Comedy on the Web

In a previous post called Comedy Shorts, I briefly mentioned two websites. One was Channel101.com and the other was Channel102.net. They have some funny skits on there such as The 'Bu, Dick Richards, Private Dick, Wastelander, Locked in a Closet, and more. After watching The 'Bu, and then seeing Andy Sandberg on Saturday Night Live, I was interested to find more of his skits. Today Nick IMed me with a link to a video in which there was a link to thelonelyisland.com. How interesting. It seems these three guys have started really making names for themselves from Andy Samberg performing on SNL to Akiva directing two of the videos from We Are Scientists. Who would have thought?! Anyway, keep these three in mind because I think they can only get bigger and funnier with more direction.

Indie Music and Aural Review

I decided that I need another blog to keep track of the music that I really like and/or want to review. This way I can remember what I've heard and what I thought of it easily. There are so many bands out there that it's pretty hard to keep track of them all, especially when you listen to as much music as I do. The address of my new blog is: http://auralreview.blogspot.com/ so write it down. ;) I'm going to try to do up to 3 reviews a week if possible, but I may slack off a little. So far I like the format because it's pretty simple, but if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks for reading.

Microsoft Genuine Advantage

This article is specifically to tell you how to disable Microsoft Genuine Advantage. You know, the software that doesn't allow you to check for updates without verifying your CD key on the Microsoft Update site. So here we go...
First, you must navigate using Internet Explorer of course to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. Once you get past installing whatever things you need to get to the page that has two buttons on it that say:
"Express"
"Custom"
You need to paste the following code in your browser's address bar and hit enter:
javascript:void(window.g_sDisableWGACheck='all')
This turns off the trigger for the key check. Once you've done that you're home free.
On a closing note, Internet Explorer is awful. Please consider using Firefox for all of your browsing needs that don't include Microsoft Sites. Thank you and good day.

Beaufort, SC

I found my dad a new computer courtesy of Dell.com. He promptly ordered it the other day and now I have scheduled a trip down to Beaufort, SC with my girlfriend, Diana, to see him and to set up his new Dell. We are leaving Wed. afternoon March 8, 2006 and returning Saturday March 11, 2006. The weird thing is that he's run out of hard drive space on his old machine.. not to mention it's so very slow. He will be blown away by this new one.

One must always remember that the FIRST thing you need to do if you buy a pre built computer is to format the hard drive. Yes that's right... erase the whole thing because there is no telling how much CRAP is on there. That way you can control exactly what goes on your computer. That is the first thing I plan on doing, getting rid of all the bloated software.

The trip itself should be fun with boat riding, fishing, and eating good seafood which Diana hates. This should be fun. He has a guest house that is currently being completed so I think we will be the first to actually stay in it which is exciting. I wonder if he thought to run ethernet out there... somehow I doubt it, though he does have wireless. I'm excited about it and hope the flights are better than my recent trip to Philadelphia, PA.

Oh, Crap!

This topic isn't all that deep or inspiring, though it can be at times. I was just thinking, what is the ONE thing you don't want to happen when you're in a stall at work? You don't want anyone to know that it's you. You don't want coworkers to be able to identify you in a stall by your shoes, grunting, coughing, talking, or any other identifiable trait. And most of all, you don't want to be associated with your length of time it takes, stentch, grunting, straining, shouting, sighs of relief, or any other audible noises. Most of the time, none of this is a problem at all. But every once in a while there comes the guy that you thank God that you aren't. He's identifiable by most of, if not all, of the above mentioned items. Not to mention the king of all giveaways... he drops his ID Badge face up and readable just about in your stall and takes his time picking it up. Every day I'm so glad that I'm not that guy. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Act One, an Indie Memphis Film

Tuesday Feb. 21, I went to see Act One at the Studio on the Square. It is an local Memphis, TN independent film from East Memphis' filmmaking collective Old School Pictures. It got 3 stars from film critic John Beifuss in the Commercial Appeal. Act One also won an award at the Indie Memphis film awards as documented by Chris Herrington of the Memphis Flyer.

Basically this movie is a Comedy (with a little Drama) about a guy who wants to be a writer and uses his own life experiences to help him write a script that will be made into a movie. He's from Memphis, TN, but has moved out to California to be a writer. I thought all in all this movie was a 4/5 when it comes to Indie Memphis films. The first 3/4ths of it was better than the last 4th. Be that as it may, I would definitely recommend going to see it.

West Philadelphia, Born and Raised

It's been a while since I've blogged.. one week exactly, but that was because I was getting ready to go visit Joel and Ally west of Philadelphia this past weekend. I took two days off work and visited them from Feb. 17-20. It was a lot of fun. I got to see the house they're renting from Ally's Dad and Uncle. It used to be her grandparents house before they passed away. It has 2 floors not including the basement. The second floor is unfinished and the basement needs some repairs, but the main floor is in great condition. They have a dog named Macy that is a small, yet vocal dog who will bark at you for about 8 hours before she gets used to you.

I flew Airtran because they have cheap tickets and let me tell you 3 out of 4 of my flights were late because of the weather. That was just sad, but at least I didn't have to spend the night in ATL. I arrived Friday at about 6:20 PM or so and Ally picked me up from the airport. We got to their house about 7 and Joel was already home. He has to commute 1.5 hours EACH WAY to work in New Jersey. And you thought your commute was bad. That night we went out to a pub that Joel and Ally go to every Friday night. It's a little weird that despite the fact that they've been going there for months, the people there still don't know them.

The next morning I woke up around 9:30 or so and Ally made us chocolate chip pancakes! They were awesome. We decided to go to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. You know, the one where Rocky runs up the long set of stairs in front like the winner he is. They had a large selection of art from various artists including Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, and many many others. There was also a pretty cool photography exhibit on the first floor. That tired us out a little, so we went back to their house to eat sandwiches. That night we went out to a couple of bars in another suburb/college part of Philly. They were alright, but I'm glad I don't have to be in crowded places like that. Good times.

The next day was Sunday and right after we woke up, we went to watch Georgetown get whooped by Bella Vista in basketball thanks to Allyson's dad, who then took us out to lunch with Graham, Ally's little brother, and her mother. We went to an Italian place that was awesome! After that meal, we went back to Joel and Ally's house to rest a while and we ended up watching Guess Who, which I thought was pretty funny, but not nearly as good as The Butterfly Effect. Sunday night we decided not to go out and to watch some of the Olympics and snack some since we were all too full to eat a meal.

Monday morning Joel had to wake up at 5 AM to get to work a little early and Ally and I woke up about 8 AM so she could take me to the airport. Unfortunately my flight had been delayed and I didn't check before we left so I had plenty of time to finish my book The Love of the Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was a pretty good book, but I liked The Great Gatsby better.

All in all, I had a really good time and I'm glad I got a chance to see Joel and Ally's place and to visit Philadelphia. Hopefully I can go back and visit their beach house in the summer!

Politically Enlightened

Today I was fortunate enough to run across an article about a man named Mark Warner, a former governor of Virginia who lives in New Hampshire. This led me to talk about the Democrats' counter-State of the Union address by Tim Kaine with Ben. We both agreed that we just want a president with good morals and some sense. It doesn't mean he or she has to be black, white, purple, Democrat, or Republican as long as whoever s/he is has common sense and stands firm for something that is important to us all. I am, by nature, a very logical person and the current administration is severely lacking that quality. Here is an excerpt from the speech:

"No matter what political philosophy you hold, or what state you call home, you have a right to expect that your government can deliver results. When there’s a crime or fire, you expect that police and firefighters have the tools to respond. When there’s a natural disaster, you expect a well-managed response. When you send your children to school, you expect them to be prepared for success. And, you have a right to expect government to be fiscally responsible, pay the bills and live within its means.

Tonight, we heard the President again call to make his tax policies permanent, despite his Administration’s failure to manage our staggering national debt. Over the past five years, we’ve gone from huge surpluses to massive deficits. No parent makes their child pay the mortgage. Why should we allow this Administration to pass down the bill for its reckless spending to our children and grandchildren?"

I believe that this speaks directly to what I have been complaining about recently about the attitude of our current administration. It seems to me, the attitude is one of "let the next generation figure it out". For a couple of examples, take a look at Social Security and the environment.

I am hoping that Tim Kaine runs for the Democratic candidate in the next election. He is the first Democrat or Republican I have heard of that has said, "There’s a better way. Two years ago in Virginia, Democrats and Republicans worked together to reform our budget." 'Democrats and Republicans' is the important part. I think, as he says, that it's time for a change. With all of the progress he, other Democrats, and Republicans have been able to make in the state of Virginia, he would be an excellent candidate.

New Music

I'm thinking about posting a new music blog every once in a while (once every week or two) and including some sample songs for those who want to hear. They will only be online for about a week and there will be a maximum of 25 downloads using YouSendIt.com. Perhaps I'll start this next week or so, but stay tuned for more. ;)

More Respect for George Clooney

I never thought that an actor turned writer/director could be so politically charged, ready and willing to make a difference. I guess I would then have to say that George Clooney is my new hero. After reading this article and this article on George Clooney, I found a man who is refreshingly using his influence for the greater good. Making movies to educate the general public that always seems like they're in a trance. Clooney is who I want to be like. Extraordinary. Two movies he has been involved in creating are Goodnight and Goodluck as well as Syriana.

Screw MLGW

For those of you who don't know, MLGW (Memphis Light Gas and Water) is THE utility company in Memphis, TN. They provide electricity, gas, and water for an excessive fee. MLGW is a somehow legal monopoly supported by the City of Memphis. I'm sure this is normal along with the money laundering that goes on through them. (Yay for our Mayor Willie Herenton!) In the past when I have tried to switch the utilities to my name since my roommates moved out, I was threatened multiple times that if I did not pay my bill on time they would cut off my utilities and charge me a $200 deposit. Up until that point I had never been late with one bill or a customer of MLGW. I'm glad they welcomed my business and treat their customers with respect, otherwise I would have gone to their competitors.

Now that you know who or what MLGW is, you should also know that they have been jacking up the price on heat during the winter supposedly due to the increased demand. Outrageous utlity bills are quite usual here in the midsouth. Well, my roommate and I received a bill for about $140 last month which was double our highest bill in the summer of about $70. We did not even turn on the heat that much and took the time to turn it off during the night and while we were gone during the day. Chris, my roommate, and I just said screw it and he switched the heat off which is where it has been ever since. We each have a small electric heater in our room that neither of us really use that much. (It causes a short when we use it and the microwave. Thanks again MLGW and faulty, old wiring! But that's another story.) We just received this month's utility bill and low and behold it was $67. We cut that murf in half back to where it was. We are not only ecstatic about getting a lower bill and damning the man, but we also offer hope to those that still have exorbitant utility bill. Our actions set an example and also lower the average cost of gas by 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001%. Pretty sweet deal huh? In conclusion, screw MLGW and the horse that they stole to ride in on!

Philly Here I Come

I'm going to visit Joel and Allyson Smith, some college friends, in Philadelphia, PA 2/17/06 - 2/20/06. It should be a lot of fun. Unfortunately I don't qualify for a discounted plane ticket through work yet. I have to work here for 6 months (March 16th) for a discount on Airtran tickets and 1 year (Sept. 16th, '07) for American Airlines. That was somewhat of a disappointment the other day when I went to get my ticket here at the WHQ. Oh well. I bought a ticket off of Airtran for around $250 with the "web special". Not too bad. I'm hoping my travel goes off without a hitch, but I have had travel troubles in the past such as missing my flight from Dallas to Seattle and having to wait in the airport for 12 hours. That was just sad.

Super Bowl Party

So we're having a small get together for the superbowl even though we only have bunny ears to watch TV with. I stand by my decision not to pay for cable TV and subsequently the commercials they put on it. Anywho we're going to grill out and everyone should be bringing something so it should be good times. I invited our neighbor Mitch who while seemingly a little shy at first seems like a pretty cool guy. Our other neighbor that keeps calling the police on us is not invited. I hope he stubs his toe. For Zach and the party I bought 3 5ths of Panama Jack rum that was on sale at Buster's yesterday. Good deal me thinks. Now it's time to clean my room, do some work for a while, and take a shower. Enjoy the superbowl and the commercials.

Another Ebay Update

Yay! My Yashica T4 Super D Camera has been bid on two more times on Ebay.com and is at $50.04 with 5 days remaining. Awesome. :)

The RIAA

The RIAA sued yet another person who is obviously innocent of downloading music illegally. This time it was a woman in Brooklyn, New York who has never bought, owned, or used a computer in her life. Way to go RIAA.

Music, Who Buys It?

I do! I love music especially obscure bands that aren't well known yet. For example, I bought 4 CDs recently off of Amazon.com. I'm really lucky they even had them all. Their titles are as follows:

• Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent Jens


• David Mead - Indiana


• Dirty on Purpose - Sleep Late for a Better Tomorrow


• The Cloud Room - The Cloud Room

I absolutely love music and will do anything to listen to it.

Yashica T4 35mm Camera on Ebay

Last night with the help of Chris I put my extra Yashica T4 Super D camera on Ebay. This is one of the best point-and-shoot cameras ever made. It was discontinued a few years ago and therefore is somewhat sought after by professionals and amateurs alike. We listed it for 10 days and as of a few hours ago it already had one bid. I've never really seen a 10 day listing get one bid in less than 24 hours of listing unless the item is in real demand. I tried to wait and put it on Ebay when there were only a couple listings of similar cameras. We'll see if I can get what I hope to get out of it.

Google's Stock

Google's stock plunged about 20% yesterday and today merely for the fact that it did not meet its analysts' goals for the quarter. I don't know about you, but I'd love to have enough money to invest in it as soon as it levels off, which may be quite soon. I'm sure it will rebound up to its former height "with the quickness" as a friend of mine used to say. It must have been a sad day for those who owned Google stock, but hopefully they'll make the best of it and buy more while it's low. Maybe I want to be an investor when I grow up. I've definitely thought about it, but need to learn about it and such.

Music Discovery

I read an article that compares Last.fm and Pandora.com which are two online streaming music sites. The article states that these two sites accomplish roughly the same thing by providing a streaming internet radio station to the end user, but that they both have their pros and cons. It's an interesting article because it tells you how each service gets to the point of suggesting new songs for the user. Personally, I like Pandora.com better because it tends to recommend more obscure music and I love obscure music. I wouldn't really say anyone else has exactly the same taste in music as I do. On the other hand, Last.fm could provide me songs that others with similar tastes to mine enjoy. I really need to check out both and continue to use both until one proves better than the other. The article which I highly recommend you read comes to the conclusion that Pandora.com will be better in the long run considering that it can implement the Last.fm strategy easier than the other way around. What do you think?