Leaving the Big D

This past week I was in Dallas, TX at a conference on Archiving and Digital Libraries at SIL International (more on my role with them is coming soon). What follows is a journal of my trek homeward:

5:45 pm enroute to DFW in the rain, stop off at a Taco Bell for quick bite, call the airline to confirm terminal, automated message says the flight is cancelled, decide to continue on to the airport

6:45 pm stand in line at C terminal, flight is cancelled due to severe storms, get on standby list for a 9:15 pm, security confiscates my half empty container of hair gel, walk to D terminal

7:10 pm arrive at D terminal, look for outlet to plug in my laptop, announcement says flight moved to C terminal, walk back

7:30 pm arrive at C terminal, storm is worse, flight now expected to leave at 10:30, sit and try rest

8:10 pm begin writing this post, weather still bad, play with iTunes

9:15 pm the Dulles Flight finally departed, start up conversation with other Nashvillians

10:30 pm the first officer finally arrived, boarding begins

10:45 pm they begin calling standbys

11:05 pm they call my name (they end up having enough room for all who are at the gate)

11:15 pm the plane departs the gate

1:00 am the plane arrives at the gate

1:30 am destination reached!

Music Report 1Q 2007

It's been a while since I last posted on my music. Since then I've picked up a few noteworthy albums and discovered some interesting new music. Here's my quick review of what's ended up on my iPod in the first quarter of 2007.

Oh! Gravity. - Switchfoot

This album feels very similar to their previous two, but does have enough stand out tracks to warrant a full album download. Highlights for me are "American Dream", "Awakening", and "Burnout Bright".






The Chess Hotel - The Elms

The Elms are a group I've been hearing buzz about for the last few years, and The Chess Hotel is considered their breakthrough album. If you love the unpolished and unapologetic rock n roll of the Rolling Stones or the Seventy Sevens, you'll want to check these guys out. Stand out tracks include "I Am the World" and the title track.





Blue on Blue - Leigh Nash

Leigh Nash adds some diversity to my "guy rock" heavy playlists. I dug her ethereal pop vocals as a part of Sixpence None the Richer, and her solo debut offers more of the same with a more pop feel (comparable with "Kiss Me" in tone and lyrics). I recommend "My Idea of Heaven" and "Ocean Size Love" as good introductory tracks.



I've been using iTunes more. Two tracks from the Cars Soundtrack (btw, the movie has grown on me with repeated viewings) are popular with our entire family: Sheryl Crow's "Real Gone" and Rascal Flatt's cover of "Life Is a Highway" (which I like more than the original). Our girls beg for the "Cars Music" to dance around the house to. I'm also digging Tom Petty's "Saving Grace" from last year's Highway Companion cd.

I've also been listening to a new podcast by Dr. Tony Shore called The Obvious Popcast. Tony used to host a very hip alternative music radio show called the A Zone. That show provided the soundtrack to my brief graduate school bachelor days. Anyway, his podcast has introduced me to the world of Power Pop (a close relative of Prog Rock). The podcast is free and will introduce you to both the genre and the quirkiness that is Tony. Also checkout the Blog.

Thanks to the good "doctor", I've discovered three new tunes, that I recommend: The Dissociatives "Somewhere Down the Barrel", The Feeling's "Fill My Little World" and "Someone to Love" by Fountains of Wayne (all available online).

Tennessee Game Days

I spent last weekend playing board games as part of Tennessee Game Days put on by my friend Rick and hosted in my church's gym. It was loads of fun playing some of my favorite games, learning new ones, and meeting new gamers. Here's my list of games played.

Andromeda - few can resist the temptation to shake the cosmic hockey puck
Big City - i managed to build the shopping center and still lost
Crokinole - imagine curling as a table game
Doge
Flaschenteufel
Hamsterrolle
History of the World - a marathon game (this one took 6 hours). i liked it but doubt that i will play it again anytime soon
Memoir '44
Memoir '44 - Pacific Theater - a great WWII 2-player game and the pacific expansion rules are fun.
Princes of Florence, The - #2 on my top 10 games - I don't play it nearly enough
St. Petersburg - played this for the second time and still haven't fully grasped the strategy, but i'm up for trying again
Werewolves of Miller's Hollow

The Great Global Warming Swindle

I consider myself a pretty open-minded individual with moderate to conservative political views. While I am pro-life, pro-War on Terror and opposed to "Big Government", I also oppose corporate subsidies, favor greater aid to the developing world, and like to think of myself as environmentally friendly (renew, re-use and recycle!). Lately I believe that the apocalyptic tone of the current global warming debate has gotten out of hand. At times, global warming proponents remind me of hardcore religious fundamentalists. A healthy dose of skepticism is in order and the BBC has provided that in this documentary. I'm posting part one of eight here and you can find the other parts here.