My iPod is possessed

I listen to my iPod every single day. Whether its using Tunein to listen to different radio stations all over the country, downloading podcasts or jamming to some songs, I almost always have an earbud in my noggin. While I was driving home yesterday my iPod suddenly dropped the podcast I was listening to and switched over to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, specifically the song, "Yoda and the Force". Today, while listening to a different podcast it randomly switched over to Ann Miller's "Shaking the Blues Away".

Is my iPod trying to tell me something?

Jerry Doyle

Before Hubby and I left for Las Vegas, I emailed Jerry Doyle (he lives and broadcasts in Vegas):

Hi Jerry,
My husband and I are going to be in Las Vegas August 4-8 for a convention. If you aren't up for making your own dinner one night we hope you will agree to let us take you out. If you are interested, please give us a call at 520-___-____.
P.S. I promise we aren't stunods or loonitrons, just fans of your television and radio work!

You will never believe my surprise when we returned home to an email in my in-box from Jerry:

Kristi - thanks for the offer but my mom is in town & leaving this Sunday. Only have a few days left with her and we've got a lot on the schedule.

Maybe we'll cross paths @ the airport Sunday morning. Her flight leaves @ 6:30A

If you need any show or restaurant ideas - let me know.

Hope you guys have a great trip.

I am still giddy with excitement!!! I never expected him to call but I am floored that he emailed back. I have met a lot of celebrities but he is by far the nicest!!

Have You Seen My Country Lately?

Wednesday night Hubby and I attended the book signing of my favorite radio talk show host, Jerry Doyle. As mentioned before, Jerry also starred in one of our favorite television series of all time, Babylon 5, so this book signing was doubly awesome!

We arrived about 45 minutes early and secured a "gold ticket" which entitled us to get our book signed in the first wave of fans. I briefly got to speak to Jerry and Hubby shook his hand. Both of us were excited and happy that he was gracious and kind. All too often celebrities never live up to the expectations you create in your mind. For me, he exceeded them and more!

The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away

A couple weeks back I was listening to a science fiction podcast. The guest and his hosts were discussing the new J.J. Abrams version of Star Trek and the subsequent release on Blu Ray. They were raving about how fantastic it looked and all the special features that were included with this version.

That same day I told hubby that I thought it was time to invest in a Blu Ray player and that if we happened to buy Star Trek, that would be cool.

Approximately a week later, hubby surprised me with both the Blu Ray player and Star Trek movie. I was so happy that I put my homework to the side and spent a nice, quiet evening snuggled next to hubby on the couch watching the new movie.

The very next day my iPod either got stolen or dropped out of my backpack at school.

This just goes to show that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction!

I checked the lost and found, put my name on every list, even filed a police report with UAPD, but so far, nothing. I had initially held out hope that someone would return it, but iPod's aren't exactly something people give back. Maybe someday it will turn up but for now there is some college kid walking around campus with a pink iPod engraved with my name on it and has my wedding pictures on it. I hope they can sleep at night.

I guess one good thing that came out of this is that now that I don't have an iPod, I don't have to worry about all the problems the new iTunes has caused.

2 of 2500

As I have mentioned a number of times here on my blog, I have been listening to radio talk show host Jerry Doyle whose views are typically independent of political affiliation. To be more specific, it matters not if you are a Democrat or Republican, if you are in public office and do something stupid or illegal he is going to call you out on it. I appreciate and support this point of view.

As a bi-product of listening to his show I am much more up to speed on what is happening in our country and specifically what our government is up to. I have to admit that much of it is startling. This new found knowledge has driven me to want to speak out. So, with supportive Hubby in tow we went to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' town hall meeting this past Tuesday evening. Sadly, we were unable to get in to actually see or speak to her, however, we were able to stand outside with our signs and talk to other supporters as well as opponents. Save for a few crazies who yelled at us, everyone we saw and spoke to was respectful and kind.

Outside of Saguaro High School

The auditorium behind me, with a capacity of 1500, was already full when we arrived.

The overflow area outside the auditorium where eventually another 1000 people piled in.

This was the sign I held, the other one said:
Reform Medicaid
Reform U.S. Border Policy
Reform Medicare
Reform Social Security
BEFORE reforming healthcare

Additionally: I cannot take credit for my sign, although I did create it, the idea came from a gentleman named Wayne Allyn Root who started this V.E.T.O campaign about a week ago. I am only serving to pass the message on.

Where is My Bail-Out Mr. Obama?

There is an old saying that "knowledge is power". I am beginning to believe that knowledge leads the way to hopelessness and despair. I say this only because after listening to two weeks of Jerry Doyle (see the previous post) and getting the straight skinny on what is happening in the world of politics and our federal government...well...we ALL are so screwed.

Remember all those billions of dollars the taxpayers "agreed" to give to the banks, TARP money as it is called? Remember how that was supposed to help the common person? Remember how people were going to keep their houses and their jobs? Remember how this bail-out was going to keep kids going to college?

Well, from my vantage point in little ol' Tucson, Arizona, that isn't happening!

I just got my financial aid notice for next year. Hey, guess what, the Federal Government (with whom I get my student loans) has offered me money, but not enough to cover the outrageous tuition hike that U of A imposed on its students. Thanks!

Oh, and Bank of America has decided that my 7% interest rate on my credit card (used for buying school books, additional fees that U of A secretly adds that loans won't cover, and parking permits) isn't enough money for them, so they have notified me that they will be increasing my interest rate to 14% effective May 1st. Might I add that this isn't just me, this is thousands upon thousands of loyal and trustworthy consumers who have never missed a payment and have never been late. This is 100% a money making decision (and a desperate attempt to screw over the consumer before legislation is passed that would prevent exactly this happening)...OH, AND BANK OF AMERICA ACCEPTED TARP MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT! Why exactly do they need to raise their rates if they received bail-out money????

So, Mr. Obama, I don't have enough money to go to school next year and I can't use my credit card, so where exactly is my bail-out?

Jerry Doyle

Part of my birthday gift from hubby this year was a year subscription to the Jerry Doyle radio program. This entitles me to download his radio program to my iPod so that I can listen at my convenience, since I am NEVER in the car when he is broadcasting.

Most of you have probably never heard of him (you ubber geeks out there will remember him as Michael Garibaldi from Babylon 5), and I am guessing most of you probably won't like what he has to say, but I think he is fantastic. He says what he thinks, he pulls no punches, he cowers to no one, and he is about as politically incorrect as you can get on the radio. I love it.

I got an opportunity to listen to him speak yesterday at the Desert Diamond Casino and very much enjoyed it. I even convinced my sister and Tim to come along and they seemed to really respond to what he had to say.

If any of you run across his program (in Tucson on 104.1 FM) I urge you to give him five minutes of your time, I think you will learn a lot.