Vitriol

Vitriol

© 2004 by Andersen Silva (2-1-04)

Last updated 6-28-2022  


Without you I am grim and fatalistic;
  But with you I am supercalifragilistic!
I'm happy and I'm silly, all because of you.
  And that is why I am the man who loves you.

January was full of ups and downs. I lost my job at AA World Class, though I started a new one at Microwize Technology two weeks later. As the big snow last week began, I slipped on some ice that had been covered by the white stuff, and came down hard on my left knee, the one that sporadically gives me problems. I completed three new recordings ("That's Just What I Am," "Second Shot," and "Joy in the New") and began a fourth, but I was nearly crippled when the strap on my Strat knockoff came loose, sending the guitar crashing down directly onto my unprotected toes. My honey and I went out for sushi twice, relishing both meals, but twice found our plans for Mexican canceled by circumstances beyond our control.

Well, Gina and I did get to see both "Along Came Polly" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" last month. The first was entertaining and a lot of fun, the second was engrossing and powerful, if a bit long to sit through. I finally made myself buy and read "The Hobbit" in January, too. I'd been turned off by it back in high school and never really finished it, but last year, after having seen the first two "LOTR" movies, I decided to buy that book and give it a try, and I was hooked by the first chapter. I then figured that I'd have to give "The Hobbit" another chance, though I didn't get around to purchasing it until now. Turns out that "The Hobbit" was written as more of a children's book, resulting in a different narrative style than "The Lord of the Rings," and that style is what bothered me in high school (and, quite frankly, still irks me now). The story itself, however, is a good one. I've heard that Peter Jackson is considering filming that story now; hope he does.

We also stayed in for some movies, including "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "Magnolia," both of which my darlin' got me for Christmas. We really enjoyed both, though we were stunned to realize that "Magnolia" was over three hours long! I introduced Gina to "Spaceballs" and was glad to learn that she found it funny, too. Some people just don't get Mel Brooks.

The new job? Well, I'm (or at least I'm going to be) a software installer/trainer/technician for billing and electronic medical records software for the medical industry. There's quite a lot I have to learn first, though. I went to my first on-site job with Robert last Thursday, in Manhattan, and I learned that I'm going with him to Johns Hopkins University this month! Very cool... The commute to Microwize is shorter than the one to AAWC was, though the hours are longer. Not really any opportunities to war-ride on that bus route, either. Oh, well.

Speaking of technology, I attended the LinuxWorld Expo in New York during my two-week hiatus from the working world. It was certainly cool, though still a bit low-key. While in the City, I visited the Apple Store in SoHo and picked up a copy of Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther). The iBook's hardware may be over three years old now, but I'm running cutting-edge software on it.  :)  Gina just got herself set up with some cutting-edge hardware; of course, it's a Dell, not an Apple, but... Heh-heh. I've also acquired an old Macintosh Quadra and a Hitachi laptop to add to my computer collection. Not entirely sure how I'll be able to use 'em, but they are both working.

And what have I been using this advanced hardware and software for? Recording music, of course, and updating this Web site... but lately I've been using MacMAME again, which lets me play exact copies of old-school arcade games. You haven't lived until you've played the original "Donkey Kong" or "Centipede" or "Dig Dug" on your own computer. Woo-hoo! Best of all, I don't have to use real quarters!

OK, I'm going to have another piece of chocolate loaf (from Mazur's, a simply incredible bakery a short walk away) and then get ready to start my day. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some more work done on my music tonight. Yes, it's Super Bowl Sunday. No, I don't care. Well, I suppose I'll cross my fingers for the Patriots, for my honey's sake...   ;)
  - A (webmaster@andersensilva.com)


April 2004 - The real final Vitriol, Howard Stern, Dubya, etc.
-
March 2004 - Dining out with my baby, Virtual PC, and the end of Vitriol... or is it?
-
February 2004 - Two weeks between jobs, three new songs, grabbing Panther by the tail
-
January 2004 - Ice skating with Gina, sushi at my sister's wedding, war-riding, the pink slip
-
December 2003 - Moving pains, goin' places with Gina, Christmas bells
-
November 2003 - The looong month of October, finding an apartment, Ozzy's gone
-
October 2003 - I'm in love with her and I feel fine, Boston, the Dalai Lama, apartment for rent?
-
September 2003 - Andy, happy? it could happen!, taking time off from work, Ringo Starr, "Discworld," the blackout
-
August 2003 - (W)here (M)ight (D)ose WMDs be?, gay marriages and the people who fear them, '80s metal bands, Computer Man to the rescue, Philadelphia freedom
-
July 2003 - Boondocks.net is back!, rudeness on public transportation and elsewhere, "Hole in the Wall"
-
June 2003 - Science fiction movies, where is Boondocks.net?, still no weapons of misconstruction...
-
May 2003 - How 'bout them weapons of mass distraction, huh?, Def Leppard, Michael Palin, another Silva, wireless networking, and a damned good raspberry margarita
-
April 2003 - They're still French fries, dammit!, a new guitar for Andy, music-music-music
-
March 2003 - The buildup for, and the protesting against, war
-
February 2003 - The destruction of the Columbia, the National Day of Poetry Against the War, hard and soft atheism, Pete Townshend, and the gift shop
-
January 2003 - Christmas loot, "Swingin'," more war talk
-
December 2002 - The year in review, moving again?!?, moving world leaders around, too
-
November 2002 - "Scarlet's Walk" and Tori's penguin, jackasses, and killing in the name of...
-
October 2002 - Boston, Aimee Mann, and Palpatine/Bush
-
September 2002 - George Darius Bush and George Xerxes Bush
-
August 2002 - Movin' out of Paisan-town, and far away from the Regal Beagle
-
July 2002 - Church and state: you gotta keep 'em separated, Dubya still doesn't want to play nice with the rest of the world, John Entwistle's gone
-
June 2002 - Movin' on from town to town, Dave Barry and the Rock Bottom Remainders
-
May 2002 - Science fiction movies everywhere!, jail time for virus creators, Dubya finally learns to pronounce 'occupation,' Andy gets a promotion?!?
-
April 2002 - Terrorism on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, people who don't interact with me or the Web site, "For Dana" to be released on a compilation CD
-
March 2002 - Chip implants, the children of God and the followers of Christ commit murder in His name, ultranationalism American style
-
February 2002 - Dubya says, "These pretzels are making me- ack!" Sharon continues playing Napoleon, and... the return of Foogar?
-
January 2002 - Rob Zombie, Ozzy Osbourne, and other Christmas-related items, stealin' cars, karaoke!
-
December 2001 - George meets his sweet lord, terrorists EVERYwhere!, Tomb Raider II finished finally, and the Segway, finally!
-
November 2001 - Anthrax (the band), WSOU rocks - but for how much longer? and a minute of silence?
-
October 2001 - Osama bin Laden and anthrax and the women who love them
-
September 2001 - Five days after the 9/11 attacks
-
September 2001 - Governments and armies and the assholes who love them, more misspellings, and a large lack of feedback
-
August 2001 - Dubya's isolationism, the Macedonians and Albanians search for peace the Israeli/Palestinian way, 2004 Olympics in Beijing
-
July 2001 - Not the Sexiest Geek Alive, war (what is it good for?), murdering citizens American-style
-
June 2001 - A dead hitchhiker, the Taliban, and an independent Senator Jeffords
-
May 2001 - Joey Ramone's dead, and "Joey Ramone's Dead"
-
April 2001 - Brazil (not the Terry Gilliam film), Dubya and carbon dioxide, Yugoslavia begins coming to its senses, Israel and the Palestinians still haven't come to theirs...
-
March 2001 - New look for the Web site, upcoming vacation in Brazil!, the pig-headed Taliban, "Hannibal"
-
February 2001 - Tomb Raider II, Dubya plays with his new toys, nature plays with El Salvador and India, and the inevitable Chechnya and Israel/Palestinians references
-
January 2001 - Snow, a new year/decade/century/millennium, screen resolutions
-
December 2000 - The iBook, "The X-Files," the Grinch, the pathetic turn of events in the U.S. elections...
-
November 2000 - Got the iBook! the Village Parade, trouble still brewin' in the Mideast, the upcoming U.S. elections...
-
October 2000 - Andy turns 30, the Middle East, the anniversary of the invasion of Chechnya...
-
September 2000 - A random act of kindness, Great Adventure, new music, new iBooks?
-
August 2000 - Palestine and the Israelis, Milosevic, Speight, and breaking the speed of light!
-
July 2000 - Israel & the Palestinians, the missile defense shield, and (who'da thunk it?) Chechnya
-
June 2000 - Um, Chechnya again, gun-totin' Charlton Heston, misspellings, and xenophobes
-
May 2000 - Communism on the last May Day of the twentieth century, and Andy's life ("Don't talk to me about life...")
-
April 2000 - Hold on, it's more Chechnya rantin', and an appeal on behalf of a friend caught behind red tape
-
March 2000 - Hey, hey, Pinochet, Russia and China won't go away, "The X-Files," the American presidential race, and a prelude to vacation
-
February 2000 - Again with the Chechens, and Elián, Pinochet, mp3.com vs. the recording industry, and snow
-
January 2000 - Made it through January 1st, Syria and Israel, public transportation, and, er, Chechnya
-
December 1999 - Indonesia comes apart, Chechnya (no shit), Seattle's burning, 'n Happy Xmas
-
November 1999 - Halloween, my bad knee, Russians? in Chechnya?!? Buchanan and the Reform Party, NIN
-
October 1999 - Hurricane on the East Coast, earthquakes in Taiwan, Turkey, and Greece, and Apple Computers
-
September 1999 - I'm not getting you down, am I? I'd hate to think I was getting you down...

- - - the Dark Ages (reprise) - - -

April 1999 - the return of Vitriol, Kosovo, a foreshadowing of the Russian invasion of Chechnya (!), and Libya

- - - the Dark Ages - - -

September-November 1995 - the Underground Press Conference, a co-worker bites the dust, Rabin really bites the dust, Remington Bond, Win95, and the Sex Pistols
-
August 1995 - the death penalty, the V-chip and violence in pop culture, and "TV Nation"
-
June 1995 - Oklahoma City, 'zines, "The X-Files" and "V.R.5"
-
March 1995 - I'm sick!, the space program (ha), alt.zines, "Star Trek" and "Voyager"
-
February 1995 - the very first Vitriol! Newt Gingrich, political correctness, media overkill, Howard Stern, the Apple goon squad?
-

Last updated 6-28-2022