Update Update

[windshieldbug]

Looking closer at the cover, would that be "Arts" or "Entertainment"...

[bearphonium]

With the time change today, I get an extra hour of daylight in the morning for a little while. Nice not going to work in the dark.

[Tubaryan12]

Update,

I am officially giving up golf.
My wife got a hole in one today.

[windshieldbug]

- two Buck knifes - one fixed

Why, was it broken?

[TubaRay]

Update,

I am officially giving up golf.
My wife got a hole in one today.

I can think of better reasons than that, to give up golf. Better yet, don't. Convince her that golf will never be the same for her.

(Confounded women who make us look bad.........)

[Rick Denney]

- a book that makes light of the tragically misguided

I picked that one up at the airport before leaving for the Middle East. Fun reading.

I slept too much on the return trip to finish it, and had too little time while there to read anything. So, I still get to enjoy it a bit more.

Update:

Two trips from Washington Dulles to Dubai = Premier status on United. But I bet my next trip won't happen in time. My travel had had shifted to driving over the last several years and I was steadily downgraded from 1K to Premiere Executive to Premiere to Worthless Tourist. You have been updated.

Rick "15-hour flights without premiere status sucks" Denney

[Rick Denney]

Back in the early 80's when I was flying all over the friggin' place with a jazz band lead by a "rich guy", he would put us on KLM, because the "cheap seats" on KLM (at that time) were about the best "cheap" seats that could be had.

bloke "not too bad on trips across the pond on 747's...I could usually find an empty four-in-a-row to stretch out and sleep with Mr. Pillow and Mr. Blankie."

United's Economy Plus section has 5" more legroom than regular economy seats, and believe me that makes a huge difference for those of us six feet and taller. But if you don't have Premiere status, you can't get a seat in that section without paying extra.

But more annoying is that no matter where I sit, I end up with a "Seating Area 4" assignment, which means I'm one of the last to be able to board the plane. If United didn't dominate the flights into and out of Dulles, I would find a new airline. That is just hostile to business travelers who 1.) pack light, 2.) don't check bags, 3,) don't slow down the boarding process, and 4.) usually want aisle seats. Those with Premiere status get to board early.

And forget getting flights these days with enough empty seats to stretch out in the middle section of a wide-body plane. They have reduced their schedule down to the point where most flights are pushing overbooked. They are still losing money, though, because the market will not support a price that exceeds their costs.

My "driving radius" has gotten bigger--it is now about 425 miles. That's the distance I'll drive rather than fly, though the Federal personal-car mileage rate is so high now that it is sometimes difficult to justify driving. I've driven from here to Columbia, SC, Hartford, and Cincinnati in the last year--those are at the boundaries of my driving range. The airlines lost that business because the traveling experience they provide has become so obnoxious.

You have been updated.

Rick "who'd rather not fly, but if he must, wants frequent-flyer status" Denney

[Uncle Buck]

My "driving radius" has gotten bigger--it is now about 425 miles.

That sounds about right to me. I can remember a time when I considered flying to be an exciting and fun luxury. Now a flight equals a miserable day - no exceptions.

If we are taking our kids (6, 4, and 2), the driving radius goes up to infinity. I will NOT fly with the kids until they are older. We have a two-day family reunion next summer which, with our kids, will take three days of driving time each way. But I won't even consider flying.

I do have sympathy for those who MUST fly with children - it is tough, and I think most in the situation really are trying their best. I'm not going to do it, though.

[OldsRecording]

I successfully replaced the video card in my computer. Even better, I bought the cheapest one Best Buy had and it works great.

[tbn.al]

As an Arkansan by birth and upbringing I could only say that is undoubtedly libel and slander. I could say that if I wasn't laughing my butt off! Actually I may have gone to HS with one or both of those boy's fathers. I certainly knew some folks that stupid. Don't jump on Lavinia either. If you had married someone that stupid the frogs would be all you cared about.

[Ice]

UPDATE:

I'm alive, and breathing...

[rocksanddirt]

UPDATE:

I'm alive, and breathing...

yay! Ice! More Geology! Moar Tuba!

Update: I'm not dead yet, either.

Additional Update: it was nearly 80 today.

[Tundratubast]

Yes sir're, It's fall alright, the changing of Daylight Savings Time, as occured again, and cast us into the abyss of darkness. Up in the morning, commuting to work in the dark, working inside the confines of the cold impersonal steel building, only to leave work in near darkness, and arrive home in the pitch of night, at a relative early 6:00 pm. BUT; the winter is not to be lost to the dark, for their is Music and Tubas to be played, three times a week at 7:15 pm, ah, life is still good.

[Uncle Buck]

Bloke, those Darwin awards had me laughing, but I believe most of them are urban legends.

Here are the actual awards.

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/" target="_blank

[MartyNeilan]

UPDATE:

I am still left handed. Please continue with your lives. Thank you.

I am fast becoming left handed. I think I broke my right hand near one of the knuckles a couple weeks ago, and it is getting increasingly harder to move, not to mention the swelling has never gone down. Still can play the piano and tuba, although it is sometimes excruciating.

[TMurphy]

The NY Yankees are the champions of the baseball world for the 27th time!!!

When other cities win championships, people celebrate by starting fires and rioting in the streets. That simply doesn't happen in NYC. People just celebrate. Strangers hi-five each other, and everyone has a good time. There is no place like it in the world.

Since I have the rest of this week off, due to the NJEA convention in Atlantic City, I will be getting on the PATH train tomorrow morning into downtown Manhattan to watch the Champions parade through the Canyon of Heroes. Am I crazy for doing it??? Perhaps. But I remember going with my father in 1996 after the Yankees won, and it is a lasting memory that I will never forget.

[djwesp]

The NY Yankees are the champions of the baseball world for the 27th time!!!

Baseball needs a salary cap.

[scottw]

The NY Yankees are the champions of the baseball world for the 27th time!!!

Baseball needs a salary cap.

Aw, they're the best team money can buy!
But, they also can play--hat's off.

[TUBAD83]

The NY Yankees are the champions of the baseball world for the 27th time!!!

Baseball needs a salary cap.

I disagree. I think people should simply refuse to be extorted any more, keep their money, stop financing these billion dollar playpens, and STAY HOME. If enough people do this, these pro sports "cartels" will get the message. Its just entertainment...treat it as such.

JJ

[MartyNeilan]

I spent a good part of the day filming a brass quintet segment for a new children's educational series geared specifically towards music education. It should be released in about a year; I really am not supposed to give away too many details until then. Based on what little I have seen so far, the up and coming "host" seems to have a bright future in this arena.

When we got the call two days ago, all we knew was that it was going to be a "music video" and bring diverse wardrobe changes.

There was a severely abused tuba they acquired from a middle school that they will use in a different segment of the same program.

Since I sold my Bobo Solo and my new quintet / solo mouthpiece has not arrived back from the platers, I played the massive Warburton-Neilan on the Schiller 5 valve CC. A little on the dark side for brass quintet. (The timbre was dark too ).

50 years from now, tuba geeks who uncover this show are going to be debating on TubeNet3000 why I used such a large mouthpiece in a brass quintet.