tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-209531452011-04-21T21:01:31.283-07:00Fear does not exist in this dojo.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.comBlogger3721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-51089463223380778442008-08-06T12:45:00.001-07:002008-08-06T12:45:21.556-07:00

James Ridgers sent you an invitation to connect as business contacts on Pulse on June 17. That invitation will expire soon! Follow this link to accept James's invitation. http://pulse.plaxo.com/pulse/invite?i=28495605&k=2045591886&l=en_us Plaxo is free, easy to use and takes only a minute to join. Come see what James wants to share. Thanks! The Pulse team

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-91190594017282429812008-06-17T14:17:00.001-07:002008-06-17T14:17:15.372-07:00

I'd like to keep in touch with you on Plaxo Pulse. Click here to learn more: http://pulse.plaxo.com/pulse/invite?i=28495605&k=2045591886&l=en Thanks, James More than 20 million people use Plaxo to keep in touch with the people they care about. Don't want to receive emails from Plaxo any more? Go to: http://www.plaxo.com/stop

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-6869929324144306572008-06-10T10:09:00.000-07:002008-06-10T12:11:25.902-07:00

It's only taken me a week to get around to posting again after returning from my unfortunate yet enjoyable sojourn to England. Considering how long it has taken me in the past, that's not shabby. Not shabby at all.The day I left England it was raining like I've never known it to rain before. I read somewhere that two month's worth of rain fell in one day. So much, in fact, that there were flash

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-53418951291407763352008-06-03T05:19:00.000-07:002008-06-03T05:31:18.685-07:00

Yesterday I buried my mother. Finally I got to do what I came here to do. With somberness and soberness and sadness, of course, but also with an element of joy in that she's finished the race, she's whole again, she's no longer suffering.The funeral was beautiful. It seems wrong describing it that way, but it really was. The service was more of a memorial thanksgiving service than a funeral. I

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-80020014005947121732008-05-30T10:12:00.000-07:002008-05-30T10:21:15.285-07:00

Perhaps one of the more (if not most) obvious characteristics of Britain is that it is small. Much smaller than the USA. Just a mere fraction of the size, actually. Growing up here, I never really noticed it. But now that I live in a world of wide three lane boulevards, cars the size of small cruise ships, shopping malls that require local guides and an iron lung to traverse, and stretches of

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-15407659726686027782008-05-26T02:47:00.000-07:002008-05-26T03:16:47.210-07:00

The thing about living so far away from immediate family is that I've missed the last six years or so of the lives of my nieces and nephews. Ordinarily this might not be a big deal to many, and perhaps when I moved to the States six years ago, it wasn't the highest priority on my life's To Do list.Last Saturday night, however, I spent a few hours in the company of one of my sisters, her husband,

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-45470560964879421032008-05-24T08:05:00.000-07:002008-05-26T03:15:34.844-07:00

If only there were a better reason for me to be back in England so soon after my last sojourn to the British Isles. As it is, there isn't; I'm here to bury my recently deceased mother. But if it's possible to push that aside for just a brief moment (and as long as I don't think about it for too long, it is possible), I have to admit that it is good to be back.It's interesting that since I don't

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-89861824943788067242008-05-16T17:26:00.000-07:002008-05-16T17:36:00.988-07:00

Just one of the many reasons I love SoCal...

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-55212221578475144382008-05-16T16:40:00.000-07:002008-05-16T17:00:05.903-07:00

Continuing my lame trip through an excellent wall calendar series, and continuing my now traditional approach of being heinously late, here's April's trip to the most excellent place in the Cotswolds, one of my most favourite places in the entire country; Bourton-on-the-Water...Here's a picture of me at this same bridge, taken from the other side (where you see the white chairs in the above

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-59985733260600996822008-05-10T15:48:00.000-07:002008-05-10T16:09:03.842-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, this happened:A couple of times year the fire department run this fundraising campaign where they hang around busy intersections and collect money from people waiting at red lights. My wife was on her way to the feline adoption agency that she volunteers for at the weekend and drove through one of the intersections that the fire department were using. The car that was 3

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-80750374478426313612008-05-09T06:57:00.000-07:002008-05-09T07:07:59.498-07:00

This season of LOST is shaping up to be one of the best yet, but last night's episode was just crazy...1. Richard Alpert is clearly immune to the ravages of time. We've seen him present day, we've seen him when Ben was a child, and we've saw him last night when Locke was a child. His age does not change.2. When Locke had his first encounter with Jacob last season, I declared that it was Christian

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-57527349575181032932008-05-08T16:52:00.000-07:002008-05-08T16:56:01.582-07:00

There are way too many people I know that should be on Twitter that aren't on Twitter, and when they ask me to explain to them why they should be on Twitter, I can't seem to articulate it very well. So instead, there's this, that does a much better job of explain things than I:Now that we're clear, follow me.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-70640253729766213962008-05-05T10:29:00.000-07:002008-05-05T10:36:40.244-07:00

I generally don't care about web stats. I very rarely check the incoming traffic to either of my blogs, nor do I pay much attention to how many hits I'm getting. They don't interest me. I honestly couldn't care any less about who's reading my blog, how they got here, and how many times they are visiting. Sorry if that offends you. I just have no illusions of grandeur when it comes to the

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-8788177126440634212008-05-01T11:55:00.001-07:002008-05-01T12:18:51.750-07:00

It's been a couple of years since I first completed this, and as these things do, it came around in email again today. So I figured I'd update my ABCs...Accent: English. Duhh! But to be more specific, I have a non-descript, non-regional English accent. It's not particularly London or Oxford or West Country or Northern or anything like that. It's just plain, ordinary English. Although whenever I'm

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-56734095110284955182008-04-30T09:50:00.000-07:002008-04-30T09:51:31.395-07:00

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-21988633143691741862008-04-30T08:18:00.000-07:002008-04-30T08:30:56.500-07:00

I have a pile of books on my desk that is my current 'To Read' pile. I just got done reading 'Gerrard' by Steven Gerrard (which, funnily enough, is the autobiography of Liverpool legend and footballing demi-god Steven Gerrard), and I'm currently half way through my second read of Kary Oberbrunner's 'The Journey Towards Relevance'. Following that, in the following order, waiting to be read, are:1.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-19134592508349959972008-04-29T15:59:00.000-07:002008-04-29T16:28:39.679-07:00

I know there's not been much posting of any substance on here since I got back from England really. There's been a lot going on bringing turmoil to my usually peaceful world.1. I've had a bit of a hard time dealing with the aftermath of seeing my mum.2. One or two major events at work are just getting under my skin a little too much.3. Rhonda was involved in a car crash. Nobody was hurt,

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-39179566898393965712008-04-27T18:10:00.000-07:002008-04-27T18:18:03.494-07:00

Galaxy vs. Chivas is the US equivalent of Man Utd. vs. Man City, or Arsenal vs. Chelsea, or Liverpool vs. Everton. Chivas are Los Angeles' second team, and they also call the Home Depot Center their home (although, as the Riot Squad will dutifully point out, there's only one team in LA, and this is OUR house).Last night's game was just spectacular. Great atmosphere, great crowd (first sell out of

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-29683322018619009392008-04-23T07:51:00.000-07:002008-04-23T08:01:21.912-07:00

There was a time, not so long ago, when I would have happily put a bumper sticker on my car that said "Friends Don't Let Friends Listen To Nickelback". It's fairly well documented on this blog that I've not exactly been a fan of them. And, just for the record, I still wouldn't say I'm a "fan" in the truest sense of the word. Chad Kroeger is still fugly and still irritates me.But I recognize a

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-57221851747188150962008-04-21T16:25:00.000-07:002008-04-21T16:35:30.150-07:00

Contrary to the trash talking going on at the blogs of the various other people involved in this battle, this OC-er doesn't need to talk smack. Actions speak louder than words. I'm bringing it. The 951 are going down at the hands of The OC. Who's coming with me?As my wife so eloquently put it, why say "The 951" when "The Hill People" will suffice?

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-84613852492680860162008-04-20T18:04:00.000-07:002008-04-20T18:35:32.328-07:00

I missed the second home game of the season against Toronto FC, as I was England. I sold the tickets to a friend at work and he said it was great, even though the Galaxy lost 3-2. Galaxy had a lot to prove going in to this game again Houston; they have one of the most expensive and potent attacking partnerships in the MLS with Beckham and Donovan, yet they're leaking goals at the back like a tea

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-11260432288212570162008-04-18T13:01:00.000-07:002008-04-18T13:38:41.366-07:00

Hello peeps, tweets, and creeps. No, scratch the last one. I just put it there because it rhymes. I've duly recovered from a nasty but thankfully short lived bout of ManFlu, and with my neurons once again firing on all most cylinders, it's time for an update.Those of you who followed the rock and roll blogathon already know this, but I arrived in England in one piece, albeit pretty knackered. I

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-66664475008176452522008-04-17T12:27:00.001-07:002008-04-17T12:29:37.970-07:00

Just received in my mailbox:Hi, englishguy.longer_sex (longer_sex) is now following your updates on Twitter.Check out longer_sex's profile here: http://twitter.com/longer_sexYou may follow longer_sex as well by clicking on the "follow" button.Best,TwitterThat's perhaps some of the funniest spam I ever read.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-31046070900041938062008-04-16T20:48:00.001-07:002008-04-16T20:50:21.904-07:00

I'm back from my all-too-brief trip to England.And in the fine tradition of me getting sick when I fly long haul, I caught ManFlu on the plane home.More when I've taken control of my head again.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-36487564818855346482008-04-11T07:11:00.000-07:002008-04-15T07:35:08.974-07:00

The way memories work have always been a bit of an enigma to me. I tend to remember very small, insignificant details and events which, for no apparent reason, stick in my mind. For example, I remember when I was about 4 years old walking in to an elevator that was going up when what we really needed was to go down a few floors, and my mum explaining how to tell what direction an elevator is

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-31401475129570480232008-04-09T08:42:00.000-07:002008-04-10T09:42:21.573-07:00

Alright, so there's not much rock and roll involved, but I'm going to attempt to blog and tweet my way back to England. Expect many updates to this post over the next 24 hours. Let's start...8:00am PST - Rise and shine. The cats are bugging me for some breakfast and the missus just left for work. T- 12hours and 15 minutes to lift off. I've got a lot to do; finish some laundry, pack, finish a few

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-32762858618207258342008-04-08T14:41:00.000-07:002008-04-08T14:42:40.116-07:00

Err...personal space, anyone?

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-56346870516494174432008-04-07T14:22:00.001-07:002008-04-07T14:24:42.493-07:00

Every now and then, my non-geek, non-techy, non-gadgety wife does something geeky and techy and makes me proud beyond words.That's right. Rhonda got Twitter. Follow her, fellow tweets!

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-6397143990137763882008-04-04T10:25:00.000-07:002008-04-04T10:49:32.340-07:00

I don't think I mentioned on here that for Christmas Rhonda gave me season tickets to the LA Galaxy. Over the last few years that I've lived here, my fanaticism for the local team has steadily grown. So I was incredibly happy to receive such a gift. Section 238, Row LL, seats 7 and 8. Excellent view from the corner terrace.Anyway, last night was the first home game of the new season (which seems

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-40783588452419407252008-04-03T11:24:00.000-07:002008-04-03T11:26:19.066-07:00

On a show that is predominantly a show about talented, decent singers, how on earth did The Clark Brothers get camera time last night?That was just awful.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-31565974099432016452008-04-03T10:07:00.000-07:002008-04-03T10:09:41.466-07:00

Oh yeah, new digs for Just Some English Guy, all Web 2.0 and all that.Bear with me while I sort out the kinks and what not.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-16546251578113860402008-04-02T18:54:00.000-07:002008-04-03T10:10:17.823-07:00

Observations made during today's workout:1. Some people still use Sony Cassette Walkmans2. Ladies, there is absolutely zero need for wearing makeup to the gym, let alone a need to apply the makeup while on the treadmill3. 'Roid Rage is real. As are 'Roid Heads, who don't actually work out but strut their stuff around the gym instead then go home and take steroids after flipping out over a parking

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-89875343392280366042008-04-01T15:31:00.000-07:002008-04-03T10:37:46.460-07:00

A journey through my wall calendar, part the third...This here is Chipping Campden, population about 2,200:This little gem of the Cotswolds can be found about half way between Witney and Stratford-Upon-Avon (of Bill Shakespeare fame). I've driven through Chipping Campden many times, on my way to places like Evesham and Worcester, but never actually stopped there for anything. Thus I know very

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-82554827001299256702008-03-29T17:22:00.000-07:002008-04-03T10:10:39.818-07:00

I remembered this afternoon the commitment I made back in January to take you through my Cotswold Calendar each month.So I forgot about something I said I'd do. There's a surprise.Anyway, let's get caught up a little. Here's the picturesque village of Castle Combe (pronounced 'koom') on a gloomy February day.Castle Combe is in Wiltshire, about 50 miles south west of where I grew up, and is famous

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-30476586925829551292008-03-28T08:58:00.000-07:002008-04-03T10:10:57.329-07:00

It's not just American Idol that has incoherent singers. I laughed rather loudly at this...(and if you don't get it, the girl is trying to sing in English)...

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-56505891161205272942008-03-26T20:50:00.000-07:002008-04-03T11:16:00.649-07:00

About a year ago, my wife and I sold our 1997 Honda Civic and replaced it with a 2007 Saturn Vue. Over the last year we've managed to put 24,000 glorious miles on it, and, considering that driving in California is about as pleasant as cleaning a cat litter box (not that I do a lot of that, you understand; I prefer not to projectile vomit), we've really enjoyed it. Smooth, reliable, steady, not

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-44510029189757154192008-03-25T08:05:00.000-07:002008-04-03T10:11:32.194-07:00

Remember this post about plastic knives being unfairly and unjustly outnumbered by plastic forks and plastic spoons?Well look what I found...That's right baby, we're back in business with the plastic.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-85015827962418571672008-03-12T08:57:00.000-07:002008-04-03T10:23:40.459-07:00

Whilst perusing Teh Interwebs yesterday, I found myself looking at prices for flights back to England. Understand that, generally speaking, flights to the UK from Los Angeles run anywhere from $600 to $1500, depending on the time of year and the airline. So my jaw dropped when I read about Air France's new service from Los Angeles direct, non-stop to London Heathrow, thanks to the new Open Skies

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-45750584612266635142008-03-10T09:25:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:08:02.150-07:00

A little over four years ago, right before Rhonda and I got married, we went shopping for a bed. Having not much moolah at the time, we opted for the best deal we could find; a display model California King size frame with a Serta mattress that didn't cost very much.Unfortunately, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Over the last year or so, we've suffered the effects of a poor mattress

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-13499212775929392892008-03-04T16:30:00.001-08:002008-04-03T10:27:44.861-07:00

Indeed, folks, I am addicted to my BlackBerry. There's a good reason they earned the nickname 'CrackBerry'. I'm attached at the hip.And it's about to get worse, by the way. RIM have announced the features of the upcoming 4.5 upgrade. Soon, my BlackBerry Curve will have full video capture enabled, and will thus be supported by Qik.Can anyone say "live video blogging"?Oh yes oh yes oh yes. I

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-83079723392200306532008-02-27T08:08:00.000-08:002008-04-03T15:46:09.402-07:00

I've become a lame blogger, I know this, but I'm not nearly as lame is this. It's perhaps the worst music I've ever heard, produced with the worst music video I've ever seen. Craptastic!

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-20773272811760524432008-02-05T09:45:00.000-08:002008-04-03T15:46:27.842-07:00

It's Super Tuesday, and who would I vote for if I could?There's nothing super about any of the potentials. The USA really needs an equivalent of the Monster Raving Loony Party.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-4275452930887224602008-01-25T15:45:00.000-08:002008-04-03T15:48:35.678-07:00

Did you ever wonder whatever happened to The Karate Kid and the guys from Cobra Kai? You're never going to believe this...get him a body bag, Johnny, yeah!

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-51562339276136463232008-01-24T20:57:00.000-08:002008-04-03T15:53:46.148-07:00

When my step-mum was visiting Rhonda and I last year, she bestowed Christmas gifts upon us, one of which was a calendar. Before you roll your eyes and give a sarcastic 'whoop dee doo', it's actually quite a cool calendar for me, because every month there's a picture of somewhere in the Cotswolds, taken in the month it represents.I grew up in The Cotswolds. Well, not quite; just a little north

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-59556803277251952472008-01-22T12:15:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:01:13.595-07:00

So in amongst all the trade wheeling and dealing and hob-nobbing and schmoozing, it turns out that NAMM is generally just about musicians and musician-enabling-manufacturers getting together and saying "we're awesome! yay us!".And that's not necessarily a bad thing, because there are some truly remarkable musicians around using some truly remarkable products, and a four day pat on the back once a

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-83291121159159698962008-01-19T08:17:00.000-08:002008-01-19T08:18:34.419-08:00

I'm going to NAMM today, courtesy of my friend Danny. Since I'm a complete gear head, this is awesome. I'm taking the camera, and I'll be posting pictures. Watch this space.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-37712506442150596092008-01-16T15:21:00.000-08:002008-01-16T15:22:08.683-08:00

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-15479608627273400312008-01-12T21:08:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:03:23.931-07:00

A month or so ago, I bought some Ribena from The British Grocer in Fullerton. One day I made some for Rhonda with hot water, and she thought it was great. We ran out and I ordered four bottles from ukgoods.com. They arrived on Thursday afternoon and today (Saturday evening), the first bottle is already empty. Apparently, it's quite popular in the English Guy house. And that pleases me...just a

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-18963043238469743182008-01-10T14:07:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:03:57.232-07:00

I know I'm a couple of week late on this, but I just wanted to share this incredible Christmas Card I got from some relatives in England. It's a really simple picture, but I love it. This is how I remember Christmas when I was a kid. It used to snow in those days. Also, red telephone boxes were everywhere. Not so much now. Fortunately, the red Royal Mail boxes are still around, even if they

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-20750124882503042242008-01-08T14:00:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:04:39.347-07:00

Just 23 days and counting. Even if we are only going to get 6 episodes this season (until the writers strike is over...):

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-5620487890098233732008-01-02T15:48:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:06:56.042-07:00

There's a big tree outside my house. It's a bit of a pesky tree, to be honest, because it's big roots are pushing up the pavement in front of the yard and have breeched the sewage pipe on more than a few occasions, leading to blocked toilets and emergency calls to Roto-Rooter. But the tree does have it's positives.One of those is that there appears to be a small family of squirrels living in it.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-53726478548151480442007-12-28T13:44:00.001-08:002008-04-03T16:08:59.928-07:00

According to blogger.com, I last published an entry here on December 13th. That's shocking, even by my low standards. I would say that I'm going to make a New Year's resolution to post more, but anyone who's breathing knows that New Year's resolutions don't extend beyond January 2nd. Something to do with the Space/Time Continuum that makes all New Year's resolutions expire, along with any remnant

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-82576268488358869402007-12-13T21:21:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:09:25.393-07:00

I'm not particularly a fan of Burger King's Whopper. I'm more of a fan of In-n-Out's 'Double Double'. But this video is just intriguing. Is the hamburger really that engrained in American culture that people literally freak out when they are told that the Whopper has been discontinued? Apparently so...Whopper Freakout.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-65298554593578058792007-12-04T17:03:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:09:45.150-07:00

Rhonda and I purchased a Christmas tree on Sunday afternoon. A 7ft Nobel Fur to be exact. Then we decorated it. Watch as I fight with the top of the tree before I chop it off. Enjoy...

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-48826727231717179122007-11-27T10:12:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:10:30.584-07:00

I got completely and utterly elf'd...Now, Go Elf Yourself.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-79667589161178408892007-11-26T14:49:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:10:49.147-07:00

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Very Brady ChristmasFor you, it's all about sharing times with family.Even if you all get a bit cheesy at times.What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?And I've never even seen The Brady Bunch.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-28457320371253259032007-11-16T07:50:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:11:12.265-07:00

Generally speaking, this is how I get woken up most days.And you think I'm kidding, don't you?

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-9868502598569213522007-11-09T09:39:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:11:28.379-07:00

There has been a really interesting conversation going on in the office this morning about music that we grew up with. The gist of it is that someone's brother's friend's mother's sister's cousin is a psychologist and has stated to one of the guys in the office that the music we latch on to during our adolescent years helps to shape who we are.I don't know if I agree with this; most of who I am

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-62136999652773415102007-11-08T14:38:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:11:57.525-07:00

I've never considered myself to be an obsessive, compulsive type, apart from the way I organize my music collection.Apparently I am as OCD as the next person. I just can't eat Skittles in any other way:

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-33305283565367055402007-11-05T13:41:00.001-08:002008-04-03T16:13:20.554-07:00

I'm sure by now most of you have seen the viral email concerning Barack Obama and the picture of him looking rather nonchalant and unpatriotic during the signing of the national anthem. That's for another type of blog; not this one.What I want to know is who the heck is murdering the song and how on earth did she get the gig? It's just awful...

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-65073840679466944582007-11-05T10:30:00.000-08:002008-04-03T16:13:42.966-07:00

Of all the thing that have been placed on earth to try my patience (and trust me, there are a lot of them), none has been more successful over the last 5 years that I've lived in the USA than Verizon, an American telephone company.Given a choice between, say, pouring a mug of hydrochloric acid on my lap and dealing with Verizon, the hydrochloric acid will constantly and consistently come out on

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-19742038564529614012007-11-03T06:37:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:14:17.678-07:00

So since I'm up long before dawn on Saturday morning to watch the Arsenal vs. Manchester United game, I figured I'd get caught up on the old blogging that I seem to be neglecting more and more lately.First of all, we're still not on fire. The fires aren't out, but the weather is cooler and more humid and it looks like the fire departments are getting a handle on things. Having said that, we're

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-28204773514976130882007-11-02T16:24:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:14:37.990-07:00

Potentially the funniest video I've seen in ages. I busted a gut at this one...Shout out to Kurt.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-10583162773736971572007-10-29T14:57:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:16:39.179-07:00

How can anyone not love it?

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-83725156567592431942007-10-26T11:50:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:21:15.810-07:00

Time to go ride a leopard...

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-42969366948745367992007-10-23T15:48:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:22:04.108-07:00

Seriously. California is on fire. It's crazy. The wind blows, the air is dry, the sun is hot, and the state starts burning.Fortunately for the missus and I, we are not all that near to any of the fires that we're in danger of being burned. The nearest is about 20 miles south of us. We have friends there, though, that have been evacuated. Crazy.And with all the smoke and ash around, the sky looks

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-90082313315028575172007-10-18T08:40:00.000-07:002007-10-18T08:43:07.907-07:00

LA vs. NY, last home game of the season tonight. I'll be there, Section 140, seat G15. Right next to the Riot Squad. Cobi Jones's last home game ever. And I believe Beckham may make a return from injury.Come on Galaxy.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-64556138800745034412007-10-17T09:34:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:22:23.298-07:00

This sounds like it might just hurt a little...

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-46715353666163080892007-10-16T21:17:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:24:53.686-07:00

A year ago, I posted about October Surprise. Well, it's that time again! This is year number 3, and this year, I gave Rhonda:And Rhonda gave me:Yay for October Surprise!

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-89181723103567070992007-10-15T10:15:00.001-07:002008-04-03T16:25:25.903-07:00

For all you LOST fans out there...R.I.P., Charlie Pace, you rock god. Rock on, Drive Shaft!

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-9070765437539008292007-10-15T08:34:00.000-07:002007-10-15T08:35:03.964-07:00

I have the manflu. Ugg.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-57292392021228190822007-10-10T06:54:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:26:12.848-07:00

I'm a lazy blogger, that's what I am. My neglect for decent blog content in recent weeks has reached a new level, thus it's time for a long post so that, in the words of John Mayer, I can "catch you up on places I've been".First of all, where did the summer go? Has anyone seen it? It's October for crying out loud. That's ridiculous. Although I must admit that the cooler weather is welcome. I was

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-33854607812296040942007-10-06T09:56:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:26:40.013-07:00

Oh yes.MC Hammer has a blog.You can't touch it.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-74932793198661210082007-10-03T15:19:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:31:54.858-07:00

I don't have a MySpace page. I don't use IM applications. I'm not a 'social networker'. But as of today, I am a twitter...http://twitter.com/englishguyDo you Twitter?

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-87687678202038642272007-09-28T07:03:00.000-07:002007-09-28T07:04:59.828-07:00

It's amazing how some people can make millions just using their voice. This is brilliant:

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-90031131351526997702007-09-27T11:22:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:32:47.485-07:00

Oh yes. Tonight's the night, folks. Michael and Dwight are bringing sexy back to Scranton...

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-88748570094418623732007-09-26T15:32:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:40:45.358-07:00

A few days late posting this, but here we are, the final Project Stratocaster installment. Time for the build!Here are all the parts laid out in an organized fashion; body and neck on the right, pickguard and other hardware on the left, tools and accessories above:The first thing to do was mate the neck and the body. This is done via four bolts and a chrome neck plate on the back of the body:With

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-73806032821748413662007-09-25T09:32:00.001-07:002008-04-03T16:41:18.164-07:00

Chris Farley = Legend.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-14074618293787166362007-09-24T21:03:00.000-07:002007-09-24T22:01:47.298-07:00

Yes oh yes oh yes. 'Heroes' starts again tonight, and to honour the occasion, I'll be blogging my way through it...9:02pm - It's 4 months after the finale of season 1. Dr. Guresh is presenting his research somewhere. Some guy offers him a job.9:05pm - Two new faces...Maya and Alejandro are in Honduras and are running. From what or whom is a mystery.9:06pm - Its the police they are running from.9:

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-29377863839158989592007-09-19T11:41:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:42:59.262-07:00

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-62722178833376974082007-09-17T13:28:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:44:02.374-07:00

I assembled the pickguard components at the weekend after receiving the last part of the equation - the push/pull pot I mentioned in the second part.Here they are. The Lace Holy Grail pickups are there on the left, and the pots sitting on the back of the pickguard. The push/pull is the top most pot.I set about attaching them to the pickguard and soldering the connection in place. And that's not a

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-70068845581391194412007-09-16T17:16:00.000-07:002007-09-16T17:17:36.733-07:00

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-20974688926631588582007-09-13T14:23:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:47:47.213-07:00

Lookey what we have here...One repainted body, courtesy of my friends at Fender's custom shop in Corona. The pictures don't do it justice; it's absolutely stunning. Better than I imagined. I can't wait to get things going on this now.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-5077353175755936082007-09-06T10:57:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:48:24.531-07:00

I'm so sad that Luciano Pavarotti has died, aged 71. I had a bet going on down at Ladbrokes that he'd make it to 80, and now I've lost a tenor.*groan*(Sorry, bad taste. But still funny.)

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-50295637139404577012007-09-04T12:06:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:48:47.168-07:00

The Office starts up again in a few weeks and I can't wait. In the meantime, check out what the Dunder Mifflin crew have been up to over the summer:

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-65632478639193064572007-09-02T21:16:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:49:02.482-07:00

A couple of months ago, a saw this television show on BBC America called 'Bringing Back the A-Team'. It seemed to be a rip off of VH1's 'Bands Reunited', except that the presenter of the show (some long haired hippy git with a strong west country accent) reunited the casts of his favourite television programs.Now, I may not like the long haired hippy git much, but he clearly has good taste in TV

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-1156422375768712992007-09-01T21:07:00.000-07:002008-04-03T16:49:50.360-07:00

It's hot. Too hot. I got in the car at 11:00am, and it told me that it was 93F. I got back in the car at 1:00pm, and it told me it was 98F. I got in the car again at 4:30pm, and this time it was 108F.It's now 9pm and the thermometer is telling me that it's 87F.Outrageous. Ridiculous.I think I'm done with summer.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-65282648622242020052007-08-30T08:22:00.000-07:002007-08-30T17:23:31.256-07:00

Last night we had quite a massive thunderstorm here (although don't ask my wife about it; she slept through the entire thing). It was loud and very close overhead. So there I was, lying awake in bed, listening to the thunder, thinking about what I might be able to do to this guitar to make it unique. Something a bit special that standard market Stratocasters don't have.Then just as I was starting

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-17662185658130264272007-08-27T16:09:00.000-07:002007-08-27T16:14:04.786-07:00

After reading Kurt's note on how excited he is that the NFL season is about to start (or has it started already?), I feel compelled to respond by saying how totally excellent it is to have the English Premier League back in action for the 2007/2008 season. We're talking real football here, ladies and gents, the kind that involves a ball, feet, and no nuclear blast armour. The beautiful game at

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-48813927395992709952007-08-27T12:00:00.001-07:002007-08-27T12:01:46.830-07:00

Danny Boy, like you've never heard it before...

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-26341565001973444932007-08-24T16:08:00.000-07:002007-08-24T16:10:15.805-07:00

I'm sure news of this will travel through the blogosphere in a viral manner, but geez this kid and his friends are geeky. In a good way.They have successfully unlocked an Apple iPhone. Good work, fellas.Finding JTAG on the iPhone

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-21276207063166432482007-08-22T10:08:00.000-07:002007-08-22T10:21:25.623-07:00

This post will take about 15 minutes of your time.Watch this video of Michael Jackson's "Thriller"."Thriller" is a milestone in pop culture. The video was ground breaking, the song is excellent, and despite how crazy Wacko Jacko is these days, he was the complete entertainer back in the 80's.Now watch this Indian rip off:I have just three questions:1. What were they thinking?2. Can they not think

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-64823773015036122402007-08-22T08:53:00.001-07:002007-08-22T09:24:51.103-07:00

First of all, I am about to break the very first rule that I set for myself when I started this blog:Never discuss what you had for breakfast.Why am I about to break this rule? Well, to start with, because I can. It's my blog. But mostly because what I ate for breakfast this morning was so mind numbingly good that it deserves some publicity.This morning, for breakfast, I had a Classic Sausage

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-4914877566798965272007-08-17T10:05:00.000-07:002007-08-17T10:26:20.155-07:00

A few years ago, I built a guitar. Well, no, I didn't really build a guitar, but I restored a manky old beat up guitar in to a shining axe that is simply stunning to play and lovely to look at.Ever since then, I've had a hankering to do it all over again, and recent occurrences have been conducive to such an undertaking. So, I present to you the guitar that will be made over:This isn't a bad

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-64462424079883873072007-08-13T02:18:00.000-07:002007-08-13T02:34:24.548-07:00

Greetings, faithful yet dwindling number of readers! It appears that it has been over a week since I last posted to this here weblog. For that I do not apologize. Why? Because I've been otherwise preoccupied with things like...oh...being in another country.Yes indeed. It was all very hush hush as I was attempting to keep a secret from my dad (which I then blew about 5 minutes before I saw him),

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-67239581693258279282007-08-04T09:50:00.001-07:002007-08-04T10:01:15.981-07:00

It's a little before 10:00am and today is already shaping up to be an excellent day.A year ago, I mourned the fact that Fox Soccer Channel were losing several live Premiership games each week to the Setanta Channel. Despite my petitioning of Dish Network to please provide the Setanta Channel, lest my brain implode from the impending prospect of too little football, they were not forth coming (

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-30875134869043636292007-08-02T15:14:00.000-07:002007-08-02T15:15:01.249-07:00

This is completely brilliant and I spent a good five minutes laughing about this when I first heard it.Here's the deal. Call the number below after 5pm Eastern Standard Time. It's the number to a regional FAA office somehere in Georgia. It will be closed and you will get the answering service. Listen very carefully to the website address that the answering service gives you.You will not be

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-5437380840113297072007-07-30T09:17:00.000-07:002007-07-30T09:20:06.226-07:00

C'mon, ABC, throw us a bone here...(yeah, yeah, another video, I know, but I know at least Tony, Kieran, Rhonda, and Kurt will be interested in this).ABC posted the video below on their LOST website, and it has me somewhat excited about season 4 again, and I can't believe we have to wait until January to see it.Anyway, the video below looks like one of the orientation videos we have seen for 'The

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-30995117026135435652007-07-26T10:29:00.000-07:002007-07-26T10:37:32.157-07:00

Okay, so I've been on a video kick lately...You know, I always thought that the scene from "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" where she has all the female inmates singing and dancing the synchronized dance moves to some Madonna song was all a bit far fetched. That was until I saw this video of an entire prison's worth of inmates from a prison in the Philippines doing the entire 'Zombie Dance'

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20953145.post-36289497870792654662007-07-24T11:03:00.000-07:002007-07-24T11:04:21.778-07:00

No words are necessary...

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786352277602128819noreply@blogger.com0