December 2005

There were 35 posts published in December 2005 (this is page 3 of 4).

Pentagon Spying On Americans?

It appears the Pentagon is spying on Americans. Peaceful Americans, at that. Apparently the military considers Quakers to be a threat. Go figure.

I’m no expert, but I’m thinking there are far more real enemies out in the world that need attention before we begin worrying about a few peace activists. But maybe that’s just me.

Wet Weather On The Way?

Looks like wet and possibly freezy weather may be on the way, though it probably won’t amount to much. The blazing red sunrise on the clouds this morning told me we are in for some kind of precipitation. The birds in the trees were especially noisy, too. Makes me think something is up.

The wet stuff is supposed to get here this evening. Hopefully we’ll get rain, as this drought stuff is sooo summer 2005.

Radio Desert

Raleigh is a radio desert compared to California. One highlight of my trip was tuning into KCRW, a Santa Monica public radio station with a translator covering Palm Springs on 89.3. Its been a long time since radio reached out and grabbed me. KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic had that effect. I was happily grooving on the way back to the airport until the signal from Palm Springs faded.

Fortunately for me (and you), KCRW has a honkin’ Shoutcast stream. Good times.

Los Angeles: Rudeness Capital Of The World?

I couldn’t help but notice just how crazy people are in the Los Angeles area. They’re like sharks! Rudeness abounded. Drivers honked horns constantly. Cars cut in waiting lines of traffic. Driving anywhere was an exercise in patience.

At the datacenter I was visiting, I walked across the lobby just as a woman was entering. “Excuse me,” I said as I stepped in front of her. I turned around to hear her grumbling loudly to herself “Go ahead! Walk in front of me and don’t even say ‘excuse me.'” She stormed off, leaving me shaking my head.

Wow, I thought. What is it about this place that makes people continually pissed off?

We were looking for a place to park at lunchtime at a crowded shopping center. A car in front of us was stopped to let a car back out of its parking space. A car opposite us, which had clearly gotten there first, was patiently waiting to take that spot. As we watched, the car in front of us quickly pulled into the waiting car’s spot, leaving the waiting driver livid. There were no manners anywhere!

There were exceptions, of course. My buddy Matt and wife Daniella were exceedingly generous, feeding me and putting me up for the night. They live in Palm Desert, though, where there’s more room to spread out. Also Steve, my business contact, was very cool. Decades spent in Southern California hadn’t jaded him. I suppose the surfing he does every day keeps things in perspective.

In spite of my long plane ride back, I was quite happy to be back on my home soil. Going away really makes you appreciate what you have.

As for Los Angeles, you can keep it, thank you.

RIP, Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor, the comedy legend, died Saturday morning from a heart attack. He was 65.

Pryor had his troubles, to be sure, but he also posessed a comic genius few can ever match. So many comedians owe their careers to him. His comic observations of the world around us helped bridge the divides across racial and ethnic lines. Pryor laid it all out there. He showed us things we were otherwise too afraid to see: the prejudice in America being one. (Two others are “The Toy” and “Superman III“, but I digress).

Its safe to say that there will never be another Richard Pryor. Thanks for the laughs, Richard.

Back From My Trip

I got back from my week-long trip late Friday. Been spending the weekend remembering how to be a husband and daddy. Blogging has taken a back seat as a result.

Went to a dinner party that my friends and I occasionally throw. I don’t think I’ve had that kind of fun in a long, long time. It was a great way to recharge my batteries. My parents did the kid-sitting for us. It was nice to see them, too.

Yesterday was the anniversary of my grandmother’s death. She had been on my mind yesterday (and many days before, to be truthful). She’s still missed, that’s for sure. At the end of this week, we travel to Delaware for the service for Kelly’s grandmother, who died several days ago.

We had a fun afternoon spent playing Christmas music together. Kelly broke out her flute, I played guitar and piano (though not simultaneously), Hallie played harmonica and Travis sang. It was a blast! We hope to make a regular thing of it.

Time to update a few more blogs, then off to bed to face yet another week of work.

Road Rage

I’m wrapping up day three on the road. Spent the first two in Mississippi (or traveling there). It was a successful trip business-wise, and I appreciated being around Southerners again. I forget how different Raleigh is from more Southern cities and towns, but it definitely shows on a visit. Being that I’m a Southerner, I’m not used to feeling like the only Yankee in the room, but that’s how some of these places make me feel sometimes. I catch myself slipping into a drawl after a little while, too. I’m a bit of a chameleon when it comes to accents.

Mississippi was colder than a gravedigger in January this morning, with an icy, 26 degree drive to the airport before dawn. This was after I stayed up to midnight finishing a work project, which followed four hours of the day spent just driving to customer sites. Not to mention the work actually done at the customer sites. It’s been a challenging week already, and now I’m spending the rest of the week in California.

My day began at 4:30 AM. I ate breakfast at the airport at 5:30 before a 6:45 flight to Phoenix (by way of Houston). Then I spent three hours in the Phoenix airport waiting for my connecting flight to Orange County. I raced through heavy traffic to get to my hotel, where I promptly conducted a one-hour demo on the phone. Busy, busy, busy! I’m running from one thing to another!

I might have pulled my remaining hair out during a three hour layover at any other airport, but the new Southwest terminal inPhoenix Sky Harbor airport is beautiful. Tall windows and soaring ceilings complement the view of the desert. The color schemes and designs reflect the southwestern culture. (Unfortunatly, the airport’s beauty isn’t shared by its ugly-ass website.) It was even quiet in the airport! I couldn’t figure out why until I realized there were no TVs blasting the annoying CNN-Airport channel. Every airport should pull the plug on that irritating channel!

I’ve got lots to do before my return flight leaves Friday. Look for more captivating posts soon!

Uh, yeah. Right.