At this time of the year, one is oft supposed to remark on what they are thankful for. I have done a couple of blogs on this very thing. One more ain't gonna kill no one!!!
People
I do not like people. People usually like me. I don't make the rules on this sort of thing. I do have a special cadre of peeps in my life that make the whole "getting out of bed thingy" tolerable.
I work with some good people. Some salt of the Earth types. I have gone round and round with more than a few with my "Leftist" stances, on a myriad topics. At one old job, after I had left, an older gent had to have a quadruple bypass. I hope I had something to do with that. AND THAT WAS SOMEONE I WAS NOT ACTIVELY ROOTING AGAINST! Think about that!
I have a good boss with who I don't "Hate". She is a damn hard worker and sets an absolutely brutal standard/work ethic that I have no desire to attain. She will be the first to admit that her work/life balance is slightly skewed. So is mine... towards the opposite end of the spectrum.
The next strata of peeps are virtual. the Facebook people... All 40 some odd of you. I am not out trying to amass the numbers, who I have no clue who they are. I go through a culling about twice a year... No activity of merit in the past six months? Buh bye.
I have the sites I visit, with their chat rooms. I am known and welcomed, by name, in a couple. "High" or "HPB"... That's me. I love DJ'ing in the rooms. It is the mission to play the right song for the mood of the room, and keeping people talking. I have met a couple of these cats in the "Real". Good people.
The people I meet in the "Real" on a more consistent basis can be counted on one hand with fingers to spare. If you have seen me "live" in the past month, you know who you are. You are the creme de la creme.
Mom and Dad. I have written many a sentence about these two. My life has been immeasurably bettered by their example and through their love and guidance. Oh... infinite fucking patience on their end was pretty helpful.
Lily... The damn dog. She is doing fine, and keeps me sane. And on schedule.
Places
I am thankful for have a damn good memory. Really incredible one, considering the self induced chemical poisoning that was also known as "High School"... I am amazed at how clearly I channel places by smells or songs...
If I smell honeysuckle I am instantly transported to Goldman St., between Center and Freeman in Duncanville, TX... On my way to Central Elementary school, 1982-ish. There was a long row of honeysuckle along the sidewalk on the east side of the road...
The song "Ride On" by AC/DC will whisk me back to Hwy 77, heading out to the house after a night of "debauchery"... Jimmy Bryan introducing me to Bon Scott era AC/DC. Late April, or early May of 1987.
I can go to these places... And I am thankful.
I am thankful because I am not quite enthralled with the location at present. Texas is wearing thin on my soul. This is the longest continuous stretch of time I have spent anywhere. Ever. Wanderlust is kicking in. If I win a lottery of some sort, all you would see is a spinning computer chair. Contrails of paper in my wake.
Things
I am a materialistic type for the most part. I have a firm belief in things I can see, hold, touch. These items don't let you down. They are replaceable without consequence or emotional blackmail!These things fill a lot of the holes in my soul... Never quite to the brim. There is always something else I would not mind obtaining.
In no discernible order - New bike (more mountainous, 29er?, due to Garland's roads sucking major dick). A left handed six string (why not?). 3D Printer.... SEX BOTS FOR EVERYONE!!! Trip to Zealand. This ties into the "Places" blurb above. I WILL travel a fuck-ton more before I die. This I swear.
I am uber, uber thankful for my car. I love that little motor scooter! I have not even broken it in yet. In one year, I threw about 6200 miles on it. 900 of them were on a trip to Memphis.
One last thankful thing... This weekend, I have spent four days not doing ANYTHING (except for that one thing that starts with "M" and ends in "inecrafting"), I was privy to seeing something I have not witnessed in close to 25 years... I saw new footage of the Millennium Falcon flying. I whooped... I fist pumped... I shed a tear... I was 13 again... watching that gorgeous Corellian vessel bank and turn as I had never seen and it was GLORIOUS.
Jar Jar Abrams... THANK YOU for that taste/hint of things to come.
In the end, nouns fucking rock,
d
This blog brought to you by The Stooges, Led Zeppelin, Pantera, Tenacious D, Garbage. Stray Cats, AC/DC. Deftones, Bad Company, Fleetwood Mac.Foo Fighters, The Darkness, Eminem, and Steve Vai.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
OCD... Engaged...
This weeks offering will be short and sweet... Because I was at the gym earlier and tweaked something in the right side of my back. Ow, Baby. Very ow. I was rushing. I was doing the standing calf press. Last exercise of the day. Hell, it was the second to last set of the outing.
The main reason I was rushing? Minecraft.
Earlier this week I installed the game, Far Cry 4. Far Cry 3 was the last game I played on a console. It was a great game. At the end, a chick goes all praying mantis on you. She literally kills you after you bow-chikka-wow-wow and impregnate her. Great game. Boobies and bullets.
Far Cry 4 is a beautiful game. The textures on EVERYTHING are insane. The fur on the animals is affected by the breeze. The shadowing is so bad ass I had to turn down my settings, as I was blinded by the sun sometimes. Absolutely brilliant game. I have played it for about an hour or so, total.
The day before installing that one, I installed Minecraft. I have spent about 10 or so hours playing that one. As a person with an addictive personality, you could double that to be safe. "No, I don't have a problem, fuck you for asking."
The graphics are reminiscent of a Super Nintendo game, circa 1993. So, why the appeal?
Some of you are already in the know, are aware of what the game is. You have seen the 8-bit swords and pick axes in the toy aisle. It is much, much more than that...
You create a world. Then your little avatar runs around in said world. Basic rules of gravity apply. You fall to far, you die. The world has land, sand, water, rocks, lava, trees, cows, pigs, horses, plants, etc. It's a world. Complete with shitty weather.
You start off with NADA. You want stuff? Beat the shit out of it by clicking on it with your left mouse. If you pound on a tree, it gives you "Wood". If you get enough wood you can construct other things. Combine different things together to make all sorts of stuff. I did a minor "cheat" and watched a YouTube video for noobs.
So I spent today building a two story house. Hardwood floors. Kitchen. Roof. Torches for lighting. On the second story I left the wall open to watch the sunrise over the sea. I also left a single walkway to the abode because there be bad guys.
Zombies, Creepers (that look like a dildo and explode when you smack them), Blobs, Skeletal dudes with bows and arrows... They mostly come out at night. Mostly.
Like the name implies, you go into the ground. You mine. You craft. It's what you do.
So, about 10 AM, I was looking around my little island paradise, and noticed that the trees were looking little ragged. So I decided to get all Bonzai on them... Then I am building earthen bridges between islands... And then I think the one tree is not like the other... So I fix that... Then it is 4:00 PM, the dog is looking at me like, "Hey, FuckMook! Kinda hungry over here... NO, the pancake you made for me this morning don't mean dick!"
So, I feed the dog, run to the gym... Rushing because I think I can fashion a bow if I do a couple of things... Not concentrating on the machine I am using and voila! Pain, made to order.
I am JUST realizing I forgot to eat lunch as well...
I have a feeling I know what I am gonna be doing this four day weekend...
Now, I have also realized a few things... The game is about creating. And destroying. As you gather wood, you are essentially deforesting the area. If you remove all the trees then grass grows and cows get to graze. I built a bridge to another island and upon awakening the next day, I found that the sheep from the other island made their way to mine. It is all about resources...
Yes, I killed the sheep to get the wool, and I also got the mutton, to cook. and consume... But if I kill ALL the sheep in one day... No more mutton... If I go on a kill crazy rampage on the chickens, I get meat... but there will be no more eggs...
You learn a little something something... Even if you didn't mean to,
d
This blog brought to you by Aleve + Jack N' Cokes, Wax, The Pretenders, Queen, Anthrax, Tesla, Silverchair, Metallica, Green Day, and the Beatles.
The main reason I was rushing? Minecraft.
Earlier this week I installed the game, Far Cry 4. Far Cry 3 was the last game I played on a console. It was a great game. At the end, a chick goes all praying mantis on you. She literally kills you after you bow-chikka-wow-wow and impregnate her. Great game. Boobies and bullets.
Far Cry 4 is a beautiful game. The textures on EVERYTHING are insane. The fur on the animals is affected by the breeze. The shadowing is so bad ass I had to turn down my settings, as I was blinded by the sun sometimes. Absolutely brilliant game. I have played it for about an hour or so, total.
The day before installing that one, I installed Minecraft. I have spent about 10 or so hours playing that one. As a person with an addictive personality, you could double that to be safe. "No, I don't have a problem, fuck you for asking."
The graphics are reminiscent of a Super Nintendo game, circa 1993. So, why the appeal?
Some of you are already in the know, are aware of what the game is. You have seen the 8-bit swords and pick axes in the toy aisle. It is much, much more than that...
You create a world. Then your little avatar runs around in said world. Basic rules of gravity apply. You fall to far, you die. The world has land, sand, water, rocks, lava, trees, cows, pigs, horses, plants, etc. It's a world. Complete with shitty weather.
You start off with NADA. You want stuff? Beat the shit out of it by clicking on it with your left mouse. If you pound on a tree, it gives you "Wood". If you get enough wood you can construct other things. Combine different things together to make all sorts of stuff. I did a minor "cheat" and watched a YouTube video for noobs.
So I spent today building a two story house. Hardwood floors. Kitchen. Roof. Torches for lighting. On the second story I left the wall open to watch the sunrise over the sea. I also left a single walkway to the abode because there be bad guys.
Zombies, Creepers (that look like a dildo and explode when you smack them), Blobs, Skeletal dudes with bows and arrows... They mostly come out at night. Mostly.
Like the name implies, you go into the ground. You mine. You craft. It's what you do.
So, about 10 AM, I was looking around my little island paradise, and noticed that the trees were looking little ragged. So I decided to get all Bonzai on them... Then I am building earthen bridges between islands... And then I think the one tree is not like the other... So I fix that... Then it is 4:00 PM, the dog is looking at me like, "Hey, FuckMook! Kinda hungry over here... NO, the pancake you made for me this morning don't mean dick!"
So, I feed the dog, run to the gym... Rushing because I think I can fashion a bow if I do a couple of things... Not concentrating on the machine I am using and voila! Pain, made to order.
I am JUST realizing I forgot to eat lunch as well...
I have a feeling I know what I am gonna be doing this four day weekend...
Now, I have also realized a few things... The game is about creating. And destroying. As you gather wood, you are essentially deforesting the area. If you remove all the trees then grass grows and cows get to graze. I built a bridge to another island and upon awakening the next day, I found that the sheep from the other island made their way to mine. It is all about resources...
Yes, I killed the sheep to get the wool, and I also got the mutton, to cook. and consume... But if I kill ALL the sheep in one day... No more mutton... If I go on a kill crazy rampage on the chickens, I get meat... but there will be no more eggs...
You learn a little something something... Even if you didn't mean to,
d
This blog brought to you by Aleve + Jack N' Cokes, Wax, The Pretenders, Queen, Anthrax, Tesla, Silverchair, Metallica, Green Day, and the Beatles.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Sticks n' Stones
"And the Geek shall inherit the Earth"...
Have heard that for years now. I am not debating the factual accuracy of the statement. I happen to think it will eventually be Google that winds up with the whole enchilada, and that is pretty damn geek. There are some good and bad things about Geekdom. Let's explore, shall we?
And while I will be using the term "geek"... I am fully aware of all the terms one can use instead of "geek". If you feel that there is a better term, feel free to tattoo it on a rat's ass. You will have to find your own, because I could not give one.
First, we all have some geek in us. One can protest this fact until they are blue in the face, to no avail. Jock-Sporto types used to be the first to deny any trace of geek in themselves. Listen Chief, the first time you memorized the number of Joe Montana's Career Number of Fourth Quarter Comebacks... you entered the realm of geek.
Ladies... Being able to spot a designer's fashion on another female, and being bitchy enough to point out to your friends that it was "last years" in a whispered, catty tone... Geek-chique, baby.
My brother was "not into" comic books... He could say that because he did not spend HIS money on them... He waited until I spent MY damn dollars, or 65 cents at the time (they run about $2.99 and up now), then read them... There were one or two "violent disagreements" because I would have my stack and he wanted to read the ones I had not yet read... FUCK THAT, after I take their virginity, you can have my sloppy seconds, but til then you keep your fuckin' dick-beaters off of them... BLOG FLASHBACK!
Being a geek knows no bounds. No race, gender, sexual orientation, creed, color, or religion. The moment you start to obsess over something and want to know EVERYTHING about it. Every nugget of information is devoured like you are that fat kid at Willy Wonka's. You memorize stats, countless variables, historical anomalies, influences, which leads to even more geeking out. The most important caveat about these morsels... THEY MEAN FUCK ALL TO EVERYONE ELSE!!!
Genres
Genres are where the lines begin to form. I can identify myself as a comic geek, movie geek, Ren Faire geek, music geek, and computer geek...
Genres lead to conventions... or "Cons". This is when you abandon the private nature of your special obsession and seek out other to share the aforementioned non-essential details you have memorized. There will be more about community later... Oh, this is when shit gets expensive!
Here is where the trouble starts...
Sub Genres
Divisions in the community exist all over the place... I mentioned I am a movie geek... Movies are already divied up into genres. Comedy, Drama, Classics, etc.
We shall examine Sci -Fi genre. It gets into the biggest Sub Genre of all geek-dom. "Star Wars" vs. "Star Trek". Long has this battle waged... Each side has it's battle cries... "Has Lucas raped your childhood again???", "How does a franchise survive with only the even numbered movies being good?", "Jar Jar Fucking Binks!", "C'mon man, that's not fair..."
But... An Abrams will unite the clans... And we shall know of his coming by a lens flare!
See... THAT is a prime example of geek. J.J. Abrams directed the last two Star Trek films and is set to direct at least one of the next trilogy of Star Wars films. He is also known for have a damn lens flare as often as a human retina can withstand it.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT FOR IT TO BE FUNNY, AND THE PEEPS WHO GET IS LAUGH THEIR BALLS/TITS OR BOTH OFF!!!
Comic books are primarily divided into the Houses of Marvel and DC. Each has their stable of characters and each bring something to the table in either art or story. However, much like free agency in the sports realm, people are moving from one title to another all the damn time. Hard to build continuity.
Thankfully, I stopped buying comics a long time ago... NOTE: "buying" is a very important word.
Sub Sub Genres
Now, we are getting into the heavy duty of realms of geek. Lets take a look at the Movie Realm, Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Sub Genre: Fantasy. Sub Sub Genres: Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter.
The main weapon in any geeks arsenal, like Batman, is money. Reeeeal close second is information.
In order to outgeek your adversary, you might have to dish out some cash in order to get that one limited edition card/game piece/downloadable gear, or whatever to give you the edge.
When I was in the USAF, the "card battle game" craze was really building up steam. "Magic: The Gathering" being the granddaddy along with Pokemon. A friend of mine was telling about the rules. This one douche found his way into the conversation. He was from Kentucky or some other state where no one likes you.
The next day, Douche Boy shows up with a binder full of some really, really expensive cards. My friend told me exactly where he got them and how much he paid for them, because he had been eyeing a couple at the comic book shop where they were sold.
What El Doucherino did was "outgeek" my friend. Did he need those cards? No. Did he try to wedge himself into a community that just one day previously he had zero interest in? Some people have a SENSE of community and are welcomed into it, others BUY their way in.
The information power play is not as douchey as the Daddy Warbucks Gambit. It is also not as successful. The moment you nail your opponent with a little known Star Wars fact that you read on the pg. 38 of a Starlog magazine in 1979, is the moment they go all "Treaty of Versailles" and simply state, "Really! Cool! I did not know that".
You also have to be gracious in your victory... The line of "Know it all Ass Clown" is easy to miss.
Community
A sense of community is pretty cool in one simple fact... You are not the lone weirdo anymore. Strength in numbers. All those stupid factoids that didn't mean shit earlier??? WELL THEY DO NOW!!!!
You will be surrounded by your peeps. You will make connections with people you would have never run into in the world, all do to your shared love of something that others just don't get.
Also, the geek communities are very accepting of new members. They don't question your motives. They appreciate imparting knowledge to the noobs. An instant, positive support system. Just add geek.
I loved at the end of "Fanboys". when the main cadre of... well, fanboys, are waiting to see Episode I, and the older brother shows up, causing the younger brother to ask, "Chaz, what the hell are you doing here?"
"C'mon, Bro. It's the 'Wars'!"
All he had to say. Welcome to the tribe!
Damn it feels good to be a geek...
Marvel announced it's film line up out to 2019!!! This was just to bitch slap DC and their tentative film schedule.
The latest Star Wars film just wrapped.
The last trip into Middle Earth is next month...
Harry Potter has been whispered to have another story coming.
The number one show on TV is "The Walking Dead". Based on what? A comic book... you damn right.
d
This blog brought to you by Lenny Kravitz, Slipknot, Korn, The Police, Marilyn Manson, Down, Anthrax, Stone Temple Pilots, Linkin Park, Fleetwood Mac, Infant Sorrow, Steve Vai, House of Pain, Beck, The Clash, Metallica, Mark Knopfler, AC/DC, Ugly Kid Joe, Van Halen, and the Beatles
Have heard that for years now. I am not debating the factual accuracy of the statement. I happen to think it will eventually be Google that winds up with the whole enchilada, and that is pretty damn geek. There are some good and bad things about Geekdom. Let's explore, shall we?
And while I will be using the term "geek"... I am fully aware of all the terms one can use instead of "geek". If you feel that there is a better term, feel free to tattoo it on a rat's ass. You will have to find your own, because I could not give one.
First, we all have some geek in us. One can protest this fact until they are blue in the face, to no avail. Jock-Sporto types used to be the first to deny any trace of geek in themselves. Listen Chief, the first time you memorized the number of Joe Montana's Career Number of Fourth Quarter Comebacks... you entered the realm of geek.
Ladies... Being able to spot a designer's fashion on another female, and being bitchy enough to point out to your friends that it was "last years" in a whispered, catty tone... Geek-chique, baby.
My brother was "not into" comic books... He could say that because he did not spend HIS money on them... He waited until I spent MY damn dollars, or 65 cents at the time (they run about $2.99 and up now), then read them... There were one or two "violent disagreements" because I would have my stack and he wanted to read the ones I had not yet read... FUCK THAT, after I take their virginity, you can have my sloppy seconds, but til then you keep your fuckin' dick-beaters off of them... BLOG FLASHBACK!
Being a geek knows no bounds. No race, gender, sexual orientation, creed, color, or religion. The moment you start to obsess over something and want to know EVERYTHING about it. Every nugget of information is devoured like you are that fat kid at Willy Wonka's. You memorize stats, countless variables, historical anomalies, influences, which leads to even more geeking out. The most important caveat about these morsels... THEY MEAN FUCK ALL TO EVERYONE ELSE!!!
Genres
Genres are where the lines begin to form. I can identify myself as a comic geek, movie geek, Ren Faire geek, music geek, and computer geek...
Genres lead to conventions... or "Cons". This is when you abandon the private nature of your special obsession and seek out other to share the aforementioned non-essential details you have memorized. There will be more about community later... Oh, this is when shit gets expensive!
Here is where the trouble starts...
Sub Genres
Divisions in the community exist all over the place... I mentioned I am a movie geek... Movies are already divied up into genres. Comedy, Drama, Classics, etc.
We shall examine Sci -Fi genre. It gets into the biggest Sub Genre of all geek-dom. "Star Wars" vs. "Star Trek". Long has this battle waged... Each side has it's battle cries... "Has Lucas raped your childhood again???", "How does a franchise survive with only the even numbered movies being good?", "Jar Jar Fucking Binks!", "C'mon man, that's not fair..."
But... An Abrams will unite the clans... And we shall know of his coming by a lens flare!
See... THAT is a prime example of geek. J.J. Abrams directed the last two Star Trek films and is set to direct at least one of the next trilogy of Star Wars films. He is also known for have a damn lens flare as often as a human retina can withstand it.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT FOR IT TO BE FUNNY, AND THE PEEPS WHO GET IS LAUGH THEIR BALLS/TITS OR BOTH OFF!!!
Comic books are primarily divided into the Houses of Marvel and DC. Each has their stable of characters and each bring something to the table in either art or story. However, much like free agency in the sports realm, people are moving from one title to another all the damn time. Hard to build continuity.
Thankfully, I stopped buying comics a long time ago... NOTE: "buying" is a very important word.
Sub Sub Genres
Now, we are getting into the heavy duty of realms of geek. Lets take a look at the Movie Realm, Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Sub Genre: Fantasy. Sub Sub Genres: Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter.
While both the Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter are phenomenal successes and have legions of fans around the world, and a countless number of those fans loving BOTH of the franchises... South Park exploited the conflict... And I love those guys for that.
Geek Warfare
In order to outgeek your adversary, you might have to dish out some cash in order to get that one limited edition card/game piece/downloadable gear, or whatever to give you the edge.
When I was in the USAF, the "card battle game" craze was really building up steam. "Magic: The Gathering" being the granddaddy along with Pokemon. A friend of mine was telling about the rules. This one douche found his way into the conversation. He was from Kentucky or some other state where no one likes you.
The next day, Douche Boy shows up with a binder full of some really, really expensive cards. My friend told me exactly where he got them and how much he paid for them, because he had been eyeing a couple at the comic book shop where they were sold.
What El Doucherino did was "outgeek" my friend. Did he need those cards? No. Did he try to wedge himself into a community that just one day previously he had zero interest in? Some people have a SENSE of community and are welcomed into it, others BUY their way in.
The information power play is not as douchey as the Daddy Warbucks Gambit. It is also not as successful. The moment you nail your opponent with a little known Star Wars fact that you read on the pg. 38 of a Starlog magazine in 1979, is the moment they go all "Treaty of Versailles" and simply state, "Really! Cool! I did not know that".
You also have to be gracious in your victory... The line of "Know it all Ass Clown" is easy to miss.
Community
A sense of community is pretty cool in one simple fact... You are not the lone weirdo anymore. Strength in numbers. All those stupid factoids that didn't mean shit earlier??? WELL THEY DO NOW!!!!
You will be surrounded by your peeps. You will make connections with people you would have never run into in the world, all do to your shared love of something that others just don't get.
Also, the geek communities are very accepting of new members. They don't question your motives. They appreciate imparting knowledge to the noobs. An instant, positive support system. Just add geek.
I loved at the end of "Fanboys". when the main cadre of... well, fanboys, are waiting to see Episode I, and the older brother shows up, causing the younger brother to ask, "Chaz, what the hell are you doing here?"
"C'mon, Bro. It's the 'Wars'!"
All he had to say. Welcome to the tribe!
Damn it feels good to be a geek...
Marvel announced it's film line up out to 2019!!! This was just to bitch slap DC and their tentative film schedule.
The latest Star Wars film just wrapped.
The last trip into Middle Earth is next month...
Harry Potter has been whispered to have another story coming.
The number one show on TV is "The Walking Dead". Based on what? A comic book... you damn right.
_______________________________________
In the end, geeks will inherit the earth because we are all a geek - in one way or another. It is a passion, going beyond a "hobby", and straddling the line of an obsession.
I leave you with a quote...
"Every day, I wake up and I say, 'Why... how... did I end up with 1.7 million Twitter followers?' It's freaky to me, every day, but that tells me that there's an appetite out there that had previously been under-served. There's an inner geek in us all, an inner bit of curiosity that people are discovering, and they like it." - Neil deGrasse Tyson
Are you gonna go my way,
d
This blog brought to you by Lenny Kravitz, Slipknot, Korn, The Police, Marilyn Manson, Down, Anthrax, Stone Temple Pilots, Linkin Park, Fleetwood Mac, Infant Sorrow, Steve Vai, House of Pain, Beck, The Clash, Metallica, Mark Knopfler, AC/DC, Ugly Kid Joe, Van Halen, and the Beatles
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Love To Ruin
Every couple of years we have the ability to overthrow the government. Why we haven't is beyond me. The current system is completely broken. That being said... It is all we got... for now.
I have my leanings. I have made no bones about them. I feel that a certain party preys on the weak minded, soundbite swallowing masses. They get the cheap bump from the crowd by mentioning a couple of buzzwords to get them riled up and thereby thinking like a mob.
I have heard the mob mentality equation defined as: Take the leader/speaker of the mob. The guy who gets them going. Take his IQ, divide it by the number of the mob. This number is the average IQ of the people in the mob. Say the leader has a 120 IQ. If there are 10 people in the mob, the average IQ of these normal people is reduced to 12. I am pretty sure even George W. Bush Jr. was in the 20's.
For the purposes of this blog, I will do my damnedest to keep it bipartisan in the blame.
Why You Should Not Vote.
The primary reason... It does not matter.
Your vote will not make a difference because all politicians are corrupt pieces of shit, entrenched in the system of lobbyists and monetary influences on a level which you could never compete.
There was a round of legislation after the Sandy Hook Shooting Massacre that called for more stringent background checks and reduction of magazine sizes. It had public support in the high 80's, and by some reports, 90% range. It did not pass. Why? The NRA, that's why. I hope it cost them a lot of money to buy off all the votes, and I hope the ghosts of all the victims of gun violence haunt their fucking dreams every fucking night.
A politician will say things in his or her ad... And then suddenly... Due to party lines being dictated by unions, corporate overlords, or lobbyists (like the example above), they do the exact opposite of what they promised in their campaigns.
Speaking of ads... "Oh, it is a week before the election... I still do not know how I will vote... I hope I hear another political ad on the radio or see another ad on TV." SAID NO ONE EVER.
Geography can play a part in your choosing not to participate in your governance. For me, personally, I live in occupied territory. Very red. Very redneck. Very dumb. My vote will be washed away by racists assholes who will exhaust every reason under the sun in order to avoid saying "I just don't like that colored fella in charge."
Redistricting will "disenfranchise" almost 25-30 million voters this mid-term. A certain party has made it more difficult to vote in Texas. Mostly to discourage elderly people and non-Caucasians from voting. Texas allows people with Concealed Carry Licenses to vote, but not Student IDs... Guns win over education, again.
As soon as the Supreme Court tried to summarily declare racism dead, by removing clauses to the Voting Laws, Texas legislators put forth 33 some odd new voting laws. I think this coincided with statistic that showed Latinos will be the majority demographic by 2020. They may have an opinion or two on Immigration Reform.
These new laws were to stop the scourge, the plague, of "voter fraud". Um... What voter fraud?
Again... All of this is moot, because you have no voice in the electoral process.
Why You Are a Fucking Idiot If You Do Not Vote.
What are the things you can do to honor a veteran? Put a fashionable ribbon on your truck? Tie a yellow ribbon around a tree? Give up your first class seat on a plane? (Actually saw a girl do this, made me think "Gee, we might make it after all.")
Here's an idea... How about you get off your ass and go exercise a right for which they fought and died for instead of spouting stupid shit and claiming "Freedom of Speech".
The biggest fear of the people in power is an informed population. This is why in a nightly national newscast, there is about 4 to 8 minutes of actual news that could be defined as "informative".
The current Congress has an approval rating in the low tweens. 12% or below. This is both the Senate and the House of "Representatives". Quotation marks were intentional... Casts derision. The same Congress usually has a 90% incumbency rate. Same assholes, same problems...
I really would like to see a rap sheet on my voting machine. A little icon or blurb that gives me one or two more vital pieces of intel... For one, show me the incumbent. The person who is in office presently. Second, on the incumbent, the year first elected to office. This way, I can see that the ads this person has been running, spouting "Washington is BROKEN!", it will be easy to see that this candidate is PART OF THE FUCKING PROBLEM!
America gets the government that it shows up for on voting day.
If you do not vote... You can still bitch, but I give it as much credence as I do an errant hair on my shirt. Seriously, voting gives you the glorious right to say, "I didn't vote for that asshole/bitch."
If you didn't vote... It is akin to bending over and offering your ass to the next group of officials to penetrate. You are the female bonobo monkey of governance... You lie there and take it from the entire tribe until your genitalia is red and swollen from constant abuse. I do so love to paint a picture.
If you do not know where you lie in the political spectrum, it is really quite simple...
Are you male, old, white, and really rich? You should vote "Republican".
Everyone else... Vote "Not Republican".
And that is another fun option when voting... I did not vote all Democrat. Some contests did not have a Democrat running, so I voted Anti-GOP in those.
Participation is not mandatory in our bloodless coup of the government, like it is in Brazil, but if you are a young person, do you want people so far out of touch with you and your concerns enacting laws for you?
For the ladies... In 2013, more laws LIMITING your reproductive rights were passed then in the LAST DECADE. For fuck's sake... Do I need to bring up the bonobo monkey thing again??? I can add pictures to these things... Just sayin'.
In the end... Please vote. It does matter.... Like the old saying goes, "The only things wrong with the world are ignorance and apathy."
My reply, when I was a dipshit, "I don't know and I don't care."
I have grown up since then... I know more now, and it is not that I "care" per se... I am just pissed off.
Pimped out Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan meets Dolemite,
d
The blog brought to you by AC/DC, Cyndi Lauper (She's so unusual), Down, Stabbing Westward, Bloodhound Gang, Stone Temple Pilots, Iron Maiden, Roxanne, Dick Dale & the Del-tones (With Pumpkin and Honey Bunny), Puddle Of Mudd, Marilyn Manson, Faith No More, Robert Plant + Alison Krauss, Eminem, Soundgarden, Infant Sorrow, The Beatles, Tenacious D, Metallica, The Seatbelts, REO Speedwagon, Tool, the Lords of Acid, and Hall and Fucking Oates.
Play word scramble with the title for a little fun!
I have my leanings. I have made no bones about them. I feel that a certain party preys on the weak minded, soundbite swallowing masses. They get the cheap bump from the crowd by mentioning a couple of buzzwords to get them riled up and thereby thinking like a mob.
I have heard the mob mentality equation defined as: Take the leader/speaker of the mob. The guy who gets them going. Take his IQ, divide it by the number of the mob. This number is the average IQ of the people in the mob. Say the leader has a 120 IQ. If there are 10 people in the mob, the average IQ of these normal people is reduced to 12. I am pretty sure even George W. Bush Jr. was in the 20's.
For the purposes of this blog, I will do my damnedest to keep it bipartisan in the blame.
Why You Should Not Vote.
The primary reason... It does not matter.
Your vote will not make a difference because all politicians are corrupt pieces of shit, entrenched in the system of lobbyists and monetary influences on a level which you could never compete.
There was a round of legislation after the Sandy Hook Shooting Massacre that called for more stringent background checks and reduction of magazine sizes. It had public support in the high 80's, and by some reports, 90% range. It did not pass. Why? The NRA, that's why. I hope it cost them a lot of money to buy off all the votes, and I hope the ghosts of all the victims of gun violence haunt their fucking dreams every fucking night.
A politician will say things in his or her ad... And then suddenly... Due to party lines being dictated by unions, corporate overlords, or lobbyists (like the example above), they do the exact opposite of what they promised in their campaigns.
Speaking of ads... "Oh, it is a week before the election... I still do not know how I will vote... I hope I hear another political ad on the radio or see another ad on TV." SAID NO ONE EVER.
Geography can play a part in your choosing not to participate in your governance. For me, personally, I live in occupied territory. Very red. Very redneck. Very dumb. My vote will be washed away by racists assholes who will exhaust every reason under the sun in order to avoid saying "I just don't like that colored fella in charge."
Redistricting will "disenfranchise" almost 25-30 million voters this mid-term. A certain party has made it more difficult to vote in Texas. Mostly to discourage elderly people and non-Caucasians from voting. Texas allows people with Concealed Carry Licenses to vote, but not Student IDs... Guns win over education, again.
As soon as the Supreme Court tried to summarily declare racism dead, by removing clauses to the Voting Laws, Texas legislators put forth 33 some odd new voting laws. I think this coincided with statistic that showed Latinos will be the majority demographic by 2020. They may have an opinion or two on Immigration Reform.
These new laws were to stop the scourge, the plague, of "voter fraud". Um... What voter fraud?
Again... All of this is moot, because you have no voice in the electoral process.
Why You Are a Fucking Idiot If You Do Not Vote.
What are the things you can do to honor a veteran? Put a fashionable ribbon on your truck? Tie a yellow ribbon around a tree? Give up your first class seat on a plane? (Actually saw a girl do this, made me think "Gee, we might make it after all.")
Here's an idea... How about you get off your ass and go exercise a right for which they fought and died for instead of spouting stupid shit and claiming "Freedom of Speech".
The biggest fear of the people in power is an informed population. This is why in a nightly national newscast, there is about 4 to 8 minutes of actual news that could be defined as "informative".
The current Congress has an approval rating in the low tweens. 12% or below. This is both the Senate and the House of "Representatives". Quotation marks were intentional... Casts derision. The same Congress usually has a 90% incumbency rate. Same assholes, same problems...
I really would like to see a rap sheet on my voting machine. A little icon or blurb that gives me one or two more vital pieces of intel... For one, show me the incumbent. The person who is in office presently. Second, on the incumbent, the year first elected to office. This way, I can see that the ads this person has been running, spouting "Washington is BROKEN!", it will be easy to see that this candidate is PART OF THE FUCKING PROBLEM!
America gets the government that it shows up for on voting day.
If you do not vote... You can still bitch, but I give it as much credence as I do an errant hair on my shirt. Seriously, voting gives you the glorious right to say, "I didn't vote for that asshole/bitch."
If you didn't vote... It is akin to bending over and offering your ass to the next group of officials to penetrate. You are the female bonobo monkey of governance... You lie there and take it from the entire tribe until your genitalia is red and swollen from constant abuse. I do so love to paint a picture.
If you do not know where you lie in the political spectrum, it is really quite simple...
Are you male, old, white, and really rich? You should vote "Republican".
Everyone else... Vote "Not Republican".
And that is another fun option when voting... I did not vote all Democrat. Some contests did not have a Democrat running, so I voted Anti-GOP in those.
Participation is not mandatory in our bloodless coup of the government, like it is in Brazil, but if you are a young person, do you want people so far out of touch with you and your concerns enacting laws for you?
For the ladies... In 2013, more laws LIMITING your reproductive rights were passed then in the LAST DECADE. For fuck's sake... Do I need to bring up the bonobo monkey thing again??? I can add pictures to these things... Just sayin'.
_____________________________________________
In the end... Please vote. It does matter.... Like the old saying goes, "The only things wrong with the world are ignorance and apathy."
My reply, when I was a dipshit, "I don't know and I don't care."
I have grown up since then... I know more now, and it is not that I "care" per se... I am just pissed off.
Pimped out Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan meets Dolemite,
d
The blog brought to you by AC/DC, Cyndi Lauper (She's so unusual), Down, Stabbing Westward, Bloodhound Gang, Stone Temple Pilots, Iron Maiden, Roxanne, Dick Dale & the Del-tones (With Pumpkin and Honey Bunny), Puddle Of Mudd, Marilyn Manson, Faith No More, Robert Plant + Alison Krauss, Eminem, Soundgarden, Infant Sorrow, The Beatles, Tenacious D, Metallica, The Seatbelts, REO Speedwagon, Tool, the Lords of Acid, and Hall and Fucking Oates.
Play word scramble with the title for a little fun!
Monday, October 27, 2014
The Pandemic of the Anti-Academic
"Oh, come on, Casey. You have to admire its simplicity. It's one billionth our size and it is beating us." - Sam Daniels, or Ratzo from "Outbreak".I have avoided the blog about the Ebola virus. Even though I live fifteen minutes east of where the first guy in the U.S. died from it. Even though it has been politicized. Even though when I went in for my dental cleaning last week, I had my temperature taken. Even though people are acting the fool... I refrained.
Last night, after a shitty weekend... I was plagued (pun intended) by dreams of my contracting the virus. It was the kind of thematic dream where upon waking up, you realize, "Man, that was fucked up", only to fall RIGHT BACK INTO THE DREAM!!! Can't happen when I am dreaming about Charlize Theron, nooooo....
So... Ebola. Not a lot of fun. Kind of depressing, actually. This from the man who will debate you that 80% of the world's population needs to "go away.".
Stopping Flights
The knee jerk reaction... Read that phrase again and place emphasis on the middle word. Every person of a medical/scientific background, not employed by Fox "News"*, has repeatedly stressed that this would be a stupid idea.
The major reasons for not stopping flights are as follows... 1) Doctors and "People Trying To Stop the Epidemic at the Source" need to get INTO the countries. Imagine a battle for a continent. Now imagine people with big ol' brass balls diving into Hell on Earth, headfirst, to fight that war.
These people are trying to get the source, the epicenter, and get it under control. If WE, as in the human race, do not do that, then the cases of infected people getting out will continue, and increase.
Think of a fire... People are losing their shit and getting stupid over a stray ember or two. Embers need the attention, sure...Trying to stop the aid workers is akin to stopping the people with the hose from putting out the actual fire.
2) The second reason stopping flights is a dumb fuck idea is that there are rules for travelling by plane and that helps keep dispersal low and traceable. In Africa, the transmission is usually contained to villages... Those villages usually are completely wiped out by the disease, and as cold as this sounds, that is a good thing.
Containment is the key and by stopping flights, those who feel that there is nothing left to lose will seek less "regulated" means of escape and travel. At the airports, if a person is tested and found to have been exposed to the virus, they don't just point them to the nearest dock or bus station... I hope...
The Nurses In Dallas
I tried explaining to my salt-of-the-Earth co-workers, who were of the opinion that them thar nurses were idiots for not following protocol, to imagine you have a snowmobile in Texas.
I would vote that the snowmobile, like the "In Case of Ebola" Binder had collected some dust from not being used or looked at in decades. Should it have been browsed (or at least taken off the shelf) once the news of the virus spreading in Africa hit? Sure... Hindsight is a mother fucker.
These ladies deserve nothing but accolades and admiration. Did they do everything right? No. But until I get the invitation to your "Perfection Coronation", shut the fuck up. It is easy to cast derision from the safety of your own home vs. an emergency room.
Also, nurses are in direct control of the needles that may or may not enter your body at varying degrees of "owwwww". Mad props to the nurses.
Politicization
Due to the proximity of the mid-term elections... Many political ads have started to include Ebola comments. I have yet to hear of any politician come out in favor FOR Ebola.
This is not a political issue. This tactic of fear mongering, panic inducing verbage.... Seems to be used more by the party without one single idea of what they actually believe in, that resonates with people who are NOT crusty, old, rich, white dudes.
What is the most depressing fact, is that the majority of the rhetoric is about how the candidate was FOR restricting flights... Which I already discussed as a jerk move... I do hate repeating myself...
Politicians, when questioned about climate change have repeatedly quipped, "I am not a scientist." Well, they seem to be Virologists, Epidemiologists, and know better then the head of the damn CDC.
Assclowns.
Stupid, Stupid Humans
Heart disease, obesity, tobacco, guns, alcohol... These things are killing humans, 'MURICANS!!!, in droves... But any regulation to impede these things is infringing on your rights... Basically, you want your bullet frosted rum cake and eat it too...
I saw a report from a person warning people not to eat "strange mucus" until this crisis is resolved.. WTF??? Once we get a handle on the Ebola thingy, then we can go back to slurping up the mucus we have not been properly introduced to?
My favorite aspect has been the fact that EVERY doctor or scientist interviewed has said WITHOUT FAIL to NOT PANIC. Of course, these same scientists could scream until they are blue in the face about climate change and get crickets... Or refuted by politicians... who are not scientists...
________________________________________________________
While not a fan of humans, I am not rooting for Ebola either. If it could be directed, controlled.... No more NASCAR!!! Turn that nightmare into a dream!!!
In the still of the night, I hear the wolf howl, honey,
d
* - In fairness, Shepard Smith from Fox "News" did a nice piece about how the media needs to calm the fuck down.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Can I Get The Piss On The Side?
As I text a lady friend that, "I got nothing", in reference to this week's posting, I start to wonder why I have nothing to rant and rave about.
I then think about an interview with Sully Erna, the lead singer for Godsmack. In it, he intimated that it is hard to write angry or be all pissed off when you are rich/happy.
While I am far from rich, I will admit that I am pretty damn happy.
Work
Work is a nice break from being home all the time. It also allows me to catch up on the TV I miss when DJ'ing chatrooms at night. I also have to plan out five sick days I have to use before the end of the year.
We are about to be in a nice stage of upheaval. We are shifting modes of operation... I could go all Weird Al "Mission Statement", which is a song of nothing but corpo-jargon-speak. Regardless, the system that has been the bread and butter, that I wrote and maintain, is getting gutted.
There are pieces of the existing code that will be retained, and retooled. A more modern version, if you will. I am enjoying switching the language of the code. Something of a challenge.
The new software is pretty neat... I look forward to getting in there and learning the new system. This way, any municipality that uses this software might be able to use a programmer that can actually modify the UI or data structure to be more conducive for them... In other words, I can go anywhere that uses this widely used, industry leading software package.
Money
As I mentioned, I am not rich. I am, however, all about the financial plan I have instituted. I am gonna try like hell to stick to it.
It will take a year of "sacrifice". Which essentially means, no buying swords at Ren Faires. I can handle the limitations. No shiny, sharp, metal objects!!!!
After this stupid year... I should be out from under a credit card bill I have had since I went to Butler County Community College. GO Large Predators, Some Type of Bear, I Think! Thankfully, the interest rate is still what it was in 1991, when I was issued the card...
Lily
The damn dog is doing well. She needs to drop a couple of the pounds. She is also either going deaf or being more of a spiteful diva.
I say that because when I come home at lunch to check on her and let her out, she is almost oblivious to my entry to the house until I wake her up... This was NEVER the case before. So, THIEVES... C'Mon over!
When she was had her neck problem that caused her to yelp in pain, she avoided me like a plague. If I came in to a room, she would leave, PDQ.
It has been at least a month since she has yelped... Closer to six weeks (Yes, I knocked on wood). The other night, as I got ready into bed, loving the sensation of the cool sheets enveloping my body, she jumped up on the bed. Spun twice and plopped on down. First time since mid-June? Yeah... I cried a tad.
The weather is getting to the point on my rest nights from the gym, I should take her for a nice walk. Get her used to the harness I bought. That and not let her finish my damn sandwiches for a while... She should slim down in no time...
The Folks
The parents celebrated their 49th anniversary of being happily married this week. I think the longest I have ever done anything is I have breathed for almost 42 years...
I know that their accomplishment is something I could never achieve... So, as I know they my most dedicated readers, Mazel Tov, Mom n' Dad. You make me sick. In a good way...
I also know and am pleased that I will get to see them soon, albeit briefly, as they are gonna come down and watch Lily for a weekend. That is because...
Texas Ren Fest
Got to get my mead on. Got to wander around, armed in public. Nov. 8th and 9th I believe is the plan. Houston bound. Time to dust off the kilt...
And Finally...
I have been seeing someone. Met her online. We have a lot in common, almost too much. We both hate people. We both would like to escape Texas at some point. We both love to read and write.
"Other than your lack of flossing, I find you to be a truly stunning person." - Text from her. Honest. Safe to say she likes me.
If I can get over my inclination to wait for the other shoe to drop, it could have legs... Almost as nice as the legs she happens to possess.
It is still in it's infancy, so I am almost remiss to write about it... But it all Taratino's back to my original point...
I am pretty happy. I got no real bitch in the world... I mean... Sure the gym could get another stair machine... I mean, really... One???
I also have to get a crown on a tooth this week... You can still drink with those temp thingies, right??? And since ol' girl is in the Dental Game, I will refrain from saying anything detrimental...
She did let something slip though... If you are an asshole... They can make it hurt more then it should. I actually thought that was awesome-sauce.
Hopefully next week, I can be back to my curmudgeony bastard self...
Mother, did it need to be so high?
d
This non-blog brought to you by Cake, Metallica, Weird Al, Nirvana, The Darkness, Pink Floyd, Anthrax, Slipknot, Led Zeppelin, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, and Korn
* "Marathon Man" reference... Watch it and really, REALLY fear a dentist... Well, Nazi Dentists... "Nazi"... the new adjective for "Evil Fuck".
I then think about an interview with Sully Erna, the lead singer for Godsmack. In it, he intimated that it is hard to write angry or be all pissed off when you are rich/happy.
While I am far from rich, I will admit that I am pretty damn happy.
Work
Work is a nice break from being home all the time. It also allows me to catch up on the TV I miss when DJ'ing chatrooms at night. I also have to plan out five sick days I have to use before the end of the year.
We are about to be in a nice stage of upheaval. We are shifting modes of operation... I could go all Weird Al "Mission Statement", which is a song of nothing but corpo-jargon-speak. Regardless, the system that has been the bread and butter, that I wrote and maintain, is getting gutted.
There are pieces of the existing code that will be retained, and retooled. A more modern version, if you will. I am enjoying switching the language of the code. Something of a challenge.
The new software is pretty neat... I look forward to getting in there and learning the new system. This way, any municipality that uses this software might be able to use a programmer that can actually modify the UI or data structure to be more conducive for them... In other words, I can go anywhere that uses this widely used, industry leading software package.
Money
As I mentioned, I am not rich. I am, however, all about the financial plan I have instituted. I am gonna try like hell to stick to it.
It will take a year of "sacrifice". Which essentially means, no buying swords at Ren Faires. I can handle the limitations. No shiny, sharp, metal objects!!!!
After this stupid year... I should be out from under a credit card bill I have had since I went to Butler County Community College. GO Large Predators, Some Type of Bear, I Think! Thankfully, the interest rate is still what it was in 1991, when I was issued the card...
Lily
The damn dog is doing well. She needs to drop a couple of the pounds. She is also either going deaf or being more of a spiteful diva.
I say that because when I come home at lunch to check on her and let her out, she is almost oblivious to my entry to the house until I wake her up... This was NEVER the case before. So, THIEVES... C'Mon over!
When she was had her neck problem that caused her to yelp in pain, she avoided me like a plague. If I came in to a room, she would leave, PDQ.
It has been at least a month since she has yelped... Closer to six weeks (Yes, I knocked on wood). The other night, as I got ready into bed, loving the sensation of the cool sheets enveloping my body, she jumped up on the bed. Spun twice and plopped on down. First time since mid-June? Yeah... I cried a tad.
The weather is getting to the point on my rest nights from the gym, I should take her for a nice walk. Get her used to the harness I bought. That and not let her finish my damn sandwiches for a while... She should slim down in no time...
The Folks
The parents celebrated their 49th anniversary of being happily married this week. I think the longest I have ever done anything is I have breathed for almost 42 years...
I know that their accomplishment is something I could never achieve... So, as I know they my most dedicated readers, Mazel Tov, Mom n' Dad. You make me sick. In a good way...
I also know and am pleased that I will get to see them soon, albeit briefly, as they are gonna come down and watch Lily for a weekend. That is because...
Texas Ren Fest
Got to get my mead on. Got to wander around, armed in public. Nov. 8th and 9th I believe is the plan. Houston bound. Time to dust off the kilt...
And Finally...
I have been seeing someone. Met her online. We have a lot in common, almost too much. We both hate people. We both would like to escape Texas at some point. We both love to read and write.
"Other than your lack of flossing, I find you to be a truly stunning person." - Text from her. Honest. Safe to say she likes me.
If I can get over my inclination to wait for the other shoe to drop, it could have legs... Almost as nice as the legs she happens to possess.
It is still in it's infancy, so I am almost remiss to write about it... But it all Taratino's back to my original point...
__________________________________________________
I am pretty happy. I got no real bitch in the world... I mean... Sure the gym could get another stair machine... I mean, really... One???
I also have to get a crown on a tooth this week... You can still drink with those temp thingies, right??? And since ol' girl is in the Dental Game, I will refrain from saying anything detrimental...
She did let something slip though... If you are an asshole... They can make it hurt more then it should. I actually thought that was awesome-sauce.
Hopefully next week, I can be back to my curmudgeony bastard self...
Mother, did it need to be so high?
d
This non-blog brought to you by Cake, Metallica, Weird Al, Nirvana, The Darkness, Pink Floyd, Anthrax, Slipknot, Led Zeppelin, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, and Korn
* "Marathon Man" reference... Watch it and really, REALLY fear a dentist... Well, Nazi Dentists... "Nazi"... the new adjective for "Evil Fuck".
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Matter vs. Antimatter
As I find myself getting older, which most definitely beats the alternative of "death", I am learning more and more about things that really matter and those that don't.
Now, with this realization, one must also take into account that this is wholly personal. For example, I am involved in deep conversations with a new friend. Thus far, the biggest disagreement has come in form of "e-Reader VS. actual, flammable, smelly*, easily destroyed, can't get wet, heavy when amassed in great numbers, paper cut inducing - therefore 'bloodthirsty', books." Does anyone care to venture where I stand on that issue?
Does it matter? Hell to the no. It will, however, come into play if she were to ever ask me to help her move... THEN it matters. I envision on the 8th load of a box marked "Books", there's me... Giving a tilted, knowing, "Hey, you wanna know how heavy a 32gb Micro SD card is?" look, cast in her direction.
That example brings into sharp focus the facet of "situation based importance of the matter at hand", or "Alice", for short. Having been married three times, I know that my quick thinking skills are never more important and truly matter than when confronted with the "Hey, does this outfit make me look fat?" Crucible. I should probably make mention that I am thrice divorced...
I think this was whole topic was brought to the forefront yesterday as I was out and about. I stopped in Half Price Books. Went to the vinyl. Nothing. Well, there was an $80 copy of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" I just could not justify... As I have two copies already... I went to the art books (YES, those I will go with "real" over the e-Reader, Shuddup!), no Micheal Parkes. I did check their Blu-rays for "Hitchhiker's"... Nothing. So I leave.
I go to Party City... Halloween costumes... Meh... Although... a Deadpool morphsuit could be fun... But too esoteric... Quality fangs? Nah...
I go to Best Buy, my other toy mecca. I am at a place financially where I have no trouble being able to drop about $500 on just about anything, AND have it paid off with having paid zero interest. Not hurting... THIS used to be a downfall... Because I would continuously find things that MATTERED. I could easily justify the most inane shit that invariably found it's way to eBay at a huge loss to me.
I eyeball an XBox One for a while... And I can't even bring myself to consider it... WTF? I had the discussion with Dad a while back, concerning my lack of "enthusiasm" towards getting new, shiny toys...
"You have gone through your 'acquisition' phase. Now comes maintaining."
"What comes after that?"
"Downsizing. Finding out what REALLY matters."
I also remember talking to a co-worker, years back. He was essentially a hoarder. If he saw a deal, in his mind, it was economically stupid for him to NOT get it... He had over fifty fishing poles... Two arms last I checked... Important note: He was also in a loveless marriage. He jokingly quipped one day, "I don't know why I feel I have to do this sort of thing?"
"It is because you have a hole you are trying to fill. Right now, you are filling it with material possessions. They won't let you down. They won't withhold from you. Sadly, they won't fill that hole you keep trying to fill.", was my reply.
"Damn... You are right. How'd you know?"
"Why do you think I have so many toys? That, and we can smell our own."
I eventually filled my hole... Well, the patch is holding. I am just more focused on what matters.
So... What does matter?
Lessee... In the foreseeable future...
1) Texas Ren Fest - GOTS to get down to the ren faire. It has been far too long since I have been armed in public... And all that Mead Training I have been doing...
2) Mid Term Elections - Just when you thought it would not get political... 73% of Americans are not aware there are elections this year. WAKE THE FUCK UP! Here is a little tidbit to help snap you out of your lunacy... Congress (which is comprised of the House of Reps, and the Senate) has an 8% approval rating... and a 90% incumbency rate... What is the definition of "insanity" again?
In the local arena, the big one is to see who will take over for Rick "Reverse Superman" Perry. On the one hand you have Wendy Davis. Mostly remembered for her "Standing Up" filibuster for women's reproductive rights.
The attack ads on her are about how she is too Republican in her shady dealing. Basically, "This is how we scam the system! Get your own playbook!"
She is going up against "Who Cares About a First Name" Abbott. Perry clone. The attack ads literally call him an empty wheelchair. Seeing as how he is IN a wheelchair... I can see them taking umbrage with it... But that ad also talks about how he got his eight figure payday from the accident that put him there and he has voted against pretty much every case of victim's rights since.
3) The Cast of Characters in my Life. My friends. My family. All 32 of you... You matter!
Seriously, that is kinda sad... By family I mean Mom and Dad. I was alarmed that last week's blog thingy made Mom cry. I made mention that Dad was a hero of mine... She got all silly about that...
My friends... You know who you are. There is need to get together and plan the aforementioned numero uno trip... Let us make way to the northern Houston area... And that right quick.
There is a new person coming into the mix... I am liking where things are heading, but always with trepidation, concern, and caution and it is so very early in it's formulation.
"Pineapple" and tapping "Shave and a Haircut" for a non-verbal, good to know,
d
* For the record... I miss the smell of the pages sometimes... But it helps my argument. Don't judge me!
This blog brought to you by Stone Temple Pilots, Cake, Nirvana, Metallica, Anthrax, Daft Punk, The Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne, The George Baker Selection, The Troggs, Queen, The Kinks, and Savatage!
Now, with this realization, one must also take into account that this is wholly personal. For example, I am involved in deep conversations with a new friend. Thus far, the biggest disagreement has come in form of "e-Reader VS. actual, flammable, smelly*, easily destroyed, can't get wet, heavy when amassed in great numbers, paper cut inducing - therefore 'bloodthirsty', books." Does anyone care to venture where I stand on that issue?
Does it matter? Hell to the no. It will, however, come into play if she were to ever ask me to help her move... THEN it matters. I envision on the 8th load of a box marked "Books", there's me... Giving a tilted, knowing, "Hey, you wanna know how heavy a 32gb Micro SD card is?" look, cast in her direction.
That example brings into sharp focus the facet of "situation based importance of the matter at hand", or "Alice", for short. Having been married three times, I know that my quick thinking skills are never more important and truly matter than when confronted with the "Hey, does this outfit make me look fat?" Crucible. I should probably make mention that I am thrice divorced...
I think this was whole topic was brought to the forefront yesterday as I was out and about. I stopped in Half Price Books. Went to the vinyl. Nothing. Well, there was an $80 copy of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" I just could not justify... As I have two copies already... I went to the art books (YES, those I will go with "real" over the e-Reader, Shuddup!), no Micheal Parkes. I did check their Blu-rays for "Hitchhiker's"... Nothing. So I leave.
I go to Party City... Halloween costumes... Meh... Although... a Deadpool morphsuit could be fun... But too esoteric... Quality fangs? Nah...
I go to Best Buy, my other toy mecca. I am at a place financially where I have no trouble being able to drop about $500 on just about anything, AND have it paid off with having paid zero interest. Not hurting... THIS used to be a downfall... Because I would continuously find things that MATTERED. I could easily justify the most inane shit that invariably found it's way to eBay at a huge loss to me.
I eyeball an XBox One for a while... And I can't even bring myself to consider it... WTF? I had the discussion with Dad a while back, concerning my lack of "enthusiasm" towards getting new, shiny toys...
"You have gone through your 'acquisition' phase. Now comes maintaining."
"What comes after that?"
"Downsizing. Finding out what REALLY matters."
I also remember talking to a co-worker, years back. He was essentially a hoarder. If he saw a deal, in his mind, it was economically stupid for him to NOT get it... He had over fifty fishing poles... Two arms last I checked... Important note: He was also in a loveless marriage. He jokingly quipped one day, "I don't know why I feel I have to do this sort of thing?"
"It is because you have a hole you are trying to fill. Right now, you are filling it with material possessions. They won't let you down. They won't withhold from you. Sadly, they won't fill that hole you keep trying to fill.", was my reply.
"Damn... You are right. How'd you know?"
"Why do you think I have so many toys? That, and we can smell our own."
I eventually filled my hole... Well, the patch is holding. I am just more focused on what matters.
So... What does matter?
Lessee... In the foreseeable future...
1) Texas Ren Fest - GOTS to get down to the ren faire. It has been far too long since I have been armed in public... And all that Mead Training I have been doing...
2) Mid Term Elections - Just when you thought it would not get political... 73% of Americans are not aware there are elections this year. WAKE THE FUCK UP! Here is a little tidbit to help snap you out of your lunacy... Congress (which is comprised of the House of Reps, and the Senate) has an 8% approval rating... and a 90% incumbency rate... What is the definition of "insanity" again?
In the local arena, the big one is to see who will take over for Rick "Reverse Superman" Perry. On the one hand you have Wendy Davis. Mostly remembered for her "Standing Up" filibuster for women's reproductive rights.
The attack ads on her are about how she is too Republican in her shady dealing. Basically, "This is how we scam the system! Get your own playbook!"
She is going up against "Who Cares About a First Name" Abbott. Perry clone. The attack ads literally call him an empty wheelchair. Seeing as how he is IN a wheelchair... I can see them taking umbrage with it... But that ad also talks about how he got his eight figure payday from the accident that put him there and he has voted against pretty much every case of victim's rights since.
3) The Cast of Characters in my Life. My friends. My family. All 32 of you... You matter!
Seriously, that is kinda sad... By family I mean Mom and Dad. I was alarmed that last week's blog thingy made Mom cry. I made mention that Dad was a hero of mine... She got all silly about that...
My friends... You know who you are. There is need to get together and plan the aforementioned numero uno trip... Let us make way to the northern Houston area... And that right quick.
There is a new person coming into the mix... I am liking where things are heading, but always with trepidation, concern, and caution and it is so very early in it's formulation.
"Pineapple" and tapping "Shave and a Haircut" for a non-verbal, good to know,
d
* For the record... I miss the smell of the pages sometimes... But it helps my argument. Don't judge me!
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