Intellectual Poison

Instead of doing house things today, my wife suggested that we go for a drive up the coast to see if we could find some of the big waves. As we were prepping to hit the road, I got a call from a good pal who was back in town for a few hours. We shuffled plans some and went up to Santa Cruz to see him for a little while before heading out for our journey up the coast.

We met at a coffee house and had a good time catching up despite the kook a table away from us who kept trying to draw us into a conversation with him. Despite repeated attempts to engage us on various topics, none of which we'd been discussing, we enjoyed catching up with our friend and his sweet (but huge) lab/Weimerauner.

No offense to kooks or anything but jeez, dude, take a hint and quit trying to bum rush our visit.

Anyway, he (our friend) had to get on the road as he was headed back north to Truckee and some studying for a job interview in the morning. We packed up and headed out for the coast.

Not to rub it in to anyone in the throes of winter's cold grasp but it was freakin' beautiful today. Warm, sunny and just a touch foggy and hazy out on the water. Really a lovely day to be enjoying the natural splendor just beyond our doorstep.

Oh yeah, we also filled up the Escape with gas at CostCo for $1.76 a gallon and a total cost of $25 for 14+ gallons. Apparently the oil producing nations are trying to convince us that we don't need to get off their oil. They are like drug dealers and I hope America is not going to fall for their tactics and we keep pushing towards alternative energy. But it was still pretty damned sweet to fill up the truck for so little money.

We drove north on Highway 1 out of Santa Cruz along with lots of other traffic including a large number of weekend bikers on their tarted up and overly noisy Harleys. But there were alot of other biker out and about too and it made me wish I were able to go for long rides still. But there's something to be said for exploring the world with one's family and I knew we'd have a good time together.

We didn't rush too much and cruised up the coast, I stopped once to take some photos of the big surf pounding the snot out of one of the beaches that just happened to have three people riding horses across it. Made for some decent photo ops but the glare, the haze and my wee zoom didn't really produce anything super memorable.

The boys had been sleeping to that point but were now fully awake and ready for some action so we scouted out a place to get out, stretch our legs and go play in the sand and surf some. The first place we stopped wanted us to pay $6 to park for an hour which felt a bit crazy so we pulled back out and headed south until we found another spot. The parking lot and rest area were way up above the ocean but there was a good asphalt path down to the water. I knew the climb back up would include some pointed requests to be carried by both the boys.

The waves were big, loud and random. Not the kind of day to turn your back on the ocean for very long lest you find yourself being pulled out to sea. One couple who'd been strolling along found themselves in water above their knees in a moment, the man was able to bound out and up onto a small sandy outcropping, the woman nearly got swept out. We kept a very close eye on the boys.

After a little while down on the beach we headed back up to the car, no hurry, just cruising and enjoying some quality family time with a minimum of whining, no television to distract and the fantastic California weather. It isn't hard to understand why I love living out here on days like today, especially when I compare it to weather back in Vermont right now. I like winter in small doses.

Anyway, we headed for home, a little sandier and a little tired out from spending the day out and about.

I got a chance to put on the second coat of Polycrylic to the boy's bunk beds while everyone else took a break, either napping or watching some tube. One more coat tomorrow and the bunk beds will be ready to put into use. I can't wait! It means more room in their room, underbed storage and I get to reclaim alot of my garage which is a win/win/win!

Tomorrow is a return to work and tasklists a mile long. With some luck, I'll get some good stuff taken care of, I'll get a bike ride or two in and December won't suck. Oh shit, its December now. Time to get to bed.

Labels: drive, recap

According to the Typealyzer, my blog is an ESTP (Extraverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving) - The Doers, like Amy's. Lots more on ESTP's here.

ESTP - The Doers
The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

And, for bonus points (which they immediately lose for not pluralizing show), they provide a map of my brain bits that were dominant during writing. There is a strong emphasis on thinking, practical and sensing, less on feeling. Which, of course, jibes with what I think I approach most blogging with. What does your blog say about your type?

For bonus fun, here are some types for the blogs in the My Peeps list:
Change in Plans - ESFP - The Performers
The Mint 400 - ISTP - The Mechanics
What Would Jack Do - ISTP - The Mechanics
Brokedown Palace - ESTP - The Doers
Nutsy Fagan - ESFP - The Performers
The Gallery of the Absurd - ESTP - The Doers
Rick's Journal - ESTP - The Doers
Confessions of a Libertine - ISTJ - The Duty Fulfillers
Midvale School for Gifted Alumni - No report, blog is protected from public viewing
Chaos 6 Windblossom - ESFP - The Performers

Labels: myers-briggs, test

Because I have no patience to try and sculpt my comments to suit Ryan's rather ridiculous comment spam filter (nor does he even know how to turn it down or change its settings) and it keeps bouncing my comment, I'm going to post it here. This is in response to his short post, Just a Hunch which discusses why traditional media sources are floundering.

My second comment after a first comment calling Rush Limbaugh a liar and Fox News a sham news channel.

Actually, Ryan, I added that line about crawling up a butt specifically for you. I'm hurt. I would think you would know, by now, that any comment or statement here including a reference to a rectum is a specific nod to you and your famous backside. As for the liberal media bias for Obama, don’t believe the hype. Give a read to this article on FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting), the summary is, basically, there is no pro-Obama media bias. It is well supported and fairly difficult to refute.

Mr.D, when you say something like "most times when people assert that Rush is lying" you are admitting, implicitly, that some of the time he is lying. Most of the time people misunderstand him and some of the time he's telling outright, utter lies that he knows are completely untrue because his job is to appeal to his audience that loves his demagogery.

Inserting weasel words into a statement diminishes the power of your point or, more accurately, pops it like an over-inflated balloon. A weasel word is an escape hatch from a logical progression to a supportable conclusion.

Here, here is Rush Limbaugh’s Wiki page, specifically questions about his accuracy. But because he shows his bias proudly and spews lies and distortions, he gets a free pass?

As for the sources I draw my news from, they are, among other places, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Associated Press, the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC (yes, I do watch Olbermann, yes, I do believe him because his facts are verifiable even if his delivery is over-the-top), Wikipedia, Google News, Wired, and a thousand other sources. Do my sources lean to the left? Yes. Does that make them factually incorrect out of hand? No. Would I continue to read or take my news from a source that I know to intentionally spin and mislead me? No. I like my information with as little discernable bias as possible. And I never accept something at face value, I examine and re-examine my thoughts, beliefs and conclusions constantly.

As for my ability or inability to grasp why Rush appeals to a large audience, its the same reason why a demagogue like Bill O'Reilly has a wide audience, he plays to their fears, he strums their hatred and intolerance and prejudices. I understand why demagogues enthrall people, it’s primarily because people want to be told they are right and people who don't think like them are evil and/or stupid. Rush, Billo, Michael Savage and all of the others use the tactics of the demagogue to further their own causes, nationalist rhetoric couched in logical false methods like straw man attacks, false dilemmas, demonization and loaded questions. The demagogue appeals to a person’s baser instincts and desire to be told that their prejudices are the right ones to have, that they are among the chosen ones, that the other side are God-less, soul-less hedonists bent on chaos, anarchy and sodomy. And they cannot tolerate dissenting voices, their arguments cannot withstand scrutiny because they traffic in a distorted reality fed by prejudice and intolerance wrapped inside false patriotism.

You may be asking, after reading quite a lot of things I don’t like, what do I stand for?
I stand for honesty, I stand for integrity (of person and thought process), I stand for a tolerant and open society that engages in rational discussion, I stand for parents taking care of their children and teaching them right from wrong, I stand for allowing others to have their beliefs so long as they allow me to have mine, I stand for freedom of thought, speech, religion and action. I stand for accountability and creative expression. I stand for art, beauty, music and taking care of one’s body. I stand for intellectual curiosity and I stand for standing up against bullies of all kinds. I stand for capital punishment and free markets (not free market profit and socialized risk). I stand for fully funded education. I stand for transparency in government and I stand for universal healthcare.

Labels: demagogue, honesty, news

Schleptomania - the overpowering urge to bring far more than you will ever need on trips. Like three bags for a weekend trip. Many parents suffer from advanced forms of schleptomania.

Guess what? More new words here.

Labels: nwotd

If you read my sites by RSS feed and have originally subscribed to Wal-Mart is Pure Evil then you may be wondering where it has gone. I broke the feeds apart a week or two ago and the new Wal-Mart feed is http://www.intellectualpoison.com/rss2/WIPE.xml.

Sorry for the hassle but now feed readers of Intellectual Poison won't be getting Wal-Mart posts and vice versa.

Labels: rss

Read this thread over on Ask MetaFilter, Dreaming of a Bicycle Christmas, and you can see just how awesome and heart warming an online community can be.

I donated $10 to the cause and am going to stop by the local post office to find another child to sponsor this Christmas.

We may be struggling to make ends meet but there are many people out there who are having an even more difficult time.

Labels: community, spirit

Disclaimer: This is a paid review of The Car Connection. The opinions expressed below are my true opinions but I am being financially compensated for providing these opinions.

I don't do much web surfing of car sites because we're not in a position to be buying a new car or truck right now. Plus, our two cars and my motorcycle are running well and are fully paid off.

However, some thoughts struck me immediately upon clicking the link to check out The Car Connection's truck page. The first, and should be the most useful even though the price of gas has dropped rather shockingly (in a good way) over the last six months, is the ability to search for trucks by the gas mileage they get. The selection of trucks that get between 20 and 30 miles per gallon is more than I would have expected and that's a good thing.

You can further narrow down your selection process by choosing price ranges which is handy so that you don't have to see the top end trucks if you can't afford them. I always hated seeing what the money-is-no-object folks can buy. I would like to see an alternate price range filter that included overlapping ranges so that I could see trucks across a larger range. Maybe that didn't make a ton of sense. What I mean is that the price ranges now go in a straight linear fashion, under $15k, $15k to $25k, $25k to $35 and so on. What I'd like to see is something like under $15k, $10k to $25k, $20k to $35k, $30k to $45k. I think it would be helpful be able to look at the vehicles this way with less back clicking.

A good number of the trucks have review summaries on the page and all of them include full reviews (if available), photo galleries, trim and specs and price quote request links.

With a gutter column on the right full of ads, I think they could do well with removing the in-line ads among the search results that just extend the page without adding any real value. Or put them at the bottom of the page to make the information as easily accessible as possible. Besides, I tend to think its a bit odd to have sponsored Google Adsense ads on a commercial site.

The site does load up and refresh quickly, which is good because slow sites lose eyeballs very quickly. At the very bottom of the page are links to MySpace (I thought MySpace had been taken out behind a barn and put out of its hideous misery), Facebook, iPhone, Twitter, Friendfeed and RSS. That's alot of social networking for a car site. While I understand the desire to make information available in every way possible, I can't think of a single reason why I would want to follow a car site on Twitter. Maybe an RSS feed to keep an eye on awesome deals but it would be of limited interest.

Overall, The Car Connection's Pickup Truck site does what it needs to do and provides useful information along the way. It isn't perfect and there's no way to compare trucks side by side that I could find but it provides information in a clear and easy to understand manner.

Labels: reviewme, trucks

It is easy to get stuck on kvetch and complain all the time about what is wrong in the world, in your (or my) life and just how generally sucky existence can be.

But the reality of our world is that we are very lucky to be where we are.

These are some of the things that I am thankful for today.
The first is that my brother and his family weren't in Mumbai yesterday when the gunmen stormed the Taj Mahal Hotel and the Oberoi and are still causing trouble today. There were some very tense hours and I found out how amazingly powerful Twitter can be in times of need to know. The #mumbai tag was a lifeline to better, faster and live information, truly amazing.

I am also thankful for the health and well being of my family. My boys are healthy, inquisitive and curious children. My wife is healthy, getting healthier in treating a low thyroid issue. I am well but in more regular need of some pedaling therapy for both physical and mental health. Our animals are also good, for now. The cat has had an expensive and painful year with an infected sixth toe on one of her paws but Nande has been a rock, healthy as a horse and nearly as large.

I'm thankful for my job and its perks, relative stability and flexibility. Some of those perks are from helping people who need help, supporting the educational system and having access to some pretty good health coverage. Its relatively stable because of the union aspect but we're facing another round of budget cuts and who knows what will happen. I am no longer the bottom rung on the totem pole though so that's slightly reassuring. And the flexibility means I don't have a manager breathing down my neck all the time, I'm at multiple sites every week, outside a good portion of the time and can even have my son with me for a little bit if necessary (as it was earlier this week). Jobs are hard to come by these days and most involve toiling for jerks. I count myself lucky that I have my job and that I, generally, work with really good people.

I am also thankful for my extended family. Without their aid, we would be far behind on our mortgage payments, even deeper in the hole and without any chance of rescue. They have thrown us a lifeline and we are working hard to make the most of the opportunity.

I am thankful for this blog and my others, they are a form of therapy, they provide an outlet to share outrage, humor and whatever else drifts through my consciousness. I am thankful for the friends I've made online both through this blog and through the other activities I engage in online. It is no surprise that I'm a very wired person, I try to stay on top of numerous sites and communities while keeping all the other balls in my life in the air.

And, lastly, I am thankful for the sea change in America with the election of Barack Obama as our next president. He impressed me from the get go and continues to impress me each and every day. His words fill me with hope and a desire to help bring about the change we so desperately need.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. May your day be full of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and pie, oh yeah, lots of delicious pie.

Labels: thanks, Thanksgiving

Today's new word is Thanksgiving themed.

Gravytas - serious about gravy. And, in my family, we are very serious about gravy.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

As always, head over to the Fictionarium for more new words.

Labels: nwotd

I read, With an All-Pro apology, Vick deserves to play in the NFL again, which attempts to justify the disgusting dog fighting ring that Michael Vick set up, bankrolled and got his twisted jollies from. Not to mention gambling profits (recall Pete Rose got a lifetime ban from baseball solely for gambling).

And I strongly disagree that Michael Vick should be allowed to play in the NFL again. It isn't a right, its a privilege and one that he took a great big bloody dump all over. He showed his character and his character is deeply wanting.

The comments attached to the editorial are kind of sad to read, most seem to think that, because he's a great athlete, he should be allowed back into the NFL.

Adam "PacMan" Jones is facing a lifetime ban if he spits on the sidewalk or doesn't stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. And yet, someone who engaged in a gambling operation (let's not forget about the gambling since that's a majorly bad taboo in pro sports) on his property that involved animals being forced to fight to the death, that included family pets being tossed to the vicious animals to be torn to bits and also involved Michael Vick executing dogs that got too injured to be put back in the ring for more of his pathetic and sick pleasure.

There is no sorry for what he's done. He may do his time, he may be released but he, in no way, shape or form deserves another shot at the National Football League.

If, by hook or crook, he does gain entry again, I will boycott that team stupid enough to sign him, I will hope he gets injured badly enough to never walk again, I will hope he falls down a set of stairs and gets eaten by a pack of dogs.

Michael Vick should dedicate his life to trying to make up for his horrible actions in his past. Maybe, after a period of years of speaking out against dog fighting, after demonstrating real remorse, maybe then. But no way should he even be considered for reinstatement in the NFL now or for the foreseeable future.

This one is for Nutsy Fagan. And, in memory of, my father who loved sailing and imparted that love on to me.

Naughtical - debauchery on the high seas.

This new word and all the rest are all available (and rateable) on the IP Fictionarium.

Labels: nwotd

Maybe starting is too strong a word. But a title like "We are Defining a Religion" doesn't really grab you quite the same way, does it? And it doesn't matter how delicious the prose behind it is if the title isn't good enough to make you stop and read more. Besides, this is the age of hyperbole.

It is the age of the ultimate and the excess and the extra-large and super-size.

It is these sorts of demons that one who, consciously or unconsciously, subscribes to the tenets of Quixotianism. That's one thing about it that makes quixotianism different from all belief systems is the usual lack of knowledge of membership. There are no meetings, there are no local chapter presidents, there might be an occasional bake sale but they are not the norm.

The identifying trait is the persistence in seeing and battling demons that solely exist in your head. From taking it personally when the chowderhead in the dropped and chopped Honda cuts you off on the highway onramp to the mannerless jackass who bangs into you in a public space and never notices or apologizes. Quixotianism relates external events into personal attacks

Quixotianism - the conscious or unconscious adherence to the practice of battling imaginary demons.

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Now playing: Cake - Comfort Eagle
via FoxyTunes

Labels: quixotianism, religion

Bangster - gang banger. I.e. lowlife loser with no future.

More new words here.

Labels: nwotd

I did a few hours of tech support at the house of my son's preschool teacher last night and ended up having a really interesting and fun time with her, her husband and their daughter. They are engaging and interesting folks and I was happy to help them sort out some of their computer issues.

But what was really cool and fun is that they are into alternative energy, have solar panels installed on their house and the husband, Joe, has constructed an electric van from a conversion package. It is based on what I've always known as a Toyota Halfloaf minivan though his van's body was originally from Subaru.

His van looks exactly like the picture above except it is red where this one is blue. While a virus scanner was running (and running and running and running), he offered to take me out for a ride in it and then gave me a chance to drive it back! It isn't super quick but it gets up to speed in pretty short order and reaches top speed and can easily keep up with surface traffic. Unlike other manual transmissions, you do not downshift this van, you put it in neutral and push the non-powered brakes, sometimes very hard to get it to come to a stop. But part of its charm is its simplicity, of construction and operation.

He researched electric vehicles for two years with a certain set of criteria that he had trouble meeting until he came across the Electravan. One, it needed to be able to carry five people. Two, it had to be able to go 50 mph. Three, it had to be cute as a button (no, not really but it really is a cute little van). Range was less important as his daily commute is under five miles each way but he said it can easily go 20 miles without problems and other owners have been able to push theirs much, much further. The key is keeping speed steady to keep the draw on the batteries steady to maximize distance, pretty hard to do in real world traffic situations.

He was able to pick up the shell and most of the running parts (it is a four speed manual) for $5000 and then able to complete the van for another $5000 which gives him a fully electric vehicle for the same price as a decent used car. It plugs into a standard 110 socket but can be switched to 220 with the flip of a switch.

He said that there is no such thing as a quick trip to the store because someone (and usually several someones) always want to find out more about it.

He put up an information page on a blogspot site at Electravan with more of the van's background, the process of putting it together and what it is capable of. And he has a second van in the process of becoming road worthy, if you're interested then definitely get in touch with him, he's got contact info at the bottom of the page. And let him know you heard about it here.

It was my first direct experience with electric vehicles and was definitely a fun one. I need to call Zero Motorcycles and schedule that demo ride too but I want to have someone there to shoot some video and take some pics too.

Labels: electric vehicle, test ride

Fur paux - "accidentally" wearing fur and generating outrage among the militant PETAists.

More new words here.

Labels: nwotd

As more and more online communities spring up to allow like-minded people to gather around a virtual watering hole to compare notes, share tips, commiserate or what have you, the admins of those communities become the local sheriffs enforcing an often arcane version of the law of the local land.

There are no hard and fast rules for moderation and administration, nor are the admins usually trained in how to best deal with inevitable kerfluffles. Which means that they sometimes make incredibly stupid judgment calls that reverberate through the community and I'm sure some online sites have effectively disintegrated because of poor reactions from the admins and mods.

One recent example of an admin or admins reacting in the wrong way is from one of my Twitter contacts, rivkasmom. She makes some pretty cool steampunk jewelry and accessories. She used to sell them on Etsy but had not just her steampunk store shutdown after a dispute but her other store that had nothing to do with the problem. Basically what happened is she caught someone ripping off her designs and then selling them as her own. She notified the admins, they sided with the thief. She details the boondoggle at You Thought We Would Not Notice.

The Flickr community has had its own share of turmoil. From Yahoo buying the company, which sent thousands upon thousands of people into a tizzy, to wanton theft of photographs that caused many to lock down their images or leave the community altogether. I've had my own personal issues with the site after a group I started on a whim several years ago was deleted without notice, without any communication of any sort. Sure, it was a fairly low brow group but it was also a pretty popular group with several hundred members and several thousand photos added to it. The fact that they just deleted it without warning really, really rubbed me the wrong way for several weeks. I've gotten over it now but it made me seriously reconsider the site.

There are probably more failed and imploded online communities than anyone could ever track or know of. A community is a delicate creation, like a souffle, if you don't treat it gently then it can fall in on itself and become worthless.

There are, of course, plenty of counter-examples of communities that thrive because of good moderation or a transparency of the moderating process. One that leaps to mind is MetaFilter, partially because there's a specific part of the site to discuss grievances openly. And also partly because Mathowie is a very smart and level-headed guy who hires very smart and level-headed people to work for him. Another example on a much smaller scale is Skyrates, the sporadic play game I've been involved in for the last couple of years. The site and game thrive due in no small part to the openness of the developers to discuss issues openly.

Do you know of any communities that have been torn apart by capricious administrators? I'd love to hear about them in the comments.

Labels: community, moderation

Here are some words that are the verbal equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard and I'd just as soon slipped out of the lexicon altogether. Why yes, I am a word geek, what's it to you?

Remarkable - well duh, if you're talking about it then its obviously remarkable.

Extraordinary - this always strikes me as a backhanded compliment (i.e. an insult). Its like calling something superbanal or extramundane.

Zany - I'm not sure why I harbor such an intense dislike of the word zany. But I do. Thankfully the use of zany has waned in recent years. I guess my disapproving looks have paid off.

Turbo - when applied to an internal combustion engine, I have zero problem with the use of the word turbo. When applied to something that has no generated exhaust gas to recycle for additional power delivery to an engine, it is incredibly stupid and inappropriate.

Irregardless - this isn't a word. No really. But that doesn't stop people from trying to use it. Wikipedia defines it as a double negative conjunction of irrespective and regardless which cancel each other out. Kind of like saying "ain't not".

Do you have any words that make your skin crawl? Let me know in the comments.

Labels: kvetching

We are faced each day with choices that can lead to ruination or the other direction, I hesitate to call it salvation. These include reacting to someone being a jerk in traffic and looking to retaliate, escalate and infuriate. Or seeing what's behind that come-hither look the cute girl in your office gives you despite being married with kids. Or any number of other moral forks we are presented with on a daily basis.

The moment of decision is The Precipice where you can either step off into the unknown or step back from the edge. Most of the time decision isn't even a conscious one, it is guided by your moral code and knowing what is right and what is wrong.

But not all moral quandaries are of the bad sort. Some present opportunities to shine, to lead by example, to help someone else without any expectations in return.

The worst thing about the precipice is that you can go to the edge a million times and step back. But if, in a moment of weakness or outrage, you step over the edge, you can be permanently damned by your next actions. Jing Hua Wu, the guy who got fired and then went back to his job and killed three people, may have been a great guy outside of this horrific crime. He may have been a loving and doting father, a romantic and awesome husband and a good neighbor. But, because he was blinded by his rage at being fired, he gets to be permanently added to the list of the damned for his actions. And rightly so.

The other thought that occurs to me is how hard that first step is and how easy each subsequent step over the edge is. That is, pulling the trigger and killing the first person was probably the most difficult because that is the step over the edge. Each subsequent murder is just accelerating the fall. I know that's a horrible thing to say or write but it is the reality. A thief's most difficult crime is the first one. I've heard interviews with murderers that indicate the first killing is the most difficult. There's a rationality in the mind that the line has been crossed and going further over it does no more harm so why not?

We all face The Precipice every day and 99.99% of us choose to do the right thing 99.99% of the time.

Which Precipice did you look over and then step back from today?

Labels: ethics, morals

Studebt - student debt. Not too tough to figure that one out.

More new words here.

Labels: nwotd

Couture gets restraining order against Beard

Actually, taken another way, this is a pretty hilarious headline. But the Couture isn't UFC champion Randy Couture, its his wife, Kim. And the Beard in question is Todd Beard, the president of Affliction Inc., a wannabe MMA promotion that grew out of a t-shirt company. Yeah, if it seems kind of bizarre, it is.

Kim Couture wanted to get some numbers from the accounting department about the sales of shirts featuring her husband, Randy "The Natural" Couture. Beard, apparently felt that her seemingly reasonable request was completely insane and, according to the restraining order, launched a campaign to intimidate, berate and otherwise be a douchebag, including an expletive laden phone call with Kim and her lawyer.

Of course, it almost goes without saying that, because of his extreme response, the accounting was going to show that the Couture's had not been paid what they were owed. Which is to say, Affliction or some person within Affliction was stealing money from the Coutures. And I'm not sure there's any universe where I'd want Randy Couture pissed off at me. Or, the other and less likely explanation is that Todd Beard is such a raging angry man that he flew off the handle at the suggestion of any impropriety on his part. My guess is he'll eventually be found to have been skimming profits for himself

Beard has a history of intimidation and violence and is, from many accounts, a real piece of work.

And, since the original news posted, there's been two new developments.

One, Beard has resigned his position and entered a rehab facility for alcohol abuse and anger management (wow, those group sessions must be loads and loads of fun).
Two, Affliction is attempting to downplay Beard's role with the company.

Labels: bad business, mma, rage

Oprah's Law of Endorsement - If Oprah likes it and you do not then you are wrong.

Bill O'Reilly's Averation of Truth - The more Bill O'Reilly swears something is true, the less true it is.

Paris Hilton's Never Miss an Opportunity to Shill - Even when getting busted for a DUI she says she was just trying to get to In'n'Out (at least, I think she was shilling, maybe she was talking about hiring a gigolo).

The OJ Rule - If you get away with committing a heinous crime then it would behoove you to live a very, very clean life or you risk some extra heavy karmic payback. Witness OJ's "acquittal" for double murder and then very heavy hit for strong arm robbery. Payback is, most certainly, a bitch.

Naomi Campbell's Fearful Flying - Just stay the hell out of her way and keep the cocktails flowing and nobody gets hurt.

Joe Lieberman's Buttered Milquetoast - Never let a little thing like principals or party affiliation stand in the way of your ambition to ride someone else's coat tails.

Labels: laws, rules

This is my brother's blog of his year off traveling around the world with his wife and two kids, Change in Plans.

I make no attempt to hide my struggles with his ability to take an entire year off to travel while my own family is struggling to make ends meet (and failing). But he is my brother and, regardless of my personal issues, I am deeply proud of his accomplishments.

Labels: blog, brother, travel

Pondering the relationship between participation in shows like Dora and Diego that repeatedly request responses and actions from viewers and the likelihood of susceptibility to mob mentality actions later in life.

If a child is highly responsive then does that make them more like to "lose" themselves in a mob of charged members? Are children being conditioned to be sheep?

Oddly appropriate today on the 30th anniversary of the mass "suicide" at Jonestown.

Labels: children, conditioning, television

This ended up being a pretty good weekend despite the absolutely insane mid-November heat wave that peaked yesterday with temps on my deck reaching and breaching 100 degrees. No lie! I've got photographic proof if need be.

On Saturday, I took the boys to "Blue Ball" park in Soquel. It is so named because the predominant feature there are a series of huge blue balls set into the hill side. The park itself is large and sprawls a bit but the main attraction is a couple of slides with a bump at the top and a good runoff landing in the sand below. One of the slides had been removed for repairs so the remaining slide was pretty impacted and the kids had to wait their turn.

It was hot enough that I had to take my shirt off to keep from overheating. Sully had to be convinced to keep his pants on. We played at the park for nearly 3 hours before we all got hungry and headed off for some lunch. Sully took a short nap on the way home but that was it, I was pretty sure they would both crash. But nope, they charged ahead without naps which means we could look forward to sniping at each other as the evening goes on. Sully still needs a little break to recharge his batteries or he turns into, well, a little fucker. It isn't really his fault but boy does he get annoying. From stealing Graydon's toys to trying to hit Nande with whatever he can lay his hands on to shutting off the tv repeatedly to laying the open hand slap on whatever bare skin he can to dumping his juice on the floor.

On Saturday night I took up a teacher friend's invitation to join him for some mixed martial arts mayhem in UFC 91 Couture vs. Lesnar. I've already written it up along with my scorecard from my predictions. One re-reflection I'd like to note is that Lesnar showed some real class in his victory over Couture. Unlike his last facing of Heath Herring when he beat him, this time around he handled it well. Oh yeah, one more thing, I was kind of shocked at how quickly Demian Maia walked through Nate Quarry.

It was a fun evening and I enjoyed spending time with Manuel, his wife and his very sweet little boy (who's got a little of the stinker in him too). Plus, the Marzen tasted awesome, I forget how good that beer is.

On Sunday, the wife and kids were headed to a birthday party that I was invited to as well but Sunday's are pretty much my only day to be at the house, get projects pushed along and enjoy some pigskin fun (that's football). And I did get a whole bunch of stuff done around the house including most of my laundry, I finished hand sanding the bunk beds and they are ready for pre-staining, staining and sealing. I also gave Nande a bath which was desperately needed if the amount of fur coming off her was any indication. I had to stop and clear the drain at least ten times. And then, later on in the evening when she was dry, I took another massive pile of fur off of her. She really has an amazingly thick coat. And she was rather happy to get cleaned up, rubbed down and brushed.

The Forty-Niners put a whooping on the Lambs which was a refreshing change from their six game losing streak. But then the Redskins had to go and lose to the Cowboys which will make winning my football pool a little more difficult. Basically, I need the Browns to win tonight and the total score to be more than 52 or 53 points.

I also had a good chat with my mom.

All in all, it was a good and productive weekend. I would have liked to get a bike ride in too but it was just too freaking hot on Sunday to go out even though I'm sure it was at least ten degrees cooler in the shade at Nisene. The problem with going riding in Nisene Marks on the weekends is that there's about ten times as much foot traffic as during the week. And its no fun to scare the living crap out of walkers who happen to be on the bike trails. Okay, its a little bit fun.

Time for me to get cranking on my massive tasklist. Hope you had a great weekend too.

Labels: football, house projects, weekend, wrap-up

Well, the good news is that it was a good night of fights. Gonzaga was fun to watch, Florian was fun to watch and, yes, Couture/Lesnar was fun to watch even if the outcome wasn't quite what I'd hoped for.

Thanks to Manuel, his wife and his sweet and funny little boy for having me over.

The Quarry/Maia was over very quickly and Maia pretty well dominated because the fight went to the ground, he got a very solid body lock figure four and could take his time alternating between punches and working the rear naked choke in.

Gonzaga/Hendricks fight wasn't really much of a question. Gonzaga overpowered him from the start and ended it with his fists though he could have chosen to submit him too.

The Florian/Stevenson fight was quite a bit faster than I expected and Stevenson was much more aggressive than I expected. But he underestimated Florian's ground game (perhaps the result of his recent promotion to a black belt in Brazilian Jui Jitsu). I wonder whether Kenny finishing him via rear naked choke (they had an outstanding close up in the replay!) was by opportunity or choice since the rear naked is usually Stevenson's go to move.

The Hazelett/McCrory fight had one of the most painful to watch submissions I've seen in a while. And they replayed it many times. How Tamdan McCrory's arm didn't snap or tear some tendons is beyond me. Plus, Dustin Hazelett's beard thing looked really stupid. But he's a good fighter.

Alrighty then, now to the main event. Couture vs Lesnar was everything it was hyped to be. Lesnar and his meathook hands came out throwing, Couture stayed composed and stuck to his plan. I would give Lesnar the first round by a little bit. In the second round, Couture cut Lesnar over his eye and it was obviously annoying him when he landed a glancing blow behind Couture's left ear that dropped him. He pounced and pounded and the fight got called. Maybe a little too soon but maybe not. Lesnar's the real deal. He showed a lot of class in victory which he hasn't shown to this point. It made the win easier to stomach and will make the heavyweight division a rather interesting one for sure.

It was a very good night of fights and I enjoyed the heck out of it. I went 3 for 5 on my fight predictions so I can't complain too much.

Labels: UFC, wrap-up

Time for some fight predictions for tomorrow night's UFC 91. I'll be watching and the UFC's president, Dana White, is predicting upwards of a million PPV buys which I don't see happening but I do think this will easily break previous UFC sales records.

Couture vs Lesnar - this is a tough one to call but I'm going to go with Randy to win this. Lesnar is getting better and better in each fight but The Natural has been playing this game for a long time and is one of the most savvy fighters ever to grace the Octagon. Brock Lesnar is an impressive physical specimen and an outstanding athlete. He's strong, fast and big. But he has yet to have his chin tested in an MMA match. I don't think he's going to enjoy getting punched in the face by Randy at all. And who knows what will happen if/when he gets cut.
Prediction: Couture by TKO strikes.

Florian vs Stevenson - personal feelings aside (I tend to think Joe Stevenson is a bit of a douchebag) I think Kenny is going to win this fight. He's fast, strong and very talented. Stevenson is really well experienced for his age but I just don't see him winning. Plus Kenny Florian has, oddly enough, sharp elbows that are like bony knives.
Prediction: Florian by TKO strikes.

Gonzaga vs Hendricks - Gabriel Gonzaga nearly kicked Mirko Cro Cop's head clean off, he's a monster with heavy hands and outstanding jui jitsu. I don't know much about Hendricks but I'm going with the known monster and giving the fight to Gonzaga via TKO in the second.
Prediction: Gonzaga by submission, possibly a rear naked choke.

Quarry vs Maia - I am a fan of Nate "Rock" Quarry. He had spinal fusion surgery and has returned to the Octagon and had several very exciting and great wins. I don't know Maia very well but he's supposed to be an excellent fighter and will give Quarry everything he can handle. But, in the end, I think Quarry will handle him.
Prediction: Quarry by TKO strikes.

The next four fights are fighters I have little to no knowledge of and can't make any kind of a prediction one way or the other.

Brown vs Thomas - Any fan of the UFC has seen Matt Brown on a recent season of The Ultimate Fighter. He's a tough guy, he likes to fight and he will absolutely bring it. Don't know much about Thomas but he's got a good record (which is different on different MMA sites) and is a good wrestler.
Prediction: Brown by knockout.

There it is. I doubt I'll be spot on but you never know. I'd like to see Couture win primarily because I like him and I tend to think Lesnar is too raw, too new and hasn't earned a shot at the heavyweight title after a mere three professional fights. Plus there's the whole fact that he comes from the WWE and its circus sideshow idiot mentality. Sorry, I absolutely hate "professional" wrestling because it isn't a sport, its a soap opera on steroids.

I'll report back in after the fights with a scorecard tally and fight reflections.

Labels: mma, prediction, UFC

One of the best aspects of riding bikes for me is the peace and quiet, the chance to be out in nature with your thoughts, your bike and maybe a pal or two and some dogs. The other day I got a chance to go for a good ride in Nisene Marks State Park. It is a gorgeous park with excellent trails through the redwoods. The air is clean and pure and feels like magic.

There are also many miles of top notch riding trails. Some of which are singletrack paths along the sides of steep hills with dropoffs of a hundred feet or more. I'd call the place breathtaking but with all that fresh new oxygen around it seems almost hard to lose one's breath.

Unless it has been a couple of weeks since I've gotten some saddle time and my legs burn up early on and my lungs weren't used to having to work so hard. But even so, it always feels like I recover more quickly and can get back on the trail faster than if I were riding somewhere else without such heavy tree cover.

Mountain biking is a great combination of things for me. Its a chance to get out in nature, a chance to get some exercise and burn off some frustration and its a chance to think in ways that aren't really possible without the effort. Does that make sense? You know how sometimes you're able to figure something out even when you're not really thinking about it? A light goes on, the answer is clear. Biking is like that for me. The world becomes a simpler place, there is your front wheel, there are the pedals, there are your feet and away you go.

Reducing the distractions can quiet down the competing voices and thoughts in my head so that a certain level of clarity bubbles up from below. What might have been vexing before is clear and simple and it can become much easier to work through a charged issue (yes, I recognize that this is a vague term but I don't really care to elaborate).

Everyone needs a way to blow off steam, the important thing is finding that thing that works for you. Biking is one of valves and it helps that I love it! What do you do to keep your grip on your sanity?

Labels: bicycling, mountain biking, release

Hasband - a lame husband.

Check out the Fictionarium for more new words.

Labels: nwotd

I just got finished watching the latest episode of Survivor Gabon and have finally felt like writing something about this season. The season is a little more than half over now with the tenth person voted out tonight from an original 18. I love the location but much of this season has been pretty unsatisfying.

Here are my thoughts on the remaining players.

Randy - a racist asshole. I keep hoping he'll twist his knee and have to leave the game because of a medical problem. The guy has two assholes, one he shits from and other he spews verbal shit from. Really, an ugly person through and through.

Corinne - a conniving and hateful bitch. She holds herself in really high esteem and then utterly slags other people, calling them stupid morons and other crap. She's a pretty disgusting human being.

Crystal - for being an Olympian, she's been all but worthless in the physical challenges and she's got that hard not to laugh at angry bobblehead thing going. She comes off as angry, angry, angry too much of the time and is, well, kind of annoying.

Kenny - he's the gamer and he's playing the game. He's been lying an awful lot more recently and, I think, is losing stock among the other players. But I kind of like him because he's a physical underdog.

Matty - a decent and nice guy who got the short end of the stick through most of the game. I like him and would have no problem with him winning the whole thing.

Susie - I don't have much of an opinion about her aside from the fact I don't think she can or will win. She did, however, change the course of the game by jumping sides.

Sugar - one of the most underestimated players in the game. She's been a swing vote many times, she's been the deciding vote several times and she's got the immunity idol to fall back on if she ever feels threatened. She's got a great chance to get to the finals.

Bob - the elder statesmen of the game. Aside from looking partially deranged from not bathing or shaving, he is one of the most genuinely nice and cool guys to ever play the game.

The last four tribal councils have all seen strong male players booted from the game and the last two were blindsides of the pretty doctor man and then his adoring lawyer monkey. They're the first two members of the jury and Charley, the lawyer, has his saving grace that he gets to spend the rest of the game in the doctor's golden glow. The way he fawned over him throughout the game was irritating.

At this point in the game, there are several people I wouldn't mind seeing win and several that I would be aggravated about. The okay to wins are: Matty, Sugar, Kenny and Bob though I don't think Bob has a chance. The no way in hell do I want them to wins are: Randy and Corrine. I hate it when assholes triumph but it can happen in Survivor.

Labels: survivor

I can't be the only that's a little squigged out by Dick Cheney playing tour guide to Joe Biden. Can I?

I don't know enough about Joe Biden to condemn or condone him (though, like most people I don't know, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt) but I know plenty about Dick Cheney to call him one of the most evil, vile, disgusting bags of feces in human skin to ever hold public office. He has done more than his part to defile the American political machine with his wanton power grabs, his openly mean spirit and generally hateful attitude towards anything not him.

What a bizarre and uncomfortable tour that must have been. I wonder if Cheney proudly showed off his private torture chamber?

Labels: awkward, Dick Cheney, politics

California, in an attempt to legislate common sense, instituted a law banning the use of a cell phone while driving unless a hands free device was used. The fine for a first offense is $20, additional offenses are $50 each. From what I've seen around town, the law has done absolutely nothing to change people's idiotic and totally self-absorbed behavior. They continue to blather away on their phones while drifting from lane to lane on the highway in their mega-SUV (they are invariably alone too).

The thing is, the law is already pretty clearly covered by laws against reckless driving. Reckless driving is when you are driving your vehicle in a negligent and dangerous manner. Studies have clearly shown that people on cellphones drive as bad OR WORSE than drunk drivers. Their attention is limited, their ability to react is severely impacted and they make themselves a far more dangerous road hazard than not gabbing away on their phone.

My recommendation is to either remove the law altogether and just start enforcing the existing laws against reckless driving or give the cell phone ban law some real teeth. Nobody cares about a piddly $20 fine. Make the first fine $50, the second $100 and add $100 to each subsequent fine. If someone's facing a $400 fine just for talking on their phone while driving, they might think twice about it. Probably not but maybe.

Side note, reckless as a word to describe dangerous driving is nearly the same as wreckless, meaning not having a wreck. Odd.

Labels: cellphone, common sense

I had an opportunity to mess around with an OLPC (that's One Laptop Per Child) today. The new computer teacher at one of my schools had gotten one, well two but the other one, as per the arrangement, went to a needy person in a third world country. My initial reactions: it is very small, very portable, has a great handle for secure carrying and was hard for the computer teacher to get open at first. With the little machine opened up and the port covers up, it almost has an animalesque sort of charm. One of my teacher friends remarked that it looks like something Lego would make.
I was busy with other things while it got booted up so I can't speak to its load time but it certainly didn't seem overly slow. I had to look twice before realizing that its actually a color screen, the main screen is very, very monochromatic and I guess I had some expectations of corner cutting. But it is, in fact, a color screen. The touchpad was responsive and I rather liked the large cursor arrow. The icons along the bottom had text popups to help decipher them which was good because several were just a bit too obtuse.
I tried the browser but the wifi signal in the room we were in was very weak so I can't speak to its surfing abilities.
The keyboard is sealed which should help its longevity even if its tactile feedback is pretty mediocre but certainly serviceable.
I liked that the screen could be turned around and the machine used as a tablet. Much like my Sony Clie UX50 but just a tad bigger (I'm kidding, its way bigger).

Some concerns about the machine. If I had no experience with a computer, this thing would have me scratching a hole in my head. It needs tutorials or instructions, video-based would be very useful as well as localizing (making them in the user's native language) them to help bring down the steep learning curve. I don't know what the rollout of these looks like but I really hope there are some classes and tech support to get people up and using them. I don't quite understand how the Wifi is supposed to work if the user is out in the middle of nowhere. Also, what happens when something does go wrong with them? Do they get fixed somehow or do they get tossed in a garbage can?

Overall, I think the OLPC is a very significant step forward and I would love to see millions of these get into the hands of people who wouldn't otherwise have an opportunity to join the information age. The promise of the OLPC is fantastic, the philosophy is laudable and, if I had any money to spare, I'd buy two to get one. No question.

And I hope she brings it back next week so I can get a little more time on it.

Labels: information age, olpc

I saw this sign the other day while I was out riding in Nisene Marks. It took me a hundred feet or so before I figured out what it had originally said and then doubled back to snap a pic of it.

The sign used to read Save Our State Parks but the SOS had been either burnt off by the sun or removed intentionally. I like to think that someone removed the letters on purpose to send a subliminal message that our state parks are sending out an SOS.

But more than just our state parks need saving. Our homes need saving, our economy needs saving, public education, the environment and, to a lesser degree, our sanity.

Luckily, the action that brought me to this sign is a big sanity restoring release valve in my life. And it means an awful lot to know how to release all of the pent up angst, aggravation and frustration that life inevitably brings on.

Labels: messages, mountain biking, release, SOS

This just came to me when I was peeking at my contacts photos on Flickr, I'm going to make a concerted effort to look at and comment on every single contact with a recently uploaded photo. Every week.

The hard part is that Flickr's blocked at work so I'll have to figure out how to add it to my out of work surfing time. But its worth it in just enjoying the fantastic photos my contacts take.

This is something I should have been doing all along but its easy to get sidetracked and damned if I'm not a distractable guy. But these are things I'm aware of and am taking steps to both address and capitalize on since one's weakness can also be a source of great strength. And vice versa, of course.

So, without further distraction with the blogging, I'm headed back to Flickr to enjoy some art and let the artists know that I enjoyed it.

Labels: appreciation, art, Flickr

I am big into Twitter. I update many times during the day, engage with the folks I follow (even if they don't often engage back, I'm looking at you Mathowie and BrittneyG but I still love you both) and do not often add new people to follow.

Which makes it even rarer for me to stop following someone once I've started following them. But I stopped following someone this morning and am likely going to stop following another one soon if he doesn't stop treating Twitter like a blog post notification system.

Mathowie had a post on his A Whole Lotta Nothing blog about why he chooses to block someone. And his reasoning runs parallel to mine (great minds and all that). But most expressly number 3, using Twitter to take link dumps all the time without any engagement in the community of Twitter.

So here are my rules for Being a Good Twitterer
1. Twitter is not solely a mechanism to drive traffic to your blog. If that's how you see it then fine but I'm not really interested.
2. Following more than a couple of hundred people. It isn't really possible to pay attention to so many voices which tells me you're probably trying to work an SEO angle.
3. No more followo, Mr. RoBOTo. I engage with humans, not bots. If its obvious that you're not a living, breathing human being then you'll be blocked. Even if you're a bot with a really cute avatar.

Update: I just dropped the other Twitterer. Three or four posts this morning, all links to blog posts. That's not Twittering, that's just trying to drive traffic.

Labels: twitter

Mama Africa Passes On

Miriam Makeba had one of those beautiful singing voices that could make a bad song good and a good song great. She was also a powerful voice for human rights in addition to just being a powerful voice.

With her voice gone, the silence is deafening.

Rest in Peace, Miriam. You have earned your rest a thousand times over.

----------------
Now playing: Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks - Holilili Tula Baba Lullaby
via FoxyTunes

Labels: africa, death

I have taken to thinking of the local gangs as suburban terrorists. Not ideologically motivated America haters, they are more inclined to be angry youth with no real future (poor education, not smart enough for college, crappy home lives, etc.) so they turn to gangs where they have friendship and are part of something bigger than they are. They have a calling, even if that calling is to be the dregs of society squabbling over one run down street and terrorizing the people who have to live there.

The jury I was selected to sit on earlier this week involved a gang robbery that either went bad or was planned to go bad. In the end, the guy pulling the trigger got sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. At no time during his trial, which I was not involved in, did he show any remorse for having blown another human being's head off with a sawed off shotgun. The two boys with him were the subjects of the case I was being selected for.

I spent two days hearing just the top level information about the crime and I got to hear an awful lot of testimony from prospective jurors about the impact of the gangs in their lives. From the juror in front of me who's cousin was murdered earlier this month (another stabbing) to the father of teenaged boys who was compelled to prepare for WW III after his boys got into something with some bangers at a local pool hall that resulted in their car being seriously vandalized. To another who'd had a shotgun pointed at his own head some years before.

The means by which the gangs operate is to overwhelm with numbers, to intimidate, to attack the affiliated and the unaffiliated.

I should note that the violence is largely restricted to their peers, other younger people doing nothing but passing their days (i.e. not continuing with school and working crappy dead end jobs if they even have those). But they don't really draw a hard line at limiting their aggression towards those in gangs. Recently a 14 year old boy was confronted by 5 gang bangers, they demanded his affiliation and, when he told them he wasn't in a gang, they proceeded to kick the holy shit out of him and stabbed him a few times for good measure.

The result, to me, is that I feel a constant low level of danger. I distrust anyone wearing a bright red or blue hat (they tend to the hats as they are probably easier to remove and stow when a cops cruises by), most especially when they are part of a pack of four or five kids.

And, in conversations with my wife, I'm coming to realize that there is a long term detrimental effect that is probably similar to post-traumatic stress syndrome but without the initial trauma.

I've never been jumped, I've never had a gun pointed at me here (I did have a gun pointed at me in South Africa years ago but I don't think the two are connected at all). I've never been the victim of a gang-related crime. And my wife thinks that my perspective is unwarranted and sows fear. She may be right. But I am having an extraordinarily difficult time separating my concerns from the true level of risk and danger.

She thinks that I should adopt the same attitude I have taken in regards to reading my brother's travel blog. That it upsets me less to know in the abstract what a fabulous travel experience he and his family are having, how much money he has and can spend on their journey. I wish I could read his blog and stay current on their travels without feeling the sting of the have-not and the cannot.

She has recommended that I avoid the Cops & Courts section of the Sentinel. But I'm not sure how much of an effect that would have because I live where I cross paths with gang bangers several times a day. I see them when they drop off their kids at my school, they live down the street from me, I walk my dog in the slough and they come swaggering through (though they do not even think of giving me trouble because most of them are very afraid of dogs and my dog is a flipping big and scary one). I might be able to limit the knowledge of particulars but I don't see how it would be possible to alter my reality without moving to a perceptibly safer area.

And I know that a good portion of my fears are wrapped up in the optionless position we are in. Our house is so badly undervalued now that selling is absolutely not an option. And, even if it were, I don't make anywhere near enough money to save to put together a down payment on another house even if we could afford a full-sized mortgage. We are, literally, stuck between a too-high mortgage and a too-low income.

I don't have a solution but I'm willing to entertain ideas. How do you deal with a situation where you do not feel you have options and are oppressed by the situation? What would you do if you were me? How would you create a more harmonious and less fearful close-in reality (I'm not stupid enough to think I can change the town)? I know other blogging friends live in tough areas, how do you cope with it?

I apologize for the length of this post. I could continue on with details, instances where I've felt personally threatened and the like but I think the basic structure is in place, there should be a reasonably good understanding of what our day-to-day existence is like.

How would you address it?

Labels: gangs, terrorism, threat of violence

I was just reading an article in Wired that basically says Blogging is Dead. The reasons they lay out make some pretty broad assumptions about the reasons that people blog. For example, they say the chances of a well written article/post by a nobody like me showing up high in search results is virtually nil. And I can accept that. I used to blog with an eye to notoriety and expected book deals, groupies and Google AdSense millions to come my way anyday.

While I wouldn't complain if that happened, it is no longer even in the top five or ten reasons why I blog. Sure, I'd love to get paid to blog but it pays me in other ways. Like having gotten to know good people like Amy, Ryan, Lujza, Nutsy, Rick, Jack, the rather awesome fellas at the Mint 400, Easy and more (apologies if I didn't list every single blog I read here, it started to get silly). Blogging has become a sort of therapy for me. Mixed in among the ejaculate posts about politics, celebrity idiocy and news are posts about what makes me tick, about things that are important to me. Plus, it gives interested members of my family, who are mostly bound to the east coast, a chance to check in and see where my head is at, leave a comment or two and stay in touch.

Twitter, as much as I love it for its immediacy, funky community and brevity, has no staying power. A great tweet is off the page in an hour and gone for good in a day. During one of the presidential debates, I took part in a live Twitter chat during the debate (I'm sure Jay remembers the hundred or so tweets in an hour and a half). And I have some wicked funny comments, one liners and observations. But they are all so far down my tweet list now as to be gone forever.

And, maybe its my age showing, but I rather enjoy a little bit of permanence. Plus, the blog is a measure of my feelings, thoughts and what was important to me at the time. And yes, even the stupid low-brow attempts at political humor count.

Blogging offers a way to explore events and feelings in far greater depth. Twittering is, in many ways, a symptom and manifestation of our ADD society.

I remember a tweet by Brittneyg to the effect that she had such a short attention span, she wasn't even reading full tweets anymore, she was skimming them. What does it say about our society when we can't even slow down enough to read 140 characters?

I don't think blogging is dead but it might be if you're planning on starting a blog to change the world and get rich. That landscape has been claimed and is now being dominated by professional writers with teams of researchers. And, oddly enough, I don't read many of those blogs because they are so impersonal. I prefer blogs written by just a couple of people who I can possibly develop a relationship with, discuss things with and not be yet another anonymous commenter.

But Twitter has its place too. And I'm sure there's something else just around the corner that will shoulder its way into the mix as well. Like Flickr, Vimeo, YouTube and other social networking sites (things like Facebook but not Facebook because I absolutely refuse to agree to their ridiculous terms of use).

Labels: blogging, motivations, twitter

Perception - the cold sore on my lip is big enough to be seen from space.
Reality - most people don't notice it unless I point it out to them. But it still hurts like someone put a cigarette out on my lip.

Perception - My family is the only one struggling to get by.
Reality - Millions of families across the nation are in the same or worse shape than we are.

Perception - Prop 8 passed because the will of the people decreed same-sex marriage threatens "traditional" marriage.
Reality - The Yes on 8 campaign used just about every dirty trick in the book to get it passed, including robocalls featuring Barack Obama's quote about not believing in same-sex marriage but excluding his very next line that he did not support Prop 8. Those robocalls went to every single black voter in California.

Got any Perception vs. Reality you'd like to dispel? Leave a comment.

Labels: perception, reality

I've made no bones about the fact that I thoroughly loathe Elizabeth Hasselbeck, the token conservative parrot owl on The View who became Sarah Palin's top adviser despite having the intelligence quotient of a retarded wombat. So it was with delightful glee that I saw my favorite artist, 14, of the Gallery of the Absurd, had aimed her artistic cannons at her. And she scores a direct and hilarious hit.

Yes, it is petty of me to level so much hatred at someone I've never met and will never meet. But Hasselbeck represents so much of what is wrong with politics in America. Her unexamined repetition of GOP talking points without having the knowledge to understand them, her teary defense of Bush and his pet Iraq War, her outrage that anyone could possibly question this current administration and just that freakishly huge and shiny forehead.

Labels: awesome, gallery of the absurd

Chris Leben tests positive for steroids and is suspended for nine months after UFC 89 loss.

I've been a fan of Chris Leben's for a few years now. I liked how he carried himself, I liked his heavy, heavy fists that can knock out anyone at any time (see: Martin, Terry for a fantastic graphic example).

But I'm going to really have to re-evaluate my admiration and respect after he was busted for cheating. I can't stand cheaters and I really hate it when cheaters win. Which Leben did not do when he used steroids in his fight against Michael Bisping a couple of weeks ago.

I do have to give props to the UFC for instituting its own drug policies and enforcing them. There is no governing body forcing them to drug test their fighters, they do it of their own accord and that is pretty damned admirable.

Labels: cheating, mma, steroids

I don't have good notes from Day 1 because I didn't have anything to write on. I learned my lesson and brought my clipboard on Day 2. Here are the things I wrote down.

- The gun owners were almost exclusively white folks.
- Guns elicit some very strong emotional reactions in some of the prospective jurors.
- The prospective jury of the two defendants' peers (two Latino males) includes three Latina women out of 18 and the rest are, generally, of European descent.
- The judge's name is Atack, he should have been a prosecutor.
- Some folks really don't like turning off the ringer on their cellphones.
- The defense criteria for a good juror isn't at all what I expected.
- I have strong doubts about the [other prospective jurors] understanding of what "reasonable doubt" entails.
- Even multiple warnings [from the judge and bailiff] don't stop the ringing cellphones.
- Lawyering is alot like verbal poker, don't show your hand until you have to.

It was shortly after the last observation that we broke for lunch. Almost two hours later when we reconvened, the DA stood with his ADA and requested the charges be dismissed with cause (not enough time was given to the prosecution to adequately prepare the case) to be immediately refiled tomorrow morning.

The judge was rather pissed off about it, the waste of his time, the waste of the court's time, the waste of all the juror's time. But he had to grant the request because defense did not object and it isn't really fair to the prosecution that they didn't have enough time since he only got the case 6 weeks prior.

I had been called up to the jury box and had been directly questioned by the judge, defense counsel and the prosecution. I think I responded reasonably well but always found I had more to add just after they'd moved on to another juror.

All in all, it was an interesting way to spend a couple of days. I think a four or five week trial would have been a wicked grind and I'm glad it didn't go to that but I'm glad I took part.

And the defendants' charges? Nine charges in all, from conspiracy to commit robbery to robbery to felony murder. What they were allegedly a part of went very, very wrong and someone ended up very, very dead.

I don't foresee either of them walking as free men anytime soon even if they do get off, the trial won't start up again for six months or so at the least. And, truth be told, from what little I know and found out, they are both pretty guilty. But, of course, if the trial had taken place, I would have withheld that conclusion until all the evidence and witnesses had been heard. But my gut told me that they were there, they took part and someone ended up dead who didn't deserve to be dead.

Labels: jury duty, observation

Came up with this after "meeting" two young defendants facing some really serious charges that could put them in prison for twenty or thirty years.

Scarious - (scare-ee-us) seriously scary.

Alternative spelling - scerious (skeer-ee-us).

This new word will also go up on the Fictionarium when I have a little bit more time.=.

Labels: nwotd

It feels like I'm being repetitive but blogging is going to be light. I am currently spending my days doing jury duty on a pretty scary and disgusting case. I may get dismissed today and then I'll be able to finish the post about the process.

But I did come up with a new word in the courtroom yesterday. I'll post it just after this goes up.

Labels: jury duty

So how'd I do on yesterday's election? I hit the big one in Obama/Biden winning the presidential election but several of the props have passed, including the hate-based Prop 8, the special-interest crippled Prop 1a, that I had hoped would not.

Total score: 7/13. I missed on Props: 1a, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11. Not especially good AND made worse with Prop 8 passing. But I'll take the Obama win first and foremost and we can sort out the other stuff later. For now, it is time to breathe again, remember that there are other things worth blogging about aside from politics.

But I would like to note that John McCain's concession speech was his best of the entire campaign and I hope he continues to urge his supporters to work with President-elect Obama (doesn't that sound good?).

........
Hey, um, the Sharks are off to an amazingly kickass start!

Labels: election, politics, Sharks

Poisition - a job that is corrosive to your soul. See: McClellan, Scott; or Snow, Tony.

More new words here.

Labels: nwotd

I have plenty of reasons to smile today.

First and foremost, its election day in America. We are looking at electing this nation's first black president. The election should not be close at all, it should send a very clear signal to Washington that America is tired of the status quo, that America is tired of the divisiveness, that America is tired of watching our economy tank, that America is ready to start the hard work to resume our place as a world superpower.

Second, I won my auction last night (well, early this morning really). I have been in the market for a motorcycle jacket to use for commuting to work because my full on Aerostich riding suit is bulky and hard to deal with once I've gotten to school. My new jacket was a wicked bargain (which is good because I wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise). I'm rather excited to have an alternative to my heavy suit.

Third, I have a wonderful family in good health. My two little boys are delightfully wonderful guys. Grady has started singing songs he learns in pre-school and Sully is a little chatterbox machine (he's 2 and can string together pretty complex sentences). My wife and I are weathering some bumps along the way but are committed to each other and to our children.

Fourth, this upcoming weekend is a four day weekend with Monday AND Tuesday off. And that's something both Republicans and Democrats can agree on, days off ROCK!

Fifth, Skyrates is currently down but the game is set to start up again next week with lots of improvements. If you wanted to play, the reset is the best time to get in. Everyone is at ground level. Come and join up. And make sure to join the Red Faction and let them know Colonel Fenriq sent you, you'll be welcomed with open arms.

Sixth, did I mention that today is Election Day? Hell yeah!

Labels: election 2008, family, motorcycle, president, smiling

A democracy is only strong so long as the people make their voices heard. Your voice is your vote. Tomorrow is your chance to make your voice heard in the most historic presidential election of our lives.

Either way you vote, it is your civic duty to vote.

If you are unsure of where you need to go to vote, check here if you live in California. If not then Google "where do I vote in ___" and put your state in the blank space.

I know which way I am voting and why. I hope and expect that tomorrow will be a turning point for our country and that we are about to begin the long, hard climb up out of the darkness that has been the Bush administration.

And, by the way, if you do have problems voting, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1 866-687-8683) to report them.

Labels: democracy, vote

Obama's grandmother dies a day before election

Love him, hate him or whatever else, Barack Obama just lost one of the central figures in his life. Try to show some class in the comments you leave on blogs and news sites. Not for me, not for him, not for her, for yourself.

I thought I'd do my part to help out those of you out there who haven't quite been able to make up your mind for tomorrow's election. But there are also a whole bunch of other propositions on the ballot out here in California, some of them are confusing (on purpose) and the ads aren't helping.

So here we go. You probably won't agree with me on everything and that's alright. If you want to try and change my mind, leave a comment with why. Keep it civil though as this is not Free Republic or Talking Points Memo.

President: Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin
Vote: Obama/Biden
Reason: Have you been paying attention for the last eight years? McCain is nothing but more Bush. Palin is wholly unqualified to be on the ticket and has an inverse relationship to the truth. Obama is brilliant, has a plan and our country is desperate need for a change for the better.

Proposition 1A: Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act
Vote: Yes No
Reason: If not now, when? High speed rail is a long term win and solution. Yes, money is tight now but a high speed rail system will save money and the environment in the long run.
[Update: After getting an email forward from Amy (and thanks for sending it), I've reconsidered this proposition and have decided to oppose it. The obstacles are too great, the cost is too high and the route is too indirect.]

Proposition 2: Standards for Confining Farm Animals
Vote: Yes
Reason: From what I can understand, this proposition will make life a little less awful for animals being raised for food. And I don't see that as a bad thing at all.

Proposition 3: Children's Hospital Bond Act
Vote: Yes
Reason: I'd rather build hospitals than prisons. The list of organizations and public officials endorsing this proposition makes it pretty clear to me that this is a good one.

Proposition 4: Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor's Pregnancy
Vote: No
Reason: This is the third go-round for this proposition. It was defeated twice before for good reasons. None of those reasons have changed.

Proposition 5: Nonviolent Drug Offenses, Sentences, Parol and Rehabilitation
Vote: Yes
Reason: Our prisons are stuffed full of people convicted for non-violent crimes which makes truly dangerous felons more likely to serve reduced time which puts you and me at greater risk. I'm all for rehab for drug offenses and for longer sentences for the truly dangerous.

Proposition 6: Police and Law Enforcement Funding, Criminal Penalties and Laws
Vote: Yes
Reason: I live in a town being overrun by gang violence. I am sick and tired of having to constantly be on the watch for jackasses with doo-rags looking to make a name for themselves. Gang bangers should be punished more severely, they are, in my estimation, domestic terrorists and it is about damned time we took our streets back. Yes, I know the proposition is opposed by the Democratic Party and the California Teacher's Association. More info here.

Proposition 7: Renewable Energy Generation
Vote: No
Reason: If both the Democratic and Republican parties (as well as the Green Party and the Sierra Club) think this one is crap then its pretty well assured that its crap. Plus, the idea that one guy donated more than $7 million to this proposition smells like a big fat rat.

Proposition 8: Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry
My vote: NO!
Reason: This isn't about gay rights, this is about legislating discrimination and I have no interest in bigoted religiously based intolerance.

Proposition 9: Criminal Justice System, Victims' Rights, Parole
Vote: No
Reason: Most of what Prop 9 offers is already in place. And the opposition endorsements are overwhelming. More info here.

Proposition 10: Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy
Vote: No
Reason: T. Boone Pickens is strongly in favor of it. T. Boone Pickens is the asshole who funded the Swift Boaters in 2004. If T. Boone Pickens is in favor of it then you can rest assured that its a polished up turd designed to make him a big pile of money.
Here's a quote: The SF Chronicle is opposed, writing, "The chief backer and bill payer for the measure is T. Boone Pickens, the folksy Texas oilman and apostle for energy independence who founded a firm that just happens to supply natural gas for cars and trucks".[19]

Proposition 11: Redistricting
Vote: No
Reason: I'm deeply skeptical of any redistricting and even more so when the proposition is endorsed by Schwarzenegger. Plus there's the whole non-accountability to the taxpayer angle. This isn't an easy decision though since many newspapers endorse the proposition including the Chronicle and our local Santa Cruz Sentinel. More info here.

Proposition 12: Veterans' Bond Act of 2008
Vote: Yes
Reason: The way our veterans have been mistreated is shameful. This should be the first step in treating them like the heroes they are. Yes, the proposition has loopholes that can be exploited but the bottom line is to try and help out our vets. A little more info here.

Labels: election 2008, president, propositions

This is my little boy all dressed up for Halloween last night. It was all we could do to keep that hat on his head for a couple of pics. He wanted to peel the straw out of it.

All in all, Halloween was a pretty good time. I got my pumpkin carved late but it came out really nicely and I'm a proud carving monkey.

The boys got out for a little trick or treating before the rain started up. Grady was a fireman and Sully was a cowboy. I didn't really dress up but I did throw on some surgical scrubs.

And then there was the awful story this morning about the 12 year old boy who was shot to death while trick or treating with his family. Some nutter fired something like 30 shots through the door with an assault rifle, hitting him, his brother and his father. He appears to have thought he was being robbed which, had it been true, he still went completely overboard in his response and would have been arrested anyway.

Pretty freaky when you think about it. But nothing bad happened out here and both boys were out cold pretty early given all the candy they were able to consume and all the generalized craziness of the evening.

It was a good Halloween. Even if it didn't really feel like Halloween at all.

Labels: cowboy, halloween, tragedy