GoogleTalk

Do you ever get tired of AIM? I sure do. Especially with its stupid “AIM Today” pop-up and the little ads with sound at the top of the buddylist window. It makes me so mad that AOL, an already thriving company, has to place ads and other bogus into their little instant messaging program. …There are other and much better ways to converse online.
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The Ultimate Bar Story for Musicians

-I didn’t make this up but I salute whoever did-

C, an E-flat, and a G go into a bar.

The bartender says: “Sorry, but we don’t serve minors.”
So, the E-flat leaves, and the C and the G have an open fifth between them.
After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished: the G is out flat.
An F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough.
A D comes into the bar and heads straight for the bathroom saying, “Excuse me. I’ll just be a second.”
An A comes into the bar, but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor.
Then the bartender notices a B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and exclaims: “Get out now! You’re the seventh minor I’ve found in this bar tonight.”
The E-flat, not easily deflated, comes back to the bar the next night in a 3-piece suit with nicely shined shoes.
The bartender (who used to have a nice corporate job until his company downsized) says: “You’re looking sharp tonight, come on in! This could be a major development.”
This proves to be the case, as the E-flat takes off the suit, and everything else, and stands there au naturel.
Eventually, the C sobers up, and realizes in horror that he’s under a rest.
The C is brought to trial, is found guilty of contributing to the diminution of a minor, and is sentenced to 10 years of DS without Coda at an upscale correctional facility.
On appeal, however, the C is found innocent of any wrongdoing, even accidental, and that all accusations to the contrary are bassless.
The bartender decides, however, that since he’s only had tenor so patrons, the soprano out in the bathroom, and everything has become alto much treble, he needs a rest – and closes the bar.

Think on that one. Someone really thought to come up with all that.

Posted in Percussion, Personal | 6 Comments

Ringtones Galore

Ever wanted to create your own ringtones for your phone? I definately have. Well…yesterday I found out how you can turn any MP3 into a ringtone for your phone.

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Mars Spectacular or Not?

I recently recieved a forwarded email all about a once in a lifetime experience. Thats right, mars coming insanely close to the earth. Like 35 million miles or something. WELL, according to the email this is supposed to occur from mid-August to early-September. But after some research I found out that this email isn’t true…at least not as true as last time…

It turns out this email is recycled from 2003, when Mars actaully did come within 35 million miles of the earth. It was a big as the moon in the sky, and outshined all else in the night sky.

Yes, its going to be happening soon – during October of this year…so expect it. Look to the east at 9p.m.ish and you might spot it rising. By mid October it should be within 45 million miles of the earth, and outshining the stars, and the moon. So check it out when the time comes. It may not happen again for a loooong time.

Hopefully I’ll get a copy of the semi-true email up and viewable soon…

*EDIT* Here is the email! *

‘Til next time…

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Backpacks and Lockers

Most Shawnee Heightsians think that lockers are a joke. But are they really?

“Hahaha, you use your locker? You’re such a loser.” I know I’ve heard it before. I used my locker my freshman year, becuase my backpack couldn’t hold everything, and my locker was conveniently place near two of my classes. I don’t know why, but at Shawnee Heights that just isn’t cool and peer pressure usually wins. But why give into peer pressure when you could hurt yourself? (that sounds so cheesy)

Who came up with the idea of a backpack? Some guy in 1980 that wanted his belongings to be easier to carry and out of his way…right? Probably. But those two reasons don’t justify the following…
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Posted in Culture, Personal, School | 2 Comments

Percussion Tip of the Day

If any of you percussionists out there are looking for some daily tips here is a solution. Drum Tip of the Day, associated with Harmony Central.

Let me tell you – the daily tip email is pretty crappy. Ad followed by another ad followed by a useless link, followed by the tip itself, followed by another half page of ads and useless links. I once sent a not-so-nice email to them, asking them if there was anyway for them to stop including all the ads and useless links, but never got a response. Argh. All that stuff frustrates me…but the tip is pretty good.

Another complaint is that they have recently been including reference links in the tip, to online sheet music or something like that. But of course, they suck, so the links don’t ever work…so you never have any idea what they are talking about. Hopefully, they’ll pass through this “stage” of broken links. …they had better…or they might be receiving another not-so-nice email :-).

Anyways, sign up for it. If they don’t have tips that are useful to you for the first few days, stick with it. They seem to do 5-10 tips in a row about any specific field of percussion. For example: jazz drumming, using brushes, four-mallet playing, and hand drums.

Learn something.

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My First Day of Sophmore Education and Other Various Items of Business (is this the longest title of a blog entry ever?)(sure hope so)

Today was the first day of school for our school (can’t say the name for security reasons)(hahahahaha). Here is the rundown.

MY SCHEDULE:
1st – Marching Band
2nd – Accel Soph Comp
3rd – Algebra II
4th – Intro to Operating Systems and Programming ( what a joke)
5th – Spanish II
6th – AP World History
7th – CP Chemisty

Yes some of those are good, yes a couple are not so good.

1st – Marching Band – good
2nd – Accel Soph Comp – not so good
3rd – Algebra II – dunno yet
4th – Intro to Operating Systems and Programming ( what a joke) – lmao
5th – Spanish II – good
6th – AP World History – good
7th – CP Chemisty – good

What is my 2nd semester schedule you ask? I’ll post it later. Yes, I’m sure all the girls will ask “How does it feel to be back?” and “How was your summer?” My answers would be Continue reading

Posted in Personal, School | 2 Comments

Home at last!

I’m finally home for good from my month of craziness. So here is everything that happened in my life for the past 4 weeks. Its long but interesting….watch for links to all the pictures…I have a bunch…
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Takin’ a Break

Ahh yes. I’m going to be on vacation for uhh…lets see….a month.

I’m going from one camp or trip straight to another for the next 3 1/2 weeks.

-First I’m going to see a drum corp show in Colombia Missouri. That will be AWESOME!
-Then I have a mission work trip in KC, where we will biuld houses, run clothing drives, and do all sorts of other services. That’ll be AWESOME!
-The week after that, I’m off to the Washburn Percussion camp. And that’ll be AWESOME!
-The week after that I have scout camp in Colorado. Scouts may not be the coolest thing out there, but the out-of-state camps are AWESOME!
-And finally I come back home…but go straigh to marching band marathons for a week and a half I think.

And then its the second week of August. woot.

I may have updates…I’m taking the laptop to the drum corps thing and the scout camp thing. So, you may see something in a few days…if not, a couple weeks…if not, the second week of August.

Later.

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London Under Fire

If you haven’t already heard…just turn on CNN. Earlier today four bombs exploded in London – three on subways and one on a double decker bus. So far the count is at least 37 dead and hundred injured. Here is the full article:
http://www.themoderatevoice.com/posts/1120739220.shtml

More later…

Posted in Culture, Religion and Politics | Leave a comment