March 27th 5:55AM
Mon penpal français est silent.
Haven't heard from my French penpal in about a week. Of course, I haven't written him in about that long as well. He's busy, I'm busy. Hell, we're all busy.
Mobile computing
For the past week we've had our PC moved from the back room of the house (formerly known as the "computer room") to the living room, jammed into a corner on a shitty little desk. I like that it's more accessible, but this desk is about as ergonomic as a two-legged barstool; I hate it.
Video GaGa
I got a new video input device this week, not too expensive. I tried to use the old, ATI USB dealie-bob (not built for WinXP) on this XP machine, and every time I tried to access the device, Windows XP screamed in pain, dug a hole somewhere deep in the Matrix, and crawled in. So, I got me a new one, a Leadtek WinFast TV 2000 XP, Expert Edition. It looks yummy, and I've got it installed, but I have not run any video thru it yet. I will let you know how it goes.
Praise Allah, pass the collection plate
It is frustrating and disappointing that no Al Qaeda bigwig was rousted out of PakGanistan last week. Somebody got paid, if you ask me. I don't know what else to say about it. Wait, I'll think of something.
The last time this happened, it was in Afghanistan, and America went light on the forces applied the the mountain region where Osama bin Hidin' was purported to be during a nasty, dead-ender firefight. We skimped on the number of palefaces that covered that weenie roast, and the Big One slipped away because somebody knew somebody's cousin's goat, and now look where we are. Same thing last week in Pakistan, as far as I can tell. Pakistan wanted a big feather for their cap and said "we'll handle it, thanks anyway, Amrika." Two weeks later, we got a couple of Qaeda stooges, a big fucking hole in the ground, and nobody knows nuttin'. You gotta be shittin' me.
In a similar vein, an audiotape attributed to Ayman al-Zawahiri surfaced last week - no truth can be assigned to the rumor that it's comprised mostly of Zawahiri bitching about the high cost of bribing your way out of Pakistani tribal regions.
March 25th 1:25PM
A quick look at the news...
A dead horse was dragged behind a van in Bakersfield, driven by a drunken meth-head on Monday.
Manteca's multimillion-dollar sports bar/bowling alley closed on Sunday amid rumors and speculation as to the cause and its future. Damn. The place only opened last year... I've never been inside the joint, but it always looks packed.
Some drunken bastard killed what appears to have been a perfectly respectable young citizen in Manteca on Monday morning. It's getting so a guy can't walk down the frigging street around here.
Yeesh.
March 24th 12:59PM
Rubberneckers suck, and other traffic-related opinions
Have you ever been in bumper-to-bumper Hell for long periods of time, and finally reached the point of the bottleneck, only to find that the roadway is entirely free from obstruction - that the only cause for the slowdown is that gawkers drag their asses so they can see a sight available in any junkyard? Hoo, I gotta tell ya, that puts me right on the edge of homicide. Backlogging my normally breezy commute so you can get a two-second glimpse of a backwards-facing car with a couple dents in it is enough to set me swingin'. Invariably, there's nothing to see anyway (no gore, no flames), and you can't even yell at the dickweed in front of you, because by then there's usually CHP on the scene, and you don't want one o' those guys thinking you're cussing at him. They ought to make/sell/use some kind of shroud to block accidents from view, so that the stone-headed droolers ahead of me won't be tempted to stop-gawk-and-roll. Maybe erect in front of the accident scene a bright light that is painful to look directly at, causing drivers to look away.
Also, when traffic does come to an abrupt stop, if you can stop in your lane without smashing into the car ahead of you, don't swerve onto Goddamned shoulder. I see people do this all the time; with all the time in the world to stop, they ease their wagon to one side of the road, blocking a possible avenue of travel. I guess stupid people convince themselves that it gives the folks behind them more room, so they don't get ass-ended. >BZZZ< Wrong. See, that almost makes sense if the slow-synapsed person behind you only needs a car length to bring his outta-control rustbox to a screeching, sack-shriveling halt. If he needs more than one car length, your little "Dukes of Hazzard"-wanna-be move has just robbed him of the additional space he needs, and he now has absolutely nowhere to go. Nice going, Luke, you've denied him an out. And if he does only need one car length, let him swerve onto the shoulder. It's really pretty simple, if you think about it.
Just had to get that off my chest.
March 24th 12:50PM
I hope Michael Newdow wins his case
California Atheist Michael Newdow is working to have the words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, an oath the the smallest of children are compelled to take in public schools, schools they are required by law to attend. This, to me, is a no-brainer, and the oath itself is a little questionable if you ask me. I mean, is it education or indoctrination?
A big advocate of keeping the Godly verbiage in the oath is Bill O'Reilly, whose dedication to clear-thinking usually borders on the (pardon the pun) religious. While I respect his opinions, I don't share this one, and his rationalizations on this issue are tortured and stretched. You see, Bill is a devout man, and while he usually keeps his eye on the ball, it appears his faith has blinded him on this one. One thing he likes to point out is that it's "under God," not under Jesus or Budda, so it's OK, because it's not specific to any particular faith. That argument is flimsy. The point is not "which God" government advocates, it's that no God should be advocated at all.
Also, I do believe that it's stigmatizing for a child to have to declare him- or herself different by refusing to adopt the pledge or its mention of God. I still remember the Jehovah's witness kid in my second-grade class who wouldn't go along with the oath as written. He was a good kid and I liked him just fine, but the whole issue threw a social vibe into the mix kids don't need.
Anyway, I'm not terribly vociferous on this issue, but if I had to choose a side, I'd be on Newdow's. Make the kids recite the Gettysburg address for History, or multiplication tables for Math, but lay off the sermon. It's just not what they're there for.
March 23rd 7:49AM
D.I. Hartman's Get Well Soon Greeting Card
Hey, since I'm dying for something notable to fill this space with, why not present my latest creation? Recently, I put together this Flash-based "Get Well Soon" card, featuring the frightening cultural icon, Drill Instructor Hartman from "Full Metal Jacket." I did it just for fun, so I could send it to the next co-worker who calls in sick. It's about 300 Kb, so if you're on a dialup, I apologize.
March 21st 7:49AM
Bleah.
I get the feeling this blog has been a real yawner lately. For example, the last post: the cheer with which I wish Joe a happy birthday is genuine, but it could have been delivered with so much more style. Hell, there weren't even any swear words in it, and everyone knows, even those are a lazy man's attempt to spice up his verbiage. I couldn't even assemble that much of an effort. Yeesh. I need to step it up a bit.
My life is very busy lately, and I don't have much time to ruminate. Maybe I just don't make the time. Eh. I played with my guitar on Sunday, had a couple of beers and read some French news stories. The rest of my weekend was all effort and screamin' busy, but Sunday afternoon was nice and relaxing. I really enjoyed it.
March 20th 7:20AM
Joe salutes another year today, I hope it's the best yet for him.
March 19th 6:45AM
I hope they get that bastard
Looks like they got a big Al Qaeda mucky-muck in AfPakistan. Good. I hope they put some serious screws to him. I was hoping it was the Big Enchilada, and it then occurred to me that if it happens under the Bush watch, anti-Bushers will claim he just did it for political gain, and/or that he's been holding Bin Laden until a more politically convenient time. Someone tell me, what was the Machiavellian political dynamic that made Hussein's capture such a boon when it happened, rather than two weeks before, or two weeks after, such that it fed rumors that the Bush administration "held on to him" like a rabbit in a hat, to produce it when it made the most political hay?
I used to think that Bush was above selling out his country purely for the votes or popularity. Then came the illegal immigrant amnesty scam a few months ago. Oh well, another naiveté dashed. I guess you can't count on anybody.
March 17th 7:49AM
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
There's probably a better way to celebrate a holiday like this than to drink colored alcohol, but I won't have time for any of it anyway. Got school tonight.
March 14th 3:55PM
John Bizarre sightings
According to the recent postings of his now-defunct "Daily Snap," John Bizarre's performance appearances were to have fallen off. Without his Tour Dates page to testify to the dates and places, I assumed that they had. But now a Google search indicates The Man is still busy, still working, and still doin' it. In Juneau, Alaska. Also, in Anchorage, Alaska. Also, in Detroit, Michigan. Also, in Pasadena, California, as recently as March 6th this year. Good for him, I hope he gets all the business he wants. He's terrific. I need to find a way to procure his "Givin You the Stinkeye" book, because his "It So Doesn't Suck to be You" still kills me. I miss his Daily Snap.
March 13th 4:20PM
Holy shit, I'm drunk.
My celebration regarding my home-based accomplishment has run long, and I am unrepentantly shit-faced, and if you don't like it, you can kiss my hairy leather raisin pouch.
I am listening to Queen singing in Japanese (if you don't know which song it is, then suffer in your ignorance, and buy several of their CD's, pedestrian), and loving every moment of it.
I just got done reading a few more pages of Thoreau's "Walden," and absolutely loved it. Again, what resonates with me is the virtual slavery of full-time work, and the shame of mortgaging your life to an 8-hour day. I wonder if my wife would put up with a bohemian husband? If she would, my boss would have some quick rescheduling to consider. I must bring this to her attention.
Jesus, I'm wasted, and yet, I have no need of the spellcheck included with DreamWeaver. Even hammered, I can spell and dictate to an acceptable degree. I defy the scholastic Gods!!
March 13th 2:05PM
I am the shit. I am the man. I am . . . the shit-man?
To summarize my day and its events:
-
I woke up early with my wife, who had to work. Neither of us got enough sleep.
-
I got after the weekend chores early, and got nearly all of them done before 9am.
-
I got bored, and hankered for some beer and company, but found no social prospects to share my booze with. Very disappointing.
-
Through Herculean effort (thus the pride/bravado/the shit/the man hooey above), I rearranged a lot of furniture and housewares, as per my wife's Master Plan for eking a little more room out of this crackerbox we live in.
-
Even better, I restored the house to working order after my spurt of ambition, unlike some people are known to do. I won't mention any names, they know who they are.
-
I cracked a beer without a drinking buddy. Sad, but hey screw the rest of the world anyway. Pat comes to mind, and I suspect he'd make a fine bullshitting companion, but he's underage, and lives 30 miles away, and I'm just too lazy to go get him, and will be too stiffened to take him back, by the time we're done. Maybe I'll call him later, just for the fuck of it.
-
My mom-in-law's husband's funeral is tonight.
-
I am powering up an old 15 inch monitor, hoping it can still be of some use. It worked when I last stored it, but a recent test produced no visual output whatsoever. Bummer. I am hoping against hope that its long hiatus has caused a need for a long power-up period to warm it up. Doubtful, but I'm cheap and patient, so why not try?
Called my daughter during the past week. She sounds so grown up.
March 12th 11:49PM
Must blog
Not feeling too blogworthy just now, but I feel like a jerk for going 3 - 4 days without blogging. It just ain't right.
The flavors of France
My mom-in-law and I sat down for some wine and brie and blue cheese last night, and man it was good. Even my brother came over and had some. Unfortunately , my poor wife went back to work this week, and wasn't home for the event. Hopefully next time.
One of the users I did support for at work yesterday and today is French. I was lucky that her computer was old and slow, giving her enough trouble so she had to call in, and so slow to reboot that we got to chat about both our recent visits to the country. She flew into Paris for a few days, then went to visit family on the west coast, and then back to Paris for a few days before returning. I told her about my wife's and my tattoos in the Montmarte area, she thought that was funny. She said she used to live there when she was young and broke, but now it's a Yuppie haven, and the property values are too high. It was fun to talk to her, and I like her accent.
I haven't studied through a chapter in my French textbook in months, and I regret it, but I have too much to do. I know I lament this almost every week, but I regret it every week, too. I hope that when this semester is over, I can find more time for this pursuit. Maybe my continuing education will include more French studies. That would be cool. Until then.
March 11th 12:30PM
Busier than a Japanese beaver
Things have been crazy at work lately, but today has been somewhat less hectic. Now that I have a lull and am catching up, I'm finding the downshift in gears almost paralyzing. I literally don't know what to do with the few minutes I've got to spare here. Whew, dammit!
March 8th 12:49PM
For the record:
I believe:
- that removing Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do
- that the aftermath was not properly planned for or handled, and Iraq is a big, stinking mess that could have been avoided.
- that President Bush strives to do the right thing with regard to foreign relations, diplomacy and military action, and that he does not act out of personal greed or solely for concern of oil in Middle East affairs.
- that President Bush fails sometimes, maybe too much, and should do better.
- that a Democrat with his shit together could persuade me to vote for him, but would have to have better ideas and demonstrate a willingness and an inclination to actually push them through, if given access to the Big Chair. Dumping on the current guy alone will not change my mind or win my vote.
I'm an open-minded person who just wants the right guy for the job.
March 4th 12:39AM
"Don't let it get to you"
I hear that every once in a while, and it perplexes me. How can you control what gets under your skin? Sure, you can control what you do about it, what you say; but how the Hell is a person supposed to dictate what troubles them? It's like being told to ignore mosquito bites, or a sunburn. It's like punching someone in the gut, and simply advising them "Hey, knock off all that stooping over and vomiting." It doesn't work that way, Clyde. Things that piss me off, piss me off. It's simple. Everybody has their own buttons, and they're there to be pushed. From there on in, it's a matter of self-control, but before that point, the event is fairly predetermined by a mixture of personal history and psychological criteria that are usually too complex and subtle to monitor or predict. So telling a person, "don't let it get to you," is just ridiculous and annoying.
I probably shouldn't let it get to me.
March 4th 7:49AM
It's gone - it's . . . all gone.
John Bizarre's website is down, after two months of 'going silent for a spell,' which left his snappy and hilarious Daily Snap stagnant and silent. John B. had threatened to quit or severely curtail his comedic work, possibly in favor of filmmaking; maybe he has. It is also true that his website has been down for the count before, only to return as if nothing had happened. I guess we'll see.
Sicko
I didn't feel well this week. Some kind of germ caught up with me Sunday, and I finally called in sick yesterday morning.
March 3rd 4:50PM
John Mellencamp is a leftie, but he had it right
"I want to live the Real Life, I want
to live my life close to the bone..."
"Just because I'm middle-aged that don't mean I want sit 'round my
house, and watch T.V."
"I guess it don't matter how old you are, or how old one lives to be;
I guess it boils down to what we did with our lives, and how we deal with
our own destiny.
But somethin' happens, when you reach a certain age
particularly those ones that are young at heart.
It's a lonely proposition
when you realize
that there's less days in front of this horse than ridin' in the back of
his cart."
"I want the Real Life... I want to live the Real Life..."
I don't listen to any of John M's new stuff - I haven't bought his albums for the last two or three releases. His music has taken a turn that I can't identify with, although I hung in there for a few CD's that didn't ring true before I gave up on his music. But those lyrics above come right back, I type them right off the top of my head. I identify with that song, more and more lately.
I'm afraid to die, not because I'm worried it will hurt, but because there's so much living I haven't done. And I still have barely started. Our Paris trip felt like a good start, and still feels that way.
My brother is moving
He just told me yesterday, in an e-mail. He doesn't know where to, or even when for sure, but the house he's "owned" for years is about to become someone else's.
March 1st 7:49AM
March . . . What a concept
Wow. Although it's true that winter in California is pretty much a picnic compared to other states, I have been fully stuck in the winter mode, in my head. So it hits like a minor revelation this morning to stamp "March" on the time/date of this post. March leads to April which leads to May, bringing God willing, my Associate's degree (still excited about it), and then on to June for my birthday and then August which should bring a bundle of joy and doodie into our lives. Ye Gods, time is passing so fast . . . Before I know it, I'll be 70, and that's if I'm lucky. I'm beginning to fear that I'll never get any of this living shit figured out before then.
Felt like crap all day Sunday, for some reason; I may be coming down with something. Played with my guitar Sunday afternoon, that was real nice. Made breakfast for and loved on my wife. That was even nicer. Got my homework done, didn't reply to my French penpal on Sunday like I'd hoped. Dang it.
I continue to feel like I'm missing something important, somewhere; some unifying concept or way of thinking that would make more sense of things. A voice in the back of my head (off to the right somewhere) whispers reflexively: "it could be religion you're missing," but I don't buy it... I think me and God have a satisfactory understanding as it is. No, my void is elsewhere. I used to have this sense that I had it figured out, way back when I was around 20. Right around the time I quit smoking pot, got married and had a child with a woman who wasn't Hell-bent on destroying me, but acted like she was. Hmm. Yeah, it was right about then that my psychic train jumped the track, and has been plowing through gravel and mud ever since. I'm not saying nothing good has happened to me since, don't get me wrong. But my sense of well-being has frayed at a consistent rate for a long time. I need to shore that up. If I could only figure out how.
On the other hand, I was able to dump some reasonably heavy shit on my wife and best friend yesterday, and it felt good to get it off my chest. She continues to rock.