Spam!

While flipping through FARK today, I came accross the folowing article. http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,110837,00.asp It talks about spam and different solutions, legislation, taxation, registries yatta yatta yatta...  my favorite quote though, "What we need are a couple of good hangings," Swindle said. "I have not seen one piece of legislation that I think would be adequate." Can I hear an AMEN?!  I dunno about spam though, my main email address is fairly spam free, which is exceptional considering how many aiesec'rs have it... ;)  The account i use with my family is AOL, and it gets a fair amount of spam which has been going down lately.  but it's somewhat satisfying to click on the "send aol notice of spam and block this person from ever sending you email again" button.  hell, a few of my mother's friends have been sending me stupid forwards.  i mean the really dumb ones that say "forward this to 6 people to see a little screen pop up of mickey mouse doing the hula, and if they don't all reply you'll have bad luck forever in bed..."  guess who got blocked?.. that bitch.  This is one of my mother's friends for god sakes!  By the time you reach 55 years old, shouldn't you have some common sense!?  Like your friend's son wants to help you get lucky in bed?!  fat ugly cow, i nearly had to put my mind's eye out. wow.  that was a violent reaction.  don't know where that came from. I've got two more email accounts, besides the ones i use all the time.  and they're just for spam.   i go through every few months and delete everything.  they're for when i have to sign up for something i think might spam me, or re-sell my email address.  I have a lot of friends who do that too... At one point in time, i had a great method of dealing with stupid forwards.  When ever i got one, I'd sent it out about a hundred times.  ALL BACK TO THE PERSON WHO SENT IT TO ME!  hehehhehhehheheheh.  sure cut down on the number of forwards i got.  thankfully that hasn't been a problem, as most of my friends seem to have good judgement. One thing i'm worried/interested in is webbugs.  It's essentially, a picture that does all the things of a cookie, but inserted into an email.  read about it here.  for a email havester to collect your info, all you have to do is read your email.  erpf!  not cool!  the web is a dangerous and confusing place.  with so many people waiting to take advantage of you.  urgh.  it's almost enough to make me lose my faith in humanity.  There's too many people out there who're willing to make a quick buck at somebody else's expense.  The web is just far too tantalizing to these people.  Do they worship at the altar of marketing, or the almighty dollar? All of the solutions to the hassle of dealing with the web, are negative.  We'll take that from you, or make you do this, or tax you for doing these things.  I wonder if there's a way to do things positively, like rewards.  I wonder if THAT is the true downfall of our society.  We enforce through negative measures.  We're all so negatively aimed, it's hard to reward positive things. Posted by BG on 5/22/03; 12:11:39 PM

where did summer go?

First off... We're all poseurs.  Read this article on the difference between an online journal and a weblog. Secondly... summer has started and ended.  Well, in mere fact that summer classes have started.  But summer pervades my activities -- like sleeping out on the deck in a hammock, or other randomness.  I've been hanging out with Mike a whole bunch.  I helped him move his stuff to Alice's house last night, then listed to his band practice.  They rock. The band is 'Never Never.'  As I said... they rock.  There's a show this Friday, the 23rd at the Java Roaster.  I may be making my soundtech debute.. ;)  I'll certainly still be working as a roadie.  However, I may have convinced him to be the sound tech for SSC!  Can we say... free gear?! Consider us back at square 334256 for SSC.  The venue we were about to announce, 'accidentally' sold our space out from under us.  Paul and I will speak with our 2nd choice tomorrow, and finalize the contract.  Should be announced SOON!? Posted by BG on 5/22/03; 12:05:09 AM

Sunti's Birthday, Mother's Day

So, my second godson turned 1 year old on May 10th.  What birthday is complete without a birthday party?  So saturday afternoon was devoted to Sunti, Michelle and Matt.  There I met Brandalyn, Sunti's godmother.  Which, being Sunti's godfather, is good to know.  We cooked, we ate, we joked, we gave the kid cake and had a time of it.  Cute pictures are under 2003, spring, then Sunti - 1st birthday or something like that. When I finally left at 8 or so, it was plenty late, and yet I had to drive home for mother's day.  My attendance was a REQUIREMENT.  Didn't get to see much of my mother when i arrived near midnite.  But I was there for the doings on Sunday, kind of the whole point.  We drove to my sister's in Gurnee, north of Chicago to be with her as she celebrated her second Mother's day.  It was a good time with mom, dad, my sister, her husband and my nephew (and first godson).  Once again, cute pictures and movies ensued.  you figure out where they are.  =P Dad and I left mother at my sister's that evening.  She was staying Monday and Tuesday to watch Alex (my nephew who turns 2 in July).  Unfortunately for me, she also had plans to work all the rest of the week.  Since Heather, my only friend in town was working all week too, I left monday morning to head back to lafayette. Posted by BG on 5/18/03; 5:57:52 PM

May 12th to May 14th - AIESEC & Mike

SO, Monday morning left me pondering the week.  Do i stick around, and do nothing?  or do i beat it back to the lafayette, and do nothing there.  Lafayette won.  Hustled it on back to West Lafayete to be in time for a 6pm conference call.  Paul, Alicia, Steph and I were meeting to decide the conference venue for SSC2003.  But once again, a decision was thwarted.  And another conference call was set for the Tuesday.  Which also failed to produce a decision.  But one venue made us promise to sign a contract with them if they beat the current best offer.  Which they did.  Unfortunately, as of today (sunday) i cannot tell everyone the venue, because i don't think the contract is finalized and signed.  ARGH!!!!!!! But what the hell, I spent Monday and Tuesday working out details, and i'm fairly certain things will turn out like expected.  I can't wait to finally get the go ahead to start REALLY promoting this conference.  Argh again.  The shame of the matter is that this venue has been one of the front runners since the very beginning.  But CASH is an extraordinarily important problem for conferences, specifically how it's sucked out of AIESEC for each one.  We've come up with a new solution, which hopefully will work out well. Wednesday, everything was mostly out of my hands anyway, so Mike suggested we go down to indy to pick up his speaker.  It had been taken in for repair, and now was fixed.  The thing you have to realize that Mike's speakers are the basis of a 2000 watt system he uses to put on shows for rock bands. We picked up the speaker in south Indy, then went up to northeast indy to visit guitar center.  huge huge huge place, we fooled around on guitars, and drum sets and even learned a little bit how to scratch...  Then i took Mike to a place called Yats for dinner.  It's this awesome cajun/creole place in mid-northern indy near broad ripple.  (52nd and college) Then down to southern indy to get lori, and then back up to broadripple.  We walked around some, looking for live music, with out a cover.  We ended up at the Jazz Cooker, sat outside, chatted, listened, drank some and then came back home.  I introduced Mike to Toad the Wet Sprocket on the drive home.  I don't understand how he missed them, but he did. Posted by BG on 5/18/03; 5:57:22 PM

May 15th to 18th - Being a Roadie & Dogsitting

Thursday was very very chill, Mike created a good split pea soup.  We watched "The Legend of 1900" cuz it's got some cool cool music in it.  And we both dig music.  He had to work, and i had to... chill i guess.  He called up at about midnite, and asked for some help testing out all his gear for the show.  So i went over and we played with all the gear till about 4am or so... 7AM is a rough rough time of day when you go to bed at 5am.  But my friend Angela Summers was getting commissioned at 8am.  I made it over, watched her get her shoulder boards, and do her first salute.  It was way more family oriented than I expected.  They did the oath, then a family member pinned on the boards, then the battalion commander gave a few gifts and said a few words, then the commissionee thanked their family and explained where their duty was taking them.  One guy took the oath from his grandfather, and put on the boards worn by said grandfather when he was commissioned. Home for a nap, then over to Mike's where i set up a small wireless peer to peer network, so we could play halflife and kill each other.  then members of the bands for the show that night started showing up.  We grabbed my sushi gear, went to the grocery store and i made sushi for everybody.  During which i helped load the cars with all the gear, which Mike an them took it over to set up. Once the sushi was done, I caught back up with mike, helped finish set up, and hung out.  The show was at a place called 'The Mirage' which was a very misleading misnomer.  There was nothing cool about it.  The walls were lined with old random electronic slot machines.  There was a 'dance' floor and a whole bunch of pool tables. But it worked.  First off was 'Broken Up' a band of remnants from a band that broke up between being booked and date of the show.  Then was 'Rosin Bag' followed by 'Little Voice.'  Marrionette finished the show.  There was a 'robot' (see the pictures) too!  Then packed up all the gear.  Chilled in the parking lot.  Chilled at Denny's with most of the bands.  Then chilled at Mike's apartment killing each other waiting for help unloading the gear.  Then, home to pack a bag.  Then, drive down to indy where my sister's dogs were waiting to be let out.  Another 5 am bed time. Saturday was very very chill.  And so has today (sunday).  I set up a wireless network so i could use my laptop where ever and it has paid off today.  I get to hit the internet from my hammock outside.  I've had a chance to reflect... The people i met this week were very cool.  The life of a roadie, is a bit different.  I'm not sure how sushi plays into being a roadie though, very untraditional.  Mike is a waay cool if mis-understood guy.  He's got a show next week at the 'Java Roaster.'  He's a metal head who writes non-metal music.  More like john mayer or some other sensitive type writer.  Come on out if you're in Lafayette! Soon, tonight there will be a conference call, and then my sister will come home, and i can go back to campus tonight.  Classes start at 1pm on Monday. Can you imagine if i didn't break this up into pieces?!  I've mostly just catalogued the incidents... I haven't had time to put my thoughts into anything really...   Posted by BG on 5/18/03; 5:56:56 PM

can't sleep

Fog settles as a mist of second skin, Cooling the night. Muting sounds of civilization. Streets of brick beneath my feet Mine, because the fog and the hour... Permit it. Old houses glow warmly Guarding my solitude, My peace. The weight of water in the air, Hanging, floating, Yet heavy as you breath it... Has slowed life to uncommon beauty. Ordinary men do not walk at this hour, Not on these streets. This, is my world...   Comment From : Sam Hi BG, That was a lovely piece of writing. Beautiful.. I didn't know that you write poetry?? Yet another one of you little talents huh:) ciao, s     Posted by BG on 5/8/03; 2:54:17 AM

Welcome

Hey everybody!.. Welcome Andy to the blogging club!  He's been doing a livejournal for a while, but now he's seen the light.  He's part of PPP cuz he's one of the purdue boys... with a bit of asian fever.  basically he's our non-cracker answer to lance!  LoL  He's the VP-ICX and a great guy...   Oh, and Becky, introduce yourself to BRAK as you like to say... Posted by BG on 5/4/03; 6:08:11 PM

Proof that i live in the liner notes of a great album

I'm obsessed with quality of light... and Mikes apartment lead to some great photos... which will be posted evenutally.  but not now. Here's one of my favorite photos from international dinner.  and then i'll give a run down... Made sushi.  Go to Mike's apartment.  Chill.  Pick Kam and return.  Suddenly EVERYBODY is there.  Go figure.  Mike plays guitar, we all scream into the microphone.  i give random girl jessica (a cutie) the microphone, we never get it back.  we briefly debate on waiting for jeff to eat.  we eat.  we sing and drink.  jeff shows up.  we turn our random's into MC's for the LC awards.  We sing and drink and dance.  We roast matt, kam and then Mike in the middle of roasting Kam, the police show up.  Apparently 2500 WATTS of sound is too much for the neighbors to whom WE GAVE FOOD!  WTF Mike's drummer Lori shows up, they play for us, we all sing.  Good Evening overall... Yesterday - Neil, Izzy and Shar came down.  We hung out for a while... Then saw X2, which is a pretty fun movie.  Out to Cafe Moka for chicken biryani.  hang out some more... then out to the Jake's (a bar) to celelbrate nirav and anyisha finally being old enough to go out to bars... they all went to shake their asses... I showed Mike and lorrie around the hang out type of bars.  specifically Jakes and harry's then back home.  another wonderful evening... got up today, went to lunch with everybody, and now... i don't know what to do with myself.  go figure. Mike's band plays the 23rd at the Java Roaster.  Lori's other band is playing the Mirage down in indy the 16th... Going to teach Mike how to roll sushi on tuesday Posted by BG on 5/4/03; 3:28:25 PM

Blame Becky Part 2

Well, here's the other picture Becky gave me... So if you don't like 'em, blame Becky.  So maybe they don't have your piercings prominently displayed... but it'll do for now.  ;) The first one is fixed now too. Posted by BG on 5/1/03; 10:28:41 PM

Blame Becky

Krystal                  &nbs p;     Dena Now we know, this is what Krystal looks like.  I'd lick a muffin off her... what do you think Steve? LOL       -BG Posted by BG on 5/1/03; 5:09:40 PM