Happy birthday to me!!

My most sincere apologies for letting this blog languish for so long without an update. I think/hope I have a good reason, though: I've been working on starting my own business! Sousa Consulting LLC is now a real company (although the DC government is being frustratingly slow about getting me the notarized documents to prove it). I'm now in a position to help people get their technology projects -- from online applications to data analysis and reporting -- off the ground and running smoothly. The website URL is www.JonathanSousa.com.

Most of my news revolves around this new business venture: I left my job with ARL a week and a half ago and I'm now working from home; I have some wonderful new computer equipment to work on (including a gorgeous 24" LCD monitor) and the MacBook Pro arrived yesterday (more on that later on); and Persimmon is thrilled with my constant presence. In matters outside of SC LLC, I can report that Spring is definitely NOT here in DC (although maybe today is a little better). I walked home from an open mic night a friend invited me to last Tuesday and it was snowing. Everyone is just desperate for this winter to be over and outdoor-activity season to start.

Two weeks ago I was fortunate enough to see The Pogues; it was an amazing experience. I'll paste in a bit of the review I wrote for my brother:

I think you might be very interested to know that this last Friday I did what I thought was impossible: saw The Pogues in concert with Shane at the helm. Yes, I know what you are thinking, he is still alive as are the rest, and all with their original livers. Honestly I didn't expect much from the show. It was at the 9:30 Club which is a medium-sized club and it was more one of those 'I really want to see them even if it is only a nostalgia thing' events. (Although at $56 per ticket it was a lot for nostalgia.) But they were terrific. Shane can barely walk, can't speak intelligibly at all, looks dead, and has lost just about all of his crooked teeth, but he totally nails the songs and his voice is only slightly less strong than it was 20 years ago. He did manage to down about 3/4 of a bottle of whiskey while on stage (the rest he spilled on himself) and then broke the bottle against the microphone stand. He also successfully balanced a tumbler of vodka on his head for about 10 seconds and then took it off without dropping it, for whatever that's worth. As for the music: 26 songs, over 2 hours, 2 encores, and every one of my favorites including the blistering ones like Bottle of Smoke and Turkish Song of the Damned. Fantastic musicianship from all of the members present for the recording of the album If I Should Fall From Grace With God. They even did Fairytale of New York (duet with the daughter of Jem Finer) with confetti snow.