February 27, 2003
The Greatest Neighbor
taken from http://www.misterrogers.org/
"Fred McFeely Rogers (1928-2003)
We are very sorry to deliver the sad news that Fred Rogers died on February 27, 2003 after a brief battle with stomach cancer. We are grateful for the many people, young and old, who have cared about his work over the years and who continue to appreciate Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on PBS. We hope that you'll join us in celebrating his life by reflecting on his messages and taking them into your everyday lives. "
Mister Rogers was at the very core of my childhood. Some of the first songs I learned to sing were from his show. I remember specific episodes and adventures. For whatever reason, my favorite was when he went to a crayon factory.
Pastor Fred, you will be missed. Thank you for what you have given America.
Posted by Marc at 8:42 AM | Comments (0)
And so it begins
I had a few days to catch up, but this weekend will once again be wild fast blur. At least it will be fun.
This is the third year for the "Weekend of Jazz" that we put on here at the high school. The first year we had Rob Parton's JAZZTECH from Chicago & The Count Basie Orchestra. Last year we had the DIVA (all girl big band from NY) & Jon Faddis Quartet. This year we have the Jeff Hamilton Trio & the Woody Herman Orchestra. W.H.O. is gonna be hot! I can't wait to hear them. John Fedchock is playing lead trombone and by my estimation, he is the best living trombone player.
Anyway, tonight is our two high school and two middle school bands. Tomorrow night is Jeff Hamilton. Saturday morning and afternoon are area jazz bands competing and Saturday night is Woody Herman Orchestra. Concorde HS from good ole' Indiana has won the HS competition the last two years. Let's here it Concorde for representing my home state.
Posted by Marc at 7:53 AM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2003
Grammys
The Grammys are on tonight.
I can't wait to see how many liberal hollywood artist-types get their mics cut off by trying to be political on stage. CBS has promised to cut off their mics stating that they are there to present and receive musical honors and not give a political slant.
Thank you, CBS!
Posted by Marc at 4:58 AM | Comments (0)
February 22, 2003
Fire in Rhode Island
I don't mean to make light of a tragic situation, but I have three questions.
1. Why is Great White still touring?
2. How in the world did they get over 200 people to come see them?
3. Did they realize that it's 2003 and pyrotechnics are sooooo 80's?
Posted by Marc at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)
Why?
Why does my wife refuse to post on my blog comments?
Show me some love, hunny. Especially since you are the only one reading it.
Posted by Marc at 10:06 AM | Comments (1)
DOH!
It's hard to check your email via the web when you've left Outlook open at home on your desktop computer.
Posted by Marc at 9:25 AM | Comments (0)
learning CSS, part two
Also, it would probably help if I weren't all hopped up on Toblerone dark chocolate.
It's good though.
Posted by Marc at 9:06 AM | Comments (0)
learning CSS
Sometimes my brain just doesn't work in geek mode. Sure, I act geeky in general, but trying to write in code is a bit different. It took me long enough to learn the basics of html. Most of the time I design with WYSIWYG and then edit it Metapad.
I probably would have better luck learning this if I weren't around all these distractions...my job. Even though I just have to be here during shows in the auditorium, I can read stuff. It's not very easy to concentrate though with things going on.
Poor me.
Posted by Marc at 9:03 AM | Comments (0)
Lesson to learn from the movies
If aliens ever attack earth, just throw water on them. The same thing works for wicked witches.
There's no place like home.
This has been brought to you by the number 7, letter W and M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs"...available now on home video and DVD.
Posted by Marc at 8:38 AM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2003
Free stuff is b...b...better!
Why does free food and drinks taste better than stuff you pay for? I don't know, but they do. :)Posted by Marc at 9:06 AM | Comments (0)
February 20, 2003
Just because I can...
It' my blog...so I'm putting this entry in Sweedish Chef lingo. Movable Type plugins are fun.Posted by Marc at 12:47 PM | Comments (0)
I am the rhinoceros!
Fear me. Bow to my greatness.
If JL can be a walrus, I can be the rhino...or something.
Posted by Marc at 9:54 AM | Comments (0)
If I were a...
If I were a retard...
If I were a stupid online quiz...
Yeah for me!
Posted by Marc at 1:10 AM | Comments (0)
February 19, 2003
Peace Rallies to support Saddam
I'll make this short and sweet.
By protesting for peace, you are sending a message to Saddam that it is ok for him to keep on doing what he is doing.
Eventually, the war will happen because Saddam hasn't disarmed. So keep up the protesting!
Posted by Marc at 6:28 AM | Comments (0)
Solutions
I hate Spam and Fwd: messages as much as any one else, if not more. My mom sends me stuff all the time. I love my mom, but she doesn't understand how annoying I think that is.
Every once in a while she sends something good enough to pass along. I promise that it doesn't include anything about Bill Gates sending money to AOL.
Here it is:
Solutions
I suppose some degree of commerce would grind to a
halt if telephone solicitors weren't able to call people at home
during dinner hour, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant.
Now Steve Rubenstein, a writer for the San Francisco
Chronicle, has proposed Three Little Words, ...
...based
on his brief experience in a telemarketing operation
that would stop the nuisance for all! time. The three little words
are: Hold On, Please...
Saying this while putting down your phone and
walking off instead of hanging up immediately would
make each telemarketing call so time-consuming
that boiler rooms would grind to a halt. When you
eventually hear the phone company's beep-beep-beep
tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up
your handset, which has efficiently completed its
task. This might be one of those articles you'll want
to e-mail to your friends. Three little words that
eliminate telephone soliciting.
Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no
one on the other end?
This is a telemarketing technique where a machine
makes phone calls and records the time of day when
a person answers the phone. This technique
is used to determine the best time of day for a real
sales person to call back and get someone at home.
What you can do after answering, if you notice there is
no one there, immediately start hitting your # button
on the phone, 6 or 7 times, as quickly as possible.
This confuses the machine-dialed call and it kicks
your number out of their system. Since doing this, our
phone calls have decreased dramatically.
Another Good Idea
When you get ads in your phone or utility bill, include
them with the payment and let the companies throw them
away. When you get those pre-approved letters in the
mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages
and junk like that, most of them come with postage paid
return envelopes, right? Well, why not get rid of some
of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little envelopes.
Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to
American Express. Send the pizza coupon to Citibank.
If you didn't get anything else that day, then just
send them their application back! If you want to
remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't
on anything you send them. You can send it back
empty if you want to just to keep them guessing!
Eventually, the banks and credit card companies will
begin getting their junk back in the mail. Let's let them
know what it's like to get junk mail, and the best of it is
that they're paying for it--Twice.
Let's help keep our postal service busy since they
say e-mail is cutting into their business, and that's
why they need to increase postage again.
Posted by Marc at 6:14 AM | Comments (0)
I know, I know...
I said I was taking the night off...eight days ago. Geez, has it been that long...really?
I got busy with work and then being snowed-in and all. I had to shovel this and that. I also was able to catch up on some things I've been meaning to do. Like spend time with my wife.
Posted by Marc at 6:09 AM | Comments (0)
February 11, 2003
Mornings are rough
Wow, the sun is pretty bright! Especially with all this white stuff coming down. I didn't know daytime could be so pretty.
As a musician-type, and all around slacker...
mornings are hard to get up for. I've been forced to for the last week and working straight through to the evening. I get some idea of what it must be like for the President. I feel like I get bombarded with stuff as much as he does.
I don't envy George W. and all his decisions. I humbly respect him and support him. It appears a large percentage of other U.S. citizens agree. It must not be easy making the choice that will effect millions, but it something that must be done. Saddam cannot continue his campaign to build a nuclear and chemical arsenal. We must take him out because it is apparent that he will not remove himself even though he has been offered a "safe haven."
I was listening to Sean Hannity the other day. He had on the former Chief Scientist for the Iraqi Nuclear Program. He has credibility and says that Saddam is lying and only cares about his own life. Why can't people get that?
Umm...how did I get here from mornings suck. I don't know. I'm tired and I need a nap.
Posted by Marc at 9:54 AM | Comments (3)
Night off...
I'm taking the night off from blogging. I'm tired. I'll be back tomorrow for all 1 of you reading my blog. :)Posted by Marc at 9:12 AM | Comments (1)
February 10, 2003
Inside Gretchen's Head
Go visit Gretchen at her site.
Just trying to help her "blog rankings."
Posted by Marc at 9:40 AM | Comments (0)
Customer Service
When did the term "customer service" change to mean that you allow the customer to screw you over? Any thoughts? I know there are a few of you out there reading this.
Posted by Marc at 9:10 AM | Comments (0)
February 9, 2003
When the cat's away...
In this case, when our cat Muse is sitting on top of the monitor staring at the screen, the mouse will play anyway.
I know I said I would go straight to bed when I got home, but I lied. I was checking my email when our cat went to her usual post on top of my 17" monitor. This time she decided to try to lean forward and give me a kiss, but instead noticed the mouse cursor moving on the screen and tried to stare it down. After I realized what she was doing and started to play with her a little bit, she went for it almost falling off. That was funny and I wish someone else would have been here to see it.
I'm off to bed now.
Posted by Marc at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)
Nothing to see here
It's been a long day. I'm extremely tired and tomorrow will be just as long. I'm off to bed.
I wish I had something more inspiring to say. I felt I need to type something up so I keep in the habit of posting.
Posted by Marc at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)
Small store of scariness
So, the community theatre is performing "Little Shop of Horrors." I have visions of Steve Martin dancing around in my head. I also keep having flashbacks of the 1960 black and white version.
I have a DVD collection of old films. There is a disc of all Roger Corman directed films that the movie is on. It is much darker and disturbing, yet funnier and far less serious.
The most disturbing part is that Jack Nicholson is in the film.
Posted by Marc at 6:02 AM | Comments (0)
February 8, 2003
Note to self
Copy that file on a floppy for Janie.
Your loving self,
Marc
Posted by Marc at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)
It's only just begun.
Well, the final performance of "The Bad Seed" just ended. Unfortunately, I have five more productions back to back and only 3 days off before March 15th.
Starting tomorrow is a production put on by a community theatre. If you want my true thoughts about that, email me. Then some fun with The Weekend of Jazz. Following that, two middle school musicals will be here and then we start a month and a half worth of production for the high school's version of "Les Miserables." It's going to be an interesting Spring.
Now I am going to run home, go to bed, get up and be at church for band practice at 8 a.m., stay at church until about Noon, eat lunch and be back here for work until this time tomorrow night. Yeah for me, not.
Posted by Marc at 10:55 AM | Comments (0)
Mmm...Coffee
The only thing better than a 24oz. good quality coffee is a FREE 24oz. good quality coffee.
On my way into work tonight, I stopped at Speedway for my coffee. The gas station has a coffee club card type thing. To my delight, it was my turn for a free cup of java.
Coffee is definitely an acquired taste that you gain with age. I turned 30 this year and have been drinking more and more. Before that, I would have some to keep me up on a late night or to have the hot liquid clear my throat, but not for the pure enjoyment.
I still hate tomatoes and onions.
Posted by Marc at 8:25 AM | Comments (0)
February 7, 2003
Life is a stage...
Except people normally don't pay to come see you.
Posted by Marc at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)
Better Day
The best thing about my job is snow days or calamity days. Don't have to work, still get paid.
The only part that isn't cool is the 5:30 a.m. call when you've gone to bed at 2:30 a.m.
Let's hear it for precipitation.
Posted by Marc at 12:07 PM | Comments (2)
Food on the run
Why is gas station food either really good or really bad? Tonight I was lucky. I grabbed a turkey and cheese on wheat triangular package, a 24 oz. coffee and a Toffifay. I'm good to go.
Turns out I had to work today anyway. The auditorium schedule was extremely packed and no ability to reschedule the performances of "The Bad Seed." So, here I sit eating my gas station food thankful that it was good...this time.
Posted by Marc at 7:44 AM | Comments (0)
E.R.
It's a good show. Even if the actors and writers are liberals, it's still good.
Even on video tape at 2 a.m. I'm tired. Goodnight.
Posted by Marc at 2:23 AM | Comments (0)
Bad days, good days
Sometimes life is rough. That goes without saying. Somedays you feel you are at your worst and everything seems to go wrong. It's frustrating and heart wrenching. One little thing can causes a spiral effect where one thing leads to another.
Jump ahead a couple weeks. All of the exhausting stress of one bad day...turns out to be a catalyst for some really good "stuff." Sometimes it takes a while for the impact of your actions to bloom and grow. Don't forget to weed through all your issues.
Posted by Marc at 1:51 AM | Comments (0)
February 6, 2003
Look at the ships, so big and driven...
Hello. This will be the first of many posts...I hope.
I know I could have put a blog up on my other site, MarcBowyer.com, but I decided to have a separate domain. I've been slacking a lot lately with designing and keeping my site(s) up to date. I do stay pretty busy, but it was important to me to get this up and running. If you come back for more, you will hopefully see the design become more complex. This will allow me to have more creative freedom and separate myself from the "Marc Bowyer" I try to be instead of the "Marc" I really am.
You may wonder why I chose "Control Your Tongue" and if it has some weird perverted meaning. I thought it might be a fun double meaning. Sort of a play off of the saying, "if you can't say something nice...don't say anything." So, control your tongue, but go ahead and type whatever you want.
The real idea came from one of the first songs I ever wrote, entitled "Control Your Tongue." The song was based on a scripture from the book of James in the Bible. Paraphrased it read, "look at the ships so big and driven controlled by the direction of one small wheel and rudder. Therefore, our tongues may be small, but if we don't control them can cause a lot of damage and lead us to place we might not want to end up."
Before I go any further and people are turned off because I said something about scripture and the Bible...I am a Christian, but one who tries not to judge. I don't always succeed. I'm far from perfect...way far. I don't believe in religion. I believe in a relationship. Okay, back to topic.
This site is going to be a place where I can share my frustrations, my failures, my successes. I may go off on someone I don't particularly care for. There may be times when I break into song. Who knows? What this is really about is me being me.
Posted by Marc at 12:19 PM | Comments (0)