I can buy Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day now on the iTunes Music Store. I'd heard it in San Francisco on 105.3 FM and I wanted to download it. I'd like to be able to buy the whole Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams song that I'd heard, but that's an "Album Only" song (Green Day's new album American Idiot). Maybe later.

What's the deal with this phone pic, you ask?

...and I'm watching The Thirsty Traveler, and the absinthe episode is interesting.

But I gotta tell ya, the absinthe-laced snail dish they're making is grossing me out.

Or at least I was there with him for his after-talk session in the small conference room. His talk was great--he's deep into music software, and very withit and funny. Hey, I even took a picture:

You know, I still feel strongly about the angry post yesterday, but I've really thought about deleting it. I just hate to have negativity hanging around--the world has too much venom in it, and frankly work has a majority of honestly great people (despite the few poisoners who should burn at the stake). But I've never deleted a post before--I don't like to censor anyone, even myself.

I'd leave the comments up, though. Josh was right--I think I can take credit for all of Mike's and Dan's Tourette's Syndrome.

Wait, that didn't come out right....

I mean, really. My work environment doesn't matter. I control my attitude, and hey--it's not like I'm a Marine braving death in Iraq or a starving refugee in the third world.

Seriously, we Americans are so spoiled sometimes. I'm a lucky guy and actually, life is good.

[Well folks, I decided to delete this post, something I've never done before. When it comes down to it, in my position it's questionable what I can say re:work, even in a personal weblog where I never directly identify my employer. And more importantly, I don't want my supervisor, who is awesome, to ever have to explain to the powers that be why I posted this, regardless of its veracity. No harm, no foul]

Just look here for a convincing representation of my work environment last week (and over the weekend).

Although I think that Strong Bad was actually Mike, and one of our users was "patient zero" when the worm was brought in on a laptop from home (as far as we can trace).

Of course, tonight was fun too, when I came home and discovered that my cat Dart had knocked a mostly full pitcher of red Kool-Aide all over the floor sometime today. It spread all under the island. And all under the cabinets.

Come to think of it, it really wasn't that much different from the work situation.

Except that at least I could identify the Kool-Aide and clean it up, unlike the worm at work.

Well guys, believe it.

I listened to a Podcast last week that was very uplifting.* I never knew how much was going on in the world until Alex Steffen from Worldchanging.com gave his talk about the cool things going on around the world. Cool "green" technology that really helps us live within the ecosphere of our world. It starts out a bit grim, but then it just takes off. It's hard to describe why it's so interesting--you just have to listen yourself. Really awesome stuff and well worth the 26 minutes. Go to this website to get the audio file--you can play the file with iTunes or WinAmp (and a portable MP3 player if you have one).

*What's a Podcast? It's basically a way to get sound files (e.g. radio talk shows) onto your computer to an MP# player, and then possibly onto a portable MP3 player. It's a new movement (yes, I'd call it a movement), pioneered by Dave Winer and Adam Curry (yes, the ex-MTV VJ). Go to iPodder.org for more info. Onc eyou get set up with a few cool audio feeds, it's really cool (but then, I like talk radio when I get tired of music).

I haven't seen America quite like this since the '70s, but that's another story...

;-)

So what's more pitiful than hunting down the '70s music hit Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) (by Looking Glass) on the iTunes Music store and buying it?

Going back and buying it again because the first version you got wasn't the better sounding original mix.

The President won four more years. I was really surprised--I predicted that Kerry would win over 314 electoral votes.

Oh well. Kerry was a flawed vessel anyway.

So George Bush won a second term, more than his father before him. I do think it's time that we try--try really hard--to come together as a country. But I also have some hopes for the Bush second term presidency.

I hope that he drops the witch hunt against gay marriage.

I hope that he builds better partnerships in the world than we have in the last few years.

I hope that the bad parts of the Patriot Act continue to be struck down in court.

I hope that he guides us into much better energy innovations that reduce our heroin-like addiction to foreign oil.

And I hope that he realizes that a leader can say he made a mistake without seeming like less of a leader.

As for the rest of his platform, I don't have a problem with it (except dropping Afghanistan like a toy we're bored with--I wish we hadn't done that). Heck, economically the deficit is so whacked out that it's just surreal to me anyway. I know Mr. Bush believes in what he's doing, and that he believes that his means justify his ends. I pray that he knows something we don't, and that it all turns out OK.

(I wish Steve Forbes' flat tax had more traction with America too, but that's just a non sequitur)

Things are so close.

C-Span has the best map, but CBS is calling things earlier than other stations (which may bite them in the butt).

"I think the American people expect more from us than cries of indignation and attack. The times are too grave, the challenge too urgent, and the stakes too high--to permit the customary passions of political debate...
All mankind waits upon our decision. A whole world looks to see what we will do. We cannot fail their trust, we cannot fail to try."

John F. Kennedy, The New Frontier

Vote well.