Unlike my mayor, I intend to follow through on the promise I make at the bottom of the letter...
Dear Mr. Rybak,
Ordinarily I would not have assumed that you would be the contact point about development plans of the old Kowalski's building at 44th Ave & Humboldt Ave N; with it being a single, freestanding retail location. However, like many of my Camden neighbors, I was quite encouraged by a piece of campaign literature only days before the November election promising a "focus on redeveloping the Kowalsk's site."
Well, in calls to your office prior to the election and leading up until yesterday, I have been unable to find anyone in your office that is even familiar with the building in question, much less someone who has any idea of any specific work you are doing with respect to the property. Indeed, in a conversation with someone in your office yesterday, I was told that, as mayor, you would have absolutely no involvement with any change of ownership or future development at the site. I can assure you, this is an issue of great importance to us up here. The neighborhoods of Lind-Bohanon, Webber Camden, Victory, and Shingle Creek Neighborhoods are at a crossroads and we consider the survival of retail at that corner to be critical to the vitality of our community.
I'm not sure whether you've really got something in the works and I'm just not talking to the right people in your office, or whether you made an empty promise in a last-ditch effort to scrape up a few extra votes from gullible Northsiders, but I'm desperate to believe the former. Please convince me you're involved in this project and/or why you made this promise at election time, or I will most definitely put a lot of energy into turning this apparent deception and lack of follow-through into a real issue via local publications and at neighborhood organizations with which I'm involved.
Regards,
Dan Hylton
Lind-Bohanon, Camden
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Brokeback Mountain: 5 Stars
Lost in the shuffle: post Saraki amputation and pre-diagnosis with heart failure, Sharon & I had our late Valentine's date Friday night. Dinner at the recently reopened Udupi Cafe (yay!), and a viewing of the much ballyhooed and booed, staple of light night talk show monologue move, Brokeback Mountain.
I though I'd heard, going in, the whole "gay thing" was secondary to the plot, which is a love story. I totally must have misheard that. In anything approaching mainstream cinema, I realize now we're probably about twenty years out yet from something like that; and the subject was right out, front and center.
Ang Lee, the director, did a really interesting and quite amazing thing thing in Brokeback: he placed this scene about 15 minutes in that just assaults your sensitivities, even if it's something you think you're prepared for. I couldn't help but to squirm in the ever-so slightly uncomfortable way and exlaim a low, "whoa..." After that, I think the movie kind of says, "Are you still with me? Good..." It's like it just wanted to say, "I think I know what you're afraid of, so let me just throw this at you, so we can just get it out in the open and you don't have to be wondering in the back of your mind what's going to happen, when." From that point on, the movie becomes one of the (choose to believe it or not) most accurrately portrayed Westerns I have ever seen, as well as an incredible, beautiful, heart-rending love story. It is also, maybe, the best acted movie I have ever seen. I can't specifically recall any better. I cannot recommend it enough.
On a side note: these cowboys in this movie are badasses. T-Clog would love almost everything about the Heath Ledger character. He's just like a young Woodrow Call, except he gets fucked up the butt.
I though I'd heard, going in, the whole "gay thing" was secondary to the plot, which is a love story. I totally must have misheard that. In anything approaching mainstream cinema, I realize now we're probably about twenty years out yet from something like that; and the subject was right out, front and center.
Ang Lee, the director, did a really interesting and quite amazing thing thing in Brokeback: he placed this scene about 15 minutes in that just assaults your sensitivities, even if it's something you think you're prepared for. I couldn't help but to squirm in the ever-so slightly uncomfortable way and exlaim a low, "whoa..." After that, I think the movie kind of says, "Are you still with me? Good..." It's like it just wanted to say, "I think I know what you're afraid of, so let me just throw this at you, so we can just get it out in the open and you don't have to be wondering in the back of your mind what's going to happen, when." From that point on, the movie becomes one of the (choose to believe it or not) most accurrately portrayed Westerns I have ever seen, as well as an incredible, beautiful, heart-rending love story. It is also, maybe, the best acted movie I have ever seen. I can't specifically recall any better. I cannot recommend it enough.
On a side note: these cowboys in this movie are badasses. T-Clog would love almost everything about the Heath Ledger character. He's just like a young Woodrow Call, except he gets fucked up the butt.
Monday, February 27, 2006
New Links
A couple of new blog links to the right:
- Stephen's From the Edge to Center: Stephen being, again, the dude who tracked me down after 16 or some odd years to find that we both had some interest in what was going on in one anothers' lives. Check in to see what books he's discussing and what cool pictures he has taken to document his latest doings down in Iowa City and beyond. Welcome, Stephen!
- The Good Doctor: Also from a recent post, this is the spring production of Camden Civic Theatre. Valerie, a founding member of the fledgling CCT, a profilic blogger, & wonderful writer, will be posting regular updates to chronicle not only the technical steps, but the thought processes of our company as we throw together our inagural production. Of course I'll still be sure to catch major happenings for this play, as they relate to me, within this forum. Welcome, Valerie and CCT company members!
- Stephen's From the Edge to Center: Stephen being, again, the dude who tracked me down after 16 or some odd years to find that we both had some interest in what was going on in one anothers' lives. Check in to see what books he's discussing and what cool pictures he has taken to document his latest doings down in Iowa City and beyond. Welcome, Stephen!
- The Good Doctor: Also from a recent post, this is the spring production of Camden Civic Theatre. Valerie, a founding member of the fledgling CCT, a profilic blogger, & wonderful writer, will be posting regular updates to chronicle not only the technical steps, but the thought processes of our company as we throw together our inagural production. Of course I'll still be sure to catch major happenings for this play, as they relate to me, within this forum. Welcome, Valerie and CCT company members!
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Home & Stable
Before...
and After...
head tucked in to the right, spot of missing leg is obvious, and
adhesive pain patch on her back
As the title indicates, her condition stabilized; to the point where we were able to bring her home today. We will keep her on a medication called Lasix which is intended to keep fluid out of her heart and lungs. In talking with a number of folks over the past day, there's few people out there who have not had their lives touched in some way by someone (human, that is) who has suffered congential heart failure. In addition to putting things in perspective (dearly though we love our cat), it also confirmed-if there are to be assumed any similarities between human & feline cases-what the vet has been telling us, which is that the success of this type of treatment varies wildly.
What I stated in my last post is what we're going to hold to, here. We simply want her be relaxed and comfortable, regardless of whether she has two weeks or two years (less than two years and it would be real, real hard to find a silver lining). As you can see in the second photo, she is relaxed and comfortable. So far so good.
and After...
head tucked in to the right, spot of missing leg is obvious, and
adhesive pain patch on her back
As the title indicates, her condition stabilized; to the point where we were able to bring her home today. We will keep her on a medication called Lasix which is intended to keep fluid out of her heart and lungs. In talking with a number of folks over the past day, there's few people out there who have not had their lives touched in some way by someone (human, that is) who has suffered congential heart failure. In addition to putting things in perspective (dearly though we love our cat), it also confirmed-if there are to be assumed any similarities between human & feline cases-what the vet has been telling us, which is that the success of this type of treatment varies wildly.
What I stated in my last post is what we're going to hold to, here. We simply want her be relaxed and comfortable, regardless of whether she has two weeks or two years (less than two years and it would be real, real hard to find a silver lining). As you can see in the second photo, she is relaxed and comfortable. So far so good.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Somebody Up There Hates My Pets...Or Me, Part 3
So, in the roller coaster of news concerning my cat, she started having labored breathing with a kind of rattley sound last night and, concerned, Sharon ran her back in at about 3 am. First they found that she had fluid in her lungs and later, after having confined her to an oxygen tent and running myriad tests, determined she is experiencing congestive heart failure; probably due to the physiological stress her body has undergone over the past few days.
She's responding to some treatment they're giving her in order to relieve the lung fluid, but it remains to be seen how she will respond to heart medication. She could live from a few days to a couple of years, depending on how manageable is the condition. Looking back, we can't see a single point where we've misstepped in terms of getting her treated. Nevertheless, we're once again faced with a pet that's experiencing an insanely unfair and untimely set of life-shortening health issues. The omnipresent realization, also, is that we're into this a dollar amount which, like the national deficit, has exceeded our capacity to even plan paying, and is into the realm of numbers better wrangled by astronomers and geologists.
What we're wishing for at this point is that she can return home at least be with us until she has the chance to heal from the discomfort of her surgery and be able to have a period of leisure & relaxation before the end.
Of course, that is trusting to hope, which has long since forsaken these lands.
She's responding to some treatment they're giving her in order to relieve the lung fluid, but it remains to be seen how she will respond to heart medication. She could live from a few days to a couple of years, depending on how manageable is the condition. Looking back, we can't see a single point where we've misstepped in terms of getting her treated. Nevertheless, we're once again faced with a pet that's experiencing an insanely unfair and untimely set of life-shortening health issues. The omnipresent realization, also, is that we're into this a dollar amount which, like the national deficit, has exceeded our capacity to even plan paying, and is into the realm of numbers better wrangled by astronomers and geologists.
What we're wishing for at this point is that she can return home at least be with us until she has the chance to heal from the discomfort of her surgery and be able to have a period of leisure & relaxation before the end.
Of course, that is trusting to hope, which has long since forsaken these lands.
Friday, February 24, 2006
My Cat She's Got Three Legs and Other News
The surgery went well, though we won't find out until later today whether Saraki is ready to come home. We're to keep her from jumping for a couple of weeks (quite a challenge-how are we supposed to make all elevated horizontal surfaces in our house inaccessible?), and keep her only on the main level of our house. Cats traditionally adjust very well to being amputees, and we'll make sure that she gets back into her routine of lounging & luxuriating as seamlessly as possible. Pictures will follow in the next few days.
We've been under a lot of stress. Tonight we're finally getting around to our Valentine's Day night away from home. We'll be going to our favorite restaurant, Udupi Cafe, which is recently remodeled, I guess; and then heading to a performance of "Raisin in the Sun" at the Alchemy Theater. Members in my theatre company are all going to check out this play and compare notes on what is regarded as a community-based theatre company that really took off and did things the right way.
On a side note, we have landed on a spring production: Neil Simon's "The Good Doctor." Those who have followed my acting career since my early days may recall that Round Town Players took on this play in 1989, with five or six cast members taking on all 20-25 roles in the play. We feel like it's an ideal play as a premier show for our company for a number of reasons, from flexibility it gives us in cast & technical considerations, to the publicity benefit of Neil Simon-name recognition. But mostly, it's a fast-paced, hilarious play with a style of humor that we feel will be accessbile and well-received by a Camden audience. Company members, our troupe de facto leader has informed us that we more or less can pick and choose what roles we wish to play, rather than having to go through an audition process. It's a kind of weird feeling, like I will have not earned the part. But, despite the practice being new to me, I guess it's standard in groups like ours for the company members to take the main roles, then have open audition for the rest. Certainly, there will be more to follow on all this in the next couple months as things heat up, and eventually, we're going to have updates here.
We've been under a lot of stress. Tonight we're finally getting around to our Valentine's Day night away from home. We'll be going to our favorite restaurant, Udupi Cafe, which is recently remodeled, I guess; and then heading to a performance of "Raisin in the Sun" at the Alchemy Theater. Members in my theatre company are all going to check out this play and compare notes on what is regarded as a community-based theatre company that really took off and did things the right way.
On a side note, we have landed on a spring production: Neil Simon's "The Good Doctor." Those who have followed my acting career since my early days may recall that Round Town Players took on this play in 1989, with five or six cast members taking on all 20-25 roles in the play. We feel like it's an ideal play as a premier show for our company for a number of reasons, from flexibility it gives us in cast & technical considerations, to the publicity benefit of Neil Simon-name recognition. But mostly, it's a fast-paced, hilarious play with a style of humor that we feel will be accessbile and well-received by a Camden audience. Company members, our troupe de facto leader has informed us that we more or less can pick and choose what roles we wish to play, rather than having to go through an audition process. It's a kind of weird feeling, like I will have not earned the part. But, despite the practice being new to me, I guess it's standard in groups like ours for the company members to take the main roles, then have open audition for the rest. Certainly, there will be more to follow on all this in the next couple months as things heat up, and eventually, we're going to have updates here.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Interesting Topic Brewing, There...Let's Post It
First off, I should mention, it's full-steam ahead with Plan A. Everything checked out OK (with the exception of the cancerous tumor, of course), and The Squeak should be fine for the surgery. Within 24 hours, you'll be talking to a guy with a three-legged cat.
But back to the topic that was taking legs in the previous post's comments: I'm not sure whether I really do seem to run into a tremendous number of ridiculous challenges, or whether I just have a little too much of the "woe is me" syndrome. What do you think? Certainly, we all have our own crosses to bear. I've never been one to bear mine in a manner uncharacteristic with anything else I do...in silence.
I will also add this-if my blog makes me come across as a Sad Guy, then it is misrepresenting me. I am a guy with very high highs, but I definitely hit bumps in the road. I was thinking about the "money doesn't buy happiness" quote the other day, and thinking of a very ironic & kind of funny thing: for me, it just might. I look at the various things in my life, from my personal relationships to my interests, and I see nothing but things that bring me joy (or, net joy, anyway). The only thing that ever gets in the way is when I run into one of my little, frequent financial setbacks. Then I start worrying about whether we're going to be able to pull of the move we're contemplating, get out of this debt in which we've been trapped for years, etc. etc. I suppose it might be more accurate to say that I'm happy but I don't have a ton of peace of mind. But again, it's only with the money thing that there's no peace of mind.
I'm sure it's true that if you're just a bastard and/or miserable and surrounded by a lot of other miserable bastards, money is not going to fix everything. But to think that having more money to pay the bills wouldn't make a happy person all the more happy-well, whoever made the quote really should have stuck an asterisk at the end.
But back to the topic that was taking legs in the previous post's comments: I'm not sure whether I really do seem to run into a tremendous number of ridiculous challenges, or whether I just have a little too much of the "woe is me" syndrome. What do you think? Certainly, we all have our own crosses to bear. I've never been one to bear mine in a manner uncharacteristic with anything else I do...in silence.
I will also add this-if my blog makes me come across as a Sad Guy, then it is misrepresenting me. I am a guy with very high highs, but I definitely hit bumps in the road. I was thinking about the "money doesn't buy happiness" quote the other day, and thinking of a very ironic & kind of funny thing: for me, it just might. I look at the various things in my life, from my personal relationships to my interests, and I see nothing but things that bring me joy (or, net joy, anyway). The only thing that ever gets in the way is when I run into one of my little, frequent financial setbacks. Then I start worrying about whether we're going to be able to pull of the move we're contemplating, get out of this debt in which we've been trapped for years, etc. etc. I suppose it might be more accurate to say that I'm happy but I don't have a ton of peace of mind. But again, it's only with the money thing that there's no peace of mind.
I'm sure it's true that if you're just a bastard and/or miserable and surrounded by a lot of other miserable bastards, money is not going to fix everything. But to think that having more money to pay the bills wouldn't make a happy person all the more happy-well, whoever made the quote really should have stuck an asterisk at the end.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Somebody Up There Hates My Pets, Or Me Part 2
Goodbye tax return, indeed. In the immortal words of Nick the Dick, "...and then some."
We consulted with the Veterinary Oncologist today: the most personable, easy-going health practicioner I have ever encountered, though that is neither here nor there. We will be proceeding to do a number of tests tomorrow to determine (to the best of technology's ability) whether the cancer is isolated in Saraki's back leg, or has reached other parts of her body. "Prognosis A," which is more likely , is if it is localized in the leg. We then will submit her to a battery of tests, then amputate the leg on Thursday. Final bill: about $3,500.
"Prognosis B," is...well, I'm not going to go down the road of Prognosis B unless I have to. We're just hoping we aren't looking at "Somebody Up There Hates My Pets, Or Me Part 3 which, given our history, wouldn't be all that surprising despite our current optimism.
Christ, our optimistism is reduced to spending $3,500 and chopping off the leg our our cat. Somebody up there really hates my pets, or me.
We consulted with the Veterinary Oncologist today: the most personable, easy-going health practicioner I have ever encountered, though that is neither here nor there. We will be proceeding to do a number of tests tomorrow to determine (to the best of technology's ability) whether the cancer is isolated in Saraki's back leg, or has reached other parts of her body. "Prognosis A," which is more likely , is if it is localized in the leg. We then will submit her to a battery of tests, then amputate the leg on Thursday. Final bill: about $3,500.
"Prognosis B," is...well, I'm not going to go down the road of Prognosis B unless I have to. We're just hoping we aren't looking at "Somebody Up There Hates My Pets, Or Me Part 3 which, given our history, wouldn't be all that surprising despite our current optimism.
Christ, our optimistism is reduced to spending $3,500 and chopping off the leg our our cat. Somebody up there really hates my pets, or me.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Steve! (or is it "Stephen" now?)
So, less than a week ago, I checked the obsolete-but-still-operational email at Pat_and_Dan@yahoo.com. I direct most of my music related "business" through my "hylton44" presence, but there are still a few contact points for the old musical duo out there in the w.w.w., not the least of which is the Pat and Dan website. I'm only in there sporadically now, and then usually just to clean out the overflowing spam folder and sift through a few various unsigned band venture invitations that probably belong in the spam folder.
In this particular visit, however, was a "hey guys" message from an old high school friend that tracked either Pat or me (or both of us) down and was interested in seeing what we were up to. I got back to him and we had a little exchange in which we filled each other in a general overview of our 17-odd years since high school and 15-odd years since our last contact. Though it may have been of some interest that I carried a then-bourgeoning music interest into a lifelong pursuit and recently found myself back into the arena of theatre (we both acted in high school plays "back in the day"), I think what was probably most amazing to Steve was that I still carried with me a group of some of my closest associations from my high school days: Pat M, Pat G, and Cory L.
What I found, both in our emails, and when I reversed the role of investigator and checked out Steve's blog (is it Stephen now?), is that his experience since high school is remarkably similar to my own. Not many, or nearly any, of the actual events (he taught English in Japan for three years, then later returned and got a masters degree in literature, I think from the University of Iowa), but kind of in the overall "personal journey" sort of way. In his post regarding the intial overture, he refers to the earlier, high school version of himself as the "stupid version," one that he resisted coming face to face with. It was a sentiment with which I could totally identify. As many of my closest friends of these days can attest, my own journey from this earlier version of myself has been so long and crazy that I truly feel like I don't even know who that old verison of Dan was. Of course, I needed for him to exist to get here, and yaya yada, but that doesn't mean that I look back on those years with comfort or pride. In fact, one of my greatest goals in life is to try to prepare my daughter to take that introspective journey about seven to eight years earlier than I did.
So, it was refreshing to have a voice from the past announce that he, too, has arrived at some kind of destination, if maybe by a different route, and is now waving to me from far off, atop his own mountaintop. That is, as opposed to some sort of creepy reminder of a past I'd rather forget (like, say, an insane publication put together by a desperate, former homecoming queen wannabe trying to assemble a "where are they now?" guide arriving in my mailbox). So, hi Steve! (Stephen?)
As an aside, I see that Steve checked in on my last post; great to see, not only in that maybe there is some sort of re-establishment of our relationship, but also because it ups my readership by a significant percentage. Though I can't guarantee a constant string of comments, I will start checking in on his blog, as well. Maybe the next time Steve is in the Twin Cities, we can hook up for a visit, beer, and/or bad movie and some pizza.
In this particular visit, however, was a "hey guys" message from an old high school friend that tracked either Pat or me (or both of us) down and was interested in seeing what we were up to. I got back to him and we had a little exchange in which we filled each other in a general overview of our 17-odd years since high school and 15-odd years since our last contact. Though it may have been of some interest that I carried a then-bourgeoning music interest into a lifelong pursuit and recently found myself back into the arena of theatre (we both acted in high school plays "back in the day"), I think what was probably most amazing to Steve was that I still carried with me a group of some of my closest associations from my high school days: Pat M, Pat G, and Cory L.
What I found, both in our emails, and when I reversed the role of investigator and checked out Steve's blog (is it Stephen now?), is that his experience since high school is remarkably similar to my own. Not many, or nearly any, of the actual events (he taught English in Japan for three years, then later returned and got a masters degree in literature, I think from the University of Iowa), but kind of in the overall "personal journey" sort of way. In his post regarding the intial overture, he refers to the earlier, high school version of himself as the "stupid version," one that he resisted coming face to face with. It was a sentiment with which I could totally identify. As many of my closest friends of these days can attest, my own journey from this earlier version of myself has been so long and crazy that I truly feel like I don't even know who that old verison of Dan was. Of course, I needed for him to exist to get here, and yaya yada, but that doesn't mean that I look back on those years with comfort or pride. In fact, one of my greatest goals in life is to try to prepare my daughter to take that introspective journey about seven to eight years earlier than I did.
So, it was refreshing to have a voice from the past announce that he, too, has arrived at some kind of destination, if maybe by a different route, and is now waving to me from far off, atop his own mountaintop. That is, as opposed to some sort of creepy reminder of a past I'd rather forget (like, say, an insane publication put together by a desperate, former homecoming queen wannabe trying to assemble a "where are they now?" guide arriving in my mailbox). So, hi Steve! (Stephen?)
As an aside, I see that Steve checked in on my last post; great to see, not only in that maybe there is some sort of re-establishment of our relationship, but also because it ups my readership by a significant percentage. Though I can't guarantee a constant string of comments, I will start checking in on his blog, as well. Maybe the next time Steve is in the Twin Cities, we can hook up for a visit, beer, and/or bad movie and some pizza.
River Gift, Not Answer: The Lessons of PrairyErth
Around a week ago, I finished up what was an extraordinary journey for me: the reading of PrairyErth, by William Least Heat-Moon. As I stated in a post last summer, this was the best work of nonfiction I have ever read, bar none. For more about the content of the book, read my earlier post or information at Amazon. But to summarize my experience once more, the read was deeply philosohpical, reflective, meditative, introspective and mind-blowing, and I can't recommend it enough.
In the final chapter, he is walking with a friend very near the end of his time researching the book and he is asked,
"Did you find the answers you were looking for?"
His response, a life-altering:
"I found a place that was willing to reveal itself to me."
I just love that.
In the final chapter, he is walking with a friend very near the end of his time researching the book and he is asked,
"Did you find the answers you were looking for?"
His response, a life-altering:
"I found a place that was willing to reveal itself to me."
I just love that.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
It's No Jumanji Window, But...
My Johari Window.
Please visit and contribute your perspective.
Thanks in advance, and thanks, Amanda.
Please visit and contribute your perspective.
Thanks in advance, and thanks, Amanda.
Somebody Up There Doesn't Like My Pets, or Me
Our cat, Saraki (aka Squeaky) has a cancerous tumor in her leg.
The last month and a half since Kuna-i's passing have been kind of a honeymoon period for us with our cat. We've been able to give her all kinds of attention and love, without the burden of a high-needs dog diverting all of our time and energy. She has responded by "luxuriating" and spending lots of time on laps, in beds, and/or in front of heat sources. It's been really nice. In this sense of newfound companionship, Sharon remarked to Squeaky a couple of days ago, "I hope you live a long, long time." That, unfortunately, was the morning of the day when Sharon discovered a large lump in her hind leg.
Still unknown as yet how advanced the condition is. The only thing we know for sure is that we're going to be out probably multiple thousands of dollars before the situation is resolved, for better or worse. With Kuna-i, there was always overriding knowledge that we were throwing money towards treatment of a dog that was declining and losing quality of life at a rate that would finally overtake our ability to keep up. With Saraki, there is really no debate: her quality of life has been pretty much top-notch. If there is a way to completely rid her body of this cancer, we've got to try. Doesn't mean we've got to love the expense of it, but simply that we've got to absorb it, somehow. Our first step is an appointment with an veterinary oncologist at the U of M early next week. Goodbye tax return.
The last month and a half since Kuna-i's passing have been kind of a honeymoon period for us with our cat. We've been able to give her all kinds of attention and love, without the burden of a high-needs dog diverting all of our time and energy. She has responded by "luxuriating" and spending lots of time on laps, in beds, and/or in front of heat sources. It's been really nice. In this sense of newfound companionship, Sharon remarked to Squeaky a couple of days ago, "I hope you live a long, long time." That, unfortunately, was the morning of the day when Sharon discovered a large lump in her hind leg.
Still unknown as yet how advanced the condition is. The only thing we know for sure is that we're going to be out probably multiple thousands of dollars before the situation is resolved, for better or worse. With Kuna-i, there was always overriding knowledge that we were throwing money towards treatment of a dog that was declining and losing quality of life at a rate that would finally overtake our ability to keep up. With Saraki, there is really no debate: her quality of life has been pretty much top-notch. If there is a way to completely rid her body of this cancer, we've got to try. Doesn't mean we've got to love the expense of it, but simply that we've got to absorb it, somehow. Our first step is an appointment with an veterinary oncologist at the U of M early next week. Goodbye tax return.
Monday, February 13, 2006
What the Hell
"Thanks," Aaron.
1. Smoked cigarettes - Yep. Only once, semi regularly (1993-1994). Other than that, purely as a lark in nights of debauchery.
2. Smoked a cigar -Yep.
3. Broken a CD - Yep.
4. Crashed a friend's car - No.
5. Stolen a car - No.
6. Been in love - God, yeah.
7. Been dumped - Not per se. Though I was cheated on a couple of times in inconsequential relationship to begin with. Both ended mutually, as much as anything else.
8. Shoplifted - No.
9. Been fired - No, but laid off.
10. Been in a fist fight - Only at age seven or so.
11. Snuck out of your house - Oh yeah. Had a club based on that premise in junior high.
12. Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back -God, yeah, infatuation though it was.
13. Been arrested - No, though been told "freeze!" by a cop on two occasions.
14. Made out with a stranger - Yup.
15. Gone on a blind date - Only as the wingman.
16. Lied to a friend - Yup. Though not for years, and I definitely do not make a practice of lying these days.
17. Had a crush on a teacher - Only slightly, if at all.
18. Skipped school - Are you kidding? A practice I took relish in through the age of 33.
19. Slept with a coworker - Former coworker count?
20. Seen someone die - No.
21. Been on a plane - What? Yes.
22. Thrown up in a bar - IN a bar, no. In the bathroom of the hotel lobby right next to the bar from which I emerged, yes, with some force.
23. Taken painkillers - What? Over the counter? Yes. Prescription? Yes. Illegally? No.
24. Love someone or miss someone right now - Yes and yes.
25. Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by - Yes.
26. Made a snow angel - Yes.
27. Played dress up - As an adult? Yes.
28. Cheated while playing a game - As an adult? No.
29. Been lonely - Who hasn't? That's a really stupid question.
30. Fallen asleep at work/school - Yes and yes.
31. Used a fake id - No.
32. Felt an earthquake - No.
33. Touched a snake - Yes.
34. Ran a red light - On purpose? Yes. Though I don't condone or endorse the practice.
35. Been suspended from school - No.
36. Had detention - Yes.
37. Been in a car accident - Yes.
38. Hated the way you look - Yes.
39. Witnessed a crime - Other than minor traffic infractions? Yes.
40. Pole danced - No.
41. Been lost - Yes. Both in civilization and in the wilderness.
42. Been to the opposite side of the country - Yes.
43. Felt like dying - Yes.
44. Cried yourself to sleep - Probably technically, no. But in a literary sense, probably yes.
45. Played cops and robbers - Yes. As an adult? No.
46. Sang karaoke - Yep.
47. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't - Not sure, though I'm generally not in the habit of telling myself I wouldn't do something.
48. Laughed till some kind of beverage came out of your nose - Yup.
49. Caught a snowflake on your tongue - Yup.
50. Kissed in the rain - Not sure. But if I did, the rain was incidental.
51. Sing in the shower - Often.
52. Made love in a park - Made OUT in a park.
53. Had a dream that you married someone - Yup.
54. Glued your hand to something - Yeah, but the situation did not get serious.
55. Got your tongue stuck to a flag pole - I think so, but I'm not certain.
56. Worn the opposite sex's clothes - Perhaps in a play, but I'm not sure.
57. Had an orgasm - Yup.
58. Sat on a roof top - Yup. Mine, others', Cresthaven's, and the old, abandoned Kwick Trip's (see "Snuck out of the house," above)
59. Didn't take a shower for a week - Maybe not, but I've pushed it on more than one occasion (camping, mostly)
60. Ever too scared to watch scary movies alone - Even too scared to watch scary movies with others.
61. Played chicken - No.
62. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on - No.
63. Been told you're hot by a complete stranger - Not as such. I'm no JBart.
64. Broken a bone - Yes.
65. Been easily amused - Amost constantly.
66. Laugh so hard you cry - At least every few days.
67. Mooned/flashed someone - Only friends.
68. Cheated on a test - Yes, I think, but in a very minor way. Another practice I do not endorse nor condone.
69. Forgotten someone's name - Constantly. Usually moments after meeting them. A big problem with me.
70. Slept naked - I think, but I'm not sure. Not a usual practice. I get too excited.
71. Gone skinny dipping in a pool - No, but in a river.
72. Been kicked out of your house - No.
73. Blacked out from drinking - Not sure if you'd qualify it as that. Not a sudden smack of unconsciousness. I've definitely drunk myself into a state where I zonked out at what could be considered an unusual time.
74. Played a prank on someone - Yup.
75. Gone to a late night movie - Yup.
76. Made love to anything not human - What? Who's going to admit that? No.
77. Failed a class - Dropped out WHILE failing Match IV, but in time to avoid the grade.
78. Choked on something you're not supposed to eat - No.
79. Played an instrument for more than 10 hours - No.
80. Cheated on a gf/bf - Yes.
81. Ate a whole package of Oreos - One sitting? Probably close on more than one occasion, but no.
82. Thrown strange objects - What? I'm sure I have, but that's pretty vague.
83. Felt like killing someone - God, yes. Planned it, in fact.
84. Thought about running away - As a kid? Yeah.
85. Ran away - Not with the intention of staying away.
87. Had detention and not attend it - I don't think so.
88. Yelled at parents - Yup.
89. Made parent cry - Yup, sometimes inexplicably.
90. Cried over someone - Yes.
91. Owned more than 5 puppies. - No.
92. Dated someone more than once - No.
93. Have a dog - No.
94. Have a cat - Yes.
95. Own an instrument - Piano, 2 keyboards, thumb piano, bass, elec. guitar, acoustic guitar, classical guitar, snare drum, drum machine, egg shake, rattle, recorder
96. Been in a band - Yep.
97. Had more than 25 sodas in one day - No, but 56 cans in a week.
98. Made out with a member of the same sex - No, though that may come as a surprise to the Roberts Hall residents of 1991-1992.
99. Shot a gun - Yes, but only an air rifle/bb gun.
100. Been online for more than 5 hours straight - Every day at work. Other than that? I very well may have, but I'm not positive.
1. Smoked cigarettes - Yep. Only once, semi regularly (1993-1994). Other than that, purely as a lark in nights of debauchery.
2. Smoked a cigar -Yep.
3. Broken a CD - Yep.
4. Crashed a friend's car - No.
5. Stolen a car - No.
6. Been in love - God, yeah.
7. Been dumped - Not per se. Though I was cheated on a couple of times in inconsequential relationship to begin with. Both ended mutually, as much as anything else.
8. Shoplifted - No.
9. Been fired - No, but laid off.
10. Been in a fist fight - Only at age seven or so.
11. Snuck out of your house - Oh yeah. Had a club based on that premise in junior high.
12. Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back -God, yeah, infatuation though it was.
13. Been arrested - No, though been told "freeze!" by a cop on two occasions.
14. Made out with a stranger - Yup.
15. Gone on a blind date - Only as the wingman.
16. Lied to a friend - Yup. Though not for years, and I definitely do not make a practice of lying these days.
17. Had a crush on a teacher - Only slightly, if at all.
18. Skipped school - Are you kidding? A practice I took relish in through the age of 33.
19. Slept with a coworker - Former coworker count?
20. Seen someone die - No.
21. Been on a plane - What? Yes.
22. Thrown up in a bar - IN a bar, no. In the bathroom of the hotel lobby right next to the bar from which I emerged, yes, with some force.
23. Taken painkillers - What? Over the counter? Yes. Prescription? Yes. Illegally? No.
24. Love someone or miss someone right now - Yes and yes.
25. Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by - Yes.
26. Made a snow angel - Yes.
27. Played dress up - As an adult? Yes.
28. Cheated while playing a game - As an adult? No.
29. Been lonely - Who hasn't? That's a really stupid question.
30. Fallen asleep at work/school - Yes and yes.
31. Used a fake id - No.
32. Felt an earthquake - No.
33. Touched a snake - Yes.
34. Ran a red light - On purpose? Yes. Though I don't condone or endorse the practice.
35. Been suspended from school - No.
36. Had detention - Yes.
37. Been in a car accident - Yes.
38. Hated the way you look - Yes.
39. Witnessed a crime - Other than minor traffic infractions? Yes.
40. Pole danced - No.
41. Been lost - Yes. Both in civilization and in the wilderness.
42. Been to the opposite side of the country - Yes.
43. Felt like dying - Yes.
44. Cried yourself to sleep - Probably technically, no. But in a literary sense, probably yes.
45. Played cops and robbers - Yes. As an adult? No.
46. Sang karaoke - Yep.
47. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't - Not sure, though I'm generally not in the habit of telling myself I wouldn't do something.
48. Laughed till some kind of beverage came out of your nose - Yup.
49. Caught a snowflake on your tongue - Yup.
50. Kissed in the rain - Not sure. But if I did, the rain was incidental.
51. Sing in the shower - Often.
52. Made love in a park - Made OUT in a park.
53. Had a dream that you married someone - Yup.
54. Glued your hand to something - Yeah, but the situation did not get serious.
55. Got your tongue stuck to a flag pole - I think so, but I'm not certain.
56. Worn the opposite sex's clothes - Perhaps in a play, but I'm not sure.
57. Had an orgasm - Yup.
58. Sat on a roof top - Yup. Mine, others', Cresthaven's, and the old, abandoned Kwick Trip's (see "Snuck out of the house," above)
59. Didn't take a shower for a week - Maybe not, but I've pushed it on more than one occasion (camping, mostly)
60. Ever too scared to watch scary movies alone - Even too scared to watch scary movies with others.
61. Played chicken - No.
62. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on - No.
63. Been told you're hot by a complete stranger - Not as such. I'm no JBart.
64. Broken a bone - Yes.
65. Been easily amused - Amost constantly.
66. Laugh so hard you cry - At least every few days.
67. Mooned/flashed someone - Only friends.
68. Cheated on a test - Yes, I think, but in a very minor way. Another practice I do not endorse nor condone.
69. Forgotten someone's name - Constantly. Usually moments after meeting them. A big problem with me.
70. Slept naked - I think, but I'm not sure. Not a usual practice. I get too excited.
71. Gone skinny dipping in a pool - No, but in a river.
72. Been kicked out of your house - No.
73. Blacked out from drinking - Not sure if you'd qualify it as that. Not a sudden smack of unconsciousness. I've definitely drunk myself into a state where I zonked out at what could be considered an unusual time.
74. Played a prank on someone - Yup.
75. Gone to a late night movie - Yup.
76. Made love to anything not human - What? Who's going to admit that? No.
77. Failed a class - Dropped out WHILE failing Match IV, but in time to avoid the grade.
78. Choked on something you're not supposed to eat - No.
79. Played an instrument for more than 10 hours - No.
80. Cheated on a gf/bf - Yes.
81. Ate a whole package of Oreos - One sitting? Probably close on more than one occasion, but no.
82. Thrown strange objects - What? I'm sure I have, but that's pretty vague.
83. Felt like killing someone - God, yes. Planned it, in fact.
84. Thought about running away - As a kid? Yeah.
85. Ran away - Not with the intention of staying away.
87. Had detention and not attend it - I don't think so.
88. Yelled at parents - Yup.
89. Made parent cry - Yup, sometimes inexplicably.
90. Cried over someone - Yes.
91. Owned more than 5 puppies. - No.
92. Dated someone more than once - No.
93. Have a dog - No.
94. Have a cat - Yes.
95. Own an instrument - Piano, 2 keyboards, thumb piano, bass, elec. guitar, acoustic guitar, classical guitar, snare drum, drum machine, egg shake, rattle, recorder
96. Been in a band - Yep.
97. Had more than 25 sodas in one day - No, but 56 cans in a week.
98. Made out with a member of the same sex - No, though that may come as a surprise to the Roberts Hall residents of 1991-1992.
99. Shot a gun - Yes, but only an air rifle/bb gun.
100. Been online for more than 5 hours straight - Every day at work. Other than that? I very well may have, but I'm not positive.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Weighing In on the Mohammad Cartoon
It began with an email exchange with Mixdorf in which I suggested that:
"On one hand, you have the incredibly sad irony people protesting the depiction of Mohammad as a terrorist by burning & killing. On the other hand, I wonder what the reaction of many Catholics would have be, were there to have been, amidst the Catholic Priest/child scandal a political cartoon of a slathering, sleazy-looking Pope chasing around little kids. Or Jesus doing the same."
He replied:
"There may have been, though perhaps with some level of decorum.
There's no excuse for burning and pillaging, and they're not really helping their cause by doing so, but on the other hand there's little editorial value to something as crude as the turban shaped-like-a-bomb cartoon."
To which I now add, at the risk of invoking the wrath of the Muslim and Western world:
The appropriateness of running the cartoon originally can be debated. The fact that certain media will not show it now is absolute BS, because is TOTALLY relevant to the story OF the controversy. One might even say it is a perfect example of the oft & too often remarked claim, "...then the terrorists have already won."
Lord knows I try to call U.S. culture & policy out when I disagree with it, but it does appear that currently, the consensus of “decorum” among the masses in the Muslim world really, really appears to be lagging behind the rest of the major world religions. I acknowledge that they feel that they are under constant attack (both figuratively and literally) by the West in a number of issues, but in instances like this, all the traditional and almost defensible reasons for taking up arms (economic destitution & loss of land, life, or liberty) are stripped away and what we're left with is people that just flip out far too easily. If suppose, were I were to come from a group of people that was systematically beaten down and oppressed over a series of generations, perhaps I would be so near a boiling point that nearly anything could send me over the top. I don't and can't know, and something like that may certainly be at work here.
But from an intellectual standpoint, I can't see how anyone that looks at the sort of culture of violence that seems to be encouraged and perpetuated amongst many voices that represent the Muslim faith could possibly come away with a hopeful view of their future. Of course, I can't see how anyone in this country that supports Republican policy can see it as a hopeful view of their future either, and people over here are a lot more at liberty to spend leisurely, comfortable hours thinking about such things.
"On one hand, you have the incredibly sad irony people protesting the depiction of Mohammad as a terrorist by burning & killing. On the other hand, I wonder what the reaction of many Catholics would have be, were there to have been, amidst the Catholic Priest/child scandal a political cartoon of a slathering, sleazy-looking Pope chasing around little kids. Or Jesus doing the same."
He replied:
"There may have been, though perhaps with some level of decorum.
There's no excuse for burning and pillaging, and they're not really helping their cause by doing so, but on the other hand there's little editorial value to something as crude as the turban shaped-like-a-bomb cartoon."
To which I now add, at the risk of invoking the wrath of the Muslim and Western world:
The appropriateness of running the cartoon originally can be debated. The fact that certain media will not show it now is absolute BS, because is TOTALLY relevant to the story OF the controversy. One might even say it is a perfect example of the oft & too often remarked claim, "...then the terrorists have already won."
Lord knows I try to call U.S. culture & policy out when I disagree with it, but it does appear that currently, the consensus of “decorum” among the masses in the Muslim world really, really appears to be lagging behind the rest of the major world religions. I acknowledge that they feel that they are under constant attack (both figuratively and literally) by the West in a number of issues, but in instances like this, all the traditional and almost defensible reasons for taking up arms (economic destitution & loss of land, life, or liberty) are stripped away and what we're left with is people that just flip out far too easily. If suppose, were I were to come from a group of people that was systematically beaten down and oppressed over a series of generations, perhaps I would be so near a boiling point that nearly anything could send me over the top. I don't and can't know, and something like that may certainly be at work here.
But from an intellectual standpoint, I can't see how anyone that looks at the sort of culture of violence that seems to be encouraged and perpetuated amongst many voices that represent the Muslim faith could possibly come away with a hopeful view of their future. Of course, I can't see how anyone in this country that supports Republican policy can see it as a hopeful view of their future either, and people over here are a lot more at liberty to spend leisurely, comfortable hours thinking about such things.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
Just saw this movie last night. A low budget (entire thing shot on a digital camera) Inuit-language (English subtitles) film about love, revenge, passion, determination, and triumph that got incredible reviews upon its release a couple of years ago. Indeed, everything I read about the film made it sound like it might be one of the most amazing things to have ever been put on film.
It was good, and extremely interesting. The "Holy Shit!" factor was very high with respect to the lifestyle and harsh environment that was portrayed. The Inuit actors, almost all in their first film roles, also did a really good job. It fell a little short for me in the simplicity of the dialogue. Did the nuance & depth of the words lose something in the translation? Almost certainly. But, if this film is made for wider consumption, one would think they'd take ever step possible to preserve the craft of the original scriptwriter in the subtitling.
The culture, customs, interactions, and everything else about these people is totally in-your-face. I was put back on my heels just a bit because of the visceralness (is that a word) of everything on the screen. Perhaps it was thought that telling a story about powerful, yet basic human concepts (love, revenge, etc.) would benefit from being presented in a very stark setting using very simple dialogue. Almost fairy-tale like. Indeed, I read an AllMovie.com synopsis that indicates it was based on an Inuit legend.
All in all, I'd definitely recommend the movie. Always good to see what you can do with (relatively) little money, but a great concept. Very educational, pretty inspiring, and definitely not something you're gonna get at the local cineplex.
It was good, and extremely interesting. The "Holy Shit!" factor was very high with respect to the lifestyle and harsh environment that was portrayed. The Inuit actors, almost all in their first film roles, also did a really good job. It fell a little short for me in the simplicity of the dialogue. Did the nuance & depth of the words lose something in the translation? Almost certainly. But, if this film is made for wider consumption, one would think they'd take ever step possible to preserve the craft of the original scriptwriter in the subtitling.
The culture, customs, interactions, and everything else about these people is totally in-your-face. I was put back on my heels just a bit because of the visceralness (is that a word) of everything on the screen. Perhaps it was thought that telling a story about powerful, yet basic human concepts (love, revenge, etc.) would benefit from being presented in a very stark setting using very simple dialogue. Almost fairy-tale like. Indeed, I read an AllMovie.com synopsis that indicates it was based on an Inuit legend.
All in all, I'd definitely recommend the movie. Always good to see what you can do with (relatively) little money, but a great concept. Very educational, pretty inspiring, and definitely not something you're gonna get at the local cineplex.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
A Couple of Musical Diversions...
1. Currently in my process of loading up all my CDs to iTunes on my work computer, I'm toting in five discs per day for import. Of course, I play selections from the "set of five" on my ride in & out, and "Beatles Anthology 2" happened to be the collection today (I'm nearly there, since I'm going Z-A, by artist). In the collection of outtakes & live recordings is a live version of "Yesterday," one made a little more famous among Beatles faithful by John Lennon's introduction of the song, "For Paul McCartney of Liverpool, opportunity knocks." Completely alone with an acoustic guitar, for the first time ever in rock and roll music, Paul nailed it. It reminded me of a very similar situation, the time when the Beatles were invited for a command performance in front of the Queen of England for the first time. Paul again was in the spotlight, this time with a little backing by the other members, as he performed 'Till There Was You. With no margin for error (due to the sparse musical backing), Paul again nailed the music and singing with one of the most brilliant live performances I've ever seen. To me, also as a fan of sports, it was the equivalent of shooting two free throws while down one in the NCAA Championship Game with no time left and swishing them both. I don't think it's on either Anthology (Aaron?), but may be in the BBC Collection, which I don't have (again, Aaron?) If anyone is particularly interested (I guess this could be in 'The Annex'), I could try to track it down and make it available. A seminal moment in the history of popular music, I think.
2. Also noticed in the "group of five" today; something that I offer us as an interesting tidbit to that fan of meaningless coincidence who reads my blog every day. I have six, maybe seven double albums in my entire collection. Four of them are in perfect alphabetical order: Beatles: Anthology I, Beatles: Anthology II, Bee Gees: Greatest Hits, Best of Both Worlds: Hannibal World Music Sampler. Though, now that I think about it, "Best of Both Worlds" should really be classified under "Various," but this is where it's sat in my collection for years and years, so I'm not quite sure I'm ready to move it yet.
2. Also noticed in the "group of five" today; something that I offer us as an interesting tidbit to that fan of meaningless coincidence who reads my blog every day. I have six, maybe seven double albums in my entire collection. Four of them are in perfect alphabetical order: Beatles: Anthology I, Beatles: Anthology II, Bee Gees: Greatest Hits, Best of Both Worlds: Hannibal World Music Sampler. Though, now that I think about it, "Best of Both Worlds" should really be classified under "Various," but this is where it's sat in my collection for years and years, so I'm not quite sure I'm ready to move it yet.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Congressional Hearings Today on NPR: Ah...ah...ah GOOOSH!
The Senate will be questioning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales today about the administration's use of the National Security Agency to monitor domestic communication. Most people in the US have heard something about this issue, but don't really know much about it and sort of assume that the government is working in their best interests and the whole thing will sort itself out. There's are many, many other gradients of knowing/caring about this issue before you get to the small percentage of people that are following this story in some form or another on a near-daily basis, and are now planning to tune in for hours of live coverage today on the radio or CSPAN.
God, I'm such a wonk.
God, I'm such a wonk.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Well, Add it to the List...
Yet another thing that the rest of the world seems to get that I just don't quite: beard trimming. About a month and a half of beard growth once again down the shitter as I tried again (and unsuccessfully, again) to trim my beard and make it a little neater. The combination of unkempt beard and unruly hair was starting to make me look like the lead singer to Phish.
For me, the attempt is like trying to bite a cookie into a circle. I keep trimming and trimmnig and trimming and trimming, trying to get it right; and end up with no beard at all.
On a side note, resolution ammended.
For me, the attempt is like trying to bite a cookie into a circle. I keep trimming and trimmnig and trimming and trimming, trying to get it right; and end up with no beard at all.
On a side note, resolution ammended.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
The Resolution Project: Check-In #1
I thought it would be good to have regular, end-of-month check-ins to see how we're coming along on our resolutions and keep ourselves accountable to something.
1. Residence Issue Resolved: Cripes, where did I sit on this exactly a month ago? Currently, we're planning to do some light improvements on our house (the most complex of which is a very light remodel of our kitchen), try to sell our house, and move into the Victory Neighborhood of Camden (Minneapolis). Ed. note: we're not by any means putting the "kabosh" on the Zephyr Project. Just trying to be a little more decisive and not let our slowly percolating big-picture plans paralyze us in the here and now. Maybe that's what the "residence issue resolved" issue was/is all about and, if that's the case, we need only progress further along in our current plans to accomplish it. So far so good...
2. Conversion from Coffee to Tea as Daily Brew: Progressing slowwwly, but progressing. This one is almost entirely tied to how early I can get myself to bed. The general rule of thumb is that if I'm to bed after 11:00 or so, I'm going to need coffee in the morning; but of course my bedtimes of the preceding few days before that may figure into the equation. I've managed to have tea about three or four days to the complete exclusion of coffee; which may sound pretty lame but within the context of where I come, it's a bit of an achievement. Both a decent run of early bedtimes and abstinence from late-night peanut butter binges have faltered a bit in the past week or two, but I expect those bumps in the road and I'm not going to kick myself over it. Back up on the wagon, and carry on.
3. Finish Secret of HIM: Well, prior to making the resolutions I was sitting at four songs pretty much recorded (with the possibility of re-doing some tracks and the inevitability of remixing them all). In January, I was able to record the entire drum track of a new song and pen a couple of new verses to a different song that has existed for a long time but was in dire need of a re-write. Again, sloow progress, but more than anything else, inspiration in this arena tends to go in massive waves. And I've really been letting the disorganization & clutter in my basement get in the way of getting the studio all set up & going at full capacity.
In retrospect, I wonder if I should have maybe chosen a different #2. One of the things I'm most fired up about (and to which I'm actually adhering) is a commitment to regular (but not excessive-leading to burnout) cardiovascular activity. Since the beginning of the month, I've dutifully run 3-4 times a week in total moderation (anywhere from one to just over three miles), and actually done a lot of walking on the non-running days (e.g. walking a mile round trip to run an errand from work and that sort of thing). If the powers-that-be wouldn't mind me swapping this out, I'd like to go back and amend my original resolutions. I'll even change the original damned post.
1. Residence Issue Resolved: Cripes, where did I sit on this exactly a month ago? Currently, we're planning to do some light improvements on our house (the most complex of which is a very light remodel of our kitchen), try to sell our house, and move into the Victory Neighborhood of Camden (Minneapolis). Ed. note: we're not by any means putting the "kabosh" on the Zephyr Project. Just trying to be a little more decisive and not let our slowly percolating big-picture plans paralyze us in the here and now. Maybe that's what the "residence issue resolved" issue was/is all about and, if that's the case, we need only progress further along in our current plans to accomplish it. So far so good...
2. Conversion from Coffee to Tea as Daily Brew: Progressing slowwwly, but progressing. This one is almost entirely tied to how early I can get myself to bed. The general rule of thumb is that if I'm to bed after 11:00 or so, I'm going to need coffee in the morning; but of course my bedtimes of the preceding few days before that may figure into the equation. I've managed to have tea about three or four days to the complete exclusion of coffee; which may sound pretty lame but within the context of where I come, it's a bit of an achievement. Both a decent run of early bedtimes and abstinence from late-night peanut butter binges have faltered a bit in the past week or two, but I expect those bumps in the road and I'm not going to kick myself over it. Back up on the wagon, and carry on.
3. Finish Secret of HIM: Well, prior to making the resolutions I was sitting at four songs pretty much recorded (with the possibility of re-doing some tracks and the inevitability of remixing them all). In January, I was able to record the entire drum track of a new song and pen a couple of new verses to a different song that has existed for a long time but was in dire need of a re-write. Again, sloow progress, but more than anything else, inspiration in this arena tends to go in massive waves. And I've really been letting the disorganization & clutter in my basement get in the way of getting the studio all set up & going at full capacity.
In retrospect, I wonder if I should have maybe chosen a different #2. One of the things I'm most fired up about (and to which I'm actually adhering) is a commitment to regular (but not excessive-leading to burnout) cardiovascular activity. Since the beginning of the month, I've dutifully run 3-4 times a week in total moderation (anywhere from one to just over three miles), and actually done a lot of walking on the non-running days (e.g. walking a mile round trip to run an errand from work and that sort of thing). If the powers-that-be wouldn't mind me swapping this out, I'd like to go back and amend my original resolutions. I'll even change the original damned post.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Peace Accords with Sharon
We had a few couples over last weekend for a belated ringing in of the New Year. A second annual sharing of resolutions & hopes for the coming year, lots of levity & storytelling, and a few rousing rounds of the party game "Apples to Apples." On top of other snacks & beverages, I was happy to provide a nice selection of quality craft beer from which our guests could choose. However, I made sure to tuck away a Schell's Firebrick Ale & Schell's Pale Ale, as I was not going to finish off my sampler pack without trying a couple of those notable and well-regarded brews.
I actually started the evening with a Firebrick, and it was wonderful. So wonderful, in fact, that I finished it in short order and moved on to my Pale Ale. Also wonderful. One of my guests brought over a six pack of his favorite beer, Harp Lager, and made me an offer of one, to which I acquiesced. Suddenly, I was buzzing.
Understand, I am having beer every night or every other night these days, but I am generally a one-beer guy. In fact, strictly a one-beer guy unless drinking with friends on a special occasion. So tonight, I was not really "tipsy," as they say, but definitely "feeling it," as those same people, and others besides, say. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Roy!!! How's it going, buddy? He stepped through the door and before I knew it, he was living it up, laughing, and regaling the assembled folks.
Now, anyone who knows the history of Roy knows that his presence used to annoy Sharon. He was a bit overbearing, exceedingly loud, and not very sensitive to how she was feeling at social events. It hit rock bottom when, returning from a party in St. Paul where Roy had been in "fine form," Roy stumbled and fell when getting out of the car and actually had to be helped to his feet and into the house. It was the next morning when I was informed that diplomatic ties with Roy were being officially severed. He was not allowed in her presence anymore. That was a promise that I kept for probably around six or seven years until, I guess, last weekend.
Whether its me getting a little wiser and softening my presentation or Sharon mellowing a bit, or just both of us understanding one other a little better, it was after beer three and before beer four (a tasty Snowstorm) that I realized that yes, Roy was there and yes, Sharon was having a good time, too. It may have even been Sharon that looked over at me and said something like, "Am I talking to Roy, here?" I may have responded with "Yeah...is Roy fun to be around?," to which she allowed a playful "Maybe..."
As further evidence of wisdom through age (and, perhaps, fatherhood), I capped it at four and rounded out a splendid evening.
I actually started the evening with a Firebrick, and it was wonderful. So wonderful, in fact, that I finished it in short order and moved on to my Pale Ale. Also wonderful. One of my guests brought over a six pack of his favorite beer, Harp Lager, and made me an offer of one, to which I acquiesced. Suddenly, I was buzzing.
Understand, I am having beer every night or every other night these days, but I am generally a one-beer guy. In fact, strictly a one-beer guy unless drinking with friends on a special occasion. So tonight, I was not really "tipsy," as they say, but definitely "feeling it," as those same people, and others besides, say. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Roy!!! How's it going, buddy? He stepped through the door and before I knew it, he was living it up, laughing, and regaling the assembled folks.
Now, anyone who knows the history of Roy knows that his presence used to annoy Sharon. He was a bit overbearing, exceedingly loud, and not very sensitive to how she was feeling at social events. It hit rock bottom when, returning from a party in St. Paul where Roy had been in "fine form," Roy stumbled and fell when getting out of the car and actually had to be helped to his feet and into the house. It was the next morning when I was informed that diplomatic ties with Roy were being officially severed. He was not allowed in her presence anymore. That was a promise that I kept for probably around six or seven years until, I guess, last weekend.
Whether its me getting a little wiser and softening my presentation or Sharon mellowing a bit, or just both of us understanding one other a little better, it was after beer three and before beer four (a tasty Snowstorm) that I realized that yes, Roy was there and yes, Sharon was having a good time, too. It may have even been Sharon that looked over at me and said something like, "Am I talking to Roy, here?" I may have responded with "Yeah...is Roy fun to be around?," to which she allowed a playful "Maybe..."
As further evidence of wisdom through age (and, perhaps, fatherhood), I capped it at four and rounded out a splendid evening.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Employing Star Wars' "Imperial Empire Theory" of Management
from an article in today's Star-Tribune.
Criticized by some in the past for being hesitant to address the company's problems, Ford management seemed to deliver on that reputation for tentativeness Monday by not naming all of the plants it will close. The hesitation leaves thousands of workers in a fog about their future rather than committed to a new set of goals.
...
Mark Fields, head of Ford's North and South American auto division, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying he wants to create "a sense of crisis, but not panic," arguing that Ford workers will find motivation in fear.
Good God. On a side note, I wonder what the odds are that Mark fucking Fields and his friends are "Bush Pioneers." Ironically, and sadly, I wonder how many of these shit-upon union workers have abandoned their union roots to vote for the tough-guy Republican party: the party of the American Dream (for about 2% of the population).
Criticized by some in the past for being hesitant to address the company's problems, Ford management seemed to deliver on that reputation for tentativeness Monday by not naming all of the plants it will close. The hesitation leaves thousands of workers in a fog about their future rather than committed to a new set of goals.
...
Mark Fields, head of Ford's North and South American auto division, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying he wants to create "a sense of crisis, but not panic," arguing that Ford workers will find motivation in fear.
Good God. On a side note, I wonder what the odds are that Mark fucking Fields and his friends are "Bush Pioneers." Ironically, and sadly, I wonder how many of these shit-upon union workers have abandoned their union roots to vote for the tough-guy Republican party: the party of the American Dream (for about 2% of the population).
Monday, January 23, 2006
Battle Cry
Anyone got a favorite phrase they'd scream out when charging into battle?
I'm torn between:
"Moribund the Burgermeister!!!"
or
"Bron-Yr-Aur!!!!
I'm torn between:
"Moribund the Burgermeister!!!"
or
"Bron-Yr-Aur!!!!
Friday, January 20, 2006
Well, It's Official: Gibbsy is Out
According to T-Clog, we all got an email last night (which I haven't yet seen). Gibbs is apparently giving official word that he's out for next summer, while being a bit characteristically cryptic in his reasons.
To his credit, it sounds as though he doesn't want this to drag on like last year, for which he may feel a little guilt. Against his credit, from my standpoint anyway, is that it appears clear that this trip has simply not been even close to the priority for him that it has been for us. I just don't understand it. When I consider various things such as my age (35 with arguably fewer "prime of my life" days in front of me than behind me), and the geographic distribution of my friends (getting together once or twice a year takes some finagling; a trip like this can only happen every five years or so, tops), it can't help but to rise to the very top echelon of my dreams for this coming year. But the man has spoken.
It seems kind of crazy, considering it was his participation in a college class & getting this Escalante adventure book from it that initially spurred on this interest. But getting this word early on in the game can hopefully free us up, from a planning and logistical standpoint (e.g. less schedules to consider, earlier & better idea of rental/gas costs we're likely to incur, and easier & better understanding of our various responsibilities).
Moving on...
Cory: expedition planner (where we go, where we camp, timing of it all, considerations such as temp, rain, flooding, wilde beastes)
Dan: logistics of getting there (timing, vehicle rental), coordination of gear
PMix: getting self to Midwest, meal planning (though Dan secures foodstuffs)
To his credit, it sounds as though he doesn't want this to drag on like last year, for which he may feel a little guilt. Against his credit, from my standpoint anyway, is that it appears clear that this trip has simply not been even close to the priority for him that it has been for us. I just don't understand it. When I consider various things such as my age (35 with arguably fewer "prime of my life" days in front of me than behind me), and the geographic distribution of my friends (getting together once or twice a year takes some finagling; a trip like this can only happen every five years or so, tops), it can't help but to rise to the very top echelon of my dreams for this coming year. But the man has spoken.
It seems kind of crazy, considering it was his participation in a college class & getting this Escalante adventure book from it that initially spurred on this interest. But getting this word early on in the game can hopefully free us up, from a planning and logistical standpoint (e.g. less schedules to consider, earlier & better idea of rental/gas costs we're likely to incur, and easier & better understanding of our various responsibilities).
Moving on...
Cory: expedition planner (where we go, where we camp, timing of it all, considerations such as temp, rain, flooding, wilde beastes)
Dan: logistics of getting there (timing, vehicle rental), coordination of gear
PMix: getting self to Midwest, meal planning (though Dan secures foodstuffs)
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Wingin', Just a Bit
I'm trying to grow my hair out really long over the top & front, ala Professor Snape or the kid from Thumbsucker. But there's a really kind of crazy middle ground, before you can tuck your hair behind your ears. Aaron claims to have had to wear a baseball hat for about a year before he could pull it off. I don't have that luxury at Big Buy (business casual), so things might get a little ugly in the meantime. The hair that grows over my left ear also has this tendency to sort of *wing out* just a little. More pictures to follow as the experiment warrants.
A Record High Here Today
That's right, I have a new highest score in my BeerAdvocacy. It's the Samuel Adams Holiday Porter (and my review should be at or near the top). It's a kind of weird situation, since (as I explain in the review) I'm giving it high scores partially due to understanding what they were going for, rather than judging purely on personal taste. The beer I've flat out enjoyed the most so far is the plain ol' Sam Adams Boston Lager, for which I haven't yet posted a review. I am up to 9 reviews, though, and so moving through my personal world tour at a respectable clip.
Dan Speaks Out Again
The Danphoenix rises again from the ashes to offer forth more words on Escalante before disappearing once more into flame:
Noted on T-Clog's refusal to get trekking poles. Indeed, I remembered one of the things we had talked about early on, and which we should maybe return to; which is the idea of this trip more as a retreat into one of the world's most peaceful and beautiful places, rather than a test of our physical limits. Some of us have a tendency to turn most the most ordinary of backpacking trips into an homage to the Bataan Death March, but I think could benefit greatly from resisting that urge more often. Not only is there the obvious issue of not indulging one's self in the environment, there's also the reality that we simply cannot assume that we'll all be in the same physical condition when we get together.
I'm back on board with the idea of backpacking to a "base camp" sort of place in a day or day & a half and doing day hikes from there (which would mean packing along a day pack for toting lunches, water bottles, field guides, etc.).
Noted on T-Clog's refusal to get trekking poles. Indeed, I remembered one of the things we had talked about early on, and which we should maybe return to; which is the idea of this trip more as a retreat into one of the world's most peaceful and beautiful places, rather than a test of our physical limits. Some of us have a tendency to turn most the most ordinary of backpacking trips into an homage to the Bataan Death March, but I think could benefit greatly from resisting that urge more often. Not only is there the obvious issue of not indulging one's self in the environment, there's also the reality that we simply cannot assume that we'll all be in the same physical condition when we get together.
I'm back on board with the idea of backpacking to a "base camp" sort of place in a day or day & a half and doing day hikes from there (which would mean packing along a day pack for toting lunches, water bottles, field guides, etc.).
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
The Health Coalescence
So, this post is sort of the coalescence of a number of other posts & thoughts I've had over the past number of months. It is about health and how aspects of my lifestyle need to be changed in order to better it.
1. Fitness: I was sure I had made a post on it recently, but couldn't find one; maybe I've just been thinking about it a lot. I've had a sort of "wake-up" moment regarding my level of fitness. I've always considered myself relatively fit and active. Well, I'm not sure the evidence of the past few years (or more) really bears that out. In the same way some people might get a lot of"mileage" out of, say, a single trip to France; others (like me) might get an awful lot of "mileage" out of a single, relatively brief fitness training period per year. In recent years (and maybe before that), I usually have one or two long distance running event during the course of the year that demands a very intense training program, but in the big scheme of things, it's only a small portion of the year (12 weeks for my standard 25k trail run, but a paltry, condensed seven-week training period last year). Seven to 12 weeks out of 52 in a year? Granted, there are certainly runs I am going on for the rest of the year, but my commitment to keeping that regular and sustained is just not there. Considering most health experts recommend three to four 30-minute cardiovascular workouts a week, it's time for me to stop getting "mileage" out of my narrow window of regular running and commit to regular activity and fitness for the long term. So far, so good this year. I am going out for short (1 1/2 to 2 mile) runs, which seem surprisingly long (they're not all that tough, but when you only set out for a run that short it seems to take an amazingly long time), in an attempt to embark upon something that won't burn me out, can fit into my schedule, and do all the other things that are the recipe for something I can stick with, long-term. right now, I either run during lunch at work or after Lucy goes down on my "off-Lucy" nights. My runs around home are limited to more or less straight north, as I just don't think it would be all that safe to take to the trails after dark. As the weather changes (and the sun stays out longer), I'd like to mix in trail running, biking, and some other cross training to keep it interesting. Also, Sharon & I are going to try to incorporate a family hike on Sunday afternoons. A brisk, long one; it's time for me to stop being a running dick and stop poo-poo-ing the good health effects of walking.
2: Diet: I've actually made strides in this in the past few years. Since Lucy's been born, we have been buying a lot of natural, un-processed foods. But it was only recently, when I finally read up on the science behind fat & cholesterol (detailed in a recent post), that I really comitted to an extra effort in avoiding empty carbs, hydrogenized foods, and excess sweets. That stuff freaks me out enough now that I think this is going to be one that I can really stick with. My major issues in the realm of diet remain 1) the "binge," particularly those that occur late at night, and with peanut butter 2) overeating at supper. There are other things that I could tweak (more but smaller meals, a little more vegetable matter) down the line, but I think if I get those two major ones under control, I'll be in pretty good shape. Oh yeah, there's the coffee thing, too. That's one of my resolutions, so I won't dwell on it here. But other things, like pop at mealtime, has already made a significant decline in light of my new strides in avoiding the bad stuff. I plan to continue to have a beer about two out of every three nights-a good things in many health respects, but certainly a lot of empty calories (don't even say "light beer" to me). That is something I truly, truly enjoy and really want as part of my lifestyle, and so will just have to be compensated for by my fitness. Nothing like a nice beer as a reward for a day where you've done the right thing at meals & in excercise.
3. Stress: This is related to health. Since it's only fairly recently recognized as such by the medical community, I think we may someday discover that it's far more influential than we currently know. Sometimes I think I'm good at letting stress roll off my back, and sometimes I think I let it consume me. Truth is, I just can't get in other people's heads, so I really don't know how I compare. I worry and overanalyze things, but I'm also really good at living for the moment and putting all my concerns on the shelf when I am engaged in an activity. I think resolving some of the unresolved issues my family faces (also part resolution project) will help in this area, as will continuing to indulge myself in those things that I enjoy will allow me to manage this.
1. Fitness: I was sure I had made a post on it recently, but couldn't find one; maybe I've just been thinking about it a lot. I've had a sort of "wake-up" moment regarding my level of fitness. I've always considered myself relatively fit and active. Well, I'm not sure the evidence of the past few years (or more) really bears that out. In the same way some people might get a lot of"mileage" out of, say, a single trip to France; others (like me) might get an awful lot of "mileage" out of a single, relatively brief fitness training period per year. In recent years (and maybe before that), I usually have one or two long distance running event during the course of the year that demands a very intense training program, but in the big scheme of things, it's only a small portion of the year (12 weeks for my standard 25k trail run, but a paltry, condensed seven-week training period last year). Seven to 12 weeks out of 52 in a year? Granted, there are certainly runs I am going on for the rest of the year, but my commitment to keeping that regular and sustained is just not there. Considering most health experts recommend three to four 30-minute cardiovascular workouts a week, it's time for me to stop getting "mileage" out of my narrow window of regular running and commit to regular activity and fitness for the long term. So far, so good this year. I am going out for short (1 1/2 to 2 mile) runs, which seem surprisingly long (they're not all that tough, but when you only set out for a run that short it seems to take an amazingly long time), in an attempt to embark upon something that won't burn me out, can fit into my schedule, and do all the other things that are the recipe for something I can stick with, long-term. right now, I either run during lunch at work or after Lucy goes down on my "off-Lucy" nights. My runs around home are limited to more or less straight north, as I just don't think it would be all that safe to take to the trails after dark. As the weather changes (and the sun stays out longer), I'd like to mix in trail running, biking, and some other cross training to keep it interesting. Also, Sharon & I are going to try to incorporate a family hike on Sunday afternoons. A brisk, long one; it's time for me to stop being a running dick and stop poo-poo-ing the good health effects of walking.
2: Diet: I've actually made strides in this in the past few years. Since Lucy's been born, we have been buying a lot of natural, un-processed foods. But it was only recently, when I finally read up on the science behind fat & cholesterol (detailed in a recent post), that I really comitted to an extra effort in avoiding empty carbs, hydrogenized foods, and excess sweets. That stuff freaks me out enough now that I think this is going to be one that I can really stick with. My major issues in the realm of diet remain 1) the "binge," particularly those that occur late at night, and with peanut butter 2) overeating at supper. There are other things that I could tweak (more but smaller meals, a little more vegetable matter) down the line, but I think if I get those two major ones under control, I'll be in pretty good shape. Oh yeah, there's the coffee thing, too. That's one of my resolutions, so I won't dwell on it here. But other things, like pop at mealtime, has already made a significant decline in light of my new strides in avoiding the bad stuff. I plan to continue to have a beer about two out of every three nights-a good things in many health respects, but certainly a lot of empty calories (don't even say "light beer" to me). That is something I truly, truly enjoy and really want as part of my lifestyle, and so will just have to be compensated for by my fitness. Nothing like a nice beer as a reward for a day where you've done the right thing at meals & in excercise.
3. Stress: This is related to health. Since it's only fairly recently recognized as such by the medical community, I think we may someday discover that it's far more influential than we currently know. Sometimes I think I'm good at letting stress roll off my back, and sometimes I think I let it consume me. Truth is, I just can't get in other people's heads, so I really don't know how I compare. I worry and overanalyze things, but I'm also really good at living for the moment and putting all my concerns on the shelf when I am engaged in an activity. I think resolving some of the unresolved issues my family faces (also part resolution project) will help in this area, as will continuing to indulge myself in those things that I enjoy will allow me to manage this.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Dan Speaks out on Escalante
I'm speaking out on gear.
First, Raincoats: I think I've mentioned that I've been considering an upgrade on raincoat for some time. I've been using a jacket I got (Columbia, but a good, top-of-the-line one) in 1996, just prior to my trip to Paraguay. It has since gone through use in every camping trip on which I've been in the past 10 years, as well as being my winter-coat overlayer (over an REI fleece). It has holes burned in the sleeves from embers during long-forgotten February freeze-offs, is down to a zipper stub (easily worth replacing -if the jacket was a lot more new & functional), and no longer holds a waterproof treatment. It work OK-but only OK during the Mixdorf/Dan rain romp on Maine's coast, with its current inability to shed water combined with a lack of pit zippers & adequate ventilation (always an issue with this coat) it pretty much performs an "anti-wick;"inviting rain in to mix with the sweat that can't get out.
I finally went for it and got a really nice Marmot raincoat. T-Clog will appreciate the fact that I tried the model on at REI, then went for the same thing, but $25 cheaper at Campmor. Here it is:
"Angel Wing" feature under the arms to allow for natural movement. Breathable. Waterproof. Pit (and other) zippers for ventilation. Marmot reputation. It's awesome and I can't wait to use it.
Next, Trail Pad: So, I've got the same (or very similar) trail pad that we all do-the eggshell foam thing. I'm just going to say it: I haven't had a comfortable night's sleep on a camping trip for about six years. For a guy that likes to think he's pretty decent at "roughing it" and who once went about a half year sleeping only on a trail pad at Johnson Street, it was a little tough to first recognize, and then admit; but the simple fact is that as my body ages, it is less and less capable of finding sleep on hard surfaces comfy. And I don't want to "rough it." I want to have a wonderful, comfortable sleep out in the wilds. A luxurious sleep listening to night sounds, and eventual luxurious, drawn-out waking, listening to morning sounds. I'm going to invest the $40-$50 in a self-inflatable matress (trail pad variety, obviously; not "twin-sized"). I would highly recommend everyone else going on this trip and planning to sleep on rock do the same.
Next, Head Lamp: I may end up being the only guy without one of those headlamps (around $35, right?). I plan to get one of those headbands that can hold a mag-lite. I would like to have a nice, fresh new bulb for the maggie, though.
Next, Dishes: Seems like it would be a cool idea for us all to have the same dish/cup. That way, they could stack together for packing. Considering we'll all be toting 1 1/2 gallons of water apiece, it would be nice to conserve space in that way. Thoughts?
Next, Trekking Poles: Clogger, I'd still really recommend this. I know Target has these for under $30. I love mine-you know what they say, "Once trek, never back."
Other thoughts?
First, Raincoats: I think I've mentioned that I've been considering an upgrade on raincoat for some time. I've been using a jacket I got (Columbia, but a good, top-of-the-line one) in 1996, just prior to my trip to Paraguay. It has since gone through use in every camping trip on which I've been in the past 10 years, as well as being my winter-coat overlayer (over an REI fleece). It has holes burned in the sleeves from embers during long-forgotten February freeze-offs, is down to a zipper stub (easily worth replacing -if the jacket was a lot more new & functional), and no longer holds a waterproof treatment. It work OK-but only OK during the Mixdorf/Dan rain romp on Maine's coast, with its current inability to shed water combined with a lack of pit zippers & adequate ventilation (always an issue with this coat) it pretty much performs an "anti-wick;"inviting rain in to mix with the sweat that can't get out.
I finally went for it and got a really nice Marmot raincoat. T-Clog will appreciate the fact that I tried the model on at REI, then went for the same thing, but $25 cheaper at Campmor. Here it is:
"Angel Wing" feature under the arms to allow for natural movement. Breathable. Waterproof. Pit (and other) zippers for ventilation. Marmot reputation. It's awesome and I can't wait to use it.
Next, Trail Pad: So, I've got the same (or very similar) trail pad that we all do-the eggshell foam thing. I'm just going to say it: I haven't had a comfortable night's sleep on a camping trip for about six years. For a guy that likes to think he's pretty decent at "roughing it" and who once went about a half year sleeping only on a trail pad at Johnson Street, it was a little tough to first recognize, and then admit; but the simple fact is that as my body ages, it is less and less capable of finding sleep on hard surfaces comfy. And I don't want to "rough it." I want to have a wonderful, comfortable sleep out in the wilds. A luxurious sleep listening to night sounds, and eventual luxurious, drawn-out waking, listening to morning sounds. I'm going to invest the $40-$50 in a self-inflatable matress (trail pad variety, obviously; not "twin-sized"). I would highly recommend everyone else going on this trip and planning to sleep on rock do the same.
Next, Head Lamp: I may end up being the only guy without one of those headlamps (around $35, right?). I plan to get one of those headbands that can hold a mag-lite. I would like to have a nice, fresh new bulb for the maggie, though.
Next, Dishes: Seems like it would be a cool idea for us all to have the same dish/cup. That way, they could stack together for packing. Considering we'll all be toting 1 1/2 gallons of water apiece, it would be nice to conserve space in that way. Thoughts?
Next, Trekking Poles: Clogger, I'd still really recommend this. I know Target has these for under $30. I love mine-you know what they say, "Once trek, never back."
Other thoughts?
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Behold! The Trumpeter Swans!
Sharon had meant for some time to get us all up to this interesting little "park" area in Monticello. It's about four miles downstream of a power plant, where the river never freezes over (erg...that park kind of freaks me out), that a resident began feeding a breeding pair or two of trumpeter swans (the enormous, six-foot from beak to end of feet all white kind). They came back for more and brought friends, as well as all their cousins (Canada geese, mallards, goldeneyes, coots, and mergansers) until the regular flock grew to hundreds (up to 900 swans frequent the place according to a recent DNR count). Of course, the cost of food & so on got completely out of control; I guess she gets an enormous grant to keep it up, and now puts the food on a conveyor belt to cart it out to the banks of the river. Not sure how the racket sits with the neighbors, but the city of Monticello has turned the place into a little public access point to the river with an observation deck. A multitude of camera toting folks were there alongside us. My camera was put to shame, but I got a few shots that could pass for chronologically following some swans through their flight in, landing, feeding, and display. 
I think these birds are the largest in North America, outside of the condor. For more information on this place and these amazing creatures, check out the brochure. Most interesting fact, I thought: they weight between 20-30 lbs. That's 4-6 times the weight of a large Great Horned Owl. Crimney, how do they get into the air using only feathers?!
I think these birds are the largest in North America, outside of the condor. For more information on this place and these amazing creatures, check out the brochure. Most interesting fact, I thought: they weight between 20-30 lbs. That's 4-6 times the weight of a large Great Horned Owl. Crimney, how do they get into the air using only feathers?!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
I Would Let Her Bear the Ring, Yes I Would...
To summarize discussions of well over a year ago with Mixdorf and one just this morning with Cory; of all the people I know, I would trust Sharon to go into the very shadow of Mordor (where the shadows lie), bearing the ring. To her, alone, I would entrust the task of carrying the ring up the mountain and casting it into the fire.
But I would not want her as captain of my starship.
But I would not want her as captain of my starship.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Well, I'm a Wonk
I'm sitting here, listening to the Samuel Alito hearings. Every time NPR says, "We'll return to the hearings in a little while" I'm thinking that they can't return soon enough. I can listen to this shit all day.
On a side note, I'm finding it repeatedly disheartening and enlightening, over the past few years, to really see how weasely & questionably-motivated folks can truly rise to the highest levels of "public service" in this country. These folks are not always all that respectable. That part is obvious. But, more surprisingly, they don't always appear to be all that much more knowledgable and well-thought-out on issues than me & my friends, considering the obvious advantage of being in the midst of thsee issues by virtue of their careers. Potentially a followup post or posts to this down the line...
On a side note, I'm finding it repeatedly disheartening and enlightening, over the past few years, to really see how weasely & questionably-motivated folks can truly rise to the highest levels of "public service" in this country. These folks are not always all that respectable. That part is obvious. But, more surprisingly, they don't always appear to be all that much more knowledgable and well-thought-out on issues than me & my friends, considering the obvious advantage of being in the midst of thsee issues by virtue of their careers. Potentially a followup post or posts to this down the line...
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Intrigue and Inspiration
One thing I found very intriguing last fall was when a local indie theatre troupe, Hardcover Theatre undertook an ambitious serial endeavor called "London After Midnight." Basically, a vampire tale that is presented one chapter at a time, one chapter per season. A cross between Dickens and a soap opera, it has the potential of bringing patrons back to find out what happens next, as well as giving actors & crew a chance to really develop characters over a long period of time. For me, hearing about this was inspirational as well as ingriguing.
Another thing I find intriguing is non-traditional theatre. By that, I mean theatre that is presented in non-traditional spaces. Possibilities are nearly endless, and it also frees a low-budget company from the financial requirement of securing an actual theatre space (which can run into the multi-thousands of dollars through rehearsals & performance) and being bound by traditional lighting/sound considerations.
Two more things I find inspirational as well as intruiging are the movie My Dinner with Andre and the Simon & Garfunkel song, The Dangling Conversation. Both deal with sort of the cafe/coffeehouse "intellectual" conversation; the former examining it and celebrating it, and the latter taking a little dig at it.
WHAT IF someone wrote a serial play called "The Dangling Conversation" that took place IN a coffeeshop? I think there have been moments when all of us have sat around just bullshitting with one another and thought "boy, what a shame that no-one else will ever get to appreciate the richness/humour/etc. of this conversation." I have, anyway. Of course, My Dinner with Andre sets an incredibly high standard for a writer, and The Dangling Conversation serves as warning as to how such a performance might be perceived by an audience if it wasn't pulled off just right. I think it would be a lot easier and more compelling if there were some sort of hook involved-some sort of plot or event unfolding as a new character or two are introduced through subsequent "chapters."
During a meeting of my theatre company on Sunday, I just tossed the idea out, and everyone else was intrigued. At this point, it's still an instance of "belling the cat," but my wheels are turning. I toss out the idea here to see if anyone has any kind of plot idea they would toss into such a setting?
Another thing I find intriguing is non-traditional theatre. By that, I mean theatre that is presented in non-traditional spaces. Possibilities are nearly endless, and it also frees a low-budget company from the financial requirement of securing an actual theatre space (which can run into the multi-thousands of dollars through rehearsals & performance) and being bound by traditional lighting/sound considerations.
Two more things I find inspirational as well as intruiging are the movie My Dinner with Andre and the Simon & Garfunkel song, The Dangling Conversation. Both deal with sort of the cafe/coffeehouse "intellectual" conversation; the former examining it and celebrating it, and the latter taking a little dig at it.
WHAT IF someone wrote a serial play called "The Dangling Conversation" that took place IN a coffeeshop? I think there have been moments when all of us have sat around just bullshitting with one another and thought "boy, what a shame that no-one else will ever get to appreciate the richness/humour/etc. of this conversation." I have, anyway. Of course, My Dinner with Andre sets an incredibly high standard for a writer, and The Dangling Conversation serves as warning as to how such a performance might be perceived by an audience if it wasn't pulled off just right. I think it would be a lot easier and more compelling if there were some sort of hook involved-some sort of plot or event unfolding as a new character or two are introduced through subsequent "chapters."
During a meeting of my theatre company on Sunday, I just tossed the idea out, and everyone else was intrigued. At this point, it's still an instance of "belling the cat," but my wheels are turning. I toss out the idea here to see if anyone has any kind of plot idea they would toss into such a setting?
Monday, January 09, 2006
Link Blogthrob
Particularly careful observers may have noticed I've added links to my Blog in recent times. It seemed natural to group them into three sections, and I'll say a little about them today
Sister Cities to the Oliopolis:
Other Blogs in my Blogring (those Blogs of friends I will check daily or at least on a very regular basis). There's a couple of other "2nd tier" Blogs: ones that I know, incidentally, as a result of them commenting or being linked to from A Blog of His Own (Byzantium's Shores and Dirigiblog), but I really don't currently have enough of a regular association with those authors to include them at this time. Perhaps, if they (or others) check into the Oliopolis from time to time, I will do the same and we can mutually grow our readership a little. I guess that's how this usually works, right?
The Oliopolis of Ventures:
Personal artistic/creative ventures of mine; in particular, my music and theatre endeavors. I may add photo or map galleries at some point in the future, depending on how seriously I take on that pursuit.
In This I Believe:
OK, so I'm not just a voice in the wilderness that rants from time to time. I do put my money and/or voice into action and these are some of the charitable social/environmental causes in which I am the most deeply personally connected and involved.
Sister Cities to the Oliopolis:
Other Blogs in my Blogring (those Blogs of friends I will check daily or at least on a very regular basis). There's a couple of other "2nd tier" Blogs: ones that I know, incidentally, as a result of them commenting or being linked to from A Blog of His Own (Byzantium's Shores and Dirigiblog), but I really don't currently have enough of a regular association with those authors to include them at this time. Perhaps, if they (or others) check into the Oliopolis from time to time, I will do the same and we can mutually grow our readership a little. I guess that's how this usually works, right?
The Oliopolis of Ventures:
Personal artistic/creative ventures of mine; in particular, my music and theatre endeavors. I may add photo or map galleries at some point in the future, depending on how seriously I take on that pursuit.
In This I Believe:
OK, so I'm not just a voice in the wilderness that rants from time to time. I do put my money and/or voice into action and these are some of the charitable social/environmental causes in which I am the most deeply personally connected and involved.
- Childreach: I have been involved with Childreach since shortly after college (even back in the days of netting $400 biweekly at my TV job). I sponsored one child from about 5th grade all the way through high school and am now sponsoring a little boy, Elian, in Bolivia, who is entering grammar school this year. Childreach is part of Plan International, sort of an international Peace Corps that works on community development projects in addition to individually sponsoring children. You want to know what a committed invididual acts of kindness and giving from people around the world can do that a $500 billion/year defense budget cannot? Well, it's about peace on earth and right here it is.
- The Humane Society: In the past 10 years, my contributions to the Ramsey County Humane Society (now the Humane Society for Companion Animals) have gone from volunteering time to volunteering money, as the availability of extra amounts of one to the other has gradually shifted. But I appreciate the hard, thankless, and often unbelievably depressing work that committed organizations just like this do throughout the world. I love and care for my own pets. What of the millions of potential pets in this country alone that sleep without shelter or companionship every night? Oof. Rough to think about, but I will continue to humbly support those people working to find and care for them.
- The ONE Campaign: Based on the belief that there is enough money in the first world to overcome AIDS and extreme poverty worldwide. As Mixdorf has stated (and as most charity organizations already know), the root of most problems in the world are not really religion or political differences. It's economic disparity.
- Union of Concerned Scientists: I have said it before and I will say it again. I am a man of science. Science as led us down some dark paths and has occasionally been influenced by those darker forces that prey upon the frailty of our species. But, if given the choice between following those that pursue the light of knowledge and understanding; or huddling with those living in laze, ignorance, and fear, I will choose the former every time. And not all scientists are for sale. This organization (UCS), chooses to use the fruits of their research and conclusions to make judgements on the most societally-conscious decisions in nearly all our lifestyle and consumer choices.
- New American Dream: Also very much into the "consumer choices" vein, this organization really believes that wasteful consumption (related to the whole "ecological footprint" topic, which is of great interest to me) is the single greatest aspect of our first-world lives that is within our power to contain and control if we hope to make a better world.
All great organizations. All definitely worth checking out. There's other great stuff out there, obviously: Red Cross, Greenpeace, MoveOn, Doctors without Borders, etc. etc. But I don't want to overwhelm my nation of readers.
Other Favorite Places on the Web:
So, life isn't all about activism and structured personal endeavors. Here's some of my favorite other places I like to check out.
- Wikipedia: I've quickly grown to love this resource. A wonderful, amazing, collaboratory effort (it never could have even come close to being pulled off by even a large staff) from experts and enthusiasts worldwide; it is a luxurious and almost sinful array of subjects, interlinking, and information for the intellectually curious. Quite simply, in my opinion, the best of what mankind and the web has to offer.
- Snopes: A myth and rumour-debunking resource that puts an end to the neverending supply of the worst of what mankind and the web has to offer.
- The Onion: In my opinion (of course), the best American humour currently going. Anywhere.
- Beer Advocate: I considered putting this advocacy group in the "In This I Believe" section but, in all seriousness, did not want to diminish the mission of the above groups. Nevertheless, furthering appreciation of this wonderful, mouth-watering liquid can only make this world a better place. Check in and learn a little more about that brew you're drinking. Check in to see what reviews I have most recently written. Better yet, start your own account.
- AllMusic: For the story behind that album and that music you're listening to, this is the place to go. A nice resource to have when doing Coalescence work, and just for putting music you hear into its overall popular music context, I've been a fan of this place for years.
There it is. If other links are added (new blog link exchanges, the potential photo exhibit, maybe something to reflect my newfound interest in chess, or just anything I may have forgotten), I will make sure to make a note.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
A Random Ten Vol. 2
1. Me & the IRS: Johnny Paycheck
2. Get that Love: Thompson Twins
3. She's Leaving Home: The Beatles
4. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby: Marvin Gaye
5. There Goes My Everything: Elvis
6. Act Naturally: The Beatles
7. I'm Looking Through You: The Beatles
8. Dancing Machine: The Jackson 5
9. One Love: Bob Marley
10. Happy Anniversary: Little River Band
Well, Beatle-heavy in a way that doesn't seem to be a very accurate reflection of my collection's diversity. And it ends on a serious dud. But, it's a random 10, so it is what it is.
2. Get that Love: Thompson Twins
3. She's Leaving Home: The Beatles
4. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby: Marvin Gaye
5. There Goes My Everything: Elvis
6. Act Naturally: The Beatles
7. I'm Looking Through You: The Beatles
8. Dancing Machine: The Jackson 5
9. One Love: Bob Marley
10. Happy Anniversary: Little River Band
Well, Beatle-heavy in a way that doesn't seem to be a very accurate reflection of my collection's diversity. And it ends on a serious dud. But, it's a random 10, so it is what it is.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Beer Appreciation 101: A+
Onto Beer Appreciation 102:
It's interesting, but I've taken definite steps forward in beer appreciation in very recent times; certainly since the "Corona is my favorite beer" days. I think in the old days, when I never truly gave myself over to enjoying the flavor of beer, I really confused "drinkability" with taste. What that often meant was that I never truly enjoyed the taste of alcohol and a lot of the other ingredients that make beer what it is, and the extent to which I "liked" a beer was quite closely correlated to how easily the beer went down. How tasteless and watery. I will cast no aspersions on Corona until I try it again from a new palette, but my opinion might be very different this time around.
Now, some of my favorite tasting beers would actually cause me to make a face if I tried to drink them too fast. In the world of fermentation & yeast and so on, there's a fine line between bitter/skunky/and delicious, and if I sip a beer slowly and really let the flavors unravel slowly, it's a totally different universe than if I quaff it. In that same vein, reading up a little on the style of beer and specific brew prior to consuming your first and having some understanding of the goal of the brewmeister can help you go distintguish some of those subtledies. Makes one realize there really is a time & place for different beers (e.g. no reason to buy high-quality beer if you're planning on having a smash-down).
It's interesting, but I've taken definite steps forward in beer appreciation in very recent times; certainly since the "Corona is my favorite beer" days. I think in the old days, when I never truly gave myself over to enjoying the flavor of beer, I really confused "drinkability" with taste. What that often meant was that I never truly enjoyed the taste of alcohol and a lot of the other ingredients that make beer what it is, and the extent to which I "liked" a beer was quite closely correlated to how easily the beer went down. How tasteless and watery. I will cast no aspersions on Corona until I try it again from a new palette, but my opinion might be very different this time around.
Now, some of my favorite tasting beers would actually cause me to make a face if I tried to drink them too fast. In the world of fermentation & yeast and so on, there's a fine line between bitter/skunky/and delicious, and if I sip a beer slowly and really let the flavors unravel slowly, it's a totally different universe than if I quaff it. In that same vein, reading up a little on the style of beer and specific brew prior to consuming your first and having some understanding of the goal of the brewmeister can help you go distintguish some of those subtledies. Makes one realize there really is a time & place for different beers (e.g. no reason to buy high-quality beer if you're planning on having a smash-down).
Thursday, January 05, 2006
More Harry Potter and Butterbeer
1. Researching Snape a little, some links from Wikipedia:
- People from around the world asking questions of Rowling; some interesting responses scattered here and there.
- Some interesting theories as to why Snape is really good-particularly look at the Book 6 part.
- Some other Snape information given by Rowling.
2. A few new reviews up, including my highest rated beer so far: Negra Modelo, at 3.75.
35! and a Day of Frivolity
Wow. 35. We celebrated, sans-Lucy, with a day that included an eat-out breakfast, chess at the coffee shop, much enjoyable dangling conversation, dinner out, and a viewing of the latest Harry Potter; which I thought was the best so far and by far.
The directing was superb. I also think the kids have been taking acting lessons; they all did a great job. More than any of the others, it really didn't seem like a movie from kids, both in terms of the intensity and also when you consider all the scenes having fun with the awkward boy-girl dynamic of early teen years. That could have been done wincingly bad, but I think they did a really great job of it and, as adults, one can watch those scenes with warmth and humour. Got to agree with Gibbsy, though; the new Dumbledore is a nutcase. I don't know what they were thinking with that...
The directing was superb. I also think the kids have been taking acting lessons; they all did a great job. More than any of the others, it really didn't seem like a movie from kids, both in terms of the intensity and also when you consider all the scenes having fun with the awkward boy-girl dynamic of early teen years. That could have been done wincingly bad, but I think they did a really great job of it and, as adults, one can watch those scenes with warmth and humour. Got to agree with Gibbsy, though; the new Dumbledore is a nutcase. I don't know what they were thinking with that...
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Thank God for American Animation
For if it weren't for Simpsons, King of the Hill, and South Park; humour in American comedies would be trailing about 30 years behind that of our British cousins.
It's probably not even a reflection on the talent of writers for our shows here, stateside, but simply some sort of resignation by those at all levels who are involved in putting our shows together, deciding there is an endless appetite for the lcd.
Thank God for The Onion, too, for that matter; letting our brothers & sisters worldwide know what feats of comedic brilliance yet lie in our red-blooded American arteries, waiting only for the right opportunity to spackle the walls of expectation with satire paste.
It's probably not even a reflection on the talent of writers for our shows here, stateside, but simply some sort of resignation by those at all levels who are involved in putting our shows together, deciding there is an endless appetite for the lcd.
Thank God for The Onion, too, for that matter; letting our brothers & sisters worldwide know what feats of comedic brilliance yet lie in our red-blooded American arteries, waiting only for the right opportunity to spackle the walls of expectation with satire paste.
Friday, December 30, 2005
The Resolution Project
Per inspiration by Mixdorf, my recap of 2005 and hopes for 2006:
1. 3 Resolutions for 2006:
1. 3 Resolutions for 2006:
- Future: Residence Issue Resolved.
- Health: Be on regular cardiovascular schedule AND be eating right/in moderation.
- Art: Finish SECRET OF HIM.
2. Best Moment of 2005:
- Christmas celebration evening with Sharon & Lucy (a couple days before visiting Iowa). We sang (& played on guitar & piano) Christmas songs, put up some decorations, I read The Grinch. Just a wonderful, wonderful family moment.
- Death of my beloved doggie.
4. 2005 Remembered as the Year of the...
- ...unresolved decisions
Notes on the four:
#1: The ammended one is the second goal. I made a formerly very specific and limited health goal to one that is broader and incorporates a concert of lifestyle changes (e.g. "eating right" could include the switch from coffee to tea). I have some other goals of learning more about chess, learning more about art, learning more about beer, and watching buttloads of movies, but I'll stick with these three.
#2: This was really tough. Even exluding any sexually-related "moment" (which, honestly, we must all do), this comes down to whichever of a number of really good times happens to be at the forefront. Eating a TU Bar, Drinking Old Speckled Hen, and watching ST with Gibbons at Terre Vista Drive? Football, beer, & swimming afternoon with Mixxy & Cory? Right up there. Sitting on a rock by the shore of Lake Superior with Sharon & Lucy? Talk with Cory at Wikota Creek? Pancake breakfast the last morning we visited Zephyr? The moment I dropped out of college again? Hearing the news of Helen's & Shawn's adoption? Honeymooners performance? All strong candidates and I'm undoubtedly forgetting many more...
#3: Well this was the one and it probably wasn't even close; though, of course, it was one of those worst moments/best moments, as it was definitely part of a greater good.
#4: Unresolved decisions: where to live, as well as a couple of somewhat more private, family issues. Having not reached a "resolution" (ironic, eh?) on weighty life issues really influences much of all I seem to do. The whole "half a man" effect.
All in all, I can't say as I have many regrets from 2005; though I'm hopeful on my resolutions (in more ways than one), and excited for 2006. Happy New Year's to all!
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Doing Good, Feeling Fine; I'm Gonna Live to Be 95!
In a classic French exchange, Mixdorf's & my last few posts have been tangentally related to one anothers' posts for the past couple of days. Thanks for the wonderful essay on locally-grown & non-bioengineered foods, PMix.
Part 1: Today's topic is about health, longevity, & quality of life; but specifically (and in relation to Mixdorf's post) about the stuff we put in our bodies. I'd gone along for a number of years confident in my general level of health, but always more or less trusting that my physical well-being was in top-notch condition due to my age, level of fitness (as an off-and-on runner and generally active individual), my leanness, and maybe some sort of genetic predisposition for health (though with diabetic family members and a grandfather that died of a heart attack, that belief may be somewhat misplaced). This sort of faith in those factors that were part of my natural lifestyle (e.g. didn't require any sort of change or uncomfortable effort on my part) carried me through college and quite a few beyond. I knew that cholesterol, fat, sugars, etc. were bad, but I always assumed that my intake was moderate enough and/or my positive traits & habits (above) would cancel out their negative effects. Especially after I became a vegetarian; surely, that alone would render all the rest of those concerns moot! I skated through many years without a worry.
Just a few years back, though, I started to have a little more consciousness about some of those heath factors I could control. Maybe it had to do with my dad's recurring skin tumors (I started using sunscreen, though not religiously), my personal weight gain of 20 lbs over my college weight (cutting down consciously on sweets), and so on. But I never really learned a whole lot about how all those health dangers were related. After Lucy was born, Sharon made the commitment to buy organic or at least natural groceries, shopping exclusively at the local co-op. It was something that we both were excited to do, for all the societal & ecological concerns that Mixdorf mentions. But even more of a reason to transition was to keep Lucy from getting all that unnatural crap in her body at an early age. Even if we couldn't adhere absolutely to a natural diet for ourselves, we were determined to provide that for Lucy. But I think my overall condition has improved in that time. Other than a clean bill of health at my latest checkup (blood pressure fine, "bad cholesterol" fine, etc.; though, curiously, "good cholesterol" level a little low, though-more on that later), it's been tough to gague the exact health benefits of my diet from the past couple of years; though I have had a distinct decrease in number of canker sores, a chronic affliction from which I have suffered all my life.
It all leads me to this. We've probably all tried out "longevity calculators" before; and most of them turn out to be seriously simplified and to suffer from the "well duh!" syndrome. But this particular one is by far the most comprehensive and meaningful one I've ever taken. Make sure you have the time to answer quite a number of questions, as well as the time to read the very informative discussion of your lifestyle afterwards. Things went very well for me in the test, though there are a few lifestyle changes I simply need to make. Most of them are things I already do, but I simply need to do them more consistently: sunscreen, regular exercise, better sleep habits, better job spacing out meals/eating, and switching from coffee to tea as a daily drink. Maybe this particular web tool won't be a motivator for anyone else in the way it was for me to make those last few changes we know we need to make but are afraid to; but I hope there is something in your lives that will be.
Part 2: Some of the information they gave regarding fats & cholesterol, as well as a concern over my low HDL ("good cholesterol") finally induced me to investigate the phenomenon more. How could that level be low if I'm a vegetarian, and how could I raise it? Well, I couldn't have designed a better answer in my wildest dreams.: consume more alcohol & peanut butter. A wonderful and quite funny answer, but I found some amazing truths & history behind it.
The medical community has known for quite some time that a drink or two of alcohol a day has myriad health benefits, but has generally agreed that doctors could never get away with specifically endorsing the consumption of alcohol due to the dangers of alcoholism & overconsumption of alcohol. But the history of fat in this country is interesting as well: to summarize, our country developed a saturated fat scare some time ago, and decided to start offering unsaturated fats as an alternative. Unfortunately, the unsaturated fats would get rancid after just a few days, so they created the process of "hydrogenization," which created an entirely new substance, far worse than saturated fats ever were: trans-fatty acids, which have the double boner of both decreasing "good" (HDL) cholesterol and increasing the "bad" (LDL). And the substance was so simple, cheap, and useful (how does this relate to, like, half the posts Mixdorf & me have about the corporatization of the world?), that these major food manufacturers realized they could put it in nearly everything. The result is entire generations of people in this country destined to grow up fat and be at a great risk for heart disease.
Never before have I been so commited to staying away from processed foods. Rather than a "nameless fear," I now know the facts behind hydrogenization. Who knows what yet uncovered dangers are lurking in our society's addiction to "nutrasweet" (what the hell?) and many other substitutes for natural ingredients? Sure, I'll have a lapse here and there, but I know what I need to do and why.
This is a post of links and links and links. So I will not seek out the link to the recent MPR story about a group of people in northern MN that agreed, for one year, to only buy products that were produced within 250 miles of where they lived (with just a few exceptions: coffee, salt, etc). But it was pretty cool. Benefits are that products locally produced are often in a more natural state, support local economies, and require less energy consumption due to the decreased need transportation. If you can incorporate this practice into your lifestyle in whatever measure is within your means, the effects are only good, good, good; for yourself and the rest of society.
Part 1: Today's topic is about health, longevity, & quality of life; but specifically (and in relation to Mixdorf's post) about the stuff we put in our bodies. I'd gone along for a number of years confident in my general level of health, but always more or less trusting that my physical well-being was in top-notch condition due to my age, level of fitness (as an off-and-on runner and generally active individual), my leanness, and maybe some sort of genetic predisposition for health (though with diabetic family members and a grandfather that died of a heart attack, that belief may be somewhat misplaced). This sort of faith in those factors that were part of my natural lifestyle (e.g. didn't require any sort of change or uncomfortable effort on my part) carried me through college and quite a few beyond. I knew that cholesterol, fat, sugars, etc. were bad, but I always assumed that my intake was moderate enough and/or my positive traits & habits (above) would cancel out their negative effects. Especially after I became a vegetarian; surely, that alone would render all the rest of those concerns moot! I skated through many years without a worry.
Just a few years back, though, I started to have a little more consciousness about some of those heath factors I could control. Maybe it had to do with my dad's recurring skin tumors (I started using sunscreen, though not religiously), my personal weight gain of 20 lbs over my college weight (cutting down consciously on sweets), and so on. But I never really learned a whole lot about how all those health dangers were related. After Lucy was born, Sharon made the commitment to buy organic or at least natural groceries, shopping exclusively at the local co-op. It was something that we both were excited to do, for all the societal & ecological concerns that Mixdorf mentions. But even more of a reason to transition was to keep Lucy from getting all that unnatural crap in her body at an early age. Even if we couldn't adhere absolutely to a natural diet for ourselves, we were determined to provide that for Lucy. But I think my overall condition has improved in that time. Other than a clean bill of health at my latest checkup (blood pressure fine, "bad cholesterol" fine, etc.; though, curiously, "good cholesterol" level a little low, though-more on that later), it's been tough to gague the exact health benefits of my diet from the past couple of years; though I have had a distinct decrease in number of canker sores, a chronic affliction from which I have suffered all my life.
It all leads me to this. We've probably all tried out "longevity calculators" before; and most of them turn out to be seriously simplified and to suffer from the "well duh!" syndrome. But this particular one is by far the most comprehensive and meaningful one I've ever taken. Make sure you have the time to answer quite a number of questions, as well as the time to read the very informative discussion of your lifestyle afterwards. Things went very well for me in the test, though there are a few lifestyle changes I simply need to make. Most of them are things I already do, but I simply need to do them more consistently: sunscreen, regular exercise, better sleep habits, better job spacing out meals/eating, and switching from coffee to tea as a daily drink. Maybe this particular web tool won't be a motivator for anyone else in the way it was for me to make those last few changes we know we need to make but are afraid to; but I hope there is something in your lives that will be.
Part 2: Some of the information they gave regarding fats & cholesterol, as well as a concern over my low HDL ("good cholesterol") finally induced me to investigate the phenomenon more. How could that level be low if I'm a vegetarian, and how could I raise it? Well, I couldn't have designed a better answer in my wildest dreams.: consume more alcohol & peanut butter. A wonderful and quite funny answer, but I found some amazing truths & history behind it.
The medical community has known for quite some time that a drink or two of alcohol a day has myriad health benefits, but has generally agreed that doctors could never get away with specifically endorsing the consumption of alcohol due to the dangers of alcoholism & overconsumption of alcohol. But the history of fat in this country is interesting as well: to summarize, our country developed a saturated fat scare some time ago, and decided to start offering unsaturated fats as an alternative. Unfortunately, the unsaturated fats would get rancid after just a few days, so they created the process of "hydrogenization," which created an entirely new substance, far worse than saturated fats ever were: trans-fatty acids, which have the double boner of both decreasing "good" (HDL) cholesterol and increasing the "bad" (LDL). And the substance was so simple, cheap, and useful (how does this relate to, like, half the posts Mixdorf & me have about the corporatization of the world?), that these major food manufacturers realized they could put it in nearly everything. The result is entire generations of people in this country destined to grow up fat and be at a great risk for heart disease.
Never before have I been so commited to staying away from processed foods. Rather than a "nameless fear," I now know the facts behind hydrogenization. Who knows what yet uncovered dangers are lurking in our society's addiction to "nutrasweet" (what the hell?) and many other substitutes for natural ingredients? Sure, I'll have a lapse here and there, but I know what I need to do and why.
This is a post of links and links and links. So I will not seek out the link to the recent MPR story about a group of people in northern MN that agreed, for one year, to only buy products that were produced within 250 miles of where they lived (with just a few exceptions: coffee, salt, etc). But it was pretty cool. Benefits are that products locally produced are often in a more natural state, support local economies, and require less energy consumption due to the decreased need transportation. If you can incorporate this practice into your lifestyle in whatever measure is within your means, the effects are only good, good, good; for yourself and the rest of society.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
OMB Lite and The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood
First things first: in a harsh dose of something, I consumed a can of Old Milwaukee's Best over Christmas weekend. The review is here.
Also, last night I saw one of the best-made documentaries I have ever seen. I rented The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr., about the man generally regarded as the worst commercial film director of all time. I believe that many of the amazing, interesting phenomena in this world are as the result of one kind or another of "perfect storms;" people and circumstances coming together in the only possible combination that would result in the unique event in question. This documentary is a perfect example of just one such phenomenon: the career and filmography of Wood. How did he get continued funding? How did he manage to assemble the players, some of them of some previous regard in the industry? The documentary is very obviously having fun with what, in reality, is a fairly tragic figure (Wood), through clever assembling of interview quotes from those who knew him, as well as scenes from his mind-blowingly bad films. But, somewhere in there, it manages to impart a touching sort of sentimentality (to me, anyway) with respect to all the people & projects involved.
Included on the disc is also the re-release of his first film ever: The Streets of Laredo. Definitely looking forward to that. Then, off to add Glen or Glenda? to the queue.
Also, last night I saw one of the best-made documentaries I have ever seen. I rented The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr., about the man generally regarded as the worst commercial film director of all time. I believe that many of the amazing, interesting phenomena in this world are as the result of one kind or another of "perfect storms;" people and circumstances coming together in the only possible combination that would result in the unique event in question. This documentary is a perfect example of just one such phenomenon: the career and filmography of Wood. How did he get continued funding? How did he manage to assemble the players, some of them of some previous regard in the industry? The documentary is very obviously having fun with what, in reality, is a fairly tragic figure (Wood), through clever assembling of interview quotes from those who knew him, as well as scenes from his mind-blowingly bad films. But, somewhere in there, it manages to impart a touching sort of sentimentality (to me, anyway) with respect to all the people & projects involved.
Included on the disc is also the re-release of his first film ever: The Streets of Laredo. Definitely looking forward to that. Then, off to add Glen or Glenda? to the queue.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
My Haul and Recap
With the somewhat vague request of "classy chess set," Sharon got me this awesome, hand-made set from Poland, with pieces based on the Staunton-design. I'm starting right out displaying it in my living room, risking the Lucy factor. I've just made it clear to her that, if she wants to touch a piece, she has to hold it gently, only set it down right-side-up (felt-lined on the bottom), and only touch one piece at a time, etc. She has remarkable self-control for a tot, so I trust her on this. Plus, I broke out the old chess set with faux-wooden pieces and partical-chessboard for Lucy's to have her own set and we played a few "matches" (she's learning horses can jump, pawns are tiny so they only move one square, etc.) One of the early matches ended with about six prime pieces on my knees (what you get for telling her a rook can "go anywhere in a straight line," etc).Other than that, the most relaxing Christmas weekend in Waterloo in recent memory. The two other gifts I got was an item I already own (which is nothing new) from my brother, and a shirt (birthday present from my mom & dad), which is also nothing new. All that and a candle from Lucy. I shared a beer and some good laughs with Cory, stuffed myself at the 2nd annual family trip to Bishop's, enjoyed the candlelight service at my old church quite a bit, and (hopefully) made Christmas an experience of utmost wonder and joy for my little girl.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Everyone Else in Southpark
Thanks for a tip by Aaron on this fun one.
I decided to go with earlier versions for Gibbons & me, who may have had slightly more distinct and predictable appearances in their younger years...
I decided to go with earlier versions for Gibbons & me, who may have had slightly more distinct and predictable appearances in their younger years...
Friday, December 23, 2005
Travel Photo Candidates...
I'm going to be sending these photos to the Minneapolis Star Tribune for consideration in a weekend travel series where they will feature amateur photographers' candid shots of landscapes or locals. I can submit up to three. Hope you enjoy these possible candidates-any that anyone would recommend in particular?
Slide Show
Slide Show
Thursday, December 22, 2005
3rd Favorite TV Series: Time-Life Infomercials!!!
Not sure when it started: was it the romantic collection being sold by that couple in front of the roaring fireplace where the lady pushes the man away and says, "These songs really bring out the animal in some people!" or was it "Freedom Rock?"
No matter; what matters is that they are Time-Life infomercials for collections of classic popular music, and I love them. Time-Life's dream customer? Hardly; I'm they're biggest nightmare. With not a chance in Hell that I will actually buy one of these multi-disc sets, I say, "screw four payments of $29.99!" What really fascinates me is this rare video footage that shows what these artists looked like in their original era & environment. Where did they get all this insanely interesting footage? How come there were all these videos that preceded MTV by, like, 10 years? How is this possible? And how can I find it? Nowhere, except at 12:30 a.m. on the WB.
Eight-year-old Michael Jackson; how beautiful, his physical features! Gilbert O'Sullivan, scarf-swaddled, afro-ed & looking for all the world like a despondent nephew of Dr. Who, just as you'd expect! Cheesy jokes from original episodes of Hee Haw or Dean Martin's Celebrity Roasts!! I can't get enough! I cycle through this shit until I'm seeing the same footage twice, still sitting criss-cross, applesauce and stuffing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into my face; hours until I need to be up for work well under six and still dwindling.
Just needed to get that all off my chest.
No matter; what matters is that they are Time-Life infomercials for collections of classic popular music, and I love them. Time-Life's dream customer? Hardly; I'm they're biggest nightmare. With not a chance in Hell that I will actually buy one of these multi-disc sets, I say, "screw four payments of $29.99!" What really fascinates me is this rare video footage that shows what these artists looked like in their original era & environment. Where did they get all this insanely interesting footage? How come there were all these videos that preceded MTV by, like, 10 years? How is this possible? And how can I find it? Nowhere, except at 12:30 a.m. on the WB.
Eight-year-old Michael Jackson; how beautiful, his physical features! Gilbert O'Sullivan, scarf-swaddled, afro-ed & looking for all the world like a despondent nephew of Dr. Who, just as you'd expect! Cheesy jokes from original episodes of Hee Haw or Dean Martin's Celebrity Roasts!! I can't get enough! I cycle through this shit until I'm seeing the same footage twice, still sitting criss-cross, applesauce and stuffing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into my face; hours until I need to be up for work well under six and still dwindling.
Just needed to get that all off my chest.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Be at Peace, My Girl
It is finally over. The vet and her assistant visited our home a little while ago, and Kuña-i was allowed to slip away peacefully on the couch, among loved ones.
It seems that, sensing something, she has been even more fargone the last couple of days since we made the decision-exhibiting a few behaviors that have been uncharacteristic for the dog that we've known all these years. We've spent the last couple of days giving her all the affection we could, and trying prepare Lucy as much as possible for the fact that there will no longer be a gentle, furry friend to receive her hugs and attention.
Today, we were crying throughout the procedure but it was an amazingly comforting feeling, at the end, to realize I wasn't feeling guilty at all about the decision; just sad. Unbelievably sad, but quite secure, finally, that we've absolutely made the right call. We had the opportunity to kiss and touch all our favorite warm and fuzzy places, assure her that she is and will always be loved, and send her gently into the soft and fading light.
Below is a slideshow we put together this last summer, when we originally thought she would not survive the week. Last night, I took and added a single photo at the end that may or may not give much indication of the extent of her physical decline over the last number of months.
Please take a moment to look through the years of joy with our amazing companion. Remembering my girl
It seems that, sensing something, she has been even more fargone the last couple of days since we made the decision-exhibiting a few behaviors that have been uncharacteristic for the dog that we've known all these years. We've spent the last couple of days giving her all the affection we could, and trying prepare Lucy as much as possible for the fact that there will no longer be a gentle, furry friend to receive her hugs and attention.
Today, we were crying throughout the procedure but it was an amazingly comforting feeling, at the end, to realize I wasn't feeling guilty at all about the decision; just sad. Unbelievably sad, but quite secure, finally, that we've absolutely made the right call. We had the opportunity to kiss and touch all our favorite warm and fuzzy places, assure her that she is and will always be loved, and send her gently into the soft and fading light.
Below is a slideshow we put together this last summer, when we originally thought she would not survive the week. Last night, I took and added a single photo at the end that may or may not give much indication of the extent of her physical decline over the last number of months.
Please take a moment to look through the years of joy with our amazing companion. Remembering my girl
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Finally Near the End of the Line
We have finally reached the point where we feel putting Kuña-i down is in her best interests. We have continued to bear this enormous burden of 300 ml subqutaneous fluid injections twice a day (Sharon) and cleaning up poop and/or pee in the kitchen basically every morning after waking up and every night after returning home (me) since the end of summer, in addition to the expense of it all (>$300/month for fluids, boarding, bi-monthly bloodwork). Combining that with multiple rounds of sickness in our family as well as that crazy eight-day power outage and accompanying storm damage recovery has made for a very stressful fall.
And to some, it may seem crazy that we have hung onto this dog that is blind, senile, suffering from total kidney failure, and less than half her body weight of a year ago; like we've hung onto her far beyond what would have been an obvious decision to end it all this last August. Are we among that group of insane pet lovers that would see their own pet suffer rather than make the painful decision to let go? We've wrestled with that question constantly, but have, to this point, always come to the conclusion that we just simply cannot observe any obvious signs of suffering. Her quality of life has definitely been diminished-and it's been hard for us to watch this lovable, energetic creature become a slow-moving, "lost" thing that is generally unresponsive to our affection. A "sight hound" (that once could race at 35 mph and catch a rabbit on a dead run) that can no longer see or run? A cruel irony; but dogs (and people) do not generally get the dignity of going out gracefully. Through lack of protein intake (she's barely eating), her muscles have deteriorated to the point that she is beginning to have a lot of trouble going down the steps to the back landing, and sometimes quivers a bit while standing. She also has no bulk left to protect her from the winter air. And it is the beginnings of this actual, verifiable discomfort that has finally pushed us to make the difficult call. It feeds into the equation that we would like to preserve some amount of her dignity (before she gets to the point of doing things like defacating in her own bed), as well as (whether we wish to think this is part of the equation or not) the fact that we just can't keep this up and retain our sanity.
It also might seem kind of crazy that we're doing this just days before Christmas, but we are faced with either doing that, or putting her into boarding for three days, which we're not sure she could survive. I am hoping some of the fellowship and warmth following holiday season can help us to remember her better years. God, it's been getting harder and harder to do that, the more we have been living with this miserable, pitiful thing that was once so vital, strong, and joyful.
So, the vet will be visiting tomorrow at 11 am, and administer an injection at our home, so she can die peacefully in our company (also another reason to plan this rather than have her unexpectedly suffer and die alone). Not sure whether I will come back in after that. Sharon's going to take the entire day off-I'm leaning towards doing that, as well. In any event, look for the Kuña-i "My Girl" slide show commemoration to go out at some point tomorrow.
And to some, it may seem crazy that we have hung onto this dog that is blind, senile, suffering from total kidney failure, and less than half her body weight of a year ago; like we've hung onto her far beyond what would have been an obvious decision to end it all this last August. Are we among that group of insane pet lovers that would see their own pet suffer rather than make the painful decision to let go? We've wrestled with that question constantly, but have, to this point, always come to the conclusion that we just simply cannot observe any obvious signs of suffering. Her quality of life has definitely been diminished-and it's been hard for us to watch this lovable, energetic creature become a slow-moving, "lost" thing that is generally unresponsive to our affection. A "sight hound" (that once could race at 35 mph and catch a rabbit on a dead run) that can no longer see or run? A cruel irony; but dogs (and people) do not generally get the dignity of going out gracefully. Through lack of protein intake (she's barely eating), her muscles have deteriorated to the point that she is beginning to have a lot of trouble going down the steps to the back landing, and sometimes quivers a bit while standing. She also has no bulk left to protect her from the winter air. And it is the beginnings of this actual, verifiable discomfort that has finally pushed us to make the difficult call. It feeds into the equation that we would like to preserve some amount of her dignity (before she gets to the point of doing things like defacating in her own bed), as well as (whether we wish to think this is part of the equation or not) the fact that we just can't keep this up and retain our sanity.
It also might seem kind of crazy that we're doing this just days before Christmas, but we are faced with either doing that, or putting her into boarding for three days, which we're not sure she could survive. I am hoping some of the fellowship and warmth following holiday season can help us to remember her better years. God, it's been getting harder and harder to do that, the more we have been living with this miserable, pitiful thing that was once so vital, strong, and joyful.
So, the vet will be visiting tomorrow at 11 am, and administer an injection at our home, so she can die peacefully in our company (also another reason to plan this rather than have her unexpectedly suffer and die alone). Not sure whether I will come back in after that. Sharon's going to take the entire day off-I'm leaning towards doing that, as well. In any event, look for the Kuña-i "My Girl" slide show commemoration to go out at some point tomorrow.
Monday, December 19, 2005
A Performance Long Overdue and Holiday Classics
A report on The Honeymooners' performance on Friday night: it went off great. We had a pretty big turnout and the songs seemed to go about as well as could have been expected. Biggest challenge was the busy hands and can't-help-himself attitude of a particular five-year-old nephew that couldn't stay away from our equipment, from tuners to mic stands (even in the midst of our songs). But he's at all my coffee-shop shows, and playing through that particular distraction is something to which I've grown somewhat accustomed.
People seemed to genuinely enjoy the music; and among a number of nice comments we got after the show, the best one came from the co-owner of the establishment, Phil, who remarked that it"...turned my day around. It was a really nice ending to a not-so-great beginning to the day" (referring, of course, to the robbery). We got a pretty decent recording of the performance, upon which I have already experimented with some nice track-splitting software I discovered (called CDwave). I think I may be finally ready to put to bed my fears of being a technically below average guitarist. I was not formally trained, and I think my lack of knowledge about notes & scales on the guitar, coupled with a reluctance to really do much in the way of finger-picking for many years, led to this lack of confidence. Fact is, there are plenty of things an accomplished finger-picker can do that I cannot; and there are plenty of things that the quintessential rock n' roll "lead guitarist" can do that I cannot. But through my 15 or so odd years of playing guitar, I have certainly developed my own style of play, that would be difficult for many other guitar players to duplicate. The guitar feels natural in my hands, and if there's something I want to make it do, I can usually make it co-operate (even if it maybe takes 15-20 "takes" to get a flawless guitar solo down for a recording).
On the second topic, I'd like to offer a quick report on some Holiday Classic viewing. As a little background, I recently checked out a three-episode set of a relatively unknown British comedy, "Father Ted," about these three Irish priests that serve on a barren, craggy, obscure Bristish isle; and their various misadventures. Very funny at times; enough so that I picked up the next set of episodes, this time a collection of two holiday-oriented ones under the title, "A Christmasy Ted." Got through most of the first one last night-very funny, though I started nodding off towards the end.
We also rented "Scrooged." I had never seen the movie, though Sharon had seen it in college, I think, and had put it on our "to rent" list long ago. We got through about 90% the other night before a meltdown by Lucy (who's feeling a little under-the-weather) sent me scrambling upstairs for the night. We'll finish it, but we were both quite mutually agreed that the movie (or Sharon, at least) had suffered from a fairly significant episode of what we refer to as the "Facts of Life Syndrome." Sharon had these very fond memories of watching, and enjoying, "The Facts of Life" as a youth, and received a reality shock when she had the opportunity of catching an episode as an adult and it was revealed to her as the crap it really was.
Other notables instances of "The Facts of Life" syndrome that we have experience: "The Superfriends," "Night Court," "Get Smart," (to a lesser extent) "Top Secret."
Those movies/shows that have, in defiance of my expectations, avoided the "FOLS:" "Heaven Can Wait," "The Andy Griffith Show."
Anyway-long and the short of it: there's a lot of really great holiday classics out there, and I do not number "Scrooged" among them. If you want a really great original version of "A Christmas Carol," I urge you to watch the George C. Scott version from 1984. Moments from this incredibly well-written and still very relevant story are brought to life on the screen in goosebump-raising fashion, including the overall message, as summarized by the ghost of Marley in these words:
Mankind should have been my business! The common welfare should have been my business!! Charity, mercy, forebearance, and benevolence all should have been my business!!"
Good stuff.
People seemed to genuinely enjoy the music; and among a number of nice comments we got after the show, the best one came from the co-owner of the establishment, Phil, who remarked that it"...turned my day around. It was a really nice ending to a not-so-great beginning to the day" (referring, of course, to the robbery). We got a pretty decent recording of the performance, upon which I have already experimented with some nice track-splitting software I discovered (called CDwave). I think I may be finally ready to put to bed my fears of being a technically below average guitarist. I was not formally trained, and I think my lack of knowledge about notes & scales on the guitar, coupled with a reluctance to really do much in the way of finger-picking for many years, led to this lack of confidence. Fact is, there are plenty of things an accomplished finger-picker can do that I cannot; and there are plenty of things that the quintessential rock n' roll "lead guitarist" can do that I cannot. But through my 15 or so odd years of playing guitar, I have certainly developed my own style of play, that would be difficult for many other guitar players to duplicate. The guitar feels natural in my hands, and if there's something I want to make it do, I can usually make it co-operate (even if it maybe takes 15-20 "takes" to get a flawless guitar solo down for a recording).
On the second topic, I'd like to offer a quick report on some Holiday Classic viewing. As a little background, I recently checked out a three-episode set of a relatively unknown British comedy, "Father Ted," about these three Irish priests that serve on a barren, craggy, obscure Bristish isle; and their various misadventures. Very funny at times; enough so that I picked up the next set of episodes, this time a collection of two holiday-oriented ones under the title, "A Christmasy Ted." Got through most of the first one last night-very funny, though I started nodding off towards the end.
We also rented "Scrooged." I had never seen the movie, though Sharon had seen it in college, I think, and had put it on our "to rent" list long ago. We got through about 90% the other night before a meltdown by Lucy (who's feeling a little under-the-weather) sent me scrambling upstairs for the night. We'll finish it, but we were both quite mutually agreed that the movie (or Sharon, at least) had suffered from a fairly significant episode of what we refer to as the "Facts of Life Syndrome." Sharon had these very fond memories of watching, and enjoying, "The Facts of Life" as a youth, and received a reality shock when she had the opportunity of catching an episode as an adult and it was revealed to her as the crap it really was.
Other notables instances of "The Facts of Life" syndrome that we have experience: "The Superfriends," "Night Court," "Get Smart," (to a lesser extent) "Top Secret."
Those movies/shows that have, in defiance of my expectations, avoided the "FOLS:" "Heaven Can Wait," "The Andy Griffith Show."
Anyway-long and the short of it: there's a lot of really great holiday classics out there, and I do not number "Scrooged" among them. If you want a really great original version of "A Christmas Carol," I urge you to watch the George C. Scott version from 1984. Moments from this incredibly well-written and still very relevant story are brought to life on the screen in goosebump-raising fashion, including the overall message, as summarized by the ghost of Marley in these words:
Mankind should have been my business! The common welfare should have been my business!! Charity, mercy, forebearance, and benevolence all should have been my business!!"
Good stuff.
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