"There’s a full moon risin’...Let’s go dancin’ in the light..."



Here are two pictures of the moon I took last Saturday, September 17th. This is what is called a Harvest Moon. At the time I took these pictures, I didn't even realize it was a Harvest Moon. There was something so striking about it that night; I found myself peering out the window every 10 minutes or so to look at it. So, eventually I felt the need to go out in my backyard and take a few shots.

This second one is a shot of the moon behind the clouds. It is a little blurry, but, cool nonetheless. These pictures were taken with my digital camera. However, I have been trying to educate myself more on astrophotography. Eventually, I hope to learn the right settings to get sharper, clearer shots. I also would like to experiment with using my camera in conjunction with a telescope.

Is This A Joke?

I received the following invitation in the mail today from my good friend, Lisa, and her husband, Ed. Take a look at picture 1 (card front), then picture 2 (card inside)...notice anything?

I wonder if Elmo loves parties that he's not really invited to? Yes...technically, I am invited to nothing. So, I don't know where I am going, when it is, or who it is for. My friends don't love me anymore!

Hehe...nah...I'm just kidding. I've already emailed Lisa about this. She would never do such a thing! I just found it incredibly funny when I opened up the envelope today and found a blank card! Oops..someone made a boo-boo ;o)

I think this picture speaks for itself.

Liberty and Justice for All?

So, what do you think about the Pledge of Allegiance being recited in school? I was watching World News Tonight at dinner earlier when I heard yet another report about the pledge being considered unconstitutional. The man, Michael Newdow (an atheist & lawyer), who has started this latest argument is the same one who tried to argue this point last year in front of the Supreme Court. He was suing on behalf of his daughter, but it turned out he didn't have custody at the time, so his case was dismissed. But now, he's back with the support of a whole whopping three--yes, three--families who agree with him.

Lawrence Karlton, a U.S. District Judge out of Sacramento, CA, ruled today that the pledge is unconstitutional because it violates a child's right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God." Also, he plans to sign a restraining order preventing three Sacramento County schools from reciting the pledge (the schools where the children of the plaintiffs attend). So, basically, what that means is that Karlton feels children are being forced to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. That is just not true. No child is forced to say the pledge in public school. They can stand there quietly and daydream if they wish.

What makes me so angry about this is the fact that the freedoms of other children are being taken away by this ruling. Those other children have every right to say the pledge if they wish, and now they can't do it. I'm sorry...but why should, say, 97% of a school's population have to change for the 3% that don't agree, especially if that 3% is not being forced to say anything against their will to begin with? It's just plain wrong.

Granted, parents have every right to raise their children as atheists if they wish. If they want to deny the fact that there is a God, then who is stopping them? Until someone forces the words "under God" out of the mouths of their children, then, in my opinion, they don't have a leg to stand on.

You can read more about this at ABCNews.com

ReAct Now: Music & Relief


Let me preface this by saying that I am not a huge fan of MTV...

But, I was pleasantly surprised by last night's Katrina benefit concert. Of course it was the higher-ups behind the machine that is MTV / Viacom that put this benefit together; however, I believe it was the various musical artists that made it so special. It didn't hurt that it ran commercial-free, even if we did have a screen crawl.

It goes without saying that I enjoyed Pearl Jam's "Given to Fly"...however, I think my favorite contribution came from Nine Inch Nails' frontman, Trent Reznor, with his solo performance of "Hurt." Wow...it gave me chills. I wouldn't consider myself a huge NIN fan, but there is something about their music that definitely grabs me. Trent's performance was an indication of that. I just thought it was genuine and very emotional.

For me, other notable performances came from John Mayer, Beck, U2, Green Day, Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Buckwheat Zydeco, Goo Goo Dolls, Audioslave, & Jewel.

I have already downloaded a few of these tracks, with all proceeds going to Katrina relief. These audio downloads can be found at Sony's Connect music store. More tracks are said to be available in the coming days. You can also view the performances "On Demand" from MTV Overdrive. Both of these sites require the use of Internet Explorer to view or download any material.

Bringing It All Back:
My Music of the 90s

Anyone else feel that most music today is just not what it used to be? I'm sure every maturing generation says that in an attempt to hold onto the music of their past. Sure, there are artists today that don't fit the "mold" of terrible music; unfortunately however, there is an overwhelming majority of...well, crap.


Music is powerful. It has the ability to motivate, spark memories, bring people together, and inspire. It is a comfort to those who may have little else. I believe it is all of this that drives us to defend and compare it to the opinions of others. Music has the ability to "bring it all back."

I found my musical niche in the 90s. Influenced by my Dad's own tastes in music, I grew up listening to Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Who, Neil Young, among others. My interest in these musicians flowed naturally into my budding interest in what I consider the supergroups of the 90s.

I remember hearing Pearl Jam's "Even Flow" on the radio early in the fall of 1992, just as I was beginning high school. I knew nothing about them. Then, soon after, my Dad brought home their first album Ten. He said he heard a song called "Jeremy" on a jukebox somewhere and that I should give it a listen. He proceeded to blast the CD, head down the basement to his drum room, strap on the headphones wired from our den's stereo, and then drum along with the music. That experience sealed the deal for me. I was hooked from that day on. (He still hasn't forgotten the fact that I stole that CD from him!)

Naturally then, through reading magazines, listening to the radio, and talking with friends at school, I learned of the other artists that would open my eyes to a whole new world of music...Nirvana, U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, The Cranberries, Soundgarden, Beck, The Lemonheads, Blind Melon...and those are just a few. These were the artists that would be played at school dances...blasted on the car radios as people left school...discussed over lunch...copied on tape and traded...jammed to with friends who played guitar. That was my life in music of the 90s.

*******************************************************

So, recently, I got to thinking about the various songs I would compile on one CD if I were to make my own mix of music that brings it all back for me. And, guess what? I did just that. Picking and choosing songs from iTunes, I've made a list of 25. This was not an easy task because there are loads of songs I could add, but for sake of time (and space on 1 CD), I've limited myself to 25 (for now!). I am actually going to burn these to CD, so I am not including songs from albums I have in their entirety or albums that my sister has in Maryland! (And, actually, some of these songs I have only on cassette!!)...Well, anyway, here's my list:

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something
2. Hey Man, Nice Shot - Filter
3. Take a Picture - Filter
4. Bound for the Floor - Local H
5. Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
6. 21st Digital Boy - Bad Religion
7. Cult of Personality - Living Colour
8. I Will Remember You - Sarah McLachlan
9. Girlfriend - Matthew Sweet
10. Change - Blind Melon
11. No Rain - Blind Melon
12. Galaxie - Blind Melon
13. Brick - Ben Folds Five
14. Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls
15. Least Complicated - Indigo Girls
16. Jane Says - Jane's Addiction
17. Been Caught Stealing - Jane's Addiction
18. The Distance - Cake
19. I Will Survive - Cake
20. Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
21. Guerilla Radio - Rage
22. People of the Sun - Rage
23. Freedom - Rage
24. Killing in the Name - Rage
25. Testify - Rage


So, what brings it all back for you? And, feel free to comment on my list of 25.

My Turn to Brag


On Friday night, I went mini-golfing with Alicia, Tommy, and Tom (or, Tom Squared). I have to say that Alicia and I were very proud of the fact that we tied for first place and beat out the two Toms...they both won't admit it, but I have evidence to support my claim. One might ask why I am choosing to rub this in, so here's why...after we finished mini-golf, I jokingly told Tom W that I was going to put this score card online. He responded that no one would believe that Alicia and I beat two guys...so, now here I am.

The score card below shows, from L to R, Alicia-Me-Tommy T-Tom W. As you can see from the first half of the game, Alicia was in first place, and I was in third.



Now, looking at the rest of the score card, you can see that I was the leader for the back 9. TT came in dead last...and I'll admit that Alicia and I only beat TW by 1 point...but, still, we won.

Tom W then tried to say that still no one would believe me, even with the score card because I could "easily erase the pencil and change the numbers." So, what did I do? I have a nice little video to support the truth (and, yes, he DID know that I was recording). The video was taken after he finished practicing at the driving range. To preface this, I had asked him how he thinks he did:

***This video has been jumping in Firefox...seems to work fine in IE (ugh). Not quite sure why this is happening. If anyone knows how to fix it, please let me know.


Sorry, Tom.....I had to do this. Just be glad I didn't post the videos of you at the driving range!!

You can view more pictures of the night and also some pictures from Labor Day weekend by clicking on my Photo Album in the LINKS section of the sidebar.

My Countdown to Pearl Jam in Philly




I have added a couple of new features to my sidebar...one being my awesome countdown to when Pearl Jam comes to Philly on October 3rd. The other new feature is a Calendar on which you can view a different Pearl Jam Quote of the Day. Yeah, I know I'm a little nuts...but that's okay by me. Remember...sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't.