July 28, 2005 - Mnemosyne

Happy Birthday Mnemosyne (pronounced nemosign, I think)!

I think the best gift I ever gave you was the previous year's. One day I'll get better at this whole birthday gift thing. For now I'm resorting to just commenting and sharing my thoughts and ideas, almost like a eulogy, though on a birthday (I have to redo Guitarist's if this is to be the trend, though I really think it's just to remind me of everyone's birthday for the years to come... hehe... I'll never admit it).

There is so much I can think to say, but the beginnings of which has not shown its face.

I tremble and quake with the earth of your brain
Walking on eggshells when there is no rain
I am intrigued by your feats and adventures, if not just for your wisdom
But the memories that are filled to the brim
The irony of wanting to know, without ever really knowing at all
Leaves me staring at a list of memories written in brail on a wall
Before it gets so cold, that that the rain turns to snow
There's just a couple things, that I'd like to know

It just all slips away so slowly, you never really know when you lost a lot
Just like one of the zombies in Vegas pouring quarters into a slot
I am amazed and crazed by your history
Like a fortune cookie's mystery

And I know that I was warned
Still it was not what I hoped
I think I'm done gunnin' to get closer
to some imagined bliss

I swear some stuff you just see better from further away
And I think I communicate best now, the less I say
There's so much you gave me without ever knowing you gave it up
Measured out so carefully and filtered through the measuring cup

Left to our own defenses parading about the city of our brain
We found comfort in the same
And embraced it, despite the shame
Abandoned we stuck to our decisions through a piece of time
And are left happy, alone in our own little world with our own little rhyme.

Job Searching

I had two job interviews yesterday one with a couple in real estate, and one with a website. Twenty days after my, "thanks for all the fish" I am now employed once again.

Interviews are interesting now a days. In the past I've had everything said to me from "if you're expecting overtime pay leave now" to "Are you planning on getting pregnant?" which are of course not allowed to be asked in an interview.

It is times like this when I really sit back and think about all the people (Mary Harris "Mother" Jones", Lucy Parsons, Joe Hill) involved in the labor movement (war is probably the most apt description, cause really they were fighting a war). And I must give utmost thanks to Utah Phillips and Ani DiFranco for the awareness they are actively spreading.

The struggle that took place for us to have regulated hours, wages and conditions was a war. People were getting arrested for talking (street speaking/soap boxin') and labor unions were declared illegal. It's amazing people weren't arrested for striking (Bread and Roses Strike) and forced to work, the corporations went so far with other things (The Everett Massacre were the Sheriff deputized every drunken guy in town, when the wobblies returned to Seattle they were arrested and placed in a new jail in which together they created enough noise that they broke the jail).

Without the I.W.W., organizers, activist and agitators we'd still be slaves to the bosses. Don't just stand-by and let them violate the rights worker's have today, that people died us to claim our own.

New One

So, I guess all these weeks of refusals have driven my admirers on ICQ to devise new tactics. Here's today's efforts:

Warning! Your icq was hacked by SpyWare! Get Spyware Remover as quick as possible! Add me to your contact list for removal instructions.

Should I be flattered that they're going to this extent? I think I shall take the compliment. After all, who else would lie just to get my attention? Oh, wait... hmm.

BTW, here's my response:

Ack! Spyware! Tell me it ain't so, Joe! Hey! Maybe you're the spy. Maybe you're the ware. Add you, the spy? HAH! What do you think I am? STooPiD? DOUBLE HAH!

Lesson to Andy Card

Just pretend for a sec that the WH is a mafia type organization. I think today's little revelation about who received the call, as well as last week's Novak little tidbit about how Andy Card may be replaced soon are just little shows of power to anyone thinking about ousting Rove.

Andy Card is supposed to be Karl Rove's boss. It's possible and probable that Card has suggested recently that perhaps Mr. Rove shouldn't be in the WH.

What would Sonny do if someone had suggested to him that he needed to leave the Family?

Gonzales could've said anyone. Right now, anytime anyone of these yahoos say anything, my litmus test is asking who benefits from this chess move, keeping in mind that Bush is a short-timer, but the others still can have long careers in politics.

A Month Long Vacation????

Okay. One thing needs to be understood and understood now. Bush works for ME! Bush works for YOU!

WE pay his salary. And when did WE authorize a month long vacation for our COMMANDER IN CHIEF during WARTIME?

This is absolutely outrageous. Our men and women are dying; Iraqis are dying; Brits are dying. And President Bush is taking a month-long vacation at his ranch?

Bush originally had planned to announce a replacement for retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on July 26 or 27, just before his planned July 28 departure for a month-long vacation at his Crawford, Texas, ranch, said two administration officials, who spoke on the condition they not be named.

Why the hell isn't he going to be at work trying to figure out how to get our soldiers more armor? Why the hell isn't he going to be at work fixing our budget? Why the hell won't he be at work trying to get our men home since the mission is accomplished, the elections held and democracy as he says is on the march?

Think about it. When was the last time YOU got a month long vacation when the company you worked for was in crisis mode, which is what WARTIME is?

Invention Needed!

I am SICK AND TIRED of answering the phone to hear the bleet of a fax machine. So, you inventors out there, or you engineers who work on designing fax machines.

Why can't you put in a standard: MAKE IT SO THAT YOU HIT THE # SYMBOL OR SOMETHING AND THE FAX WILL UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A WRONG NUMBER AND WILL NOT CALL BACK!!!!

How simple is this concept? You make it so that the fax machine will call back automatically for 5 times. SO MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE ON THE RECEIVING END TO STOP THE 5 TIMES!

ARGH!

Can you tell that I've received numerous phone calls like that? I just screamed at the phone and my co-worker is looking at me worriedly.

More Requests and Refusals

So there I am, minding my own business when an alert goes off on my computer screen. Yet another person wants me to "Add me to your contact list"

So I replied, "NOOOO! oh god, nO!!!!! no, don't make me add you! OH GOD! NOooooooooooooooooooooo! oh. hmm. Guess I watched too many horror flicks this weekend. Just a No will suffice."

I have too much fun with these things.

Left Behind

One of the suspected bombers in the London bombings, is a 30 year old man with a wife and a baby. Another is a 19 year old whose uncle collapsed upon hearing that his nephew may not have been one of the victims but rather the bomber. This uncle screamed out "We have lost everything we have."

My blood curdled when I read that the bombers are suspected to be LONDON-BORN. And then when I snapped back to reality and remembered those people had family, family who called up the police to report them missing... family who are so scared out of their minds right now, because they are entering such unfamiliar territory.. all I could do was become FURIOUS at these suicide bombers.

Not only did you kill anonymous (to you) people, not only did you maim them, you are hurting and condemning the people who cared for and loved you.

So I am addressing this to all potential suicide bombers in cities worldwide.

1) If the government the bomb goes off in is as bad as you say they are, then how can you leave your family in their hands? You are selfish AND cowardly.

2) If the government the bomb goes off in is NOT as bad as you say they are, and your family somehow manages to survive the stigma of being families to suicide bombers, then you are a FOOL! For you DIED to protest something that protects the families of suicide bombers. See if your leaders would do the same.

As for the guilt of the family members, I have little doubt that they are NOT involved. I mean, how stupid can they be to stay in the bombed country if they've anything to do with it. I mean that's like saying someone chose to be gay!

Oh yeah, I forgot, there are some of you who hate your own lives so much that you can believe others chose a life of being in the minority cause life as a minority is just oh so wonderful.

The First Drag

It's now a recurring dream: I dream of being given a cigarette or suddenly finding a long thin white stick between my forefinger and my middle finger and I lift my hand to my face and suck deeply.

The instant relief gratifies like nothing else in the world. My being suddenly feels like it's sitting well within the confines of my skin; my shoulders slump as if freed from puppet strings.

Even as I'm revelling in the delight of the first drag, my soul is screaming to my dream self "It's a trick! Stop! Don't you know what you're doing to me?"

I wake up, upset and scared, desperately hoping I didn't have that first drag, yet desperately wishing I did. Anger soon floods my senses. Anger that I did this to myself, anger that I can't enjoy the first drag, anger that the first drag is pretty much a false promise and I know this.

The first drag does deliver; the delivery however, lasts at most a minute. Withdrawals takes weeks and that's what I'm angry about, that I will continue to dream of the first drag and never again will it occur in real life.

Wazzat? Did I Hear You Right?

So let me get this right... Matt Cooper gets a "Get out of Jail Free" card because Rove's lawyer slipped up and said ON CAMERA that Matt Cooper isn't going to jail cause of Rove. So Cooper and his lawyer asked the Investigator, umm does that sound like Rove's giving permission to give him up and the Investigator says, yup, sounds about right to me.

Oh, this is DEFINITELY going to be filed under Bwahahahaha.

Dreadlogging

There is a big misunderstanding regarding dreadlocks. The first one is that many believe dreadlocks were originated by the Rastafarian religion, when in fact the Celts, Russians and Germans (to name a few) adopted the style well before the origination of the Rastafarian religion.

The other famous misconception about dreadlocks is that they are a dirty hairstyle, when in fact depending on how they are done dreadlocks are one of the most cleanest/healthiest hair styles. Just because someone has dreadlocks, it does not mean that they do not wash their hair! Let me tell you dreadlocks are a lot of maintenance and even though they're super clean, they still look all frizzy... ARGH!

I am very happy with my dreadlocks, and am looking forward to the journey they have been and are going to take me on.

Pheonix Union

What we're For:

• Intelligent Open-Mindedness
  
• Truth
  
• The People
  
• Selflessness
  

What we're Against...

• Ignorant Close-Mindedness
  
• Corporations
  
• Deception/Corruption
  
• Greed
  

Goals to complete for 2005

• Speak to those who will listen, and listen to those who do not hear
  
• To strive to amend our transgressions and embrace honesty
  
• Recognize that one person can make a difference
  
• Learn to find happiness in small things
  

I will define this more when time decides to take a vacation, for now here is the tip of the iceberg.

July 11, 2005 - Gotti

Happy Birthday Gotti!!!

It is with great pride on this day that Gotti be the first recruit to the P.U. (Phoenix Union).

P.U. members are upcoming agitators (revolutionary dreamers to say the least). The phoenix symbolizes our desire to not grow old and our Sisyphean task of remaking ourselves.

I will get more into PU at a later date, for now I just wanted to define it for Gotti's birthday.

Gaming in RL

I found this bug while on vacation in Florida. It reminded me of those little scarabs that you had to collect in some video game. I just had to capture it. I'm not a big bug enthusiest, so the capturing was a bit of an experience. Especially after Swing or Gotti said, "I think they fly."

To give you the accurate picture of how the capturing went down you have to picture me holding the camera at arms length away over the beetle, of course with my back to it and even dare I say leaning away snapping the picture then fleeing as quickly as I can in fear of promoting an attack with my flash (it was dark outside), returning amazed that the beetle hadn't even budged. Gotti offered to aid me in my persuit of capturing the beetle, I felt like Monk watching her lay on the ground near the beetle to get a face to face view.

Now that I've captured the beetle, may I move on to the next stage with an extra bonus?

Requests and Refusals

The requests war continues!

Today, I get another ICQ request: Please authorize my request and add me to your Contact List. Master of FAT ICQ#xxxxxxxxxx

to which I replied: Thank you so kindly for being a polite requestor. However, I must say that an invitation from the Master of FAT just sounds... gross. So sorry.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...

My vacation to Florida was great, aside from the missing luggage. It was nice to see everyone that I have missed. I certainly had a lot of firsts this trip. Had many experiences that I'm very glad I experienced. Learned a few things that perhaps would have been better left in ignorance. All in all it was a learning experience, not only of my family, but of the world (of sorts).

When I resided in Florida almost every Sunday I would stop at the grocery store, buy a london broil, salad makings, and other side dishes, then stop off at Card Sharks' and collect Guitarist to go pick out the next horrible horror movie to be critiqued. We'd play cards (the games of choice: Spades, Hearts, and occasionaly Euchre or May I, if Party Girl decided to partake), eat good food and resign laughing at the predictable villan in whatever movie Guitarist and I choose to torture us with that day. Most Sundays I get the urge to pick up some good food, movies and drive on over to Card Sharks'. It's something I really miss doing. Even after school somedays, when I had enough time between the last class and work, I'd drive on over there just to hang out.

I was able to enjoy the company of the Card Sharks, Guitarist and Party Girl this trip and am thankful for the time I was able to share with them. I am disappointed that I missed Ex-Dancer, Ms. Funny, and Come Over and their children. Perhaps one day it'll work out and I'll get to see them all again.

I also was able to spend a lot of time with my Dad, The Whee One, Gotti, Swing, Chef, Shh... and G'ma/G'pa. The Whee One and I were able to experience what life is like for Gotti, and I learned quite a bit about Swing, Chef and Shh...

I am so proud and scared for Gotti, she has been through so much and I'm not sure the environment she is currently in is what it seemed for her. I worry what will become of her, but I know how strong she is, and true to her convictions and beliefs that she is willing to stand for. I am assured that the life she once led will not be carried out again, but I worry about the control of others that are currently in her life.

Gotti, Shh... and I went out to the casino where my dad is a dealer and had a great time. I having never gambled before, never drank so much liquor before(started out the night with a Tequila Sunrise, moved on to Whiskey/Soda Mix, at the casino had three 7 of 7's and a shot of something that tasted like pineapples), never visited a strip club or received a lap dance before was bedazzled by the end of the night, and quite short on cash. To my surprise after approximately an hour and a half of sleep was not drunk or hung over. The night didn't end until 5:30am and the next day began at 7:00am with G'ma & G'pa taking the group of us out to breakfast.

The Lieing Cycle

I quit my job yesturday (Thursday, 07-June-05). I had gone to visit my family for the fourth of July in Florida. Upon my return, my boss invited me into his office to discuss what had developed during my vacation.

After giving me a list of things that he prefferred I take care of, he went on to explain that I had been reporting my hours wrong, so the payroll was off. Confused I asked what he meant by that. He explained that on some days I had reported that I had worked from 8:45am to 4:30pm. Confused, I said those where the hours I did work. He explained, but "I agreed to pay you for a six and a half hour day from 9:00am to 4:00pm. But that doesn't mean that we're not flexible, You could come in at 7:00am for all I care, you're only getting paid from 9:00am to 4:00pm and that's what you need to report." He went on to say I thought that was understood when we were discussing changing you from a non-exempt employee to an exempt. I don't recall what took place after that, but my mind was made up.

It's amazing that this guy has been in business for five years. He can't make a single sentence and stay in the same tense. He called pens, pencils (among misnaming other items, that led to MANY a confusions). He reminded me of that person who purposely doesn't say everything, just so they could say later, "Oh, you misunderstood."

I was fed up after our talk. I had enough of feeling like I was lieing to everyone, the tax board, the A.R.C., A.S.H.I., the clients, and other employees.

I was done worrying about whether or not I was going to get paid. In May he informed me of a raise I was to get begining June 1, 2005. When I preformed the payroll reflecting the raise, he informed me that I had done it wrong, and the raise was going to be retroactive to June 1, 2005, but who knows from when.

After completing the list that he had given me of what needed to be done, I returned to his office and explained what I had completed and where I left other things, then calmly said, "I have some bad news. I'm quitting." He said, "Really?" perhaps ten times, then sat back stunned. When he asked, "Why?" I pulled this story of moving on in the direction I wanted to go and receiving an offer I just couldn't refuse. He expressed his sorrow at the loss and went on to explain how much he enjoyed working with me, and what a great employee I was. He also asked that I make a call to two of his clients explaining my departure the same way I had explained it to him, so that he wouldn't look bad.

I took my cell phone downstairs, and obliged. Before calling the clients I called Gotti, and explained to her that I had quit. I had been text messaging her, saying I wanted to quit, but didn't know how. Asked if I should go out singing, "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish..." She advised me not to quit. She asked why I lied about my reasons for quitting, and I explained that I didn't trust his reaction, especially at how pissed off he'd get at my accusations. I was scared! Plus, as Idealist and I are both apt to avoid confrontation at all cost, it seemed to me the better choice to just pull something out of my ass.

See even in quitting I was lieing. I feel guilty about lieing to the clients about my reasons for quitting. Especially after both of them expressed how much they liked my work. I don't know how to express how I feel about lieing to them precise enough to capture it. I am glad to have ended my participation in the cycle, but perhaps disappointed at myself for not putting an end to the cycle.

Powell and Rove

After I wrote the last post, I start going around the blogs re-reading about the Plame/Miller/Cooper/Novak stuff going on. And some stuff started forming in my head.

I'm most likely wrong, but I kind of just want to throw this out there.

What if, it wasn't Rove that told Novak, but Powell? And what if it was Rove going around to Miller & Cooper saying that it was Powell that leaked Joseph Wilson's wife was CIA?

In 2003, Colin Powell receives a report that tells him Iraq never sought yellowcake from Niger. In that report, Joseph Wilson's wife was mentioned attending the CIA meeting that sent Wilson to Niger. Hmm, now why would his wife be at that meeting unless she's CIA?

A few days later, Joseph Wilson writes the editorial stating the lack of evidence regarding this claim that Iraq sought yellowcake uranium from Niger. Colin Powell is made out to be a liar for he spoke out on the connection before.

Furious, he leaks to Robert Novak about Ambassador Wilson's wife attending the very same meeting that sent him to Niger in the first place. This is how Robert Novak can claim that he "believed the CIA officer he outed, Valerie Plame, was a FORMER covert operative and CURRENT analyst, unlikely to return to covert work whether Novak revealed her name or not."

Next thing to happen then is the reverse-leak; Novak tells Karl Rove that Powell leaked. Karl Rove can then tell others about the leak, technically not being the one TO leak in the first place. And he's careful to leak just what Powell leaked, thereby hiding the fact that Novak told him and not the other way around. That way, Rove can say that he's never leaked Plame's name.

This would also explain how Novak could've avoided trouble. He'd be giving up a toothless tiger, not a bald eagle (okay! Rove is more like a vulture but I was trying to tie in Rove with America, get it? *sigh*)

That surprise visit Bush paid to the Powells? Well, surprise to the media and maybe, a slight surprise for the Powells. Maybe Rove was getting ready to spring the trap and Bush was his messenger boy as usual, giving Powell time to get stuff in order before facing that he committed treason.

All the above is pure speculation. But I am not getting a panicked feeling out of the WH and I'm thinking that it's cause they're getting to toss one to the wolves, and the sacrificial lamb had always been slated to be an outsider, not an insider.

I'm hoping that this isn't true, mostly cause I hate to see the bad guys not only win, but get a threefer.

BTW, I'm wondering when they'll toss Condi to the wolves, especially if the above scenario does pan out. But one thing for my predictions? They rarely come true.

The Mathematics of It All

I'm sitting here thinking about the ludicrousness of it all because everything adds up to continual warfare as a distraction. Here's the maths of it all:

1) Bombings like today happen because there are people out there who believe that somehow, if you kill enough of the enemy, you will break their will. Their will to overpower and manipulate situations to their advantage, their will to subjugate your identities to theirs, etc.
2) Bombings like today happen in big cities, I mean major cities.
3) People who live in big cities are the ones most sympathetic to the downtrodden people, I mean, just look at the reaction of most Londoners - they're all, let's get the bombers, not let's get their associates and anyone who might look, think, breathe, dance similarly. Granted, being most sympathetic and $2.95 will get you a latte at Starbucks, but these people just might rally to the cause of an other skinned/religious/music loving person just a tad sooner.
4) By killing off sympathetic people, the ones left are the ones most wanting to nuke the bombers and whatever they think is the bombers' affiliation, whether it be religion, race, color, creed or tattoo.
5) Therefore, continuous warfare would be a constant.

However, the battle aren't countries with countries anymore, at least ones involving the U.S. Recently, they've been countries against ideas more or less.

Ideas, being amorphous, can be rather hard to confront violently, for unlike countries which has a finite resource, ideas tug on the imagination which is infinite. Ideas have to die a natural death and cannot be forced. In fact, when pressured to extringuish, ideas flourish.

This is the lesson of the big cities - to let ideas run their courses and if it's a stupid idea, the common sense of people and general fairness will eventually win out. Sometimes, ideas we think are stupid hang around and become common sense, and some of us are too stubborn to accept it. Me, I will never understand the general acceptance of baby doll lingerie.

Yes, I'm flip in some of my examples, but it's only to show that rigidity and anger towards those different in ANY way, just leads to more ... what's the word I want to use here, confrontations? Strife I think is the word I want. Maybe discord. And who benefits from all this strife and discord? Just ponder that and come up with an answer, any answer.

When that person appears in your mind's eye, ask yourself then, "Is he worth being afraid for the rest of your life?" Because look at the math above. Continuous warfare by a country against an idea means pitting finite resources against infinite resources. Is your mom/brother/lover/arm/eye/peace of mind worth it?

Perils of Being Half-Asleep

So this morning, I'm groggy. Partially from lack of sleep (I was buying music off iTunes until 2:30 am), partially from being shocked about the London Bombings. And Bratworse and I were involved in one of our heated AIM discussions when my work phone rang. I dealt with it as I was typing out our signature "Okay, this discussion has ended and I don't want to talk about it anymore cause we're both getting heated over something we shouldn't be getting heated over" signal when instead, I uttered it over the phone.

I said "I love you" to a total stranger whom I'd never met, whom I'd only just started working with two weeks prior. And she laughed.

I'm going to go off to die of embarassment now, thank you.

What we look like together

What we look like together, originally uploaded by cholotto.

Okay, this is us playing with the new camera and taking photos a foot away. Can you tell?

Air Ports, Air Planes, and Air Delays…

You have to really enjoy all the wonderful journeys and adventures one plane ride can provide. My flight to Florida, as been lacking in the dream, but still an enjoyable adventure, if you are kin to the humor that allows it to be enjoyable.

First off, in San Francisco, I was late arriving, and the check-in clerk felt the inkling to tell me so. My response, a sleepy and tired me some how managed to pull, “Yes Sir, I’ll do my best to achieve promptness in the future,” out of my ass. Oh I’m sure he heard, I’m not sure if he saw my sarcasm, as I was trying to be sincere! Come to find, the plane needed a lesson in promptness as well. Ten minutes late. Late! People have other planes to catch at the destination, at least my tardiness really, only affected me.

Arrival in Florida on three or so hours of sleep, surprisingly left me in good mood and humor. After an hour of watching the luggage creep by, I spoke with the Delta baggage claim in regards to me late bag. After speaking with four different Delta representatives over the course of the day it was established that either my bag took a trip from Canada to Spain, or was in Atlanta with the 500 odd lost bags in the vacinity for the entire time.

Compensation: For every twenty-four hours that your bag is lost you will be entitled to a twenty-five dollar "out of pocket expense" reimbursement for up to five days for a total of $125. After the Five Days: You get to file a report for the items that were in your bag and be sure to submit receipts for those items (RECIEPTS! for items that I have had for years!).

Luckily it didn't come to that.

My return flight was full of delays. The departure from Tampa, FL was delayed by ten minutes. The departure flight from Atlanta, GA was delayed by forty minutes. The arrival into San Francisco, CA was delayed twenty minutes (yea sitting in a stationary plane waiting for it's turn to land).

And my luggage? Left in Atlanta, GA!

Perceptions of Size

Okay, with a title like that, you'd think I was talking about Katamari Damacy!

But no. I was just thinking about how I'd try and change someone's mind about why it was important that we play nice with the others as in global warming issues, regime changing issues, torture issues, etc.

Then I realized that there was a basic perception to combat. It's like this. I see America as no more than 1/8th of the world at least and 1/6th of the world as most. Let's just say manpower, economic power, etc. In all comparisons, that would be the range that the U.S. falls into. Which means, if we start to throw our weight around, 5/6ths to 7/8th of the world could band together to kick our butts. The probability of the entire world banding together is pretty miniscule; however, the mere possibility of it should give one pause.

And therein lies the problem I believe. I think that the average American - the ones who've never been out of the country, never really paid attention to Canada or Mexico except on how it might impact them (as in illegal aliens supposedly taking their jobs), the ones who gave and gave out of their pockets when the tsunami hit, the ones who couldn't name one city in either Yugoslavia, Chile, or Burma (I know it's called Myangmar now, just seeing if you're watching) - that average American seriously believes the United States to be equal to 1/2 of the world in EVERY measure.

Therefore, they feel no qualms about throwing weight around internationally.

I was watching Band of Brothers on the 4th of July and crying. Crying because growing up in Singapore with the t.v. show Combat on week after week for most of my childhood, I had grown up with the ideal of the generous and giving G.I. Joe. I had grown up worshipping the cowboy ideal - the kung-fu fighter was pretty much after either perfection or revenge... but the cowboy actually had a function besides gunslinging. (Okay, as an adult I know that most cowboys weren't gunslingers and most gunslingers weren't cowboys so gimme a break!)

Anyway, the U.S. seems to be a much more different place now, more concerned with material goals than goals of good wishes.

But I digress...

Am I wrong in my assessment? I mean, think about it... just picture in your mind a game of sorts... Dodge Ball, let's just say. If America was playing the rest of the world, how big is America compared to the rest? Gigantic? Put the rest of the world together and morph them into one person (jeeze, I am really playing waaaay too many games). Does this person equal America? Or is he smaller? Or larger?

I really do believe that most Americans, if imagining an abstract exercise like this, would picture America being equal to whatever forces might face us, no matter what the challenges may be. Unfortunately, this perception doesn't hold up to reality.

[Edited] Bratworse and I just had a conversation that confirmed this. She asked me to classify Ravi Shankar's music and I replied "Sitar or Indian" and she says that it's not part of the choices (iTunes categories) so I adjusted and said "World... or International." Which basically proves my point - all of the rest of the world's music is lumped into one huge amorphous category named "World" whereas American music gets categorized into many nuances.

When to Come in Out of the Rain

So there are quite a few Americans on bicycles in Europe. Only one skidded into a policeman, injuring him. He rode out in rain, rain which Americablog says is pouring down. This American wasn't part of a team, nor was he there to participate in the Tour de France. He wasn't even in France. Rather, he was in Scotland, representing the United States. This particular man just happens to be the president of the United States.

Our president, who prides himself in his mediocrity and his "C" student status, is apparently delighting in showing off his mental prowess; he doesn't know when to come in out of the rain.

*heavy heavy sigh*

Feathers Flying Out of My HEAD!

BWahahahahaha

I never thought I'd see the day when someone would declare that to me... in a serious voice and tone.

Bratworse just got dreads and she's trying to decide if she wants to put a cap on or just lay down on the pillow. Not comprehending the quandry, she explained that if she laid down on the pillow without coverings, her dreads will pick up the lint. "IS THERE LINT ON THE PILLOW!" She screams exasperatedly at me.

Now, I've contemplated the ways of the world, whether world peace can be accomplished, how to build skyscrapers in Sim City but I have NEVER ever contemplated if pillows produce lint.

I helpfully suggest "Go get a towel and you won't get the pillow dirty."

She glares at me. "I meant my hair! My hair's the one that might pick up the lint!"

Blinking back at her stupidly, I asked "Umm, won't that make your dreads better? I mean more fuller and rounder?"

She just glared.

"I just want to put my head down."

I was about to point out to her that if she put her head down, it would probably be for a duration of 2-3 hours tops and that in the whole scheme of things, the amount of lint her dreads might pick up would be fairly miniscule when she hopped out of bed and harrumphed at me as she went to get her cap.

She then puts the cap on declaring "I am NOT having feathers flying out of my HEAD and I am NOT doing the Neglect method!" amidst my howls of laughter. Me? I was laughing at the fact that somehow, during this past week, I married an old jewish hasidic rabbi.

Distorted Dreams

Some of you may be checking out some of the old posts listed under the categories. If you are, let me 'splain. Distorted Dreams was where I blogged. Then Bratworse and I decided to get our own website. So trying to find enough to write about a few times a week was already hard. So I'm blogging here now, but I'm linking up to the old site through the categories here since that was one of my objectives with Distorted Dreams anyway.

What I'm noticing about my posts are, the political ones are pretty timely... meaning they're usually about time-specific events (like the election, or the Downing Street Memo though I don't think I blogged about that per se). The others aren't; they've got more universal appeal.

Anyway, don't be confused by the cross-blogging.

I Want SkyScrapers, Damnit!

My best friend and his lover just left. As unsociable as I get, I think I did pretty good this weekend. I went out to breakfast with them twice, and watched a god-awful movie on DVD with them. After all, they did come up here with the caveat that they were here to see babies and not me and just needed my place to stay.

Whilst they were out getting baby throw up on them, (btw, they visited 3 babies, 2 newborn and a one year old), I sat at home obsessing over my latest game, Sim City 4.

Okay okay! For those of you saying that that's not a new game, I didn't say NEW! I just said latest! Look, I hadn't gotten a new computer since 1996. (God, that seems so long ago). For me, that's a REALLY long ass time. I'm used to updating my computer every 3 years or so. AND right around 1996, OS 10 came out or rather, OS X.

In terms of computer timing, my timing sucked big time. Since I bought a low end machine, it *could* upgrade to OS X except I had to expect my computer to experience problems. So I upgraded to OS 9.1 and stayed there. Which meant no new games for the mac for a very long time since all new games being developed in 1996 were OS X native.

Thus this year has been one spending spree after another. I'm catching up big time on technology.

And thus, Sim City 4 is a LATEST acquisition. It's a 2 year old game.

Anyway, to make a short story long, I am trying to make skyscrapers. So far, the buildings have gotten to be around 10 to 12 stories high at the most. Unless you're a pygmy, skyscrapers these buildings do not make. UGH. It's stuck around 45,000 and now I'm reading I may have to build surrounding cities in order to generate skyscrapers. M&M, my two guests have been snickering at me despite their best attempts to ignore my obsession. My best friend figured out I had printed out an entire strategy guide and yet, cannot achieve my goal.

BTW, the name of my city? Lesbos.

Filed under Gaming-Obsess Much?.