ok, ok, I'm updating

Ok, I've been looking at blogs galore, and it's inspired me to actually post something again. I went through several xangas, and read up on several people... rather insightful... learned things I really didn't want to know about some people, and learned good things about others... Went through Tamsyn's entire xanga, which I found by chance, and not only was it wonderful to see a reminder that there are other Christians out there who hold the same values that I do, it also inspired me to post again... And besides she's hilarious and crazy! :-D ...so, Tamsyn's xanga was inspiring spiritually and blog..gingly?? lol... it's like pulling teeth getting me to open this thing up on my desktop, and I don't know why... I know it won't be like this on a laptop...

SPEAKING OF LAPTOPS! I'm placing my order at dell.com on Thursday, November 3! YAY! Ordering in 2 more days... getting:

Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop
Intel Celeron M Processor 380 (1.60 GHz/1MB Cache/400MHz FSB)
Windows XP Professional
15.4 inch UltraSharp WUXGA LCD Panel (widescreen)
1GB Shared DDR2 SDRAM 2 Dimms
100GB Hard Drive, 5400 RPM
8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
Dell® Wireless 1470 Internal Wireless (802.11a/b/g, 54Mbps)
Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900
9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (80 WHr)
Dell Leather Carrying Case
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional backup CD

Will post with final total and anything else I decide to upgrade or change when I actually make the purchase... Take into consideration that this is not, by any means, intended as a gaming system... If I wanted that, I'd save up for an XPS or build my own... this is just something I've really been wanting, for web-surfing, web design, some light games, and for college... Grandma and Grandpa are getting it for me! :-) I will be getting the laptop and my new network up and running in 2-3 weeks! :-D It's gonna be so great finally having a LAN... Something I've been wishing for for 2+ years... so, that will be great... Still trying to decide if I should invest in a wireless CF card for my Dell Axim Pocket PC... it would be nice to have that networked as well, because I assume there will still be times when I'll need to use it to surf because other family members and stuff will be wanting to borrow my new lappy... I already intend to use it for DJ'ing dances... Anyway, back to PPC discussion... it would be nice to sync PPC and lappy wirelessly... don't know if I can do that with wireless card or if I need Bluetooth... my thick skull can't absorb all this technological babble... (yeah right! you know me, my life revolves around technology and gadgets...)

So, yeah... that's the latest in my little techy world...

College is going well... I don't remember if I mentioned I'm tutoring math up through College Algebra in the Technology Learning Center, working in Student Support Services, and reading & recording a Greek Mythology textbook for a blind student... keeps me busy... yesterday, I spent an hour with Beth Fox-Godwin in her office working on organizing photos and folders and stuff on her hard-drive... she knew what she wanted and how she wanted them organized, and I did it and made her very happy! :-) got paid for the hour too ... :-)

I'm going to Cape on Saturday!!!! YAY! I've been longing for a Cape trip for ages... can't wait to shop!

Been listening to a lot of music... been getting really into prog-rock and power-metal and anything of the sort... I will include a list of bands I've been listening to later in the post... this is gonna be a long post!!!!!

Oh yeah, in case you were planning on doing your Christmas shopping early, below is my current wishlist copied straight from MS Works! :-)
---------------------------------------------
*Original Xbox with the game Top Spin
*Leather pants/jacket
*Celtic Trinity knot ring (custom-made or ordered from Gift Chest Jewelers)
*Top Gun on DVD
*wristbands:
Pac Man
Legend of Zelda
Star Wars
Animal
Nintendo Keep it Real
Mario
*hoodies (Nintendo, Rams, Mules, 80s-ish stuff)
*pair of Crocs
*pair of Converse
*DuckTales Season 1 on DVD
*Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers Season 1 on DVD
*Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle 3-Pack DVD set - ~$30
*Batman AnimatedSeries: Volume 1 DVD
*Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD
*Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD
*Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD
*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD
*More original NES games
*More SNES games, especially Legend of Zelda Link to the Past, Donkey Kong Country 2 and 3, and Mario games excluding Super Mario World
*Hori Digital controller for Gamecube ($18.90 + $7.00 S/H... shaped like SNES controller, released only in Japan... you can get this puppy at www.Lik-Sang.com - an awesome site for importing video game stuff - pricy but I *really* want one... maybe try eBay?)
*Mario Vs. Donkey Kong for Gameboy Advance - $30
*Sonic Advance 2 for Gameboy Advance - ~$28
*Sonic Advance 3 for Gameboy Advance - ~$30
*The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker for Gamecube - $20
*Castlevania 64 (maybe)
*Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness for N64 (maybe)
*Registered download of Wolfenstein 3D - $15 at http://store.yahoo.com/3drealms/dowit.html
*Registered download of the old Apogee game Secret Agent - $10 at http://store.yahoo.com/3drealms/dowit.htm
*Disciple Live, At Home, and On the Road DVD http://www.christiandiscs.com/album.php?cd=dv000245 - $13.99
---------------------------------------------

So, yeah, now you know what I want... no excuses now! :-P

Now, on to music I’ve been listening to... I’ve discovered a lot of really good bands recently... I’m really into prog-rock/prog-metal/power metal, and enjoy very little truly radio-friendly music...
Below are bands I’ve been enjoying...

Dream Theater - I just can’t get enough of this band... Mike Portnoy (their drummer) was ranked #1 progressive rock drummer something like 10 years in a row, and he is the most talented person I can think of off the top of my head... if you’re interested in Dream Theater’s music, I highly recommend getting the albums “Images and Words”, “Awake”, and “Scenes From A Memory”... also check out their DVD’s... they ROCK! Often imitated, seldom beaten...
Symphony X - Found this band online, like most bands I listen to... They have many MP3’s available on their site for free, and I have burned myself a CD of 8 or 9 of their songs (a good CD’s worth)... I am thoroughly impressed with this band, especially keys and vocals... some of the best keys out there in this style that I’ve heard... and they are a little broader in there genres than Dream Theater... ranging from the proggish “Accolade” to the flat out shreddage of “Inferno (Unleash the Fire)”, everything I’ve heard them do is good... I especially enjoy their song “King of Terrors” based on themes from Poe’s Pit and the Pendulum.
Iced Earth - Yet another band found online on a message forum... Acquired a few of their MP3’s to introduce myself to them... all were from the album “Horror Show”, a concept album with songs based on characters from many common horror stories... I was instantly hooked and impressed by their vocals and their drummer... and their guitarist... heck, impressed by the entire band... lol... I listened to the instrumental song “Transylvania” first, and that got me hooked with the catchy guitar riff... Then listened to “Dracula”, which got me obsessed with their song writing and musicality... Then listened to “Jack” which is about Jack the Ripper... truly insane song, very heavy... that was ok... but then, the true masterpiece out of the MP3’s I had... “The Phantom Opera Ghost” is the one that really got me addicted! I just love the story of the Phantom of the Opera... and this band really did an indescribably excellent job of telling that tale in metal... The lead vocalist proves how excellent he is... (and also proves to me the fact that all good metal has deep roots and influences in classical and opera music) The song trades back and forth between the lead singer (Phantom) and an amazing, uncredited female vocalist... (Christine) After I had listened to those songs about 41349607 times, I went to Hastings and bought their album “The Glorious Burden”... GET THIS ALBUM - Get the 2 disk edition - well worth the extra bucks... “The Glorious Burden” is a historical album like no other historical album... It starts out with a really good metallized version of the Star Spangled Banner, and transitions smoothly into the next song... The lyricist, Jon Schaffer, writes excellently about many historical events, including songs about the Revolutionary War, Valley Forge, Atilla the Hun, Waterloo, The Red Baron, and a ~30 minute epic written about Gettysburg... all well worth the price of admission... My favorite song on the album is “Red Baron/Blue Max”... You must give it a listen... Also notable is the song “When the Eagle Cries”, written about the tragedy of 9/11... It is truly refreshing to see someone in music, or any other popular media, getting historical, factual information out there, and teaching people of it in a truly interesting, enjoyable way... not only doing that, but doing it in an intelligent, conservative way... I need not go into the stupidities of many other artists and actors who open their mouths before engaging their brains when it comes to political issues... besides, this is a conversation about music, not the Dixie Chicks...
Sonata Arctica - Guess where I found this band?! ONLINE! :-P Listened to MP3’s of “San Sebastian” and “Letter to Dana” and was instantly intrigued by the lead singer’s accent... I looked them up and found out that they are from Finland... Finnish power metal band... pure speed, insanity, and double bass glory... This is one band you can’t miss...

That’s enough music for one night... in fact, though I had thought of many other things to say, I’m sure... that’s truly enough for a person to read in 1 sitting... so I hereby close this post.... :-)

God bless! :-)