andrew dodson

Being the computer geek that I am, I figured I’d help those of you who might not be so tech savvy.  The topic?  Email fraud, spam, whatever you want to call it.

The biggest example is PayPal.  Ever so often, I get fake emails saying my PayPal account has been suspended, they need to verify my personal information, etc.  How do I know they are fake?  After all, there’s the PayPal logo right there!  And when I click the link, it takes me to PayPal’s website!  Not so fast.

Look a little closer.  Notice there’s no trademark on the PayPal logo?  When you click the link to go to the website, notice how the the web address doesn’t start with “www.paypal.com”?  Tricky, tricky!

Tonight, I received an email from Commonwealth Credit Union.  Strangely, I don’t have an account with them.  Sure enough, when I click the link, it takes me to somewhere other than CCU’s actual website.

It’s a cruel world, folks.  Hopefully this helps some of you avoid getting scammed.

Last night, the JMB played at a church about an hour away from Frankfort. To make a long story short, we apparently didn’t dress for the occasion. To be fair, we should check with each church from now on to get their opinion of proper dress. It’s only right for us to be considerate of their opinions and dress accordingly.

But, this begs a huge question.

Does it REALLY matter what we wear to church? The Bible never tells us that women should wear dresses and men should wear a suit and tie. It just so happens that traditional church society has always held this view. Is there anything wrong with dressing up for church? NOT AT ALL. Is there anything wrong with wearing a t-shirt and jeans? NOT AT ALL.

Exception: Sorry girls. You can’t wear the same thing to church that you wear to the club to pick up guys. Short skirts and tight tops on Sunday morning ain’t gonna cut it. You see, that makes guys want to check you out, which more than likely will cause us to lust. By causing us to sin, you are sinning. You CAN look attractive AND dress conservatively. This idea shouldn’t be limited to Sunday morning, either.

Jesus didn’t die on a cross only for people who dress up for church. He also didn’t die just for people who like to wear jeans to church. Dressing up or dressing comfortably aren’t requirements for worshipping our God. Let’s stop making a big deal about what people are wearing to church. I won’t get upset with you for wearing a tux if you won’t get upset with me for wearing jeans with a hole in them. Okay? Deal.

I always get excited about new drum stuff.  It also keeps me motivated to practice.  Last night, I had an itch to upgrade some of my equipment, so here’s what I got:

• New Evans drumheads for my toms & snare - I’ve never tried them, but they should give me the sound I’m looking for.
• A new throne (I hate calling it a throne….)
• A DW kick pedal - I’ve always had the pedals that come with the drumset, so I’m highly interested in what a “nice” pedal will be like.
• An Evans kick drum muffle pad - no more bedsheets or pillows in my bass drum!
• Extra cables for my electronic drumset
• A nice Zildjian cymbal bag

I qualified for free express shipping, so, hopefully, it will all arrive in time for my JMB gig this weekend.

This past weekend, I was presented with an interesting opportunity.  My good friend, Brad O. and me started talking about me moving in with him.  He’s got a nice, spacious house within a stone’s throw of CLS (where I work).  He’s in the process of building a recording studio in his basement, and that’s where I keep my drums.  Throw in a spare bedroom, a pool table and a whole lot more room than I currently have, and I’m pretty set on moving.

I’m going to spend the next week or so thinking about it.  My landlords are on vacation, so I plan on giving them an answer when they get back.  I’d stay here through August, since I’ve already paid my rent.  Thoughts?

My landlord installed a second window air conditioner in my apartment tonight.  Even though it’s fairly small, the unit in my kitchen wasn’t cutting it.

The “cool” thing?  They’re both identical and can be controlled with the same remote control.  Okay…maybe some of you don’t find that as neat as I do.

As I continue the process of MP3-ing my entire CD collection (a lifetime’s worth of work, it seems), I came across Blues Traveler’s Bridge album.  This was the album they released after a four year break, and the death of their bass player.  Basically, this means that everyone (in the mainstream world) had forgetten about them.  As it turns out, Bridge is a pretty good album.

Since I’d forgotten about them myself, I jumped on iTunes to find out they’ve released two studio albums in the past few years.  A quick check of their website shows they releasing MP3 copies of concerts each month - for free.  Way cool.

Looks like I’ll be on a Blues Traveler kick for the immediate future.

In an effort to get my lazy butt moving a bit more…

• I woke up at 6 a.m. last Thursday and rode the stationary bike at the gym for 30 minutes.
• I went tubing for the first time in my life on Saturday. I’m hooked. Despite the possibility of cracked ribs, headaches, sore knees, arms, ankles… I’m hooked. It was a blast. Wakeboarding is my next desire. Who wants to take me out on their boat? I’ll buy you dinner.
• I jogged/walked 3 miles tonight.

Trying to get back into the routine I experienced in 2004. I lost 20lbs. that year. I haven’t gained it all back or anything, but I could still be in better shape.

If you’re a Dashboard Confessional fan, and you haven’t purchased Dusk and Summer yet, you should.  If you sort of like Dashboard Confessional, and you haven’t purchased Dusk and Summer yet, you should.  If you don’t like Dashboard Confessional, and you haven’t purchased Dusk and Summer yet, you should.

I’m leaving in about 8 hours for Jeremy & Julia’s wedding.  Rehearsal day tomorrow (including an excellent dinner at Patty’s), wedding day on Saturday.

Took a trip to Lexington tonight to pick up my tux and a few last minute items.  I must say - we’re are going to be “hot” in every sense of the word - burning up AND good looking.  At least, good looking until we start sweating like pigs.  Then, we will not be good looking.  All this to say, the tux’s are very nice looking.  Sharp.

I get the pleasure of riding down with the groom.  Let’s pray our trip is safe.  It’s far more important for him to get there safely than me!  There’s a decent chance I’ll be able to blog from J-Creek, but I’m not sure I’ll get a chance.  If not, expect updates on Sunday or Monday.  Adios…

The past few days, I’ve spent a large amount of time listening to classical music.

Classical music. Reading. Journaling. I feel all sophisticated. I don’t have anyone fooled, however.