Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin

If the statement, ‘You are what you eat’ was true, I would be a?
Sadly, I would probably be a pizza or a cheeseburger. I eat far too many of each!

If you had to have one piece of music (softly) playing in your mind for the rest of your life, what would you want it to be?
This is a tough one because music is so important in my life. Narrowing it down to just one song would in reality be impossible. I listen to different music depending on my mood or what I’m doing so a single song just wouldn’t work for me. That said, I think this song does reflect how I try to live even though I confess it’s a struggle at times.

Mystery Song by Mystery Artist

I should also mention that “soft” isn’t a setting I normally apply to music!

What is the most important thing in any relationship?
Well now, I *clearly* am not an authority on this subject! I have however given it a lot of thought and rather than throw out any of what I think of as “stock” answers I’m going to go with shared values or shared goals. I think two people in a relationship need to have common ground on which to build a life and need to strive together for something. Again, my track record suggests that my judgment is flawed so don’t go by me!

You can play along with us on Manic Monday!

Falls Apart by Hurt

I’m focusing on structure and disciple. Not THAT kind of discipline (though I do enjoy reading Mistress Matisse… hmmm)! Rather, I’m just trying to establish good habits of writing on a more regular and predictable schedule. Although I missed Wednesday. I am only human after all.

I’ve seen Shephard and Stacie do the Thursday Thirteen, so I thought I might give that a try. This week I’m posting about the last thirteen movies I’ve reviewed.

13. In Bruges (Feb 8, 2008) I said “I admit that In Bruges is probably not for everyone. But if you have a quirky sense of humor and enjoy your comedy with a darker bent I think you’d find this one interesting.”

12. Charlie Bartlett (Feb 22, 2008) I said “Charlie exhibits an innocent sense of naiveté in his acceptance of the people he runs in to, even when they are considered outcasts and misfits by most of his peers. He pays for it at first, but eventually—by asking questions and listening carefully to the answers—he helps us get past the surface stereotypes and see the people inside. It’s a powerful example.”

11. Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day (Mar 7, 2008) I said “She is a stellar example of a person who remains true to herself and her values even when pressured to do otherwise. In the course of events she puts the needs of others above her own needs and—because this is ultimately a “feel good” movie—winds up with far more than food in return. It’s a refreshing feeling in this often cynical, modern age. I for one enjoyed it a great deal.”

10. Never Back Down (Mar 14, 2008) I said “So should you see Never Back Down? Maybe. I found it entertaining though certainly formulaic. There’s an interesting subplot covering Jake’s struggles coming to grips with his father’s death and learning to handle his anger in a positive way. It added a degree of much needed depth to what otherwise would have just been a “fight film.” If you’re a fan of martial arts you might find the fighting scenes engaging, though not really anything to write home about. On the other hand, you won’t really be missing out if you decide to wait for the DVD.”

9. Shutter (Mar 21, 2008) I said “Ultimately, I think Shutter commits the cardinal sin of failed horror films: it simply isn’t scary or gory enough to satisfy fans of the genre. Frankly, I was rooting for the spirit to kill off all the principal characters just to bring the experience to an end sooner.”

8. Drillbit Taylor (Mar 21, 2008) I said “With a recycled plot and lackluster acting the best I can say about Drillbit Taylor is that it wasn’t completely painful to sit through. Even I found a joke or two that worked and managed to generate an occasional chuckle. On the whole, though, the sum of the ingredients was a mostly unsatisfying experience.”

7. Snow Angels (Mar 21, 2008) I said “Bottom line: Snow Angels is a drama that pulls no punches. There are moments of levity, but overall the tone is fairly bleak. This is not a “feel good” movie, but it is a compelling journey through the struggles of love, life, and the interconnectedness of this small community of people. Personally, I found it riveting.”

6. Shine A Light (Apr 4, 2008) I said “As a film, Shine A Light may have a few rough spots, but as a concert experience for fans of The Rolling Stones, it would seem to me to be an event not to be missed. I sincerely hope that other bands choose to leverage the IMAX technology for future concert films.”

5. Blindsight (Apr 11, 2008) I said “Blindsight proves to be a rare gem among documentaries. It entertains without glossing over the struggles, and educates without preaching. It’s a timely and effective reminder that life can be a worthy adventure regardless of our abilities.”

4. The Forbidden Kingdom (Apr 18, 2008) I said “Overall, I found The Forbidden Kingdom to be an outstanding adventure film. The martial arts action scenes are every bit as good as you might imagine. Filmed on location in China, the setting is lush and beautiful. And the story—odd though it may sound going in—proves to be both entertaining and interesting. Perhaps not surprisingly, given Chan’s influence, there is more than a little humor along the way.”

3. Deception (Apr 25, 2008) I said “In my opinion, the only deception here is with the actors fooling themselves into thinking that this is a vehicle worthy of their talents, and the studio thinking that audiences will find this entertaining. So don’t join them; take my recommendation and give Deception a pass.”

2. Baby Mama (Apr 25, 2008) I said “I think the main reason Baby Mama works for me as well as it does is that the humor never comes across as mean-spirited. While it has its rude, crude moments, I never felt it was gratuitous or thrown in for shock effect. Not all of the jokes work, but in general it’s consistently witty and funny. Toss in a romantic sub-plot and a feel-good ending, and it’s a great prescription for cinematic escapism.”

1. Iron Man (May 2, 2008) I said “If Iron Man is any indication of what we can expect this summer, I think we’re in for a great time at the movie house. In this film at least, Hollywood returns to a simpler, unambiguous adventure story—and I for one greatly appreciate it. Real life is complex enough; I go to the movies to escape from reality for a while, and this is the kind of film that works for me. If the thunderous cheering as the credits rolled were any indication, the rest of the audience was in violent agreement.”

This week I reviewed What Happens In Vegas and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. My review on this one won’t be published until Friday but I can tell you that even though the movie doesn’t break new ground, it’s entertaining and funny. I’d classify it as a good “date movie.” I mostly mention it here as a tie in to the following song, which was in the soundtrack. I tracked it down after the movie because I really liked it!

I’m Not Over by Carolina Liar

You might have noticed, I’ve been incorporating music into the blog more often lately. I’d like to continue doing that now that I’ve found an easy way to host the music files and integrate them with Wordpress (it’s very simple, if you want to know the details leave a comment and I’ll send you an e-mail… the basic technique would work with any blog). To continue this theme, I’m going to attempt to go back to weekly posts on Tuesday highlighting some of the new music I’ve found since the previous week. Why Tuesday? Because that’s the day most new music is released.

First up, Gavin Degraw who released his self-titled album this week. Degraw had his big break some years ago with the song I Don’t Want To Be, used as the theme for the show One Tree Hill and also featured on American Idol. The new album contains studio versions of many songs made popular in his live concerts and is a good mix of up tempo light rock and some slower tunes.

In Love With A Girl by Gavin Degraw

It should come as no surprise that I’m an old school Offspring fan. I’ve always loved their music but it’s been a long dry spell since their last album in 2003. Today marked the release of the first single off their upcoming Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace album which is scheduled to ship in June.

Hammerhead by The Offspring

I confess it was the album cover (pictured above) that attracted me to this band first. Fortunately I like their music too! This is off the second full-length album released by UK band Young Knives.

Up All Night by Young Knives

Finally, we’re wrapping up this week with a tune off the debut studio album by The Last Shadow Puppets. This UK band (I’ve mentioned before I listen to a lot of music out of the UK!) is a side project from Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane from The Rascals. With a definite retro sound, the new album was recorded with the London Metropolitan Orchestra.

My Mistakes Were Made For You by The Last Shadow Puppets

I’ve decided to start doing Lisa’s weekly meme, Manic Monday. It’s short and sweet and the questions tend to be interesting. So here goes…

What name would you want have if you were the opposite sex?
Tatyana… I had to provide e-mail support to a customer at work named Tatyana last week. It may be the most exotic name I’ve ever seen or heard. Not that I’m exotic, but with a name like Tatyana it really doesn’t matter. And of course, it feeds into my whole Russian fetish.

Would you share the tooth brush of your spouse/significant other? Why or why not?
Nooooo! No sharing of tooth brushes! Cooties! And yes, I realize this isn’t rational.

What is a song that you love to hate?
I mostly keep this around to torture my son. There’s nothing like going on a road trip and having this pop up randomly on the iPod while he’s trapped in the car with no escape.

Mystery Song by Mystery Artist!

I’m curious to get your input on this question. I have accounts on a variety of instant messaging networks, though I’m not routinely logged in I do occasionally fire up Meebo, mostly to see if my son is online.

Sometimes I see someone I know online, that at one time or another got added to my “friends” list. When I do, I sometimes think “Oh look, it’s Fred (of course, often their name isn’t Fred) I should send him a message and say Hi!” but I never do because right after that I normally think “Ah, he’s (of course, it’s not always a he) probably busy and if he wanted to chat, he’d send me a message…” Consequently, the end result is that I rarely send IMs to anyone besides Matt (which really is his name.)

So my question is this… How do you feel about people popping up on IM? If you’re logged into IM are you open to having someone send you an “unsolicited” chat or not? I’m asking because I really don’t have much experience with IM outside of a work environment (we use it at work since we’re all virtual) and I’m really not up on the etiquette of things.

Send Me An Angel by The Dreaming

I had time to do a little thinking while on the road this past weekend. That’s not always a good thing. I tend to do better when I’m busy enough that I don’t have time for my mind to wander. Driving cross country on two lane roads with sparse traffic doesn’t take much attention. So I thought.

Your heartbeat is pulsing at night in your chest
It’s gold and it’s glowing with all the life you have left

Here’s the thing. It’s not often that I spend all that much time around people on a continuous basis. So this weekend was unusual because except for evenings when we turned in, I was around the same person from morning to night. And it was a challenge for me. A real strain.

Your eyes are like sea glass, so weathered and worn
From all they’ve seen of adolescence torn

That’s one of the reasons motorcycle touring works so well for me. It’s not really a social activity. I’m with other people, but not really because I’m on my motorcycle, tucked away in my own helmet and everything and everyone else is at arms length while we’re riding.

The lovers who have tainted you, they pulled you into the night
They touched your skin with velvet gloves and made you feel alive

So I wondered as I drove along this weekend, is that my fate? To become so comfortable in my solitude that I simply stop seeking out the company of other people? I realized it’s been ages really since I gave any serious thought to dating, or even hanging out for purely social reasons with people I’ve known for years. And it really doesn’t bother me anymore.

You are weathered and worn
Your petals soft and torn

I don’t know if it’s a good thing. I’m not even sure if it’s a conscious choice. It may just be a way of avoiding the feeling that I don’t fit in, eliminating the possibility of rejection. It’s an ongoing conflict between mind and heart I think.

Run where you’ll be safe
Through the garden gates
To the shelter of magnolias
There’s not much time
The blush in the sky begins to fade

Sometimes I just think too much…

Magnolia by The Hush Sound

After another long day behind the wheel, I am once again comfortably ensconced in the bunker I fondly call home. Safe from society, the weather and harmful UV rays.

I have to confess that while I enjoyed briefly visiting a place that featured warm sunshine and blue skies, I may have shed a brief tear as I neared Snoqualmie Pass with it’s mist-draped mountain sides and promise of rain and cooler weather. Ok I made that last part up, but I was happy to be nearing home.

I have tons of photos to sort though, though I have uploaded a few more to Flickr already. I also need to review video footage and put together a short piece with some of the sights and sounds of Boomershoot. I’m sure you’re all looking forward to that. I *said* I’m sure you’re all looking forward to that! Work with me people… sheesh.

Right now though, I think I’m going to go stretch out on the couch and turn my brain off by watching TV. I may even doze off. In fact, I’d say the odds are pretty good actually. I could get used to this slower paced lifestyle.

Long Way Home by Big Country

Today was Boomershoot day. We were up bright and early for breakfast and then the drive out to the range where the event is held. Talk about a beautiful drive. That could be the subject of an entire other post. It’s gorgeous country, I can’t wait to head back out to this part of Idaho for a return visit on the motorcycle.

Future plans aside, once we arrived we located our shooting position (assigned by number) and started to setup. That entailed erecting our little shelter, setting up the shooting bench, the spotting scope, etc. Around 9am we checked in with the officials to get our badges and a little later gathered together with the other shooters for the safety briefing.

You might think that an event like this involving a bunch of gun enthusiasts (“nuts” some of you might say) would be a free for all but nothing could be further from the truth. Most ranges and events are tightly managed with a focus on safety and Boomershoot is no exception. Shooting commenced around 10am and except for a few pauses and a lunch break, continued throughout the day until around 4pm or so.

The basic sequence for long distance shooting like this generally involves a team of two people. One of them, the shooter, is at the rifle. The other, the spotter (which is what I did this weekend) is observing the target and providing feedback to the shooter to get him to successfully hit the target. The shooter has a scope on the rifle, but it’s generally lower powered and while he (or she) can see the target to line up the shot, they normally don’t get enough detail at these ranges to see what they need to correct when they miss.

The spotter has a higher powered scope on a tripod and can see the “splash” of debris from a miss and provide corrections to the shooter by telling them how much to adjust their rifle scope and in which directions. Working as a team, they get the rifle dialed in and start hitting targets. Or at least that’s the theory. Mike (the shooter) was having a rough day and while we were hitting targets out past 500 yards it wasn’t going as smoothly as he would have liked.

I still had a great day though. Shot some really good photos, along with video footage that I’ll be editing together when I get home. I did upload a few more teasers on Flickr but I’ll have plenty more photos once I’m home.

Tomorrow, we’re up early again (though not quite as early as the last couple of days) to start the trek back to Seattle.

Janie’s Got A Gun by Aerosmith

Our drive to Orofino, Idaho today was pleasant and uneventful, just the way you want it right? I did the driving since we took my smaller, fuel-efficient car while Mike talked and then later, slept. I didn’t mind, that gave me control of the iPod. Managed to squeeze in a few photos on the way and noted a few places we want to stop on the way home Monday for additional photos. I uploaded a few to Flickr already.

We arrived at the Konkolville Motel plenty early and got checked in before heading into town to pick up a few supplies and get the lay of the land (and shoot a few more photos!) Then it was back to the motel for the evening. The Konkolville is a great little motel, as you can see their free Wi-Fi works great! The owners are incredibly friendly and I have to say this is one of the better “family run” places I’ve stayed at in recent years on the road. If you visit, be sure to take advantage of the “grill your own steak” dinner and relax on their patio while you enjoy the results. I’ll be visiting again on the motorcycle the first chance I get.

After a pleasant meal and perhaps one too many Rum and Cokes, I retired to my room to check e-mail, store photos and craft this missive which I’m sure you’re finding fascinating reading. Now, I shall turn in early (just 9PM!) in anticipation of a 6:15AM departure for breakfast and an early setup for tomorrow’s shooting event. More photos and another post tomorrow night if all goes as planned!

Hey Man Nice Shot by Filter