bonnaroo 2005!

Last night, I discovered another Bonnaroo artist I'm excited to see--Josh Ritter. I heard him doing music for a movie about surfing the Poraroca--the almost endless waves that form at the mouth of the Amazon. I don't really like the song they use in the clip but the surfing scenes are incredible. Here it is--

Crazy surfing on Amazon waves


I like this song much better--

"Come and Find Me" by Josh Ritter

and the song "Man Burning" and "Snow is Gone" are reallllly good.

I cannot wait until Bonnaroo. Relaxing, camping, listening to GREAT music with most of my family (sorry, Claire, but you're not ready for this) and two of my best friends...what a great way to spend three days. Josh's web site says he'll be performing on Friday, June 10 in Tent #3 (wonder if that's the "This Tent", "That Tent" or "The Other Tent").

Skateboarding

I cannot wait for the movie Lords of Dogtown to come out. I will be in the theater on June 3 at the first showing to see it.

I saw the previews for this movie and it took me back to being 14-years-old and a scruffy, tomboy surf-girl/skateboarder trying to keep up with the boys in the neighborhood. I freaked out at the movie theater watching the previews when I saw one of the characters with the skateboard deck I always wanted--"Dang, he's got the G&S that was so cool while I was stuck with the crappy Proline!!!"

Maybe I'll try to look up some of my old surfer and skateboard buddies to see if they want to go. AND, I'm taking Amy's skateboard to the skate park to see if I can still do a 540 on the half pipe and come out fakey.

Bad Day at Work

There are days in my job where I feel I'm going to be buried under a big load of $hit. Well, this poor tractor driver in the Czech Republic was killed when he was buried under an 8-ton load of manure that he was dumping in a field.

What a crappy way to go!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7308702

New LCD Rear Projection TV

I haven't been posting much because I've been spending a lot of quality time with my new TV and DirectTV HD service. Wow, is this sweeeeet! I did a lot of research before deciding on the Sony 42" Grand WEGA LCD Rear Projection TV. See it here--
42" Grand WEGA™ LCD Rear Projection HDTV KDF-42WE655

One of the best sites I found while researching it was this review on CNET--
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6463_7-5023901-4.html. It compares DLP, LCD and LCoS rear projection TVs. Bottom line was that once I saw this TV next to the other rear projection TVs at BrandsMart, there was no choice. The picture is incredible!

I've been watching all kinds of cool shows on HD DirectTV--A Year in the Blue Angels, a cool show on cave diving in the Florida springs, a DiscoveryHD show on meerkats, classic movies like "My Fair Lady". And, now that we finally have a subwoofer, I'm watching some DVDs I've had with newfound enjoyment in the picture and sound--"Braveheart", "The Return of the King" and one movie that looks particularly good is "The Incredibles".

My three favorite scenes in "The Return of the King" are--
Pippin: I didn't think it would end this way.
Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path... One that we all must take.
[Pippin listenes and watches Gandalf curiously, as he continues. The battle around seems to quiet down]
Gandalf: The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all change to silver glass...
[a light comes into Pippin's face, as a small smile comes into his eyes, as Gandalf looks out into the distance]
Gandalf: ...And then you see it.
Pippin: What? Gandalf?... See what?
Gandalf: White shores... and beyond. The far green country under a swift sunrise.
[They both smile as they look at each other]
Pippin: Well, that isn't so bad.
Gandalf: [Softly:] No... No it isn't.
-------------------------------------------
Denethor: Farewell, Peregrin, son of Paladin... I release you from my service. Go now and die in what way seems best to you.
-------------------------------------
Witch King: You fool. No man can kill me. Die now.
Eowyn: I am no man. (As she stabs him and wins the battle.)

And the best part of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is right here--MMM, MMMM, good