Now, the internal drive has been D-E-A-D dead for like two weeks, and no manner of IT voodoo that I do could get it even remotely operational. Then it just WORKS. I'm stunned and amazed for a moment before I hastily start backing up all the critical files. I get through the address book, e-mails, and photos before she crashes again.

I imagine I'll never know why exactly the computer decided to boot for me one last time, but now at least I can send her off for a warranty repair and not have to worry about loosing ALL of my critical data. So that is some measure of good news during an otherwise crappy day.

I also re-discovered Pitchfork Media, a music news and reviews site where hyper-critical indie-rockers go to learn what is cool. Seriously though, the reviews are more often that not fairly well written. The new review of To the 5 Boroughs is particularly good. Well, it is mixed, but the writing is good. Ch-Check it out...

The X-Prize contenders will make their official run a the title in two months time, but for me the important feat has been accomplished. The idea that space is the territory of governments and militaries is quickly dissolving. Soon space will be, like the rest of the American landscape, a corporate place.

Today a tiny craft has scratched the heavens, but tomorrow more ships, and rockets, and manned craft will pour through the rift created by SpaceShipOne.

The lack of laptop has been more painful than I had imagined as it means not having the powers of google, IMDb, and All Music at my fingertips (god forbid I walk into the bedroom to look up how old James Van Der Beek is) and blogging is therefore more difficult. Sue me, I'm lazy. So, until I get the 'book operational I imagine posts here will be a little fewer and farther between. I suggest you fill the huge hole in your day that would otherwise be spent reading about my random thoughts by backing up all important data on your computer. Twice.

I haven't had to open my bookmark folder full of job-search sites in two weeks; even though I still occasionally check Craig's List out of a habit too deep-rooted to break. I have also discovered that sometime during my 9 months of unemployment (plus the 6 weeks at the court reporting place) I have completely changed as a worker. I'm now much more efficient, organized, and generally "on point" then I ever have been before. My only explanation is that I now appreciate working much more than in the past and see it truly as a privilege and less as a sentence. I can only hope that outlook will stick with me!

I also thought I would take this opportunity to explain what it is that I do now that I have a better grasp of my position. My title is "Digital Sales Assistant" and basically I am the grease (or lube if you will) that keeps the gears of the sales floor running. I am the liaison between the digital sales guy(s) and the inventory processor/manager and am in charge of pulling orders, making sure stuff we don't have gets ordered, and making sure the systems get built. In addition I build quotes for clients for anything from tape-stock orders to full FCP editing systems as well as put out any fires that spring up during the day. It is a good mix of dealing with clients, problem solving, and techy stuff, and the position seems to be constantly developing.

So yeah, in other words: so far so good!

So, with no further adieu, and in no particular order:

Regan: Dude, he was ninety three. Get the fuck over it. Flags at half mast? 80K mourners? A national day of mourning? 9-fucking-3 and for the last 10 of that in poor health. I don't remember Ford getting that kind of treatment when he died.

The Shins: A great show. The over-arching "theme" of the collected catalog (of which they played everything) was really reinforced by the earnest and energetic live performance. You could clearly tell the band was stoked to be playing the Wiltern, and that translated into some great moments. The Shins' music is all about getting of your ass and chasing your dreams, and with some more time and energy I would love to expound about that, but onward...

D-Day: Monday marked 60 years since one of the most nobel and greatest moments in our county's history. And I was disgusted that our President drew comparisons between that Day and todays conflict in Iraq. The idea that, somehow, Terrorists (real or imagined) or equitable to Hitler and the Nazis is beyond laughable and by even implying it Bush has marred the solemn remembrance of the thousands of soldiers that died in the surf and the fields of Normandy so that he could have a country to drag though the mud 60 years later.

My Job: It is going very well. Not much more to report on that front.

The New Apple Gizmo: Check it out, I'll wait. Ok. At first I thought it was cool, and then I couldn't decide if it actually was cool or if I just got blinded by Steveo's conjurer act. Then I read that it actually does work as a bridge for ethernet devices and it will work with non-apple routers, so now I'm deciding if it will go in the living room, the bed room, or if I should just buy two. My prediction is this is just the tip of the iceberg for the "Digital Hub" this summer.

I'll get to everything (hopefully) but for now I've got to take care of some domestic duties...

I'll post more indepth in a while, right now I gotta light a fire and cook some dinner for my baby who'll be home any minute.