In Memory

We miss you Mom!

Short break

Work has had me traveling all over the place, and have not
had much time to dedicate to the Acoustic Blog. Things are
slowing down, and I should be up and running in a couple of weeks.

Have a great Turkey Day!

Cheers to The Lou

Hats off the Cardinals, who won their
10th World Series and first since 1982.

Well?

Need I say more?

Got to Admit it's getting Better...

Well, after 3 failed attempts to install the new IE7 browser, it finally loaded! Wow, I actually expected it to take longer. Now comes the real fun; just how will it send my computer into chaos? Ok, enough cynicism for MS, and on to IE7. So far, it is a huge improvement from previous versions, with tabbed browsing, and a cleaner look. It does have a more fluid and powerful feel to it, that actually seems like it is not so cumbersome and boring as IE6. The new browser is heavily marketing the security features (refer back to chaos), and RSS feed capabilities (finally) and the ability to handle CSS and other website design tools automatically, that previously looked scrambled in IE. Bloggers will appreciate that. So far, I have to say IE7 is a vast improvement(mostly because they copied everything people liked about Firefox), and will make the 3 sites I have to view in IE much better. Otherwise, there is no chance I'll switch from the far superior Firefox. I almost feel sorry for MS for being so out of touch for what users want. My advice to Mr. Gates: Please research the Google, Mozilla, and Apple business models; make things that work all the time, and are enjoyable to use.

Glorified Jerk

While admittedly bitter from the Yankees loss to the Tigers, I hate to see someone like Kenny Rogers get all the spotlight and praise. This guy has been nothing but a hot-head his whole career, and far from a role model for fans. Punching the camerman in Texas in 2005, pretty much sums up the persona of Rogers, in my bitter opinion. Now, because he's on a winning team, he's up on the pedestal of greatness. How quickly we forget. I am a firm believer in second chances, but sometimes pro sports/media goes a little far in their zero to hero thought process; i.e. Ray Lewis: the posterchild of the NFL (hey, he beat the murder charges, didn't he?). Unfortunately, Rogers is pitching too well for Detroit not to give him credit, but Yankee fans will never forget his pathetic stint on the big stage back in the late 90's. Go Cards!

Sad Day in NYC

Condolences to the Lidle family and to
the Yankee organization. Although Cory Lidle
was not a Yankee for long, he earned a spot in
the rotation and did a pretty good job. Bad
way to go out, but at least he was doing what
he enjoyed. R.I.P.

Not the Problem

I have been quiet and disappointed with the Yankees this season, as I really thought this would be #27. Firing Joe Torre was the stupidest idea that came out of the 2006 postseason though. And to think the hot-headed Lou Piniella would be the answer for George's embarrassment? Please. Torre is arguably the best manager baseball has ever seen, despite his "slump" in the fall classic. I feel the frustration as much as anyone, but the fingers should not be pointing in the direction of Torre. Pitching wins World Series, and the fact that the Yankees won 97 games this year with their pitching staff is amazing in itself. Torre did what he could with his skeletal pitching staff, and that is his only fault. How many managers could earn the respect of the $200 million dollar payroll that would do anything for Torre? For all the sportswriters and critics, who blame Torre, take a look back to the glory days in the late 90's and take note of the pitching staff. Now compare that roster to the ailing Johnson, Jaret Wright, Cory Lidle, Farnsworth, and Villone. All workhorses, but pale in comparison to Clemens, Pettite...

Ever heard this joke?

courtesy of Deadspin

It's On!

Postseason is upon us, and the Yanks have a battle against the struggling Tigers, but there must be some relief that they don't have to start the fall battle against Johan Santana of the Twins. Yankees bats are on fire, but as usual, pitching will determine who wins the World Series. Wang and Moose better be prepared to put the Bombers on their backs. Good luck on #27; it's time. Should be fun.

Condolences

Just want to send out good thoughts to the small mountain
town of Bailey, Colorado who were the latest victims of
school violence. This small town, about 1 hr. from Denver, experienced
their worst nightmare when a fifty-something year old gunman
held students hostage and killed one before committing suicide in a
police standoff. It is not the school's security policy that is at fault, but
the fact that there are violent, crazy people in this world, and that
bad acts can happen even in postcard towns like Bailey, CO. I
am sure this will seriously affect the peaceful community in so many
ways, but wish them the best of luck pulling through the tragedy.

Back on the Bayou!

The Superdome is back in business after the devastation.
Go Saints!

Bronco Momentum

Well the Broncos have not looked so good under Plummer so far this season, but they looked good in their win over the Patriots Sunday night. Prior to the Pats' game, the Donkeys had only scored one touchdown, but that changed thanks to Plummer and his new favorite target Javon Walker, who had 2 TD's for 130 yards. Although the opening day loss to St. Louis was a disappointment, it looks like the Broncos are starting to build some rythym and should have a great season.

9 Straight

The 9th straight division title came with a loss to the

Blue Jays for the Bombers, but celebration is still deserving.

The Yanks overcame injuries as usual and coasted by the self-imploding

Red Sox making it look easy. The postseason will not be the same

without the rivalry, but #27 is on the horizon for New York. Torre is

still the man.

Good Stuff...

After telling someone how much I enjoyed Entourage on HBO and describing my lameness for not splurging for the premium channels, I was told to check out Weeds, a new series on Showtime (new to those stuck in time). I went to my neighborhood Blockbuster and rented the entire first season, and loved it. This show is well-written and funny. Mary Louise Parker plays the drug-dealing mom role to perfection, and Kevin Nealon is hysterical. I thought Showtime was only known for their late night nurse entertainment, but this show will surely get them some respect, or at least more viewers. Great show.

Reality Check

Well I finally got hooked up to the internet (and got SportsCenter back).
Sorry for the delay to all 2 of my readers, but I plan to resume posting.
The photo is of the mighty San Juan River in Bluff, Utah. I'll take
the chocolate milk of the Juan over my cubicle anyday. They tell me
patience is a virtue, but this recent river trip did little for my career
development. Office vs. paradise? Tough call.

The Joys of Moving

This is the way I feel about moving. It is never fun, and I do not even own that much. I will not have internet for another week or so because it turns out I was never wired for cable, despite being told otherwise, and it must go through several departments and landlord approvals before anything can get done. Looks like I will be a regular at Starbucks for awhile.

When things settle down and I am able to get on at home, I will resume The Acoustic Blog. I sure do miss SportsCenter. Cheers.

Moving...

Sorry for the lack of postings, but I am in the process of moving to
a new abode and working around the clock. My internet at home will
be off for about a week or so, and my blog will be on a short sabbatical
in the meantime. I should be up and running in my new digs the first week
of September. Cheers!

Who'd A Thunk??

Boston re-lived the Massacre of 1978 in which the Yankees went to Fenway and swept a four game series and scored 42 runs. Well, the Yanks did it this time by sweeping a 5 game series and scoring 49 runs. The Bombers have taken a 6 1/2 game lead in the A.L. East over Boston, and things are not looking too good in Beantown. There is still plenty of baseball left, but the way the Yankees are playing, it will take a serious meltdown for Boston to get back in the running for the Division. Boston will get hot, but I think after this weekend they have set their sights on a Wildcard bid at best. As much as I fear Boston (particularly Manny/Ortiz), what would the post-season be without the best rivarly in sports?

P.S. Is there a better manager than Torre!? Amazing.

The Big Showdown

It's on in Fenway!

Blogger Beta

For those who are unfamiliar with Blogger, it is Google's Blogging tool that I happen to use. Although it is 100% free and functional, Blogger has received much criticism from the blogging-elite, who boast of all the cool features of others, such as Wordpress. As a novice to web design, I must admit, Blogger is a little limited, but it has forced me to understand HTML and CSS.

Well, in Google fashion, they are launching Blogger 'beta' (of course it's beta), that looks to be very versatile and easy to use. I have not been given the invitation yet, but I played around with a test site, and it does a whole lot more, without having to be an expert in HTML. Drag and drop seems to be the big upgrade, as well as changing the style with simplicity. So, if Acoustic Blog starts changing its look, you'll know that I got the upgrade. Just what I need, more time-killers to play on my blog.

For more details on Blogger beta, check out the article on Techcrunch.
.

On Sale Now

Make your own concert tickets at www.says-it.com. I just
got back from a great show @ Red Rocks in Denver, and for anyone
into live shows, you should have fun with this one.

Strange??

Department of Homeland Security has been working with Microsoft and letting the public know of all the holes in the Windows operating system that needs to be patched. Microsoft has released 12 security patches (at the urgency of DHS) to fix detrimental security flaws. Am I the only one that finds this just a little odd? I'm not a paranoid, conspiracy theory guy but:

1. Why is DHS so concerned about my internet safety all of a sudden?
2. Why does Microsoft need DHS to tell them how unsafe and flawed Windows is? Shouldn't MS already have known and automatically fixed the security holes?

Well, maybe we just need to thank DHS for protecting us from hackers and nasty viruses/worms that Microsoft just doesn't seem to care to protect against. Just food for thought and maybe DHS will offer the Yankees solutions for fixing the flaws in their middle relief and A-rod's jitters.

Gettin His Goose On

Maurice Clarett back in a familiar situation; handcuffs on his way to jail. The former Ohio St. football star was arrested yet again on Tuesday night; this time for having concealed weapons in his car, and a few other charges such as causing a police chase and most likely DUI. After police chased down the speeding SUV, they used a stun gun on Clarett, which failed, because Clarett was wearing a bullet proof vest. There was also a half bottle of Grey Goose vodka, which was his drink of choice. When the Denver Broncos gave him a second chance on football last year, Mike Shanahan believed Clarett was hittin' the Goose during practice. The guy is clearly nuts, and jail might do him some good. He's been arrested at least 4 times since his Buckeye demise, and most for crazy incidents that make you scratch your head. At only 22, he has plenty of time to get on track, but I think it's safe to say his NFL hopes have flown the coop. Good luck Mo, and to his newest former football team, The Mahoning Valley Hitmen in Columbus (they forgot to tell Clarett they are a sports team, not a street gang).

Radio Hack

Via Lifehacker, there is a handy website to track radio station playlists in any zip code. YES.COM
is pretty cool for looking up that song that you can't remember who sang, or what album it's on...Simply punch in your zip code and a list of stations pops up, and it lists every song by minute and hour that the radio station has played in real time. Another cool thing is by hitting the link of the song, you are automatically directed to iTunes so you can purchase the track on the spot. If you're like me, most of my radio listening is in the car, and I am usually not surfing the web while driving. However, if a missed song is really bugging you, just note the time and check it later. Or, for those listening to the radio at work, what a perfect way to pass the time. Completely useless, but for those like myself who cannot sleep until you find the answer to a stupid piece of trivia, check out YES.COM.

Dream Team 2006

After an embarrassing performance in Athens 2004 and other World events, Coach K from Duke has assembled what should be a dominating World Basketball team made up of Lebron, D-Wade, Carmelo, and a host of other NBA greats. While only a scrimmage, the US beat up on Puerto Rico last night by 45, and looked pretty good in the process. Coach K appears to be on a mission to motivate a team effort with a strong patriotic message to get the team to represent the country. It seems as if the team has bought into the philosophy, and are determined to provide some entertainment mixed with class and composure. Most of the stars of this team are young and the new faces of the NBA, and it is nice to see this group of superstars genuinely act as a team representing the US for all the right reasons. Should be fun to watch.

Birthday Greetings

August 1, 1942-August 9, 1995

Payroll Keeps Climbing

The Boss is growing old and impatient, and his Yanks are overdue for another penant. He gave the green light yet again to Brian Cashman to do anything it takes to give the Bombers the biggest edge in the A.L. The Yanks grabbed ex-HR Derby champ Bobby Abreu and solid pitcher Cory Lidle from the Phillies for 4 insignificant minor league prospects. Abreu did come with a hefty price tag, but hopefully his HR power will resurface on his new team. He struggled this year with the Phils, but he's a player. Lidle is not a strong pitcher, but very consistent, hopefully like the Moose. Today, the Yanks added Craig Wilson, who played first and outfield for the Pirates, and will most likely take the Giambino's spot at first, and add some more potency to the offense. Shawn Chacon was traded for Wilson. I must say I'm a little baffled that Cash and Torre are so worried about more offense, especially since Sheff, Matsui, and Cano will be back very soon. Lidle will help, but the pitching is far from dominant, and as everyone knows, pitching wins championships. It should get interesting in the next couple of months.

Durango History on Fire!

It was a sad day in Durango, CO on Saturday, as the locals watched
a historic landmark go up in flames. El Rancho Tavern is a staple
on Main Ave., and the apartments up top claim home
to many of Durango's unique characters.
El Rancho has caused many a headache for the locals, but fortunately the bar
reopened at 8 am for Bloody's and breakfast at The Diner next door.
The cause, and the amount of damage is still unknown, but sources say
things do not look good for the historic landmark, where boxing great
Jack Dempsey once held a fight. Good luck down there.

Mennonite Sandwich

Do you come from the land of Dutch Pennsylvania? Floyd Landis, the successor to Lance Armstrong, apparently tossed his purist, religious upbringing out the window, as he tested positive for performance enhancers. While Lance was accused every year, he never tested positive. Floyd is still not guilty, but things do not look so good for Landis and the victory at the Tour de France. Not that anyone really cares about the sport now that Lance the Poster Boy has left the building, but what sucks is the French finally get to say, I told you so. If it is true, Landis may have experienced his last spandex sensation in Paris. It might be back to no electricity, phones, tv, and anything enjoyable in life; with the exception of some sweet quilts and curtain dresses.

Harold Gets The Axe

Harold Reynolds, the star of Baseball Tonight has been fired by ESPN, but the reason has not been disclosed yet (nor are they required to do so). The rumor mill from Deadspin has heard through their sources that Reynolds had a long history of sexual harassment complaints from the ladies in Bristol. Others claim that he inflated the b.s. trade talk of A-rod during his slumping weekend, and lost it with the front office who were afraid of lawsuits. We'll find out soon enough. It's a shame though, because Harold and Peter Gammons were two of the best commentators on Baseball Tonight Now they're both gone (Gammons will be back eventually). If this means more of Joe Morgan, my mute button will be heavily used.

Flickr Hacks

(Click Image to Enlarge)

For fun with your Flickr photos, check out Flagrant Disregard,

and make all sorts of cool creations with your Flickr photos. If
you don't have Flickr yet, what are you waiting for? By the way,
you can catch this Oscar shoe-in at Sundance next year.

Number 11 for Tiger

Congratulations to Tiger Woods for a solid outing at this years
British Open at Royal Liverpool, Hoylake. In an emotional finish
dedicated to his dad, who recently passed away, Tiger was only
challenged by Chris DeMarco, who would not let up. This Open
marks Tiger's 11th Major, and the number to beat is 18 set by
The Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus.

Take a Deep Breath

Okay, as Joe Torre does whenever any Yankee player is in trouble, I was asked to supply words of wisdom. Alex Rodriguez is struggling to say the least. In the field, he is making Chuck Knoblauch look like a gold-glove infielder. A-Rod has made several game-blowing errors this season, and his lack of clutch hitting has made him a booing favorite among Yankee fans. Today, against the Blue Jays he was removed from third base by Torre, and made the DH; in an attempt to rid him of the mental anguish of his throwing problems. Well, A-Rod responded by going 0-4 with 4 strikeouts; one with the bases loaded. Many Yankee fans are worried. I'm not. A-Rod is arguably one of the greatest baseball players ever. His problem is he is too competitive and always wants to do too much. That is the sign of a true champion, but in trying so hard, he is not using his talents naturally. A-Rod will be fine, he just needs to relax, and do what he does best without letting the NYC pressures and the media hype get in his head. July is a good time to go through the meltdown, and he'll be back when it really matters; end of the season. I'm not enjoying this slump, as the Yanks need to start gaining ground on Boston, but they will come around and so will A-Rod. Your welcome, Joe.

Madison Ave. Rejects

This is a pretty funny site I found at Boing Boing-A Directory of Wonderful Things. The site is called Worth 1000, and it is basically a Best Of site for Photoshop tweakers, weird ads, and various multimedia designs. Artistic, but some funny stuff, like this Absolut advertisement, that has been in the Absolut vault for some time, as it was never allowed to go public (at least not in the US). Click on pictures to enlarge. This site is too massive to explain, but there were some funny ads that never made it to mainstream America; and some are pretty obvious as to why. For a good laugh, browse through the endless collections at Worth 1000, and if you want a great blog that is slowly sucking me in, do not bypass Boing Boing, it's full of useless tidbits that you just can't do without.

That's What I'm Talkin' Bout

More Little Things

From Lifehacker, I give you this incredibly simple and unmeaningful piece of computer advice that made me happy. Have you ever tried to find a program from the start menu and look at the mile long list of programs installed on your computer? Ever notice that they are not in alphabetical order and that if you are like me, I usually go up and down several times, thinking that the program disappeared much like my socks in the dryer? Well, while you are simplifying your life, start with the alphabetizing the program list on your start menu. Here's how:

1. Hit the Start menu and click All programs at the bottom
2. Move cursor over any program (Accessories, Itunes....)
3. Right click (or Shift F10 for keyboard shortcut fans)
4. Hit "Sort by Name" and all of your programs are now in alphabetical order

That's it. I know it's not too exciting, but you're lying if that doesn't give you just a little satisfaction.

Creepin' Back...

You know what I'm talkin' about.

P.S. Congrats on #400

Sports Blog of Note

While I hate the logo, Deadspin (sort of a weird ESPN-twist) is a great blog covering more of the social aspects to sports stories; i.e. controversial. They are very quick to make fun of troubled ballers (perhaps, Bonds), or just stories of interest in the sports world. Deadspin is from the Gawker family of blogs responsible for my all time favorite, Lifehacker. For all the sports fanatics, or just those who need to read about the latest arrests of your favorite athletes, you'll find it at Deadspin.

Shakey in Nashville

Neil Young has just released a DVD, Heart of Gold, directed by Jonathan Demme that is not your ordinary music documentary. Neil and a close group of musical friends debut Neil's Prairie Wind album live at the Ryman Auditorium at the Grand Ole Opery. Demme directs this film capturing the soul of Neil and Young's true respect and love for American music. This is a 2-dvd set with the first being the live concert from Nashville with the entire new album and many classic Neil tunes all done acoustically and to perfection. The second disc is the footage of making the movie in which Demme demonstrates his respect for music and film, and his mastery of storytelling. I was amazed at the narrative and sincerity of this project. The tone of this movie is real, and Neil's commitment to the roots of Americana music in Nashville is genuine. Much more than I expected.

It's the Little Things...

Mo' Money

All the baseball 'experts' picked Jenks or Papelbon to close
the All-Star game if it came down to it. Maybe Ozzie isn't as crazy
as everyone thinks, as he knew who the best closer in baseball
really is. Thanks Mariano for sealing up home field advantage
for the Yanks in October.

The Original Pink

The reclusive founder of Pink Floyd somehow made it to the age of 60, before he recently passed away from undisclosed causes. Syd joins the ranks of Keith Richards for those who defy the odds of living into their adult years based on their healthy lifestyles. While Syd did not last too long with Pink Floyd, he was instrumental in creating one of the British powerhouses, so I will pay my respects. Pink Floyd has always scared me, and Syd's influence may have something to do with it. Despite the chills I get just thinking about The Wall, Pink Floyd remains high on my best bands list, and I must give props to their founder.

Hearsay in NYC...

This is a pretty entertaining site, called Overheard in New York,
where people submit conversations heard throughout New York City, on the subways, busses, on the street...Some of the conversations are hilarious, and probably all too common in NYC. For a good laugh, check it out.

It's Even Funnier When You Realize It's Nine A.M.
Drunk Irish woman: What time is it?
Drunk Irish man: Nine o'clock.
Drunk Irish woman: It's early! The bars are open until four here. We still have [pauses to count on her fingers] seven hours!

--uptown 1 train

Vintage Bear

This story cracked me up. A black bear cub in Lake Tahoe was found eating a jalapeno pizza, drank the remains of a Jack and Coke, and an Absolut and tonic from a convertible Buick Skylark. I like his style.

Ouch!

Cleveland 19, NY Yankees 1

July 4, 2006 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E NY Yankees 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 1 Cleveland 4 3 0 0 9 1 2 0 X 19 21 1

This was George Steinbrenner's Birthday Present.

Enjoy Your Freedom!

Marketing 101 Needed

The champagne Cristal, is one of France's best-selling wines. High in quality, bottles sell for $300 in stores to $400-600 in bars. Celebrities fill their bathtubs with Cristal on a regular basis. While the French believe it's the quality of their bubbly, it is the rap industry who put Cristal on the map all over the world. Every other rapper talks about Cris, and every kid from suburbia recognizes the shiny gold bottle. Cristal is one of many brand names whose CEO's should be down on bended knees to the rap industry, thanking them for their success. Well, apparently the French company of Cristal, has pissed off the monster of the rap game, Jay-Z with some comments about not having any power to stop rappers from drinking their fine champagne. Well Jay-Z has banned Cris from the 40/40 club, and others are following suit. It's probably Jay-Z who started the Cris phenomenon, and it looks like it might be him that knocks it out. To the CEO of Cristal: Nobody really cares if your champagne goes good with tilapia, and you should maybe embrace those who have filled your pockets for the past decade or so. You may not see Fat Joe at your next wine club social, but you should be kissing his butt every chance you get.

iPizzle...

This is a pretty humorous article from Wired News explaining many different descriptions of the beloved iPod that have made it into the Urban Slang Dictionary. I was unaware of the nomenclature that has developed over the iPod, but some of the terms definitely apply. I personally suffer from iPod A.D.D., especially when purchasing music from iTunes. This is the anxiety of deciding which song to purchase that is worthy enough to make it to my playlist. It's like going to Blockbuster and walking around hopelessly deciding what movie your in the mood for. As a download junkie and collector of music for my iPod, I thought some of the terms were pretty comical. For those who know who you are, it's time to get hip to the slang.

Worthy Red Sox Fan

For those who follow baseball, Peter Gammons is a class act and he knows his stuff. Gammons had a brain aneurysm earlier this week, but is reportedly doing well. Not sure if he'll return to ESPN anytime soon, but his accurate and thoughtful commentary will be missed. Hopefully this does not mean that Joe Morgan (the worst announcer ever) gets more air time. Best of luck Peter Gammons and get well.