It is the result of not being as thoughtful as some people. Maybe I'm way too selfish or inconsiderate. Every year I imagine making one of a kind trinkets during the summer, then gleefully bestowing them upon lucky/and/or unlucky recipients during the winter fertility rites of your choice. I personally like Christmas.
However I would like to see jewelry store ads banned from the airways. That's for people who want to go into debt, or people with ready cash. I'm not in either category. Besides, I don't even like diamonds very well. You can make some nice things out of gold, though, and even combine some spiffy stones.
Just keep in mind, a lot of guys have lavished women with high dollar diamond stuff and the flame burned out quickly, so women should refuse to accept or expect them. Thank you.
I can just see the look of horror on faces of some people I know that I would say such a thing. They cringe at how I place myself in the category of way too- whatever.
Still, I feel tinges of guilt, maybe, because I am so unprepared for holidays and other occasions that land on a preset day. It happens and I don't know why. My inner clock is simply not linear. One second or minute is not equal to the next. It is either shorter, longer or lost altogether.
It will be OK. Tis' the season to hope I add something to the lives of those I know and like. Sincerely, that is what it is. Feeling bad for not being able to lavish things on people is really a self centered thing. It could be that is only an expression of one's desire to be loved, or in control. Often, generosity is not at the heart of it. It can be, but frequently is not. Otherwise shoppers would not be pushy and wear those strained psychotic expressions as the Big Day approaches.
One good respite from the melee is to watch The Riches, and Sons of Anarchy on hulu.com. My newest addiction is The Riches. Partly because they are Travelers, Irish descent, I believe. Gypsies, but not quite so gypsyish. I identify with that feeling of not being part of established civilization. However the idea of resenting the norm to the point of conning and taking from them is not a thing we have in common.
I've seen sites wholly dedicated to trying to water down the stereotypes of Travelers as con artists. Good luck. Even so, I imagine some are fun people. What I don't get is how they raise hell in parts of the UK because there aren't enough public sites where they can set up camp. Possibly this would not be an issue if they weren't kicked off of non designated camp areas. It is probably a thing like here, in which half the open land is off limits for camping or anything else.
I'm unwilling to get into that too much. Of course, it doesn't help that governments over there, and probably here, too, decide to impound their motor homes and trailers because they don't have any officially sanctioned place to park that is not full up. The seizing of property is a common tactic among all governments. Once upon a time it was a far rarer practice than it is now in this country. The rest of the world may have never experienced the wide open deal we almost maintained. At least not since they quit being marauding tribes.
That sounds somewhat disingenuous; the marauding is dressed up, not dead. Here, too.
I know.
I still can't say what is really on my mind, assuming I know. It is easy to see that whatever comes out gets farther and farther away from that as I write. That is not so bad. Being in touch with one's feelings is highly over rated. Almost everything along those lines we've heard since the sixties is pure trouble, and doesn't work. Not for males, anyway.
I still think Christmas is a pretty holiday. I like it. The smells and greenery and lights and imaginary sleigh hijinks. What's not to like? And the Salvation Army people with the red suit and bell. I like those people.
If only I knew of a good orphanage, like Father Flanagan would run, then I'd go do Christmas stuff there. Somehow two things did not make it across that bridge to the 21st century. Remember when Bill was going to lead everyone across? Well, good, old fashioned orphanages, and sanitariums got left way behind. Those things were once part of the private sector. That was before we considered government a sector. Christmas was better then, but I try to imagine that spirit now.
I wonder if we are having earthquakes or if I am imagining things suddenly moving slightly under me. It could be ghosts, or even inter dimensional anomalies which I feel due to my heightened sensitivity to such things.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
What is Really Green?
As I followed one of the ubiquitous Priuses, here in SoCal, which had earlier been tailgating me in the rain, I wondered, "Is he saving the earth, and therefore, humanity, from certain destruction, or worse?" I happen to like the Prius. They are actually very fun cars and you can haul some substantial lumber in them. That is a first hand observation.
Unfortunately, choice of automobile has become interpreted as a political statement. Even my car, a Subaru, is tied in with enviro-politics and a certain image. Too bad. Then again, people I often agree with perpetuate such myths. I've heard talk show hosts, with whom I agree 57.5% of the time, disparage Prius drivers, and the car itself. They have obviously not ridden in one or they'd know their characterization of it as a car with no room was false. You have tons of room. But what makes it green?
It gets good milage and makes use of braking and all that to charge batteries. That is good. What goes into making and disposing of the batteries? I'm not sure I know the answer. I've heard that what is required to produce and dispose of the batteries, coupled with the manufacture process of the vehicle, fuel used, etc., puts its carbon footprint up there with a Hummer driven average miles for however many years. Bottom line, according to those reports, is that it nets out about the same as any other car, if you consider all things involved.
That takes nothing away from a car that requires fewer visits to the pump. But saving the earth? Probably not saving the earth any more than farm animals or 4Runners. Maybe they save the earth more than Al Gore. I'm still unclear what the earth is being saved from. I'd hope it is being saved from slavery, but I see the opposite happening in the name of saving it from the mind and creativity of man/and/or woman kind.
For awhile, methanol was considered green. Then I think they assessed the production process and such and found it mostly skewed the food production process. Maybe THEY didn't come to that conclusion and I only heard it on the street. I actually like the idea of vehicles that will run on garbage, corn, manure, and anything else you might find by the side of the road. Thinking these things don't take resources to produce is a bit off the mark, but why let facts get in the way of a cause that seems peopled by lots of hot young chicks?
It is good to have a group handy for venting your anger, and acceptance from a peer group as a result. Even though I think the real ring leaders are setting up a very heavy handed control plan which will enrich a few and lower the standard of living and scope of opportunities for the rest of us, maybe it is easier to swallow my real views and join the crowd. I may even score a grant, or a government job. To hell with those who have to pay for it.
Can people who lavishly landscape their yards get tax credits for planting trees and shrubs? Can they sell offsets to the guilty? That would be a good sales tool for landscapers nationwide.
I heard some discussion on the radio about toilet paper. It seems the green craze is now up your butt. They were bemoaning the amount of "virgin forest" cut down to provide high quality rolls of the useful commodity. My first thought was skepticism regarding the "virgin forest" phrase.
I think toilet paper comes from slut forests like most paper. Paper companies have, for many years, been replanting and selectively harvesting trees, like a crop. They have a staggered process so that there are plenty of young virgin trees on the property at any given time, just frolicking in their innocence. Not a care in the world. They have trees at every stage of growth. Only the worldly sluts get harvested, not the virgin forests.
Since the lumber and paper people often plant more trees than anyone else, should they get to sell offsets? Would they be competing with Al for carbon guilt dollars? I wonder.
Now that the consensus is in, we can control the climate, why not see if we can give the ski areas lots of prime powder snow, and cool off Miami in the summer, and generally provide the sort of environment that doesn't kick farmers and coastal dwellers around like it has throughout history? We really should do something about the twisters in tornado alley, too.
We thought it was hilarious, a number of years ago, when a lady from NYC called a talk show and suggested that Congress pass a law to make Spring start earlier. She thought daylight savings time was actually increasing the hours of daylight, so to her it was within their purview to regulate the seasons. In light of current mass hypnosis, that is no longer so funny.
It is a fact of human life that things can be done better, and in ways not previously imagined. It is extremely rare that these advances are conceived by bureaucratic fiat, or so-called scientific consensus. Whereas consensus may carry some weight, it is mostly employed in the more hypothetical arts, such as paleontology and archaeology. Hard science like chemistry and physics rely more on things which can be demonstrated to hold true within certain parameters. Even there, you cannot extrapolate but so far without risking error.
Newtonian physics breaks down on the atomic/subatomic level, and things work differently approaching the speed of light, etc. Even with slower speeds and and the kind of mass where Newton nails it, the results are often counter to what is intuitive. Rotational dynamics is a perfect example. That is why a spin balance of a wheel yields a different result than a static balance.
The point is, a thing can sound totally convincing coming from a good presenter with swell graphics, but the truth may be miles away from the content of lecture. When anyone, scientist or not tries to promote broad legislation in the form of tax penalties for a behavior in the name of something they cannot prove, watch out. Once the money and power come into play, people will do anything to promote their cause, even if they have to fudge the truth, or silence skeptics and prevent open debate. That does nothing to promote truly better ways of doing things.
Unfortunately, choice of automobile has become interpreted as a political statement. Even my car, a Subaru, is tied in with enviro-politics and a certain image. Too bad. Then again, people I often agree with perpetuate such myths. I've heard talk show hosts, with whom I agree 57.5% of the time, disparage Prius drivers, and the car itself. They have obviously not ridden in one or they'd know their characterization of it as a car with no room was false. You have tons of room. But what makes it green?
It gets good milage and makes use of braking and all that to charge batteries. That is good. What goes into making and disposing of the batteries? I'm not sure I know the answer. I've heard that what is required to produce and dispose of the batteries, coupled with the manufacture process of the vehicle, fuel used, etc., puts its carbon footprint up there with a Hummer driven average miles for however many years. Bottom line, according to those reports, is that it nets out about the same as any other car, if you consider all things involved.
That takes nothing away from a car that requires fewer visits to the pump. But saving the earth? Probably not saving the earth any more than farm animals or 4Runners. Maybe they save the earth more than Al Gore. I'm still unclear what the earth is being saved from. I'd hope it is being saved from slavery, but I see the opposite happening in the name of saving it from the mind and creativity of man/and/or woman kind.
For awhile, methanol was considered green. Then I think they assessed the production process and such and found it mostly skewed the food production process. Maybe THEY didn't come to that conclusion and I only heard it on the street. I actually like the idea of vehicles that will run on garbage, corn, manure, and anything else you might find by the side of the road. Thinking these things don't take resources to produce is a bit off the mark, but why let facts get in the way of a cause that seems peopled by lots of hot young chicks?
It is good to have a group handy for venting your anger, and acceptance from a peer group as a result. Even though I think the real ring leaders are setting up a very heavy handed control plan which will enrich a few and lower the standard of living and scope of opportunities for the rest of us, maybe it is easier to swallow my real views and join the crowd. I may even score a grant, or a government job. To hell with those who have to pay for it.
Can people who lavishly landscape their yards get tax credits for planting trees and shrubs? Can they sell offsets to the guilty? That would be a good sales tool for landscapers nationwide.
I heard some discussion on the radio about toilet paper. It seems the green craze is now up your butt. They were bemoaning the amount of "virgin forest" cut down to provide high quality rolls of the useful commodity. My first thought was skepticism regarding the "virgin forest" phrase.
I think toilet paper comes from slut forests like most paper. Paper companies have, for many years, been replanting and selectively harvesting trees, like a crop. They have a staggered process so that there are plenty of young virgin trees on the property at any given time, just frolicking in their innocence. Not a care in the world. They have trees at every stage of growth. Only the worldly sluts get harvested, not the virgin forests.
Since the lumber and paper people often plant more trees than anyone else, should they get to sell offsets? Would they be competing with Al for carbon guilt dollars? I wonder.
Now that the consensus is in, we can control the climate, why not see if we can give the ski areas lots of prime powder snow, and cool off Miami in the summer, and generally provide the sort of environment that doesn't kick farmers and coastal dwellers around like it has throughout history? We really should do something about the twisters in tornado alley, too.
We thought it was hilarious, a number of years ago, when a lady from NYC called a talk show and suggested that Congress pass a law to make Spring start earlier. She thought daylight savings time was actually increasing the hours of daylight, so to her it was within their purview to regulate the seasons. In light of current mass hypnosis, that is no longer so funny.
It is a fact of human life that things can be done better, and in ways not previously imagined. It is extremely rare that these advances are conceived by bureaucratic fiat, or so-called scientific consensus. Whereas consensus may carry some weight, it is mostly employed in the more hypothetical arts, such as paleontology and archaeology. Hard science like chemistry and physics rely more on things which can be demonstrated to hold true within certain parameters. Even there, you cannot extrapolate but so far without risking error.
Newtonian physics breaks down on the atomic/subatomic level, and things work differently approaching the speed of light, etc. Even with slower speeds and and the kind of mass where Newton nails it, the results are often counter to what is intuitive. Rotational dynamics is a perfect example. That is why a spin balance of a wheel yields a different result than a static balance.
The point is, a thing can sound totally convincing coming from a good presenter with swell graphics, but the truth may be miles away from the content of lecture. When anyone, scientist or not tries to promote broad legislation in the form of tax penalties for a behavior in the name of something they cannot prove, watch out. Once the money and power come into play, people will do anything to promote their cause, even if they have to fudge the truth, or silence skeptics and prevent open debate. That does nothing to promote truly better ways of doing things.
Friday, December 11, 2009
One Thing About California, You Got to Watch Your Backside
Tailgating must be one of those peer pressure, cultural behaviors that people fall into because they don't want to be odd. It is the most striking thing I notice on the roads here. Especially on north 5 and east county. They call it "the five". Every numbered highway is "the" then the number. Out here that is the way of it. They don't do that in the southeast, where I spent my previous life.
So, it rains and the cars go faster and drive closer together. Maybe it is a huddling instinct to make use of body heat. It can result in overall slowdown when people wreck and the traffic gets blocked, like tonight on The 56 east. A truck and a big car.
On The 8, I saw some trouble as well. Plenty of hooplah when you get sustained rain here. I guess houses up near LA may be sliding down hills. It is another world from the ones I've known.
I'm not saying the driving is bad here, not compared to Memphis or Miami. Memphis is just dumb, and Miami is crazy. Here they seem to have a little too much affection for the rear of the car in front. Make of that what you will. After all, it is SoCal, even though I live closer to Mexico than LA, and east SD county is not what you'd call Hollywood type people, for the most part.
So, it rains and the cars go faster and drive closer together. Maybe it is a huddling instinct to make use of body heat. It can result in overall slowdown when people wreck and the traffic gets blocked, like tonight on The 56 east. A truck and a big car.
On The 8, I saw some trouble as well. Plenty of hooplah when you get sustained rain here. I guess houses up near LA may be sliding down hills. It is another world from the ones I've known.
I'm not saying the driving is bad here, not compared to Memphis or Miami. Memphis is just dumb, and Miami is crazy. Here they seem to have a little too much affection for the rear of the car in front. Make of that what you will. After all, it is SoCal, even though I live closer to Mexico than LA, and east SD county is not what you'd call Hollywood type people, for the most part.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Vindication, almost as sweet as revenge
The demise of my last car, the Blue Ru, which carried me across the country and out of a figurative and literal bad place was quite unexpected and not necessary. That collision was purely the fault of a guy who parked a long trailer partially in an unlit road at night. It had no lights and no reflectors. I still shudder to think what woud have happened to a passenger or to a motorcycle or family driving that lane at that time.
It almost made me want to flee California when the highway patrol on the scene played on their ignorance, assuming I was a hillbilly deserving of ridicule based on the Tennessee plates. Many people who get their world view from Hollywood movies and TV assume that Southerners are stupid and mean. They are no more stupid and mean than anyone else, and often more compassionate and intelligent. Just depends on the place and the group.
So, after fighting lies from the highway patrol, the crooked truck driver, and people in my insurance company who had trouble grasping the simple arguments I gave based on very simple physics, I finally won. I'm amazed and happy.
CA has a board that arbitrates insurance company disputes. The Lizard decided, after much prompting, to dispute the finding of the other company and the police report suggesting that I could have avoided this collision. Despite the fact that the trucker sent in photos of a different trailer from the one he was pulling that night, one lit up like a Christmas tree, the board found him 100% liable. Maybe I should get a neck brace and sue that lying degenerate. I only wish I could demoralize the cops involved and get them fired. They were as bad or worse than any southern cops I've seen, and I've seen some doozies.
Finally getting all of my deductible back and, by implication, having an official stamp placed on the fact that I was the only truthful party in this matter, should be enough. Let karma cure the others. It will.
The whole thing was some kind of lesson. It is the first time that I fought that hard as my own advocate, rather than get fed up, lose money, and say to hell with it. The money is hugely needed at this time, so that is really great, but it was also a matter of principle. I'm glad I had the chance to champion myself and truth while one still can. Principle has become so grossly ignored and under rated lately that I wonder how many can discern a principle from a wish or an unfounded opinion.
Agents of government ought not be able to hurt citizens on a whim. This was just one small example of that activity. I guess it is something people have to consciously make an effort to avoid; that small minded abuse of power when they possess it. Few people can do that. You see it all the time, like when someone not normally in charge is placed in charge while the boss is gone.
Anyway. I've been vindicated and I deserved this decision. I keep thinking there could conceivably be a lawsuit here but I'm not into that. I'd rather just punch people, provided I didn't get punched back.
It almost made me want to flee California when the highway patrol on the scene played on their ignorance, assuming I was a hillbilly deserving of ridicule based on the Tennessee plates. Many people who get their world view from Hollywood movies and TV assume that Southerners are stupid and mean. They are no more stupid and mean than anyone else, and often more compassionate and intelligent. Just depends on the place and the group.
So, after fighting lies from the highway patrol, the crooked truck driver, and people in my insurance company who had trouble grasping the simple arguments I gave based on very simple physics, I finally won. I'm amazed and happy.
CA has a board that arbitrates insurance company disputes. The Lizard decided, after much prompting, to dispute the finding of the other company and the police report suggesting that I could have avoided this collision. Despite the fact that the trucker sent in photos of a different trailer from the one he was pulling that night, one lit up like a Christmas tree, the board found him 100% liable. Maybe I should get a neck brace and sue that lying degenerate. I only wish I could demoralize the cops involved and get them fired. They were as bad or worse than any southern cops I've seen, and I've seen some doozies.
Finally getting all of my deductible back and, by implication, having an official stamp placed on the fact that I was the only truthful party in this matter, should be enough. Let karma cure the others. It will.
The whole thing was some kind of lesson. It is the first time that I fought that hard as my own advocate, rather than get fed up, lose money, and say to hell with it. The money is hugely needed at this time, so that is really great, but it was also a matter of principle. I'm glad I had the chance to champion myself and truth while one still can. Principle has become so grossly ignored and under rated lately that I wonder how many can discern a principle from a wish or an unfounded opinion.
Agents of government ought not be able to hurt citizens on a whim. This was just one small example of that activity. I guess it is something people have to consciously make an effort to avoid; that small minded abuse of power when they possess it. Few people can do that. You see it all the time, like when someone not normally in charge is placed in charge while the boss is gone.
Anyway. I've been vindicated and I deserved this decision. I keep thinking there could conceivably be a lawsuit here but I'm not into that. I'd rather just punch people, provided I didn't get punched back.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Thanks John Grisham
He got it right.
The expression is "SET FOOT", not "STEP FOOT".
This has bothered me for awhile now. There are others which escape me at this moment, but I may remember them later.
Example: I vowed I would never set foot in Miami again, but I broke that vow many times over and rescinded it altogether. Many vows have been made and forgotten over the years. How many times did I say, "I'll never drink again. I will not set foot in a bar ever again!!"?
That's a rhetorical question.
Eventually I did not drink for many years. I know better than to say it will never happen, but I do not intend to do it. Vows get in the way.
I am pretty sure that step foot thing was one of Dan Rather's twists, probably while he was saying "hope against hope". He said that alot and it annoyed me for some reason. What the hell does that mean? I do vaguely remember the first time I heard that step foot bastardization. I can't recall the specific though.
Most like it was Dan. They got things wrong whenever possible and still do---news people. Walter misquoted Neil Armstrong during the first moon landing. I heard it and tried to tell people it was wrong at the time. Teachers swore by the nonsensical misquote until just the last few years when it finally came out that he said, "One small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind".
Saying a small step for man, a giant leap for mankind , makes no sense or is a contradictory sentence. I knew then that people like Walter only pretend to think, but really don't. Dan steps foot and hopes against hope.
Set foot, dammit. That is the age old phrase. I'll never set foot on your property again.
John Grisham got it right. He used "set foot" several times in his novel, The Summons. He's right, I'm right. Dan and Walter are just what they are, as are those who followed their lead by continuing to step foot when they should set those dogs.
The expression is "SET FOOT", not "STEP FOOT".
This has bothered me for awhile now. There are others which escape me at this moment, but I may remember them later.
Example: I vowed I would never set foot in Miami again, but I broke that vow many times over and rescinded it altogether. Many vows have been made and forgotten over the years. How many times did I say, "I'll never drink again. I will not set foot in a bar ever again!!"?
That's a rhetorical question.
Eventually I did not drink for many years. I know better than to say it will never happen, but I do not intend to do it. Vows get in the way.
I am pretty sure that step foot thing was one of Dan Rather's twists, probably while he was saying "hope against hope". He said that alot and it annoyed me for some reason. What the hell does that mean? I do vaguely remember the first time I heard that step foot bastardization. I can't recall the specific though.
Most like it was Dan. They got things wrong whenever possible and still do---news people. Walter misquoted Neil Armstrong during the first moon landing. I heard it and tried to tell people it was wrong at the time. Teachers swore by the nonsensical misquote until just the last few years when it finally came out that he said, "One small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind".
Saying a small step for man, a giant leap for mankind , makes no sense or is a contradictory sentence. I knew then that people like Walter only pretend to think, but really don't. Dan steps foot and hopes against hope.
Set foot, dammit. That is the age old phrase. I'll never set foot on your property again.
John Grisham got it right. He used "set foot" several times in his novel, The Summons. He's right, I'm right. Dan and Walter are just what they are, as are those who followed their lead by continuing to step foot when they should set those dogs.
Monday, December 7, 2009
When it RAINS in Southern California
First a note to those who drive in San Diego county:
Here are some basic driving do's and dont's
If it is pouring rain with high winds, the road is more slippery than usual, give up the poor race car imitation in which you use all lanes like passing lanes cutting right and left 2 or 3 lanes at a shot
Do not tailgate--that is just dumb
Turn your lights on--you are next to invisible in the mist.
They tailgate even when they do not care to drive any faster. I let a couple of cars by me on the windy 2 lane road to ballistic mtn
and noticed they never even sped up. With leaves and limbs and tumbleweed blowing across the sometimes partially flooded highway, you don't need some yahoo riding your tail.
OK. So I got home just minutes before dark. The wind was and is howling, literally. It is the wind, not the coyotes this time. The intensity of the storm, coupled with the likelihood that someone would run into a powerline pole, gave me the hunch that electricity may go out at any time.
I tore the place apart looking for my lanterns from the Tour days. I found them. One is even a wind up type. All are battery powered. They still work and the winder job charges quickly. I found them while I was cooking a tortilla cheese egg extravaganza. Then I remembered to brew a pot of coffee. It was brewing as I unloaded the feast onto a plate. By now it was dark. Very dark.
Just as the coffee was about done, poof, power out. I am glad I was prepared. Since we are on well water and it depends on an electric pump, I am glad I had a gallon or two of purified water handy. Just yesterday I put new batteries in one of my flashlights. You never know, I thought. I guess I did know.
The landlord got home and braved the fray to bring me some candles and see how I was faring. I felt almost smug that I had it all set. The computer battery won't last long. As a last resort I can get the power pack thing out of my car and run off that or charge it in the car, burning fuel and making a carbon footprint right outside my front door. (shame on Paul McCartney for buying into that bs---I never ate meat but this bit of go veggie for a day and save the planet--well intended, severely misguided).
Fortunately I cranked up the space heaters when I got home. Took some of the chill off. Connection was good but inconsistent, I hope I can get this to fly. Almost like being in a kamp kabin, except they usually have a working power outlet.
This really is a big deal storm. It is so rare that this happens. The roads turn very slick when it does and it doesn't drain like Miami. Houses fall off of hills and such. People in town actually drive faster and then wonder why the slide into things. Like snow in Memphis.
It is really heavy wind and rain and I'm in the boonies for sure. It's kind of like camping lite. Of course I have the ever dependable subaru 2, we still grieve 'ru 1, the blue subaru, but that's OK, 2 may be a bit faster, even if not quite as hardy overall. It might be fun to have company. Any form of heat. Plenty of blankets and such and this place is insulated like an Igloo cooler.
Maybe I can read a book by candle, or battery powered lantern, light.
Here are some basic driving do's and dont's
If it is pouring rain with high winds, the road is more slippery than usual, give up the poor race car imitation in which you use all lanes like passing lanes cutting right and left 2 or 3 lanes at a shot
Do not tailgate--that is just dumb
Turn your lights on--you are next to invisible in the mist.
They tailgate even when they do not care to drive any faster. I let a couple of cars by me on the windy 2 lane road to ballistic mtn
and noticed they never even sped up. With leaves and limbs and tumbleweed blowing across the sometimes partially flooded highway, you don't need some yahoo riding your tail.
OK. So I got home just minutes before dark. The wind was and is howling, literally. It is the wind, not the coyotes this time. The intensity of the storm, coupled with the likelihood that someone would run into a powerline pole, gave me the hunch that electricity may go out at any time.
I tore the place apart looking for my lanterns from the Tour days. I found them. One is even a wind up type. All are battery powered. They still work and the winder job charges quickly. I found them while I was cooking a tortilla cheese egg extravaganza. Then I remembered to brew a pot of coffee. It was brewing as I unloaded the feast onto a plate. By now it was dark. Very dark.
Just as the coffee was about done, poof, power out. I am glad I was prepared. Since we are on well water and it depends on an electric pump, I am glad I had a gallon or two of purified water handy. Just yesterday I put new batteries in one of my flashlights. You never know, I thought. I guess I did know.
The landlord got home and braved the fray to bring me some candles and see how I was faring. I felt almost smug that I had it all set. The computer battery won't last long. As a last resort I can get the power pack thing out of my car and run off that or charge it in the car, burning fuel and making a carbon footprint right outside my front door. (shame on Paul McCartney for buying into that bs---I never ate meat but this bit of go veggie for a day and save the planet--well intended, severely misguided).
Fortunately I cranked up the space heaters when I got home. Took some of the chill off. Connection was good but inconsistent, I hope I can get this to fly. Almost like being in a kamp kabin, except they usually have a working power outlet.
This really is a big deal storm. It is so rare that this happens. The roads turn very slick when it does and it doesn't drain like Miami. Houses fall off of hills and such. People in town actually drive faster and then wonder why the slide into things. Like snow in Memphis.
It is really heavy wind and rain and I'm in the boonies for sure. It's kind of like camping lite. Of course I have the ever dependable subaru 2, we still grieve 'ru 1, the blue subaru, but that's OK, 2 may be a bit faster, even if not quite as hardy overall. It might be fun to have company. Any form of heat. Plenty of blankets and such and this place is insulated like an Igloo cooler.
Maybe I can read a book by candle, or battery powered lantern, light.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tiger and Me(sic):a heartfelt confession
Dear TMZ, People, The Today Show, Good Morning, Letterman, and anyone else who will further my windfall of fame and fortune,
It grieves me deeply that I feel compelled to come forward to say that I am the true skeleton in the well appointed closet of Tiger Woods. Yes, it is true, we have conducted a secret and torrid affair for many years. He promised to eventually leave his wife for me if I would agree to breast implants. My religion forbids it. I'm not one to sacrifice my integrity or the bond of confidence for personal gain.
If you'd like to know more details, please contact my lawyer (abgado), Manny De La Copa, in Miami. You may have seen his ads on TV, he's "your abogado in a cup!". I don't get it either, but that's Manny. You'll like him, he always honors the highest bidder, although we resist any long term agreement involving exclusivity. I'm sure you understand.
I will say my days, and nights, with Mr. Tiger were like none I've ever known, and involved some interesting putting practice, as well as our own special little games we dubbed "a hole in one" and, my favorite, "pin the tail on the Tiger".
Why I am just now coming forward after all these years is because I feel it is the public's right to know, and even our president often stresses the need for personal sacrifice in promotion of the greater good. It is my duty as a loyal American to no longer deprive the people of the interesting and often peculiar details of my most intimate moments with the Mr. Woods. Not to mention my potential as a centerfold and pop celebrity. I would be remiss in my obligation as a citizen if I did not make these sacrifices so America could follow me around with cameras and microphones and discuss me publicly.
Since my affair lasted much longer than those cheap hussies, now seeking publicity, I'm sure you will alter your focus from them to me. I'm the real deal. You'll soon see, provided you meet the terms set out by Manny, that Tiger's heart is mine.
Thank you.
I look forward to a mutually lucrative relationship.
Sincerely,
Juan O Ballistic
PS: I hereby claim dibs on copyright for new commercials themed "I Am Tiger Woods*" ...*secret lover
golf video
It grieves me deeply that I feel compelled to come forward to say that I am the true skeleton in the well appointed closet of Tiger Woods. Yes, it is true, we have conducted a secret and torrid affair for many years. He promised to eventually leave his wife for me if I would agree to breast implants. My religion forbids it. I'm not one to sacrifice my integrity or the bond of confidence for personal gain.
If you'd like to know more details, please contact my lawyer (abgado), Manny De La Copa, in Miami. You may have seen his ads on TV, he's "your abogado in a cup!". I don't get it either, but that's Manny. You'll like him, he always honors the highest bidder, although we resist any long term agreement involving exclusivity. I'm sure you understand.
I will say my days, and nights, with Mr. Tiger were like none I've ever known, and involved some interesting putting practice, as well as our own special little games we dubbed "a hole in one" and, my favorite, "pin the tail on the Tiger".
Why I am just now coming forward after all these years is because I feel it is the public's right to know, and even our president often stresses the need for personal sacrifice in promotion of the greater good. It is my duty as a loyal American to no longer deprive the people of the interesting and often peculiar details of my most intimate moments with the Mr. Woods. Not to mention my potential as a centerfold and pop celebrity. I would be remiss in my obligation as a citizen if I did not make these sacrifices so America could follow me around with cameras and microphones and discuss me publicly.
Since my affair lasted much longer than those cheap hussies, now seeking publicity, I'm sure you will alter your focus from them to me. I'm the real deal. You'll soon see, provided you meet the terms set out by Manny, that Tiger's heart is mine.
Thank you.
I look forward to a mutually lucrative relationship.
Sincerely,
Juan O Ballistic
PS: I hereby claim dibs on copyright for new commercials themed "I Am Tiger Woods*" ...*secret lover
golf video
Doc, It Hurts when I do this--Don't do that
So, there I was, at the house owned by the guy who is Chicago connected. Mayor Daly's pal, and Obama's. This may explain the wealth, to a point.
Anyway, it was another project of dubious urgency. It involved a guy delivering and installing an item. Unfortunately, Pierre's pal allegedly began vomiting and and other grossness, so he was dropped at the emergency room, leaving pierre to carry on alone. I became Pedro, the illegal, I mean Undocumented worker's substitute.
During the process Pierre and I discussed the merits of CA vs Memphis, and such things as that. We agreed that it is a nice place if you ignore the cost of living and all things related to how the place is run and taxed. So, as long as you avoid the news, and don't start a company which employs documented workers, you can enjoy life.
It is so hard to avoid hearing anything news wise. Now the president is meeting with a few handpicked businessmen regarding "Jobs creation" or some other such misnomer. Necessity is the key to job generation. And freedom. People who talk "job creation" are rarely the people who do those jobs unless they are cushy, corrupt opportunities for extorting wealth from others.
Does it not seem a perfect opportunity for further feeding of special interests when the president meets with a select few to determine what he "can do for business" to help them do whatever it is he wants them to be doing? Especially since he slams the profit motive of businesses small and large. That talk usually leads to locking in the giants while killing innovation and competition.
The big boys will cry out publicly, but that just adds support for their backhanded agenda. It's the old Brer Rabbit thing, 'Please don't throw me in the briar patch!" Suckers.
Avert your eyes and ears, and you won't feel a thing. That is what I keep telling myself. In the mean time I have my camp stove and tent, just in case I have to go on the lamb as an insurance fugitive. I need a catchy protest phrase along the lines of "hell no, I won't go". "Hot damn, f*** your plan".
Since I agreed on my settings not to spell out such words, I use stars instead. It could stand for "flee", or "fish". I doubt that it does.
Just don't look, do not listen, ignore ignore ignore...
The key to happiness.
Well, that and hot chicks...
Anyway, it was another project of dubious urgency. It involved a guy delivering and installing an item. Unfortunately, Pierre's pal allegedly began vomiting and and other grossness, so he was dropped at the emergency room, leaving pierre to carry on alone. I became Pedro, the illegal, I mean Undocumented worker's substitute.
During the process Pierre and I discussed the merits of CA vs Memphis, and such things as that. We agreed that it is a nice place if you ignore the cost of living and all things related to how the place is run and taxed. So, as long as you avoid the news, and don't start a company which employs documented workers, you can enjoy life.
It is so hard to avoid hearing anything news wise. Now the president is meeting with a few handpicked businessmen regarding "Jobs creation" or some other such misnomer. Necessity is the key to job generation. And freedom. People who talk "job creation" are rarely the people who do those jobs unless they are cushy, corrupt opportunities for extorting wealth from others.
Does it not seem a perfect opportunity for further feeding of special interests when the president meets with a select few to determine what he "can do for business" to help them do whatever it is he wants them to be doing? Especially since he slams the profit motive of businesses small and large. That talk usually leads to locking in the giants while killing innovation and competition.
The big boys will cry out publicly, but that just adds support for their backhanded agenda. It's the old Brer Rabbit thing, 'Please don't throw me in the briar patch!" Suckers.
Avert your eyes and ears, and you won't feel a thing. That is what I keep telling myself. In the mean time I have my camp stove and tent, just in case I have to go on the lamb as an insurance fugitive. I need a catchy protest phrase along the lines of "hell no, I won't go". "Hot damn, f*** your plan".
Since I agreed on my settings not to spell out such words, I use stars instead. It could stand for "flee", or "fish". I doubt that it does.
Just don't look, do not listen, ignore ignore ignore...
The key to happiness.
Well, that and hot chicks...
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tempting is only a passing emotion
Context is everything in the world of tempts. There are times when I was glad I went along with it. However I've never regretted the times I did not give up when tempted to do so. Unless, of course, I gave up on an illegal, or otherwise unwise, plan.
It has generally been touch and go as far as giving up on matters that many people simply take for granted. But, I have the advantage of not giving up under some circumstances when the average bear (always the damned bears) would have.
In contexts of a positive nature, I've never regretted resisting the temptation to give up, and I've always regretted giving in to it. That may be the big obstacle to overcome in this life. When to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. One of those lessons that recur like a strange dream.
It made me sad to see that sense of defeat overcome the New England coach when there was over five minutes left in the game against the Saints. I've seen even San Diego come back in similar situations. Certainly I would have thought they'd try. Instead he just threw in the second string and called it a day. Maybe there was good reason but I hate to see successful people toss in the towel without a fight to the bitter end. I'll have to keep that in mind for my own life.
Pro football interests me this year. There are years when I don't pay attention. This year is good. I like the prevalence of clever tactics and abundance of outstanding quarterbacks. Also the mini dramas, like the incredible Favre revival. And the rise of the traditional pushover Saints.
People can say what they want but I would absolutely go for it if I were young enough and talented enough that I had a shot at being a millionaire pro player. Any specialized highly physical form of entertainment is like that, I think. Getting paid for an adrenalin rush. Only a few achieve that level. Hence the big bucks. That, and the fact that there is a demand.
I suppose the concept of nature and how supply and demand are forces of nature is not commonly given any credence by most people any more. It's just physics. Like differential pressure, nature abhors a vacuum and all that.
I always thought that a silly saying, but they said it in science classes; nature abhors a vacuum. And I abhorred being in that classroom. That was when I realized that there was a whole cadre of science and math professors who would do anything they could to obscure the concepts being taught because it fed their ego to be over your head.
The real tedium in those subjects is deciphering the code they use when teaching it. The material itself is not that tough. After all, someone else already figured the stuff out, proved the theories and derived the equations. One of those cases in which giving up is a mistake. A perfect chance to rob The (pompous science/math) Man of his cheap thrills.
The Man comes in many disguises.
Speaking of The Man and disguises, no need to give up on the misanthropic approach to climate just because some of the top dogs got caught jiggling data and scheming to silence inquiry and disagreement in the scientific community.
One can go on hating his own species and supporting tyrants who despise individual freedom and the greatness of others. No need to give up on that just when the masses have been conditioned into dependence and subjugation.
It is tempting.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Rain
Growing up in Miami, rain was a regular thing, especially the last week or two of school. Every day at 2 or 3 PM it would pour. The big fun was riding home on bikes with the hooligans in my neighborhood.
Here in east SD county, it rarely rains. Very rarely. I think they have more fires than rain showers. Except for today. Today it is raining coyotes and bobcats. Perfect. Since I was feeling sorry for myself anyway, the backdrop is fitting.
I wonder if the wash down off the hills is making temporary rivers over the road. I know there are lots of places prone to that sort of temporary flooding. Nowhere else for the water to go. This is not the sort of land that soaks it in like a sponge.
This deluge will help alleviate fire fears for a minute or two. Fire is ever the looming fear in the east county. It makes sense in a way, and not in another. I would think there would be technological advances which would be in place to ensure that a fire did not spread but so far, at least in populated areas. Not that anything out here is a huge population center. There are towns and people though.
Some of the measures that ought to be taken are off the table due to misguided ecological concerns. Let's risk life limb property and the bit of fauna and flora we seek to protect in the name of the fauna and flora we seek to protect. Just as long as it puts humans at greater risk, everyone is happy.
I'm thinking there are ways to contain areas ahead of time to minimize potential spread. I have a few ideas on the subject. I doubt I'll ever try to suggest them to the powers that be.
My back yard is now a maze of tiny streams meandering their way down to the bottom of the canyon or bowl or box or cajon, whatever it might be called. It follows no real pattern. Much like my mind at this moment.
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About Me
- John0 Juanderlust
- Ballistic Mountain, CA, United States
- Like spring on a summer's day
