Almost Over...

  The year is almost over! Finally! Time to start again, get a new beginning, and try all over to make it a good year for yours truely.

  But what's this? Could Eric be getting a head start? Check out this Latest Addition to the I'd Hit It Gallery to find out. Where it will go, I don't know. But as of right now, things are looking VERY good...

Posted by Eric @ 1:25am, 12-30-03

One Of Us, One Of Us

  I'd like to welcome Angela to the world of Blogging! She's just getting started, but I'm sure you'll find her blog interesting, as she's a one of a kind girl. Check her blog out!

Posted by Eric @ 2:00pm, 12-28-03

One Down, One To Go

  Thank the maker Christmas is over. Now all I have to do is get through New Years and I'll be alright.

  So, how did I spend my Christmas? The same way I have for the last four years. Locked in my room watching TV and BSing here on the 'Net. Not very exciting or "Christmasy," I know. But what can ya do, eh?

  My "Year In Review" entry will be coming soon. It's been a VERY odd year for me, and I'm looking forward to a clean slate to work with in 2004. Who knows. It could be a banner year for me. I've got two shows already, and hopefully more coming soon.

  Work is pretty kickass if I do say so myself. Though I'm not too keen on seeing Elf two more times tonight. Oh well. I can always just kindof sit and zone out while the movie runs.

  So here we go with the last half-week of 2003. Have fun, everyone...

Posted by Eric @ 4:11pm, 12-27-03

Some Friendly Advice

  According to [erina's blog], it would appear that there's a bit of a spat brewing. Allow me to clarify, and offer up some advice to my "opposing party."

  Erina and I have a history. This is common knowledge. But it is also common knowledge that she and I came to an end over four years ago. Since then, we've both grown up and changed, becoming different people from what we were then. We used to hate each other quite a bit. Now, we're back on friendly terms, letting the past be the past and moving forward. But as friends, nothing more.

  So, my advice to Jason is this: Drop it. Get over it. Erina and I are going to talk and be friends. That's the way it is, and that's the only way it is. I'm not trying to hook back up with her. You have nothing to worry about. My intentions, as well as Erina's intentions, are very clearly defined. Reading more into it is only going to create rifts.

  In short, chill out, relax, and get on with business as usual.

Posted by Eric @ 8:13pm, 12-25-03

Merry X-Mas

  Ahhh. My first Christmas blog entry. The first of many, I'm guessing, since I plan on keeping this particular format. So far it seems to be working. In fact, it's working better than I expected. More on that in a moment.

  First of all, Merry Christmas to you all. Hope you got what you wanted, because I sure did: The extended DVD set for The Two Towers. Now all I've gotta do is wait til next November to get Return of the King. That's rumored to be 5 hours long!

  Somebody's mad at me. Uh oh. I find it rather amusing, really. If what I say upsets you, too bad. And besides, what reason do you have to be mad? Did you ever stop and think that what I write here might have to do with a completely different scenario that doesn't involve you in any remote way? Or maybe it does. What do you think? Oh well, to whom it may concern: Merry Christmas.

  Christmas greetings to all my people: Breann, John and the boys; Ryan; Dee; Ron and Bambi; Mike; Allen; Erina; Derreck and Danielle; John, Paul, Ugly Bob and the entire [jmp] Gang; Mom, Dad, Chris and Christina; Wil, Anne and the boys; Everyone at [slashdot] and [fark]; All my [dbz:ur] Readers; Paulie; Tommy; Angela and Juliet; Dave, Brenda and the kids; Bill and Dinah; Andy and family; Kirk and Courtney; Danielle... Merry Christmas to you all. And if I forgot to list you here, an extra big Happy Holidays to you as well (sorry, my memory sucks)!

  And finally, one last Christmas wish: To you, you know who you are. This Christmas, I'm sending all of my love, all of my hopes, and all of my dreams. Even though you're not here with me, you're still in my thoughts, and you're still making me smile. I love you... Merry Christmas, my love...

Posted by Eric @ 2:35pm, 12-25-03

Return Of The Epic Film

  *gets on his soapbox*

  The Godfather. Star Wars Episode IV. Raiders of the Last Ark.. Three of the greatest fims of the modern film era. Epics. Back then, Hollywood knew how to churn out a kickass flick. You had great story, killer special effects (except for The Godfather), and acting that just couldn't be beat. The films that rocked my world as a kid.

  But Hollywood seems to have a case of total memory loss. For the last few years, all I've seen on the silver screen is crap. The new Star Wars films? Talk about a sellout. Waste of money. Crappy teen movies, chincy attempts to revive the horror genre, pure special effects rides, and OH GOD the SEQUELS! It seems like Hollywood is just plain out of ideas.

 And then, along came Peter Jackson.

  Peter Jackson is a Kiwi, born on the North Island of New Zealand. As a kid, he grew up in love with movies from Hollywood's early glory years. As an adult, he made several very good independant films. But he had an even bigger vision. He wanted to make the impossible possible. He wanted to bring the vision of J.R.R. Tolkien to life.

  He wanted to make The Lord of the Rings. After shopping the dicey project to several studios, New Line bought it. The films that Tolkien himself believed could never be made were made. A $300 Million gamble on an indie filmmaker with a seemingly insurmountable challange.

  I think the payoff is pretty obvious. Here we have a movie that looks spectacular with great special effects, yes. But what we have here is a brilliant story brought to life in the bet way possible. Not only does it get your heart pumping, but it tugs at our heart's strings as well. The underlying human drama comes shining through and rounds out the film in near perfection.

  Pay attention to this one, folks, especially the third film. Rare is it that a third film in a trilogy delivers as the first two did. Return of the King does this and more as it surpasses the first two films by leaps and bounds.

  This is a trilogy to treasure. When I have kids and they become old enough to read and comprehend well, I will give them the books to read. And then, when they've finished the books, I will give them these three films. Enjoy these movies, folks. They're going to be around for the last time.

  Hey, Hollywood. You've got some serious catching up to do...

  *steps down*

Posted by Eric @ 3:39pm, 12-24-03

Karma

  Feeling a bit uneasy? A little jealous? Perhaps even a bit nervous? Fell like there's something at work against you, even when there's nothing at all to worry about?

  It's called Karma. And it always comes back around. Something to think about. Because hey... You never know...

Posted by Eric @ 10:40pm, 12-23-03

Broken Hearted Santa

  I just dropped off a gift to Liza. Sometimes, Christmas really hurts...

  Alot...

Posted by Eric @ 1:19pm, 12-23-03

Good Times (For Once)

  Hot on the heels of my announcement yesterday about scoring a much needed job at the Rowland Theater, I've got even more good news to report. Not often that I do this, right?

  Last night I went down to Pete N' Mel's in Morrisdale, PA, and spoke to the man himself, Mel. I've worked with Mel before while doing roadie stuff for Bad Idea, and let me tell you, Mel's a great guy. Last night, he proved that in a big way by booking Tempered Edge (my band, for those of you who don't know) for not one, but TWO shows at his establishment early next year! Thanks, Mel!

  I'm also working on getting more shows booked around the area for next year. This past year, we did maybe three or four shows total. Looks good for the year ahead, as we have two shows already. But we need more! So I'm gonna hit the streets, banging on bar doors and tackling bar owners and booking people. Tempered Edge is coming in 2004, hope you're all ready...

Posted by Eric @ 11:51am, 12-23-03

See You At The Movies

  After quite the drought in the employment area, I'm finally working again. Today, I went for an interview at the Rowland Theater in Philipsburg. Tonight, I got the call. I get to run the projector and work concessions. Rock on!

  First of all, I must say my bosses are pretty cool people. Kim I've know since the Shut Up And Play show this past summer, and Chuck I met today. Unlike some of my other bosses, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get along with them and not have to worry about them selling me out.

  Bonus perks to working at a movie theater: Free movies, free drinks, free popcorn. Score!

  Yeah, it's only 5.50 an hour, but it's better than making zero an hour sitting here. Hey! Maybe I can afford to buy some real hosting for the Ranch. Wouldn't that just be sweetie pie...

Posted by Eric @ 5:49pm, 12-22-03

So Do All Who Live To See Such Times...

  But it is not for them to decide. All we have to decide, is what to do with the time that's given to us...

  Such are the words of [ian mckellan , as Gandalf the Grey in [lotr:fotr]. Something to think about.

  You know, I love how some people keep up on me without me even knowing it. Then they see something on here and tweak a bit. It's rather funny at the same time. Oh well. Hey, as long as you're reading, I've done my job, right? Right.

  For the record: The future is uncertain. It's not written in stone. You never know what's going to happen next. Keep that in mind, kids. It's good advice...

Posted by Eric @ 2:17pm, 12-21-03

Open For Business!

  That's right, the [rancho relaxo trading post] is open for business! At the Trading Post, you can buy humorous T-Shirts, Hats, Stickers and much more! I've opened the store so I can afford to buy myself some actual web space so I can say goodbye to [tripod] once and for all. From here on in, you can click on the banner above to get to the shop. Thanks to the fine folks at CafePress for helping me out!

Posted by Eric @ 9:40pm, 12-20-03

I'd Hit It... Again!

  Well, I promised a special thing for [erina] here on the Ranch, and today, it's arrived! She's the latest addition to the I'd Hit It Gallery! But, since she and I have something of a history, she gets the headline "I'd Hit It... Again!" And I would, too... He he he he he he he...

Posted by Eric @ 3:10pm, 12-20-03

Something Wicked This Way Comes

  Christmas is almost here. Bummer.

  Christmas has all but lost its magic to me. It's become just another day of the year. Yeah, sure, you get stuff, and that's all good. But it just isn't special anymore.

  When I was a kid, there were two holidays I looked forward to with great anticipation: My birthday, and Christmas. Now, I just kind of sit here and say "Yay." Did you feel the lack of excitement in that quote? I sure did...

  When you're in my situation, you really don't have all that much to be excited about. So I'll probably spend my Christmas holed up in my room, with my little hamster to keep me company. Not a joyous way to spend the holiday, is it? Oh well. Such is life, I suppose...

Posted by Eric @ 2:12pm, 12-20-03

Misc. Quickies (heh)

  Before I pass out for the night, time to update you all on what's new and what's recent past. Here we go!

  [lotr:rotk] was AWESOME! Best Picture is a lock for LotR this year! Chris, Christina and I camped out for several hours at the theater in Altoona to make sure we were first in line for the midnight showing, and even [erina] wished she could come along for the fun. Too bad she couldn't, she could have kept me warm. Heh.

  Speaking of [erina], look for something here on the Ranch about her very soon... (wink wink)

  Coming soon! The Rancho Relaxo Trading Post! Buy Rancho Relaxo branded stuff and help my financial woes out a piece.

  The Tempere Edge Online Swag Shop is celebrating it's first sales! Sweet! If you like rock and roll, and like to dress the part, check out our online store. CDs aren't free to record and produce, so we'd appreciate your support...

  Does anyone else think that Saddam Hussein should be executed before a live Pay-Per-View audience? Wouldn't that pay off some of the national defecit? The buyrate for that would be HUGE...

  Plans are in motion for Rancho Relaxo and friends to trip to Columbus OH this May for [marcon]! More details as they become available!

  That's all for now. Meantime, if you're in the Morrisdale area tonight, come down to Pete N Mel's and check out my boys in Grinder! I'll be there, as well as [erina]. You might even get to see yours truely up on stage rocking the mic...

Posted by Eric @ 3:35am, 12-19-03

I Think Too Much...

  When you're me, thinking can be both a blessing and a curse.

  How is it a curse? Well, when you're a hopeless romantic sap like me, your thoughts tend to follow along with that. I think about what will be when it comes to love. And the same three questions keep popping into my mind:

  Who are you? Where are you? When will I meet you?

  There are other variations of these questions, including "Are you near me already?" "Have we already met?" But in the end, the first question remains unchanged.

  Maybe I'm in the wrong for believing in love, but if that's wrong, then to hell with being right. Love, it would seem, is a dying concept, one that few still cling to. Take a look at the world at large and you'll see what I mean. But, when folks like me still believe in it, it can't really die.

  And so I continue to believe. People, upon learning of me being Agnostic, tend to question my faith. Faith isn't a devotion to any particular god, but rather a devotion to a concept. And out of the many concepts I have faith in, my faith in love above all others is the strongest...

  And on a less personal note, kudos to the Fourth Infantry Division serving in Iraq. It's only fitting that the unit who has lost the most lives is the unit that finds and captures Saddam Hussein. Good job, you guys and gals. Your country is behind you all the way...

Posted by Eric @ 4:41am, 12-16-03

Forgetting Past Mistakes

  You know, this year has been a year of my past coming back to haunt me. And then again, I don't know if haunt is the right word to use. It kind of fits, because in a way, everything that's come back around has affected me in some sort of negative way. But it's not all bad, and I in fact did have some of my better moments because of it. So I don't know what word to use.

  Lately, I've been doing alot of rethinking with regards to a scenario I once thought never again possible. It's very confusing, really, and at this point it's too early to get an accurate picture of what exactly is going on.

  In the past year, I've found myself talking to someone I never thought I'd talk to again, for various reasons. The biggest reason is the fact that, when we were together previously, we did alot of damage to each others' psyches. What started out as something that seemed to be perfect turned into the perfect nightmare, and we parted ways on not so amicable terms.

  But now, we're two different people. We've both had time to grow up and see the errors of our ways. We've led seperate lives, experienced different people and different situations, and somewhere along the line, it seems we both learned to forgive, for the most part.

  And slowly, I find myself attracted to her again. It's not the rushing onslaught I get with certain people, it's a calm, slow eddy of emotion, taking its time to flow into my system. It hasn't taken over, yet. And I fear it will.

  What makes it so strange is my inability to see any one outcome. I always see several when I resign myself to thinking about it. And, inevitably, I always find myself at this one crossroad. The one place that, in recent past, has always led to my decision causing me some degree of hurt. Needless to say, it's a decision I'm most certainly not ready to make with a leap of faith.

  But then again, in order to see where any of this is going, I do have to meter out a bit of that choice, to test the waters as it were. In the end, it could be wonderful. It could also turn out to be a lesson well learned, either way. Only time will tell...

Posted by Eric @ 1:13am, 12-12-03

Art Imitates Life...

  While I think about it, I want to get it down on record. Some people ask me why I have a blog at all when hardly anyone reads it. The answer is simple. The blog is a person's outlet to the world. Whether they're reading or not, the author gets out what they want to say and does it in a world-level forum.

  Originally, that's kind of what I had in mind when I started Rancho Relaxo over six years ago. But it wasn't all in this format. Back then, I was more into glitz on a website. It was content driven to a point, but that content was rather impersonal.

  And that's when I stumbled on [wil's blog]. For those of you who don't know, Wil Wheaton used to be something of a Hollywood name. He had starred in Stand By Me, and then snagged the role of Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. After he left TNG, he did Toy Soldiers (with current LotR Hobbit Sean Astin), and tried a normal career.

  Now, Wil has evolved from near-Hollywood-has-been to Online A-Lister with his Blog, Wil Wheaton dot Net (from here on, WWdN). And honestly, it's no surprise why he's attained that status. Just read his daily entires. Go back through the archive. You'll see what I mean.

  Readers have found that Wil goes well beyond his much-loathed Wesley Crusher role (a character I rather enjoyed). We see Wil the computer geek, addicted to Linux, card-carrying Free Software Foundation member, and TechTV semi-regular. We also get Wil the family man, happily married to his wife Anne and stepfather to her two boys. There's Wil the fanboy, gushing about his love for many different passions. And there's Wil the political action enthusiast, voicing his displeasure with the current political structure and encouraging others to get involved.

  Basically, Wil has poured his soul out for all the world to see and comment on. And his readers seem to follow right along with the greatest of empathy. When Wil's happy, like his recent [book deal] with O'Reilly, his readers are right there on top of the roller coaster with him. When Wil goes through a bad patch with auditions, they feel his pain and offer encouraging words.

  So, WWdN has become his window to a different career, one with more promise than his unfortunately short acting career. Now Wil's being himself, and reaching a wide audience doing it.

  That's why I stick with it. It's my outlet. No matter how good or bad things get in real life, I'll always have this little corner of the Internet to say whatever comes to mind, to be honest within the scope of the entire world. It's my release. And along the way, I've found that, whether you're a nobody like me or a somebody like Wil, you have a voice, a train of thought, and you have the right to share it with the world. Maybe, just maybe, it'll touch someone else and do some good...

Posted by Eric @ 4:35pm, 12-11-03

More Issues

  I think this computer is cursed.

  It went on me again last night, but not before I thought ahead and pulled out the music drive, so this time the tunes are safe. But now it won't read the hard drive I have set up to install Windows 98. Odd..

  You know, there's this entry I've been meaning to write for the past two days, but haven't had the chance yet thanks to all this computer mischief. At some point I'm sure I'll get around to writing it, but for now, I'm too mad at this machine...

Posted by Eric @ 3:27pm, 12-11-03

Issues, Issues...

  Yeah, sure. Linux isn't as "easy" to use as Windows. But hey, what do you want for an up-and-coming, non-Microsoft operating system, not to mention one that's free.

  Installing Linux on a computer is pretty easy, especially if you use [mandrake linux]. It's pretty user friendly, autodetects most hardware, and pretty much sets the whole scene up for you in under 45 minutes, which isn't bad. What is bad is installing Linux when you have a WinModem.

  Winmodems are what are known as "controllerless modems" and require software to run properly. Problem is, usually the only software for them is for Windows, hence the name WinModem. They're a pain in the ass when it comes to Linux.

  Sometimes, drivers are available. For my modem, there is, but it's one you have to pay for, which sucks. Granted, you get an unlimited license, but damn! You shouldn't have to pay to run Linux at all, it kinda goes against the spirit of Open Source and the GPL...

  Another computer I'm working on has drivers available for free, but I'm stuck trying to compile it on my own. For that, I need the Kernel source code, which for some reason isn't on the Mandrake CD. So I have to download it. Pain in my ass, really. Oh well. So goes the life of a nerd...

Posted by Eric @ 10:29pm, 12-08-03

Back From The Dead

  Holy cow, has it been a rough couple of days. It all started Thursday. While doing some simple hardware work on my computer, somehow both of my hard drives went to heck. Yes, that includes the drive with my music collection on it.

  You can imagine how upset I was. 2000+ songs, hours and hours of downloading, all gone. And why? Because I wasn't aware the this motherboard doesn't like PC133 SDRAM. Go figure.

  But, with a little help from my brother and Jodi's 30gig hard drive, I managed to recover my music, but nothing much else. That's fine with me, though, since my music is all I want.

  Along with the contents of my storage drive went all of my website data, but that wasn't really a problem since it's stored online. All I had to do was reinstall Dreamweaver and re-download the site. Now, I'm able to make full updates once again.

  I've also begun a brand new Linux adventure, too. This machine's hardware seems to like [mandrake linux] pretty well, except for the modem, but the internet isn't really the goal. The goal is to turn Linux into a fully functioning recording studio using [audacity], the Open Source multi-track recorder. We'll see how that goes. With a little luck, we just might be able to record and release our next CD on our own...

Posted by Eric @ 7:41am, 12-08-03

Goodbye, My Love...

  Liza has decided to go her own way. And though it hurts me incredibly, I can't stand in the way of that. Maybe someday she'll return, but we all know that, despite popular belief, hope doesn't really float very well...

  Goodbye, Liza. I love you, and I always will love you...

Posted by Eric @ 4:31pm, 12-03-03

Buy Stuff, Please?

  Rock on! Tempered Edge now has it's very own [online swag shop]!

  We've got T-Shirts, Mouse Pads, Mugs, Bumper Stickers, and will be adding more very soon! And on top of that, I'll be opening my own store very soon where you can buy stuff that I come up with, slapped on apparel, housewares and all sorts of other nifty stuff.

  And to top it all off, I've introduced a new section of my site to highlight my Digital Design Work, which has picked up in recent days. If you want to hire me for any digital work, just let me know by Contacting Me.

Posted by Eric @ 9:10pm, 12-02-03