Small Town

So usually I try to be really good with remembering names and people and who knows my family and such, but in a small town such as this it gets difficult sometimes, and I will occasionally forget a name. Well, there is one lady that knows me-whom I would think doesn't know about this blog, so it is safe to post this- that I don't know. She remembers my parents from 10 years ago, and recognizes me in connection with them, and knows my name and asks how I am and how I have been and if I have contacted people whom I didn't really know that well 10 years ago! Perhaps she thinks that I good friends with their kids, but really... no so much. I kinda knew them, but we weren't really close then, and I think I am facebook friends with one of them, but I'm not sure.

-I have to interject, and dude, really, if you are going to look at pictures of scantily clad females in the library, at least do us all a favor and sit in the back row, NOT in the front where you are showing it to everyone sitting behind you. It gets kinda awkward.

So back to that. It is weird to see her, and have her ask about my family, and I can't return the favor, because I don't remember who her kids are, or what their names are, or anything like that. and I can't use the "Hey, I am really sorry, but I have forgotten your name" excuse, because I have already used it!

But HA HA! I have the patented "I-don't-remember-your-name-but-can-still-talk-to-you" method that I developed in college, and still use to this day! What is it? Well, I can't tell you that, but lets just say that I have found a way to address people know that I am talking to them without having to use their name to attract their attention, and therefore nobody that I talk to knows if I have their name memorized or not! This came in handy in college, as I went to a large university, and I regularly saw people who remembered me, but I didn't remember them! So I used this method with her, and viola! She went away, perhaps a little offended that I didn't ask as to her family and children, but fully believing that I fully remember her and know who it was who asked me to tell my parents that she said hi and Merry Christmas!
Ahhh small towns...
MBc

Library

I don't know how many times I have a post to write that has come about while just sitting in the library. In this library, to print things you  click print, and then you have to get up and put money in the ... whatever the word is that is opposite of dispenser ... and click print. While doing this you are no longer at your computer. Well, when I arrived today, a gentleman had taken the seat of a lady who had been printing something. She protested, and the computer lab assisstant went over to help rectify the situation. The gentleman was a little elderly, and started protesting, how "where he comes from when a computer is free no one is sitting there" while she was trying to quietly get her computer back. She did, and he left in a huff, saying loudly that he was "done with you people."

..... umm, I really don't know what to say to that. It seems like a situation that really just shouldn't be a situation. I mean, really? So you were in her seat, is it really that difficult to get up and leave? To admit that perhaps, just perhaps, one of the things you thought to be certain about this library is, in fact, not? Why is it so hard to admit fault and to know that we are, in fact, -GULP- capable of mistakes?
Oof, people sometimes...
MBc

Wikileaks

Have you been keeping up with the Wikileaks saga? What are your thoughts about it? I don't know if I am decided yet on if he should be doing that or not. Yes it is important for a government to be held accountable, but there is a certain amount of behind the scenes legwork and discussion that we as a public really do not need to know.

But on the other hand perhaps more transparency would help? But then, if each government was fully transparent, it would be quite easy to get dates and locations of convoys and troop movements, and then it would be pie for someone with ill intent to cause considerable damage. So I guess I think that the leaks shouldn't happen, because the less information potential terrorists have regarding our troop movements the better it is. As to our politicians, what are you going to tell me, that they are corrupt? Yeah.... that one I have figured out on my own...
MBc

Flies

It's interesting, being a fly on the wall for the founders day celebration at the community college I work at. Seeing people congregate in their little knots f friendship and comfort, professionalism and boredom. The littl girl in her christmas outfit
moving around with her mom, who just happens to be the president of the college. Being greeted by said president and her husband, and then back to my flyishness.

Making small talk with the people around me. Noting the joviality of the room in the canned Christmas music and the lightly fluttering conversations around me.
I like being a fly.
MBc

Cadillac

"If you be lackin'
(License Plate #)
You ain't Cadillac'n"

I saw this on the way to work. Rather interesting, don't you think? It makes somes sense if you think about it, because if someone lacks money they certainly aren't going to get a Cadillac. However, in the grammatical sense, its horrendous, and one would think that if someone lacks sense of grammar and proper pronounciation-something that I would harp on the kids where I taught to do-then they would also be lackin' a caddy. I dunno, but rather an interesting sight.
MBc

I get it

Mad scientists of the world, I empathize. I get it. Not the need to conquer the world, but the difficulty of pushing onwards past experiments gone awry. I just massively failed at making sourdough bread-but the first time I was successful-and had to throw away mass quantities of flour, water, starter, and salt just now. I tried to contain it, but the mixture was too much water and not enough everything else. When I realized that in no way could I save it without additional mass quantities of flour. As I loaded it into the trash bag to throw away, and carried it to the dumpster, I thought of the mad scientists of the world who, like me, had to give up an experiment or two because of the same setbacks. So I am sorry when your experiments fail. It's disappointing, and I get it.

In completely unrelated news, I have no idea how to transfer bakers percentages into cups, and I don't think that my dough will turn out right based on what I have...
MBc

Did you hear about the piece of artwork outside the CIA's headquarters? It's been 20 years since the artist put it up, and people are still working on the final code in the series! How cool is that? No one has gotten more than two letter right so far, though they have tried for a while now, so the artist gave the NY Times a clue to distribute, that letters 64-69 are the word "BERLIN," because I think he is tired of waiting for someone to get it right! And this from an artist who was just given a crash course in cryptology from a retired CIA agent! I think he may have perhaps missed his true calling!
MBc
and yes, I read the NY Times a lot :)

Yep

Things are picking up! We have a rather big show coming up-see who it is here-and are starting to get everything organized and situated. Which is pretty exciting! I do need to work on running some lines out to the backstage area so communication can happen easier in that direction, but overall I think that things are looking up! Well, I also need to check monitors, EQs on the monitors, sends from the board to monitors, getting a snake ran, and various other things, but since I have monday and part of tuesday to work on those it'll be fine!

In other news, has anyone been following the progress on the Stuxnet worm? Its rather fascinating how they are systematically decoding it and trying to pinpoint the location of the authors, plus all of the various clues that they are possibly finding within it, or perhaps those clues were red herrings designed to mislead people who tried to figure out who sent it? Regardless, I think its pretty cool.
MBc

Big News!!

Demi Levato just punched out a back-up dancer, and the royal heir is getting married! And.... I just don't really care. Call me crazy, but does all that really matter? Are our lives so mundane that we need to look to pop culture to find something to fill it up with? A student where I work was recently remarking about those topics, and the whole time I was thinking to myself "and WHY do I care?" Definitely two different perspectives, because she was pouring through that magazine as if it were sacred text containing the answer to the universal question, which we all know is 42.

Did she make mention of the fact that the Germans have elevated their threat level? That airport terminals are suddenly using full body scanners? Nope! "Demi levato is a b***h, and I should know, because I am one, and if I were in her shoes I would be just like her."

Sigh, this is not an encouraging conversation to listen to.
MBc

Hello!

Well Hi! How are you? I hope that you are well. Hahahaha, so I inadvertenly was signed in when I posted on the blog for the New Community Church mission team, so when I looked at my post I realized that it said "Mr Buttercup" and realized my folly! So I hope that you are doing well friend reader!

So I confess that I usually don't have set topics to embark upon, and it is rather rambly when I do post. Every now and again I am able to have a topic I want to post about and am on the site, but more often than not I think of a good topic when I am driving or in the grocery store, so by the time I am home it has gone far far away. I guess I need to start writing that stuff down now huh? In closing, did you read about the rise in defections to South Korea?
MBc

Weird

So this year I am not going on the DR mission trip that my church does. I have gone the past two years, and it was a weird feeling this morning that I woke up to, knowing that they will all be in a different country by dinnertime, and I'll be here. I am definitely missing it right now, definitely kinda bumming out. So I think that I'll go home and drink some coffee and either watch a movie or read. Yeah, that sounds good...

Its time

So I don't know why this caused whatever was needed to click in my brain, however the inability to purchase a motorcycle this past weekend caused something inside of me to twist, and suddenly I see my position in life as if from an outside opinion! I see that I will not be going anywhere unless I can get some sort of applications out there, and getting my name accross. My current job is not looking like it will become full time, and to make matters more interesting, they want to keep me limited to 20 hours a week. Sorry, but I can't expect to work that little and still make a living. Sure I have two jobs, but at the coffeeshop all of the employees there are looking for hours, so those might be hard to come by. So we will see...
Anyone know any job openings?
MBc

Woot!

So I've passed 10 posts! That's pretty good I think, considering that I don't actually have Internet access at home, and I don't like getting on at work, because then my employer will be able to see what I am doing, which just isn't good.

Did you hear about the rescue of the miners in Chile? How cool is that!?! I was really pumped to hear that they had gotten rescued, and to find that they were actually televising the rescue! Having good news be the focus of a broadcast was really nice! It actually had a cheering effect on my day! Wow, people like it when they hear good news! What a strange occurance... :)

So at work I've been looking up different microphones and such, and there are a lot of good ones out there, and a lot of crap ones out there. Yes I know that money isn't everything, but sometimes a $70 microphone is just that.... I am also learning a whole lot about the sound system that we currently have, which is even better! So I am enjoying both of my current jobs, which is nice! Now if they could just pay more... Anyone need a sound engineer for anything?
MBc

Well

So I usually get online during my lunch break. Its pretty cool, because I get an hour, so I have time to eat and time to dither about on the internet before I have to get back to work. and I have someone following my blog! Which is rather exciting, so hello person! :)

So have I posted yet about the place where I work? Its a theatre, and the sound equipment works, mostly, and about half of the dimmers (things that power the lights) work. Plus whoever had my job before me was a slob, and so I have been cleaning up after them since... well, the beginning of september! Not a very good position to be in, but at least I am getting hours! And today I had to give a spiel(sp?) to a group of ladies about our upcoming theatre series, and how excited we are, and so on and such forth. I think that I fumbled through half of it, and I kept looking down (probably because I am used to addressing elementary school kids) but I think it went well overall. We'll have to see about that.... Oop, breaks over!
MBc

Yup

So I have already started lagging behind in posts. We had to watch "Cats" today in lighting class. I left after about 70 minutes, as while it was cool, it was a LOT to take in at once. I mean, I like cats as much as anyone else, but this was a bit much. So here I am posting about it. I really don't know what to ramble on about. I know that I used to ramble quite a bit on the last blog that I had, but I really have no idea what I should be or could be posting about.

But I will say that the Guatuamalan coffee that I am drinking via. French Press is rather tasty, but not very noteworthy. The same could be said for the El Salvadore that I had the week before. I wonder if my taste buds have changed so much as to not be able to differentiate between the two coffees, or the fact that both are central american, and thus have similar flavor profiles just means that I don't have quite the refined palate. Yet.
MBc

A bit of a rant

<rant>
One of the staggering things is what is currently going on in the mexican boarder RIGHT NOW, and what is on the front page of MSN? The stress of the oceans, the earth, fashion, the simpsons, an article about perhaps money doesn't grow on trees, noting that bristol palin is on dancing with the stars, and finally how jimmy carter is in hot water. Really? Do we really need to know that?

I am getting rather fed up with this saturation of news that frankly, just doesn't matter. I am not one who reads the news all that often, but still, it would be nice if world happenings were to be reported. What would happen if everyone were to start caring about our bloodthirsty neighbors in mexico, and the violent drug war that the cities authorities are currently waging? To prevent this massive bloodshed to spill into America?
</rant>
Ok, Why is a raven like a writing desk?
MBc

Limerick!

There once was a very large dog
Who got stuck in a rather small bog
He said "oh this stinks!"
As he started to sink
For he noticed the oncoming fog

I know that's a horrible thing, but I came up with it myself!

Conductors Angst

This is actually a post I have been wanting to write for a while. I had the idea one day while teaching music to a class, and I was trying to get the students to follow along with my counting as they played on their glockenspiels the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb," or something similar. While I was "conducting" I realized how difficult it would be to be an actual composer. They have to actually be AHEAD of what they are hearing, because when they conduct they have to allow for the light reflecting off of themselves to hit the eyes of the musicians, and for the musicians to react and find and play the correct note. Now yes the musicians will have been practicing the music, and will probably be able to play their section quite well by themselves, but. The composer is the metronome for the entire orchestra, and he is also in charge of the overall feel of the music. No matter if the sheet music says to be quite, if they want it loud, then as a musician following them you MAKE it loud!

How nerve wracking must that be to be the composer? To stand in front of this mass of people, all hanging on what YOU do, and how YOU direct them. The musician just has to follow and play. That's it. (and someone in the lab is wearing perfume that smells like strawberries. Which is nice, except that there isn't anyone within 6-7 feet of me, so how strong must THAT be???) Sure that will be somewhat challenging since they also have to keep an eye on their music, but that is why they practice!

So I just thougtht that that would make an interesting post.
MBc

A ponderance

Well, I am posting on the road! I am in a hotel currently, and actually I think that I am going to complain to the desk because I have stayed here before without complaints, and it seems like my room is a bit more humid than it should be... And I kinda dong want to get stick.

In other things, I wanted to post how weird it is that people all have different lives and perspectives, and we rarely notice this. On the way back to the hotel I noticed a few different things which will support this.

One was a party happening on the third floor of the apartment, and it has students there all drinking and having a good time.

The second was a couple in a car, and I heard the girl getting angry with the guy, and this stayed with me for a few reasons. One was that the guy had my name, so whenever she would say his name, I wanted to turn my head. Another wad that they were parked in a handicapped zone. Not because I think either was handicapped, but they had just needed to pull over and talk. And third because she was talking about their past relationship an how the current one was strained because of him... And from what I heard, she was right. So bravo to her.

The third was a group of girls all set to go out partying tonight! They had met outside of the apartment complex, and were all just talking up a storm and excited about the coming evening. Wow. A few years ago I would have been out wig my friends at 12:15 am and thought nothing of it, and no here I am looking forward to bed!

But anyway, I just wanted to point out that the people involved in each of those different groups had no idea the others existed. Each were merely concerned with their own agenda.

Why Hullo ev'ry body!

OH NO HURRICANE EARL IS COMING RUN FOR THE HILLS GRAB YOUR WIFE AND KIDS FORGET THE DOG MAYHEM MAYHEM MAYHEM!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

At least that is what the general idea is. Part of me is concerned about it, but another part of me knows via what I have over heard and the one glimpse at the satellite footage that I had a few days ago that it isn't going to be that bad, and we might get some wind and rain, but I don't think that anything awful is going to happen. Call me crazy, but no. I mean, really? No. (addendum; Ok, Earl has moved a bit further west than I thought it would go, so we might get stronger winds, but still I am not all that concerned. Too much.)

Its weird being back in the computer room at COA. I came here I don't know how often to check email and look at cars and... well, I don't really know what else I did here, but I spent quite a long time in these labs here. Funny. I have been all through Elizabeth City since I graduated. and you know what? I still kinda want to leave. But I really enjoy my job right now, and it IS a job, and I get to move and connect and disconnect and fiddle with lights and sound and combine and yeah, its fun :)
MBc

You know

...it would be pretty cool if I could change the font to Viner Hand ITC, but I am still unsure as yet how to do much here, and a full belly isn't really going to be helping me divine that right now as I just want to post and then go back to my book. 

I am currently on the 3rd book in the Legacy of the Force series. One of the things that I have noticed about star wars books is that however unclear the trials are that the characters are facing, for the reader it is always clear cut. We always know what is going on with both sides, or at least have some inkling of it, and so while we may get more upset when reading about a certain situation that the characters are in(hey, I get serious about my Star Wars) we always see the plain fight of good vs. evil. (and wow, simon and garfunkel's "Wednesday morning at 3 am" is great!) We don't see the point that I was trying to make, because the music changed to Harry Connick jr. and I just lost my train of thought, which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me. 

So for a complete change of topic, if you want to read a blog about coffee from one of the industries most proficient professionals, James Hoffman won the World Barista Championship in 2008, and is a student of coffee, and actually is among quite a few of the upper class baristas who have come to measure their coffee making supplies down to temperature and weight! It is rather impressive to read his blog, and I wish that I could spend as much time delving into the depths of coffee as he does... 

Bis Dann!
PS. Ooh! Loreena Mckennitt's "Skellig!"

Oh yeah

So I will be keeping my timestamps on the blog based from Berlin. One of the things about me that I really like German culture. Don't ask me anything about it, but I think that the language is just cool, and I want to someday become fluent and go visit the place!

Well, here I go!

So I apologize for those of you who have previously followed me on livejournal, but I changed the password and subsequently forgot what it was, so now I am starting one that is connected to my email address! I have no idea what I am going to write about, but I hope to keep things random and interesting. Sometimes I will rant, but isn't that part of what blogging is about? Giving yourself a voice because you feel that you have a voice that should be heard. So here goes!