Floods, Rock and Roll, and Uncertain Itineraries...
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
As previously mentioned, much of the state of Arkansas is currently underwater. While we knew this to be the case, we've now taken two trips to the lake only to discover that said lake is essentially unrecognizable. I tried to find some before/after pictures to show those of you unfamiliar with the lake what I'm talking about, but failed miserably. So instead, the picture shown above is of a shed that sits about fifteen feet above normal lake level right at our marina. Yes, that would be the lake that rises almost six feet into said shed (wow, poetry). Alas, the Army Corps of Engineers estimates the lake will hopefully be back to manageable levels by the Fourth of July weekend. And the shoreline will be a mess long after that. But a drop of five feet should be enough to turn power back on at the dock, at which point we're able to get the boat down from the lift and cruise about a bit.
In other news, I’ve got some friends in Toronto that have a wicked little thing going on called Die Mannequin. Its a three piece with a chick lead singer/guitarist and she’s a force to be reckoned with (I normally don’t dig chick rock bands). I highly suggest picking up their new album, Unicorn Steak, on iTunes, Amazon, or whatever. It's both cheap and badass. And click the link at the bottom to see their video that's not done too poorly on MTV Canada. Sweet.
Finally, it's looking more and more likely that I'm heading back to India in the extremely near future. Its one of those clients with the money and the motivation, but the calendar and the balance sheet determine exactly when a project gets funded. If our suspicions are correct, which they will be, funds will be released and it will hit hard and fast. Kind of like "Hi Dustin, happy Thursday. We need you in Bangalore on Monday." Hopefully not quite THAT dramatic, but not too far off. S'pose I should go ahead and start my visa renewal paperwork, eh?
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Die Mannequin - Unicorn Steak
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit, Music, Travel
posted by Dustin @ 9:26 AM,
Fore...
Thursday, April 24, 2008
So, I haven't played golf in ten years. My grandpa used to take me for lessons and a round every Saturday from the time I was 13 till about 15. As I recall, I didn't suck too terribly hard and enjoyed every minute of it.
Fast forward to 2008. I've been saying for about a year or so that I should get back into it. The reasons are many. First, its a very healthy hobby, what with the cardio aspects and all (not to mention actually being outside breathing fresh air instead of glued to the Tivo). Second, its really quite fun. Third, and most convincingly, its a seriously useful tool in the world of corporate business. To date, I've managed to progress relatively rapidly in my career without needing to "shoot a round with the boss". But as I get more and more engaged with clients at higher levels within their organizations, its inevitable that I'm going to end up on a course with a Director, VP, or even C-Suite executive of some multinational corporation.
And I need to not suck.
The last thing one wants in a situation like that is to blow a round in a major way in front of ones colleagues and clients. I don't need to be ready for the PGA or anything, I just need to not slow down the rest of the crew and make a jackass out of myself (any more than normal, of course).
So, I've purchased a set of clubs and all of the necessary accoutrements. And yesterday, for the first time in ten years, I went to the driving range and hit a bucket of balls. Rather, hit about 2/3 of the bucket of balls and completely whiffed the others. Alas. I need practice. And I've only got till mid-July, when I'll be joining a group of colleagues in Monterey, California, the home of Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, and a slew of other world-class, championship quality courses. I need to not completely blow by then.
Any of my Memphis crew up for a round?
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Michael McDonald - Soul Speak
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit
posted by Dustin @ 8:52 AM,
A buddy of mine from high school...
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Tim Astor, a buddy of mine from high school, is a working actor in LA. One of the things he's working on is a website called BrevityTV.com. It's basically full of humorous sketches, spoofs, and general bullshit (something I'm clearly a fan of). Check out one of his first videos below. It amused me.
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit
posted by Dustin @ 1:36 PM,
Spring is Upon Us, Dammit.
Monday, April 14, 2008
In spite of the fact that Memphis weather has spent the better part of two months playing ping-pong between 30 and 90 degrees...
In spite of the fact that over the last month the trees in our yard have blossomed, lost their leaves, blossomed again, and are about to lose their leaves when it hits the low 30's tonight...
In spite of the fact that much of eastern Arkansas is currently under water...
I'm going to the lake this weekend, dammit, and I'm going to usher in Springtime whether it's ready or not!
And we're bringing Wanda Jean and the New Boy with us. Friday can't come quick enough.
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Darren Hayes - This Delicate Thing We've Made
Labels: All Posts, Relaxation
posted by Dustin @ 7:01 PM,
Happy Weekend.
Friday, April 11, 2008
For my 100th post to this blog (which is a record, btw...normally I switch blogs after about 35...), I thought I'd leave you with a little Friday evening humor. Enjoy.
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit, Relaxation
posted by Dustin @ 8:07 PM,
Honey Wanted To Jam...
I told her we have work to do still, and she'll have to wait for the weekend to get her rawk on.
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit
posted by Dustin @ 1:38 PM,
So Much For Weekend Plans...
Well, all of my hopes for christening the boating season this weekend seem to have been washed away by the deluge that's currently in its 14th hour of kicking our ass. If we did make it to the lake, the water is so high we probably wouldn't be able to get the boat out from the dock, as our dock is positioned off a jetty that is almost certainly under water right now.
That, and taking the dog out would mean muddy, messy, ickyness. And while it's just as wet and nasty in Memphis, at least all of her bathtime supplies are here. So it appears we'll be sticking around for the weekend.
No worries, though. I'm always a fan of lazy stormy weekends and movie marathons. Sounds like a prime possibility.
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit, Relaxation
posted by Dustin @ 8:02 AM,
Even at my most frustrated...
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Even when I'm furious at the injustices and stupidity for which our government is sometimes responsible, I'm glad to live in a nation that, while not anywhere near we need to be on issues of sexuality and sexual orientation, at least we don't have to deal with this kind of insanity:
By MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Writer
Wed Apr 9, 4:37 PM ET
CAIRO, Egypt - An Egyptian court convicted five men Wednesday on charges of homosexual behavior and sentenced them to three years in prison, officials said.
Defense lawyer, Adel Ramadan, said the judge found the men guilty of the "habitual practice of debauchery" — a term used in the Egyptian legal system to denote consensual homosexual acts.
The convictions were confirmed by a judicial official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to journalists.
Homosexuality is not explicitly referred to in Egypt's legal code, but a wide range of laws covering obscenity, prostitution and debauchery are applied to homosexuals in this conservative country.
The five men were arrested in what human rights groups describe as a crackdown on people with the AIDS virus, using the debauchery charges as a means to prosecute them.
Four of the five men tested HIV-positive after all were forced to undergo blood tests in custody, Human Rights Watch says. The New York-based rights group issued a statement Tuesday signed by more than 100 other organizations around the world condemning the prosecutions.
Ramadan, a lawyer with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said the five men were abused and tortured over the past several months to "extract confessions" from them.
In addition to their prison time, the men were sentenced to an additional three years of police supervision, meaning they will have to spend every night at a police station, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., the lawyer said.
Ramadan said the four HIV-positive defendants were shocked by their convictions.
"Two of them cried, screamed and shrieked," he said. "The other two, they remained silent, but I saw anger in their eyes for the injustice they have been exposed to."
Ramadan said he appealed the verdict to Egypt's Court of Cassation, the country's highest appellate court.
Dozens of human rights groups have criticized this trial and other similar ones as being driven by ignorance and fear of AIDS. They have warned that the convictions could undermine AIDS prevention in Egypt.
The five convicted Wednesday were among 12 people arrested in a sweep that began in October, when police arrested a man during an altercation with another man on a Cairo street, Human Rights Watch said.
After one of the men said he was HIV-positive, authorities opened investigations into other men whose names or contact information were uncovered in interrogations of the first group of men, Human Rights Watch said.
Egyptian police have denied making any arrests because of a person's HIV condition.
In mid-January, four other HIV-positive men from the group of 12 were sentenced to one-year prison terms on similar charges of debauchery. Three others from the 12 were not prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said.
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Angels & Airwaves
posted by Dustin @ 8:40 AM,
Oh Dear.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit
posted by Dustin @ 5:17 PM,
Ghosts.
I just got the new NIN release, entitled Ghosts I-IV. I would like to point out three important facts before encouraging you to check it out.
1) Ghosts I-IV is NIN's first entirely instrumental project. It is 36 tracks of perfectly-crafted Reznor-esque "music".
2) Ghosts I-IV is not an industrial rock album. If you're familiar with other NIN work, this is more like the intros and outros and transitions you find between the tracks on a typical NIN record. Only more badass and definitely more strange.
3) Ghosts I-IV is NIN's first release post-Interscope split. They have gone the way of Radiohead and released it independently, and in part free. So even if you don't want to shell out a couple of bucks, you can get the first nine tracks for nothing or the full 36 in digital form for $5.
Okay, that said, this is cool stuff. It's the kind of stuff you have to be in the mood for (kinda like She Wants Revenge, but that's another story for another time), but when you're in the mood, nothing else will fill the need.
Go. Get it free or cheap. What have you got to lose?
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to NIN - Ghosts I-IV, natch.
posted by Dustin @ 2:30 PM,
Back from San Fran...
I'm home. Things went well in San Francisco. That's a cell phone picture of the badass bar we went to Monday night. Any bar that has enough alcohol to require a rolling library ladder is cool by me.
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to a marginally useful HCI webcast
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit, Travel
posted by Dustin @ 11:20 AM,
Hola de Colorado...
Sunday, April 6, 2008
That's my view from a bistro table at Lefty's Mile High Grille in the
In an effort to bring myself an added dose of good karma, you'll note that I removed all negative verbiage from the previous paragraph, as it is not the Denver airport's fault that it causes me such grief. It is, after all, the dharma of an American airport to make my travel as challenging as possible. So here I sit for the next four hours.
And I'm content enough, I suppose. At least my AT&T wireless card is happily trucking along. And I have a steady supply of Diet Coke. And hopefully something on the menu will offer sustenance with something less than a full week's worth of recommended calorie intake.
Happy Sunday. I'll hit ya back from San Fran.
Currently in Denver, Colorado
Currently listening to alot of background noise.
Labels: All Posts, General Bullshit, Travel
posted by Dustin @ 11:26 AM,
Damn that pesky Constitution...
Friday, April 4, 2008
I'm clearly feeling a little political today. This is about a year and a half old now, but I'd wager things haven't gotten any better. Feel free to draw your own conclusions.
posted by Dustin @ 8:09 PM,
From a side email discussion...
The now-infamous John Yoo torture memo, which states that torture isn’t really torture unless it kills the suspect, and that President Bush’s wartime authority trumps torture law, is creating quite a firestorm. Constitutional professor Jonathan Turley joined Keith Olbermann on Thursday’s Countdown where he once again repeats his claim that President Bush broke the law and that the Democrats were afraid to pursue charges because they know it would trigger impeachment hearings and that scares them to death.
Turley:”…It’s really amazing, Congress, including the Democrats, have avoided any type of investigation into torture because they do not want to deal with the fact that the president ordered war crimes. But, evidence keeps on coming out. The only thing we don’t have is a group picture with a detainee attached to electrical wires.”
Personally, I'm offended by the fact that we can impeach a president for a blowie on the side, yet the top two politicians in our country are guilty of virtually every war crime in the book and stay in office and out of prison. It’s probably the single most embarrassing thing about being American in 2008. And I choose the word "embarrassing" very much on purpose, because while I'm proud to be an American, I am not proud of the last seven and a half years of governing and foreign relations. Not in the slightest.
Thoughts?
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Alice In Chains - Angry Chair
posted by Dustin @ 8:44 AM,
Reunions, Classic Tunes, and San Francisco...
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
I'm totally psyched. Tonight we're all heading over to The Pink Lady's house for a much needed get together. And the absolute best part is that our friend Sheridan is in town. Sheridan used to live here in Memphis and work with The Pink Lady (Amy, for those of you not in the know) at St. Jude as child life specialists. Almost exactly two years ago, Sheridan was unable to shake a bout with pneumonia which ultimately turned into some pretty serious medical issues. Serious enough that she ended up going to the Mayo Clinic and immediately thereafter moving home to Maine to be closer to her family as she fought to get well. She's a tough cookie and is still fighting, but our little group of friends never got a chance to so much as give her a hug before she left.
Anywho, it will be really, really good to see her tonight and give her that big hug that's been a long time waiting. Love her like crazy. And I guess it'll be okay to see the rest of "them bitches" too *rotfl*...
And I've been listening to alot of Elton John lately. Forget not that this is the man who gave us "Bennie and the Jets", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", and "Your Song"...This is one badass motherf*cker. If you've never had the privilege of exposure to his old stuff, get thee to iTunes and pick up "Rocket Man - Number Ones" and get educated. You'll not be sorry.
Finally, I'm back off to the Bay Area on Sunday for a Monday meeting. I'd love to get home Monday night but Tuesday is likely. I'm hoping to fit in another sushi run, as the last one was the best sushi experience of my life. We shall see. I'll bring my camera this time and get some pictures if I see anything interesting.
Cheers.
Currently in Memphis, Tennessee
Currently listening to Elton John - Sacrifice
Labels: All Posts, Friends and Family, Music, Travel
posted by Dustin @ 10:14 AM,
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