My Exciting Life

If you actually knew, you'd be shocked, dismayed, puzzled and chagrined. But you don't because one can only talk about so much on the net if he is even marginally prudent. I consider myself marginally prudent. No more, and maybe just a little less. Judgement calls have not always been my strong point, that's why it stands out when I do exercise a bit of wisdom.

So there you have it; my life is not quite as boring as it sounds.

Pennies From Heaven

So, according to my brother, an unexpected little windfall is coming my way which will make the Ballistic Holiday road trip possible. Who knew?

It's peanuts to some, but this will make joining those of my gene pool for Christmas much less stressful. Every bit helps these days. And it seems to be because the government overly robbed one of my dead relatives. Something that ought not happen in a truly free country.

Dear 99%

If the people claiming to represent the 99% truly do represent 99% of this country, then I am in the 1% who think the 99% are full of it.

Winter? Again? and etc

Just last week it was about 90 deg one afternoon. Today, I bet it didn't get above 60. Factor in the windchill and I'm sure it showed a "feels like" factor of maybe 59. Time to quit jogging nude.

Ballistic Mountain weather is certainly a puzzling thing. San Diego county, in general, is a puzzling hodge podge of micro climates, all of which are almost ideal if you compare them to other parts of the country. That quickly causes one to be super sensitive to little changes in humidity and temperature. And if it rains, close the schools and hope for the best.

It has been IN THE FIFTIES just after sunset lately. If that doesn't qualify as winter weather, then I don't know what does.

I'm trying like hell not to point out that examining fine print, etc. would reveal that the big O's college loan relief plans only benefit a small fraction of people who owe or will owe. It is smoke and mirrors, so don't let that unabashed bribe buy you off. It is a lie.

The part that does trouble me is the part about claiming it is on behalf of the people that the elected executive of the country is wanting to by-pass the elected legislators of the country as if the separation of powers means nothing, and as if they were not elected by people, just like him.

It sounds very dictatorial. But, I've long noted that people forget what the president's job is supposed to be. It is not to make laws or approve budgets or to run lives. Those who run for that office act as if they are running for supreme ruler, monarch or dictator. It is sad how this snowball of authority has been rolling down the hill gaining momentum and mass for over a hundred years. And how much of the population has helped push it along at higher and higher speed.

Why not just import Castro or Chavez? The talk and attitude are the same. I find it hard to comprehend how people can be so easily duped. It is because they think there is something in it for them; like the fake student loan relief. Those college kids are all over that. Do your homework, Junior, you been had. Again.

I heard I share a birthday with Gumby and Charles Lindbergh. Can't complain. They had a bank robber here called "the Gumby bandit" because he tried to rob a place dressed in a Gumby suit. He failed. Got his hand all tangled in the pocket trying to prove he had a gun.

Just one of many odd bandits. We had the Geezer bandit, who they think was wearing a realistic old man mask, and one called the dandy or suit bandit or something like that because he was super dressed up and daper. We got em out here in SoCal. There are more but I don't keep up very well. Some get caught. Most get caught or screw up and run away.

No way I can really be from this planet. Between the bears' rights, and people like PETA suing Seaworld for slavery, and occupy this and that, and helmet laws, and laff tracks on TV, I must be another species of being from somewhere else.

Video Curse Continues

It turns out the video taken of me at the party was not of the cut loose Cmin jam. It was just me trying to play a little blues over a progression a couple of guitars were doing. I think all three of us had a different idea of where it was supposed to go. Besides I sometimes suck at that sort of blues. If there were vocals and all that, then I'd be better--I hope.

My conclusion of this is that the other thing went well. Whenever I really nail it the camera is off. Or, if it is on, then the picture is of the pavement, the port-o-lets, the sky or the bar room floor. Usually, it is off, out of tape, out of memory, or out to lunch. It must be a karma thing of some kind.

The good part is that I expected no recording of this and I made no effort to see that anything got recorded. I've given up on that temporarily.

I think G2, the older guy with the beard and interesting local history was best in show. He did a few songs by himself and he was clearly a cut above. G1 did a good job on the only song I recall him doing. That was all of us playing on that. No two songs. G1 is the most consistent of everyone in all ways.

K aka G1 is the responsible anchor of the mountain and the group, and he has more control over his emotions. He behaves the best on a consistent basis. Puts up with me and C aka G2. And of course he puts up with his lovely wife who I maintain is perfect. Because she is, and I am the kind of guy who always sides with the chick --when I am being smart. I like her voice. It has a very nice quality to it, plus she is one who always has my back. Some women look out for me and I appreciate it more than I let on.

Wireless Modem Review

Due to my peculiar circumstances, and possibly my peculiar construction and constitution, I have been connected on line via air card modem--cellular system, just like what phones use. G with a number in front. 3G 4G

Anyway, it has been through Millenicom.com ever since I left Memphis. It is a different animal getting connected on Ballistic Mountain. My original intent was to be wired in when I left TN, even as a vagabond, and the setup was as good as I could do up here. It used to be much cheaper, but to maintain the unlimited part I had to start paying more. When I checked what a regular cell company would charge it no longer seemed like highway robbery, and I was not forced into a contract.

It is still a lot, but all alternatives charge a lot up front, require installing a satellite dish or other equipment and still want to limit usage or charge a bundle. When my Franklin modem starting going south--falling apart--I was happy to know I'm grandfathered in to this deal because it is not available any more.

I was nervous when the new Sierra modem arrived. Not only because I wondered if it was something to do with the Sierra Club and lobbying, but because you have to uninstall the software affiliated with the old modem and trust that when you plug this into the usb port that it will install and work.

It took a little messing around but not much. I haven't had this kind of speed in a long time. And I did not have to call up the tech support. That is another thing about Millenicom, when you call tech support, or billing, you rarely wait longer than a minute, and you get an American who lives in the USA. They have always solved whatever issue I had, and I have had ver few over the almost four years with them.

I don't know what all they offer now, but if it is comparable to something you're looking at elsewhere, I'd go with Millenicom. Their service is as good or better than Mindspring back in the late 90's, and they were good.

This turned out to be more of a cellular internet service provider review than a modem review. The Franklin cdu-680 was good and served me a long time. I liked the pouch it came with. This one has no pouch but it is smaller, does not rotate, and uses pretty blue lights that don't blink all the time. So, you have the good and bad, but I think the sierra is somehow more MAC compatible. All seems faster.

The other posts before this are more interesting. And more full of ego if you go down two.

I was prepared to spend hours getting this right, expecting I'd have to get the tech girl on the phone again. They have guys too. I just liked the female who handled the process of getting this sent to me. She said that she was the best for MAC support. Older males are really pitiful.

Maybe I am turning into an old lecher. OK. I was that way when I was younger, too. Now I blame it on being older than dirt.

The Ad That Would Put Romney In The Big White Crib

This Bad Lip Reading video ought to be his campaign ad. They have videos of other candidates, too. They've got Obama doing a rap (which is not so far off of things I've seen from him and Hilary when they want to be homeys in da 'hood). Still, it would be better than usual campaign ads.

I think all of them should just use the bad lip reading version of their exploits--far more entertaining and coherent. Besides, they would offer as much, or more, reasonable criteria for making a voting judgement as people generally possess before visiting the polls.

I've never found Mitt so personable and engaging. None of his other appearances did anything other than leave me cold, and mistrustful of him. This one, though, won me over. I'd vote for a guy who talks like that.

Ballistic House Party

My guitar friend and his singer wife, 2 of the members of Copper Creek with whom I play, had an afternoon, early evening party on Sunday. It was an Oktoberfest theme but I just showed up as I normally do. No little funny clothes or any of that.

K set up the PA out on the deck and lots of people got up and sang and played. We played a little bit, but not that much. Some chick claims she has a video of me doing my Oaxaca jam. That's when I jam off of a riff from a song I wrote that has been titled All I Ever, Fly Away With You, and Oaxaca. It actually has words but we do it without any. I guess it is my chance to try to let loose and let off steam, and show off on a good day.

Mostly it is a bit of a release. We don't do much that requires me to let go and I need to every now and then. So far I haven't seen the video, so I have no idea exactly what I did or even how long I did it. Judging from response, it may have been OK. I felt kind of OK but still felt like I didn't hit the stride I always crave in such situations. It felt better than not doing it at all.

Here's a picture someone took. I hold a harmonica different than you are supposed to. Different than anyone I've ever seen, and I do the hand stuff left handed instead of right. Just the way it works out. If that wasn't me I'd be captioning the photo, "do you think these folks know I'm really up here picking my nose?" I wasn't, of course.

In spite of all I did enjoy that Cminor jam. It's nice that the guitar players put up with it. They have to lay down the progression and they never know when I'm going to stop because I often let it get way quiet like it is about to end, then I rip into harder than before.

I'm not that great a player, really, but I am somewhat different, and that is all I can say on that.

If I , etc

If I were the rich parent of one of the Occupy kids, I'd be encouraging the wayward youth to check out those fly suits, maybe they are called wing suits, where you go sailing around by the side of mountains and it looks like the most fun ever. It is a little like high speed surfing on the air.

I'd feel obligated to help the kid see what life can be; things I wish I was better at doing for myself. If I had the dough many of their parents have, I'd find ways to meet and introduce young Woolsworth or Buffy to inventors of things like that microwave machine that turns tires into fuel and carbon black. Carbon black is used in tire manufacture so that could go right back into more tires.

At one time I was intimately familiar with the workings of a tire manufacturing facility in NC. For various reasons my equipment proposal was not accepted, but I was young and inexperienced. The education and the experience gained in the process was worthwhile. Most likely I could have landed that account with what I knew later. Plus my design would have been a little different.

I've certainly spent much time in frivolous ways at every stage of my life, but I do think my time spent in that plant was of far more value than it would have been had I camped out to protest instead. And that's the real point.

It is great to let your views be known. I still say that doing so in a way that involves force over others in some way is over the line. I consider stopping traffic, clogging infrastructure and making work for others because of mess or vandalism, etc. a form of force. This is clearly where I part ways with most unions in their tactics.

But the real shame is that it is so easy to get a myopic view of life which limits one's chances of really experiencing the good things being a human being can bring. I consider things like loving a sport, being enamored with surfing or paragliding or any number of activities far more worthwhile than war, many forms of public service, and many other things considered holy by those who love mobs. Those activities are purely human and serve as a celebration of life and our creative nature.

Unless it has been enslaved and trained, you won't find a bear catching waves on a longboard, or sailing around the world, and zipping around like a flying squirrel in a glide suit. And even flying squirrels don't get to do what I've seen those guys do.

I think that helping a child learn to enjoy these things that are part of the joy of being is one of the best gifts anyone could give. I wish I hadn't had to spend my life trying to unlearn the opposite message. Even so, I know better. And I do appreciate what people can do.

Playing my excuse for music may be a sliver of that, and I cling to it because it is. In reality I would rather have been some kind of career athlete or be sailing through the sky like an insane rocket. No reason not to do both. It is just that the physical things are more my true nature than music or much else. Fortunately it often is kind of physical when I play. That is what kept me doing it, not how it sounds. Only how it felt on a good day.

At this time a lot of cool things would not be a good idea to try since I'm old and haven't spent my life working out.

It does make me a little sad to know what some kids are missing, and that it doesn't need to be like that. It is one problem I would not throw money at because that is not the real issue. People are simply being conditioned to believe life, humanity, and what matters are something other than what they are.

Credit Where Credit Is Doo

It could be that I am wrong, but if I thought so, I'd be saying something else entirely, or nothing at all.

If I am not mistaken, the general template for the troop withdrawal from Iraq was hammered out, with the Iraqi top guy, under Bush, at the end of his presidency. The timeline was pretty well set. Many people objected to the timeline approach at the time.

Obama claims he has kept his campaign promise about pulling troops out because of this December 2011 thing. He is unabashedly claiming full credit. The basis of it all has kind of changed over the last few years since Iraq nixed the original plan of having some bases still there. But such is life. The O wanted bases but since they said no, he can play up getting out as not being kicked out on that level. This is one of those times when he could blame Bush for the general troop withdrawal and it would be more truthful. Give the man credit for nerve. He must have been reading P.T. Barnum's memoirs.

Phineas Taylor Barnum (pbuh)

The big O can claim credit for Osama Been Laiden to rest in the deep blue sea. Not for this. I understood his campaign promise was to bring troops home immediately, much faster than this. I believe the timeline followed was pretty much the default already put in place. At least we haven't escalated other involvement over there, tried to influence who was or wasn't in power and have met with nothing but respect and success since Bush hit the road. Right.

If this is drastically different than how things were before Barack, I haven't noticed. Neither one has been overly clear on objectives, rationale, or what constitutes a victory which would allow us to get out.

Both expect soldiers to be social workers and to serve under unsafe rules of engagement. Both allow troops to be misused.

This police action, using the army to build schools approach hasn't worked, ever. Unless you are someone who benefits from the event. I'd love to be the guy who sells million dollar missiles. Imagine that commission. I'd be starting little skirmishes in the dark of night just so someone would fire one off. Then they'd buy more.

I'm interested in knowing what the strategy is in Afghanistan and the rest of the area. I find it unclear, just as I did in the Bush days. Especially when there was talk of making the region free to be sane and happy, and not oppressive. That is a pipe dream. Not all cultures lend themselves to such things.

Speaking of claiming credit, how often do politicians ask if you are better off than you were four years ago? It gets asked in different contexts, often as a negative against whoever was on the public payroll living in the White House at the time. Bunk!!!

I am better off than I was four years ago or three years ago, but it has absolutely nothing to do with government people. Not one thing. In other periods of my life when I was better off at the end than the beginning of some four year span, it had nothing to do with the president or his merry men and women. In this case I am certainly not financially better off, but I am better off.

So, anyway, this is shaping up to be the most embarrassing of campaign seasons. I guess the good thing is that both sides are now showing their elitist assumption that people will believe anything. I still think the republican thing is being forced and that, in reality, Mittens would not be on top had the nooz not continually titled him "front runner" even though he really wasn't. They've all but banned Paul from reasonable coverage and credit from the start, and now the assassinate Cain's character and chances assault is on.

I see Mitt, much like McCain was in 2008, as Obama lite. One day we will tire of allowing kings to run our lives, and tire of being useful pawns and idiots pleading our causes to them in hopes of forcing others to do our will.

Most people feel more comfortable believing a "good leader" is what we need. I tend to think we need to limit the power of such people so that, good or bad, they can't accomplish much harm to basic freedoms and rights.