Noxious Thoughts

Trying something else now...

2009-03-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

Let's add text...

Blah blah blah
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Holy Crap that worked

2009-03-16T04:54:00.000-07:00

I guess we'll see what the future holds now, eh?
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Testing, Testing, Testing...

2009-03-16T04:50:00.001-07:00

Hey, kids

Long time no see, huh? Well, right at the moment, I'm just seeing if
I've actually found out how to post to my blog from my phone...

And here we GO....
(Hits "send")

--
Sent from my mobile device

I'm in Love with Death,
But I Have a Deep Affection for Delirium

Hello? McFly? Here's some McMetal!

2007-09-09T03:53:00.000-07:00

Michael J. Fox goes Cookie Monster.

heh.

Potato Fucking Salad

2007-08-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

John Sibley suns this up as well as anyone could:

If you only watch one YouTube movie today featuring dancing country farmer's daughters contortionists singing about potato salad, it should be this one.

Starts a little slow, then all hell breaks loose around 1:15, combining Hee Haw with Cirque.

Widge from Need Coffee has this to say:

This is apparently, per the YouTube page, taken from the 1944 MGM musical Broadway Rhythm, which doesn't appear to be out on DVD in any form. Looks like it would be...interesting, to say the least.

Their fucking exit is the hottest thing ever.

2007-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

I really miss The Elevtric Compamy. It was probably the coolest kids show ever.

I Made it Back.

2007-08-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

The following is from the pocket Reporter Moleskine Journal I carry with me everywhere. It was written on the way back from San Diego Comic Con, Monday afternoon, 30 July 2007.
__________________________

"Freedom's just another word for Nothing Left to Lose." Sure. I'm sitting in, what is it? Laguna Niguel? I'm at a very busy In-n-Out Burger crammed under a freeway overpass. There is nothing picturesque about it what-so-ever, but it is perfect right now. And it's rush hour.

I have some things to lose, almost exclusively material, all of them. Some relationships, as well, sure, but I could, none the less point my car anywhere right now, and do whatever the fuck I wanted. I could make a phone call, maybe two, and I'd be out a lot of material things, sure, but any of the relationships that counted, I'd be no more in danger of losing them than I was before.

This thought formed in my head a few moments ago, I pulled out my notebook to write it down and reflect on it, and as I leafed through the pages to look for a blank page, I came across a note I made to myself a few days before I left for vacation.

"Oh, "I thought to myself, "I'd better check to make sure that got taken care of." I picked up my phone and was about to make a call, then I remembered what I pulled the damn thing out for in the first place.

The phone call can wait.

I'm still on vacation, dammit.

And I could, I could, if I really wanted to, never go back again.

This vacation was much needed. It's been a rough couple of months. I was so stressed out I almost canceled my trip. That would have been an almost oxymoronic mistake.

Time to continue the adventure.
__________________________

I did, in fact, continue the adventure.

My computer is back on the net. It needs some maintenance, but it's working. Also, my parents bought me a new laptop, God Bless 'em. (Thanks, Mom and Brad!) So, updates are on their way. I'm not promising a schedule, at this point, but once or twice a week there should be something here. Check the RSS feed.

I've also been posting over at Metroblogger.la. Nice bunch of folks over there. If you want to check out my posts specifically go here. While my computer was out I actually did a series of posts reviewing Internet Cafes and Libraries. I called it "Vagabond Blogger."

It really has been a hell of a couple of months, and it was quite a trip to the Con this year. Now to find the Sleep of the Just.

It's nice to be back.

Rest in Piece

2007-06-24T23:24:00.000-07:00

My computer has been pronounced dead at about 4PM, June 23rd. Probable causes include the Motherboard and/or the Power Supply.

I'm updating now from my friend's Mac, blog entries here will probably drop off quite a bit until I get the situation rectified. As I just got the MetroBlogging gig, I'll be trying my damnedest to keep up my three post a week schedule there.

Anyway, see yeh later.

From Z list to C list

2007-06-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

I have some great news about the Blog here, but a couple of items first, before I get to that:

You should go take a look at Cory Doctorow's post about the current state of the Broadcast Treaty here: http://www.boingboing.net/2007/06/23/broadcast_treaty_wou.html

Spoiler: It's Good News. (For Now.)

If you are reading this, you are on the internet, so this directly effects you. These folks have, in a very real and international way, been fighting the Good Fight on your behalf. Go take a look at what these kids have accomplished.

Second, a housekeeping note: Computer's still a bit wonky. I thought I might be almost out of the woods and then it crashed again. Gets that creepy beeping that doesn't come from the speakers. Yeah, that's how you know something's really wrong. I don't even have speakers installed!

Someone (Martin, actually) suggested the battery on my Motherboard might need replacing. Now, I'm not ruling that out, but would that cause the computer to crash during use? If anyone knows please let me know in the comments section.

Now, Finally The Big Blog-Related News!!! (Drum Roll...)

I have been accepted to become a contributer to MetroBlogging L.A. This is a pretty big deal for me. Some of the stories I've brought you here have come from that site, and it's a great site all around with what seem to be a very cool group of people.

The MetroBlogging sites are a network of Blogs devoted (in most cases) to a City or Metropolis, and the events and news thereof. They're pretty damn cool, and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Oh, yeah, P.S. and stuff: Today is my Mom's Birthday, send her love, (Now, Dammit!) and a week from today is MY Birthday. Buy me stuff. Nice stuff. I think I'm going to Hollywood Forever Cemetery to watch a movie and Pic Nic. So, come by, if you want.

Frustration.

2007-06-19T14:56:00.001-07:00

My computer keeps crashing. I have no idea what's going on. I'm trying to isolate the problem, but it is proving elusive.

No "Blue Screen of Death," nothing. It just periodically stops working. Sometimes, when it does so, it resets my Bios settings, taking it back to December 31st, 2001, and resetting my default video card/monitor.

It's almost funny to see my desktop calendar widget tell me tomorrow is New Year's day.

The novelty wears off quickly.

This computer has been loyal and stable for a long, long time. It's never been prone to crashing. I'm seeking solutions and alternatives at the moment. I may end up hitting the Net Cafe, eventually, to keep things rolling, but I hope it doesn't come to that.

Eat your Kiwis

2007-06-18T23:33:00.000-07:00

So, today is my Little Brother's Birthday. He's 28.

He's also doing 17 years No Chance of Parole in The Oregon State Pen. He's got about 7 years left.

So, well, here's wishing him the Happiest Birthday possible under the circumstances.

Last time I went to visit him, we were able to buy him some Orange Juice, which is apparently in high demand. He mentioned that the first thing he wanted to do when he got out was to eat a big kiwi fruit, because he hadn't had one in almost a decade.

Everyday at work, during our pre-meal meeting, they bring out the "Sorbet of the Day" and the plate of fruit that comes with it, which, of course, includes some sliced kiwi. It used to go to waste a lot of the time. Now I make sure to take a minute and enjoy it.

Happy Birthday Daniel. I know you can't read this, but I'm thinking about you, and I'm not letting any kiwi go to waste. Love yeh, Man. Be well.

Status...

2007-06-18T03:50:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a small break. The computer's still acting funny, but I'm working on it. Gathering up new material for a fresh onslaught here at the ol' BlogNoxious, as well.

In any case, I kept the daily thing going for a quite awhile with few mishaps, screwy computer or no. You can grant me a couple of weeks off.

Should be some interesting new stuff coming, anyway. Patience. Catch up on the achives in the meantime.

Trouble box.

2007-06-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

Computer's doing weird shit. Maybe monitor, maybe video card, maybe something else.

Annoying as fuck, in any case.

heh.

2007-06-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

An Essential Part of a Balanced Passing

2007-06-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

The creator of the flavor on Cap'n Crunch Cereal, Pamela Low, has passed away.

The torn-up top of your mouth wants sympathy cards.

Do the Math

2007-06-04T23:49:00.001-07:00

The 30th of this Month is My Birthday. The iPhone comes out on the 29th.

You know what to do.

Time...

2007-06-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

Today marks five years with no nicotine for me, and a friend of mine now has 6 years no booze.

I may be Well and Truly Fucked.

2007-06-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

They're taking away my parking. The garage across the street from my apartment has been sold to a new company. They are changing the terms of the lease with the building, apparently tenants will not be able to park there between 10AM and 5PM Monday through Friday, starting July 1st.

Unfortunately, that's exactly when I need to park my car there.

I can't live here without parking, I tried to before. The result was hundreds of dollars in tickets every month and my dash board destroyed when things were stolen from my car. I can't do that again.

I am incredibly stressed out and upset about this.

500 years of beauty.

2007-05-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

This is absolutely beautiful and amazing.

From Juxtapoz.

Damn.

2007-05-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

Crap! Missed Tuesday. Oh, well.

Put up Sin City in acting class. Yeah...we're gonna have to work on that some more. An entire piece of the scene didn't happen due to a dropped line. (Not mine!) Cue was missed 'cause of the dropped line, character didn't get his entrance, which meant another character didn't show up...cluster fuck.

Oh well, shit happens.

The good news is, (other than I learned a bunch here, which is kinda the point) that I now get to watch a whole bunch of old Film Noir, and I love that stuff, so...cool.

So...let's see, dropped line in scene? No. Dropped Blog entry? Well, yeah.

Sorry 'bout that.

Later.

THIS is what we should be worried about:

2007-05-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez shut down Televised Opposition to him Today.

From Reuters:

Venezuela shut down an opposition television channel on Monday and replaced it with one promoting President Hugo Chavez's self-proclaimed socialist revolution in a move widely criticized as a threat to democracy.

Chavez has long sparred with opposition channels, which he calls "horsemen of the apocalypse" for backing a botched coup against him in 2002.

From an anonymous source on the ground in Venezuela: (Via Boing Boing)

The world needs to know. Only you guys abroad can help us spread the word. Chavez spends hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying around the world with goverments and earning many international support at the expense of our taxes, natural resources, and freedoms.

Many of us are scared, but we are willing to do something about it.

He goes on to say that the station has been on the air for 53 years and is the most popular tv station in the country.

There is video of Protests across the Nation, but some of them seem to be disappearing off of private websites. You Tube still has some, for now: Video 1 Video 2.
You'll need to be able to Habla the Espanol to watch.

Raise awareness of this. Talk about it with your friends and co-workers. If anyone tries to give you a "So What," ask them how they'd feel if this was an English speaking country; Challenge Them.

As People who enjoy Free Speaking Liberties and Privileges in the Western World, We are Absolutely Obligated to show Support to these Citizens of the World as the Attempt is made to Silence them. This, THIS is an attack on our Values and Our Way of Life.

Don't be a Pussy. Happy Memorial Day.

And...

2007-05-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

They caught Reggie the Gator,
The Golden Gate Bridge is 70,
A Mom was found snorting heroin in Walmart with her 3 year old in the shopping cart,
Florida Highway patrol warns of Lady Bug swarms,
The Post office is considering Vanity Zip codes
and
Japan now has apple-juice flavor imitation beer for children.

Film at Eleven.

Actually, I got 'em all cut.

2007-05-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

Yo. I'm actually at work right now, about to start my shift. Didn't get a chance to throw down this Place holder earlier. Went and got a hair cut today, ran some errands. (Basically, I look more like my picture now. Whatever.)

I'll see if I have anything more to say later, or maybe we'll see some video. Who knows?

The suspense is killing you, innit?

----------------

It's almost 3:30AM, an' I Just got home. Fucking exhausted. Got my ass kicked tonight; I haven't found myself that far in "The Weeds" in...I don't know how long. Not fun. Oh well. Happens. Gonna take care of a couple things, (Check my WoW Auctions) and crash it.

These guys came up in conversation a couple of times tonight. I guess I was waiting on Bad Religion's Pediatrician tonight. I dubbed him the "Punk Rock Baby Doc." He dug that. It was his birthday. My friend Jason and I had been talking about the band just before the table sat.

Anyway, Bad religion from back in the day, circa 1984:

Later.

And so...

2007-05-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

Just came from scene rehearsal, about to run to work. So, if you're good little boys and girls, and Time Warner doesn't decide to nuke internet access in the Hollywood area again, maybe I'll tell you later about the new shoes I've had for two years, and some other stuff.
-------------

Ugh. I really, really should do laundry. I'm fucking exhausted. I think I'm going to sleep like a mad sleeping guy what sleeps a lot.

Oh, the shoes. Yeah, I broke out a pair of limited edition Vans with little checkerboard skull and crossbones on 'em that I've been sitting on for two years or so. When I find something I dig, I frequently buy two. My current pair of Vans has kinda had it. So, yeah, there yeh go.

More Fear

2007-05-24T23:45:00.000-07:00

I had a great day. I don't have a hell of a lot to say about it.

Here's Fear, playing their hit single from whence they got all the Money:

From "The Decline of Western Civilization."

It's a fucking crime this isn't out on DVD yet.

Up your Nose with a Rubber Hose

2007-05-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.nosefrida.com/

Swedish Snot-Sucking device:

What else can I really say?

From www.boingboing.net, natch.

Lil' Warriors

2007-05-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

Boing Boing has a post today about Dr. Laura's Son's MySpace Page, and how, now that it's been discovered to have a bunch of racist and twisted shit all over it (seriously sick shit, it sounds like) and has been removed, that they're trying to say terrorists hacked into it. (Yeah, Right.)

You can go there and read about that, or the Salt Lake Tribune article that they link back to as a source.

What caught my eye was a quote from Dr. Laura herself. (In case you don't know Dr. Laura makes her living promoting "Family Values" of an extreme Right Wing nature, and bashing Homosexuals.) According to the article, "In an interview with The [Salt Lake] Tribune, she said, 'We raised our son to be a warrior.'"

Really? Did you? Why exactly did you do that?

When you held your New Born infant in your arms, did you think to yourself, "You know, the world my child is about to grow up in just doesn't have enough Violence."

Was, "We raised our Son to be a Doctor," just too mundane? Or, fuck, anything. I suppose, "We Raised our Son to be a Jizz Mopper," would be a little worse, but, hell, it'd be safer.

Hey, we all know I'm no Saint, not by a long fucking shot. Wanting your Son to be able to Stand up for himself and what he Believes in and Loves is, of course, admirable, but a flat out Warrior? What is this, Feudal Japan?

Seems like today, becoming a Warrior should be something born of necessity, not design.

Well, Congratulations, Dr. Laura, looks like you overshot the mark. Sounds like that fucker's become a full on Psychopath. Good thing we had a War to send him to. Crazy fucker might be talking to your stuffed corpse in the attic, otherwise.

Now, go teach other Moms how to make little homophobic, racist, killing machines. That's just swell. Asshole.

This gets the "My Nutsack" tag, as that is what Dr. Laura and her precious little boy can Suck Upon. (See? I told you that tag would be useful.)

Everyone raising their kids to make war needs to stop. Muslims, Israelis, Christians, folks in Darfur, all over Africa, Asia, in South Central, East L.A., the Trailer Parks, everywhere. Stop making Warriors, who then have to go make war.

This stupid bullshit is only a couple of degrees from raising your kid to be a Suicide Bomber. Same fucking mentality.

Stop.

Don't think for a moment that I mean to say raise your child to be passive, or unable or willing to Stand for something or defend themselves. Not at all. Prepare them to be a fully realized human being, with the capacity to rise to the occasion when necessary; don't raise them to BE a WARRIOR.

That's a rather limited resume, and tends to lead to some disturbing entries under the "Hobbies" Title.

To be fair: I must say I entirely agree with her bit (in the Salt Lake Tribune article) about not bitching to your Loved Ones who are serving on Active Duty. I don't think one needs to be an Extreme, Right-Wing, Gay-Bashing, Nut-Job to see the sense there. Mother Fuckers are Dodging Bullets, in the Line of Duty; Last thing you want to have to add to your Grief is the guilt that your last words to someone in that situation was you whining about something mundane Stateside.

Monday

2007-05-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, let's see if we can avoid any internet outages today, and perhaps we'll get things rolling back to normal.

Though, I must admit, I'm amused the fact that Time Warner's douche-baggery inspired me to create a "My Nutsack" tag for my Blog. This may come in more handy than one might initially think. (Kind of like FARK's "Florida" tag)

It's grey, it's Monday, and I haven't called work to try and get called off. Some might call this progress. Maybe I'm just stupid. I do need the money, but if I'm gonna take a day off, this is the one to take.

We'll see what it's like when I get there.

Time Warner can Suck my Balls.

2007-05-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

Fucking internet died on me last night. I hate those fuckers. It was out a good part of today, too.

It actually occurred to me to get a phone line put in for the sole purpose of having Dial up back up.

That I was even brought to a point to let this cross my mind ... I would include hairs from my nutsack in my next payment envelope if I didn't always pay by phone.

I wonder if it's worth the two hours on the phone (one hour on hold, another hour waiting) to demand a credit for this shit.

Place...

2007-05-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

...holder. Gonna go hang with Elwood. Then Work. Then back here to tell y'all 'bout it.

Peace.
------------------

Mt. Saint Helen's Day.

2007-05-18T17:09:00.001-07:00

Today was Mount Saint Helens' Day. I bet you had no fucking idea, did you? Unless, maybe, you live in the Northwest, and even then, probably fucking not.

We had just moved to Oregon when the fucking Mountain blew up, I was just a kid. I remember I woke up and looked outside, everything was covered in light grey ash, and I thought it had snowed..

I knew Oregon was going to be colder than California, but this was ridiculous.

"Did it snow? What? Ash? What do you mean it's Ash? A WHAT? A Volcano Erupted? Are you kidding me? I thought Volcanoes were in Hawaii..." Were the hell do we live now? Rains all the damn time, the beaches are rocky, cold and hurt your feet, and they got fucking Volcanoes? You gotta be fucking kidding me.

These were my ten year old thoughts on the matter, I remember it pretty clearly. Happy Mount St. Helens' Day. Where were you when the Mountain Blew?

Week in Review

2007-05-17T17:14:00.001-07:00

1. Fuck Jerry Falwell. I generally refrain from bad mouthing the recently dead, but yeah, fuck that guy. The World is a Better place for him now being a fucking corpse. Asshole. Feast maggots, feast.

2. Twisted my back yesterday. I'll be fine, missed a day of work. Fucking back.

3. Half of the City of Los Angeles is still up in arms about the May Day Bullshit the cops pulled. That half would be the Spanish speaking half. (Plus this Gringo writing about it.) There was a Rally today on Wilshire, denouncing the actions of the Police. Whatever, your opinions on immigration, May 1st was bullshit. Not too sure how much good today's rally is going to do, but we'll see. Next May should be interesting. Those cops furthered the cause of L.A.'s pro immigration community by light years.

4. Everyone, however, is still heartbroken over Griffith Park, and the Fire Devastation there. There are rumblings that developers who have long wanted to pretty much wipe out much of the natural growth, flora and fauna, that made up a large part of the park are using the fire to further their agenda. The claim is that the fire would not have been as severe if there had been, say, apartment buildings there, as opposed to forest. The more paranoid of those who rumble say these folks may even be behind the fire.

While this all sounds a bit paranoid, this City has a long history of scandalous bullshit that would make this, were it to be true, look positively tame.

Not saying I buy it, but I'm also not saying ignore the possibility.

5. Paris may get her sentence reduced due to "Overcrowding." Bullshit. It was plenty crowded when I was in County.

6. Managed to get some Warcraft in, against all odd, in the last day or two. Ah, so nice. You have no idea. Ordered a Belkin Speedpad from Amazon. Should be here tomorrow. Noobs beware. My PVP is about to get brutal

7. I have been busy as fuck with rehearsals and shit, hence the preponderance of Video lately. You guys can bitch when I start repeating stuff.

Actually, you can bitch all you want, there is a comments page, and I'd love to see some shit there. Probably won't change me much, but I'd like to see it none the less.

Likely to be a busy week coming up, so there may be quite a bit of Video. I will endeavor to find interesting stuff and, well, Good Ol' Punk Rock. In all seriousness, let me know in the comments what you like and what you don't, as it may very well influence what I search for.

I apologize for Nothing.

2007-05-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

This explains everything:

A Fish.

2007-05-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, I ~~apologize for all the Video,~~ wasn't going to post Video today, but this one I had to post:

Salvador Dali on the Fifties Gameshow "What's My Line."

Talk about Surreal.

Skulls

2007-05-14T00:00:00.001-07:00

On the Moon, LiteBrites are Deadly. (Don't question it...)

2007-05-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

The charges have been dropped against Peter Berdovsky, and Sean Stevens, the two guys who were busted after the city of Boston freaked out over finding a bunch of LiteBrite Electric Signs installed as a Street Marketing campaign to Promote Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Apparently, they had to apologize, which is retarded; the City Officials who Grossly overreacted should apologize.

The same signs had been up in other cities for two or three weeks, and, in fact, had been up in Boston itself for ten days before they were sighted by a Victim of Terror (That is, someone so paranoid about Terrorism, even a brightly lit Cartoon Character seems a threat) and reported to authorities, who subsequently, basically, shut down Boston.

Most bomb makers don't, in fact, attach brightly lit Cartoon figures to their explosive devices.

Anyway, the reason I'm posting this, is because I really don't think enough people got a chance to see these two guys true brilliance; The "Haircuts of the Seventies" press conference.

Please Enjoy:

Just as Ridiculous as they ought to be; fucking Ridiculous charges.

7 Seconds 99 Red Balloons Spanky's West Palm Beach

2007-05-11T17:43:00.001-07:00

I fucking Love this song. (I never heard it live before, tho'. Looks like it was a great show.)

Whoa-oh! Whoooaa-Oh!

Day....after Day...

2007-05-10T16:48:00.001-07:00

I once again find myself exhausted at quarter to four in the morning. Been a long, but good day. Lots of those long days, lately. I spoke at the meeting I have been secretary of for a year, as my term (2nd term, actually, as I had been re-elected) is over. Went well, I think. Had class after that, then went and watch a movie and discussed scenes from that movie and others with a scene partner. Have rehearsal tomorrow with another scene partner, then work. Have to go in at some point this weekend and take some stupid food test at work.

I really want to play some Warcraft.

Not gonna happen. Dammit.

I wanna post some more about the fire, some amazing pictures that were taken, but not gonna happen right now. Metroblogger L.A. had some AMAZING shots.

But I'm taking my time to check in, kids. How are you?

Fire

2007-05-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

This was my neighborhood yesterday. Welcome to Fire Season.

Video from (where else?) Boing Boing, taken at 7:55PM by "M.D."

...

2007-05-08T17:55:00.001-07:00

...

Places to do, Things to go...

2007-05-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

I make no apologies for posting a lot of Video lately. I think it's a good way to keep this thing cracking on days when I can't get an whole post in, and trust me, there have been days when that was just not possible. This whole week has been nuts.

However, making sure something is up here to check in with is good. Keeps it flowing.

Today I'm going to point you to a couple of things you should check out, but that I can't post directly here.

First of all, there's a new Spinal Tap short film. By Rob Reiner.

I know, huh? Fucking A.

"They're not that environmentally conscious, but they've heard of global warming," said Reiner, whose other films include "When Harry Met Sally" and "Stand By Me." "Nigel thought it was just because he was wearing too much clothing -- that if he just took his jacket off it would be cooler."

Spinal Tap has reunited several times since the film but hasn't for a number of years. For the band -- whose last album was 1992's "Break Like the Wind" -- the occasion warranted a new single: "Warmer Than Hell."

http://www.liveearth.msn.com./spinaltap

Be aware: The new Tap movie is on MSN, and it doesn't play well with Firefox. (Go figure.)

Also, here's a random bunch of Band Videos someone must have had stashed. There's some awesome stuff here, all from the Late 70's - Early 80's. Check out Siouxse and the Banshees doing "Hong Kong Garden from 1981, in Germany. Fucking great. All from Kino Digital Video.

http://kinodv.net/ArchivePortal.html

As usual, all this via Boing Boing, at one time or another. (I swear I heard about the Tap Video somewhere else first, but Damned if I can remember where; and of course, those Boingers had it covered.)

Holy ...

2007-05-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

Since it's Sunday, which is supposed to be a Holy Day, I thought I'd show you a Video of a Transvestite talking about Pagans.

Eddie Izzard is awesome. Actual post-type posts soon.

Feliz May Fifth

2007-05-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

While L.A. still reels a bit from the Police Brutality on May Day, we get Cinco de Mayo to follow it up.

Work may well be ... interesting.

In the meantime, check out The Great Taco Hunt and read the adventures of Bandini as he searches for the perfect Taco.

I'll see all y'all after work.

------------------------------

Pretty sedate at work, which was almost creepy. Last time Cinco de Mayo landed on a Saturday it was pretty crazy. Seriously, I think the May first thing put a pall over things. More on this later, I want to see if there's any news from around town.

In the meantime here's some Manic Hispanic doing "I want to be a Cholo" their answer to The Vandals "I want to be a cowboy."

Manic Hispanic fucking rocks. Take note.

Hola

2007-05-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

Off to work. See yeh tonite. Read yesterday's blog.

-------------------

Fucking tired as hell. Here's The Cramps. Fucking dig it.

The 'Net will Deconstruct Itself.

2007-05-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

Catch up on your Internet Memes and related phenomenon while I'm gone. The series of tubes has begun to eat it's own tail with lolgeeks.

We'll talk about it when I get back from class ... Puh-lace Holder.

---------------------

So, things have gotten a little out of hand. First there was the "I M in ur x Killing ur y " thing.

This was similar to the "All your Base are Belong to Us" thing, except instead of "Engrish" this was "Leet Speak" and "All your Base..." didn't get re-appropriated like the "...Killin' ur Doodz" thing.

Let me back up, for those who have not been following this sort of thing, or who just have no idea what it is when they do see it.

The "All your Base..." thing really has nothing to do with it, (and anyway that's so 2001...) but if you still don't know what that's about (and many don't) Click Here, and Wikipedia will answer all your questions. The "...Killin' ur Doodz" thing just, initially, seemed to spread in the same fashion.

Bear with me, this goes someplace, but some background may be needed.

The original phrase is "I am in your base killin' your doodz." Encyclopedia Dramatica seems to have summed up the origin best:

Two players (one unnamed, the other known as 1337h4x (leetspeak for "Fucking Nerd") are in a game of Starcraft, with 1337h4x playing as the Zerg race, and the other as either the Terran or Protoss races. 1337h4x Zerg-rushed his opponent, and on finding that he was getting raped, his opponent asked:
[n00b] "dude, where are you?"
[1337h4x] "im in ur base, killing ur d00ds"

Leetspeak for "Fucking Nerd." heh. Indeed.

Any-fucking-way, around the same time as this inane bullshit started making it's way across the 'Net, the Cute Fucking Animal Picture thing started to swell into a Phenomenon. There is, of course, CuteOverload.com, with their daily deluge of cute baby animal pictures, and The Daily Kitten, with (you guessed it) new pictures of drowndably cute baby cats every damn day, and about a hundred clones.

Now, to be fair, part of the draw of these things, at least in the case of Cute Overload, is the self awareness. Meg, the woman who runs that site, knows just how saccharine sweet and ridiculous the whole thing is, and the somewhat self effacing humor with which she comments on everything makes the whole process enjoyable, rather than sickening.

This gave rise to the Captioned cute animal fad, (or maybe vice versa, but really, who can tell?) which attempts much the same thing with mixed results. I Can Has Cheezburger and LolCats are probably the most obvious examples.

Apparently most felines can speak, but they're kind of retarded. Walruses, it would seem, are obsessed with Buckets. (Yeah, I don't know either.) This is where the "...Killin' ur Doodz" thing really took off. Suddenly, all kinds of cute critters (among other things,) were in something of yours, engaging in some activity, upon something you held sacred.

So, okay, captioned pictures of parakeets standing in pasta, an odd place for Pop Culture to migrate, but, whatever. What's the big deal?

It has now started to come full circle.

A (relatively) new site is up: LolGeeks. LolGeeks is like LolCats, but they are using pictures of 'Net personalities and Alpha Geek Icons ... with the Cute Cat Captions. Apparently the Geek Elite also talk like retarded six year olds; I found this less surprising than the cats, really.

Geeks making fun of geeks making fun of themselves while making fun of themselves. It continues on like fucking Pi.

Someone said Pop will Eat Itself, I say the Net is Perpetrating its Own Deconstruction.

Everything ever via Boing Boing. (Bless Those Folks. Seriously, I get a lot of stuff and info from them. Follow the links for the various Photo Credits. I'll post them in future, but right now it's 4AM. Laterz.)

Like McAdams loves Gosling

2007-05-02T16:36:00.001-07:00

It's weird how opportunities work themselves out, when you look at things from a certain perspective.

I'm a really lucky fucker in a lot of ways. Dues have been paid, make no mistake, but I'm a lucky fucker.

I forget that sometimes. But that's the very thing.

I'm at the top of the Food Chain, and by that I mean I've pretty much gone as far as one goes in the Food and Beverage industry while still being an employee and not an employer. I've reached the pinnacle of the "Would you like Fries with That?" game. There are people who make more than I do, but not many, and by and large it's one of the cooler places to work.

But it used to be so much cooler. So very much cooler.

It really did, that's not just a perspective thing. I'm not going to get into the laundry list, tempting as that is, but much has soured there. Yet, it is still a kick ass job. When I hear what people make at other places, man, I don't get out of bed for that kinda pay.

But it's all becoming clear now. All that souring, it's just oil on the Golden Handcuffs people. Those Golden Shackles are loosening, I can feel it, I can see it.

I used to really like going to work. Why, as good as it was, would I ever leave? Now that they have sapped the love out of my work place, and I truly used to love the place, but now that they robbed it of that, I have more motivation to find my way out, to move on. Oh, I fought, hell, I could have chosen a different career path and maybe won that fight, but I would have lost everything else. So glad I didn't do that. Now, I can still work at a kick ass place, yet I can be motivated by the sheer, ugh, clusterfuck of crappola now permeating the joint's very pores to go bigger and better, in whole new realms of work and career.

Kind of a great deal, if you think about it.

It doesn't have to totally suck, but it gets to suck just enough to motivate me elsewhere.

Hell, I got to wait on Chris Parnell tonight. He was eating dinner before going across the street to watch Elvis Costello. Sorry, that's pretty fucking cool.

If you don't know who Chris Parnell is, go check out Lazy Sunday right now. (No, bitch, I said Right Now.) If you don't know who Elvis Costello is, do a little research on a Decade know as The Eighties.

Underwear Perverts are on the loose

2007-05-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

Terrifica is not alone, anymore. Maybe she can now find true love. (But she'll probably mace him.)

There's been a rash lately of people dressed as Super Heroes acting retarded. Well, more retarded.

First, (Well, in this latest string. Terrifica was way ahead of these "Johnny Storm come latelys.") there's the Grope-tastic Captain America. The guys at The Smoking Gun have all the details.

"Authorities said Adamcik was in possession of a large burrito and drugs."

That's probably my favorite News Story quote ever.

Next, Sergeant Superman. Since when do soldiers go to their Drill Sergeants about depression? This is a good reason not to do so.

And the latest, and well, not so perverted ... yet: Citizen Prime might be the best candidate yet for Our Girl Terrifica. I'm still sad that that Blind date with The Ultimate Warrior never panned out.

(Terrifica has been a favorite of the Gang over at Dead Pan Fury for many years now. In fact, she was the subject of one of our all-time favorite threads. Also the term "Underwear Perverts" is attributable to Warren Ellis. I don't know that Warren had the type of activity listed above in mind when he coined the term. Then again, he's been to enough Comic Book conventions; this may well be exactly what he meant. )

On we go...

2007-04-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

I can't help but get a slight feeling of malaise as the week doesn't end, it just keeps on going.

I really have nothing to bitch about. Lots of people have lots harder shit to do, more often. Whatever.

Placeholder. I'll post more after work.

------------------------

Nice. Smart ass mother fucking friend of mine posts his comment to the place holder. Jackass.

Scroll down, you stupid son of a bitch, you might gain a clue as to what's actually going on.

I actually got out of work early, which ruled, as I got a chance to really play some Warcraft for the first time in, it seems like, forever. My friends have level 70s, they just made alts, and at this rate their alts will pass me up in level.

Class tomorrow, which rocks, and probably will launch intense rehearsal time. It better, anyway, or I might well be fucked.

Sunday Clash

2007-04-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Fucking Sunday. Here's some fucking Clash.

Hit Play, Dickhead.

The Only Band that Matters.

Scatterday.

2007-04-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

I slept today. I slept a lot. I think I needed it.

It's good to be busy, but sometimes, even the anticipation of how busy I am, and am going to be, lends itself to an anxiousness that in and of itself is tiring.

So, what the fuck, slept in today. Have chairman commitment manana. Scene partner A will be working, I might see if Elwood is gonna be around; he and I can work on some stuff.

Meanwhile, the good and decent routine I had a year ago, I want... hell, I need to plug that back in, piece by piece. Get back to having a clean house for the sake of having a clean house, cooking food in my own kitchen, taking care of all of those things. My daily readings and meditation.

One thing at a time. Plug that shit back in.

Last night I told a guest off. He was a complete dick. Telling him off cheered me up for the entire rest of the night. I could have handled it better, but fuck that guy. He has to live with the fact that he's a big, fat slob and an asshole. I get to live life. I win.

This is scattered, I know, but I really don't care right now, I'm just sorting. And it feels kind of good. We'll bring it up short of an actual "To Do" list published on the web for all to see, right now. (No promises for later.)

I'm gonna leave you with a quote I got from Artist Coop!'s blog "Positive Ape Index:" I guess Coop had a stressful day yesterday. (Edit: Thursday, I guess, actually.)

"So why do I feel compelled to share all this? Well. I AM a blogger, after all. Vomiting up horribly intimate moments for the amusement of idle cubicle jockeys is what the internets are all about, right?"

Heh. Right on.

I do highly recommend his blog, which reminds me, I need to post a blog roll on this bitch. I need a new camera, too, get some photos up in here. Oh, and apparently, someone is working on an animated "H.R. Pufnstuf." Awesome.

Ninja Noir Pirate

2007-04-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

Just got back from hanging out in the Comic Book Shop with The Mighty Archer. Well, that and some errands. Though she is a Ninja and I am a Pirate, we are working toward a common cause. A Film Noir via Comic Book cause. I'll have to watch her, though, she is ninja. Sneaky bitches, those Ninja.

I got in and out of the place without buying anything at all. That may be a first.

This might be a place holder. I haven't decided.

To Post, Perchance to Dream...

2007-04-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

Placeholder, kids. Just got back from My Thursday thang and about to go hit class. Well, about to shower so I'm not hated in class. I think I may just have some stuff to postify later tonight.

No, really.
----------------------

Ugh. I just spent an hour on hold, literally. About an hour and ten minutes, really, at One O'Clock in the fucking morning. Well, after Two, when I finally hung up.

When I got home from class both my cable and my internet were out.

I called the Cable company, and here's the real bitch, they never even answered. After an hour the cable came back on and I rebooted the modem and here I am back on the interwebs.

Fucking pisses me off.

I'm tired and pissed. See you tomorrow. (One would hope.)

Technical Difficulties.

2007-04-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Ugh, every thing Tech on the interwebs is pissing me off, but I think it might be getting better.

First the obvious: I wanted to post that video of Mike Daisey and how he handled the assholes who fucked up his work, but it just would not work until now, and yes, I figured out why. It's too tedious to detail right now, frankly.

What pisses me off is that I had just been thinking that, y'know, all this speculation about eventually moving this blog to my own site, hey, why go through all that, Blogger's working out pretty cool, they store all the stuff, I don't have to mess with it, and what the hell, it's good enough for Post Secret right?

Fuckers.

My next bitch is Imgred.com. I shouldn't be pissed at this guy, 'cause he's trying to do a cool thing but it was kind of unclear and now I need to swap a bunch of things out.

The idea behind imgred (Image redirection) is to make it really easy to avoid Hotlinking. Hotlinking (which I am guilty of innumerable times) is when you see a cool picture on the internet, and you link it somewhere else, say a Blog or a forum, and you do so directly from the place you found it. The problem with this is the site that the picture was originally on gets dinged for bandwidth from both sites now, and sometimes that costs the person who originally put the thing on the web money. Not cool. What's considered polite is to save the picture, host it on your own site or at a picture hosting site, and link it from there. This is a pain in the ass, and frankly "Politeness" isn't in terrible abundance here on the interwebs.

So this guy, this imgred guy, he creates a code. You simply put "http://imgred.com/" before the url of the picture, link it normally, like you're Hotlinking it, the code hosts it at the imgred site, and after that, that''s the new url for the picture. He even set it up so it'd automatically create a thumbnail.

Cool, I thought, no more hotlinks or fucking around with Imageshack.

Nope, turns out, "This site was meant as a demonstration, not as a self-sufficient service. If someone on Website A wants to show an image from Website B, the image should be locally cached on Website A. It is up to the Website A programmer to develop such functionality."

So, it's a code I could use if I had a site to host stuff at, and the brain power to implement the code. That is, I could come up with my own, private, "imgred.com" for my pics I wanna "Borrow" off of the net. Well, that's cool, I guess, and while I'm sure I could figure all that out, I'm probably gonna go try and figure out "Flickr" again instead.

Mike Daisey Audience Protest, Walkout and Attack

2007-04-25T13:32:00.001-07:00

Holy Shit, this was a pain in the ass.

YouTube and Blogger won't play nice.

2007-04-25T01:05:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to post that fucking video for three days now. Pissing me off.

Hmmmm....

2007-04-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is an unusual place holder.

I had posted a YouTube thing, I thought. With text and commentary. Maybe it just hasn't shown up yet. When I hit publish, it did say that it would show up later. The Kermit the Frog "Hurt" thing worked. I dunno.

I'mo wait, rather than double post. Read yesterday's entry, it kicks ass anyway. If my video shows up, I'll delete this post or something, if not, I'll put something here. Maybe I'll put something here anyway, and you'll get a double entry for once. We'll see, but for now I hafta jet.

Laterz.
-RRR

We're getting the Band back together.

2007-04-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

So, today, my scene partner and I for The Blues Brothers put on our costumes and went walking around outside.

It was a very interesting day.

First of all, the casting is spot on. Everywhere we went people smiled. There were all kinds of hilarious exchanges with folks, I don't think I could even remember all of them. People literally pulled over in their cars to say, "Hi." It was more than a little surreal.

At one point we went into Virgin Records, where we pointed out to the Emo "My Chemical Death Cab" kid behind the counter that they only have eight foot of Blues Music for sale, and "What, a mile?" of this, "Rock/Pop Pop-rock stuff," which wouldn't exist without that eight foot of Blues. "How is eight foot supposed to support a mile? It's wobbley, that's what it is." The kid could not stop laughing while we talked to him. With us, at us, I give a fuck. It was hilarious.

Then we went down to Hollywood and Highland, in front of the Chinese Theater. People in various Character Costumes gather here every day of the week and try to make money off of the Tourists who snap pictures and take video and whatever. There are Street Performers, as well. These folks are not hired, they just show up. Everything from Hellraiser's Pinhead to Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, and pretty much everything in between.

We figured, what the fuck, we'd take Jake and Elwood down there and see what happened.

I was kind of expecting some slight hostility from these guys having some new guys show up, but this was not the case. "One of Us, One of Us, We Accept you, One of Us." We were strolling around, just getting our bearings a little bit, when this Homeless Guy came up to us. "Lemme show you something, lemme show you something," and the fucker whips out a harmonica and starts playing. And here's the thing; the fucker was good. I shit you not, he could play the harp. Turns out he had two, an A and a C.

So, what could we do? He played and Elwood and I fuckin' danced. Danced our asses off. Badly.

People took pictures and Video, I told 'em to give the Homeless guy, Enrice, the money. Enrice actually looks, talks and acts like Tony Montana. Anyway, we hung out with him and his friend for a while and actually bought him a bottle. Well, we needed an empty Night Train bottle for the scene anyway, and I'd have hated to waste the booze. So, what the fuck?

Crazy fuckin' day.

Elwood wants to go back, maybe get a boom box, put a little thing together. Why the fuck not, I say.

Why the fuck not?

Crime rates

2007-04-22T02:16:00.000-07:00

It is said, apparently, in Crime Watch studies and Police Data Reports, that if a broken window is left unrepaired in a neighborhood for an extended period of time, the crime rate goes up. It would seem, if no one cares enough to fix a broken window, the general attitude of people in and around the area figure no one really cares what goes on, and slowly people just stop giving a shit, and the kind of folks who do things they don't want others to see start to do that sort of shit there. In the neighborhood with the broken window.

I missed two Blog posts this week. Well, almost. We'll say two. Sunday was a conscious decision. I took that day off, I wasn't going to count that. Thursday I flat forgot/didn't get it done. Right now it's Sunday Morning, 2:22 AM, and I just got off of work. This could, and should be considered Saturday's entry, but I didn't even get a place holder up.

We're gonna score that at two missed.

Two posts, that's a busted window. One, what the hell, shit can happen. Two in a week, I gotta take care of that shit. Same shit has happened in my house. I start saying, "Fuck it," about one little thing, next it's uninhabitable for anyone but me and the cat again.

The place holder thing, it's good for me, I think. I'm not sure how it comes off on your end, for the reader, (If anyone is even reading the damn thing. Hi Mom! Sup, Brad?) but it tends to make me feel obligated to finish up with something, which keeps me thinking during my work day (night) what I might post. So, even if it seems cheesy, you may have to put up with it. Comments are, of course, appreciated.

Part of the point of doing it at all is that it seems, for me, writing begets writing. If I write in this damn thing, I tend to write other stuff, and I really need to be writing stuff.

Just now, as I left work, I was telling a friend of mine about back when I used to work at the Flower shop, when I was "The Punk Rock Florist." Just briefly, couple a minutes, telling him some of the circumstances around me getting the job, and the irony of me working there at all. "You gotta write a book," he says. It was nice, with the thought of this Personal Monologue/One Man Show thing on my mind, to be able to say, "I'm working on it," and mean it. I don't know that my working in a Flower shop is fodder for a whole Monologue segment.

But it might be Stand Up material.

Comic Books are Evil

2007-04-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

Found this on Boing Boing. They got it Here.

"Webcomic artist Neal von Flue has scanned a page from an old encyclopedia which basically says that comic books are the root of all evil. He found it while helping his daughter do a school paper on "comets," and just, you know, skipped over a couple of pages."

Silverlake Meadow

2007-04-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

So, this looks really cool to me:

From Metroblogging L.A.

I'd like to see this open permanently. Probably too damn early for me to make this event, though.

Under the wire

2007-04-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Anyone notice how close I cut it yesterday on the time? Seven minutes to midnight, still got a Monday blog.

The 'Net is back on at my abode; loose connection just when I had no time to track it down. All fixed now.

I need to jump in the shower and run to Acting class just now, so we're gonna call this a place holder. Tuesday blog will be posted after class and before bed, but likely after the Witching Hour. So, watch this space.
------------------

Back from Class. I have a ton of work coming up, and thus, a ton of work to do.

This class has what they call "Booking Week" where you sign up to schedule scenes for the following month. I have four different things that were posted tonight. That's four things, with four different people that I haven't even started yet, or really even picked scenes for. Hell, some of the stuff I've never even seen.

That's a lot.

Plus the scene I'm working on already, and like two or three other things that I'm supposed to start and work in, as well.

The good news about this is, well, apparently people want to work with me. That's pretty awesome. Let's just hope I don't stretch myself too thin, start to suck, and then people stop wanting to work with me.

How about I keep on top of that and not have it happen, eh?

I'm putting up Blues Brothers on Tuesday. We want to do several more scenes from it, plus a song. That's already a go. That's from last Booking Period. Coming up is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Cinderella Man, Mystic River and, apparently, Sin City. We haven't picked specific scenes from any of them, and, in fact, in the case of Sin City, we don't even know if we're doing the Movie, or something from a Graphic Novel. (But I've learned not to say, "No," when a pretty girl wants to do a scene with you where she's likely to be scantily clad.) I haven't even seen Cinderella Man or Mystic River yet.

Also in the works are Of Mice and Men and either True Romance or The Shining, quite possibly both.

I'mo be busy.

Meanwhile, ideas for comedy sketches are floating through my mind again, now. Been jotting those down. Gotta see if the name "A Street Car named Bob," is taken already. Also, need to figure out a follow up for my Monologue. I think that's the thing that got me into this mess.

I'm pretty happy with the mess, at the moment, I have to admit.

Work and Blog

2007-04-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

Fuckin internet was out this afternoon before I split for work. Pisses me off more than words can say.

So, I'm actually blogging this from work. On the fly, as they say.

In so doing, I note that that fucking sidebar still gets pushed to the bottom; that REALLY pisses me off.

I better be able to get the net back on here in a few minutes when I get home, or there will be hell to pay.

Sunday, I just took off. Bite me.

2007-04-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hurt

Build a better....

2007-04-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is fucking Rad:

Maker Faire: The Life-Sized Mousetrap

I go to work now.

Holding...holding...

2007-04-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

All right, everybody be cool, this is a Bloggery!

Any of you fucking pricks move, and I'll line execute every motherfucking last one of ya!

Just got out of a meeting, on my way to Class, this is a place holder; there'll be more tonight. I have some stuff I wanna post but time is short. Hopefully, I'll remember what I wanted to write here in a few hours. I'll throw on a little edit up in here.

See yeh then. (I know you just can't wait.

----------------------

I was in such a hurry, I couldn't close a parenthesis, apparently. Put the placeholder up 'cause I knew I wouldn't sit down 'til after midnight, but this is well before I retire for the night, so as far as I'm concerned this is still Thursday's Blog.

So much shit running through my brain lately, but in a good way. (Mostly)

New Stand up shit, which can probably be directly attributed to my giving more thought to the personal monologue/one man show assignment, though that's in a completely different vein, ideas for other shit, just...almost too much. Shit. Where's that Dung Beetle?

Simultaneously, I'm starting to hate going into work, seriously. I'm broke as shit, I need to work as much as possible right now, but I feel like the place is sucking the soul out of my chest. The truth is probably more that being so constantly on the go, that is the least satisfying, and the one thing I'd really like to skip.

The only way out is really to work even harder for awhile. That really sucks, actually. There's some shit really pissing me off about the job site lately, but I don't wanna go into it now. Could easily get a whole post out of it, but...nah, not right now, at least. Whatever.

I felt the need to pick up a new copy of The Tao of Pooh today. Not sure why now, but that's kind of how that is. Mary took her copy back, but that was, I dunno, a year ago or more. Guess it's just time.

This is Wednesday's Blog....

2007-04-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

The "No Word a Lie" post (which is kinda the working title of my show) was actually an entry for Tuesday, so, screw you, that's one a day since Friday.

Had an idea just now, listening to "Barb Wire Love" by Stiff Little Fingers for a light comedy movie set in the late 70's in Belfast with a Pop Punk soundtrack. Kind of "Romeo and Juliette" with Protestants and Catholics and Punk Rock.

Just a thought. I could probably get the guys from STL to help.

No Word a Lie.

2007-04-11T04:32:00.000-07:00

So, in my Acting Class tonight, I put up a personal monologue. This was an assignment. It was a story written by me from my personal life. For the purposes of the assignment it did not need to be true, but in this case it was.

Doing this made me more nervous than I thought it would, or should.

I've been told now to do more. In fact, I am being encouraged, or more accurately, out right told, to expand this into a one man show, by not only my teacher, but many of my classmates.

One of the most vocal proponents of my doing this is a man not known for giving much feedback in class. He can be a bit critical. His comment: "Just fucking do it; you are a One Man Show."

So, basically I'm being told to come and stand around talking about myself, for fun and profit.

You're all in trouble now.

[Grin]

Games.

2007-04-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

Not much today, but maybe this'll keep you busy:

Rock, Paper Scissors goes to the next level.

Where's "Skull?"

Happy...

2007-04-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

These shoes will one day need Bronzing

2007-04-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

I'm very tired right now.

One of the things I learned in my absence from this Blog is that not everything is meant to be posted in it; this is both profound and mundane. I didn't post anything, ultimately, that I fell was inappropriate, but there's some shit I can't post in here, and when I'm distracted by that I can't post anything else, and days get skipped. (They get skipped for other reasons, too, but this is a problem.)

I have a very specific, and seemingly harmless example: Last May I was honored to preside over the occasion of my Mother and Step Dad renewing their wedding vows. This was on their anniversary last year. My participation was a surprise for my Mom. About the time my posting fell off I was planning this trip, and was, in fact, very excited about it. I couldn't post about it, obviously, 'cause, well, Mom occasionally peruses my Blog. (Though, if you look carefully, I made a small vague reference to it at one point.)

Is this the sole reason my blogging ground to a halt? Hell no, but it did, indeed, contribute.

The solution, I would think, is in a private journal. Part of the impetus for this endeavor is to write every day, or at least, on a regular schedule. When I come to an impasse, something bouncing around that I can't write about here, for whatever reason, I need to write it down elsewhere.

Writing needs to be part of who I am. Now.

It's vital for many things I do, I intend to do, and for my growth and progress in many areas, not the least of which my recovery.

There are a lot of changes happening in my life. These need to happen, they are necessary. They are also terrifying and painful. Sometimes very, very painful. I need to incorporate this process, this Bloggery, into the transformation. This is where the accountability is. So, baby step number two.

A small start.

2007-04-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

So, it's been nearly a year. (Pirate Movie Trailers Notwithstanding) Many things have fallen by the wayside, many things aren't so great. Other things are back on track and better than they've been in years.

One of the things that has, obviously, fallen by the wayside is this Blog. While it would be ridiculous to try and infer that letting my blogging schedule derail led to the decline in these other areas, I think the daily practice, or at least the regular practice of it, was one of the things that helped me keep things on track.

There's a lot to sort through. It could be a bit overwhelming, but I've learned the only way to get through an overwhelming thing is to start small and let go of the results, especially the immediate ones.

So, here yeh go. Baby step number one.

A Welcome Return to The Ordinary

2006-04-27T03:43:00.000-07:00

After the deluge of Marriage, Death and Life-Changing surgery, I think it's time to just check in with a nice, relatively mundane post.

Some general updateage:

I will hit on the surgery for a moment: Fan-fucking-tastic. Healing up nice, vision is improving all of the time. Last time I saw the Doc, he said I could go swimming by now, should I wish to... just...incredible. I can actually give you an example of how my eyesight's improving: Two days after the surgery I was at a friend of mine's house, and of course, it was the subject of discussion. One of my friends asked if I could read the titles on some of the books on my friend's shelf. (These were GURPs "splat" books actually, if you happen to be enough of a geek to know what those are.) I could make out a couple, those where the font color was sufficiently contrasted to the color of the cover, and everyone was dutifully impressed when I rattled these off. Two weeks later, I'm at the same house, sitting in the same chair, and I glance over at the bookshelf. I could make out every title except one. The one in question had a font color almost the same color as the jacket, and my friend sitting right next to it said he could barely make it out. I could actually catch a word or two, which pretty much blew him away.

It's pretty fucking cool.

In other news: I temporarily chopped my sideburns off. Some people (believe it or not) will be distressed to hear this. Every once in awhile you just gotta take 'em off, air it out, and grow 'em back from the start, y'know? I just got a haircut, just got the eyes fixed, it was time. Might keep it that way for a minute, but the chops'll be back soon, I'm sure.

Got a new MP3 player: 20 gig iRiver. Just got the damn thing, haven't even really set it up yet. It is charging as I type. The plan is to get an FM modulator and hook it up in the car, get that 6 speaker system working for me. The thing'll hold three days of music, or some shit. I have two cigarette lighter outlets in my center console, I'm hoping if I get the right components, and configure it properly, I can charge it while I drive and have the FM modulator both. Then the car will just be dialed in; I'll only have to take it out to put more of The Punk Rock on it. (or whatever. I bought a Marvin Gaye CD today. Fuck Off.)

Went and saw "V for Vendetta" tonight, finally. I'm sure I'm going to have to go over this several times, in several places, with several people, but my short take on it is this: The Movie is the Pussy version of the story. And they did warp the story. Gutsy, compared to typical Hollywood crap, but Pussy Bullshit compared to the source. If you like the movie, and have not read the original, do not hesitate, go get it right now and read it. I still managed to enjoy myself, and I'll be wearing my Guy Fawlkes mask on November 5th, just for the fuck of it.

Just sorted through a mountain of laundry. I know you'd all love to hear about that. Think I'll start another Blog specifically on the subject. (Hey....)

Let's see, what else? Started another 12 Step Program. Yay for me! I'm Fucked up! Social Hollywood, the GIANT new restaurant the company I work for is opening is letting me have a free dinner as a test run before opening, which is cool. Seriously, this place is Ginormous. They've taken over the old Hollywood Athletic Club, and frankly, I'm curious as to even how they are going to fill the space. Gonna check it out Monday with some friends of mine.

Finally, some technical goals that I want to achieve for this Blog. Nothing fancy, just want to get it out there so I don't fuck it off. A "Blogroll," for one. I've been reading a lot of Blogs lately, and I just need to get one of these up. Share some love, maybe get a link or two back, if I can. Tags. I found a utility that will allow me to tag the entries, I need to get it set up. Blogger doesn't handle this natively, so it will take some doing, but I think it will be helpful. I'm probably going to do a custom header, as well. Something that doesn't just scream, "Hey, Look, it's another Blogger account!" Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I gotta do my own thing. Anyone know how to rig a Flavicon on one of these accounts? Or is that just asking too much? Whatever. I should move it to my own site anyway. I do own "BigSkull.com." Might as well do something with it. Might be a good place to put the Laundry Blog.

Anyway--
Later kids,
-Rob

R.I.P. Mike Roberto.

2006-04-19T14:54:00.000-07:00

So, I found out Sunday that Mike shot himself.

I guess it's obvious that there is nothing about this that doesn't suck. The Memorial is tomorrow. Mike was my Bro, and I miss him.

Of the myriad things I hate about this kind of shit is just the inherent drama about the whole thing. Either one keeps completely tight lipped about it, or you end up dropping unsuspecting bombshells on innocent people asking shit like, "What are you doing Thursday?"

And, of course, throwing dirt on someone you used to hang out with sucks balls, as well.

Sunday after I found out I ended up kind of volatile. I walked down to the mall to get something to eat, and just...I almost started a fight. Hell, I almost started a fight with someone who was carrying their daughter around. He was, in fact, being a dick, but my reaction was a bit lopsided, even after I walked away. I kept having to resist the urge to double back and tell him to put his fucking daughter down and blast him in his fucking face in front of his family. Though this may have prompted him to reconsider his unjust sense of entitlement in future, it would have been a big clusterfuck of wreckage otherwise.

Shortly there-after I wandered into Hot Topic, where the sales girls were jumping around to whatever corporate sanctioned alterna-crap they had playing, and I just wanted to grab them, shake them hard and yell, "My friend just shot himself, how the fuck is your Easter??!!??" I could have Out Gloomed the Gothiest Goth anywhere at that moment.

So, of course, now just mentioning it as a filled slot on my clalendar seems unnecessary drama. And hey, there's this whole fucking Blog entry on it.

Whatever. Obviously, I didn't blast that guy in the face, and I didn't slap the happy out of the sales girls. I'm not trying to over drama it, but I'm trying to cop to my feelings about it none the less, and well, whatever.

Mike Roberto was a good dude. He was my friend, and I miss him, and I'm gonna miss him. I wish there was someway I could have gone back and told him so, or demonstrated such sufficiently to keep him from taking his own life, but I couldn't and didn't and who or what I say to whom and when is largely beyond my ken.

I hope the Pain's gone, Mike, I really hope it is. Whatever it was that drove you to it, I hope it's fucking gone. And where ever you are, I hope you can look down and smile sardonically and laugh at the idiocy of the rest of us doing our thing as best we can, with an Atomic-strength cup of coffee in your hand.

Fucking Knucklehead.

Rest in Fucking Peace, Mike Roberto. You're fucking missed.

Eye for Detail

2006-04-11T02:08:00.000-07:00

So, there have been a lot of questions and speculation about my eye surgery. I think I addressed most of 'em in a Message board conversation I had shortly afterwards. Basically there's a play by play. Though there was more to the thread, this is all intact, nothing's been edited. Not that it's terribly controversial subject matter anyway, but just so you know. There was stuff before and after this part, but nothing during. The stuff before was mainly, "Hey, I'm going to have/I just had surgery..." and the stuff after was largely jokes about the Super Powers I gained during the operation. Nothing's out of context. Whatever. Just read it.
(Sheesh. You'd think it was transcripts from the Watergate Tapes.)
______________________

Seppuku Squirrels:
You've got guts Vrocky one. I've considered laser scalpels on the eyes and it just freaks me out. I couldn't make it if they "slip" and one or both of my eyes got worse. How long do you have to be away from the PC? I work online all day and also can't afford to miss time from work. No PC usage would mean having to stay home. :
Good mojo in your direction! You never know, lasers in, maybe you'll get lasers out.

______________________

Rob Noxious:
It's only the morning after and I already see better than I did with my glasses. And it's only suppossed to get better from here.

I am, thus far, unable to shoot lazer beams back out of my eye, however. Also, there seemed to be few, if any, radioactive spiders in the room.

Maybe next time.

Squirrely, with the technology at the point it is now, it would probably take an earthquake to make the lazers "slip," and even then, I'm sure they have an auto-shut off. Do your research, find a Doctor with experience who upgrades his equipment regularly. The super cheap places you see in the paper all have used equipment. The technology is advancing rapidly, and is being fine-tuned all of the time. I think there's very little left to chance when you finally get down to the procedure, most of the human element is in the measuring and setting, which my Doctor did several times over.

And you'll miss one day of work. That's it.

Go find a good Doctor, take one of the free qualification exams and talk to them about it.

The "Clockwork Orange" part is over fairly quickly.
______________________

Seppuku Squirrels:
So how did they do it? Do they put a suction cup over your eyeball and yank it out and shave off the end or what? You mentioned "eye" not "eyes". Are you doing one at a time or are they both done?

So asks the inquiring.

______________________

Rob Noxious:
Quote:You mentioned "eye" not "eyes". Are you doing one at a time or are they both done?

Typo. They did both.

You go in, they test you and measure you, repeatedly, (Measure twice, cut once) on a couple of different machines. Some are the familair "Worse or better" eye tests, some are this weird thing where you stare at a red dot and it takes a picture of the shape of your eye.

The main laser machine uses this to track the shape and geometry of your eye while it does its thing.

Then they put in drops that dialate your eye and do it all over again. (The dialated eye thing is really annoying, but it wears off after a couple of hours.)

This is all preliminary, and must happen with in seven days of the actual surgery.

Surgery day, you go in, they give you a Valium so you don't get all jumpy, he explains what's going to happen, "You'll feel pressure, then I'll do this, then there'll be that..." The explanation takes as long as the surgery.

Then they strap your eyelid open, (ala Clockwork Orange, I actually started singing "Singing in the Rain," but, then again, I'm a huge smartass.) you hear a clicking, then they do the other eye.

I guess everyone is different, but when I got up from the chair my vision was still extremely blurry, but better than without my glasses before, but still not, say, good enough to drive. The Doc told me there would be a sharp increase in vision the following morning. That day/night my vision steadily improved, I went to bed late last night, woke up this morning and Boo-yah! I can see just freeakin' fine!

I had a follow up this morning at 9AM. (I showed up in Pajamas and a robe. The Doctor laughed his ass off.)

There may be a jump tomorrow, as well, I'm told. And it should increase some over the next few weeks/months as the eyes fully heal.

I have drops I put in for the next four days, and I wear these goggles at night to keep me from inadvertantly rubbing my eyes or anything. (Which is strictly verboten in any event.) I've also been strictly told not to get in any Mosh Pits for ten days. (And even then, protect the eyes.)

Anyway, almost everyone can return to work the next day.

I've had corrective eye wear for 29 years, since second grade. I keep reaching for my glasses, it's weird. But it's sooooo freaking cool.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find out what it's like to shave with out having to worry about my glasses fogging up. I'm actually really excited about this.

Later,
-Rob
______________________

Seppuku Squirrels:
Thanks for the play by play. Sounds like I could probably do it. I have a really hard time letting anything near my eyes and is one reason I gave up on contacts after a few weeks. I just couldn't spend an extra 1/2 hour each day to deal with putting them in. Sounds like I wouldn't have to worry about the panic issues of jerking my eyeballs around if the is no close machinery contact

Lazer Beams

2006-04-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

So, though my Blog posting schedule has gone to shit lately, (And it's strange, I miss it. I feel like I've left something unattended. Which, I guess, I have.) I figured I'd post here tonight, as I won't have an option to do so tomorrow, at the least.

I'm getting the eye surgery tomorrow. I'm beyond stoked. I just...I can't fucking wait. See those glasses I'm wearing in my picture? Buh-bye.

However, I'm told that while watching some TV is okay, Reading and computer work is out. This sucks as I'd rather read and or fuck around on the computer. In fact, if I'm denied the computer, reading is usually my first choice for alternate activity.

But, whatever. Doc say do it or don't do it, I comply. Fuckin' A, he's fixing my eyeballs.

I also will be given a Valium during the procedure to relax me so I don't freak out while he's zapping me in the eye. I checked with my Sponser and all that, he said it's probably a good idea. Not only am I directly under a Doctor's supervision, but I only get the one, anyway. It's not like he's giving me any to take home.

Though when I had the emergency molar yanked a few months ago, I was given a script for Vicaden. I never had it filled, Cowboyed it Up with nothing but Tylanol and Advil, went back to his office and handed the script back to him. The look on his face was priceless. heh.

But I get to take the Valium tomorrow. Weeee!

In other News: I performed my First Wedding Sunday. (Been a hell of a couple of weeks) It went beautifully, actually. The weather was absolutely perfect, and well, it was all very cool. I kept the ceremony short, by request, but it was written especially for the couple, and, yeah, it was all very cool. It was a very nice thing. I've been ordained since 2000, but this was the first time I've used "The Power Vested in Me." Kinda Rocked.

Alright, I'm going to try and get some sleep before I end up just staying awake 'til I'm due in Surgery. Wish me Luck! Fuckin' A, wish me something, anyway.

Dead Eye

2006-04-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

So, my self-imposed Blogging Schedule disappeared last week, but considering the circumstances, for all of us, I guess it's understandable.

I made my eye appointment Monday, and everything is cool with that, but then, of course, that same day the dead returned to devour the flesh of the living. I didn't find out about what had happened until I left the Doctor's office, when some woman in a skirt suit tried to take a bite out of my bicep. Fucking Corporate Zombies. The lobby Security Guard saved my fucking ass.

As an aside, I had no idea Lobby Security backed their shit up with shot guns. Good to know.

Fortunately the Doctor's office is not far from here and, it being on the ninth floor, they seem to be using it as a home base, for now. I called them and they said to go ahead and keep my Monday preliminary appointment, and then this coming Friday, provided none of us are shambling corpses hunting for Brains, they'll go ahead and do the surgery as scheduled.

Even in the last few days, I have really realized what a handicap it is having to worry about breaking your glasses while fighting off the Undead. I'm convinced this surgery will really increase my over all survival chances.

Eye Balls.

2006-03-22T16:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy day, and just about to go get ready for work.

I paid that debt, in full. I have a confirmation number, it's DONE.

I also have made an appointment to see The Eye Guy. I go in Monday to find out if I'm eligible for the surgery. I really, really fucking hope I am. I swear, if I'm not, I just might cry. That's not something I do a lot.

My dilemma yesterday was just that, had I not got that debt out of the way, I could, I'm fairly certain, paid for the surgery in one lump sum. Owned my eyeballs free and clear, as it were. I know that this Doctor, in talking to my friend who've gone to him, will set up payments through a Debit card, after a sizeable down payment. I have that down payment. I don't know if this counts as an "Unsecured" debt or not. I know I'm going to have him fix my eyes if it's at all possible.

Someone suggested in yesterday's comments that if I hadn't done anything for myself in awhile I should go ahead and do this. Well, the truth is that I'm an indulgent little fuck, so I really don't get that excuse. However, I have literally wanted to do this from the very day I heard it was possible. I remember specifically when I first heard about it. I have rued my dependence on corrective eyewear ever since second crade, when I was first forced to wear glasses. I stubbornly, as a teenager, wore neither glasses nor contacts and just walked around blind for years.

I want this, I want it bad. If I put it off, I'll just never end up doing it.

Every single person I know who has had it done says the same thing about it: "Best thing I ever did." I have spoke to exactly one person who knew someone else personally who had had a bad experience with it. The doctor I am going to has worked on three people I know, and specializes in giving people better than 20/20 vision. My friend he zapped has 20/10 right now.

Monday can't come fast enough.

Please Pray for me that I'm able to have it done. Or send good Mojo, whatever your thing. I swear I'll be heartbroken and devastated if he says, "No." Though I'll probably pick up some new Buddy Holly glasses out of spite.

Monday, Monday, Monday...

Tax Bitch

2006-03-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

So, I've been waiting on two years worth of refunds from the IRS, not counting this last year.

See, I neglected to file the year I moved to San Francisco, filed for both years the year I got back, had a nice chunk of change due me...and it never showed up.

I asked the Tax guy about it when I went to get my shit done this year, and called two different phone numbers, navigated a labrynth-like web site, called a third number (or was it the second one again) stayed on hold for half an hour and finally spoke to someone at the IRS.

That conversation led me to believe that they had sent it to the wrong address. This is not too surprising, I moved back into my old apartment building, so I have a different apartment number than what they had on file, but the rest of the address was the same. This actually screws people up more than if the whole thing is different.

The guy on the phone wouldn't admit they had sent it to the wrong address, of course, not directly. These guys are cagey.

Anyway, he said they would have to conduct an "Investigation," and determine if the checks had been cashed. In other words, and he was quite correct, I might have been ripped off. I was told that I would be contacted in six weeks if the checks had actually been cashed and they would then start a full investigation. In other words, they were going to shake me down and see if I was trying to scam them by getting double checks.

So, obviously, I was hoping they would just cut me a couple of new checks and shut the hell up.

Which is what they did. Got 'em today.

Still waiting for this year's return, but hey, at least I'm current,

Now, the dilemma: Do I use the money to pay off a few bills, or go have a life-long dream fulfilled?

I really, really want to have someone shoot lazer beams into my eyeballs. I want my vision corrected. Hell, the last two shows I went to I knocked my own stupid glasses off of my own stupid face, and I didn't even get in the pit! Stupid Glasses! Lazer beams rule!

On the other hand, the creditors are breathing kinda heavy. There have been a couple of nice, "Pay us this much and we'll shut the hell up, " offers that look pretty good.

I might be able to a little of both, sorta. I'm really trying not to start any new debt, at all. If I take all the mony from all the returns I can pay for the eye surgery outright, with a nominal amount left over. If I pay off one of these debts, I can still get the surgery, but I'll end up owing money that will be deducted monthly from my checking account, something I hate.

I'm going to give it some thought, meditate a bit, perhaps, but I have to make a decision soon. That debt offer has a sell-by date.

Holy Crap.

2006-03-17T14:29:00.000-08:00

So, as you may or may not know, I am a Registered Minister with the Universal Life Church. I have been for some time.

Other than trying my best to uphold the very basic tenets, as I understand them, (Try Peacefully to do What is Right and Religious Freedom for All) it was just one of those things. I printed out the Certificate they sent me when I was Ordained, (An unimposing and humble looking document) filed it away and otherwise continued my Spiritual Journey to the Best of My Ability, as I'd been doing otherwise.

I didn't send them any Money, not for the fancy Official certificate, or the handbook, or anything. I knew they were available, and I figured I'd pick them up eventually, but they weren't strictly necessary, I was told, and I was Officially Ordained regardless.

This was all so long ago, I actually forgot when I had done it.

So, this year, two different people have asked me to Preside over Ceremonies for them, one of which needs to be very Official and Legal. I had, ever since taking this step, wished to be available to my Friends and Loved Ones for this sort of thing should they need or want me to, but, well, it had never come up until now.

Initially, I couldn't find that scrap of paper I had printed out all those years ago. I couldn't even, when the website asked, "If you don't know the date of your Ordination, give us an approximate and we'll look it up," I didn't even know that. I didn't even remember the year. It never occured to me to call the Church.

So, at first, I went ahead and re-registered. I guess this would have been fine, but I ended up with a Document that said I was Ordained on the 6th of March, this year. It did further say not to worry about double registration, as the Church would eliminate any such duplicates. Fine, but I still had a print out with the wrong date, and though legal, it just didn't seem right. Even if I were to order one, I still didn't know the year for an approximation.

I dug a little deeper and actually found the original document. It was really not much to look at, in fact it was downright questionable. I could Photoshop a fancier looking document in all of two minutes. Hell, I could do better in Word.

But there was a phone number. The same phone number was on my new certificate, and on the website. So, I called The Mother Church in Modesto this afternoon. The very helpful Lady who answered asked my name, and had my Date of Ordination right there in her Database. (Sunday, August 27, 2000, By the way.) She further assured me I had the Legal and Holy Right to perform these Ceremonies and anyone who doubted so could call that number and they would promptly verify it.

Now, I had conciously assumed all this time that I was "Good to Go," as it were, but frankly, being officially told so, along with instructions on how to back it up, and who would vouch for me, well, was humbling and a distinct Honor all at once.

I can, as I sit now and as I have been for the last 5 1/2 years or so, Legally Marry People in most of the Country, and with a little more paperwork, easily obtained, do so it the remaining couple of States, except, I guess New York, which requires a couple of more Hoops. (Though, I guess those are doable.) And, of course, if I Marry you in any State that Legally Recognizes the Ceremony, you are Married, Legally, in the entire United States. (And most, if not all, the World.)

Again, this is at once humbling and a distinct Honor.

This is all Very Cool, and I feel Very Good about it.

Bless You All.

Later,
-Noxious

The Thursday Collection

2006-03-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

I have discovered the LA Nerd. He is helpful and fun. He has blessed us with 5 Parking Tips for L.A.

Meanwhile, Overcompensating searches for the True Meaning of Spring Break, and I steal a joke from Diesel Sweeties and post in on My Space.

And you should really go buy Jeffery Rowland's new book The Case of the Missle Crisis. He deserves your love.

Now, go install FireFox and read Transmetropolitan.

More as Breaking News Develops.

Pissed

2006-03-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

This Side bar thing is really pissing me off. Does anyone not get it pushed all the way to the bottom?

Anyway, here's something that should piss you off:

Politicians in the state of Mississippi are pushing forward with plans to ban abortion.

As Bill Hicks said, "Half of my friends think people who are Anti-Abortion are Assholes, the other half think people who are Anti-Abortion are Dicks. It's a really divisive issue." Paraphrased, due to not having the exact quote in front of me, but close enough.

Also, for something fun and truly scary, check out the LAPD's new Crime Map.

Let me know where the side bar in my comments, please. (And your resolution, if you know it.) I'mo fix this yet.

Shelfzilla

2006-03-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

Alright, I missed Monday. Fuck it. You didn't want to read about my stupid watch anyway, did you? Well, it's cool as fuck; that's all.

In any case, here's what I did Monday, the best part of Monday, anyway:

One of the Coolest Record Stores in L.A., in fact, probably The Coolest, until Aomeba came along, is closing it's doors April 9th.

This sucks. However, I have a piece of its History, and I'm going to have it for some time, I would warrent. The shelf pictured to the right was a display unit from Aron's Records. I bought it a few months ago, and just picked it up yesterday. It can hold 1000 CDs, at capacity, and the shelves adjust (Obviously, if you look at the picture.) to hold an ass-load of DVDs as well.

I took this picture shortly after setting it up last night. None of the CDs or DVDs are in any kind of order there, and I still have a handful of both floating around, but that's most of 'em. I did, actually, alphabatize all the CDs shortly after taking that picture (Like you wouldn't.) the DVDs will wait. (Where's that other Stooge's CD? I know I had it. Did I leave the fucker in the car...)

Still, Aron's closing is a bitch, though I'm proud to have some of its history in my living room. In talking to the staff, most of them seemed not to place the blame on Aomeba opening, (Though, that place is huge, and I'm sure it contributed) but they felt the Best Buy and Target that opened right down the street is what really did them in. I guess, as much traffic as they did in Vinyl and Used stuff, the real money was in the new retail items, and, in that, they just can't keep up with the Chain Stores.

And so, I bid a Fond Farewell to Aron's Records, here in its Final Days, and I will Proudly display my Collections in Memory of its Noble History, on a Memory of its Noble History.

Three day weekend.

2006-03-10T16:07:00.000-08:00

Apparently some people are still having problems with the format; the sidebar is getting pushed to the bottom. Today finds me a little short on time, so I'm going to spend the weekend trying to solve this, and get back to posting normally (one would hope) Monday.

Go read Something Positive.

You Say You Want a Resolution...

2006-03-09T23:03:00.000-08:00

Right, so I think I've fixed the disappearing letters problem.

Please, please, please leave comments and let me know how this is looking on your screen. Especially if your monitor's native resolution is anything other than 1024 x 768.

Other than the letters, I really need to know: Is there a gap between the Sidebar and the Main content? (there shouldn't be) Does the Sidebar get pushed allll the way down to the bottom of the page? Anything else look wonky?

I know there is now a gap between the header at the top and the main body of posts/sidebar. I'm cool with that.

Anyway, feedback, please!

Hopefully Manana will see the return of actual subject matter instead of technical crap. Last time I promise any particular content on a given day. That'll learn me. (And, of course, Blogger's server was acting buggy while I was trying to fix all this in the wee-hours. Oh well. Done now, I hope.)

Later,
-Rob

Can You Read Me Now?

2006-03-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

.........If the text is getting pushed off of the Black area,
............Try Highlighting it with your mouse.

Seems that my cool-ass background does not play well with different screen resolutions. It should be fine at 1024 x 768. I'm going to pause for now on my intended subject matter in hopes I can find a solution to this. Writing a bunch of text no one else will read is one thing, writing it when no one can read it is something else entirely.

I'm on it. Suggestions are appreciated. Watch this space. Zaphod for President.

Filler in my Head

2006-03-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

Quick Filler Post to bask in the glory of my New Layout.

The background, with some modification, is courtesy of Joe D. who runs the Old School Punk Flyers Group over at MySpace. I really appreciate its use; though, to be fair, I did use the "It's easier to ask Forgivness than Permission," technique in getting permission. Still, he was way cool about it.

I spent faarrr too much time adjusting the font heights and orientation, but I'm really happy with it. If and when I move this thing to my own domain, (And I have "BigSkull.com" just laying around doing nothing right now) I may keep this layout.

Still a couple of things I want to fix, but over all, I think it's pretty damn cool.

Later,
-Nox

High Tech, Low Tech, No Tech

2006-03-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

Man Loves Tools. Kids Love Toys. I Like Shiny Things with Bells and Whistles.

But as much as I dig an efficient piece of operational electronics, I appreciate a well made, simple instrument that has served my ancestors admirably for time out of mind. Hell, I think I like that stuff more.

Have you ever wondered at the simple beauty of a Crowbar?

So where's the border? When should it be Vintage and when should it be Space Age? Cutting Edge or Retro? Cyber Punk or Gutter Snipe?

I'm here to make a case for the balance.

Over the past few weeks I've made a few purchaces. Tools. Accoutrements. Guy stuff, actually. The choices I've been presented with have brought this subject into sharp focus.

I'm going to start with my new Razor.

Gillette, as I'm sure you've heard, unless you don't own a TV set, has just released a new cartridge razor with, I dunno, fifteen blades or something ridiculous. I did not buy one of these.

Here's the thing: our Grandfathers did not use Triple-Bladed "Shaving Systems," and they were better groomed than most men today. They also had far less trouble with razor burn and shaving bumps. Ever wonder why?

Cary Grant didn't have a Mach III.

Now, I'm not advocating scraping a sharpened sea shell across your cheek before work, but I have gone decidedly Retro in this department. No, I'm not using a Straight-Razor either, I'm going back to a Double Edged Safty Razor.

I'm also using a Shaving Brush and Shaving Soap. There is a learning curve. These are not Safety Sissors from your Kindergarten Class. But the irritation on my neck is starting to disappear, and my shave is almost as smooth as glass.

I've actually chronicled my initial progress here on this thread at "ShaveMyFace.com.

When "Modern" results in a cheap, plastic object that, while not requiring much skill, doesn't really do it's job any better, or not well at all, it's time to go Retro.

Tomorrow Next Week: Geek meets Punk Rock with my new Atomic Watch.

Scheduleing

2006-03-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

It seems most regularly updated Blogs follow a five day a week schedule. This hadn't occured to me when I started this, but it's beginning to make sense to me now.

This is where it gets so weird it laps itself and returns to normal. My personal schedule is far removed from a Monday through Friday kind of thing, and has been for many years. Therefore, on the surface, Blogging M-F wouldn't seem logical in my case. However, Friday night tends to be a long night at work, making me tired and lazy on Saturday, and Sunday, while it's my day off, I usually have quite a bit on my agenda.

Every other week, I game on Sundays, as a matter of fact. Gaming being something I've intended to cover here, this also might seem counter-intuitive, but it actually cuts directly into the time I might otherwise be Blogging.

So, whatever, I think I'm going to try a Monday thru Friday Blog schedule. I could have just said that, but hey, this one's a freebie anyway. See you Monday.

"A Pissed off Rob is a Motivated Rob."

2006-03-03T03:35:00.000-08:00

Yeah, apparently, and in more than one venue, it would seem.

I've got a lot going on right now, stuff I could actually lay a whole diatribe out about, but fortunately or unfortunately, I am not at liberty to talk about much of it on this kind of level. I'm not concerned about my own privacy on the matter, but it would simply be unethical to speak about in anything more than the broadest of terms.

However, it is something that is certainly taking up a large amount of my time and attention, and probably will be doing so for awhile. In fact, due to "A Pissed off Rob being a Motivated Rob," I have likely set myself up to be quite involved with said situation for quite some time.

So, in regards to this Blog, I have three options, as I see it so far:

A. Not talk about it.
B. Drop out of the Blogsphere, as it were.
C. Talk about it.

I actually sat down intending to implement A, but frankly there's too much of this floating around in my skull to try and turn around and talk of something trivial instead. B would ultimately leave me feeling like an ass, a quitter and a loser, not necessarily in that order. So, then there's C, which at this point I'm already embarking upon.

Well, there, we are. I shall endeavor to keep this in the broadest terms possible, then.

I'm part of a recovery group. I have mentioned previously that I used to drink and that I no longer do so, so this should, I would think, surprise no one. Several years ago I was very heavily involved with a local chapter of this group. In the last couple of years I have dropped in on the group but have been active elsewhere. Recently, people currently involved have asked me to come back by, expressing concern for the current state of the group and the actions of some of those who attend.

I didn't think much of it. It's always been a pretty rowdy group and people have always been concerned about some of the behavior of it's members. And, indeed, on most of the occasions I had recently attended it was perhaps, well, more annoying than I remembered, but nothing to get up in arms about.

Then I swung by Tuesday night. It was appalling. I was embarrassed. Again, we'll keep this in broad terms, but it was, in short, unacceptable. And it was not a percieved change due to long absence, it was flat out fucked up. (This has been corroborated by regular attendees.)

I simply left that night, as it was far too far gone to try and address in the moment. I returned, however, the following night. It was indeed much calmer, and while I acknowledged that, I spoke out harshly and at length about what I had seen the previous evening, and called for a return to the principles which support the recovery group as a whole, not just this particular chapter. This was largely well recieved and taken with an attitude of "It's about time."

And I managed to commit to re-involving myself more directly with the group, possibly in my old capacity, which may well be a large pain in my ass, but if that's what's meant to be, so be it.

That's all fine. Whatever. Great. Yay for me.

Trouble is, like many humans I am fallible; I can fuck up. And, regrettably, I did.

While I was making my rousing speech, I was asking, directly, by name, help from members of the group who I knew cared about it's survival. As I was doing so, a girl in the back, someone I actually like and respect, was waving her hand and saying, "Oh Pick me! Pick me!" in a playful tone. Unfortunatly, she was one of the people indulging in the fucked up behavior from the night before, and though it was much less severe in this case, her waving her hand around and talking while I had the floor was a form, though slight, of the kind of behavior I was speaking out against.

I had not intended to point a finger at any one person directly. It was, in fact, an inappropriate time and place to do so. Then again, I wasn't speaking from a prepared script, and I tend to shoot from the hip anyway. So, I basically ended up calling her out publically in front of everyone. This was wrong of me. I've attempted to talk to her, and well, as one might imagine, she's not terribly quick to forgive. That sucks, but I'll can now only offer amends, and she can accept it or not. I'm still more concerned about the group.

Of course, then, I only go and make things worse. I returned tonight. She was, actually, not there. (Which is a good thing, at this point. I wasn't exactly looking for her. I had seen her earlier in the day.) In any case, I was speaking about the group again, and in an attempt to illustrate how I thought it was more important to stand up for the principles of the group rather than be popular, I mentioned the incident of the previous night. Unfortunatly, what seemed to get across was that I don't give a fuck about that person. I didn't mention the person by name, but still. Also, it couldn't be farther from the truth.

Frankly, I think I'm most concerned about my message getting garbled.

But the real, grievious error is I've now wronged this person twice. Or, at the very least, I've made it seem like I have it out for them, which really sucks. One of her friends called me "An Officious Little Prick," which I actually found highly amusing. At least it was eloquent.

Regardless, many people have stepped up and thanked me for what I said, over all, and have pledged support for bringing things back to a semblence of order.

So, basically, I owe somebody a humble apology and I'm committed to helping restore a troubled recovery group. Both of which kind of suck on different levels.

I mean, fuck, I don't mind pissing people off to get things done, shit happens, but I don't need to do it simply out of clumsy speech and I really don't want to piss off people who can ultimately help. She's a decent person, she helps a lot of people. I fucked up.

Okay, I've left all of the names off of everything, so we should be okay, right? How about I don't fuck anything else up, huh?

2006-03-02T02:16:00.000-08:00

So here's my friends response to my outrage, and the fact I posted it all here:

Quote
A pissed-off Rob is a motivated Rob.

My work here is done. I'm needed elsewhere now. I'm needed wherever outlaws rule the West, wherever innocent women and children are afraid to walk the streets, wherever a man cannot live in simple dignity, wherever a people cry out for justice...

What a prick. He does get points for quoting Blazing Saddles.

More later.

On The Scratching of Ass

2006-03-01T03:08:00.000-08:00

So, I've told some folks what I was up to here. (You're one of them, aren't you?) The following was posted to a Message Board Thread on the Subject.

Bear in mind the poster I'm about to quote is one of my Best Friends on the Planet. He's allowed to say shit like this to me. He's also allowed to get told to Fuck Off for doing so. In any case, whether he pissed me off or not (and he did) the point he made was valid, as was, I think, my response to it. Anyway, here:

Quote:
This is why I don't have a blog, aside from the rage I feel in my breast every time I hear, see, think, or type the word.

Today, I scratched my ass. It wasn't as spiritually satisfying as yesterday's ass scratch was, but maybe tomorrow will be better. I'll be running to Wal-Mart today to pick up a cheap back-scratcher on the off chance that it can also be used to scratch my ass. Here's a link to a website about ass-scratching that I found today. I had hoped that they would sell me a good ass-scratcher through the mail, but they just seem to have pictures of ass-scratchers throughout the ages. Fucking funny stuff, man. Oh, well. I may post more later if I'm not scratching something. My ass is getting a little raw, so I may go for the balls tonight.

To be fair, I actually agree with him on the idiocy of the term "Blog" itself, but I wasn't consulted as to it's validity, so I tend not to worry about it. Anyway, here's my response.

Quote:
It's about accountability, asshole.

Or, to use your analogy, I can sit around thinking about how I really should improve my Ass-Scratching techniques, being as I have the means to do so, but if I only think about it privately, or write about it a private journal, (Dear Diary, my ass really itches. I know I should apply a side to side scratch, but I just can't seem to find the motivation...) my Ass will probably just continue to itch.

If I check in daily on my Ass scratching progress on a public blog that I've informed others who have been known to scratch an ass that I am posting to, I will likely feel more obligated to improve my ass-scratching.

All of that aside, those being why I personally have started this endeavor, there are some really useful and informative Blogs that have nothing to do with the Bloggers' personal lives. Some have multiple authors. Gizmodo, which is a really cool Blog about new gadgets is really fucking nice. Every day they show shit from around the world, new gee-gaws and gim-cracks. Really cool shit and where new technology is really heading. Boing Boing is good, though it is often centered with a political slant that would make Mik's head explode. Still a lot of cool art projects, events and news items you probably wouldn't otherwise find end up on there. Also, I like LifeHacker a lot, it's focus is on personal productivity, software and hardware that can help actually get shit done. Lot's of little tips and tricks, spyware free software downloads make there way on there, but, as with any software they focus on, they usually look at how to get it to actually accomplish something rather than just be a bell or a whistle.

These are the Blogs I read. There the kind of thing I'd eventually like to evolve into, but I don't think I can do that from the gate, so I made the start you've seen.

And yeah, the post this morning was just a check in on stuff I'd mentioned from the previous day, whether or not I'd accomplished the Ass-Scratching I'd set out to do or not. However, in an attempt to somewhat emulate the blogs I do admire, I made it a point to throw some other things in there. A "Thank you" of sorts for bothering to stop and read. Stuff that interested me, and that I hoped would interest my friends. In today's case, a free, tiny program that has great potential, a story on an interesting place, the likes of which I've never seen, (And would really like to go to) and a web site that will do for free what many pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for, with the bonus of being able to access your stuff anywhere in the world that has the 'net access to surf to the page.

So, y'know, I'm trying. Thanks for the overwelming support.

I posted this here, because it further refines and focuses what I'm doing here in the first place, and what the hell this is about. That, and he pissed me off.

Fat Tuesday

2006-02-28T14:40:00.000-08:00

L.A. is beautiful again. The sky's so blue it's painful.

Never got out of the pajamas yesterday, I didn't even set eyes on another human being. Drank coffee, sat on my ass and listened to the rain.

It was fucking awesome.

All those errends from yesterday? Yep, on the docket today, so this'll be short.

Here's some cool shit I found on the web today, couple a' beads I'm throwing out for The Fat Tue: (Show your Tits! -Hey, I'm developing a theme!)

Deskpins, via Lifehacker.

"Windows only: DeskPins is a simple little application designed to let you pin any program to the top layer of your desktop, meaning you can make any program 'always on top.'" Nice! (Description from LifeHacker, too.)

Also lifted from Lifehacker:

ThinkFree Office Online. Open, edit, create, store and share MS Office Documents online...For Free. You can also post Word Docs straight to a Blog. (A feature I haven't used yet, but I'm sure to play with.)
This is damn cool. I hate e-mailing attachments, and I hate losing formatting, the uses for this are vast. Way, way cool.

(I guess you can tell I'm a big fan of the LifeHacker...)

Finally, Eat with Giraffes!

Giraffe Manor via Boing Boing.

(Edit: I nuked the Comic because on the Nag Strip. Check out User Friendly, anyway. The strip I posted was from yesterday.)

Off to work. I may not have any hot water to shower in. Send warm thoughts.

-Noxious

The Sky is Crying

2006-02-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

It's raining like a bitch right now. It was beautiful yesterday... eh, whatever.

I kinda just want to hang out at the house and get my Zen on, but I've got a couple of errands to run. Gotta mail the taxes and get some groceries. It'd be a perfect day to do nothing more than sit around with coffee in my pajamas.

Oh well, I guess it'll be "Zen and the Art of Avoiding L.A. Drivers who Don't know How to Drive in the Frickin' Rain."

Apologies for the Long-Ass post yesterday, but it really was cathartic. Also, in the long run, I think it will really help me get some use out of this Blog. Hey, at least it gave me a descriptive tag line to work with for awhile.

Stuff that should be checked out:

A Lesson is Learned, but the Damage is Irreversible
PBF Archives
Woot.com

Happy New Moon.

I Don't Wanna Grow Up.

2006-02-27T01:37:00.000-08:00

Here we go. That's the kind of dedication I expect to see.

I might just post an entry now and again if we have more of this sort of thing.

So, I'm told I need a "Niche." Something of interest to me that will be of interest to those out there.

Frankly, I'm not sure I care.

Is the delicate balance between Punk Rock and Geekery not enough? I don't fucking know. Maybe it's just right. Is it possible to have a midlife crisis if you refused to grow up in the first place? How do I reconcile my various interests into Bloggery without just spawning a incoherent mess? Is it even possible? Perhaps. In fact, I may be able to distill it right here and now. (Or maybe not, I guess we'll see.) Let's just free-form type some shit out and see what we come up with, huh?

Let's start at the top: Why would I Blog at all? Honestly, and as cheesy as this may sound, I want to grow. Perhaps if I attempted some focus and accountability in a Blog, it may help focus my day to day.

Great, but not only would that alone be boring as hell for anyone else, but I have a support network in real life. And I own a fucking journal. Obviously that alone would not only be cheesy, but lame. Also, it would bore me to fucking tears, as well.

Yet, there's something in there that is essential. Something about that quest forward that's necessary. In this Blogger Organism we are creating, we will call this the Spirit, the Soul, if you will..

(I say we; if there's anyone out there reading this, your input can help shape this Monster. Go find me a Fucking brain, Igor!)

So, that's the underlying Spirit, the quest for Spirit itself. Advancement as a Human. Striving to be Childlike rather than Childish.Keeping alive, as Heinlein put it, "That streak of Anarchy that is the political birthright of every American." Maintaining my Punk Rock Sensibilities while holding down a job. Growing up, without throwing out all of my Comic Books and Role Playing Games. Being a 36 year old man who can look out at the City of Los Angeles with both Child Like Wonder and Gratitude and the Jaded Cynicism of a Crusty Old Fuck who has lived here as long as I have and led the kind of life I've lived.

Cheerfully sarcastic, optimistic cynicism.

Boy, that sounds like a bunch of Horse Shit.

Oh, well, we'll roll with what we've got for now.

So, if all that happy Taoist shit is our Spirt, what about the Mind? This will likely be the meat of this Blog, should I actually ever post anything. <-Grin-> The Spirit and Mind are closely related, thus, not surprisingly, some of this was touched upon above. Mental Pursuits, Distractions, and Ponderings. Namely, Punk Rock, Comic Books, Role Playing Games and, of course, Computers and Gadgets.

Toys, bitch! Toys and Games!
(Wait, that sounds like Sex, shouldn't that be under "Body" instead of "Mind?")

Well, let's look at that, now. (Or, at least, use it as a cheap segue.) Blogging does seem primarily a Mental execise, so for our purposes, much of the focus will, indeed, be on those mental distractions we all love. So, what then of the "Body." Our Blog Organism certainly requires one. (Since I seem to want to beat this analogy to death anyway, we might as well finish it out.) The Body, as I see it, can be both the frame work the rest of the Blog lays upon, and those aspects of my life that directly effect the physical.

To whit: I have been exploring ways to increase productivity and organization, decrease clutter in my life and improve my diet, health and well-being. The desire for increased productivity is actually one of the things that led me to a Blog. Seems backward, perhaps, but it's more of an accountability thing. If I strive to check in with my goals here, perhaps I can keep myself to them. This is the framework I was referring to above.

These things are all tied in to my desire for a Career, rather than a Job. Some of you who know me may not be aware, but I'm a trained actor. I gave it up a few years ago, but I've come to find out it's not something one gives up. I don't talk about it at length because everyone in this town is an actor; it's, frankly, almost embarrassing. Little by little, however, I am back to pursuing this. I honestly don't think I have a choice, and that's neither a good thing or a bad thing.

And yes, I have a great job waiting tables.

These things, the tangible, the health issues, emotional, mental and physical, will serve as Our Bloganism's Body. I should, I suppose, while on the subject, mention that I used to drink. A lot. I also used to do many different drugs, some in great quantities. I no longer do so, and haven't for several years. I don't want this Blog to be about that, but it is a part of who I am, so I'm sure it''ll come up in places.

If anyone is experiencing a problem with these things, feel free to e-mail me and we can discuss it separately. You don't want everyone else hearing about that shit, anyway, probably.

Anyone who doesn't have a problem with the various substances: Party On, Dude. Just because I have a problem with Drugs and Alcohol doesn't mean others can't enjoy them. Again, I doubt I'll bring it up much from here on out.

This subject constitutes body, mainly, though it fits with Spirit, as well.

Of course, most of what I mentioned can be cross categorized. I have no intention of labeling everything on my Blog as "Mind, Body or Spirit" going forward, like some fucked up New Age Guru wannabe, it's just a tool to help me focus things, and hopefully, make the whole thing a more enjoyable read. Not much accountability can be achieved if no one's reading. I have both a journal and a pen if I wanna do that.

So, what does our creature look like? I guess it'll be the Adventures of a 36 year old Man in his pursuit of Punk Rock, Gaming and Comic Books and his Attempt to get his Collective Shit Together. Is that enough of a Niche? I'm sure Gratuitous Sex will work its way in there, too. (Shit, will Blogspot edit those boobs? Guess I'll find out.)

So, I guess there's nothing left but to flip the switch and bring this Monster to life. I guess I hit this button marked "Publish Post" ...

Right.

2005-03-20T22:18:00.000-08:00

And now he has a Blogspot Blogger. How nice.

You never take care of your other pets, why should you have this one.

Fuck it. The Noxious One has entered the Blogsphere. Tremble and Beware.