Well, it's the end of another year. It went by pretty fast. I remember as a kid it took forever for things to happen. Birthdays, Christmas, summer. But now it just seems like; birthday-birthday-birthday!!
This year was interesting. I went to New Zealand and briefly toyed with the idea of never coming back. It was an awesome place with lots of potential. I went to Austraila, same thing happened. And I could learn how to scuba and spend the rest of my life diving the Great Barrier Reef.
But I came home...
I did a one man show. I had no idea I could do it, and I learned from the director later that I could have quit at anytime. I thought of doing so; the show was a hard thing to do, a lot of work, but I kept going so I didn't disappoint her. Thank God we were not communicating very well, otherwise I wouldn't have done the show.
I worked enough to survive, and prosper a little bit. But any extra I earned went to pay for New Zealand, and the upcoming trip to Sweden.
I want to do better this coming year in many ways. I want to earn more. I want to act in things that will actually pay me. I want to do voice-over in commercials and cartoons. I want to do more commercials. (I barely made SAG insurance. Made it by $10. I'm not kidding. $10.) I'd like to move to a really great place. Or have my upstairs neighbors die in a murder/suicide. Either would be fine.
Regular sex would be great, too.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
No Fun in Arizona
You can't have fun in Arizona anymore.
All over the highways around Phoenix there are speed cameras to take pictures of speeders. The funny thing is there are signs up 1/2 mile and 300 feet before the cameras warning you of their use.
Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the speed cameras? Shouldn't they be a $185 surprise? There are cameras in fixed spots but there are also mobile cameras in SUVs parked by the side of the highway. They also have signs warning you of the camera. These can be left anywhere, highways or residential streets. Surprise!
This might catch people who aren't paying attention, but I think it's more likely they will cause people to decelerate quickly and rear end other drivers...
There are also intersection cameras to catch people running red lights. LA has a number of places with similar cameras. While I was in Phoenix, 4 guys dressed as Santa Claus covered up the cameras at an intersection in Tempe. This is against the law. But kinda funny. The video of this can be found on YouTube.
You can't drink and drive in AZ. You can't do that most everywhere, or shouldn't. However, the police also have a mobile DUI processing unit in a big RV. So you get pulled over for imbibing too much, you get taken to the RV and processed. Finger printed, photographed, and blood drawn. This means there's no lag time to have the blood alcohol lower naturally as they are taking you to jail.
Since it's only an RV, where do they put the drunks? In the bathroom? The bedroom? I think that a bunch of drunk people in a bedroom would be a party.
All over the highways around Phoenix there are speed cameras to take pictures of speeders. The funny thing is there are signs up 1/2 mile and 300 feet before the cameras warning you of their use.
Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the speed cameras? Shouldn't they be a $185 surprise? There are cameras in fixed spots but there are also mobile cameras in SUVs parked by the side of the highway. They also have signs warning you of the camera. These can be left anywhere, highways or residential streets. Surprise!
This might catch people who aren't paying attention, but I think it's more likely they will cause people to decelerate quickly and rear end other drivers...
There are also intersection cameras to catch people running red lights. LA has a number of places with similar cameras. While I was in Phoenix, 4 guys dressed as Santa Claus covered up the cameras at an intersection in Tempe. This is against the law. But kinda funny. The video of this can be found on YouTube.
You can't drink and drive in AZ. You can't do that most everywhere, or shouldn't. However, the police also have a mobile DUI processing unit in a big RV. So you get pulled over for imbibing too much, you get taken to the RV and processed. Finger printed, photographed, and blood drawn. This means there's no lag time to have the blood alcohol lower naturally as they are taking you to jail.
Since it's only an RV, where do they put the drunks? In the bathroom? The bedroom? I think that a bunch of drunk people in a bedroom would be a party.
The Scottsdale police are also putting bait cars out in parking lots. The doors are unlocked and maybe the keys are in the ignition. So some guy walking by might see this, jump in and take the vehicle for a ride. The police follow behind, press a button, the engine dies and the doors lock. Trapped. This, I am told, is not entrapment. But it kind of is. It's allowing a persons stupidity to take over because a temptation is laid before them. I wonder how many are teenagers? Just being stupid? However, what does the Scottsdale police do? They put up a sign telling you there may be bait cars.
So, because of Big Brother and all the cops, Arizona is no longer fun.
So, because of Big Brother and all the cops, Arizona is no longer fun.
Empty
I was at a movie screening at the DGA and I saw a girl I was stupid for a couple years back. It was really a ridiculous situation that ended rather ridiculously. And I was destroyed for a while.
I was sitting in a row at the DGA by myself reading a magazine, there were 40 empty seats around me. When she walked in with her boyfriend I was very aware of her and where she was in the theatre. They made their way around the aisles and sat in my row, 2 seats away from me. She had to have seen me.
I thought it very strange, but I was busy with my magazine and pointedly ignoring her because I couldn't think of a thing to say to her.
There was either a lot to say, or nothing to say, or we could chat about the weather.
People sat between us. Later she went to the restroom. After she returned there was a bullshit moment of, "I didn't see you there. I'm sitting in your row."
We had an awkward 3 minute conversation. I had a hard time thinking of things to say or ask. It had been 20 months since I had seen or talked to her.
The movie started and we stopped chatting.
I was a bit surprised by the encounter. I sat talking to her, who I adored, and there was nothing inside me for her.
I had questions or maybe wanted to be mean to her, but it didn't matter. When I got home I read some of the journals I was writing during that hard time and was surprised how pathetic I sounded.
It was a long way from heartsick to empty.
I was sitting in a row at the DGA by myself reading a magazine, there were 40 empty seats around me. When she walked in with her boyfriend I was very aware of her and where she was in the theatre. They made their way around the aisles and sat in my row, 2 seats away from me. She had to have seen me.
I thought it very strange, but I was busy with my magazine and pointedly ignoring her because I couldn't think of a thing to say to her.
There was either a lot to say, or nothing to say, or we could chat about the weather.
People sat between us. Later she went to the restroom. After she returned there was a bullshit moment of, "I didn't see you there. I'm sitting in your row."
We had an awkward 3 minute conversation. I had a hard time thinking of things to say or ask. It had been 20 months since I had seen or talked to her.
The movie started and we stopped chatting.
I was a bit surprised by the encounter. I sat talking to her, who I adored, and there was nothing inside me for her.
I had questions or maybe wanted to be mean to her, but it didn't matter. When I got home I read some of the journals I was writing during that hard time and was surprised how pathetic I sounded.
It was a long way from heartsick to empty.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Hollywood Gyms
I go to a gym in Studio City. Gyms are little strange to begin with, but in Los Angeles it's kind of funny.
Most of the people at the gym are in "the Business". All of them are still striving like me, but if you are in the gym at 10 am on a Wednesday you are unemployed in "the Business". At least that day. Tomorrow might be different. The people at the gym at 10 am are still working to accomplish the dream that brought us all here. They don't have it yet... but they have hope.
There are lots of actors there. I have overheard guys talking about their roles in this or that. For example: "I had a gig as an ambulance driver in "Cursed". No lines, but a cool death scene." Dude, you were a featured extra, but you are spinning the tale. Let's be real.
Singers: They have their ipods in their ears and they are singing along full voice, to themselves. Their own music. And they will have a friend put the ipod buds in their ears and listen to this track or that track. Kinda narcissistic. But pretty funny.
Men out number women 10 to 1. And the women get chatted up constantly. It's always fun to watch guys try hard and get shot down.
At my gym I have seen movie stars - both present and past, TV stars, singers, star fuckers and porn stars. And I dont' bug any of them. I go to work out until something hurts, then I go home. Though, none of the famous seem to really break a sweat. Maybe they have their assistants work out for them.
Most of the people at the gym are in "the Business". All of them are still striving like me, but if you are in the gym at 10 am on a Wednesday you are unemployed in "the Business". At least that day. Tomorrow might be different. The people at the gym at 10 am are still working to accomplish the dream that brought us all here. They don't have it yet... but they have hope.
There are lots of actors there. I have overheard guys talking about their roles in this or that. For example: "I had a gig as an ambulance driver in "Cursed". No lines, but a cool death scene." Dude, you were a featured extra, but you are spinning the tale. Let's be real.
Singers: They have their ipods in their ears and they are singing along full voice, to themselves. Their own music. And they will have a friend put the ipod buds in their ears and listen to this track or that track. Kinda narcissistic. But pretty funny.
Men out number women 10 to 1. And the women get chatted up constantly. It's always fun to watch guys try hard and get shot down.
At my gym I have seen movie stars - both present and past, TV stars, singers, star fuckers and porn stars. And I dont' bug any of them. I go to work out until something hurts, then I go home. Though, none of the famous seem to really break a sweat. Maybe they have their assistants work out for them.
Dreams
I don't wake up in the morning rememberingwhat I dreamt the night before. I think I dream, but I don't recall things I dreamed.
Sometimes I remember something from a dream, usually as I am going about my day I'll flash on going somewhere or doing something I know never happened. It's a little weird trying to remember if I did the thing or dreamed it. Or maybe it's the secret agent programming bleeding thru to my real life. ;)
I do recall some dreams I have over and over. I remember them because they are so familiar from dreaming them multiple times. I have one dream in which I can move things telekinetically. That's right, I can use the Force! And when I wake up knowing I have dreamed this one again, this will sound silly, I try to move something using telekinesis. Got to try right? I have a hope that after dreaming this dream one night, a switch will flip inside my brain, and I will have access to the Force. I'll be able to move things!
That's a lot cooler than going to Atlantis with the crew of the Love Boat.
Sometimes I remember something from a dream, usually as I am going about my day I'll flash on going somewhere or doing something I know never happened. It's a little weird trying to remember if I did the thing or dreamed it. Or maybe it's the secret agent programming bleeding thru to my real life. ;)
I do recall some dreams I have over and over. I remember them because they are so familiar from dreaming them multiple times. I have one dream in which I can move things telekinetically. That's right, I can use the Force! And when I wake up knowing I have dreamed this one again, this will sound silly, I try to move something using telekinesis. Got to try right? I have a hope that after dreaming this dream one night, a switch will flip inside my brain, and I will have access to the Force. I'll be able to move things!
That's a lot cooler than going to Atlantis with the crew of the Love Boat.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Women: part 1
I love women. When I walk down the street I only see women. Men are just fuzzy blurs. (Okay, I stole that line from Richard Feynman and QED)
This might become more about me than about women.
Men are task/goal oriented. If there is a problem we try to fix it. Women will talk about it. The discussion doesn't necessarily fix the problem, but they feel better. So in many ways, I have no idea how a woman's mind works. For guys it's like there is an 800 page manual on how women think and whatnot, and chapters 14, 23, 32, 46,& 57 are missing. My good friend says she has no idea how her mind works or what drives her. So on some level, it's good to know I'm not the only one out in the wilderness.
It would be much simpler if a woman would just tell a man, "This is bugging me, please stop it." And most of the time we'll stop. It's that simple. I remember hearing an interview with a 105 year old man and his 103 year old wife. He was asked how it lasted so long. He said, "Two words: Yes, dear."
Women's magazines are mean to women. Cosmopolitan, for example. 28 articles on why you are fat. 39 articles on why men suck. And one article on why you should wake a man with a blowjob. ( I agree with that last one.) Men's magazines, Field and Stream for instance, does not have articles titled, "Why those big fish in the river are laughing at you." Doesn't happen.
My experiences with women are a bit out of the ordinary, I think. Sometimes translation is required. These are 3 things I have heard from women in the past.
1. "Be careful, I mark easy." Translation: I am cheating on someone who regularly sees me naked. I you scratch me he will know...
2. "You are so attentive." Translation: Someone I am involved with now takes me for granted and I feel neglected.
3. "I don't normally do this." Translation: I'm drunk. You're cute.
How did I hear these things? I have been the object of some infidelity in the past. Mostly without my knowledge. Information was kept from me. Like boyfriends, husbands, etc. So why did these women want to cheat?
I'm really cute.
Or maybe the relationship they are in has gotten to that point where they feel they are not getting the attention they used to. Something is lacking; emotion or sex or both. The Grr/Purr factor has become routine. There's also a chance that Life has happened. Everyday work, kids, soccer practice, have taken the edge off the passion. Men also get comfortable and then fat.
Some women have cheated because they know they can get away with it. Me, the object, wasn't that important. Most any good looking Male would be good for a fling. But cheating always starts from the inside.
This might become more about me than about women.
Men are task/goal oriented. If there is a problem we try to fix it. Women will talk about it. The discussion doesn't necessarily fix the problem, but they feel better. So in many ways, I have no idea how a woman's mind works. For guys it's like there is an 800 page manual on how women think and whatnot, and chapters 14, 23, 32, 46,& 57 are missing. My good friend says she has no idea how her mind works or what drives her. So on some level, it's good to know I'm not the only one out in the wilderness.
It would be much simpler if a woman would just tell a man, "This is bugging me, please stop it." And most of the time we'll stop. It's that simple. I remember hearing an interview with a 105 year old man and his 103 year old wife. He was asked how it lasted so long. He said, "Two words: Yes, dear."
Women's magazines are mean to women. Cosmopolitan, for example. 28 articles on why you are fat. 39 articles on why men suck. And one article on why you should wake a man with a blowjob. ( I agree with that last one.) Men's magazines, Field and Stream for instance, does not have articles titled, "Why those big fish in the river are laughing at you." Doesn't happen.
My experiences with women are a bit out of the ordinary, I think. Sometimes translation is required. These are 3 things I have heard from women in the past.
1. "Be careful, I mark easy." Translation: I am cheating on someone who regularly sees me naked. I you scratch me he will know...
2. "You are so attentive." Translation: Someone I am involved with now takes me for granted and I feel neglected.
3. "I don't normally do this." Translation: I'm drunk. You're cute.
How did I hear these things? I have been the object of some infidelity in the past. Mostly without my knowledge. Information was kept from me. Like boyfriends, husbands, etc. So why did these women want to cheat?
I'm really cute.
Or maybe the relationship they are in has gotten to that point where they feel they are not getting the attention they used to. Something is lacking; emotion or sex or both. The Grr/Purr factor has become routine. There's also a chance that Life has happened. Everyday work, kids, soccer practice, have taken the edge off the passion. Men also get comfortable and then fat.
Some women have cheated because they know they can get away with it. Me, the object, wasn't that important. Most any good looking Male would be good for a fling. But cheating always starts from the inside.
Eulogies for the Living
A friend of mine died May 27, 2008. Very suddenly from a heart attack.
The funeral turned out to be a crowd of maybe 200-300. A number of people got up and spoke about Oz. And as I sat there I wondered if Oz thought he could fill a room like that. The eulogies were irreverant and loud and there was a lot of laughter. That was the kind of guy Oz was. He wasn't the life of the party. He brought the party. It was a good way for him to be remembered.
Too bad he wasn't around to see and hear it. Afterward the stories continued at the wake/party.
So how about eulogies for the living? Telling someone how much they are loved and appreciated before they die? Because afterward, it's too late. Telling a parent how important they are, or a friend who understands you better than anyone else in the world?
It seems simple, but it doesn't happen often. And sometimes too soon it's too late.
The funeral turned out to be a crowd of maybe 200-300. A number of people got up and spoke about Oz. And as I sat there I wondered if Oz thought he could fill a room like that. The eulogies were irreverant and loud and there was a lot of laughter. That was the kind of guy Oz was. He wasn't the life of the party. He brought the party. It was a good way for him to be remembered.
Too bad he wasn't around to see and hear it. Afterward the stories continued at the wake/party.
So how about eulogies for the living? Telling someone how much they are loved and appreciated before they die? Because afterward, it's too late. Telling a parent how important they are, or a friend who understands you better than anyone else in the world?
It seems simple, but it doesn't happen often. And sometimes too soon it's too late.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Rats
I am housesitting for someone this Thanksgiving. So I went over and picked up the keys and got the lowdown on the animals. This is someone I have house sat for many times over the years. I enjoy her animals. They are good, well behaved and generally fun. Now, she has a menagerie of animals because her daughter likes animals. 2 dogs, 2 rabbits and 2 rats.
Now most encounters with rats for me have been the wild kind. In alleys of downtown L.A. at night, scuttling along the sides of walls and buildings. You know, feral, big as cats and unafraid. Normally when I am housesitting, the rats stay elsewhere. I don't necessarily fear them but I think there is something primordial in humans that is repulsed by rats. Like in the caves, lurking beyond the firelight, they were there in the corners eating the refuse and thriving. Even then I'll bet that the cavemen were running around trying to bash them with clubs and grunting, "Holy crap, there's a rat!" BAM! Of course then they probably cooked them and ate the rats. Protien is protien after all...
So as she told me how to care for the rats, I looked at their bodies. That wasn't scary. Furry, rodents, not unlike the gerbils and hamsters I had as a kid. But then you see the tail. Hairless, long tapered, like a finger that has gone horribly wrong in development. And I think that is what freaks people out. The skin that looks all to human, it's fat and all too alive, attached to vermin.
Or maybe it's the fact that they can chew thru cinder blocks and tread water for 36 hours. Kind of a toss up...
Now most encounters with rats for me have been the wild kind. In alleys of downtown L.A. at night, scuttling along the sides of walls and buildings. You know, feral, big as cats and unafraid. Normally when I am housesitting, the rats stay elsewhere. I don't necessarily fear them but I think there is something primordial in humans that is repulsed by rats. Like in the caves, lurking beyond the firelight, they were there in the corners eating the refuse and thriving. Even then I'll bet that the cavemen were running around trying to bash them with clubs and grunting, "Holy crap, there's a rat!" BAM! Of course then they probably cooked them and ate the rats. Protien is protien after all...
So as she told me how to care for the rats, I looked at their bodies. That wasn't scary. Furry, rodents, not unlike the gerbils and hamsters I had as a kid. But then you see the tail. Hairless, long tapered, like a finger that has gone horribly wrong in development. And I think that is what freaks people out. The skin that looks all to human, it's fat and all too alive, attached to vermin.
Or maybe it's the fact that they can chew thru cinder blocks and tread water for 36 hours. Kind of a toss up...
Monday, November 17, 2008
Christmas letters
My Mom writes a letter every year for the Christmas card she sends out to family and friends. I learned a long time ago that I need to write what my year has been like and submit it to her to include in the Christmas letter. Why? Because her view of my life is profoundly different than my view of my life. Her view of my life is down right depressing. It makes it sound like I'm banging my head against the walls here in Hollywood and getting nowhere. One year I didn't get a chance to give her my version of my life, and my friend Terry asked, "Did you read your parents letter this year?" No, I didn't but got a little pissed off after I did. It sounded like I lost all hope and had a gun in my mouth.
I admit that I do have flat spots on my cranium, but it's not all as futile as my Mom writes. She loves me and doesn't like to see me struggle, but it's the struggle that makes the successes sweeter. Even the small wins are good to have. The following is my portion of this years letter.
"In January Brad went backpacking around New Zealand and Australia for 18 days. He bungy jumped of a bridge and hiked a glacier in New Zealand; and went scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef in Austraila. Brad had 2 Verizon commercials running on cable this year and he did a one man show about the physicist Richard Feynman called QED. Now he is venturing into the world of voice over."
Short. Sweet. Hopeful. Life is difficult, but if everything is handed to you, you don't value it.
I hunger, and I struggle.
I admit that I do have flat spots on my cranium, but it's not all as futile as my Mom writes. She loves me and doesn't like to see me struggle, but it's the struggle that makes the successes sweeter. Even the small wins are good to have. The following is my portion of this years letter.
"In January Brad went backpacking around New Zealand and Australia for 18 days. He bungy jumped of a bridge and hiked a glacier in New Zealand; and went scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef in Austraila. Brad had 2 Verizon commercials running on cable this year and he did a one man show about the physicist Richard Feynman called QED. Now he is venturing into the world of voice over."
Short. Sweet. Hopeful. Life is difficult, but if everything is handed to you, you don't value it.
I hunger, and I struggle.
Thumbnail
On June 29th of this year I bruised my thumb while working. Not a small bruise. The tip of my thumb prevented a heavy piece of equipment from crashing to the ground. Way to go thumb. A big black and blue bruise raised up under the nail and I have been watching it slowly grow out from where the bruise started way back in the nail bed. My friend Julie said, "your thumb has been black forever." Well, hallelujah, all traces of the ruined thumbnail are finally gone!
It only took 20 weeks. That's right, 140 days.
Now I have never paid that much attention to my nails. I cut them when they need to be cut. But because of this injury I have been acutely aware of my thumbnail. It seemed to take forever to grow. And it looked and felt different than the other nails. Did it feel like and outsider? Hmmm...
And like a loose tooth I played with the thumbnail and its shape simply because it was different than all the rest of my nails. It was almost a subconcious thing. You know how if something is different than normal you constantly play with it? Like people with tongue piercings are constantly clacking it against their teeth. Annoying as shit if you ask me, but they don't really know they are doing it. Everyone has to have a hobby I suppose...
So now I can stop rubbing that thumb nail. No, really, I can...
It only took 20 weeks. That's right, 140 days.
Now I have never paid that much attention to my nails. I cut them when they need to be cut. But because of this injury I have been acutely aware of my thumbnail. It seemed to take forever to grow. And it looked and felt different than the other nails. Did it feel like and outsider? Hmmm...
And like a loose tooth I played with the thumbnail and its shape simply because it was different than all the rest of my nails. It was almost a subconcious thing. You know how if something is different than normal you constantly play with it? Like people with tongue piercings are constantly clacking it against their teeth. Annoying as shit if you ask me, but they don't really know they are doing it. Everyone has to have a hobby I suppose...
So now I can stop rubbing that thumb nail. No, really, I can...
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Notes Nailed to a Cross
I was working a gig this weekend. Some sort of Christain gathering for kids. The immediate impact? No cussing during the job. Which for a bunch of riggers is not easy. That's like telling Hell's Angels not to be so violent. And usually I curtail some of my explicative use after working in Anaheim anyway, I realize I sound uneducated when I cuss so much.
As we waited to go into the roof to take out the points, I saw a bunch of kids pulling nails out of 5 or 6 wooden crosses that were about 6 feet tall. They had notes attached to them. This sparked my curiousity, of course. What did the notes say? So they pulled the nails out and put them in a box. And they took the notes from the nails and put them in a cardboard box.
At the end of the night, the trucks rolled away leaving the cardboard box. Me being me, I reached into what would soon be in the trash and pulled out some of the notes, put them in my pocket and read them later. I could tell the gender of the writer by the penmanship. And I kind of discerned what the nailing of the notes meant by what was written on them.
So let me share what the 5 notes said with you. It's secret, no one will know, right?
1. I want to get rid of bad language (male)
2. Die to flesh & let God do the work. (female)
3. It's kept me from doing the things that God wanted me to do. (female)
4. Pride. Unforgiveness. (male)
5. Family breaking apart, and always fighting, Jesus I need you to bring us together. (female)
So the notes seem to be what they want to get rid of, and what they need help from God in doing, or just admitting their faults. Some are a little vague, and I'm guessing, but I wasn't there the hear what they were trying to do with the notes. For #5, I hope it works out.
Am I a bad person for reading these notes? I don't know. Curious, always. But is it worse than throwing them in the trash? Hmmm...
As we waited to go into the roof to take out the points, I saw a bunch of kids pulling nails out of 5 or 6 wooden crosses that were about 6 feet tall. They had notes attached to them. This sparked my curiousity, of course. What did the notes say? So they pulled the nails out and put them in a box. And they took the notes from the nails and put them in a cardboard box.
At the end of the night, the trucks rolled away leaving the cardboard box. Me being me, I reached into what would soon be in the trash and pulled out some of the notes, put them in my pocket and read them later. I could tell the gender of the writer by the penmanship. And I kind of discerned what the nailing of the notes meant by what was written on them.
So let me share what the 5 notes said with you. It's secret, no one will know, right?
1. I want to get rid of bad language (male)
2. Die to flesh & let God do the work. (female)
3. It's kept me from doing the things that God wanted me to do. (female)
4. Pride. Unforgiveness. (male)
5. Family breaking apart, and always fighting, Jesus I need you to bring us together. (female)
So the notes seem to be what they want to get rid of, and what they need help from God in doing, or just admitting their faults. Some are a little vague, and I'm guessing, but I wasn't there the hear what they were trying to do with the notes. For #5, I hope it works out.
Am I a bad person for reading these notes? I don't know. Curious, always. But is it worse than throwing them in the trash? Hmmm...
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Gay Marriage
I'm disappointed that Prop 8 banning Gay Marriage passed. The fact of the matter is that it effected only those people who are gay. It wouldn't bring about the end of civilization. It isn't a sign of the End Times. It's civilzation allowing people who love each other to marry. The government shouldn't be in our bedrooms, nor should people impose their religious faiths, and all the biases that come with them, on everyone else.
Now for the biting satire portion of this post.
I think that people were afraid of Gay Sex! That's the thing that scared them to vote in this way. But they should look at their own married lives. I have heard anecdotal accounts that once you are married, sex stops! Or at least happens maybe once a month. I have no first hand knowledge since I am single and out there just getting laid constantly! Wahoo! So if the Gay Sex was what they wanted to stop, they should let gay people marry. The sex would stop, and the fearful people would have nothing to fear.
The only bad thing that would have happened if Gay Marriage was allowed to remain, Gay Divorce Lawyers. I'm pretty much against anything that creates more lawyers. There are already too many in this litigious world. And having Gay Marriage would create a need for a sub catagory of lawyers specializing in Gay Marriage.
So there you go. This world should be less complicated by small minded people...
Now for the biting satire portion of this post.
I think that people were afraid of Gay Sex! That's the thing that scared them to vote in this way. But they should look at their own married lives. I have heard anecdotal accounts that once you are married, sex stops! Or at least happens maybe once a month. I have no first hand knowledge since I am single and out there just getting laid constantly! Wahoo! So if the Gay Sex was what they wanted to stop, they should let gay people marry. The sex would stop, and the fearful people would have nothing to fear.
The only bad thing that would have happened if Gay Marriage was allowed to remain, Gay Divorce Lawyers. I'm pretty much against anything that creates more lawyers. There are already too many in this litigious world. And having Gay Marriage would create a need for a sub catagory of lawyers specializing in Gay Marriage.
So there you go. This world should be less complicated by small minded people...
Obama!
Wow. Can I just say I'm very glad that Barack Obama is the president elect? Wow. After 8 years of being mis-managed by Shrub. I'm ready for an elitist, liberal, socailist, marxist, muslim, friend of terrorists to run the country. Wait. Sorry, was just clearing out the bullshit lies told about Obama by his opponent. Wow. The vitriol spewed by the McCain Palin camp was amazing. But when you have no ideas or message you attack the guy.
If Obama is elitist, I'm fine with that. In my first blog back in August, I said I wanted someone smarter than me as preisdent. Someone who thinks and listens to the ideas and advice around him and then decides. The impulsive knee jerk thinking of Shrub has fucked up the USA and the world. Let's fix it.
That's a naive view of the world and what any president will be able to do, but just electing him has made the world think differently about us. So let's hope he can do many of the things talked about.
If Obama is elitist, I'm fine with that. In my first blog back in August, I said I wanted someone smarter than me as preisdent. Someone who thinks and listens to the ideas and advice around him and then decides. The impulsive knee jerk thinking of Shrub has fucked up the USA and the world. Let's fix it.
That's a naive view of the world and what any president will be able to do, but just electing him has made the world think differently about us. So let's hope he can do many of the things talked about.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Cute Kids
I badgered my Dad to get the old super 8 home movies from when I was a kid converted to DVD. It was easy after finding a deal at Costco for transfering anything to DVD. $20 for 150 feet of film and then 12 cents per foot afterward.
I sat there laughing at these old images of me and Jeff being kids. And though I remember seeing the movies before I don't recall some of the things we were doing. It's obviously me, but the memory is gone. I do remember running down the hill at my grandma's house wearing a red cape like superman. And then trudging back up the hill. And for a 4 year old, that was a big damn hill. At the bottom there was a creek; if you weren't careful or had too much momentum, superman got wet.
There were vacations to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Ohio, Troy, New York, Florida, Pikes Peak, Colorado. In the movies I was climbing everything, and jumping off most of what I climbed. There was also swimming in the summers at a hotel called the Valley Ho. (I'm not kidding about the name.) I still remember the smells of that place.
There was also the sheltie we had named Whitney. From the time he was a rambunctious puppy attacking everything. I was behind the sliding glass door because I was afraid of him... I was 4.
At Yellowstone I got a stuffed bear with a leash and collar. I totally forgot about the bear until I saw the toy on that video.
It was cool to see these old movies again. And there are 3 more reels to check out when Costco gets them transferred.
I sat there laughing at these old images of me and Jeff being kids. And though I remember seeing the movies before I don't recall some of the things we were doing. It's obviously me, but the memory is gone. I do remember running down the hill at my grandma's house wearing a red cape like superman. And then trudging back up the hill. And for a 4 year old, that was a big damn hill. At the bottom there was a creek; if you weren't careful or had too much momentum, superman got wet.
There were vacations to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Ohio, Troy, New York, Florida, Pikes Peak, Colorado. In the movies I was climbing everything, and jumping off most of what I climbed. There was also swimming in the summers at a hotel called the Valley Ho. (I'm not kidding about the name.) I still remember the smells of that place.
There was also the sheltie we had named Whitney. From the time he was a rambunctious puppy attacking everything. I was behind the sliding glass door because I was afraid of him... I was 4.
At Yellowstone I got a stuffed bear with a leash and collar. I totally forgot about the bear until I saw the toy on that video.
It was cool to see these old movies again. And there are 3 more reels to check out when Costco gets them transferred.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Waiters waiting for...?
I recently had dinner in Tahoe. I was there working on a job. And my waiter's name was Dayne (pronounced Dana). Now in LA the people who wait on tables are more than a waiter. They are waiter/actor/writer/director. In a sense they really are waiters. Waiting for that break...
But what is Dayne beyond being a waiter? Is he a student? What is his passion? Very few people are waiters for their entire life. It's a job that pays rent. What is the rest of their life like?
Only in LA or NYC are waiters obviously more than people who bring you food or fill your iced tea glass. What are the waiters in Iowa? Kids who don't want to be farmers?
I wanted to ask Dayne what else he did, but couldn't figure out how to ask it without seeming like a rude arse.
But what is Dayne beyond being a waiter? Is he a student? What is his passion? Very few people are waiters for their entire life. It's a job that pays rent. What is the rest of their life like?
Only in LA or NYC are waiters obviously more than people who bring you food or fill your iced tea glass. What are the waiters in Iowa? Kids who don't want to be farmers?
I wanted to ask Dayne what else he did, but couldn't figure out how to ask it without seeming like a rude arse.
Prudent or Coward?
I just spent 20 minutes on the phone with Expedia. I cancelled the Thailand trip I had planned to take in January. I had 3 tickets; one to get to Bangkok, one to get to Phuket, and one to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I cancelled them all because of the crazy political stuff going on in Thailand. And also a border dispute with Cambodia over a temple they both claim.
I talked to my friend's brother about 3 weeks ago. He's been to Thailand 2 times and is planning a trip for March of 2009. After talking to him my stress and nervousness decreased. Then the very next day on the news I saw 2000-3000 protesters rioting around the government offices in Bangkok. The tear gas being used by the Thai police was made in China, and blowing off the legs of the protesters when it explodes at their feet. 2 people died.
So I finally bit the bullet and cancelled the trip. I hated to do it, but it seems prudent. How often am I known to be the prudent one? Really? Me prudent? I'm the one cutting fire wood while drinking Margaritas. There would probably be little chance of me getting hurt if I went, but my trip was 3 months away, and the situation didn't seem to be getting any better. So when January 19th rolls around, I won't be getting on a plane to somewhere unique and exotic...
My next trip? I'm thinking Sweden in June. Things are not likely to be blowing up there... And I like blond women...
I talked to my friend's brother about 3 weeks ago. He's been to Thailand 2 times and is planning a trip for March of 2009. After talking to him my stress and nervousness decreased. Then the very next day on the news I saw 2000-3000 protesters rioting around the government offices in Bangkok. The tear gas being used by the Thai police was made in China, and blowing off the legs of the protesters when it explodes at their feet. 2 people died.
So I finally bit the bullet and cancelled the trip. I hated to do it, but it seems prudent. How often am I known to be the prudent one? Really? Me prudent? I'm the one cutting fire wood while drinking Margaritas. There would probably be little chance of me getting hurt if I went, but my trip was 3 months away, and the situation didn't seem to be getting any better. So when January 19th rolls around, I won't be getting on a plane to somewhere unique and exotic...
My next trip? I'm thinking Sweden in June. Things are not likely to be blowing up there... And I like blond women...
Monday, October 20, 2008
Banks
What the Hell do people do at banks? I really wonder when I am standing in line and people are at the teller windows for more than 1 minute. Are they curing cancer? Lauching rockets? It's a bank. Transactions shouldn't take that long. I make deposits. That's it. This may sound cranky, but I don't want to spend 15 minutes in line at the bank when there's only 7 people in front of me. So, here's my fix. They have a business line for businesses to do transactions. Why not make a Clueless line for people that are, you guessed it, Clueless and want to argue the point.
BIG Trucks
I drove a big truck to Tahoe recently for work. It's called and 18' truck, but that measurement is for the inside space. The truck really is about 24' long. And the driver's seat is actually taller than the roof of my car. So I can see a long way compared to my sports car. Now the truck was full of equipment and I got an average of 7 MPG. That's not a typo. 7 MPG. The way to Tahoe is very mountainy, so I was standing on the accelerator just to go a slowing 50 miles an hour. I got there in about 8 hours. Then collapsed with weariness.
Now when a Big truck is behind you, or you go whipping around it on the road or freeway, do you really take into consideration that the truck doesn't have the kind of agility of a car? And if it has a trailer it is not able to stop on a dime. While I was driving I had idiots of all types treating me like I was in a big slow car. If I had to swerve, the truck is probably going to go over as I try not to kill you because any correction then requires another correction and an over correction until I either get it right or crash.
Also, I have maybe 2-4 tons worth of weight behind me and I will drive up your ass if you make me stop suddenly? This will most likely kill you. And I'd be sad for a day or two, but the herd has to be thinned somehow.
I was much more patient than I ever am in my fast little car. I had to be. I was looking for all the stupid people out there on the phone or not paying attention. And to get pissed off at me is ridiculous. I was driving steady. They were the ones being reckless. And any entaglement I get in, I WIN.
Now when a Big truck is behind you, or you go whipping around it on the road or freeway, do you really take into consideration that the truck doesn't have the kind of agility of a car? And if it has a trailer it is not able to stop on a dime. While I was driving I had idiots of all types treating me like I was in a big slow car. If I had to swerve, the truck is probably going to go over as I try not to kill you because any correction then requires another correction and an over correction until I either get it right or crash.
Also, I have maybe 2-4 tons worth of weight behind me and I will drive up your ass if you make me stop suddenly? This will most likely kill you. And I'd be sad for a day or two, but the herd has to be thinned somehow.
I was much more patient than I ever am in my fast little car. I had to be. I was looking for all the stupid people out there on the phone or not paying attention. And to get pissed off at me is ridiculous. I was driving steady. They were the ones being reckless. And any entaglement I get in, I WIN.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Kids
I love kids. Kids are awesome. One of my best friends is 10 years old. I would jump in front of a train to save him, or virtually any child for that matter.
Kids like me. I don't know why necessarily, but maybe it's because I am one of them at heart. I don't talk down to kids or treat them like kids. They are little people unspoiled by society.
I was hanging out with a friend and her son who's almost 2. She left the table to go to the bathroom. She was reluctant to do this because he doesn't take to people sometimes. And mommy is his safety blanket. I sat there next to him making faces and chatting, doing what I normally do around kids. Being fun. She came back expecting him to be melting down. "That's amazing." she said. "I'm magic." I replied.
I like kids. Unless I am ganged up on in a bounce house by 12 of them. But that's another story of the last 4 thanksgivings...
I have a problem with the way the world has taught parents to wrap a kid in bubble wrap to protect them from every little bump, scrape, or electrical shock. Kids bounce. If a young child falls down it will look to the nearest adult to see if this was a bad spill. If you react like it's life threatening the kid will erupt in crying. If you react non-chalantly, they think it wasn't bad. And 9 times out of 10 it's not that bad. A bruise or skinned knee is not a big deal. It's what happens as a kid. You are testing the limits of your world. Sometimes you get scratched.
My friend has a 2.5 year old. He has started piling his toys up to get to the counters to get cookies. "He might fall," says my friend. But look what he is doing. He is building and figuring out how to problem solve and reach a goal. I climbed on the counters a lot as a kid. And look at me! Wait. That might not be a good example.
Of course kids should be kept from danger. Teach them the stove is hot, not to dismatle the electrical plugs, and the dog is not necessarily a toy. He might not want to be ridden. But give them some latitude to fail. And let them fail. I learned more from the times I failed than the times I won. This idea that every child should get a trophy for participating is ludicrious. They don't do it in the Olympics. Gold, Silver, Bronze. That's all there is. Children being taught self esteem over everything else is going to lead to a generation of narcissistic whiners. Actually, 2+2=4, not 5. "But I tried really hard." That is commendible, however, it's math. There's only one answer. Unless you are working in string theory in quantum physics.
Do you want to live in a world where every kid thinks they are a hollywood mogul? Or a princess? Isn't one Paris Hilton too many?
Kids need to fail. It builds character. Kids need to have scars. It's good for show and tell.
Kids like me. I don't know why necessarily, but maybe it's because I am one of them at heart. I don't talk down to kids or treat them like kids. They are little people unspoiled by society.
I was hanging out with a friend and her son who's almost 2. She left the table to go to the bathroom. She was reluctant to do this because he doesn't take to people sometimes. And mommy is his safety blanket. I sat there next to him making faces and chatting, doing what I normally do around kids. Being fun. She came back expecting him to be melting down. "That's amazing." she said. "I'm magic." I replied.
I like kids. Unless I am ganged up on in a bounce house by 12 of them. But that's another story of the last 4 thanksgivings...
I have a problem with the way the world has taught parents to wrap a kid in bubble wrap to protect them from every little bump, scrape, or electrical shock. Kids bounce. If a young child falls down it will look to the nearest adult to see if this was a bad spill. If you react like it's life threatening the kid will erupt in crying. If you react non-chalantly, they think it wasn't bad. And 9 times out of 10 it's not that bad. A bruise or skinned knee is not a big deal. It's what happens as a kid. You are testing the limits of your world. Sometimes you get scratched.
My friend has a 2.5 year old. He has started piling his toys up to get to the counters to get cookies. "He might fall," says my friend. But look what he is doing. He is building and figuring out how to problem solve and reach a goal. I climbed on the counters a lot as a kid. And look at me! Wait. That might not be a good example.
Of course kids should be kept from danger. Teach them the stove is hot, not to dismatle the electrical plugs, and the dog is not necessarily a toy. He might not want to be ridden. But give them some latitude to fail. And let them fail. I learned more from the times I failed than the times I won. This idea that every child should get a trophy for participating is ludicrious. They don't do it in the Olympics. Gold, Silver, Bronze. That's all there is. Children being taught self esteem over everything else is going to lead to a generation of narcissistic whiners. Actually, 2+2=4, not 5. "But I tried really hard." That is commendible, however, it's math. There's only one answer. Unless you are working in string theory in quantum physics.
Do you want to live in a world where every kid thinks they are a hollywood mogul? Or a princess? Isn't one Paris Hilton too many?
Kids need to fail. It builds character. Kids need to have scars. It's good for show and tell.
Rants and Wingnuts
I was at Vons getting food the other night and I saw a woman with a cute 3 year old girl. The mom asked if she wanted a banana. "Yes" she said. "Do you want it now?" mom asked. "Yes." So the mom peeled the banana she hadn't paid for and gave it to the girl. Um, isn't that technically stealing? She didn't pay for the banana, so she shouldn't be giving it to the child. Since bananas are paid for by weight, how is she going to pay for food already consumed? Show a banana peel with a #4011 sticker? Can't really extrapolate the wieght of a banana from the casing. I see people opening cookies and drinking sodas they plan to pay for, but it's wrong. You don't own it. You can't drive a car for a few days before you buy it. Can't watch a TV you haven't paid for.
Now I don't have any children, so I can say I wouldn't give a child a banana in a store, but I haven't been subjected to the whining and wheedling a cranky child, so I might placate them with a cookie.
Or I might be a parent and teach my kids what is and is not the proper way to behave.
Hmm... there's a blog in there. Kids...
McCain: where to go now? At his own rally today he had to correct a crazy old lady who inarticulately said Obama "is an Arab." And he had to say they don't have to fear an Obama presidency. (Uh, isn't that what you have been telling people for the last week?) And when he said this, they, his own party at his own rally booed him. What do you do now? He has nothing he can do. If he continues these attacks on Obama it could lead to violence. He's got nowhere to go and nothing to say since he can't talk about the economy.
Palin: Troopergate. She put out her own 21 page report this morning exonerating her of any wrong doing. 5 pm today, the bipartisan commission in Alaska released their 253 page report saying she used her office improperly to influence the guy she eventually fired to fire her brother in law. The report was supposed to come out today, and McCain campaign tried to have it supressed until after the election. The news of her own report has vanished from the news. Funny.
Can I vote now?
How can anyone be undecided about this election? For fuck sake. How about this, if you haven't made up your mind by now, DON'T VOTE. We don't need you. You don't seem to have 3 neurons to rub together, so don't vote. It will give you the excuse to complain about the way the country is run. If you vote, you took part in the process, and then you'll have to grin and bear the outcome just like the rest of us. And if you are believing this hogwash about Obama being a terrorist or a muslim, You are an idiot. Read the paper. Read a book.
I remember 2 women who worked for my folks. During an election in the 80's I recall one saying she wouldn't vote for Jerry Brown. I asked why. "Because this is a Christian country." Really? This country was started by people so religiously extreme that England said, "Get out." The framers of the constitution gave freedom of religion to all who live here, but also freedoom from a state sponsored religion. Separation of Church and state., baby. Relgion should not be in this election. As long as you are not sacrificing babies or kittens in your religious practice, I don't really care what you believe. Just don't wake me early on a Saturday morning.
So, am I a ranter or a wingnut? hmm...
Hey you kids, get off my lawn! ;)
Now I don't have any children, so I can say I wouldn't give a child a banana in a store, but I haven't been subjected to the whining and wheedling a cranky child, so I might placate them with a cookie.
Or I might be a parent and teach my kids what is and is not the proper way to behave.
Hmm... there's a blog in there. Kids...
McCain: where to go now? At his own rally today he had to correct a crazy old lady who inarticulately said Obama "is an Arab." And he had to say they don't have to fear an Obama presidency. (Uh, isn't that what you have been telling people for the last week?) And when he said this, they, his own party at his own rally booed him. What do you do now? He has nothing he can do. If he continues these attacks on Obama it could lead to violence. He's got nowhere to go and nothing to say since he can't talk about the economy.
Palin: Troopergate. She put out her own 21 page report this morning exonerating her of any wrong doing. 5 pm today, the bipartisan commission in Alaska released their 253 page report saying she used her office improperly to influence the guy she eventually fired to fire her brother in law. The report was supposed to come out today, and McCain campaign tried to have it supressed until after the election. The news of her own report has vanished from the news. Funny.
Can I vote now?
How can anyone be undecided about this election? For fuck sake. How about this, if you haven't made up your mind by now, DON'T VOTE. We don't need you. You don't seem to have 3 neurons to rub together, so don't vote. It will give you the excuse to complain about the way the country is run. If you vote, you took part in the process, and then you'll have to grin and bear the outcome just like the rest of us. And if you are believing this hogwash about Obama being a terrorist or a muslim, You are an idiot. Read the paper. Read a book.
I remember 2 women who worked for my folks. During an election in the 80's I recall one saying she wouldn't vote for Jerry Brown. I asked why. "Because this is a Christian country." Really? This country was started by people so religiously extreme that England said, "Get out." The framers of the constitution gave freedom of religion to all who live here, but also freedoom from a state sponsored religion. Separation of Church and state., baby. Relgion should not be in this election. As long as you are not sacrificing babies or kittens in your religious practice, I don't really care what you believe. Just don't wake me early on a Saturday morning.
So, am I a ranter or a wingnut? hmm...
Hey you kids, get off my lawn! ;)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Travel -- Part 2
How to travel cheap and light.
I pick the place I am going to go and buy tickets 10-11 months before my trip. Tickets are a lot cheaper when you are that far away from the travel date. If you travel Monday thru Thursdays tickets are generally cheaper than if you travel on the weekends. For my next planed trip, Thailand, I bought tickets 11 months ahead. Got a great price. Hooray Expedia! Brilliant!
What?
Political unrest in Thailand? And a border dispute with Cambodia? (which is a side trip on this little 16 day jaunt.) Um. Shit. I should have gotten travel insurance. I am waiting a little bit to see if things calm down. I'm not going until January. If things don't calm down I will cancel Thailand and go somewhere else. Peru, maybe.
I travel light. I have a backpack and the following things. A pair of broken in walking shoes. (if you tried to break them in during a trip and the shoes sucked, your feet will pay with blisters.) I have 3-4 t-shirts, a water proof jacket, 3 pairs of pants. Depending on the climate it could be 2 pairs of shorts and a pair of 501 jeans. If it's cold, all long pants. 5 pair of underwear and socks. A long lseeve shirt. Some sort of sweater, sweatshirt. Layering is important. I tend to buy t-shirts in the places I have been. It's not a lot of clothes, but finding ways to do laundry makes it so you don't need a lot of stuff.
I bring toletries; small shamoo, soap, saline and contacts, vitamins, etc. Also I take a travel journal and pens. I rent a cell phone. A little research online and I can rent a cell phone that works in the countries I am travelling in for $50. I call home to tell my parents I am alive and to get messages. It's kinda fun to call someone from Australia. In a day pack I have a cheap digital camera, film camera and mini DV camera. If they are lost or stolen, no great loss. I keep the cards and film separate. In the backpack I have a folded up 24" duffle bag that I take out as I start to accumulate stuff. It's for gifts and things.
I stay in hostels. I find these online at Hostels.com and similar sites. Every town has a hostel or 30. I pre-book them in the towns for the days I will be there. But be warned, a 4-6 person room can be dangerous. People snore. Doesn't happen all the time, but I did have ear plugs ready to put in if there was a noisy sleeper. I did have some murderous thoughts some nights though. But the price? $15-25. I stayed in a single in Cairns for $40 a night. Oh, have flip flops for in the shower as a precaution. Athletes foot sucks.
In New Zealand I was on a backpacker bus. It was a tour bus that went around the Islands. Also booked on line. There were a number of plans. If you liked a place you could stay for a few days, or get on the bus the next morning. It's very flexible as far as schedule goes. They had certain stops on the way, the sights to see and the history of the place. It was very interesting. I met some people who rented cars, or caravans. I met one guy who bought a car from a traveller, and after he finished with it, would sell it to another traveller. Apparently this is done on line as well.
Food. Go buy things at the markets. It's cheaper than resturants. It's the cheapest way to go. But only buy what you need for the next day or two. You may not have access to a fridge. I eat very simple stuff when travelling. I don't drink much on the road. But I might have a beer in a bar, pub, or some such. Booze is expensive. And if you drink too much thngs can happen to the unaware traveller.
It's amazing how easily you can be your own travel agent. It takes a little time and patience and surfing on line.
I pick the place I am going to go and buy tickets 10-11 months before my trip. Tickets are a lot cheaper when you are that far away from the travel date. If you travel Monday thru Thursdays tickets are generally cheaper than if you travel on the weekends. For my next planed trip, Thailand, I bought tickets 11 months ahead. Got a great price. Hooray Expedia! Brilliant!
What?
Political unrest in Thailand? And a border dispute with Cambodia? (which is a side trip on this little 16 day jaunt.) Um. Shit. I should have gotten travel insurance. I am waiting a little bit to see if things calm down. I'm not going until January. If things don't calm down I will cancel Thailand and go somewhere else. Peru, maybe.
I travel light. I have a backpack and the following things. A pair of broken in walking shoes. (if you tried to break them in during a trip and the shoes sucked, your feet will pay with blisters.) I have 3-4 t-shirts, a water proof jacket, 3 pairs of pants. Depending on the climate it could be 2 pairs of shorts and a pair of 501 jeans. If it's cold, all long pants. 5 pair of underwear and socks. A long lseeve shirt. Some sort of sweater, sweatshirt. Layering is important. I tend to buy t-shirts in the places I have been. It's not a lot of clothes, but finding ways to do laundry makes it so you don't need a lot of stuff.
I bring toletries; small shamoo, soap, saline and contacts, vitamins, etc. Also I take a travel journal and pens. I rent a cell phone. A little research online and I can rent a cell phone that works in the countries I am travelling in for $50. I call home to tell my parents I am alive and to get messages. It's kinda fun to call someone from Australia. In a day pack I have a cheap digital camera, film camera and mini DV camera. If they are lost or stolen, no great loss. I keep the cards and film separate. In the backpack I have a folded up 24" duffle bag that I take out as I start to accumulate stuff. It's for gifts and things.
I stay in hostels. I find these online at Hostels.com and similar sites. Every town has a hostel or 30. I pre-book them in the towns for the days I will be there. But be warned, a 4-6 person room can be dangerous. People snore. Doesn't happen all the time, but I did have ear plugs ready to put in if there was a noisy sleeper. I did have some murderous thoughts some nights though. But the price? $15-25. I stayed in a single in Cairns for $40 a night. Oh, have flip flops for in the shower as a precaution. Athletes foot sucks.
In New Zealand I was on a backpacker bus. It was a tour bus that went around the Islands. Also booked on line. There were a number of plans. If you liked a place you could stay for a few days, or get on the bus the next morning. It's very flexible as far as schedule goes. They had certain stops on the way, the sights to see and the history of the place. It was very interesting. I met some people who rented cars, or caravans. I met one guy who bought a car from a traveller, and after he finished with it, would sell it to another traveller. Apparently this is done on line as well.
Food. Go buy things at the markets. It's cheaper than resturants. It's the cheapest way to go. But only buy what you need for the next day or two. You may not have access to a fridge. I eat very simple stuff when travelling. I don't drink much on the road. But I might have a beer in a bar, pub, or some such. Booze is expensive. And if you drink too much thngs can happen to the unaware traveller.
It's amazing how easily you can be your own travel agent. It takes a little time and patience and surfing on line.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Palin answers a question... With nonsense
COURIC: Why isn't it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries; allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?
PALIN: That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the--it's got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we've got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that.
Holy Crap! That's the real quote. No wonder they won't let her toalk to the press. Wow.
PALIN: That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the--it's got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we've got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that.
Holy Crap! That's the real quote. No wonder they won't let her toalk to the press. Wow.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Memory, Moments, Music.
I find the way my memory works kinda interesting. I have a pretty good memory. I recall all sorts of facts and information. I also recall the things I have done. But I can't remember what I had for lunch last thursday, or dinner yesterday. It might be because food is just fuel to keep the machine running, and I don't really care about it much.
Now the way I remember the things I have done is in Moments. I recall doing things in context of how the situation happened, where I was, the sights, sounds, and smells involved. But some of the transitory stuff, what happened in between the Moments is a bit vague at times. How did I necessarily get to that Moment? That doesn't seem important, so I don't really remember it. Like in a movie when a character goes from one location to another, you rarely see them driving to get there.
I also remember things in relation to music. I was listening to a radio station that was doing an '80s weekend. I grew up in the eighties and probably will remember the music from that era better than any other time. It was important because of the context in my life. Like I hear "With or Without You" by U2, or most any song from Joshua Tree, and I am placed onstage with U2. I was working the concert and dressed in blacks, but I was there. Many songs from the '80's I remember hearing them in a specific place, and I can tell you what year it came out by where I was at the time.
I also remember a lot of details when it comes to women I have known. I recall all sorts of things. How they kissed, where I met them, some of what was said. I can recall the feel of their skin, the sounds in the dark, sights, scents. ( I need to blog about women... hmmm..) Some girls I met at parties, and even though there may have been lots of alcohol involved, I still remember. I also remember, sometimes, all too well after a girl tears out my heart... again. And forgetting of that kind is tough.
Does everyone have a brain that works this way? Capturing Moments like a fly in amber? Or am I just unique? I'll sometimes say to a friend, "you remember when..." and they don't. I give enough detail and it jogs their memory.
Well, I've got to get to the next location for the next scene...
Now the way I remember the things I have done is in Moments. I recall doing things in context of how the situation happened, where I was, the sights, sounds, and smells involved. But some of the transitory stuff, what happened in between the Moments is a bit vague at times. How did I necessarily get to that Moment? That doesn't seem important, so I don't really remember it. Like in a movie when a character goes from one location to another, you rarely see them driving to get there.
I also remember things in relation to music. I was listening to a radio station that was doing an '80s weekend. I grew up in the eighties and probably will remember the music from that era better than any other time. It was important because of the context in my life. Like I hear "With or Without You" by U2, or most any song from Joshua Tree, and I am placed onstage with U2. I was working the concert and dressed in blacks, but I was there. Many songs from the '80's I remember hearing them in a specific place, and I can tell you what year it came out by where I was at the time.
I also remember a lot of details when it comes to women I have known. I recall all sorts of things. How they kissed, where I met them, some of what was said. I can recall the feel of their skin, the sounds in the dark, sights, scents. ( I need to blog about women... hmmm..) Some girls I met at parties, and even though there may have been lots of alcohol involved, I still remember. I also remember, sometimes, all too well after a girl tears out my heart... again. And forgetting of that kind is tough.
Does everyone have a brain that works this way? Capturing Moments like a fly in amber? Or am I just unique? I'll sometimes say to a friend, "you remember when..." and they don't. I give enough detail and it jogs their memory.
Well, I've got to get to the next location for the next scene...
Monday, September 22, 2008
Traveling part 1
I like to travel. Most of the time I travel solo. For a number of reasons. I've been to Europe a few times and most recently went to New Zealand and Australia. Many people tell me they wish they could travel like I do. Alone, with a backpack. I usually tell them they can. It's not that hard. I just pick a place and a time frame, and I go. However, I have a lot more flexibilty in my life than most people do. I own nothing permanent; I have no kids or spouse. So it really isn't that hard to disappear for 2-3 weeks at a time.
I have been picking places that are warm in the LA winter time. New Zealand for example. Because I foolishly went to London, Paris, and Amsterdam in January 2007. When the hookers in Amsterdam are telling you to get out of the cold night you know it's a rough winter. (the 100 kph winds were a good clue, too) And they weren't suggesting I come inside to have sex with them.
I kind of like to travel by myself. I usually have a rough idea what I want to do in the places I am going. So all I have to do is do what I planned. Now, after college I went to Europe for the first time with a group from school. We were together for 3 weeks, then split up. Some people were great to travel with. Others, not so much. Who cares if the ginger-ale has both sugar and saccharin? You are in PARIS! I also don't like the community decision making process when traveling in a large group. It's tough to come to a decision when 10 people are involved. So by traveling alone, I avoid that hassle. Traveling with one or two you get along with is fun. More than that...
Next: How to journey with very little...
I have been picking places that are warm in the LA winter time. New Zealand for example. Because I foolishly went to London, Paris, and Amsterdam in January 2007. When the hookers in Amsterdam are telling you to get out of the cold night you know it's a rough winter. (the 100 kph winds were a good clue, too) And they weren't suggesting I come inside to have sex with them.
I kind of like to travel by myself. I usually have a rough idea what I want to do in the places I am going. So all I have to do is do what I planned. Now, after college I went to Europe for the first time with a group from school. We were together for 3 weeks, then split up. Some people were great to travel with. Others, not so much. Who cares if the ginger-ale has both sugar and saccharin? You are in PARIS! I also don't like the community decision making process when traveling in a large group. It's tough to come to a decision when 10 people are involved. So by traveling alone, I avoid that hassle. Traveling with one or two you get along with is fun. More than that...
Next: How to journey with very little...
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Ass
Do you know what asses are? Asses are the human races' favorite thing. We like them on each other; we like them on magazine covers; we even like them on babies. When we are alone we like to scratch them; when there's a fire we like to warm them. And who among us hasn't, in a lonely moment, reached back for a discreet fondle?
We love our asses
When God gave us our asses he had to stick them around the back just so we didn't sit and stare at them all day. 'Cause when God created the ass he didn't say, "Hey, it's just your basic hinge. Let's knock off early." He said,"Behold ye angels I have created the ass. Throughout the ages to come men and women shall grab hold of these and shout My name!"
(Okay. I stole that from the British series Coupling. Jeff says it in the episode, Faithless. It's still hilarious.)
We love our asses
When God gave us our asses he had to stick them around the back just so we didn't sit and stare at them all day. 'Cause when God created the ass he didn't say, "Hey, it's just your basic hinge. Let's knock off early." He said,"Behold ye angels I have created the ass. Throughout the ages to come men and women shall grab hold of these and shout My name!"
(Okay. I stole that from the British series Coupling. Jeff says it in the episode, Faithless. It's still hilarious.)
Monday, September 15, 2008
Religion: Creationism vs. Evolution
Okay, this post may piss some people off, but I hope it makes you think.
I was driving in my rental car (because my car door was hit.) and I was listening to 98.7 on the radio. There was a bump in the road and the radio scanned forward to 99.5, a Christian station. They were talking about creationism.
The world, the Universe, is 6000 years old. Now, James Usher, a pastor in the 1900's, figured out the world was created on October 23, 4004 bc.
Now if you read the Babylonian creation myth, Enuma Elish, there is a point for point parallel to the creation myth in Genesis. But instead of God creating, it's a group of pantheistic gods procreating. I'm not going to compare and contrast the two myths here. I don't have the space. Google Enuma Elish and look at Genesis side by side. Why are they so similar? Was it plagarized? If you had a creation myth that was generally accepted by most people and you were starting a religion, rather than changing everything they believe to be how things started, you take the myth and adapt it to suit your purpose.
Also man is created twice in Genesis. 1:26 and 2:7. The second time is exactly the same as the way Prometheus created man in Greek mythology. Cheeky Prometheus.
On the radio, the commentator said that evolution was wrong because of Genesis 1:3, "and God said." Those 3 words completely disprove all of science because it's in the Bible. No other reasoning needed. It is the undeniable Word of God. Therefore evolution cannot be right.
I was yelling at the radio. "Are you kidding me?"
There are rocks that prove the age of the earth to be 4.5 billion years old. There are fossilized remains of dinosaurs. However creationists have said that God put those things there to fool us. The earth and everything are only 6000 years old. It's in the Bible.
The radio commentator called Man "God's ultimate creation." If you look at Man from an evolution stand point, what we are right now is a step. A step to something else. Something, I hope, better, more evolved, than what we are now. Smarter, less likely to kill each other over our beliefs or lack thereof.
I was driving in my rental car (because my car door was hit.) and I was listening to 98.7 on the radio. There was a bump in the road and the radio scanned forward to 99.5, a Christian station. They were talking about creationism.
The world, the Universe, is 6000 years old. Now, James Usher, a pastor in the 1900's, figured out the world was created on October 23, 4004 bc.
Now if you read the Babylonian creation myth, Enuma Elish, there is a point for point parallel to the creation myth in Genesis. But instead of God creating, it's a group of pantheistic gods procreating. I'm not going to compare and contrast the two myths here. I don't have the space. Google Enuma Elish and look at Genesis side by side. Why are they so similar? Was it plagarized? If you had a creation myth that was generally accepted by most people and you were starting a religion, rather than changing everything they believe to be how things started, you take the myth and adapt it to suit your purpose.
Also man is created twice in Genesis. 1:26 and 2:7. The second time is exactly the same as the way Prometheus created man in Greek mythology. Cheeky Prometheus.
On the radio, the commentator said that evolution was wrong because of Genesis 1:3, "and God said." Those 3 words completely disprove all of science because it's in the Bible. No other reasoning needed. It is the undeniable Word of God. Therefore evolution cannot be right.
I was yelling at the radio. "Are you kidding me?"
There are rocks that prove the age of the earth to be 4.5 billion years old. There are fossilized remains of dinosaurs. However creationists have said that God put those things there to fool us. The earth and everything are only 6000 years old. It's in the Bible.
The radio commentator called Man "God's ultimate creation." If you look at Man from an evolution stand point, what we are right now is a step. A step to something else. Something, I hope, better, more evolved, than what we are now. Smarter, less likely to kill each other over our beliefs or lack thereof.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
My Brain...
I have this odd, curious, tendency to figure things out that most people would never notice.
For example: How many cars are on the 405 in the Sepulveda pass at rush hour? I'm talking the heaviest time of the day when things are moving the slowest? At any moment, in bumper to bumper traffic, there is an average of 4400 cars in the 5 miles of the pass. And that's just the heaviest direction for traffic at that time of day. Mornings it's south bound, and evenings are north bound. Throw in a an accident and rubbernecking, and it is probably more.
Another example: I have had, as a ballpark figure again, 1.76 billion heart beats in my life time. To figure this out take the average heart beats per minute and mulitply it by 525600. (That's the number of minutes in a year, and a song from Rent.) Then multiply that number by the number of years lived. This will give you and average. The heart rate goes down when you are asleep, and goes up when excercising. This is an average. It's not exact, but interesting. What an amazing thing the heart is. It makes me wonder about human endurance.
How many heart beats do you get?
For example: How many cars are on the 405 in the Sepulveda pass at rush hour? I'm talking the heaviest time of the day when things are moving the slowest? At any moment, in bumper to bumper traffic, there is an average of 4400 cars in the 5 miles of the pass. And that's just the heaviest direction for traffic at that time of day. Mornings it's south bound, and evenings are north bound. Throw in a an accident and rubbernecking, and it is probably more.
Another example: I have had, as a ballpark figure again, 1.76 billion heart beats in my life time. To figure this out take the average heart beats per minute and mulitply it by 525600. (That's the number of minutes in a year, and a song from Rent.) Then multiply that number by the number of years lived. This will give you and average. The heart rate goes down when you are asleep, and goes up when excercising. This is an average. It's not exact, but interesting. What an amazing thing the heart is. It makes me wonder about human endurance.
How many heart beats do you get?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Timing
I am amazed at timing. A lot lately. I was in a car accident. A guy hit my open car door in a parking lot as he was driving thru the space next to me. It was his fault.
But the timing of it was amazing. At 5 mph, he is moving at 7.3 feet a second. Which is a lot for a parking lot, and even more when driving between cars that are parked.
Now if I had gotten out of my car 5 seconds earlier, there would be no accident. The guy was had probably not turned into the Vons parking lot at that time. And 5 seconds later, he would have just been that asshole who was driving passed my car in the parking lot. What was he thinking?
All the timing that got me to that point, all the variables are astounding. So it can be said that every moment is a moment where an accident didn't happen because the timing wasn't right. The universe didn't collide in bad or good ways.
I once ran into someone I knew in college when I was in Europe. I was in Paris, fresh out of school and a randomly picked resturaunt was where I ran into Andy Davids. He walked up and said "hi" like he expected to see me there. Kind of surprising since I hadn't seen him for 2 years when he transferred to a different college. But I then ran into him 4 weeks later in the Tube in London and greeted him like I expected to see him. Also on that trip, in Florence Italy, I ran into people I went to high school with. What amazing timng for those random happy accidents.
So pay attention to the random chance of the world and see what accidents you just avoided.
But the timing of it was amazing. At 5 mph, he is moving at 7.3 feet a second. Which is a lot for a parking lot, and even more when driving between cars that are parked.
Now if I had gotten out of my car 5 seconds earlier, there would be no accident. The guy was had probably not turned into the Vons parking lot at that time. And 5 seconds later, he would have just been that asshole who was driving passed my car in the parking lot. What was he thinking?
All the timing that got me to that point, all the variables are astounding. So it can be said that every moment is a moment where an accident didn't happen because the timing wasn't right. The universe didn't collide in bad or good ways.
I once ran into someone I knew in college when I was in Europe. I was in Paris, fresh out of school and a randomly picked resturaunt was where I ran into Andy Davids. He walked up and said "hi" like he expected to see me there. Kind of surprising since I hadn't seen him for 2 years when he transferred to a different college. But I then ran into him 4 weeks later in the Tube in London and greeted him like I expected to see him. Also on that trip, in Florence Italy, I ran into people I went to high school with. What amazing timng for those random happy accidents.
So pay attention to the random chance of the world and see what accidents you just avoided.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Choice
Until a man can carry a fetus to term, he should shut the hell up about a woman's right to choose. It's none of his business really. His contribution took 2 minutes.
The Republican vice president nominee, Sarah Palin, would stop all abortions even in cases of incest and rape. So a 14 year old girl is raped, gets pregnant, and is victimized again because she is forced to carry a fetus concieved in violence to term. I doubt she wants it or is going to keep it.
Hooray for the Compassionate Conservatives of the GOP.
The girl should have the right to have an abortion, and the rapist should go to jail forever.
I do find it funny that Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter had the ability to choose to carry her illegitimate baby to term. But she's having a shotgun wedding to the baby daddy very soon. This guy on his myspace page said, "I don't want kids." Well, dude, you have a kid and now a wife. And the eyes of the media are on your every move.
If this had been a Democrats daughter in the same situation, wow, it would be a scandal. Republicans think it shows family values. Teach the kid about the facts of life so this doesn't happen.
The Republican vice president nominee, Sarah Palin, would stop all abortions even in cases of incest and rape. So a 14 year old girl is raped, gets pregnant, and is victimized again because she is forced to carry a fetus concieved in violence to term. I doubt she wants it or is going to keep it.
Hooray for the Compassionate Conservatives of the GOP.
The girl should have the right to have an abortion, and the rapist should go to jail forever.
I do find it funny that Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter had the ability to choose to carry her illegitimate baby to term. But she's having a shotgun wedding to the baby daddy very soon. This guy on his myspace page said, "I don't want kids." Well, dude, you have a kid and now a wife. And the eyes of the media are on your every move.
If this had been a Democrats daughter in the same situation, wow, it would be a scandal. Republicans think it shows family values. Teach the kid about the facts of life so this doesn't happen.
Friday, September 5, 2008
First Blog
In this contentious polictical race for President of the United States I feel the need to vent.
Elitist.
Don't you want as President someone who is smarter than you? Don't you want someone who is better than you? Intelligent, with a group of smart people around him to show all sides of an issue so the best course of action can be taken? I think I would like that. Not someone who seizes on a thought or course of action when common sense and information show that it is a bad decision and never changes his mind.
Changing your mind. Or for political opponents, Flip Flopping.
This term was used effectively to derail John Kerry's campaign. Were the "stay the course" examples of the past 8 years were good ideas? I don't think they were.
When a decision or course of actions prove to be disaterous, changing your mind to stop them is a good thing.
If I am in Los Angeles and I want to go to the beach in Santa Monica, I should travel West. I should not go East, though, if I stay the course, the world is round and I'll eventually get there. After a 25000 mile journey around the globe.
Elitist.
Don't you want as President someone who is smarter than you? Don't you want someone who is better than you? Intelligent, with a group of smart people around him to show all sides of an issue so the best course of action can be taken? I think I would like that. Not someone who seizes on a thought or course of action when common sense and information show that it is a bad decision and never changes his mind.
Changing your mind. Or for political opponents, Flip Flopping.
This term was used effectively to derail John Kerry's campaign. Were the "stay the course" examples of the past 8 years were good ideas? I don't think they were.
When a decision or course of actions prove to be disaterous, changing your mind to stop them is a good thing.
If I am in Los Angeles and I want to go to the beach in Santa Monica, I should travel West. I should not go East, though, if I stay the course, the world is round and I'll eventually get there. After a 25000 mile journey around the globe.
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