We truly have much to be thankful for in this country. While it is far from perfect, it is still the best country to live in today, and we owe much to those who stood up for their rights 228 years ago, and the many who have fought to defend those rights through the years, all the way down to today.
Here are some fireworks for you, courtesy of, strangely enough, the New Jersey Assemblies of God Youth website. (thanks, Camille!)
Today several of the big email providers said that they back a proposal to cut off spam-sending machines from the internet. This is a fine a dandy idea (more new business for me when folks call needing their machines fixed), but it seems to me a better way of approaching things would be, instead of trying to track down and prosecute the spammers, to go after those who pay the spammers…the idiots who advertise in this fashion. All the spam mails have an eventual physical destination (they have to get their money somehow); these are the folks that need to be taken out.
I really get a sense of accomplishment when I complete the New York Times crossword puzzle. They increase in difficulty through the week; I’m not happy unless I can finish Monday’s in less than 10 minutes, and I’m ecstatic if I can finish Saturday’s at all (I did this week, with some help from Roy on the bus to College Station). Sunday’s is different: it is about Thursday-level difficulty, just bigger, and with a theme to many of the answers given in the title. This week’s was “Moving the Bar,” which I didn’t understand until I had gotten a few of the answers down…they were all phrases that had a letter ‘H’ changed to a letter ‘N’, hence, moving the bar. I particularly liked 22 Across: Clingy duchess? SARANFERGUSON.
One of my friends from the LBJ School, Dan Benavides, took his life last week. Dan was an incredibly kind and thoughtful man. We had a lot of fun in Austin playing racquetball and poker and joking in the Hobby/Keel PRP. Dan was an Assistant DA in Dallas, and was making a difference.
He called me the week before, and we played phone tag, but he never said what was wrong…just asked me to pray for him.
I did, and I am. I don’t know what was torturing him…I just know that he didn’t have to go to this extreme.
To everyone: please, please, please!!!! If you ever think about hurting yourself, call me or someone else before acting. I beg of you.
And say a prayer for Dan.
edited 4/7/04: WARNING! The following was an APRIL FOOLS’ DAY JOKE! I am not moving.
Most of you know that I have been wanting to turn singing from an avocation into a vocation for some time. A few of you know that I had been looking at possibly relocating to further that goal. Well, it turns out I will be. Last month I sent in an audition CD to the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, and I just found I I’ve been accepted into their company as a chorus member and baritone understudy for the 2004-2005 season! I’ll be in Houston through the summer (so THE Party *shall* happen!), but will be relocating sometime in late August.
I have struggled with the idea of leaving for a very long time. But, rest assured, I will be visiting as often as I can! And y’all can always come up and visit me…though I doubt I’ll be able to afford a place with a dedicated guestroom like here.
NYGASP won’t be able to pay all the bills, so I’ll still be doing computer consulting. If you know of anyone in the City who needs computer help, let me know!