An exciting weekend for sports?

Not in the Geohouse. Here is today's poll from ESPN.com:

Which Memorial Day weekend sporting event are you most excited about?

-Nextel Cup series at Charlotte

-Indianapolis 500

-NBA conference finals

-UFC: Liddell vs. Jackson

-Stanley Cup finals, Game 1

Too bad I can't vote "None of the above."

Hey, training camp for the NFL can't be too far off, can it? Or the time of the season when baseball really gets exciting. Patience, patience.

Music to my ears

I read this with some interest.

Makes good sense for Amazon to try this. Since there are three iPods (one Nano and 2 Shuffles--a first and second generation) in the Geohouse, iTunes is the music provider by default. Yet to have to buy the music exclusively from iTunes is sometimes limiting. Since I lean toward tunes that are older and sometimes obscure, not every song I desire is available through iTunes.

Now, if Amazon will offer music I can buy, download, and play on my iPod, they'll get my business. (Not exclusively, mind you. iTunes will still be my music store of choice. But having more than one choice, plus some competition is definitely helpful.)

And the argument about file sharing? Steve Jobs addressed that one in this posting. Good point. I buy my CD's legally, and they are not protected.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. It looks like the large music companies will have to defer to the changing times.

In the meantime, I plan to spend some time this weekend using my USB turntable to digitize some tunes from my vinyl collection. No copy protection there, either.

I've come to the conclusion...

...that I am, in fact, not a redneck.

Given that I was born (and lived some of my formative years) in Texas, and exhibit a "glorious lack of sophistication," (Jeff Foxworthy's definition of redneck), I vacillated between whether I was one or not. Sometimes I took one position or the other, depending on how I would benefit.

But this week, I am convinced I do not fall on the redneck side of the line.

The defining moment? When I saw Dale Earnhardt, Jr's news conference a few days ago (the one where he announced he is leaving DEI.) My reaction: Who cares??

Actually, nothing about NASCAR interests me. I've never watched one of their races, I don't follow the standings, and I could only name a few drivers off the top of my head.

That seals the deal. I remain more comfortable in jeans than wearing a tie, I enjoy outdoor activities, I drive a pickup, I continue to consume beer, and I am often caught listening to country music.

But I am not a redneck.

I'll settle for being a good ol' boy.

Quickly...

...before I dash off to attend to other (more pressing) things of the day.

Last night, Geogal and I had an amusing exchange. 7 p.m. was fast approaching and she turned the channel to Fox. I commented: "I don't even know who was voted off last week."

Her answer surprised me: "Sanjaya."

I still can't believe I didn't hear about that through some means. I never thought I was that cut off from the mass media (although in the realm of celebrities and entertainment that might not be such a bad thing).

I was halfway expecting to see headlines proclaiming: Our Long National Nightmare is Over.

One can even place blame on Messers. Jackson, Abdul, and Cowell for choosing that bizarre character to make the cut of 24. But remember, even the best of professionals can still get it wrong every now and then.

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Good news: The Diamondbacks managed to score some runs in last night's game. Five, to be exact. I think that's more than they got collectively during that entire series with San Francisco.

Bad news: The opponent scored even more runs.

I'm not wailing and moaning. It's still early in the season and I have confidence this team will do OK. Not great, but certainly OK. No cellar-dwellers here.

Sunday thinking

So much, so much, so much.....

So much about which to muse, so little time to sit down and type. What do I share in this forum? What do I keep to myself?

I'll figure that one out as I go along.

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Part of me is enjoying the relaxed pace of a Sunday, while Geogal and Geoana watch “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,” the TV series, not the movie (which we have already seen).

Of course, last Sunday I relaxed by watching my latest Netflix offering, Bullitt, with Steve McQueen. A manly man's movie. And yes, after watching the movie beginning to end, I used the DVD's menu to watch the car chase sequence again.

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Phoenix Suns? NBA? Who cares? We tend to only watch college basketball in our house.

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Work life? Nothing noteworthy. Except that I plan to engage in the Great American Dream in a few months. I'll keep you posted.

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Regarding the tragedy in Virginia? I read this piece, with which I wholeheartedly agree. And shame on the broadcast media for repeated airings of that sicko's video he sent to NBC. My understanding is that the news outlets are now being taken to task by various factions. Good. Yes, I believe in freedom of the press. However I strongly assert a free press also must be responsible as well.

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That's it for now. More entries are forthcoming, of course. Now that April is slowly leaving us, I will plan some off-road and out-of-town ventures which may become featured in my companion blog.

Imus, Idol, and ideas

Clear the cobwebs off the computer--time to blog again.

I had genuine aspirations to do an entry earlier this week, but work demanded more of my time then anticipated.

I've been following the Imus controversy with some interest. Not a lot, but some.

So now he no longer has a radio show. So what? I was always under the impression his listenership was never all that big. And I haven't listened to him since the days I lived in Tucson. You see, radio there was so piss poor (still is) that his show was about the only thing worth listening to in the a.m. After moving to the Valley, I noticed he wasn't even on a station here for several years, and the station that was carrying his program locally, KXAM, is one of the bottom feeders on the AM dial, which is adding insult to injury.
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Do I even care about American Idol anymore? Not for this season. After Sundance and Chris got voted off, I lost all interest. As for you, Sanjaya--two words: Justin Guarini!
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I actually am quite busy these days, earning a living and such. Yet I am in the midst of developing and implementing one of my most ambitious endeavors ever. More about that later.....

The details, per popular demand

It's good to be reminded.

Geosister sent me an e-mail requesting I go into more detail about this entry. Here goes:

During my visit to Las Vegas, I suffered my worst bout of depression in years. Not only that, but come on? Being in a fun city, surrounded by numerous attractions not available in any other U.S. city?

Didn't matter. We got there Sunday late morning after a pleasant drive. I got to fulfill my desire to watch the tourney selection in the sportsbook (already shared that with you). And as eager as I was to visit Vegas, bear in mind that I don't gamble. (I have no major moral or religious objections to it. Gambling just does not appeal to me.) But the next morning, while out on a drive to obtain certain food items and other supplies, I felt sad.

More than the blues. Really down.

This mood persisted for the remainder of our stay. And it lasted until about Wednesday of the following week.

What happened?

Hard to say. Depression is one of those conditions that can have numerous and varied causes. I do keep in mind that it seems to run in my family. In my case, though, there may have been other factors. I'll share them here.

1) Isolation. Geogal was there for a conference (she has about three of these per year, and sometimes I will tag along. There were even occasions in the past where all three of us would travel, and Geoana and I would take in the sights while Geogal sat in meetings. This time Geoana stayed in Arizona with one of her friends, as Las Vegas is not known for being the most child-friendly city. I am an introvert and certainly derive strength from my times alone, but I am learning that I still need connection with other people on a regular basis. So, for most of the days there, I was disconnected from others. Sure, there are plenty of people moving about in these Strip resorts, but it's different from actual fellowship with friends or colleagues. And I'm sure I was missing my daughter.

2) Exercise. (The lack thereof.) I belong to a gym, and my routine nowadays is to drop off Geoana at school, then bust a sweat either doing cardio or weights. And yes, Caesars Palace did have exercise facilities, but with a charge of $20 per day. I did a considerable amount of walking during my visit, but that just isn't the same as aerobic exercise.

3) Disturbed sleep. Happened two out of our four nights there. I already described being awakened by the firework festivities followed by the Stardust implosion. Our last night in Vegas found us at the Mirage (the conference was over and we elected to go for a less expensive room). Advice to the Vegas visitor: don't get a third-story room at a resort. About 3 in the morning, we were awakened by the thump, thump, thump of loud music. Turned out it was coming from one of the lounges. The hotel manager got an earful from Geogal when we checked out. I learned that disturbing my sleep is one of the best ways to effect my mood--this being one of the many lessons learned from the time Geoana was born. That was the last time I suffered from depression of the level I am describing. Not only did I have no clue how to be a father or how to care for a newborn, but was dealing with a very dysphoric mental condition combined with Geogal having postpartum depression. After our sleep pattern was somewhat restored, the depression abated.

4) Spend spend spend. (And be gouged.) I'm trying not to be such a cheapskate, but yeesh! Stay at one of the top Vegas resorts, and it seems EVERYTHING costs extra. Want internet in your room? 10 dollars a day. Want a USA Today? 75 cents. Want to work out? I already mentioned that one. Want a cold nonalcoholic drink by the pool? 12 bucks. Tip not included. I could go on, but you get the idea. Maybe, just maybe my internal calculator added to my despondent mood. Particularly when I think about our road trip last October, when we stayed in medium-level hotels and got used to things such as free in-room wi-fi and a friggin' USA Today being provided at no charge.

5) Unmet expectations. I think this happens to anyone who travels to a particular destination, has a very enjoyable time, but on the subsequent jaunt things just are not the same, in the negative way. Both Geogal and I have been to Vegas previously so perhaps our mental expectations were just not met. I was looking forward to the trip, but as we were leaving for home on Wednesday, Geogal said she didn't feel any compelling need to ever visit Sin City again. I agreed.

Who knows? It may have been a combination of all the above items. Needless to say, Geogal's next business trip is to Colorado Springs in June.

I'm staying home.

Blurred insights

Geogal comes to me, shows me an article in one of the community-based weekly newspapers in southern Chandler. "Look at this," she said as she turned to one of the stories.

It featured my blog, along with some of the photos I used.

"Wow," I replied. "I didn't know anyone beyond family and assorted friends were regular readers of this stuff I just type every few days."

Then suddenly I am no longer sitting at my kitchen table. I am laying face-down on my bed.

The clock reads 3:30 (a.m.).

Just what that dream meant, I do not know. For the record I don't know what the vast majority of my early-morning dreams are supposed to mean. I am aware that our dream life helps us maintain our sanity so judging by the off-the-scale weird factor of a few of my own dreams, I am very likely the most sane, lucid person you may ever meet.

And to have wide readership of this blog? No thanks. I am a private person by nature, and I enjoy the intimacy I have with the visitors to this site. In some upcoming posts I will share more about what was so troubling for me last week, and the insights I gained from the experience.

Hook 'Em!

The game went about the way I expected it to. Actually, back up a bit. The final score was about what I expected. I'm glad the Aggies hung in there most of the game, and made it a contest.

But if they had to lose, well, no one better to take the "W" than the University of Texas.

As I alluded in an earlier entry, I watched the selection show from the sportsbook of Caesars Palace. I'm sure my expression was priceless when I learned who NMSU's opponent would be.

I'll be cheering for the 'Horns on Sunday.

And, since you asked, how was Las Vegas? Not that great, sad to say.

I won't go into much detail, but it was not the best out-of-town trip I had. And no, I didn't lose vast sums at the tables, nor do I have big guys with Italian surnames chasing me. No, I didn't get sick. No, I didn't get sunburned by the pool. No, Geogal and I did not have any conflicts during the trip. I just got broadsided by my own mind and body chemistry, something I never saw coming.

To quote Forrest Gump: "That's all I have to say about that."

Just another night in Sin City

I had a fleeting thought of attaching an image of the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada” sign, but the only way I could do so would be to violate someone else's copyright, so I won't proceed.

You can imagine it, though. I'm sure you've seen it.

There is nothing like waking up in the middle of the night (actually, make that having noise wake you up in the middle of the night), and realizing you are hearing the sounds of the Stardust Resort hotel implosion. I didn't even know it was scheduled to go down until Geogal clued me in yesterday.

Sure enough, about 2:30 this morning, pop, pop, pop. (Many more pops followed.) Unbeknownst to me, there was a fireworks display before the actual implosion.

There is a YouTube video of it here.

And no, we didn't see it. While our Caesar's Palace room window does face the general direction of the Stardust, not only were Geogal and I not about to get out of our warm comfortable bed, but our north-facing window view was blocked by both the Mirage and Treasure Island hotels.

Only in Vegas.

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After spending a couple of days soaking in the culture of man-made Las Vegas, I will reward myself this afternoon with a visit to the God-made mountainous area west of here.

I think I need it.

Congratulations, NMSU Aggies!

Their ticket is punched.

Outstanding job kudos go to Reggie Theus and all of the Aggie basketball players.

See you at the big dance.

Madness in full gear (maybe)

Go Aggies!

So far, the high point of this Saturday for me was to inform Geogal that Nevada lost last night.

As we will be traveling to Las Vegas tomorrow, I plan to watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show from the Caesar's Palace sportsbook. Although I am looking forward to the atmosphere I must acknowledge there will be no suspense for me. If NMSU wins tonight, they're in. If they lose, hello NIT. I won't hold out for an at-large berth.

I am not a college basketball historian. Yet I doubt Cinderella has ever been a small school in the southwest United States. Maybe the time is right.

Quiet weekend

Brain is still in slow mode. I can almost hear the message that is being fired from many neurons in the organ between my ears: "He worked hard for the last few weeks, give him the rest he needs."

Tomorrow, I am returning to familiar digs, doing a job I enjoy and at which I am somewhat good. So this Sunday is less stressful than the last several.

I do hope I can muster the needed mental and physical energy for the next couple of months. March features a sojourn to Las Vegas (starting a week from today!) and April contains two birthdays in the Geohouse, plus a third birthday in the extended family. April may or may not contain a visit from said family as well. Everyone reading this blog knows that even if family visits are congenial there is still a concurrent level of stress for everyone involved.

But there's always May.

Slow time

Seems it's that way for everybody in general. Not that there's any real problem or lack thereof. Even those who work in the media can tell you that not every day is loaded with significant events. And for the sports fan, well, this is the down time between the end of the NFL season, MLB just starting spring training, and March Madness still a couple of weeks (at least) away.

Speaking of the NCAA tournament, my beloved Aggies lost last Saturday. So, there goes any hope of an at-large berth. And the chance of them getting the automatic bid by winning the WAC tournament is rather small. Unless Nevada gets too overconfident and is eliminated in one of the early games. Hey, they are playing the tourney in Las Cruces. So...who knows?

I wonder if the Florida Bar is taking notice?

I thought his behavior was a little odd when I saw the news clips.

Yeesh, what some people won't do when the cameras are on. Is conducting oneself like a professional a lost art?

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Not much else to write about this week. My short-term assignment takes a lot out of me (suffice to say, it's not Whopper-flopping). Thus, my thinking-turning-to-writing tank is running somewhat low right now. Perhaps an extended drive outside of my area code will help.

Where do I start?

Chargers coach? Reaction to my Mac blog site? A rant about the decrease of quality in regard to my favorite animated programs?

Nope. Have to start with this.

My take: If it actually happens, it's win-win. The consumer gets more bandwidth, more choices, and can take advantage of XM's superior network of terrestrial repeaters. Combine the talent both of these services offer and create a channel for virtually every genre of music, and the service might just sell itself. Not to mention the appeal of the subscriber being able to listen to MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL games, plus Nascar and the like.

The only losers in this deal might be Opie and Anthony. Get Howard and there's no need to have any of his wannabees in the lineup.

I might have been quiet over the last few days...

...but I wasn't sleeping. Look here. Then click on "First Dirt Trip." It's better than it sounds.

Maybe this Phillips will have more success in the Lone Star State

I'm not as pessimistic as Gene Wojciechowski, writing for ESPN.com. Perhaps this is because I spent some of my drive-around-and-get-things-done time this afternoon listening to the guys on Sirius NFL Radio breaking down Mr. Jones' choice. Yes, time to fall back on the old adage of "time will tell."

Hopefully I'll never become like Hank Hill and talk to my Tom Landry commemorative plate when things get bad. (Truth be told, I don't even own any Cowboys merchandise beyond a T-shirt.)

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My postings are down a bit over the last week or so, due to me working a short-term assignment in the real world, subsequently taking me out of the house during the day and away from my beloved Macbook. Although the past few days showed me a higher stress level than I prefer, I am trying to remember what my dad told me just after I started working my first "real" job as a teenager: "It's all worth it when the paycheck comes in."
Maybe that still holds true.

Or I can just hang in there and remember how the difficult times build character. And remember that next month Geogal and I will get away to fabulous Las Vegas for a few days.

We all need to look ahead to something. And maybe this Saturday I will finally get the opportunity to take my truck (I guess I need to name it) on one of the numerous dirt roads in the vicinity. My plans for last weekend had to be scuttled at the last minute. If I do go, I'll take the camera and share the view with all of you.

You know....

You know your life is becoming trite when you have blogging dreams while asleep.

You know you are under a lot of stress when you ruminate about not having new blog entries for almost a week.

You know you need to switch your blog hosting site when it takes forever to log on, even with a broadband connection. Even if you just want to dash off a few lines of text.

And...congratulations to the Colts, Dungy, Manning, and the rest. Sometimes nice guys can and do finish first.

Vista schmista

My how the times have changed.

Remember 1995? August of that year, to be exact. Microsoft released Windows 95 to extreme fanfare, enlisting the services of Jay Leno and the cast of "Friends," commenting on the exquisite concept of right-clicking.

Now the world is on the verge of another high-level OS release from the Seattle-based-people-who-rule-computerdom. Except this time there is not quite the same level of hoopla and, it seems, less excitement from the consumers. Oh sure, we will see some video of customers running into a store come midnight, but overall the buying public just appears, well, blase to the anticipation of upgrading.

Why? Some good reasons are listed here, but I also think some computer veterans are no longer lured by Microsoft's promises of The Next Big Operating System being "all that." Too many bad experiences with 95, 98, ME, 2000, and XP. And missing the holiday season didn't help.

I think another reason that February of 2007 will in no way resemble August of 1995 for Microsoft is that most buzz these days comes from hardware, not an operating system. If you doubt this, just go to CNET and check out the subjects for most of their articles. (Hint: HDTV, Blu-ray, MP3 players, and the iPhone.)

For the Geohouse, the introduction of Vista will go unnoticed. Most of you know I tap-tap my blog entries using a Macbook. I also use it for my photos, web browsing, e-mail, iTunes, recording and managing music using my cool Christmas gift from Geogal (a USB turntable). Why did I purchase a Macbook last fall? Many reasons, but one of the biggest was my overall disgust over how fat and sloppy Windows-based PC's had become.

I can still recall the words of Geogal when I brought home the Macbook: "Now we live in a divided house." By that, she was referring to our desktop PC, a Dell unit running XP. She has since become a believer in the Mac and in OS X. Now, when it is time to replace the desktop, we will buy an iMac.

That's what we think of Windows. So enjoy this OS release, Microsoft. It might be the last one of this magnitude you will ever enjoy.