The Island Journal

If no one noticed

2010-09-11T05:47:00.000-07:00

Just an FYI, I don 't post here anymore. I've got a wordpress blog at the Island so that's th one you should be reading. I'll be delting this one eventually, but there's a lot to catch up on over at the new one... I've been posting since my last one hre so go read.

What ar you still doing here.... go read.

All the stars in the heavens...

2010-01-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

I think life would be simpler if I believed all the hocum around the horoscope. I am a cancer... the crab. Sure, that sounds like a bad thing, but supposedly I'm an artistic, family oriented, sensitive person who'd rather stay at home than explore the world around me. Hmmm, maybe I should take this a little more seriously. I do often travel and explore, but that's because I can't be home, I'm away on business. I have been known to doodle from time to time.... and paint.... and write.... O.k., I'm creative damnit! I also have an attachment to my parents as any “good child” should. We haven't always gotten along (we've down right butted heads from time to time), but I still feel that parent / child obligation and I love them both. I don't care to have a “family” of my own necessarily, but at some point a wife might be nice. Alright, we're batting 3 for four, but sensitive I ain't. Well, not anymore... but that means I was. Darn you astrology!

As a lark, I decided to look up my sign and a woman on a dating site just for curiosity's sake. The compatibility chart (Yes, there is one.... crazy right?) says that we would not get along because of the differences in personality. Looking at the personality traits she is supposed to have and looking at mine, it would seem that not only would we not get along... we'd kill one another. So looking at this logically, if the horoscope is right as far as I'm concerned, then it follows that it should be right where she's concerned. If that's the case, then we should never date. If we don't date we don't fall in love and we don't produce little hellion offspring there by never starting world war three and not ruling the earth. Alright, went off on a tangent, it happens to Cancers, but still... my point is valid. Who says that two people can't overcome the stars at the time of their birth. I know plenty of people who don't fall under the template of their sign.

More importantly, it's all wrong anyway. Due to stellar drift, the sign you're born under is, well, just plane wrong. Modern astrologers get their layout from the ancient Persians and Mesopotamians... I mean ancient! We're talking 2000 to 1500 BC. Add to this that is was developed over a naked eye perspective of the night sky, the system does not allow for modern discovery. Your sign today thanks to stellar drift, is off by nearly a month. In another 10,000 years, Polaris won't be the north star according to some calculations. On top of all of this, the distances, movement, and scale of the stars involved as well as the force (if any) that they exert on the planet or it's inhabitants is negligible. What does this mean? Well, it means signs don't really mean a thing.... or do they?

I am a cancer. I was born nearly a month late so I should have been a Gemini. Since the stars are out of sync with the horoscope, I am actually a Taurus. I do exhibit personality traits of all of these plus more dominant traits ascribed to three others. Observation is always colored by the observer so you can read into the individual's behavior, anything you want and attribute it to (or blame it on) the stars in the sky. Heck, I worship a deity that no one has seen in person (well, not all of him anyway) for at least five thousand years. Granted, he sent his kid to check up on us two thousand years ago, but still...

Seriously, if you look at the facts and history of any religion or system of beliefs, there isn't one that can't be debunked or at least criticized for some inaccuracy. There are about 101 contradictions in the Christian bible, regardless of translation or interpretation. I still believe it... it's a text book, a guide, not a claim of concrete supreme knowledge. I, however, am an observer... bare that in mind.

Addendum -

I read something interesting at a native American gift shop site (Animal Totem) that struck me as funny and a little suspicious.

June 21 - July 21 (which would be Cancer)

Salmon, Woodpecker, Flicker

Salmon strive to return home after a long journey. Salmon people are home-loving, giving and sensitive. They are also very imaginative and sometimes moody. Their goal in life is to live in harmony with the environment.

Linguistic lamentations

2010-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

My vocabulary used to get me into no end of trouble. I would rattle and ramble some conglomeration of words to the mass of idiots surrounding me and because they were confused, frightened, or thinking the word “conglomeration” was an insult or a magical conjuring, I would find myself in a bit of a pickle. In college, my large vocabulary, while not antagonistic, was still something of a hurdle. I knew the words to use but fumbled with them and dropped them to the dirt in favor of simpler ones. Though I now believe I was on a higher intellectual rise than those around me were, I still fell short of the mark when speaking... at least for the first few semesters. Once I hit my stride, I was able to select easily the words from my storehouse and speak them with confidence and some modicum of pride.

In the last decade or so, I have found that the storehouse has been raided by a mis spent youth. After years of “dumbing it down” as it were, I have lost those colorful phrases and razor sharp statements that were once so much a part of my speech pattern, that I'd rather speak them and have a bloodied nose and cracked knuckle. Where have they gone? I could blame technology and the computerized thesaurus that often aids alliteration or I could blame the ruffians with whom I associated for so long but one of them is an English teacher now so I can't rightly cast a broad blanket of blame nor can I blame individuals as I often brag on my superior, unaffectable nature.

If you don't use it... you loose it. This seems to be a truism not only in the case of one's “groove” but also with one's vocabulary. I would like to say that I have improved considerably of late, but alas... not the case. I should invest in a word a day calender. Perhaps that will increase my verbal efficacy. Maybe that will hone my linguistic lash to the razor sharp grasping talon it once was. Maybe I just need new people on whom to sharpen them.... in a good way.

1st post... new year. Welcome 2010

The "Flash Dance Look"

2009-12-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

I was born in the 70's, lived through the 80's and 90's, and now at the end of the 00's, the 80's are coming back. At least, the women's fashion is. There have been several attempts at an 80's resurgence but until now, they haven't tried to bring back anything I really cared to see again. I can do without the flat brimmed hats, the lace gloves, and stirrup pants were a bad idea the first time. What I'm glad to see women wearing again are the sweatshirts with giant neck holes that fall off the shoulder.

I was discussing this with a friend a couple of days ago and after thinking about it for a while and seeing fine examples of bare slender shoulders I remembered that I've always liked this style. Briefly in the mid nineties, this look came back and no one seems to notice. The only reason I remember is that the majority of my figure study models wore something similar in a couple of pieces I worked on for several hours a piece burning the baggy fabric juxtaposed with milky, smoothly taught skin into my mind's eye.

I am glad the look is coming back, but as my friend laminated... it takes a particular woman to pull off the off the shoulder look.

What's in a name?

2009-10-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

I have found recently that made up names (of course, they're all made up if you think about it), phonetically spelled names, state names used for people, and last names used as first names truly unnerve me to my very core. They're everywhere these days. There's a Dakota on the news or a Garminy on a reality show or a Talulla-shay (spelled incorrectly) on a sitcom. They're popping up online now in the strangest places. I read several design blogs. I am an artist after all and an artist needs inspiration... don't give me that look. Any way, I slammed smack into “Saxyn”. That's not a name, it's a people and I'm sure they'd be very angry to find out that they're cultural name has been usurped by an obscenely perky suburbanite mom with a penchant for decorating ideas and odd names.

I have a strange name and some may say that “Palmer” is a last name. In truth, it's a title. The palmer would hoist the sanctified oil on his shoulders for pilgrims in the middle ages and carry these urns to the holy lands. The point is, it has meaning. It has a past. All of the Shaquitas, Bargundys, and Ashawns out there are never going to know the joy of what they're names truly mean because they are meaningless. I love African names... truly African names, not the misprinted, misspelled, and overly abundant false names used with such flair by less than educated teen mothers who just think it sounds cool. NO! I love the culturally significant names purposeful chosen and artfully pronounced. They're beautiful and actually have a meaning in a living culture somewhere in the world. I love the simplicity and understated Asian names and more over, the naming practice of what we would consider “last name first and first name last”. Anglo names, while having a distinct lack of panache, do have meanings and correct spellings, but the names like Jane, Barbara, and Timothy are comparatively rare and I think they need to make a come back.

When you are about to have your child and you consider a baby name book, don't buy it. Simply read some ancient history from your ancestors' part of the world and name your child something significant, powerful, and meaningful. If you hear a name you like, do some hard research into what that name really means and if its modern usage is actually correct. Don't name your kid after a place, drug, or beauty product... you're just asking for your daughters to be strippers. Some common names that are uncommon in today's world would be:

Molly – Irish origin, Latin derivative, meaning “Star of the Sea”
Emily – Latin / Roman origin, has 60 some odd different acceptable spellings most starting with A, means “imitating, rivaling”
Rebecca – Hebrew derivative, meaning “to tie or bind”. Nick name “Becky” or “Becca”
Jennifer – Old Welsh origin, meaning “Smooth”, “Blessed”, or “Fair”. Nick name “Jen” or “Jenny”
Rose – Germanic origin, meaning “Horse” or the more flattering “Fame”.
Margo – Old Greek origin, meaning “Pearl”. English derivative would be Margaret.
Christina – Latin derivative, meaning Christian woman.
Jacob – Hebrew origin, meaning “God will watch” or “ Yahweh will protect”. Nick name “Jake”
Keith – Celtic origin, meaning “a windy place” or “Forest”.
Palmer – Old English origin, meaning “Crusader” or “ Bearer of Palm Oil”
Stephen – Old Greek derivative, meaning “Crowned” or “Royal”. Properly pronounced /Steh-Fin/
David – Hebrew derivative, meaning “Favorite or friend”. Unrecommended nick name “Dave”
Gregory – Old Greek origin, meaning “Vigilant”. Nick name Greg.
Orin – Celtic origin, meaning “Green” or “Sallow”. Thought I would throw an weird one in.

There are so many options that are NOT Dakota or Shartruce. Do your home work and give your kid a meaningful and correctly spelled and pronounced name.

Come on, ride the train...

2009-10-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

I am, what one would call, a tangential thinker. I often find my self arriving at “bunnies” while the start of the conversation had something to do with infectious diseases and not knowing how I veered so far off course. I realized, I search the Internet in much the same way.

I'm a big fan of Wikipedia. Contrary to popular belief, it's become a much more reliable source of information with checks, re-checks, and citations required for many topics. I usually look up something specific and spot a word link that looks interesting. I follow it. I'll read something about that subject and see another word that maybe I don't recognize and follow that link. Before I know it, The empire state building leads me to pygmy albino swamp marmosets. A few short clicks later I'm tangled in the endless web of the Wiki.

I decided to name my newly discovered pass time. I call it, “Riding the wiki train”. I would encourage all who find reading about new subjects interesting to hop on board your very own wiki train and follow it where it may lead. How long can you make the ride last? My longest run on a wiki train, before I named it, was about three hours. I learned quite a bit that night, though I fear I've lost most of it to the day to day workings of life in general.

This weekend I'll be on a plane home and unable to board the train myself, but I highly recommend that each and every one of you take a seat and pick a topic just to see where the clicks might lead.

Sick of the Soft

2009-09-08T14:10:00.001-07:00

You may remember I built a PC not to long ago and it's still kickin'. I installed Windows XP 64 bit with every intention of replacing it with Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" when I had the opertunity... it is still running windows. While I may be excited at the prospect of a new Windows OS like Win 7 releasing in October, I want my Linux and I want it on my primary system. More over, I want to play games and use Photoshop IN Linux.

I was told recently that this is doable and I plan to test that theory by formatting my system tonight and installing Ubuntu. It may be after my upcoming trip to Sacramento, but I will find out soon if I'll be able to WoW (yes I reactivated the account for a month or two) and Photoshop CS4 my way to glory.

By the by, I'm currently running Linux Mint on my smaller, older system. It's almost as pretty as Ubuntu and like Ubuntu, it's using the Gnome gui which, as we all know, is much better than KDE. Do we all know that? I don't weven think we all agree on that, but it's my opinion. At any rate, it's a nice system and I'll be installing Fedora on yet another old system when it arrives at the PC grave yard, aka my home office. One day I'll get around to posting screen shots of all these desktops so you can see what it is I'm rambling on and on and on about.

Nothing in a while so... FASHION!

2009-07-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

I have decided to be unapologetic for not writing in quite some time. I only have one reader and she, or I guess the word "you" would be more appropriate, have a lot going on so I'm sure my sloppy missives were not missed. On to the blog post!

When I was a kid, like 10 or so, I started reading GQ. I followed fashion and in some cases, Fashion followed me. I was sometimes to far beyond the cutting edge for my own good and then it all stopped. I went to college and found my way back into the fashionable crowd but soon, comfort came crashing down and I got all baggy and frumpy again. It has been a long time since I had my own sense of style. Don't get me wrong, I like the off the rack bargain basement clothes I've been wearing over the last few years, but let's face it... chicks can smell Walmart on you.

I've been rediscovering my own sense of stylistic individuality over the last couple of months and the journey is an ongoing one. In truth, I believe the pursuit of one's own style is an expression of self. They style is just a shadow of that expression. To that end, I'm put together a list of fashion styles that I've been experimenting with recently and that I've always loved. I will find a way to mix them some how.

Rockabilly, 30's dress casual, Cuban, American 60's formal, and rude. That last one is really more of a mix of American 60's formal and the rockabilly. Think Rude Boy as in SKA.

I have been reading a lot of style blogs lately, the most recent being the Post Office and See Jack Shop. These are entertaining and informative, but I have yet to see a blog dedicated specifically to the fashion plights of the big dude. I'm not a kid anymore. I can't go around in Old Navy jeans and sandals. Sure, it was fun and all but I need to feel like myself and nicer clothes fit better and make me feel like me. I'm an extremely confidant person... some might say self righteous or conceited, but I consider it confidence. I like who I am in a suit. Is it to much to wear a suit every day after work?Speaking of suits, I've found a site that sells decent quality suits (reviewed in one of those blogs I think) at redonkulious prices. Men's USA sells suits made over seas with Italian milled 150 to 200 wool for pennies on the dollar. A new two button, vented grey with black pen stripes is a paltry $175.00 and a three piece 4 button can be found for as low as $99.00. Out-freakin'-rageous. I have recently been told I sound like a woman, but I remain undaunted. I will regain my fashion plate status.

Zee Anzer iz Zencorrect

2009-04-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

I was listening to the book A Briefer History of Time, a paired down audio version of A Brief History of Time by Steven Hawking the other day and I started to think about how life and energy collide to make reality. It's been proven that when we observe a situation, we alter it simply by observing. The book The Secret says basically the same thing; that in a nut shell, thought alters the universe. There are many examples of people altering perception to attain a goal. Look at athletes who push past the human physical “limits” and become greater than they should be able to become. Look at tiny housewives lifting cars off infants. Look at people who overcome physical or mental malady on a daily basis and you'll understand what I mean.

Now, what does this have to do with anything? Well, part of the theory I was listing to was basically the antithesis of Decarte's statement, “I think, therefore I am.”. In Physics, it's the other way round... think to much and you'll cease to be. Consider this application of this theory and this application of this other theory and how they contradict each other. If we came to a conclusion that was self sustaining and explained the entire universe, what's the point of continuing? It's not that the universe would be any less fun, it's just that we'd know all the ins and outs of existence and we'd be altering it to an infinite point... crunch. My thought is that we should stop trying to figure out the macrocosmic and focus on the microcosmic. Look at the people around you and ask three simple questions. “What effect am I having on this person? What effect are they having on me? How can we improve?” Then just experience the universe as it happens.

I put this thought to a friend who then said, “That's a very Buddhist way of looking at things... very zen...”. That got me thinking further. It seems to me that the majority of philosophies are trying to unravel not the meaning of existence, but existence as a whole. It's like a kid pulling at a loose string on a sweater. Now I'm not saying people should give up trying to analyze existence. It's my favorite pass time. I'm just getting an image in my head of a stoic philosopher standing on a hill beneath a tree with half a dozen or more students sitting in a haphazard semicircle at his feet. A student raises his hand and utters a calm, simple and perfect view of the point the philosopher is trying to make. He then stands and, wildly flailing his arms, eyes wide asks, “Did I get it right!?” Isn't that kind of missing the point?

A quick update... Winows 7 or Vista?

2009-04-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

It has been some time since I posted and I will post more again soon when I make my DC trip, but for the time being, I just wanted to let my faithful readers... um, reader... know that I'm still alive and I LOVE my new computer!

I built a Dual Core 3.5 Ghz system with 4 gigs of ram, 150 Gb hard driver, and installed Windows XP x64. Why did I not go with 64 bit Ubuntu? As much as I love that OS, Linux does not have the support I need for Photoshop (just got CS 4) and various audio editing programs I want to use and I don't feel I should really need to learn new programs when the one's I've put extensive time into learning are doing exactly what I want them to do.

I considered installing the beta for Windows 7 (AKA Blackcomb or Vienna) x 64 on the system, but it will go inactive before the full release date around Christmas so I figured, I'll grab it when it's released. From the reviews I've been reading, Windows 7 is a vast improvement over Vista. The shell is more similar, but closer to Windows than OS X and the system is a bit more configurable. I also understand, like many of their 64 bit operating systems, they'll be basing it on Windows Server which increases the stability. I've read rumors that they will only be offering Windows 7 in 64 bit and dropping 32 all together. If that's the case, many older systems are going to be hard pressed for support. Looks like I need to start building my parents a new one.

I have been considering installing the dreaded Vista. Why? Well, I have been reading tech blogs and reviews doing the back and forth between XP and Vista almost since Vista came out. Recently, more people have been saying that Vista is more stable in image editing programs and has more driver support... we'll see.

In a nut shell, I'm happy with the hardware, now I need to find a happy medium with the software.

I took a personality quiz...

2009-02-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

I always knew I was a robot, or at least an alien. Death to all humans!

Your result for The Personality Defect Test...

Robot

You are 71% Rational, 43% Extroverted, 43% Brutal, and 43% Arrogant.

You are the Robot! You are characterized by your rationality. In fact, this is really ALL you are characterized by. Like a cold, heartless machine, you are so logical and unemotional that you scarcely seem human. For instance, you are very humble and don't bother thinking of your own interests, you are very gentle and lack emotion, and you are also very introverted and introspective. You may have noticed that these traits are just as applicable to your laptop as they are to a human being. You are not like the robots they show in the movies. Movie robots are make-believe, because they always get all personable and likeable after being struck by lightning, or they are cold, cruel killing machines. In all reality, though, you are much more boring than all that. Real robots just sit there, doing their stupid jobs, and doing little else. If you get struck by lightning, you won't develop a winning personality and heart of gold. (Robots don't have hearts, silly, and if they did, they would probably be made of steel, not gold.) You also won't be likely to terrorize humanity by becoming an ultra-violent killing machine sent into the past to kill the mother of a child who will lead a rebellion against machines, because that movie was dumb as hell, and because real robots don't kill--they horribly maim at best, and they don't even do that on purpose. Real robots are boringly kind and all too rarely try to kill people. In all my years, my laptop has only attacked me once, and that was only because my brother threw it at me. In short, your personality defect is that you don't really HAVE a personality. You are one of those annoying, super-logical people that never gets upset or flustered. Unless, of course, you short circuit. Or if someone throws a pie at you. Pies sure are delicious.

To put it less negatively:

1. You are more RATIONAL than intuitive.

2. You are more INTROVERTED than extroverted.

3. You are more GENTLE than brutal.

4. You are more HUMBLE than arrogant.

Compatibility:

Your exact opposite is the Class Clown.

Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Hand-Raiser, the Emo Kid, and the Haughty Intellectual.

If you scored near fifty percent for a certain trait (42%-58%), you could very well go either way. For example, someone with 42% Extroversion is slightly leaning towards being an introvert, but is close enough to being an extrovert to be classified that way as well. Below is a list of the other personality types so that you can determine which other possible categories you may fill if you scored near fifty percent for certain traits.

The other personality types:

The Emo Kid: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Humble.

The Starving Artist: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant.

The Bitch-Slap: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Humble.

The Brute: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

The Hippie: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble.

The Televangelist: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant.

The Schoolyard Bully: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble.

The Class Clown: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

The Robot: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Humble.

The Haughty Intellectual: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant.

The Spiteful Loner: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Humble.

The Sociopath: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

The Hand-Raiser: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble.

The Braggart: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant.

The Capitalist Pig: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble.

The Smartass: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

Be sure to take my Sublime Philosophical Crap Test if you are interested in taking a slightly more intellectual test that has just as many insane ramblings as this one does!

About Saint_Gasoline

I am a self-proclaimed pseudo-intellectual who loves dashes. I enjoy science, philosophy, and fart jokes and water balloons, not necessarily in that order. I spend 95% of my time online, and the other 5% of my time in the bathroom, longing to get back on the computer. If, God forbid, you somehow find me amusing instead of crass and annoying, be sure to check out my blog and my webcomic at SaintGasoline.com.

Take The Personality Defect Test at HelloQuizzy

I have arrived... and there be trees here.

2009-01-22T05:48:00.000-08:00

I've finally done it. I have attained the level of geekdom long denied me. I'm building my own system. Woot! Alright, it's a little melodramatic, but just think, I've been fixing computers for years and the next logical step would be to build one. It's something I've never done. It's an experiment.

A few years ago, I bought a case (similar to the one on the left, but a little different). It's beautiful metallic blue aluminum with brushed metal panels on the front covered in clear plexi, three fans including one on the clear panel side, blue neon throughout and expansion slots for days. It's a thing of beauty and it's in a box that's covered in dust. I had always intended on pulling it out and building a system in it and just never got around to it. I recently started buying components for my new system, however; ASRock A780 mATX motherboard expandable to 16 gigs of ram with a gigabit network chipset and 512 onboard graphics and an ATI GPU, AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000 3.1GHz dual-core processor, 4 gigs of ddr2 ram to start, 320gig Western Digital Caviar SATA hard drive on which will be installed Windows XP 64 bit with a lite step shell on one partition and Ubuntu on the other, and a couple of other bells and whistles that will make this puppy soar right out of the box. There is a problem. The power supply in my case is sub-standard now. Garth is “lending” me another case to put the guts of the beast into, but it's klind of depressing that this beautiful specimen of engineering that I've have patiently waiting in it's dusty box will not be used... for now.

This all leads me to my next point of interest. In my search for interesting cases, I found a blog that spoke of wood. Get your mind out of the gutter people. I speak of the renewable resource that literally grows on trees (I wish that was my joke). Apparently a group of case modders has gone completely eco friendly in case design and have come up with some spectacular cases. It's enough to make one wish they were a carpenter, or more specifically, a cabinet maker. These are beautiful works of art that can only be truly appreciated sitting out in the open as they glow and hum, not shoved into a hole somewhere in a tiny cubby in your desk or huddled at your feet like their metal and plastic cousins. After seeing these, I started thinking of what I'd want in a wooden case. I'm sure I'd have to add some brass and copper just to make it look all steampunkish or maybe I could get my mom, who does great stained glass, to make some cathedral style windows for the side pannels and build the case as if it were a cathedral or castle. The options are limited only by your imagination.

Late for this Christmas... or early for the next one.

2009-01-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

I recently found a wen site I thought I'd share with my readers... well, reader. I was looking for something crafty to do in my hotel and doodling wasn't cutting it. I found a website for making paper robots, but they seemed like a ton of work and a little more involved than I was willing to attempt at that particular moment. I did a search for paper creatures and found Macula and his squealers. I was particularly interested in the “Krampus” as I have a somewhat twisted since of humor and one of his props is a “bad kid” in a basket slung on his back.

Now, having made the Krampus, I thought I'd do a little research and find out exactly what a Krampus is... well, it turns out it's not an it, but a who. Apparently he's a Germanic demon / imp who whips bad kids and carries them off. More interesting is who his running buddy is. SANTA CLAUS! That's right. In the misty beginnings of the legend of Saint Nick, he had several nasty spirits that roamed around with him referred to as his “companions”. Who'd have though a jolly old fat guy who gives joy to millions would associate with evil spirits? The Krampus is often depicted as an incubus sporting horns, dressed in black rags or sheep skins with a bundle of sticks, a pitch fork and a basket on his back. Sometimes he's seen wearing a darker and more sinister version of the fat man's costume or he appears to be mostly human with tiny red horns and a black suit.

This is not a part of the holiday season entirely lost to the ravages of time. In some regions of the US, there's still something sinister incorporated into the holiday season. Another incarnation of the Krampus, or possibly another of Santa's little helpers, the Belsnickel, is the center of Pennsylvania Dutch festivals and celebrations. We're all familiar with All Saint's Day and it's darker sibling Halloween aka All Soul's day. Well, each saint actually has a feast day of his own. Saint Nicholas (Who at one point snuck into a guys house and left three small sacks of gold to provide doweries for his three daughters so they could get married and thus saved them from lives of prostitution which is part of where we get the present thing in the first place) has a feast day on December 6th and the day prior is kept clear for Belsnickel. During his day, many young men dress like Belsnickel in masks and fur and carry switches with which they spank people, especially young women. Alright, I see how you're looking at me, but it's true. Other versions of the celebration throughout the world at one point in time had people dressed at either Belsnickle or the Krampus throwing chains at passing sledders or hikers. Now, I would prefer the switch to the chain, but that's just me.

Next Christmas, when you're snug in your bed and dreaming of the presents you're going to have under the tree, think of all the evil little children who are getting switches and coal and think of the creepy, horned creature, the Krampus, who delivers said coal and switches and carts off a few of those little miscreants each Christmas eve. Instead of leaving cookie for Father Christmas, I'm leaving his partner a four course meal just to be on the safe side.

To i or not to i, that is the question.

2008-12-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

So, here’s the thing. I am sick and tired of the whims of AT&T. I got rid of them in the home, but thought I’d be saddled with them when I got the iPhone… this is not to be. The story is long and drawn out so I’ll give you the cliff notes version. Back in July (no seriously, this is the abbreviated story, I promise) I started having issues with my phone. Almost immediately after getting the thing the front screen cracked, but I dealt with it. When I started dropping calls unless I was on the Bluetooth ear piece, I got annoyed. I contacted AT&T and complained. They put an “upgrade notation” on my account, effectively letting me upgrade early. I asked if it applied to the iPhone and they said yes. Now as much as I travel, I never have much time at home to deal with going to the store and placing an order or picking it up for that matter. I called the store a couple of times and again, yes, the iPhone is included in my upgrade meaning I’d pay the $299.99 for the phone and not the $499.99 others pay to buy one without the contract. I was going to place my order tomorrow and guess what… the iPhone is not included in my upgrade. I’d have to pony up with near 500 bucks to get one. This, my friends, is not going to happen.

I started doing the research and found that Verizon Wireless ranks second in both customer satisfaction and call quality nation wide according to J.D Power and Associates. They offer something comparable to the iPhone, the Blackberry Storm. After doing my research, it seems the storm has almost everything I want and none of the extra crap I don’t. There are some drawbacks, but according to all the research I’ve done, I should be happy with it over all. The memory is expandable, the media formats it will play are diverse, the business applications far outweigh the competition, and if the battery looses the ability to charge, I get another battery. The iPhone has set memory, a limited number of media formats loadable only with proprietary software (and being a Linux guy now, free non-proprietary is gooooood), and if it stops charging, you have to send it in for service and be without a phone for up to a week. I’m all about convenience. From what I understand, the GPS is not as good as the iPhone, but I have a kick ass Tom Tom. There’s no wifi support on the Storm, but you don’t really need it on Verizon’s network. I think they’re pretty evenly matched so I’ll let you know if I’m happy in a few weeks.

"...all the time, danger girl." Or, "muchos burros aquí"

2008-11-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

So I met my long lost cousin... well, she wasn't so much lost as much as I'd never met her before. And come to think of it not just a cousin but a second or third cousin. And Not just her, but her fantastic family. I am currently in Las Vegas, or "lost wages" as some out here refer to it, and Jennifer Decker, the afore mentioned cousin you may know from her family blog, Deckerific, lives out here. She's one of the most righteous chicks I have ever met and her family kicks much ass. Her Husband is a skater from way back, her son is following in Dad's foot steps and he and his buds are making skate films and he's an artist to boot, her daughter is like miniature adult who works with polymer clay... yet another artist and Jennifer herself is an artist whether she'll admit it or not. She says she's crafty.

I met up with Jen at her work place. We ate and talked for a bit and she told me about Red Rock, seen in these pictures here. (there will be more) She said she'd go out there with me and we had a blast just hanging out, seeing the rock formations, listening to strange dudes explain how lightening strikes the rocks at the highest point on the trail and leaves these little rusty indentations, all the while knowing he's a goober. It was great fun. We even saw some wild donkeys, though they were about ten miles away and climbing a rock. Then we went back to her house where she and her husband cooked a great meal and I got to talk to her kids. They're such a cool bunch.

Thanks Jennifer for the great day. You rock.

On the road Pics - Las Vegas to Reno

2008-11-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

Thought I would share. I am currently on a trip that's taking me from Las Vegas to Reno to Sacramento to Fresno to LA to Fontana then back to Las Vegas. So far I've taken almost a hundred pictures of various scenic vistas, all from the moving car. I figured I'd share some of these with you. Enjoy.

2008-11-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

Well, It was a good vacation. I went to the "Zombie Walk 2008" to support the Louisiana food bank and my friends and I went to Fast Eddie's and shot pool dressed in the steampunk gear. Couple these activities with the massive amount of couch surfing I did and it was an awesome vacation.

I am, however, happy to be back on the road. I went to Dallas which was not a big deal since I've been there quite a few times. From Dallas, I went to Abilene and on to Odessa Texas. I took this shot outside the office in Abilene.

I'm now in Las Vegas and will be heading to Reno tomorrow. I hope to get some good pictures going through the desert then the mountains. Woo Hoo! I love my job.

The Silent Rave – Loud rant

2008-09-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

Quote: “Try and follow me because I'm going to be moving in a circular motion so if you pay attention there will be a point.” - Kevin Spacey, Swimming with Sharks, 1994

It has been my firm belief that technology is separating human beings from the greater community as a whole, regardless of it's promise to unite us. When I was in college my world was small by today's comparison. I had friends, I had family, I had all the wonderful interpersonal connections that made life interesting. Along came the Internet with it's telnet chat and it's web pages (still mostly text and very little graphics... if any at all), and it's declaration of connecting everyone, every where. Instead, it made a very large group of moderately intelligent, pasty, twits who did nothing but chat on line and have very little interaction IRL. This was also the source of the abbreviations like IRL meaning “In Real Life”.

Those who couldn't really get into chatting decided to walk away and go straight for cell phones. Who among us can live without one. Many have turned off the home phone and use exclusively cells for everyday calls. I still own a home line, but recently decided to switch from the phone company for cable Internet instead of DSL and get a VOIP for home use. How dare I? At any rate, cell phones were meant to connect those of us not glued to a computer and they did for a while, and to some extent it's still comfortable and convenient for some to pick up a cell and call someone to chit chat or for assistance or if you're riding home on the subway and an axe wielding maniac is chasing you from car to car, or if you're sitting in a club and your girls friends have all hooked up and left and you're so drunk that you're willing to go home with the very next dude who smiles at you and you've been crying so hard about your fitness instructor Brad who said you need a few extra hours on the Stairmaster that your mascara is running and... Anyway, you could call someone.

We don't call anyone anymore though, do we. No, it's “texting” now. Instead of typing meaningless drivel on the Internet, we type meaningless drivel with our thumbs on tiny keypads while dodging cars driven by other texters in rush hour traffic. Can you imagine, some cities have passed laws to stop people from “texting” while driving? I can't drink coffee and drive much less type. These typed conversations use the very same, if not more complex, abbreviations that those afore mentioned pasty twits who used to sequester themselves for days while chatting in a MUD used. Not one hot 19 year old would have given the time of day to one of those geeks then, oh but now, it's “geek chic” because they need help figuring out how to use all the gadgets and widgets in their phones so they can “text” one another. It goes both ways too, chick geeks help their surfer boyfriends figure out how to send and receive video email or dock their MP3 players so don't look at me like I left someone out of my stereotypical rant.

Speaking of MP3 players, and getting to the point very soon, they too were meant to help us connect through sharing but I see people in Airports a couple times a month who exist in there own little microcosmic, music induced coma worlds and they're using earbuds to shield them from interaction with other human beings. Not to mention, it's illegal to share. Let's look at that, shall we? If it's illegal to “share”, how are MP3s supposed to connect us? There are some players that won't let you play anything unlicensed, sharing programs like the early Napster, Lime wire, Bit torrent (which is the bomb) have made criminals of us all. MP3 players, however, are allowing us to fight back. We still share our music. We still experience new bands or rediscover old ones and we still congregate in bedrooms, home offices, around water coolers, in parks, on school playgrounds, and yes... in airports to do these unlawful acts of willful disobedience in the name of unity.

There is a new, and legal, MP3 sharing experience that recently came to my attention. I heard about it on, of all things, a radio. NPR ran a story about Silent Raves, large groups of kids getting together and dancing as though they were at a rave, but each and every one listening to their own music and completely separate from the whole. They're synchronized events with a definite start and end time. Some are planned in secret and enacted in malls peaceful, bouncing mobs while others are highly publicized and held out in the open air. Some synchronize the playlist so that everyone is listening to the same play list, others have no playlist and resemble undulating masses of people shaped jellyfish. Drugs don't play a role as they do with so many other secret night time raves in old warehouses or abandoned schools, NO! These are real experiences with real fresh air and real sunlight!

It's a beautiful thing, really, to know the youth of America, with all the disconnections we fostered in our youth and all the high idealism of our parents influencing us, are actually making a difference and getting to know each other. They're sharing their music and their time. They're sharing their knowledge and experiences as they experience them. They're protesting everything and nothing simultaneously. They are truly connecting and that is what the technology is intended to do. Grab your iPhone, iPod, Creative Zen. Bring your Sansa, your Archos, or your Zune (maybe not). Load your playlists and fight the power. Rage against the machine. Damn the man!

Sorry, got a little over excited there. You get my point.

It's almost Halloween - What are you going as?

2008-09-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

Halloween is quickly approaching and you know what that means? It's time to scramble. My friends and I decided that we'd do steam punk this year. We decided this in November... 2007. Last year I made Jedi costumes for everyone, but it was so down to the wire, that I couldn't finish the last one and all I was doing for hours and days on end was sewing. I suck at sewing, but I got it done. Andy suggested Steampunk and showed us some pictures like the ones to the left and right. We were excited. Everyone decided to buy a small piece of the costume or gadget components all year so we'd have spectacular costumes this year. No one has bought a thing. We realized there was more to Steampunk than Edwardian / Victorian dress, goggles, and brass and we developed grandiose plans after looking at websites like the Steampunk Workshop and Boing Boing, not to mention countless Deviant art sites about on the subject. As it often does, however, mundane life seeped back in and we stopped thinking about it until recently. Now we're jumping on the costumes and gadgets and trying to get everything together, but it's a little harder. A hundred and fifty bucks spread out over 12 months is much easier to tolerate and all at once and for some of us, $150.00 is almost enough to cover one item of clothing. Take a look at what I'll be wearing this Halloween, I've finally picked out the pieces and already purchased a couple of things.

The Coat

The Hat (Russian military Peak hat, no site. Got this today)
The Vest
The Boots (already had those)
The Shirt
The Holster (got that today and will build or mod the gun for it)

Surviving Ike - Just like Tina did

2008-09-15T06:01:00.001-07:00

All I got was wind and some drizzle, but family in Houston is still without power and many in Galveston didn't fair well at all. Hurricane Ike (left) was a monster, at one point covering the whole of the Gulf of Mexico and the comparisons to Katrina started flying before Ike hit Cuba. Millions without power, prices on generators, gasoline, and water getting jacked sky high and to top it all off, most everything is closed so provisions are scarce. The government set up temporary shelters and are providing food and water for those in need. Many are greatful for the much needed assistance.

As with Katrina, only days after the storm hit, the complaints have started. The government didn't react, they were unprepared, they aren't doing enough. I can't imagine the pain and turmoil a Hurricane survivor goes through. I can't relate to those who live in a coastal area prone to hurricanes. I especially can not relate to those who live in coastal areas prone to hurricanes who are completely unprepared. Furthermore, I can't relate to those who, after surviving a hurricane, can't be grateful that they're simply alive but have to complain about the, by all current reports, adequate level of support and facilities. Sure, it's uncomfortable, sure it's hot, sure it's a horrible situation, but if you have a roof over your head, food in your belly, and a "pot to piss in" then you're still better off than the majority of the third world (right) by a long stretch. I feel so bad for those who lost homes, family members, lives, all that they know to a storm. I really do. For those of you who are survivors who appreciate the assistance and soldier on and rebuild your lives, God bless and good luck. To those who just want another excuse to whine about the government, I say to you that things will get worse until you appreciate what you have. Look to your neighbor on the cot beside you, listen to they're gratitude and follow their example.

Finally, a note to those who didn't have to go through what these people went through. What the hell?! I hear people saying things like, "All these people are criminals..." or "Oh no, now we'll have a bunch of refugees..." Well get the hell over it and show some hospitality. Is this no longer the UNITED States? More than that, is this not the SOUTH? It's a burden to help people, sure. It is through the support of our fellow man that we learn and grow. If you're not lending a hand, think about this... What if it were your kid who was starving, what if it was your mother who couldn't breath because the power was out, or what if it was your home gutted and gone? I've also heard tell of a cashier at Brookshires at Kings highway and Highland making comments like, "...I'll just move to Houston... for the free food and free diapers..." She's an idiot and she's not the only one... there are lots of them around here. Sometimes, I'd just like to slap some people, you know?

I'll try and say this without getting preachy: Realize that you, as a human being, exist to serve the will of something greater than yourself. If in peril, your adversity teaches others. If helping those in peril, you are learning from them. We are here to learn and grow.... so grow already.

World Domination - It's not just for Tyrannical Dictators Anymore

2008-09-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever looked at our government (The USA that is) or any government for that matter and thought, "If only I were in charge...". How would you do things differently? How would you improve upon the system?

Recently some friends got me interested in a website called Nation States. It’s a site that incorporates legislation into a game and it's based on a book called Jennifer Government by Max Barry. One creates one’s country, gives it a flag, a national animal, and a currency and then it’s placed among other nations to fend for it’s self in a world market situation. Your nation is then ranked and reported on like an actual country. During the game, you vote on national legislation like union strikes and trade tariffs to build up your nation in the world arena. Once established, you can join a united nations of sorts, the World Assembly, to vote on other world wide issues ranging from human rights to hydrogen cars. It’s a fascinating game, even if you don’t like politics. I personally hate the political feuds we tend to have in this country, but I never the less have a Nation State of my very own, the Borderlands of Boomocratic Poecia (get it?). I have built up my nation on the basis of personal freedoms that don’t infringe on others and fiercely protected human rights as well as passing laws to strengthen the economy and education. It’s been fun for the most part, and a little silly.

I applied for membership in the World Assembly and can now vote on issues. The first issue I voted on was child pornography. Without reading the proposal, of course I was against child porn! What sane individual wouldn’t be against exploitation of children in any form (accept sweat shops I mean... kidding). I read through the forums and I noticed that the majority of the states were voting against the proposal and I was appauled. I read the proposal and the wording left quite a bit to the imagination as well as adding some rights infringing speach in reguards to other issues. The purpose of the game is to inform, provoke thought, and mimic actual legislation. This piece didn’t fully live up to what it was supposed to embody so I voted it down. It will be re-written and re-submitted, but I now understand why some politicians vote against pieces of legislation that, at first glance, seem like good ideas. There is something attached that isn’t what the politician stands for or goes against his / her beliefs.

During this upcoming election, take into consideration the details when a particular candidate voted for or against something… you don’t know why they made that decision without reading the resolution. Don’t take the media’s word that a candidate is a flip flopper because they voted against something, then later voted for it. There is a lot more involved. I have always known this info, but I’ve never really thought about it much, until I became the politician. Take a look at Nation States, it's a thought provoking alternative to Myspace or Face book and you might learn something.

A new beginning

2008-09-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering where my blog went. Well, I wasn’t keeping up with it and I had broken the cardinal rule of the slacker… I planned. I planned to make the blog about doodles and travel, but as I’ve been traveling, I’ve run into weekends I just didn’t feel like doing anything picture worthy or I posted them at MySpace. As I’ve been doodling, I haven’t done anything worthy of posting or didn’t have a scanner with me Or I posted them at Deviant Art. In a nut shell, The blog just kind of sat here. I’ve deleted the posts and I’m starting over. It’s September of 08 and I’m picking up about a year after I left off the last time. I begin anew with a new discovery:

LINUX! The Ubutu distrubition, Hardy Heron build to be specific.

That’s right boys and girls, I’ve gotten into Linux, the open source free man’s (or woman’s) operating system. When I was in college, I used a Unix system (the basis for linux) and a text based web browser called Lynx to get online along side telnet for chat. Later came graphical interfaces like Netscape. I eventually fell into the trap Microsoft has lain for us all and became… and end user.

Now-a-days, I like to think I’m smarter than the average user, but I’m defiantly not an U83Я l33t h4ck3r (uber “leet” as in elite hacker, see leetspeak) either. I thought, that’s all that used Linux. Not just the hackers, no Linux users were the elite hackers who had ideas about politics and art and literature and when they spoke, out poured important utterances that would set the coffee house on a roar with debate. These are the people who, while trading pirated software in back rooms of smoke filled techno clubs, wearing faded black sweaters with torn jeans and beanies, sporting silk scarves and dark round sunglasses, would comment on the instability of Darfur and how the oppressive regime currently trying to control the country was nothing more than a mouth piece for the corporations that really ran things and arguing the benefits of pirates over ninjas or vice versa.

This was my misconception. I am more of an end user than a real authority on the subject of all things tech, but that proves the versatility of the OS. Linux has proven it’s self to me so far as a solid and relatively easy to learn operating system. My system is faster and It’s getting easier to use. The only issues I have are some programs that have to have windows to run (Photoshop is a prime example), it’s not as intuitive as I’d like but that can be fixed with some tweaking of the GUI and the inability to sync some devices though I’m looking into that. The best part is a community of support. Windows offers a little database of issues, but there’s no one that really cares. Linux users really want other users to enjoy and have an easy time of Linux. The forums are full of helpful and nice people who are eager to help. All in all, it seems like a hit, but we’ll know more as time goes on.

In the mean time, I’ll be posting some helpful tips and sites to help with using my new OS, Ubuntu.

Ubuntu Site

Forums for help

Change the look