Bunk Telescope

McCain henchmen in MY neck of the woods? ...yep.

2008-10-09T08:57:00.002-04:00

If you have a McCain lawn sign you're pretty safe, but if you have an Obama sign you had better keep an eye out for midnight assholes.
In my neighborhood as well as many around me the signs are disappearing at a record rate. Looks like some of the less educated supporters of the Republican party are feeling a little nervous with grandpa and Ms. Congeniality's chances of 4 more years of American blight.

We knew it would probably happen when we picked up our sign, but once it did I was more pissed that I expected.

Last night just three days after being posted, some fucking asshole decided to pull the plastic sign off MY yard and take the metal wicket that it needed to stand up. Well, dumb move jerk off - you left me the only part I cared about - the sign itself. Yes once again proving we ARE more educated than you and YES we do look down on you. I took a piece of cardboard, slipped the sign over it, nailed it to a tree in my front yard, then smeared a mix of petroleum jelly and blue food coloring to the blue edges. Next time pea brain stops bye they'll get a handful of permanent blue jelly to fuck up their clothing. Tonight I'll add some staples for a little blood letting. If my sign gets taken I can simply call the police again and tell them to look for some jackass with bloody blue hands. God forbid they find you, you'll be charged with interfering with my freedom of speech, trespassing, and vandalism. Your name gets to be in the papers and you'll have the pleasure of my smiling face in court as you get your fine and I get to watch Obama take the oath of office.

If you have an Obama sign I suggest you rig it well, the Republican militia will surely try to mess with it. Hell I'd sleep on the porch with my BB gun if I didn't have a job to go to.

Time to Move?

2008-03-21T13:08:00.003-04:00

We've been tossing the idea around to move for a while now. For a number of reasons it seems like a good idea, and unfortunately there are some compelling reasons to stay put - or at least restrict the move to our own back yard.
To name just a few:

PROS

we need more space
street is too busy
we've spent our whole lives in this zip code
now or never - or at least not until they kids graduate
we can buy more house elsewhere for same price
south has less snow and ice
closer to work - save gas and time
we don't HAVE to move so we can do it on our own terms
currently centered within an over developed area

CONS

kids will miss friends
they attend a great school
good schools are hard to find
expensive
pain in the ass
need to do some final work on house to get ready
current neighborhood is great for walking and visiting
located near to everything we need now

Oh well, given the housing industry right now it's best to wait for prices to come down a bit and see what happens after the dust settles. This has an advantage that we could then buy lower and rent our existing house until the market rebounds before we sell.
...or an I just making excuses to delay the inevitable?

Bar-B-Que Season is just around the corner.

2008-03-21T13:00:00.004-04:00

And to celebrate the arrival of the new season of grilling, smoking, and Bar-B-Que goodness I am proud to announce the 2008 release of our family sauce. This year we have a different line-up of cooks so the name has been adapted.
Great on everything.

365 Days Later

2008-03-21T12:56:00.003-04:00

Since it's a leap year it's already been 365 days later - a day ahead of schedule. It still sucks just the same but bursts of insight and understanding ride in on the swells.
IMYD

Told ya so...

2007-11-20T15:11:00.000-05:00

If blogs were pets mine would starve.
Crap - MySpace is prolly dead by now too...

Where Days Have No Names

2007-07-17T09:09:00.000-04:00

After two weeks on the island, serenity has taken a foothold. It's nice to spend some time where the hours are measured by the tide and the days have no names. I'm surprised it only took a day to get back into 'island slacker' mode.
Nick had never been to the island before but it easliy exceeded his expectations. Tori has filled his head with wild images of ocean waves as big as houses and beaches going on for ever, and at his age they do.
The blue of the crabs' claws is brilliant, who would ever guess something so delicious would eat bait so stinky. The traps are hamemade - just how dad taught me when I was a kid on LBI. Right on the sound, the sunsets reflect onto the ceiling creating a glimmering dance of lights.
I'm still fascinated by old castles, as the setting sun rakes over the eroded sand the light and shaddow have a textured glow - I'll take more pics for my future project.
The ocean has done it again, time to move.

Peace - Bro

2007-05-31T07:59:00.000-04:00

Apparently Western Europe is the most peaceful region in the world with Norway boasting the most peaceful country. No real surprises here.
If those darn Danes would stop trying to blow up the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen they might have had a shot.

heh heh heh "shot..."

Where is the Spring I used to know?

2007-04-13T07:52:00.000-04:00

Ok, it's Spring. It doesn't feel like it, it doesn't look like it. The calender says it's here but I need more proof.
Sure the cursed snow and ice have gone, the season of sick is over, and I want Spring.

I'm testy - can you tell? I ha vent posted for a while and coming back to see Blogger in bed with Google isn't making things any better either.

I think my major complaint is that Spring should be life and things growing and enjoying just being. Instead it's two years of death. Last year was Bill then Clayton - a double header of bad times. This year, just three weeks ago, was Dad - say no more. Now Dennis... I think I've had enough.

Spring is flowers, sunshine, thinks growing and living, perfumed breezes. I am growing impatient. May will be better. Cinco de mayo will be here (THE official kickoff celebration of summer says I. If you don't agree you're banished from the other celebrations) and the festivities can begin. Maybe I'll make some more barbecue sauce, that will put a smile on my face. And yours too if you're luck enough to have some. Good on everything suitable to eat. Ribs, burgers, chicken, shrimp - any animal will do, and raw veggies, it's ALL good. That's the beauty of it. Look for it in stores before the end of the century. Guaranteed.

Cold, rain, wind - we've hit the unfortunate weather Trifecta - or Hat trick if you're some puck watchin', syrup drinking, bacon eating, Bryan Adams listenin', Moose lovin' Canadian. Not that I have anything against Canada. After all they gave us Pam Anderson, Bryan Adams, Keanu Reeves, Leonard Cohen, Alanis Morrisette, Celine Dion. Wait! maybe I should hate Canada. They seem to export people who suck. Celine Dion is reason enough to take the whole country and sent them down to Gitmo Bay, they simply cant be trusted. Look at the crap they let slip across the border. Hhhmmm I may be on to something here, Mexico - Emiliano Zapata, Pancho Villa, warm breezes, Margaritas, Cinco de Mayo. Canada - look above for reasons to build the fence up North instead.

Did I mention I'm testy today? You would be too. I have to go now. Yes, I MUST go so don't try to keep me here. Stop it's embarrassing watching you beg. Go back to work, or whatever you were doing.

I resolve not to

2006-12-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

Now where was I? Oh yeah, The Holidays are here and life is still good – lest you forget.

I can’t believe people bake without one of there things. It’s amazing! It’s so pretty – gloss cinnamon colored. It purrs along like a culinary kitten sleeping in a ball of warm rising dough. The bowl raises and lowers to meet the paddle, dough hook, or wire whisk... I can add many lively attachments to make pasta, grind meat or veggies, among other things. It’s simplicity of design and function. It was only $149.00. It’s my KitchenAid 450 watt Professional Stand Mixer and I love it! Good thing its baking season or we’d have way too many cookies sitting around with nowhere to go.

Should any New Years Resolutions be more meaningful now that this pirate has hit 40? Hell I don’t even make resolutions, should I really start now?

Nah…

Why bother?

I still don’t smoke.

I still drink – get over it.

I still drive too fast on highways – get to the right lane and keep outta my way.

My music is still too loud – but so are the kids.

If looking at pretty girls is wrong I don’t want to be right.

I still appreciate each day – not just survive them, but REALLY focus and appreciate.

I try to learn something new every day.

I think art is it’s own justification.

I never learned to type and don't yet want to.

I AM teaching myself how to play guitar – so far so good.

I still curse – that’s why God gave us those words. (but not in front of the kids, I’m not an animal) If you don’t like profanity then don’t hang around after I cut myself with a table saw.

Nah – no resolutions…like I said before Life is good.

Merry Christmas - deal with it.

2006-12-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

"Merry Christmas! That's right, Merry Christmas. Whether you're Christian, Jewish, Muslim, agnostic, pagan, barbarian or whatever, Merry Christmas!

It's what most of us say in this country come this time of year. It's about who we are, where we are and where we've been. And all the namby-pamby, little sensitive darlings among us who can't handle this verbal assault on their delicate senses should immediately begin seeking emergency psychiatric care."

- Lou Dobbs

Lou - Thanks for shedding a little rational light on the season.

Q4 RIP

2006-12-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

Q4 is almost over – sweet. What’s that you say? Shouldn’t I be more excited Christmas is almost here? Well I am. However the prospects of Q4 and all the last minute half-baked initiatives that these people come up with ending shortly could be the best present ever.
I think the best job I ever held was mapping for the EPA. At the risk of pissing off some farmers who use way more chemicals than sense lets just say a whole lot of animals gained a ton of acreage at my hands. Feliz Navidad lil’ critters.

“Where do I work” you may ask?? Well I don’t think I can say, our legion of lawyers and their minions keep a pretty tight lid on any non-official PR. I guess I can’t blame them - But I’ll give you a clue…it starts with ‘QV’...
See? That wasn’t so hard.

Now where was I? Oh yeah, The Holidays are here and life is still good – lest you forget.

Worst blog parent - EVER

2006-12-11T09:16:00.000-05:00

Yep – worst blog parent ever. Like I had anticipated – if this thing were a hamster it would have died by now. Oh well – basic disinterest and forgetting BOTH user name AND password pretty much kill any chance of a spontaneous post.

Earth has one natural satellite called The Moon

2006-09-07T07:35:00.000-04:00

At 5AM this morning the moon was bright, full, and low - enjoying it's 'moon effect' and looking massive against the treeline. It was a lot more entertaining than the turnpike and I couldn't keep my eyes off it as it hung there right before me - like some odd glowing sphere just beyond the next ridge. Good thing not many people are out driving that early.

ITMFA

2006-09-07T07:02:00.000-04:00

This has been my screensaver mantra for a few months now. Noone has asked what it is or it's meaning... maybe as a better than average educated bunch they already know and agree.

ITMFA

Friends For Clayton

2006-09-07T06:38:00.000-04:00

This is a repost frome June - apparently the orig was accidentally deleted.

Clayton Edwards passed away Saturday June 24 at age 36. I had just found out he was fighting inoperable liver cancer not too long ago. He is survived by a wife and 3 year old son. The Friends for Clayton accepts contributions for the Edward’s family’s medical expenses. (see below).

His obituary says his smile was always thee no matter what. Funny – the picture I have of him in my head is smiling – that was Clayton.

Clayton was a great guy, funny, considerate, and always willing to lend a hand to get the work done and get out on time :) He had been a Big Brother for almost 10 years as well. I worked with him in the city for over 7 years and we had some real fun doing it. He began as a printer - we’d hang by his processor talking about whatever, how best to train our big dogs, my new baby, photography, our going back to school; or we’d go out onto the fire escape to get away and watch girls for a while. At one party he was impressed and a bit dismayed by Lori’s prowess at the game quarters. She’d land them in the glass every time and make him drink every time. He couldn’t believe it. He bacame a digital retoucher and we'd talk photoshop and computer classes. He loved learning new stuff.

I recall right before I changed jobs he was excited about having just bought a house. A place that was all his and his girlfriend’s and a place to finally park his huge car. They all liked it, even his dog Barkley.

Although I haven’t seen him in quite a while I will miss him and our early morning phone chats. And I will feel terribly for his wife, and a little three-year-old boy who may or may not remember his dad.

Friends for Clayton
WSFS Branmar Plaza
Wilmington, DE 19810

Desert Sand Mica never sounded so good.

2006-08-15T07:28:00.000-04:00

Recently we got I new car. Not so much that I wanted a new car, nor disliked my old car, but because the engine head was warped so I had to refill the coolant once a week and I was looking at at least $800. to fix it - that and the fact that it ate oil almost as much as it ate coolant, and had over 100,000 miles on it and only got 24 mpg to work and back. Did I mention that the paint was peeling from every exterior surface as well? Ok, so maybe I DID need a new car. At least Lori felt I would be safer in one that wouldn't break down in some critical situation on the turnpike or through a construction cattle-shute.

I kinda liked the crappy paint condition. Ever find yourself driving next to someone who starts to drift into your lane because they're not quite sure if your lane may be going faster than theirs soon? They hedge their bets by trying to sidle (sp?) up to your lane in the hopes that you'll back off from a possible side swipe??? Well I enjoyed those moments. Once they saw my paint job they realized I could only benefit from some of their paint possibly getting onto my car, and backed down pretty quickly. Oh yeah, my poker hand was strong! That and the fact that I could hang way too much lumber out of the trunk coming home from Home Depot is always a plus. I'll miss my 'turnpike beast'.

I really don’t need much from a car. I want to get to work and back w/o any problems, and I need A/C and a radio - and a decent MPG is a must now - that's it. I don’t think they make them that simple anymore. I didn't need a CD player, electric windows & locks, cruise control, separate power supplies for whatever gadgetry, nor the other stuff they add. But after a LOT of research and comparing different makers and models I got a Toyota - it came with stuff I didn’t need cause 'that's the way they make them'.

Well little did I know I DID need a CD player and I even didn’t know this until I got one! I thought that a CD player will be one more thing to break, and I'd be cutting down my diet of new music I'd not otherwise hear from radio. Well I still listen to the radio but now I can listen to what I want as well.

Driving home yesterday I had just gotten off the turnpike so I turned off the A/C, popped in a CD, and rolled the windows down. OK- maybe I DID need the power windows as well. I like driving with the widows down, it's more interactive than the high speed bubble I am in on the turnpike, so I chose the B-52s to celebrate my new automotive freedom. That and the fact that I was just 5 minutes from home - always a good place to be. 'Roam' started to play and life was good. After two blocks I pulled up to a red-light and sat for the light to change when I noticed a car up and to the left with the windows down and two young guys waiting for the light as well. Hmmm... I wondered if this song is as infectious to others as it was to myself. I HAD to find out. I turned up the music and soon the passenger was tapping his hand on the door of the car! Sweet! My experiment was a success - at least the first test went well. But now I needed other subjects to test on. It was still kinda hot so most people had their windows rolled up - I'll experiment more on the way home this afternoon.

If you find yourself stopped at a light and a 'Desert Sand Mica' Toyota pulls up blasting the B-52s say 'hi' - I may not hear you but it's the thought that counts...that's why YOU can hear my music too.

Avgvst II, MMVI

2006-08-03T10:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I completed another successful trip around the sun....sweet.
I don't think I'll ever tire of doing that.

It was 100 degrees in the shade, but I took my usual day off from work and life was good.

Roam

2006-07-28T10:07:00.000-04:00

Feet tapping and life is good.
My solution to a day getting crappy - B-52s of course. I'm listening to 'Roam' right now and life is good. I think it's impossible to be anything but happy when listening to this song. Or anything of theirs for that matter.

Get a CD and enjoy - it's Friday and we all deserve it.

Exxon Mobil makes over $10 billion

2006-07-27T11:13:00.000-04:00

That headline alone got me pretty pissed. I have a 70 mile round trip to work each day and the cost of gas is killing me.
How do they get away with this?

Just 4 more hours...

2006-07-07T10:07:00.000-04:00

Man, these three day work weeks are killin' me.

...and with the arrival of Summer...

2006-06-23T12:23:00.001-04:00

"In summer, the song sings itself." - William Carlos Williams

"The summer night is like a perfection in itself." - Wallace Stevens

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability." - Sam Keen

Happy Summer Solstice

2006-06-21T08:51:00.000-04:00

The longest day of the year is here – time to celebrate. But why is it the longest and why celebrate?

“The seasons of the year are caused by the 23.5º tilt of the earth's axis. Because the earth is rotating like a top or gyroscope, the North Pole points in a fixed direction continuously*- towards a point in space near the North Star. But the earth is also revolving around the sun. During half of the year, the southern hemisphere is more exposed to the sun than is the northern hemisphere. During the rest of the year, the reverse is true. At noontime in the Northern Hemisphere the sun appears high in the sky during summertime, and low during winter. The time of the year when the sun reaches its maximum elevation occurs on the summer solstice -- the day with the greatest number of daylight hours. It typically occurs on, or within a day or two of, JUN-21 -- the first day of summer.”

OK, but what about the pre-Mayans, their system understood the hemispheres switch seasons (Precession of the Equinoxes) every few thousand years - and ends December 21, 2012 – winter solstice. You simply need to Google ‘Mayan’ and ‘2012’ and you’ll have more to read that you’ll probably care for. Some of it is end of the world conspiracy stuff, but the underlying fact is that they had an extremely good grasp of mathematics and the rotation of the earth.

OK, lets get to the celebration stuff.

Anient China: Theirsummer solstice ceremony celebrated the earth, the feminine, and the yin forces. It complemented the winter solstice which celebrated the heavens, masculinity and yang forces.

Ancient Gaul: The Midsummer celebration was called Feast of Epona, named after a mare goddess who personified fertility, sovereignty and agriculture. She was portrayed as a woman riding a mare.

Ancient Sweden: A Midsummer tree was set up and decorated in each town. The villagers danced around it. Women and girls would customarily bathe in the local river. This was a magical ritual, intended to bring rain for the crops.

In pre-historic times, summer was a joyous time of the year for those Aboriginal people who lived in the northern latitudes. The snow had disappeared; the ground had thawed out; warm temperatures had returned; flowers were blooming; leaves had returned to the deciduous trees. Some herbs could be harvested, for medicinal and other uses. Food was easier to find. The crops had already been planted and would be harvested in the months to come. Although many months of warm/hot weather remained before the fall, they noticed that the days were beginning to shorten, so that the return of the cold season was inevitable.

The first (or only) full moon in June is called the Honey Moon. Tradition holds that this is the best time to harvest honey from the hives.

This time of year, between the planting and harvesting of the crops, was the traditional month for weddings. This is because many ancient peoples believed that the "grand [sexual] union" of the Goddess and God occurred in early May at Beltaine. Since it was unlucky to compete with the deities, many couples delayed their weddings until June. June remains a favorite month for marriage today. In some traditions, "newly wed couples were fed dishes and beverages that featured honey for the first month of their married life to encourage love and fertility. The surviving vestige of this tradition lives on in the name given to the holiday immediately after the ceremony: The Honeymoon."

I’ve strayed a bit so lets get back to the point. Summer Solstice – it’s longest day of the year because of the way the earth rotates on it’s axis and around the sun. Why should you celebrate? Look outside – it’s a good day, that’s all the reason you need.

Best Father's Day Yet

2006-06-19T12:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was father’s Day, and by all counts it was a really good day. It didn’t even have to be Father’s Day I suppose, but it didn’t hurt.

I slept until 9:30, had some coffee, and began working in the yard. I like working outside, it was pretty hot, but it didn’t bother me at all; I even set up a ‘water park’ for the kids to enjoy while I sawed, drilled, and nailed my way to a new gate. The kids had fun too – under a shade canopy, lawn sprinkler spraying, kiddy pool filled, and sand table all within reach.

Lunch was kinda special, we decided I’d steam some littleneck clams. So with some lemon, butter, garlic, parsley, thyme, pepper, lemon juice, a halved lime, and Chardonnay I cooked up 50 delicious little bi-valve treats and even had some Chardonnay to spare to enjoy with my meal. Lori had picked up some long French bread, so after filling up on bread soaked in the remaining liquid I headed back out to re-start the water park and finish the day’s gate project. We live near an air station that was hosting the Blue Angels so the boom of jets overhead and the “Happy Father’s Day” skywriting was also nice to go back to work to.

Later dinner’s main entrée was a steak grilled to rare coated with blue cheese and cracked black pepper. Nothing better.

So I managed to get some work done, cook two good meals, and do a little relaxing while having fun with the wife and kids – not too shabby for a 92 degree Sunday. I imagine I could do the same every weekend and be quite satisfied with my summer. I’ll get back to you on that in September.

Three whole days

2006-05-26T09:04:00.000-04:00

Hello three-day weekend! A chance to sleep late (or as late as the kids will allow), get some yard work done, and grill or barbeque; but more than that it’s Memorial Day.
I am fortunate enough to not have had to fight in a war – at least not yet, lets just hope dubbya behaves himself better during his lame duck period.
Thinking about it I realized that up until my generation all the males on both sides of my immediate family have served. My paternal grandfather fought in WWI and WWII, my father also served during WWII. My mother’s father was in WWII, her one brother was in Korea and her younger brother was in Vietnam. All made it home safe and sound - even the one who landed and took off in a mortar barrage and then later was shot down twice over Vietnam.
I guess we were all REALLY fortunate in one way or another. I hope the next generation is as well.
Well, have a fantastic holiday weekend, get out, enjoy the sunshine, eat whatever you want, have a drink or two, and be merry.

Get Smarter - Let Your Mind Go Blank

2006-05-18T13:27:00.000-04:00

I drive way too much, about 70 miles a day Monday through Friday. I liked riding the train better, I had time to sleep, read, listen to music, study for a class, think, or just stare out the window and let my mind go blank. While I spend the same time driving as I did on the train, and the cost is about the same, I really miss the train – I cant let my mind go blank doing 50 merging into traffic.
I find I drive way too fast as well, not that I’m an aggressive driver, nor a reckless one either, it’s just that at 5:30 am the prevailing speed on the Turnpike is about 80-85 mph – not too bad at all. I’m comfortable with that, I like to drive fast, the sooner I get to where I’m going the better.
I still miss the train, when I got off the train I could feel more refreshed, informed, calm. I think when I stopped riding the train is when I ran out of time to read, and that’s probably the worst part of all this. I liked reading on the train, I could go through a book in no time, now I’m lucky to read cnn.com for more than a few minutes at a time, or compose an entry for this blog. Good thing I take lunch at my desk – time to surf for my own enjoyment or edification.

I guess Miller was right in Repo Man, “The more you drive the less intelligent you are.” Maybe I need to find another job in the city so I can let my mind go blank and get smart again.

Viva Cinco de Mayo!

2006-05-05T08:27:00.000-04:00

Today is Cinco de Mayo its history is here. Given the recent flap over immigrantion perhaps it would also be a good idea to read this interpretation of the holiday’s significance as well. We may owe more of our own freedoms to Mexico than we may realize.

Either way I plan on celebrating my usual way, a margarita or three beside the chiminea under the stars. I find the timing of Cinco de Mayo perfect, ushering in the warm nights and warmer days ahead. The air is sweet, colors abound, and life is surging everywhere - perfect excuse for a fiesta. I may make my signature Blackened Shrimp with Avocado as well. You'll have to email me for that recipe.

What comes around goes around in Disney World

2006-05-04T08:50:00.000-04:00

After a full morning of blowing kisses to Princesses, Nicholas discovers some kiss back.

Spring's fervent admirer

2006-05-04T08:07:00.000-04:00

Spring is here. The trees are green, pink, red, and purple. Flowers are blooming, the grass is a deep green again and the air is perfumed with fresh-cut grass and flowers. Life is good. …not that it ever got bad.

Still, I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that within a week’s time a friend has passed and he will no longer see another spring, nor bee, nor snow, nothing. He’s stopped being.

It’s nothing new, it happens thousands of times a day, someone or something stops being. A deer, a teacher, a fish, a child, each had it’s life, each saw the sun, felt warm and cold, felt fear and hunger, but no more. Some die quickly, some slowly. Some live to be old, some very young - they all had a life and it was theirs alone.

Maybe I’m having trouble because it’s spring. I can recall about 25 springs that included him, talking, driving around, going to the park, listening to music, laughing, bullshitting under the stars in a warm breeze. Appreciating, no, wallowing in the fact we were alive and that life is good. Life is still good - but it has one less fervent admirer.

To the right you’ll see Runner’s Favs, contemporary music by no means, but quintessential Bill.

W.J.R.

2006-04-20T10:56:00.000-04:00

Today a friend of mine will be removed from life support. While arguably one of the more intelligent friends I have - he was by no means very smart. He overdosed on heroin and was found, a John Doe in Philly, brain dead in a coma. He leaves behind a mother, father, two sisters, a brother and a son – a young son. Neither words nor reasons will satisfy why this had to happen.

Do our choices to proceed with our life the best we can inadvertently close doors of help behind us to others? I wish I knew. I didn't even see this coming. Is it OK to walk away from a toxic situation for the good of your family - believing 20 years of behavior wont change, but hoping somehow they still can?
If I could rewind 22 years and just smack him on the head and say, "This is it, life is here. We have to grow and do the best we can. No excuses, no dallying, no more kid stuff. No one can help us but ourselves. So lets go out and kick ass. If at first you don't succeed try again and again and again. One day you will succeed and have the responsibility of another life to care for, and he will inherit your name. Nothing you have ever done will matter now - it's all about the kid. So ditch the baggage of a misspent youth and suck it up cupcake."

I must leave Sunday for Florida - I don't even see being able to attend a service.
If I could just give him that smack in the head...

Just remember it’s never too late to try again, or try harder. Never too late to see how great things can be.

Time & Date

2006-04-05T12:48:00.000-04:00

Today it will be.

01:02:03 04/05/06

Twice - if you don't get hung up on military time.

It’s time to stop reading news again.

2006-03-31T13:07:00.000-05:00

I do this about once a month or so, I stop going to news websites – they’re just too damn depressing. I’ll cheat a little and go to happynews.com but that’s about it. Radio or TV? Nope they’re banished from my realm as well. News is business and they have to sell it, so sensationalism and tragedy sell… and missing blondes get headlines, but missing guys like me don’t. Sure, people go missing everyday but when a cute blonde goes missing THAT’S news, America’s T&A is at stake here for Christ’s sake! Don’t get me wrong I feel horrible for her and her family, I don’t know what I would do if one of my kids or wife disappeared, and would be grateful for any and all coverage I could muster for their safe return. But enough is enough and it’s depressing. After a week or so my outlook will improve greatly proving the adage, “ignorance is bliss” - gimme bliss any day.

Today I learned that:

Copenhagen may move the city's famous Little Mermaid statue out of the reach of vandals and tourists. Sounds like a good idea, people just don’t know how to act anymore. “The statue has been beheaded twice. Its arm has been amputated. Hooligans have doused it in paint several times. Three years ago, vandals used explosives to blow its off its perch.” …nice. And here I thought Europeans were better behaved that us. Not too bad, but who knew?

A woman in Florida allowed a neighbor to molest her son for $600 in hush money. They’re preparing a special place in hell for her as you read this. What the hell is wrong with us when our children’s biggest advocates and protectors become their biggest threat? See my past post about God, seems relevant again, and again, and again, and again, and again.

Speaking of which: There was a movie trailer I saw a while ago for Bruce All Mighty. It began with the testosterone-filled voice talent asking, “What would you do if you had God’s powers for one day?” Well I sure as hell wouldn’t give Jennifer Anniston bigger tits, that’s for sure. (Brad may disagree, but then again I’m with Brad on this one - Angelina over Jennifer is a no brainer.) Good premise, crappy execution.

Given 24 hours to wield the power of God as I wished? Sweet. Anyone who would otherwise wake with the intent to kill to another would die in his or her sleep. I figure conservatively 10% of the world’s population would die that night. Anyone who has or will have molested a child, raped, abused the elderly, been cruel to an animal, fatal heart attack, prisons could just cement over the windows to become mausoleums. Lie and steal do you? Well not anymore searing migraines upon each infraction should convert you in a short spell. Pollute the environment? Cancer, unless you atone and clean the environment in proportion to your abuses. You get the picture…it’s time someone paid attention and began to wield absolute power for the victims.

'Don't Mess with Texas' - why bother??

2006-03-23T12:47:00.000-05:00

It's official; Texas is the stupidest state in the union. Police in Texas are arresting people for public drunkenness while drunk in a bar! Aren't bars privately owned, and therefore private property? Sitting outside the bar and arresting people as they leave would be bad enough but this ridiculous. I am completely embarrassed for the residents of Texas who have enough sense to understand how foolish this is.

It was reported, "Undercover agents in Texas are arresting people inside bars who seem to be drunk in a new controversial police tactic.
Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission agents said they are going undercover in bars around Texas and taking intoxicated people into custody. The first sting operation was conducted in a Dallas suburb, where agents arrested 30 people for public intoxication in bars, according to a Reuters report. Officials hope the crackdown will keep people from leaving bars and driving drunk or committing a crime. 'Being in a bar does not exempt people from the state laws against public drunkenness', an official said in a report."

Well now the rest of the world understands that maybe we are just a bunch of immature idiots, and our Texan leader is just another clown minding the circus. And yes, this is one more reason why we educated, elitist, liberals living here on the coast look down on you central dwelling fools.

"Don't mess with Texas" my ass. We don't need to - you're messed up enough without our help.

But then again, if this is a good idea to you maybe then you should be kept from drinking. Maybe they should just declare Texas a 'dry' state and be done with it.

The Lion Can Sleep Soundly Tonight

2006-03-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

Three women, whose father wrote "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," have won their battle for royalties.

I read about this last year, and thought to myself there’s no way these poor women can win against the entertainment industry no matter how right and deserving they may be. Man am I glad I was wrong.

“Three impoverished South African women, whose father wrote "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," have won a six-year battle for royalties in a landmark case that could affect musicians worldwide.

No one is saying how many millions will go to the daughters of the late composer Solomon Linda, who died in poverty from a curable kidney disease in 1962 at age 53. But the family's settlement with New York-based Abilene Music, which gives Linda's heirs 25 percent of past and future royalties, has broad implications.

Linda composed his now-famous song in 1939 in one of the squalid hostels that housed black migrant workers in Johannesburg. According to family lore, he wrote the song in a matter of minutes and was inspired by his childhood tasks of chasing prowling lions from the cattle he herded.

It was sung, in true Zulu tradition, a cappella. Linda's innovation was to add his falsetto voice, an overlay of haunting "eeeeeees," to the baritone and bass main line. To this day, this style is called Mbube in South Africa.

The song sold more than 100,000 copies over a decade, probably making it Africa's first big pop hit. In the 1950s, at a time when apartheid laws robbed blacks of negotiating rights, Linda sold worldwide copyright to Gallo Records of South Africa for 10 shillings -- less than $1.70.

Gallo also tried to sell the work in the United States, but American folk singer Pete Seeger had adapted a version that he called "Wimoweh." Then it became one of the best known songs in the world as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," attributed to George Weiss, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore.

Owen Dean, South Africa's leading copyright lawyer, argued successfully for Linda's family that under the British Imperial Copyright Act of 1911, which was in force in South Africa at the time Linda composed his song, all rights revert to the heirs, who are entitled to renegotiate royalties.

"Now the way has been shown," Dean told The Associated Press. "Others in similar circumstances can fight such injustice, and I have no doubt that there are other people in this position." The 1911 Act affects all countries that were part of the British Empire at that time -- a third of the world.

It remains to be seen how the settlement with Abilene, which holds the copyright to the popular songs that grew from Linda's composition, will affect his family. Abilene music could not immediately be reached for comment.

Of his three surviving daughters, only the youngest has a job, as a nurse, and she still lives in the family home in Soweto, a satellite suburb set up for black workers under apartheid. Her sisters never reached high school. One runs a home-based grocers. The other recently lost her job cleaning a doctor's office and supports a daughter who gets occasional work cleaning homes. Linda's fourth daughter died of AIDS in her 30s in 2002 as the lawsuit dragged on, without money to buy drugs that could have saved her life.

In the 1970s, Linda's widow signed over the rights to Abilene.
The song's captivating rhythm poured from the soundtrack in Disney's blockbuster musical "The Lion King" -- one of at least 15 movies in which it has featured. "The musical was netting millions of dollars and Solomon Linda's daughters were trying to survive as domestic servants, not earning enough to feed their families" Dean told the AP.

Dean's tactics included winning a court order last year freezing Disney's rights to income in South Africa from legendary trademarks including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Winnie the Pooh pending resolution of the dispute.

That appears to have been a turning point, though Disney never was sued in the court case.”

Hmmm...things may be getting better after all. Sweet.

Rats!

2006-03-13T08:50:00.000-05:00

Ok, maybe it’s because I was a child who grew up reading Peanuts on the weekends, and their occasional paperback as well; or maybe as my wife suggests, I’m just an evolutionary throwback when it comes to my vocabulary, but either way I still use the exclamation “Rats!”

With two very young children I feel it serves as an acceptable alternative to ‘crap, damn, shit, fuck, goddamnit’, or any other expletive one would like to keep from their children as long as they can. But my wife bristles at its use. But how bad could it possibly be? I mean Charles Schultz’ Charlie Brown let a good “RATS!” fly now and again, and it was subsequently rendered immortal in the comics across the world as well – so how bad could it really be?

She says no one uses that phrase anymore and seems opposed the image it creates in her mind - filthy, diseased, writhing rats. Well I have to agree its not a pleasant thought, but that isn’t my intention either. And as for being an ‘outdated expression’ I have to do some digging, it’s not like I’m using ’23 Skidoo!’

Rats:
An expression of annoyance, frustration, disappointment
O.K. that seems to capture my intent.

I’ll have to keep digging, initial searching of ‘outdated expressions' or 'slang’ on Google didn’t help too much so far - Rats!

My Own Celestial Zen Garden

2006-03-13T08:19:00.000-05:00

Life, or at least my weekday early morning life, is getting better. By the time I get to work the sun is just peeking above the horizon and the sky is turning wonderful shades of pink, orange, and red. No longer do I trudge from my car through the parking lot cloaked in complete darkness – I have dawn's early light to keep me company now. As an added benefit as dawn grows brighter each day it filters out many of the fainter stars leaving me a sky with the moon, a few bright stars, and a planet or two thrown in for good measure – a celestial Zen garden if you will. I like it; I like it a lot.

But I’m still not a ‘morning person’ so don’t even try to cut me off on the turnpike – if I have to suffer you will to.

Yeast to the Rescue!

2006-03-02T13:58:00.000-05:00

A little history first. Many years ago I attempted winemaking. One batch done with friends was a disaster which found it’s rest in a storm drain, the second group effort produced potable (but not necessarily palatable) apple wine. I then tried making mead for myself which did a little better. I still have a few bottles remaining of one of the two batches and it’s remarkably good now. Go figure…

Flash forward 10 years or so... I have the bug again. I want to make my own wine, but not just make my own wine, but make it well. Well enough to satisfy myself and whatever harsh, unrealistic standards I decide to impose upon my endeavor.

So armed with my notebook of printed resources and many years of drinking good wine under my belt I set off. It’s been a while and I have learned that the same precision that I used to mix darkroom chemicals and develop prints would have been a good discipline in winemaking too. So to get my feet wet again I was given a wine kit for Christmas to make 6 gallons of Cabernet Sauvignon. So far it’s doing very well I must say. I’ve extended the 28-day kit schedule to several months and added a few more ingredients and extra steps that professional winemakers employ to help assure a reasonably good wine. Hopefully next year I can begin with crushed grapes and get a fuller more robust must to work with. As it sits quietly in my basement thinking about what it wants to be when it grows up, I’ve now begun label designing. I decided my Cabernets will be called The Fifth Humor™, seems to me the ancient Greeks overlooked a vital element.

So how does yeast figure here? You may ask - good question. Feeling fairly confident the Cab was doing well and that I had learned a bit from it I decided to make my own cranberry wine for next year’s holidays. You can ferment just about anything so why not make cranberry wine? I mixed the must, added sugar to get the specific gravity (S.G.) high enough to allow the yeast to create alcohol, then some tannin to help it attain some astringency and avoid a light fruity wine. So far so good - or so I thought. I started the yeast culture in a Pyrex glass and pitched the foaming yeast into the cranberry must. Next morning – nothing; not even the slightest indication there was a fermentation supposed to be occurring in the jug. I read up on fermentations and waited patiently for a few days. Nothing.

I created a new yeast batch using a more robust yeast strain, added some yeast nutrient and slowly added it to the must as directed by a few home wine makers. Again nothing.

The following week I could see the lazy yeast at the bottom of the jug but it wasn’t doing a darn thing. So deciding not to let my investment of time and organic cranberry juice be a waste I tried one more time. I mixed up the remainder of the original RC212 yeast pack, added some nutrient and slowly added some must to the Pyrex holding the foaming yeast. It worked! The foaming continued, so over the next day, a few ounces at a time, I added more of the must to the yeast mix until the whole 1.5 gallons were happily fermenting. I so totally rock.

Fermentation has now ended, I racked the wine to a clean jug and topped it off with the extra wine and sealed the gallon. I’ll watch it and in a month or so I’ll re-rack and take another S.G. reading to calculate the alcohol content. Now I just need a name...

Have We Become Forgotten?

2006-03-01T06:40:00.000-05:00

Do I believe in God? No – not today.
Have I? No – not really.
Will I one day? Guess that depends how well the drive home on the Turnpike goes tonight...but don’t hold your breath.

Anyhow... reading the oh-so-happy international news it occurred to me: God's parents should have bought him a hamster when he was a kid so he could have learned a little more about responsibility. Maybe then this world wouldn't be in such a disgraceful mess – unless we are the hamster.... crap – lets' just hope the hamster was named 'Mars'. Either way if (s)he does exist he's gonna get a load of crap from me one day, I want some answers for the shoddy stewardship he's kept. Screw that, I'm just gonna kick his ass - for the children in Darfur alone.

Sure, Nature is a great achievement, but why cut corners when it came to Man? Seems like he should have gone through another prototype or two before rolling us of the assembly line. Maybe that's why sooner or later we all get recalled.

Maybe he's a teen now and forgotten about us. Maybe one day he'll look into the box of junk in the garage, see us sitting there dusty and broken like an old, now-forgotten, once-favorite telescope. He'll pick us up, clean off the dust, replace broken or missing parts, give us a nice shining and put us on a shelf in a place of prominence.

Lets all hope that if there is a God, he's heading to the garage right now. And lets all wait out there for him so we can kick his ass.

Introduction

2006-02-28T13:20:00.000-05:00

I decided to finally create a blog. I put it off as long as I could.

Not so much because I may have anything interesting to anyone but myself to share. Nor that I'm just another one of the many failed journalists who create blogs (an awful word anyhow, let's just call them 'half-baked crap' because most are) trying to hone their skills on the unwary masses by dashing off any flaky opinion that stumbles into the vaccuum between their ears - - but more so to be able to respond as I wish to other postings which actually do have merit and interest to me. Yeah, you can tell I don't have a very high opinion of blogs.

You may find something new posted here on occasion, like how I feel schools should be flooded with Clorox every night to stop the rampant germ farm they have become. Or the parents who drop their kids off sick as dogs to school so they can dash off to their jobs should be incarcerated for willfully and maliciously spreading disease within the community.