Cry me a river

Former Wash. inmate sues state for labor shackling

By RACHEL LA CORTE, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jun 25, 10:21 pm ET

OLYMPIA, Wash. – A former Washington state prison inmate who says she was shackled during childbirth sued the state Thursday, saying her constitutional rights were violated.

Seattle-based women’s rights organization Legal Voice filed the federal lawsuit against the state Department of Corrections on behalf of Casandra Brawley, who was four months pregnant when she was jailed at the Washington Corrections Center for Women near Gig Harbor in December 2006.

Brawley said she was shackled by a metal chain around her stomach during transportation to the hospital, then fastened by a leg iron to a hospital bed throughout several hours of labor.

The suit alleges her restraints were removed during an emergency Cesarean section only after a physician insisted, but then were replaced after the procedure.

“Yeah, I’ve made some mistakes and wrong decisions,” Brawley said Thursday of the shoplifting conviction that sent her to prison. “But I am still a person and I didn’t feel like I should be treated like a caged animal.”

In a written statement, Maria Peterson, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, said the agency is “dedicated to treating all offenders with respect and dignity and not subjecting them to conditions or circumstances that unnecessarily threaten their safety or well being.”

Brawley was released in May 2007.

Sara Ainsworth, an attorney at Legal Voice representing Brawley, said the department violated both the U.S. and state constitutions when it chained Brawley when she went into labor in April 2007.

Ainsworth said Brawley is seeking unspecified damages for emotional suffering, and wants to ensure that the state Department of Corrections stops shackling pregnant women.

“During her entire hospitalization — even though walking is extremely difficult in the first few days after a Cesarean section — Ms. Brawley was kept shackled to a hospital bed by the metal leg restraint and guarded by a DOC corrections officer 24 hours per day,” the lawsuit says.

While walking the halls of the hospital during her recovery, her ankles were shackled together, which Brawley said was “embarrassing and stressful.”

Brawley’s attorneys said their client was not a danger to anyone, and was a good inmate who was released midway through her 14-month sentence.

Brawley lives with her 2-year-old son, his father, and their 7-month-old baby in Bremerton.

Y’know, call me unsympathetic, or a monster, or a bitch, but: WAHHH!

You broke the law.  You were in JAIL.  You were a prisoner.  They didn’t treat you like a “caged animal” they treated you like a prisoner.  Which you WERE. Suck. it. up.

Be glad you are out and have freedom and don’t ever get yourself into that kind of trouble again.  I say count your fucking blessings that you were allowed to retain custody of your children.

Nuisance lawsuits are overwhelming the courts and I hope the judge tosses this one WAY out.

Love, love, love … drags me down …

Well, I am pretty darned close to GIDDY this morning -

After nearly 15 years of searching and hunting and asking, I found it!  The Barbarella soundtrack!!!!

Wooooooooooo!  Hoooooooooooo!

After all this time, this fantastic album has been put out as a digital download.  For many years, the album was out of print.  I hunted in used record stores and online auction houses to no avail.  My freshman year in college, I got so close I could practically hear it!  One of my classmates was an older student who had picked up the album (vinyl!!) when it was first released (1968).  She said it was in mint condition and was boxed up with some other records in her basement and that I could have it and any others I wanted – Eep!  The following week (it was a once a week class), she regretted to inform me that her husband had given away all their albums when they had moved the previous year (to her son, if memory serves).

*sigh*

Then, a few years later, the album was released on CD … but only as an import.  You ever priced Import CDs?  As a poor college student, it was out of the question.  By the time I had the money – it was out of print again.

ARGH!!

But now, finally, I was able to download the entire thing (plus three radio spots) at emusic.  As anyone who knows me will tell you, I 125% prefer an in-hand copy (i.e. album, CD, cassette) to a download of anything - the quality is so vastly superior that I have difficulty putting it into words – but this is better than nothing.  WAY better than nothing.  Nothing is what I had all these years, and this … this is FABULOUS!

Yay!

Love, love, love … drags me down …

Cheese!

“Prove Me Wrong”

As anyone who knows anything about me at all is aware, I am a HUGE fan of Mancow Muller.  Who is Mancow?  He’s a morning radio personality based in Chicago and is syndicated all across the U.S.  I listen to him online here.

Mancow is engaging, intelligent, hilarious, and just a little nuts.  Frankly, I think the man is brilliant and I have tremendous respect for him.

There are many layers to Mancow Muller, so you may have to listen several times before you start to understand what he is about.  Trust me, he is worth it.

I starting following him on Twitter and I look forward to his tweets more than any others.  Got one a couple of days ago that I decided to keep on my phone as a daily reminder.

Remember to seek God first today.  Say out loud, “I want a great day”.  You’ll be amazed at the results.  Prove me wrong.  Try it.

Regardless of whether or not you are a religious person, this affirmation is a good idea.  Just try it – what have you got to lose?

You WILL know the Truth

I am NOT calling it that!

Sci Fi Channel to Launch New Name: SyFy

Nuh-uh.  No way.  You can’t make me.  It’s stupid, juvenile, and unecessary … and if I have to tell you why then maybe we shouldn’t be friends.

Snowed in

Last week we had quite a bit of snow for this area. It snowed all day Sunday and much of Monday. We were off for MLK Jr Day, but I wound up with a super long weekend because I couldn’t leave my house Tuesday (ice coated the streets of my subdivision).

It was pretty darned great. I took some pics because it’s rare to get an amount of snow in the valley that causes the schools to be closed.

Front yard:

Back yard:

On being an Admin – Part One

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t

Sometimes, being an admin means you can’t express you real and true opinion … at least not without facing a virtual firing squad.

When you are an Admin, people form their opinions of what that should mean so far as your behavior online. To many of them it means I should back each and every choice Taylor Hicks makes without question. It means that even though I dislike Grease and wish Taylor would just be done with it already, I should keep that to myself and hip-hip-hooray the freaking play.

Well, I can’t do that. So what I have done is basically just bow out of the Grease discussions. Other people are loving it so why steal their joy and poop on their fun?

Apparently, that is no good either. This has been interpreted as my being “bored with Taylor” and I “need to move on.”

WTF?

If I’m not a pompom shaking, everything-Taylor-touches-is-perfection, Taylor’s-farts-are-not-just-in-tune-they-also-smell-like-lilacs fan, then I am NOT a “real” fan.

WTF??

The funniest thing? There is a pompom shaking, everything-Taylor-touches-is-perfection, Taylor’s-farts-are-not-just-in-tune-they-also-smell-like-lilacs Admin on another site and you know what? She catches flack for that.

Again – WTF???

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

Something to think about on Tuesday?

Asshat

Missing pants case returns to DC court

By BRIAN WESTLEY, Associated Press Writer Brian Westley, Associated Press Writer – Wed Oct 22, 4:34 pm ET

WASHINGTON – A former administrative law judge who unsuccessfully sued a dry cleaner for $54 million over a pair of lost pants tried to convince an appeals panel Wednesday that he deserves the money because he is a fraud victim.

“This is not a case about a pair of suit pants,” Roy L. Pearson argued before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Rather, it is about whether the owners of a neighborhood business misled consumers with a sign that claimed “Satisfaction Guaranteed,” he said.

“There is an unconditional guarantee,” he argued, unless the merchant indicates otherwise.

Pearson said the sign was deceptive and that the burden was on owners Jin Nam Chung and Soo Chung to explain whether the promise came with restrictions.

(Read the entire article at the link)

Oh. My. GOD!!  Can you say, “Jackass”?  It’s people like this judge who give the legal/justice system a very very bad name (and I have a few choice bad names I could call him).

Drop it, dude.  You had the chance to settle out of court the last time for the cost of the damned pants and court fees, but you were greedy wanting your multi-millions and your case was dismissed.  Why was it dismissed?  Because it’s utterly absurd to expect anyone to award you millions when all you are doing is harrassing a couple of immigrants who are running a Mom and Pop store.  You look like a bully.

Here’s a question – Right now, with people’s finances the way they are (savings wiped out, retirements wiped out, houses being foreclosed left and right) do you really think any jury is going to give a Washington, D.C. fat cat anything?  You are wasting your time, your money, and the court’s time.

Thought this might be fun

I found this fun little game here.

The rules:
A) Go to Music Outfitters
B) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year
C) Annotate your list:
Bold the songs you like, italicize your favorites, do nothing to the ones you don’t remember (or don’t care about), and change the font color to red if you would lunge violently at the radio and break one or more fingernails trying to change the station as fast as possible.

1. The Sign, Ace Of Base
2. I Swear, All-4-One
3. I’ll Make Love To You, Boyz II Men
4. The Power Of Love, Celine Dion
5. Hero, Mariah Carey
6. Stay (I Missed You), Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories
7. Breathe Again, Toni Braxton
8. All For Love, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting
9. All That She Wants, Ace Of Base
10. Don’t Turn Around, Ace Of Base
11. Bump N’ Grind, R. Kelly
12. Again, Janet Jackson
13. I’ll Remember, Madonna
14. Whatta Man, Salt-N-Pepa
15. Wild Night, John Mellencamp and Me’shell Ndegeocello
16. Without You/Never Forget You, Mariah Carey
17. You Mean The World To Me, Toni Braxton
18. Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Elton John
19. The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, Prince
20. Fantastic Voyage, Coolio
21. Baby I Love Your Way, Big Mountain
22. Regulate, Warren G and Nate Dogg
23. If You Go, Jon Secada
24. Back and Forth, Aaliyah
25. Now And Forever, Richard Marx
26. When Can I See You, Babyface
27. Please Forgive Me, Bryan Adams
28. So Much In Love, All-4-One
29. Shoop, Salt-N-Pepa
30. Any Time, Any Place/And On And On, Janet Jackson
31. Shine, Collective Soul
32. Said I Loved You…But I Lied, Michael Bolton
33. Return To Innocence, Enigma
34. All I Wanna Do, Sheryl Crow
35. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm, Crash Test Dummies
36. Can We Talk, Tevin Campbell
37. Funkdafied, Da Brat
38. I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That), Meat Loaf
39. Gangsta Lean, Drs
40. Because The Night, 10,000 Maniacs
41. Cantaloop, US3
42. Whoomp! (There It Is), Tag Team
43. Come To My Window, Melissa Etheridge
44. Stroke You Up, Changing Faces
45. I’m Ready, Tevin Campbell
46. 100% Pure Love, Crystal Waters
47. Anytime You Need A Friend, Mariah Carey
48. Because Of Love, Janet Jackson
49. Linger, Cranberries
50. Loser, Beck
51. Found Out About You, Gin Blossoms
52. Gin And Juice, Snoop Doggy Dogg
53. Never Lie, Immature
54. Streets Of Philadelphia, Bruce Springsteen
55. Ghetto Jam, Domino
56. Endless Love, Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey
57. I Miss You w/ Aaron Hall
58. Understanding, Xscape
59. This D.J., Warren G
60. Cry For You, Jodeci
61. Keep Ya Head Up, 2Pac
62. Who Am I (What’s My Name?), Snoop Doggy Dogg
63. Another Night, Real McCoy
64. Your Body’s Callin’, R. Kelly
65. Tootsee Roll, 69 Boyz
66. I Can See Clearly Now, Jimmy Cliff
67. Never Keeping Secrets, Babyface
68. Crazy, Aerosmith
69. Just Kickin’ It, Xscape
70. At Your Best (You Are Love), Aaliyah
71. Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through, Meat Loaf
72. Amazing, Aerosmith
73. Always, Erasure
74. Groove Thang, Zhane
75. Dreams, Gabrielle
76. Mr. Vain, Culture Beat
77. Mary Jane’s Last Dance, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
78. Anything, SWV
79. Beautiful In My Eyes, Joshua Kadison
80. Stay, Eternal
81. Flava In Ya Ear, Craig Mack
82. U.N.I.T.Y., Queen Latifah
83. Prayer For The Dying, Seal
84. Secret, Madonna
85. Here Comes The Hotstepper, Ini Kamoze
86. Everyday, Phil Collins
87. Don’t Take The Girl, Tim McGraw
88. Got Me Waiting, Heavy D and The Boyz
89. December 1963 (Oh, What A Night), Four Seasons
90. Indian Outlaw, Tim McGraw
91. Always, Bon Jovi
92. I’m The Only One, Melissa Etheridge
93. Back In The Day, Ahmad
94. Love Sneakin’ Up On You, Bonnie Raitt
95. I’ll Take You There, General Public
96. Always In My Heart, Tevin Campbell
97. What Is Love, Haddaway
98. And Our Feelings, Babyface
99. Bop Gun (One Nation), Ice Cube
100. I Wanna Be Down, Brandy

A little birdie told me …

… the final first week numbers for the Early Works. I am not going to comment on them, just post:

Sales numbers: Tues. through Sat. sales – 2219 cd’s, with another 133 sold on Sunday (2352 total).

My source is reliable and wishes to remain anonymous. I trust that the numbers are what s/he has learned, although I do allow for some margin of error no matter who is giving me info.

This is a cross-posting from The Boogie Mirror. If you want to comment, please do so over there. Thanks!

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Recent discoveries

Gain detergent’s “Apple Mango Tango” smells JUST LIKE the Freesia detergent I used to get at Bath and Body Works back in the late 90s (before they discontinued it). Woot!

Red wine actually IS better at room temperature. Hmm.

That last one (the red wine thing?) can make you forget the next one you were going to type. That didn’t happen to me, just to someone I know.

Coffee is health food. Yuh-huh, it is SO! Just ask these guys. That’s excellent news for me (and a certain young man I know).

Speaking of … I do believe I am in love. Rats.

Coasting while driving does indeed help save on gas. Running the air conditioner doesn’t have any impact on fuel economy. Phew!

The Honeymooners is now being shown on WGN every Sunday night!!

I am still nuts over Taylor Hicks. Thank God for this one. I’ve been so bored lately with the Grease stuff (as well as the sycophantic fans who claim to adore each and every thing the man does) that I was beginning to question my devotion.

The IMAX theater is so very worth the $12.50 price tag. The Dark Knight in IMAX wasn’t just a movie – it was an EXPERIENCE!

I should probably blog about The Dark Knight, kinda like I did with I Am Legend. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe later. I dunno – that red wine thing is interfering with my train of thought.

Good night, Blogosphere!!

A very special Ode To Joy

Taylor Hicks – Exclusive to Target?

I would love to be able to report that (really, I would), but I can’t. All we have right now is rumor and speculation. Scratch that – I would LIKE to be able to say the Target thingy was a done-deal. I can’t really use the term “love” because, well, it’s been talked to death and at this point all I can muster is a half-assed “woopideedo” (thank you, Adam Sandler).

A crazy woman (aka, stalker) reported the news a week or two ago. Well, even a blind cow hits the rock peein’ every once in a while. And to be quite honest, stalkers have resources we normal (sane) people are loathe to employ.

A brand spankin’ new member of HQ today confirmed it and the person who averred that he is trustworthy is herself a liar. Sorry – two posts and he’s a “reliable source?” What’s with the secrecy?

ETA, 11:16pm: I just heard from a reliable source (someone I do trust) that “Kevin” (aka, brand-spankin’ new member of HQ) is Taylor’s contact at his management company. “The new Nicole, if you will.” (Nicole was with The Firm)

Is this the “big announcement”? If so, I am very very happy for Taylor that this has made him happy. I can say that and mean it, but I won’t feign over-the-top, ice-cream-with-cherry-on-it ecstasy over this.

BRAVO, Taylor!! I hope this deal brings you lots of exposure, lots of sales, and lots of hits. Keep doing what you do, man. Lookin’ forward to the next tour!

It’s a twister! It’s a twister!!

Taylor Hicks’ Early Works has mysteriously disappeared from online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Apparently, this has caused a few strokes and hyperventilations.

I just want to say to everybody:  CHILL. OUT.

There is no sense stirring yourself into a tizzy at this point.  We have NO idea what is going on or how permanent a development this is.  Heck, for all we know the ordering pages for EW could be restored tomorrow.  Don’t freak out about stuff until you have a reason.

Maybe I’m not fazed by this because I didn’t pre-order a copy.  I don’t know.  Call me after this happens once the NEW CD is announced and see what I say then.  As far as now – take a break, put on some tunes, step away from the computer and check in at HQ in the morning.  Supposedly (and I’d take that with a heaping helping of salt if I were you), there is supposed to be some sort of announcement or something.

Feh.  Whatever. We all know how reliable that place is.

Now if you’ll excuse me – I have to call housekeeping.  Some of the students are having difficulty dodging the toads and flaming hail that are littering the sidewalk in front of the library.

You want how much?

Got the following e-mail from HQ:

Hey HQ’ers!
We want to further share Taylor Hicks’ Broadway experience with you!

We are excited to announce new member exclusive Broadway Ticketing Packages that are available now!

There are two tiers of M&G Ticket Packages to see Taylor as Teen Angel in the Broadway production of Grease:

- $375 gets you two tickets and passes to meet Taylor on the stage after the show.
- $475 gets you two tickets and passes to meet Taylor in his dressing room after the show.

** Only 3 pairs of tickets will be sold for each performance

These exclusive ticketing packages will currently be available for the following shows:

• 7/18 @ 8pm
  
• 7/19 @ 2pm and 8pm
  
• 7/20 @ 2pm and 7pm
  
• 7/25 @ 8pm
  
• 7/26 @ 2pm and 8pm
  
• 7/27 @ 2pm and 7pm

** Additional Performances To Be Announced Shortly

-THHQ

I said on The Boogie Blog that this is not something I would go for. After some thinking and some chatting with friends, I have come up with some conditions that would actually make me want to do this.

IF … I was going to be in New York City anyway, I

MIGHT … go see Grease (love Taylor but hate that play) and

IF … money was no object

AND … I knew I would get my own couple of minutes to actually talk with Taylor and not have to yell over the other people in the room (after all there will be four other package purchasers plus his “handlers” in there at the same time as me and my guest)

THEN … I think I would do this.

After all, it’s really not that much different than other “meet the celeb” deals I have seen advertised. I read an article months ago about the perks that credit cards are now giving. Rather than sticking with mere sky miles, many cards are offering such things as Fantasy Sports Experiences (like getting to drive a real life NASCAR vehicle) and hanging out with a celebrity. There was a couple who cashed in their “miles” to spend the day with John Travolta. He took them on a tour of his plane and even flew them around. His personal chef made them all dinner and they had a party.

John Travolta. Entire day. With some random fans.

I don’t know about you, but to me that’s a heck of a lot weirder and over the top than $475 for a M&G in Taylor’s dressing room. And I know some are saying Taylor is “selling out” … but come on – if you’re gonna hurl that accusation shouldn’t it have been two and a half years ago when he went on Idol? Some say he is “desperate” … but would you call John Travolta desperate?

And what about the latest promo I’ve seen from Mastercard?

Mastercard’s ROOTS OF ROCK
SEEING YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST PERFORM UP CLOSE: $0
GETTING BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: PRICELESS

Use your Mastercard or enter online between July 1,2008 and August 31, 2008, and you win 1 of 5 trips for four to see a rock legend perform where they got their start — complete with a M&G and VIP tour.

The artists involved in this promo? Jon Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, and Kenny Chesney. Would anybody call any of them “sellouts”? You could say, “Well, people aren’t paying for that.” You’d be right (sort of). However, do you think these stars aren’t getting well compensated for the use of their likenesses and music in the Mastercard ads? Think they aren’t pocketing major coin for advertising Mastercard at their shows? How much mucho dinero you think they are banking for having to deal with four random gushing fans for what is very likely a LOT longer than Taylor will have to spend with the purchasers of his M&Gs?

I guarandamntee you this is a very SOUND financial move for these three fellas. And I hope to God that Taylor’s M&Gs on Broadway turn out to work as well for him.

Anybody here a Star Trek fan? Have you priced M&Gs for those stars lately? Back when I was actually considering attending the BIG convention they hold every year in Vegas (I passed in favor of attending a Taylor concert closer to home), I found a pricing sheet on one of the ticket sites. I didn’t save the link, so I can’t give you hard numbers, but the gist of it was this: there were various price levels for various activities and take-homes.

For X number of dollars you could get a day pass to the Con. For a bit more you could get a weekend pass. These passes were ONLY for the Convention. That usually includes costume contests, trivia contests, lectures, Q&As with writers/technical crew/actors/costumers/etc., and the ever important merchandise room. If you wanted any autographs, those had to be purchased separately. There was a sliding scale for those, too (Shatner’s, Nimoy’s, and Kelley’s approached astronomical numbers). If you wanted to stand in line and get the autograph yourself, you had to buy their official photo and pay extra for the privilege of standing for three hours staring at the back of a Klingon’s head and then getting three seconds in front of your hero. And you had to pay for each star’s picture and autograph separately – there were no group packages (”Gimme a stack of the Bridge Crew”). They were all individualized.

But the most expensive and thrilling item was the Cocktail Party. For XXXX number of dollars you could attend a fancy dress cocktail party that would also be attended by various Star Trek actors. This party had levels as well! The cheapest included only champagne and a table far from the front of the room (where the celebs would be hanging); the pricier tickets included finger foods. It was not even guaranteed that you would meet or even SEE your favorite Captain since they had a VIP room they could use to escape the adoring throng. For an unbelievable amount of cash (I believe I probably could have bought a car for that amount), you could enter the VIP room. Yet, you were still not guaranteed any face time with your heroes.

Star Trek has become somewhat of a racket. It’s been on a slippery slope ever since Roddenberry died. I don’t believe Taylor is there yet (hope he never gets to that point). Yes, I have some questions/concerns over the Early Works, but that’s neither here nor there. This M&G thing is a brilliant move on his part. It’s an easy way to connect with some fans, make those fans happy, and make a little extra dough. ‘Cause let’s face it – we don’t know Taylor’s Output (we only vaguely have an idea of his Income). For all we know he may have to foot the bill for all the production and promotion of his upcoming new album (PLEASE release in the fall, Taylor!) That ain’t cheap!!

For my money (and in the context of the Star Trek convention), $375 or $475 is not that bad a price (if you can afford it) to pay for a few minutes of face/talk time with Taylor. At least you know he will show up and talk to you, unlike certain actors from a certain show.

And now, from the “Let’s see if you read this whole thing before commenting” book – please do not comment on this blog entry about my previous blog entry. I left those comments closed for a reason. If you have something to say about that other entry, please either keep it to yourself or e-mail me (but I can’t guarantee I will respond). Thank you.

Taylor Hicks’ Early Works?

So, Taylor came out with the news that he is re-releasing his previous two albums as a single CD (well sort of – two songs are missing).

I gotta be honest: I’m feeling rather conflicted over this. I mean, I have to question whether or not he had intended to do this for a long time and either hadn’t been able to fund it or just hadn’t gotten around to it. The fact that you could buy UTR during his run on Idol (which appears to have been due to some loophole in his AI contract, but I have no details on that) clearly shows that he wanted the material “out there.” I suppose that’s a “duh” though. What artist doesn’t want their material in the hands of music lovers? And IYT was available via Gray Charles as digital downloads. So it’s not surprising that he would want to release this music now.

Which brings me to my “issue”: why sell IYT for the exorbitant amount of $30 (sometimes $25) at your concerts if you are going to turn around and sell it and UTR on a single disc for a third of the price? And yes, I do feel that price is exorbitant. IYT has only seven tunes on it and three of those are covers. Not worth 30 bucks, Mr. Hicks. And for Pete’s sake – we can’t even get a real live Jewell case for our 30 bucks? A cardboard sleeve? Really??

And yes, I bought one (before anyone asks). Perhaps that is why I am wrestling with this right now. It’s not as if those IYTs sold at the shows are numbered. They don’t have an imprint from the particular venue where it was purchased. The majority weren’t signed (the ones that were cost more – don’t know how much ’cause I ain’t in the market for autographs).

I wrestled with my decision to purchase an IYT. It was debated and discussed on The Boogie and in e-mails. In the end, I bought it because as Thackeray said, “I’ve been listening to these songs free for at least a year now. I suppose I should go ahead and pay for that right.” I still thought it was overpriced, but I went ahead and bought it because my conscience demanded it.

I would not have bought it had I known that this Early Works was going to come out. And I think Taylor knew that. And that bothers me. Obviously I don’t know what goes through the mind of Mr. Hicks, but I can’t help but wonder if he had this planned out all along. Right or wrong, that’s where my mind is going. And I hate that I am thinking like this.

It’s ridiculous really. When I think about all the money I spent to go to the shows – the tickets themselves (outrageous prices on those), travel expenses, accommodations, time off from work, etc. – 30 bucks for a CD is a drop in the bucket. Right? Reminds me of when I would travel to see the Headstones. Trent would often put my sister and me on the guest list. I told him he didn’t have to do that (that it seemed silly we couldn’t pay for a $40 ticket after spending so much just to get there), but he insisted.

I guess it all comes down to our own personal ideas of value and worth for particular items. Is an hour and a half of LIVE TAYLOR worth roughly twice as much as a CD that I can listen to again and again and again …? Is that CD more valuable to me than a tank of gas?

I went to Target a few weeks ago wanting to buy I Am Legend. The Director’s Cut was nearly the same price as IYT. It has WAY more content than IYT and includes an alternate ending. I really really really want this DVD, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy it. It’s too pricey. When I think of all the other things I have to pay for, it just seemed indulgent to buy a $30 DVD. So, is that CD worth more than this DVD?

Bottom line (I guess) is that I don’t know why I am having difficulty with this. I just am. Kinda like the whole Grease thing. I don’t know why my reaction was so GAH! but it was. Glad I worked through that one because the Teen Angel seems to be doing wonders for Taylor’s rep.

I hope the Early Works launch goes smoothly and he sells a ton of copies and makes a couple million new fans. He needs to get those people in line and salivating for his NEW album (still releasing in the Fall, Taylor?)

I won’t be one of the people buying Early Works, but I doubt Taylor’ll cry over that. If he does, send him my way – I’d be glad to wipe his tears. (What? I may be annoyed with him but my crush is still intact, okay?)

Boogie Board downtime

The following message appeared this morning on Excoboard:

All Excoboard forums will be unavailable while we perform database maintenance this Saturday, 5 AM to 6.30 AM EST. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Being a Saturday morning, it likely won’t affect many of us on the East Coast, but that’s only 2am in California (and I think mid-day in Europe) and we often have at least a handful or so online at that time so I wanted to give a heads-up.