Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Tom's LiveJournal:

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Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
10:40 pm	June 4, 1989 Twenty years ago today, this picture was taken. Much has changed, much still needs to change. (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 23rd, 2009
4:34 pm	Way to go, Massachusetts! Congratulations, citizens of Massachusetts! Well, congratulations to at least 70% of you! Remember last November when there was a ballot question proposing to do away with the state income tax? Remember how our elected officials claimed that if we did away with it, they'd be forced to find other ways of raising revenue, including possibly increasing the state's sales tax? Well, those 70% of you who decided that you didn't need a 5.3% raise can now rejoice in knowing that, despite the fact that you chose to continue allowing your elected officials to steal money from your paychecks every week, you're getting a sales tax increase anyway! Yep, the legislature warned that if the income tax was taken away, they might be forced to increase the sales tax. Well guess what? Despite the fact that 2/3 of the sheeple in the Commonwealth chose to allow the income tax to continue, both houses of our legislature have decided to increase the sales tax ANYWAY! That's right, folks! We're going from 5% to 6.25%, and by a veto-proof margin, too! Even if the governor vetoes it, the sales tax increase will almost assuredly pass! Nice job, citizens of Massachusetts. Thanks for letting these elected assholes keep stealing more money from my fucking wallet. So much for any promise of reform before revenue. And don't get me started on the proposed tax increases on liquor and hamburgers. And don't leave a comment telling me to move; save your breath, I'm seriously considering it already. New Hampshire looks better and better every day. Current Mood: fucking sick of it Current Music: the sound of money being yanked from my wallet by asshole politicians (12 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 30th, 2009
7:56 am	Concerts from last year It’s been a long time since I updated, so I'm gonna bore you with details of two concerts that I saw last year. On Tuesday, October 28th, ladyelsa and I went to go see The Who at Mohegan Sun. As always, they rocked. It’s funny, one of the things I enjoy most about Who shows is getting to see which lyrics Roger Daltrey forgets. He always does it, and it’s always amusing to see the “I’m lost” faces that he makes when it happens, which is usually once or twice per show. This time around, he was showing his age; he must have blanked on the words four or five times, once even turning around to face the band and shrugging his shoulders. I’ll go see The Who whenever I can, because they won’t be touring forever, but I really chafe at the ticket prices, which is why I always try to find discounts wherever I can. There’s something really nice about paying $91 apiece the day of the show for tickets in the 13th row that have a face value of $175. Then, on Sunday, November 9th, we went to see Yes perform at Mohegan Sun. Well, it technically wasn’t Yes because lead singer Jon Anderson has had to sit this tour out due to respiratory problems; the concert was billed as “Squire, Howe and White of Yes” out of deference to Anderson. Guitarist Steve Howe, bass player Chris Squire, and drummer Alan White really put on a great show, along with keyboard player Oliver Wakeman (and if you’re a Yes fan, you know whose son he is) and fill-in singer Benoit David. Going into the show, I was most worried about David’s ability to fill Anderson’s very large (figuratively, if not literally) shoes. And while he didn’t have nearly the same level of charisma that Anderson does, his vocals were fantastic. I closed my eyes a few times during the show and couldn’t believe I was listening to someone other than Jon Anderson, he was that much of a sound-alike. Steve Howe remains one of the most spectacularly underrated guitarists of his era, despite the fact that he looks like my grandfather. I was a bit disappointed in Squire’s bass work; he appears to have put on quite a few pounds and slowed down a bit since I last saw Yes live (in 1994), but he’s still a tremendous talent on the four string. Still, the show was really excellent, and I think ladyelsa enjoyed getting exposed to a band that she hadn’t heard a lot from before. We had seats in the front row of our section, which really helped improve the view. And we got our two $40 face value tickets (and that’s before Ticketmaster’s “convenience charges”) for a whopping $60 combined. Man, I love bargains. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 9th, 2009
11:13 pm	A sandwich so awesome, Michael Bay should have filmed it. Last Tuesday, I was leaving the office at about 7pm with a co-worker of mine, when we passed by a conference room. Sitting outside the room was a table with a tray on it. Someone had obviously had a lunch meeting and ordered food, because on the tray were leftovers. Not sandwiches, though. The tray had cold cuts, bread, cheese, and wilted lettuce on it. But it was about six hours after lunch, so there wasn't much in the way of variety on the tray. My co-worker asked, "want a sandwich?", to which I replied, "hells bells, yeah!" So I proceeded to make a sandwich of such unrivaled awesomeness that it can hardly be described. There were only a few slices of bread left on the tray, so I chose the two least stale ones, one rye and one wheat. I slathered mustard on both slices of bread to try and rehydrate them as best I could. On each mustard covered slice of bread went four slabs of provolone cheese. On top of each pile of provolone went eight slices of salami. On top of the salami went roast beef, ham, and turkey, probably a half pound of each. The lettuce looked questionable, so I avoided it in favor of more salami. When I brought the two halves of the sandwich together, it was a religious experience, like bringing the Sankara stones together. I swear, the sandwich started to glow. I have no idea how long the meat and cheese had been sitting out in the hall, but holy shit was it the best samn danwich I've eaten in I have no friggin' idea how long. My commute home from the office these days is about an hour and 25 minutes long. I was licking mustard off my fingers as I was pulling into the driveway. Current Mood: full Current Music: the sounds of silence (not the Simon & Garfunkel kind) (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 12th, 2009
10:51 pm	iPods. . . Does anybody make a 160gb .mp3 player other than Apple? I have far too much music and far too long a commute to bother with anything of lesser capacity. And I hate these "multimedia players" that other manufacturers are hawking. I don't want something with a screen that's the size of a paperback novel. I want a simple, straightforward .mp3 player that fits in my pocket, has lots of capacity, and that I don't need to stick memory cards into. Is that so much to ask? Current Music: the dishwasher (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, February 2nd, 2009
10:05 pm	Dear NBC, Tim Kring, and the production staff of "Heroes", The plotlines for your show are ludicrously complex, and attempt to weave more story threads together than the average Victor Hugo or Leo Tolstoy novel. Taking a two month hiatus in the middle of the season is a good way to cause well-intentioned viewers like me to completely lose track of even the major story ideas and become more or less totally disinterested in watching. I can see, based on what next week's episode promises to bring us, that you've essentially decided to remake J.J. Abrams' craptacular stinkfest, "Lost." Thanks, but no thanks. I'll switch to CBS. Sincerely yours, A viewer who just doesn't care anymore Current Mood: disinterested (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
7:21 am	KHAN!!!! http://trekweb.com/articles/2009/01/14/Actor-Ricardo-Montalban-Dies-at-Age-88.shtml Current Music: spinning hard drive (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, January 10th, 2009
12:35 am	Lay down your sweet and weary head. . . I remember your brilliant comedic timing, your ever-present smile, your willingness to carry the Queen's umbrella when those of us who should have known better had vanished, your lovely singing voice, and your delightful sense of fashion. Waistcoats, pocket watches, and straw boater hats, no less! Jesse, my friend, may you find your white shores and far green country under a swift sunrise. I miss you terribly. Current Mood: devastated Current Music: deafening silence (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, January 8th, 2009
6:49 am	My first post of 2009 Someone once told me that men are like waffles and women are like spaghetti. Men compartmentalize things, can separate their emotions from the task at hand, suck at multitasking, and tend to forget stuff. Women connect everything, generally find it hard to put aside feelings to focus solely on one thing, are great at doing ten things at once, and usually remember things better than guys. Just a random observation, not brought on by anything in particular. Current Music: a chipfan (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
6:49 am	Way to go, Massachusetts! I guess even with the economy tanking and unemployment on the rise, the people of this great commonwealth aren't smart enough to decide for themselves to keep that extra 5.3% of their income. Question 1, the ballot question to repeal the income tax, was voted down by a 70-30 margin. On the flipside, we expressed our dissatisfaction with those who have been running the state into a fiscal abyss by voting out all of the incumbents. Oh wait, no we didn't. Almost every one of our representatives and senators was re-elected. Let the one-party dominance of Massachusetts continue, where no dissenting voices are ever heard! Folks, here it is. This state has been horribly mismanaged for decades. Why do none of the sheeple who live here seem to want to do anything about it? It's more of the same shit, all the time. Keep the taxes high and keep the same people in power. We have had the $14 billion boondoggle that was the Big Dig, Mass Pike toll takers making more than teachers with Master's degrees, and video evidence (within the last 3 months!) of Norfolk Register of Probate John Buonomo stealing money from copy machines at the Registry of Deeds and state senator Dianne Wilkerson stuffing $23,500 worth of bribes into her brassiere. What else needs to happen to convince the people that live here that SOMETHING IS WRONG? With the defeat of Question 1, the pocket-pickers on Beacon Hill have basically been told that we're happy with how things are going, we're very happy with our taxes and the way they're being spent, and that we're not really all that opposed to any tax increases. It's too bad, because it's a fact that broad-based tax reductions stimulate the economy. The bottom line is that this income tax repeal was not the point of no return. If we decided, in a collective act of voter repentance six months down the road, that the income tax repeal was the worst thing we'd ever conceived of, I'm sure that that our elected officials would have happily reinstated it. Hell, they might have reinstated it even if we didn't want them to, because for decades we've been telling them that they know better how to spend our money than we do. But no, the people in this state are completely unwilling to try anything that might upset the status quo or be thought of as even remotely risky. What happened to the John Adamses, Paul Reveres, and other patriots that used to live here? Good for you, Massachusetts! You've fucked yourself again! On the other hand, we decriminalized possession of an ounce or less of pot. Good to know that there are priorities. Of course, none of us will be able to afford to buy a dime bag before long. . . Current Mood: annoyed Current Music: traffic (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
7:24 am	Vote Yes on Question 1 Fellow citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, today you are being given an historic opportunity. Today, you have the ability to send a message to the criminals on Beacon Hill telling them that you're sick and tired of the way that they have been wasting your money. A "Yes" Vote on Question 1 will tell the spendthrift politicians who run our state that they are no longer entitled to take 5.3% of your income away from you. It will tell them that you, not them, know best how to spend your hard-earned money. Join me in sending a message to Sal DiMasi, James Marzilli, Dianne Wilkerson, and the rest of their cronies that their spending habits must change. Vote Yes on Question 1. I'm merlin_v12 and I approve this message. Current Mood: hopeful Current Music: Traffic (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, September 25th, 2008
7:34 am	So I'm torn. . . So here we have companies like ExxonMobil raking in record profits. Their profit margin runs somewhere in the vicinity of 8%, so for every $1 billion that they earn, they have to spend somewhere close to $12 billion. Then we have companies like Apple, whose profit margins are closer to 18%. That means they have to spend way less to make way more, when compared to Exxon. I really want to hate the oil companies for what feels like being raped at the pump (and because it's fun!), but in the grand scheme of things, they're not making more profits than a lot of other industries, as a percentage. It's not nearly as much fun to hate Apple, is it? Steve Jobs doesn't really evoke that whole Sauron thing that guys like Dick Cheney do. So I'm torn. Oil companies really aren't "profiteering" in the truest sense of the term; they're really just making a reasonable profit (largely because they have to buy the oil from countries that produce it; most oil companies that we buy gas from aren't pumping crude). But oil is a unique commodity. None of us need iMacs or iPods, but all of us need oil. Our economy depends upon it. Should that be enough to put the oil companies in a different category? If we're going to levy higher taxes on their profits, why not on Apple's too? Discuss. Current Mood: calm Current Music: Traffic (the Steve Winwood kind) (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
8:44 pm	This is a long-winded rant. Unless you live in Massachusetts, don't bother reading it. Seriously. What follows is a rant against the shittiest state government in the nation. No, really. I'm not kidding. But if you don't live in Massachusetts or read our newspapers, this will likely be lost on you. ( This is lengthy. Be forewarned. ) Current Mood: aggravated Current Music: Amanda's lusty breathing in my ear. Ooh! =) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 16th, 2008
7:04 am	Shine on, Rick. . . http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSLF23668220080915 Now that you've gone off to play the great gig in the sky, say hi to Syd for us. Current Mood: disappointed Current Music: Pink Floyd, "Paintbox" (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, August 7th, 2008
9:17 pm	The past weekend, in brief. *A young lady leads two teeny shetland ponies along the edge of the stage* King Edward (clapping excitedly): PUPPIES!!!! Queen Katherine (patting Edward on the knee): Ponies, dear. King Edward: PONIES!!!! Current Mood: content Current Music: So You Think You Can Somethingorother (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
7:24 pm	Whiskey lovers rejoice! Holy crap, have I found the best tasting Irish whiskey I've ever had, and believe me, I've tasted quite a few varieties. It's called "The Knot", it's 100 proof, and it's only for sale in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New York, and northern Jersey. And at $24.99 for a 750ml bottle, it's cheaper than most Irish whiskeys, too. I bought it 'cause I thought the label was pretty, and boy was it a good find. The bouquet is far sweeter than most, with an almost maple sugar aroma to it; it's quite possibly the sweetest whiskey I've tried (which is good, since it's pretty potent stuff). Even if you're not a drinker, you owe it to yourself to check out their excellent ads. www.shotoftheknot.com Current Mood: content Current Music: Three Dog Night, "Joy to the World" (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, August 1st, 2008
12:58 pm	Stuff n' things So "The Dark Knight" was good. I was surprised at how many notable actors there were in the film, aside from the ones whose names are on the poster. William Fichtner? Michael Jai White? Anthony Michael Hall? And that guy who played the older cop, that Two-Face ran into in the bar? Yeah, I don't know his name either, but he's one of "those guys" who's been in four thousand movies. Pretty good cast. Everyone's been raving about Heath Ledger's performance in the film, and while he was very good, there was someone else I found even more captivating. Gary Oldman built a career by playing bad guys. Among his credits are some of the most delectably over the top villains I can ever remember seeing ("Bram Stoker's Dracula", "The Fifth Element", "Air Force One", "The Professional", "Hannibal"). And when he's not playing out-and-out bad guys, he's playing really, really fucked up dudes that usually have huge dark streaks in them ("Sid and Nancy", "The Contender", "Harry Potter and...", "JFK", "Immortal Beloved"). In "The Dark Knight", Gary Oldman played a guy with absolutely zero darkness in him. His Jim Gordon was the purest, most inherently good character in the movie. Gary Oldman? Whaaa? This guy might just be one of the finest actors working today. I knew he was good, but Jesus Christ does he have range. So we're off to Maine again this weekend, for the new, improved, not-at-all-associated-with-the-old-one-in-any-way-shape-or-form Maine Renaissance Faire. Should be fun. King Edward, Queen Catherine, and Catherine's brother Philip, the Earl of Manchester will be in attendance. You should come. And then there's this. Maximum w00t: http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/077/2/e/Animator_vs__Animation_by_alanbecker.swf Current Mood: good Current Music: Amanda on the Wii Fit (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, July 20th, 2008
9:29 pm	Did anybody else watch "Family Guy" on Sunday night? The episode they ran was "The Other Life of Brian", which I've seen twice in the last month or so. They've re-run this particular episode twice since Tim Russert died, and the episode ends with Peter realizing that the rather corpulent mother of Brian's son looks like "a really hot Tim Russert." But each time they've re-run it since Russert died, they've bleeped out the "Tim Russert" part, so that Peter says, "a really hot _________." What's the deal with that? Since when do the producers of "Family Guy" or the bigwigs at Fox really care that someone they're lampooning has died? And really, if they want to change it, couldn't they replace Russert's name with Chris Matthews', or that of some other overweight celebrity? The way it is now, the final joke of the episode is totally deflated. Really lame, guys. Either cut the joke out completely, or don't cut it out at all. Current Mood: annoyed Current Music: the TV (3 Comments |Comment on this)
6:22 pm	Burninating the countryside. . . Oh yeah, and at the Rush concert that we went to last week, Geddy had on a "Trogdor the Burninator" t-shirt. Freakin' sweet. Current Mood: hot Current Music: Bob Dylan, "The Other Side of the Mirror" (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, July 19th, 2008
10:05 am	Pixar = Quality A couple of weeks ago, ladyelsa and I went to go see "Wall-E". I swear, those Pixar guys fart rainbows. I don't think I've ever seen a Pixar movie that was less than very good, and this one was particularly fun. They did a marvelous job of making it seem like there was a cameraman involved, employing various focal depths, lens flares, and other cinematographic effects, which really helped to amp up the tension in certain scenes. Technically speaking, the film is really a step above anything they've ever done before. And the story is good, too, with the title character incorporating equal doses of "Short Circuit" and "Batteries Not Included". Ladyelsa suspects that Pixar's quality level might be because the gestation period for the average flick of theirs is between 2 and 3 years, which gives them the opportunity to refine things to a degree not seen in more conventional motion pictures. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter. Without exception, they've managed to pump out a string of really good movies over the last decade and change, and "Wall-E" is simply their latest triumph. Go see it! It's good! Current Mood: content Current Music: Phish, "The Divided Sky" (3 Comments |Comment on this)