How Republican are you?!

Cute test...I got a good chuckle out of it!

I am: 39% Republican.

"You're probably one of those chicken-littles who thinks maybe we should worry a little bit, occasionally, about the fate of the planet that our lives all depend on."

Are You A Republican?

Guitar...

I found a nice piece by Bach that isn't too difficult for me to play. It's Minuet in G. However, I haven't added all the bass notes yet...that does increase the difficulty quite a bit. :)

If you have suggestions for easy guitar pieces, please leave me a note!

Masculine of Feminine

Keep in mind, this is the "traditional" definition of the words.
I'm pretty happy with being 50-50!

You Are 48% Feminine, 52% Masculine

You are in touch with both your feminine and masculine sides. You're sensitive at the right times, but you don't let your emotions overwhelm you. You're not a eunuch, just the best of both genders.

Are You Masculine or Feminine?

What kind of wine are you?

The funny thing is, Merlot is one of my least favorite wines. :)

You Are Merlot

Smooth, confident, and popular - you're the type most likely to order wine for the whole group. You seem to breeze through life on your intuition and wit. And no one seems to mind! You're comfortable in any social situation you find yourself in, and you never feel outclassed. And while you live a charmed life, you never let it go to your head. You are truly down to earth and a great friend. Deep down you are: Balanced and mature Your partying style: Surprisingly wild... when you let loose, you really let loose Your company is enjoyed best with: Some greasy pizza

What Kind of Wine Are You?

Non-Conformist or Conformist?

You Are 65% Non Conformist

You are a pretty serious non conformist. You live a life hardly anyone understands. And while some may call you a freak, you're happy with who you are.

Are You a Nonconformist?

Music purchases

Mind, Body & Soul - Joss Stone ("Right to be Wrong")
The Soul Sessions - Joss Stone
Call Me Irresponsible - Michael Bublé
Elliott Yamin - Elliott Yamin
It Won't Be Soon Before Long - Maroon 5 ("Goodnight, Goodnight")
Snakes and Arrows - Rush
Lost Highway - Bon Jovi
Icky Thump - White Stripes ("Icky Thump", "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn")

Interesting stuff.

Too funny...Fox boxing.

...so some friends of mine, that normally invite me to anything they do on the weekend, conveniently left me out of their plans for Friday. That's actually good, by the way, since I've got so much to do this weekend. I always hate having to decline an invitation...even if it's to something I'd rather not do. When I asked what their plans were for tonight, they mentioned they were going out w/mutual friends to see mutual friend's sister fox-box. Fox box? I'd never even heard of this!

I'm not a huge boxing fan...but that's a story for another day. Anyhow, it turns out this is where mutual friend's sister actually works. So I ask: "Oh, she works at a boxing gym?"
"No, Jim", my friend replied. "She works at a strip club."

Ah, got it...now I understand why I wasn't invited. :) Life is good!

It's spring...finally!

Though we had hail today and it's kinda cold, spring is finally here!

Volleyball going good...

Both teams, the intramural team I played on, and the base team I coached, finished the season undefeated. :) Nice feeling.

Whatever!

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view.A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Hello Spring snows...

It's that time of year in Colorado where it's 70 one day and snowing the next. But, it'll heat up to the mid 60's this weekend and be beautiful again. :)

Today it's snowing like crazy up in Black Forest, but just ran/snow/sleet in town. Schools are closing, people are driving like idiots, but life is good.

Colo Springs Auto Show

Yes! We really had one this year! It was pretty good, considering the space is very limited compared to the Denver auto show. I'm was particularly impressed with the BMW M6...duh...it's a $100,000 car! (photo found on edmunds.com...highly recommend that site for reviewing new or used cars!)

Another car that was impressive was volvo. They actually felt much better inside than I anticipated. Very comfortable.

Where have I been?!

Wow, can it really be over 2 months since I last published anything? Where has the time gone? Well, a few life issues came up.
1) One was that I started gaming again. Not super hard-core, but just that distraction alone accounts for lots of my free computer time.
2) Guitar has become much more enjoyable and I'm spending quite a few hours a week on the guitar.
3) I'm working out more than ever, in the gym. I'm also coaching a volleyball team. That adds up.
4) Riding season starts this month...and I've spent some time with the horses to rebond. Combing them out and trimming their whiskers is very time consuming!

But I'm still here...strong, healthy, and happy. :) Hello world!

Spoiled

Desktop
Originally uploaded by JimHinCO.

Yes, I am :) I received my new 24" LCD from http://www.dell.com and love it!

If you like the picture, visit Denis Carl's forum (crazy Canadians! ;) ) http://www.deniscarl.com/forum/ It's kind of cool to read the french and english captions for each picture.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela

If you haven't heard this album, I highly recommend it! It's an acoustic guitar duo that puts out some amazing sound. Unlike a lot of acoustic guitars, they use nylon strings for more warmth, but don't be fooled...this is fast paced, full sounding and exciting music!

They used to be in a metal band and this sound is definately unique. They even have a cover of "Orion" by Metallica and "Stairway to Heaven".

Sunset20061225_b

Sunset20061225_b
Originally uploaded by JimHinCO.

Another pretty one!

Sunset20061225c

Sunset20061225c
Originally uploaded by JimHinCO.

What a gorgeous sunset on Christmas night!

JimAndLeheyla

JimAndLeheyla
Originally uploaded by JimHinCO.

This is my new grand-niece...yes, yes, I'm a great uncle now! I was able to get her to sleep though...woot!

A worst cars list!

There's an interesting article about the Ten Worst Automobiles Today on The Truth About Cars website.

Although I like the site, they tend to ruin some great opinions with needless drivel and insight like "anyone who drives a truck must be compensating for their penis size", etc. Other than an occasional machoistic slip and oh-too-often drag-queen-like-detailed descriptions of interior, it's enjoyable to read some commentary on cars, trucks, and the death of GM (possibly Ford as well). I'm reminded of movie critics: it doesn't really matter what the critic says, you like or don't like things based on you...not their high-and-mighty-opinion.

Is critical for the sake of being critical just whining? ;)

Guitar

I'm about 9 months into guitar lessons now and having a complete blast. The progress is slow but necessary at this level. I'm reading actual music, more than just "tab" like I used to. I was hoping to have a little presentation for Christmas, but of course, I'm my most vocal critic. I do have a nice classical arrangement of Greensleeves...but the one I hear in my head is much more detailed and I want to explore that. I'd also like to do a Cat Stevens song, "Morning Has Broken". Finally, there are some pieces I'd like to do that would require me putting down a recording and then playing with it. That sounds both difficult but promising.

If any of you play guitar and could recommend a song or two, I'd be most appreciative. I'm a beginner at reading music, but really enjoy practicing like crazy once I get it down. Thanks!