Orson

So I got my new computer last Thursday.

I didn't open it and start it up til Friday night because my sister had her computer here and my folks were staying the night Thursday on their way back up from TX so it wasn't a good time to add distractions.

Friday in the first 15 minutes of "operation" I had 7 blue screens that restarted the computer. This frustrated me. What frustrated me even more was when the operator from Dell noted that I only had a one year warranty, implying that I should get a longer warranty. I curtly replied that apparently a one week warranty would be long enough, because I've already had problems with my computer, and that now was not the time to up sell me. He subsequently transferred me . . . to a busy signal. I didn't bother again until Sunday, when Muhammad was able to talk me through testing each of my 2GB RAM slots. That fixed things when we found on to be iffy. So they're sending me a replacement and I'm working with "only" 2 GB of RAM.

I'm not very excited about Vista. Right now, until one of my student workers contacts his uncle, I get this lame ass error message about not having permission and them having missing pathways, even when I open Internet Explorer, same thing when I click links that would open a new window/tab. This apparently will be fixed by adjusting the administrator, so says student worker Shann. There are also occasions of nonresponse, curiously enough when I'm trying to download Firefox.

I am happy with my backlit keyboard (an inexplicable contrived necessity I latched on to when configuring my laptop). And I'm renting a bluray disc from Netflix, so I can test my bluray player.

Oh, this post is titled Orson because that is the name I chose for my computer. Orson comes from the Latin for bear.

Celebrity Pivot Questionnaire Answers (or me clearing space on my DVR)

I'll provide the sets of answers and you match with the celebrities that answered during their Inside the Actors' Studio interview with James Lipton.

Here's the questions for a refresher:
1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. What turns you on?
4. What turns you off?
5. What sound or noise do you love?
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
7. What is your favorite curse word?
8. What profession other than yours would you like to undertake?
9. What profession would you not like to attempt?
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear god say when you arrive at the pearly gates?


A. 1. Laugh.
2. Hell.
3. My (spouse).
4. Arrogance. Arrogance, definitely.
5. My daughter laughing.
6. I think a lot of people have said this before, but I think the sound of a child in distress.
7. Bollocks.
8. When I was younger, I always said, if it didn't work out for me, that i would have been very interested in being a make-up artist I think. I just always loved painting faces.
9. I would not like to attempt being one of those poor people who are forced to work in factories filleting chickens and things like that. That would just be horrendous.
10. Care for a glass of champagne?

B. 1. Panache.
2. Should.
3. Food.
4. The dentist's drill.
5. I love the sound of an auditorium, like when the curtain goes down and the orchestra are tuning up. I love that sound
6. The dentist's drill. Any guess where I was today?
7. Bullshit. I think curse words should all be two syllables. A little more to get your mouth around.
8. I would like to be like the host of a variety show, you know like a Dave Letterman.
9. Chef. I've been a waiter in too many places, and I've seen how they . . . no. Chef for me.
10. The food is excellent.

C. 1. Honor.
2. My least favorite word is the n word no matter who says it, what context it's said in. I've known all my life that it was a word that was only meant to do harm. I hate it.
3. Words, not mine, but words.
4. Humiliation, especially toward a defenseless child.
5. It's the most precious and underrated sound in our lives, and that's silence.
6. The din that passes for pleasure and joy in public places like restaurants where people think that the only way they can show that they're enjoying themselves is to scream.
7. Mine is very dull because it is neither scatological nor obscene, it's profane, but it's offensive to some people and I apologize when I say it, Nowbut you can really tell I'm upset when I say it, Jesus Christ.
8. I would like to be a premier dancer. I would like to be a classical dancer, but with this provision, forever young and never injured.
9. That is very easy, one word, executioner.
10. You see (name), you were wrong, I exist, but you may come in anyway.

D. 1. I am fascinated with reality, the word reality.
2. Reality.
3. I like to see people happy. I like the feeling of community, it makes me feel safe.
4.
5. I guess when my kids laugh. That feels good. When a crowd laughs, that feels good. Laughter, I like laughter. But not that humiliating "ha-huh."
6. Anything that will intentionally inspire fear.
7. I don't know if I have a favorite, like if someone was cursing me out and I go, "I'm really glad you used that one 'cause it's my favorite." But I usually start with golly and it gets progressively worse.
8. After seeing Ironman I thought maybe being a crimefighter, but in all honesty, employing the skills I already have. These hands have not done a hard day of work, all my heavy lifting in life has been psychological and emotional so the inside of my mind looks like Denzel's back in Glory.
9.
10. Good job, congratulations. Something welcoming.

E. 1. Chambers, you know, "let's retire to chambers."
2. Bowel.
3. Enthusiasm.
4. Snobbery.
5. An egg dropping in milk.
6. A ringing phone in 1970s television
7. Motherfucker, is the best, just cuts through everything.
8. I'd love to be a rockabilly singer for like a year.
9. I think pornography.
10. (name), how did you do it?

Celebs:

Hugh Jackman
Kate Winslet
Conan O'Brien
Dave Chapelle
James Lipton

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band kicked ass.

I knew I was in for a treat when their opening lineup was drums, washboard, and National guitar. He switched between a couple different nationals and a flat top he bought from off the wall of a restaurant. I thought his is vocal style was reminiscent of a possessed livestock auctioneer.

Check out their videos from the website. The video they filmed for their song Mama's Fried Potatoes was picked up by MTV Latin America, so they're gonna be really big in Argentina. Beings that they're from Southern Indiana, I was also thrilled that they have a Persimmon Song. And while the Peyton family hasn't won the persimmon pudding eating contest at the Persimmon Festival in Lawrence County, IN, their recipe for persimmon pudding did get a first prize blue ribbon, and you can get it in the liner notes for their most recent album, of which the Persimmon Song is the last song.

I first learned of American Persimmons when I learned of cherimoya, after reading a book by Raymond Sokolov called Why We Eat What We Eat: or How Columbus Changed the Way the World Eats.

UPDATE: I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the Amalgamators' set was the best I've seen from them.

Back and Better Than Ever

Wow, it's been almost a month since I last posted.

Briefly, I'm going to a concert tonight and tomorrow night. I had a blast in Des Moines. I ordered my Dell Studio 1537 with Blu-Ray and backlit keyboard. And I've started dating someone.

You know how the elderly request a card shower instead of gifts for their anniversary or birthday? Well, for my golden birthday, 28 on the 28th, I'm requesting a recipe shower.

Murvoqueo Cuevas