Random Sputterings: 12/30/2001
 

More TV: I've been bouncing between VH1 and PBS. VH1 is currently showing all their "Behind the Music" shows in alphabetical order. When I turned on VH1 at 3:30 this morning, they happened to be starting the Depeche Mode one, so I had to watch it...for the 9th time. Neil Diamond and Celine Dion followed afterward. I must say, as much as her music irritates me, the story on Celine Dion was very good.

About 15 after 6, I happened to turn on WHYY (Philadelphia's PBS station) and started watching a movie that was on. The movie happened to grab my attention...at first, I thought it was "The Great Gatsby." Unfortunately, I had missed the first part of it. It was about this architect who had apparently been blacklisted, later rose again, and found himself in a battle for his individuality. It was really bizarre, but intriguing. We had no idea what the movie was since we didn't have a TV guide. After looking at WHYY's site, it turns out it was "The Fountainhead," based on the novel by Ayn Rand. I've heard much about her, but have never read any of her books. I may have to head up to the Free Library tomorrow.

Then, NJN (the New Jersey PBS affiliate) was showing "Jazz," the series by Ken Burns. I had seen most of it before, but couldn't help watching it again. This lasted most of yesterday and today. Some of it gets hokey, but overall, I think it's brilliant. Jazz is such a great art, and the story behind its roots is fascinating. I definitely want to get the boxed set of the music featured in the series.

Miles Davis recorded 4 albums in 2 days...2 days! Man, it takes some artists 2 YEARS to put out one record.

The Joys of Swiffer: I think Swiffer is one of the greatest creations ever made. It's not perfect, but it beats a broom anyday.

Ringing in 2002: So, what's everyone doing for New Year's? Rho and I aren't doing jack shit. We'll probably just sit at home, watch the ball drop, and that will be it. For some reason, since the whole millenium extravaganza 2 years ago, New Year's just seems blah.

The last time I did anything "exciting" for New Year's was 3 years ago. My friend Ryan and I decided to drive to Chicago after I got off work on New Year's Eve. This was 6pm. We got to Chicago about 11. We picked up Mimi, drove around, got shot at, and crashed at a hotel, where we proceeded to drink and eat White Castles.

We headed back around 3pm on New Year's Day...a major winter storm was headed for the midwest at that point. We hit it in Bloomington, about 90 miles southwest of Chicago. And it just came down...and became a blizzard in no time. A 5 hour drive wound up taking 8. Tons of cars were stalled either in the median or on the side of Interstate 55. My friend Ryan was higher than a kite on pot. It was a mess.

My vices: Other than the Playstation, I've been drinking more soda than I normally do (which is almost none). I used to be the biggest soda jerk going through high school. A 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper a day was not out of the ordinary. I finally got out of that phase and brought it down to almost none 2 years ago. But every now and then, I get a taste for it. In these soda attacks, I promptly rush to Rite Aid and buy 2-liters of Dr. Pepper, Sunkist, and Canada Dry Vanilla Creme soda. After this, the craving subsides.

My vice is computers. I spend way more time with them than I should. I know it's something that I shouldn't do, but I do anyway. I guess we all have 'em. Oh well. I just can't pull myself away.

Goodbye 2001...not sad to see you go.

Hello 2002...hopefully you will be better than the last. :)

Hahaha. You're such an ass, man. :)

Is it just me, or does anybody else take 6 monthes for the new year number to finally set in? I bet its a problem with my subconscious. I need to get that checked.




But in all seriouslyness, 2001 sucked. Nothing good came out of it: recession (thanks Dubya!), terrorism (11-9-2001), adultery & policiticians (Condit & Ch. Levy), elections (Bush vs. Gore), sports (no olympics, riots, cheating, drug use and spousal abuse), and technology (DMCA, RIAA, MPAA, etc...). So much for the big blast of a beginning to the new millenium.

It'll probably take me 3 or 4 months to remember it properly. Although, since I don't have to write much, maybe it won't manifest itself.

Now on the sports front, I'd have to disagree. The Arizona Diamondbacks won a championship only 4 years after their beginning. We said goodbye to three of the classiest baseball players around: Cal Ripken, Jr., Tony Gwynn, and Mark McGwire. Ray Bourque won his first Stanley Cup. Lance Armstrong won another Tour de France.

2001 did suck. But I remember a lull between the beginning of August and September 11th, where things were relatively peaceful, and the news was surprisingly quiet.

2002 is starting out great with a Whose Line is it Anyway marathon on Comedy Central.

We were flipping channels after midnight last night, and came upon CN8, which was showing a story on the history of the Smashing Pumpkins. And it was very good...better than a "Behind the Music" would probably be.

Later on, we were watching CNN, and they were flashing back to the celebrations of 2000. I remember watching CNN that entire day, watching people all over the world celebrate the beginning of 2000. But the one thing that pissed me off about last night's flashback was that they left out Paris. IMO, the only city that came close to Paris's welcome was Washington, DC. It was simply awesome...and they completely cut it out. Man, I was pissed!

Yeah. The recession was Dubya's fault. Pay no attention to the fact that my family, personally, watched our stocks deflate by nearly a million dollars all of 2000, before he was even in office. I guess that's just coincidence.

The Bush-Gore election was in 2000 too. Wow! That whole fucking thing, as a matter of fact, was sorted out in 2000.

If the only things that stand out to you, technology wise, in 2001 are the DMCA, RIAA and MPAA, maybe you forgot to read about all the other cool things that happened. I'll give you one right here: AMD's 760MP chipset, which I'm employing to write this post. Also, the DMCA took place in 2000, as did the beginning of all of the RIAA & MPAA strongarming. Napster effectively died in 2000. A lot of bad shit happened in 2000. About the only things that happened in 2001 were the Sklyarov proceedings and the Felten case & dismissal. BFD. But we also got cheaper components, better components, faster components, the GameCube, the Xbox, the Dreamcast at $50 a pop, advances in fuel cell technology, Slashdot being a horrible piece of shit, etc. 2001 wasn't all bad.

Ooops. 2000 and 2001 are starting to mush together in my head right now. But all things are, I have only gotten about 10 minutes of sleep in teh past 48 hours.




In all this pessimism about 2001 I have to point out one thing that was good. Mario Lemieux made his return to playing hockey. Or was that 2000. Whatever. The Penguins need all the help that they can get, and trading that pazie Jager away was probably one of the best things that they could have done. Oh yeah, Lindros was traded too, thus destroying any chance the Philidelphia Flyers have at being good. Go Penguins!

How ironic for you that the Flyers are gonna take over first place in the same week that Eric gets his 7th concussion.

Does that put him over the limit? Can he play anymore?


I hope so (how cruel, I know). He was just a big oaf who could smash the shit out of someone and carry the puck for 20 feet. Not much in terms of talent, but at least he brought some fans to the sport of hockey.

According to ESPN, he may be back Saturday. They're also saying Lemieux will be back next week.

Hey, am I the only one who thinks the NHL should scrap the NA/World setup for the All-Star Game?

no, verbatim, to me it's still 1989.