retrospect and nostalgia, for now...

I have to think retrospectively now. I'm on the B46 heading home, listening to Al Jarreau. And in the midst of my journey, I whipped out my laptop, and finally typed out what I want to say before the month's end. I had to think of the Smooth Jazz concert in Central Park, as I sang the words out to After All with a bunch of much-older-looking people. You'd think I'd feel out of place; I felt more at home there than most of the other events I went to. I think of Crate and Barrel, and Shakeya most of all. I wonder what she's been up to. I wonder if she ever graduated...
I think of Jonathan. And his friend, Renny. And their "rising" careers as musicians. It seems to consume them, give them motivation, and if they're not careful, could separate the two individuals. I think now about my current job. It'll be two years soon, and I don't share the same sentiment of leaving as everyone else does. Maybe if I transferred out of that location, it might help me out a whole lot. I lie; I need out of North Fork in general. Unless they were giving me an auditing job or something, which is highly unlikely, I need to get out. And finally get to the next step:
The C.P.A. license. Or a really good-paying auditing job. Whichever comes first.
I think of my brother, who right now, wants to sign us up for his college pool for the summer. Not that his weight-issues are better or worse than mine, but he wants to shed some pounds more than me; and that I guess is more motivation for me than necessary to get back on that track. Damn, I miss those home delivery days, where I spent hours lifting groceries around, trekking across Brooklyn, losing whatever weight I gained in the process. I should call my old boss, and the rest of the crew, and find out what they all have been up to.
The ride is almost over. I should have gotten a freelance out of this, but the inspiration isn't there. Dunno why.

Little Black Samba
Grover Washington, Jr.
Come Morning

There really isn't much happening over on this end, I guess; unlike Steve, who finally has his job at an airline whose name escapes me, and has no time to post anymore of his work. Hey, at least I'm honest, I have nothing new to say. Gotta go.

If you're in hell, and you're mad at someone, where do you tell them to go???

Some entertaining food for thought...

Egad!
Star Wars Ep.III is later on tonight!
OK, why am I here at near 3:30 in the morning, I'll let you know by making this brief:
Thanks to fandango.com, my brother and I have first class tickets to the Regal theater in Union Square to see ROTS in DLP. Dunno what that means, wait for my review...

Unleashed
If you're looking for a whole lot of ninety-minute action, you might, just might, walk away disappointed. If you're looking for the right mix of action and drama with some real meaning, you will definitely enjoy Unleashed. Jet Li really got into full form with this movie, from the dog like antics in the beginning, to coming full circle in the end. I really enjoyed Bob Haskins as an English bastard. Quite funny that guy was. I'm not gonna lie, there should've been a little more of everything. But what can you do? This isn't Drunken Master, or Once Upon A Time In China...
BTW-Be prepared to see Samuel L. Jackson and Morgan Freeman this summer. Prepare to see a LOT of them this summer. Not that I'm complaining, of course...
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Crash
I can't talk about this movie enough. From start to finish, it moved me. I recommend this as a must see. If you feel Don Cheadle was robbed of an Oscar and love his acting, go see this movie. If you're a Ludacris fan, go see this movie. If you're like me, a Thandie Newton fan, and a Terrence Howard fan, then nothing says love like having them play a couple. But trust me, go see the movie.
Also, may I add that Michael Pena has my strongest support in this flick. The last scene with his daughter rocks. Go see it. Just for that scene. He should get an award or something.
Rating: 10 out of 10

Dat's all for now. Later...
Oh yeah, I may not update the freelance site for the rest of the month; what's left of it anyway...
And oh yeah, that JamRock concert...
Later. 4 Real.

Mankind is divided into two classes: those who earn their living by the sweat of their brow, and those who sell them handkerchiefs, cold drinks and electric fans.

Hope everyone's had a happy Mom's Day!!! We treated mi mum to breakfast in bed, Sizzler's for dinner, and a year's stock of various perfumes. For the first time ever, mom turns to us all and asks:
Are all you saying I smell bad?
Truth be told, we didn't know whether to answer or not. So instead, I started laughing. And laughing is contagious...


The Nyko iTop Button Relocator

The beauty part of being an avid Mac fan (and then, an iPod fan) is that you know where to go to check out add-ons, programs, and other such stuff pertaining to Apple before newcomers catch up and on! Such was the case when J&R Music World introduced us to the Nyko iTop, then priced at $20. Realizing that I'll be the first on da block to check it out, I quickly shelled out the cash, and added the Burberry sticker from my shades for personalization, and began trekking around town with my iTop/iPod.
In a nutshell, it does serve its purpose with shifting most of the controls to the top for easy access. I take the iPod out of its case fewer times with the iTop than without it! Aside from that aspect, it's a rudimentary accessory; the only other purpose it serves is to help look the iPod look cooler. While sometimes the function keys act up [they at certain instances won't function properly], it's not a serious issue. There's not much else to say, except that it's the coolest looking accessory I've seen since the iTrip.
Rating: 8 out of 10


Nextel, here I come!!
I wish this story had a happy ending.
I even went and helped Tavie & friends move on Tuesday (more on that later) in the high hopes that this story has a happy ending, amongst other reasons. But it doesn't. It just doesn't.
In September/October, it will be three years since I had Verizon Wireless. And up until three to four weeks ago, I never had a problem with my phone or its service. Recently though, in places where I'd get 4-5 bars of reception, I would get 0-1 bars. Imagine walking into a Verizon Wireless store, and everyone can make calls but you. It was that bad.
I went last Saturday to get it checked out; but it was several minutes to closing. What kind of service would I get in minutes to store closing!? It's weird as a service rep., I say that. But unfortunately, when it's close to 9PM, you know they only care about going home.
Next day (Sunday), I go get it fixed. And there was so much confusion, I was more frustrated than pissed off. One rep tells me my phone, the LG VX6000, is still under the extended warranty; next rep/technician says it's not under warranty. One rep tells me that the insurance I pay $6 a month for doesn't extend my warranty, the other rep/tech says it does. There was only one thing both reps said consistently about the whole damn thing: due to a piece falling off the phone, I must pay $54.32 to get a new phone, minus the battery, even though that too is dying out. You'd think the reason would be the same too, right? Nope; while one rep says it's because that one piece falling off the phone is "physical damage", and under LG terms, voids the warranty, the other says it's because I have no warranty, and the insurance charge for a replacement (still w/o a new battery) is $54.32.
Now, let me see something. In September, it will be two years since I had the VX6000. So, from 9/03 til now is about 20 months. 20months * $6/mo in insurance is $120. Adding the $54.32 -- $174.32. How much did I originally pay for this phone? $162.93, with tax. So, not only have I been paying too much for insurance, but for the last 20 months, I have paid for two phones. Can you believe this shit? I have bought a new and a refurbished phone over almost two years!!! The frustration in my head led to one conclusion:
It's time to explore my other options.
So far, Nextel has always been a choice I've had considered for a long time, hugely in part because most of the kliq uses Nextel. Only my coworkers and Dennis use Verizon. And two of them nearly begged me to stay with Verizon. I said to them (and eventually myself) that I'd give it some time; after all, I had four months left in my contract to decide for renewal. But then a new series of events changed that. Through the internet I ordered a new battery for my refurbished phone (29.99 added to 174.32, that's over $200; damn!!!!) I get it on Monday, charge it Monday night, go to use it Tuesday, and to my surprise, the battery is defective! Good thing I carried the dying battery with me, Tavie would not have found me otherwise! This must be a sign for me, go with your gut instinct. Go to Nextel. And see about getting this rather bulky yet sleek camera phone.
What about Cingular? Well, my guts did say Nextel. Maybe in the future, that instinct will change...


Tavie Moves In!!

Shout-outs, dedications, and such the nature go out to Tavie, Gina, Cheryl, and Erin for moving in together in their new apartment. So, aside from bringing some joy in people's lives, why did I come"...over from Brooklyn on his day off and carried stuff around on his back like Superman. It was amazing and a little scary... to break his head at one point..."? Bottom line: I haven't done it since my home delivery days. I miss those days. And through Tavie, I was able to relive my glory days, where I like Superman, I would lift things with relative ease. I was not bad for someone who's gained a pound or two since those days...

More stuff as time progresses...

Supplemental.
By the way, I hope this week finds everyone well. No, nothing bad has happened to me over the last month. And no, I didn't finish the Knight Rider Season 2 DVDs. Reason being: Magnum P.I., Season 2.


Nice.

My new Kangol Cap rocks. Double for the Burberry shades. But that pic is also for:


Sony MDR-EX81LP earphones

I remember the trouble I went through to get the MDR-EX71SL earphones a couple of years back. Back then, the iPods were exclusively for Mac users (people like me), and if we wanted to listen to our music in style, we had to fly to Japan to get the aforementioned earphones in white. Either that, or go to Chinatown to get our imported supply, because those earphones were only available in the US in black. And when I finally plunked $50 to get the perfect complement to the iPod, five months passed, and the right earphone got knocekd out; no sound at all. That would make me weary about buying Sony earphones for years to come. Some earphones came and went; the Apple in-ear headphones, the Opus earphones (which I still have, but the sound quality is just not the same), and my original Apple buds. But only the in-ear headphones could compare to the quality I got from the Sony's, and I was tempted to throw $50 for a new one. I even considered tossing $200 for the Shure E3 earphones, being that so much praise has been given about them.
Then these 81LP's came out.
What I learned is that there are two ways to get these Fontopias: LP(long cord) or SL(two short cords, for remotes I guess). The Japanese counterparts come in SL, with a nice pouch, and are more geared for the iPods. US brought out the LPs, with some clammy-looking case, which by the way, does protect the phones very good. Upon first sight (April 4th), I plunked the same $50 to get these Fontopias. So far, the sound quality that I got with the 71SL's has returned to me with the 81LPs. The only problems that exist is that first, it's only been a month since I had 'em. It's too early to tell whether these are really good. I'd figure if by October, I still had these earphones, than they get a rating. Secondly, the overall volume of these earphones has been lowered, so I can't get these to play loudly. While that shouldn't be a setback, some jazz pieces will be affected by the change.

In essence, I won't rate these 'til October. By then, we'll know for sure whether they're good or not.


My Sony MDRV700-DJ Headphones; two years later

From Tuesday, March 18, 2003
...I decided to go to the store I usually get my headphones from, a small rinky-dinky joint ran by cheap Jews on 6th Avenue & 13th Street. They didn't have it when I first went in, and told me to check back later, promising me a discount when I came back. I came back a couple of days later (the 11th), and to my dismay, they still didn't have it. I came back a couple of more days later (the 13th), and there was another problem. Oh they had it, but that wasn't the problem. They wanted $120. When I ask about the discount, they told me that was the discount. Remembering that was the original price they asked for when I went the first time, I quickly dismissed them, and prepared to fork $115 to eBay.
But something told me to shop around, and try my luck. Dragging my friend Brian (in his thug outfit), we went to several stores near the area, until we landed on another rinky-dink-joint on 14th Street. He quickly tells me of his bad experience in such a place; and I remind him that if anything happens, all I need is a receipt, and Sony handles the rest. We go inside and inquire; the salesman nonchalantly tells me $90 for the headphones. I immediately jump on the offer, but his shipment of new goods doesn't come til later. We waited, and when he saw the headphones, he realized he made one serious mistake; a mistake he tried to rectify. I hounded him on the fact we agreed to $90; in which he countered that after tax, it still almost $100, which was what he was asking me at that time. Brian, in a brilliant performance as the bad consumer, stuck to his $90 guns; I in another stunning good consumer performance, agreed to a flat $100. When we got to the register to pay however, there was a brand new obstacle to overcome! The cashier says he wants $109 for the item (with tax).
Okay. I know what you're thinking, $110. Versus $115 for something that won't arrive for days; versus almost $145 for getting the item now, I could afford to plunk out the extra $9. But not me; Brian & I, after stunning performances, were not about to lose the Oscar to Oscar. We stuck our guns in for as long as God permitted; until the original salesman came and said that he promised me $100 flat. In Russian (yes, I have friends in the Russian Connection...), the cashier asks him if he's crazy; the headphones are $150 in big-time stores! Between the salesman's accepted offer, and the cash that was right in front of him, I walked out of the store with a receipt that says I paid $100 for a $150 pair of headphones. So, what did I end up doing with the extra $10 I saved?? I bought pizza for me and Brian, that's what!
In telling that long story, I am enjoying my new headphones. The bass is booming, the trebles are correct, and the highs are hit. That's all I care about. The fact that the headphones are comfortable, single side corded, gold plugged, well cushioned, and used by Funkmaster Flex & Mademoiselle Sonachansingh are mere icings on the cake for me. My mother looks in utter astonishment; how a guy spends top dollar on headphones is beyond her. But to me, it's more than the headphones, it's an accomplishment; a milestone for consumers everywhere. A milestone that says we will not succumb to some rinky-dinky salesmen...

Well katz, it has been over two years since that time, and I am proud to say that after two other iPods, I am still enjoying my sony DJ headphones. I dunno about computers, mp3 players, and PSPs, but Sony can make some good TVs and headphones. And when they're good & ready, they'll put out a few good VCRs and DVD players.
But back to the topic @ hand, I lucked out with these headphones. I can't praise them enough. They have certainly fared better than the EX71SL's I bought months after the fact. In fact, for $100, and after two years of experience, are there any gripes?
Only one: after two hours of use, my ears sweat.
Aside from that, I'd buy these again, if after another couple of years they decide to break down!
More later...

Six Flags Great Adventure

Guys, I have a confession to make.
Prior to the Friday that passed two weeks ago, I have never went to Six Flags Great Adventure. Ever.
So, when my co-worker invited me to join his haitian friends to go that Friday, I jumped on the offer. Even if it meant taking that day off from work, I was going to do it. Ironically, I took off from work for the first time ever, to go to Six Flags for the first time ever.
Luckily for my co-worker and I, I had my iPod on me. That bus ride was pretty long, and enduring the boring conversation was not what I had in mind. When we had arrived, I had a gut-wrench feeling that it was going to rain halfway through our time there. And much to the discomfort of my company, it did rain halfway through our time there.
Despite, or maybe inspite, of the rainfall, I actually had a great first experience. Interesting: I really wanted to go to Hurricane Harbor for their water rides, but they weren't open yet. So, if I couldn't get to the water, let the water come to me, right?! I learned that I was too big for the Nitro and the Batman/Robin Chiller ride. The Superman ride was fantastic, and the Scream Machine didn't really make me scream. It may have made me teary-eyed, but scream, nah. But to ensure a proper Six-Flags experience, I went back on the ride, just to scream. My favorite ride though has to be the freefall ride, where you go up this elevator-like shaft, the next thing you know, you're staring in the sky and you crash straight down the shaft. Oooh, I went on that thing like 5 times. Skull Mountain got corny after 3 rides, supposedly being in the dark, manuvering like Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom. Years back when I was a boy with a girl I liked, that may have been cool; but now, it just doesn't have that kind of effect on me. Several lesser-known rides later, it was 5:50PM, and it was time to head home.
That's when the real ride began. The driver alerted to us all that the bus will leave exactly at 6PM, so I knew to be there in time. As for the rest of the Haitian following, I guess they figured to be there at 6PM, black people time, which was about 6:20. Even the headmasters of the event were late! Halfway through the ride home, a girl comes to front of the bus, requesting to immediately stop the bus. Upon further snooping, I see one of the attendants of the day's adventure near-unconscious on the floor. The driver pulled off at the tollbooth before the Verrazano Bridge to get some help for her. Meanwhile, very concerned peeps offered prayer, suggestions, and even CPR to help revive her. At my own personal discretion, I won't disclose her name here, but by the time EMTs arrived on the scene, she finally came around, much to our delight. Upon hearing that she'd have to stay the local hospital for further examining, the person was more discomforted at that fact than her unconsciousness. I guess from her perspective, fainting was not as bad as her parents knowning she fainted. What she might dismiss as unnecessary and time consuming, could be considered life saving. While the gratitude towards her social clique and fellow bus riders for our concern was non-existent, our gratitude and respect towards each other was very much there. And thank God for that iPod, because the ride back was even longer that the ride there.



All in all, my first trip to Great Adventure was off the chain; I got a lot more than I bargained for!
Oh yeah, what excuse did I use to get out of work that day? Well, there is a good reason that I don't tell my business to anyone; because of times like that. I leave the rest to your imagination, but I'll also leave you with the hint that it has something to do with my parental-carbon-based-units.
More later...