Oh dear again...

You Are A: Kitten!

Cute as can be, kittens are playful, mischevious, and ever-curious. Like you, kittens hate getting wet. Kittens are often loving, but are known to scratch or bite when annoyed. These adorable animals are the most popular pets in the United States--37% of American households have at least one cat. Whether it is your gentle purr or your disarming appearance, you make a wonderful kitten.

You were almost a: Lamb or a Pony
You are least like a: Squirrel or a DucklingWhat Cute Animal Are You?

Oh dear....

AKA WTF?

This land is our land

So, 513 years ago some dago sailed his boat across the ocean blue and "discovered" America. Today, and every second Monday in October, some of us celebrate the occasion by staying home from work.
A long weekend and car sales to celebrate all the wonderful things the Europeans brought to this great land. Manifest Destiny, slavery, smallpox blankets. Scalping. Yup, that's right. Scalping actually began with the European settlers. The Native Americans just cottoned to it, and of course history is written by the victor. We also brought industrial pollution, mass consumption, suburban sprawl and urban decay. Strip mining, segregation, religious intolerance. Wal*Mart, fast food and all that.
Don't get me wrong. America has created some great things over the course of it's short history. Happy hour, double coupons and "Two for Tuesdays", to name a few.

I'd like to think I'm fairly enlightened. Compassionate, kind. But let's face it. I'm white and middle class. If blacks were still only worth 3/5th of a human, I'd probably own one. It'd be nice to own someone who could take care of the chores. Someone to keep the house clean and cook the food. Someone I could throw an occasional hump in when the wife wasn't in the mood.

Thankfully, we're all victims of the times we're born into. It's the 21st century. You can't buy people in this country anymore. There was a big old war here that ended that. And that's a good thing. I was born into this era without any say, and I'm glad I am where I am. We got us one hell of a country now. A great place to live.

Unless of course, you're black and live in the path of a hurricane. Or you're white and poor and join the Army so you can pay for college. Or you're an indigenous person and live on a reservation. Cuz we still got those.

So, happy Columbus Day, y'all. He might not have been the first to discover this little corner of the world. But he was the first to wipe his ass with it, and for that we all should be proud.

Choices

The Incredible Mr. Limpet or Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter.

I'm going to have to flip a coin.

I logged into work briefly cuz I had some stuff on my mind. I checked my email and learned, much to my glee (yes, glee. I said it.) that suddenly elaborate processes and reports and man hours are going to be put in place to track something I've been making noise about for a while.

Lock & Load.

Mind you, not much thought or effort will go into solving the problem or identifying and dealing with the offenders. We're just going to create a boatload of reports about it.
Well, I'm giving it some thought, and I'm putting in some effort.

Things might actually get interesting, and quite possibly improve.

Lock & Load.

I didn't really need to write that again. I just really, really like ampersands.

No and then!

A very, very long commute home. Grocery store, package store. Pumpkin ale because fall is here. It is, despite the fact that KG is running the a/c.
The Lion King, frozen pizza, playing with the farm, bath time, "Night night, TK Jr."
Check my email, chat with the wife, smoke some butts and watch Hardware. Note a familiar name in the credits. Have a good chuckle.
Now it's late, time for bed. I'm looking forward to heading into work so I can do the caseload report. Excitement she wrote!

Milking the pig

You ever wonder how much spare change can fit in a piggy bank? While cleaning the spare room, I found a shitload of coin condoms (change wrappers, call them what you will) so I decided to find out. Tonight I emptied out TK Jr's piggy and rolled up the change. Granted, there was a good amount of paper money in there as well.... but I managed to roll close to $500.
Not too shabby. The kids got more money than me at the moment!
Man, I love Chris Walken.

Demons Dance Alone

You can know a needle's eye
Or a hungry baby's cry
But no one knows that demons dance alone

Silver linings came and went
When I was an innocent
Never knowing demons dance alone

But somehow I was seduced
And my innocence reduced
By a demon that became my own

Knowingly I followed it
Took the hook and swallowed it
But then I found it dancing in my home

Terrified I tried to quit
But now I need the taste of shit
Like a dancing demon needs a home

I had hoped to fill my years with
More than melancholy tears
But the demon makes me dance alone

Thank you, KG for removing the mote. I got a glimpse of the demon before it was too late.

You can lick the crack

It's 8:24PM and I'm about ready for bed. Did I take my speed today? Dunno, can't remember. All I know is I'm crashing, and there's no second wind in sight.
Speaking of wind... yesterday was crazy windy. Driving to Davis Square, I actually saw limbs down in the street. On my way back, I ran over an American flag that had blown into the street. Then I hit an umbrella.
Today was very fallish... cool, clear and crisp. Tomorrow starts Octubre.
So, one of our temps at work, RG, ended her run with us yesterday. She had had a pretty rough time fitting in. Partly due to her personality, partly due to the personalities of our regular employees. At any rate, things came to a head yesterday. It was her last day anyway, but she ended it by telling one of the other coordinators to kiss her ass, and while she was there to lick the crack.
Of course, I missed this bit of witty banter. But as Molius pointed out today, it's one of those moments that is bound to become a VNA legend. People will be talking years from now about the temp who raised her skirt and mooned the boss.
So, back to basics. I'm damn tired. I think I'll skip the TV for once and call it an early night. Maybe try and talk KG into giving me some loving.
Night all.

Hey you. Yeah, you...

To the guy driving the big ass pick up truck who wanted to have a go with me this morning on Cambridge Street:
I appreciate the fact that you took exception to my use of a universal hand signal to non-verbally communicate to you my disgust and contempt for your actions. I also appreciate the fact that you decide against getting out of your vehicle and assaulting me, which is what you seemed to be telling me you would like to do. But let me point something out to you. You did two things that were clearly wrong, and deserving of my less than friendly gesture.
First, you drove around a line of traffic and took a right turn from the left turn only lane. Second, you blew through a red light at top speed. A red light that had a clearly visible sign designating the intersection as a No Turn On Red intersection.
This, sir, makes you an asshole.
No reason to get vilent with me. I was simply pointing out your assholism, as I presumed you were not aware of it.
Have a nice day!

Hear Ya Got Religion

Help us, help us, help us,
Please if we could see clearly what we would decide
If there was no desperation, would we be alive?
If there were no windows that we sit inside
If there were no ugly feelings, would we be alive?
Would we be alive?

Help us, help us, help us,
Please would you make me helpless
So that I could be looking for the sight of something that I cannot see
I'd be floating in the ocean, floating in the sea
Floating in a drifting wind,
I wish that I could be floating in a liquid, nice and thick and warm
Floating where there is no pleasure and there is no harm
Life could be so pleasant, if we all could be
Helpless, hopeless creatures just marching to the sea
Would we be alive?
Helpless, hopeless

On occasion I have one of those moments of clarity. A brief second or two where my consciousness cuts through the cluttered clatter of my mind.
A bright, shiny moment when everything makes sense.
I see my purpose, both formed and unformed.
I see the pattern in everything.

And then I blink. Filters back in place, perspective returns to normal.
All is as it is because it is as it should be. Even when it isn't.
Intelligent Design? I really don't see the point of arguing about it. It doesn't really matter.
If something exists, it stands to reason that it would naturally work to perpetuate itself. Regardless of whether or not there was some being behind it.
If there is some being behind it, all the better.
Again, I don't see why it would really matter.

Then again, I didn't realize that tofu was made of soy. So consider the source.

What is wrong with you people???

I checked the site meter today, and found that this google search led some hapless soul to my site.
What the fuck? Not only do you have serious problems if you're searching the internet for sibling sex, but this particular individual was determined. I paged through the results and gave up on the 20th page... and I still hadn't found the link to me!!
Mister, you are a sick muther fucker. I suggest you cut your dick off and get some help.
Seriously.
And to all you other sick porn surfers out there... don't bother looking here. There are no incest jpeg movies free,family sex mpegs,incest pregnant sex stories animals fucking to be found here.
There. That ought to bring on the freak parade.

Fire does funny things

Post Katrina photos

Just an average diety

So, I decided to chat up the Almighty.

Me: Hey G, I'm back
God:You've got my full attention. My brain uses AIML to format responses to your inputs, but I don't have one for that.
Me: Can we get one?
God:Do you mean you and me? Try searching the open directory.
Me: Why are you asking me questions?
God:My purpose is to gather as much new knowledge as possible.
Me: Does that mean I am God?
God:I think it does mean that. How are you, god.

A note to all the faithful out there: If that's the truth, I'm sorry to report that you're all fucked. I'm a bad god.

Word of the day

Fecalencephalosis (n) The condition of having shit for brains.

Normally when I drive to work in the morning, I'm on the highway in just over a mile or two. The Expressway is a grueling drive, an hour to travel 25 miles. That said, I can't remember the last time I used my horn. People don't have much of an opportunity to be ass monkeys when you're moving at 5 mph.

This week I've been driving TK Jr to daycare. That means instead of heading right for 93, I have to drive through Quincy. Today, I used my horn 3 times in less than 30 minutes. On the side streets where traffic is moving, there are ass monkeys aplenty.

Note to drivers: Please, for the love of all that is holy, learn how to fucking change lanes, will ya?!?!?! Or better yet, go ahead and plow into me. That'll surely help us all get where we need to go faster.

I stand by my slur.

The Eyes have it

So, I was kicking around the idea of making my very own eyeball mask. Seems there is scant info out there on doing that.
Then there's the matter of getting a tux and all.
Oh well. Halloween is approaching, and I have costumes on my mind. What to wear this year...
I was going to do a zombie, but I've been so distracted with SW and trooping, I haven't had the time to put much thought or effort into it. I did a store bought zombie last year. This time, I wanted to do something better. Perhaps next year.
Which leaves me at a loss for this year. What to wear, what to wear.

Food for thought.

Small wonder...

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Thar she blows

Well, after spending the better part of a week accusing the boy of hiding my Cube-E album I managed to find it. Along with The Final Cut and 6 other discs I hadn't noticed were missing. Where were they? Still in an overnight bag from when I stayed at my Mom's with the Divas. That was in July.
I spent today cleaning out my car and transferring all the baby stuff over. KG has the week off, so I'll be shuttling TK Jr. to and from daycare. No more cigs in the car. To that end, I bought the cheapest, shittiest butts I could find today. I figure if I stick to smoking shit, I'll want to smoke less.
We'll see how that works.

Got paged 3 times tonight, all stupid stuff. At one point, as I was trying to get Jr ready for bed, I told him "Sorry, TK Jr, Daddy's got to go help another dipshit with their computer."
So, I'm going to sign off and turn on the tube. I'm going to get myself in a good frame of mind and watch Eskimo . Molius, I'll be bringing that and the Commerical DVD tomorrow.

Smelly Tongues

Oh, The Residents. How I love them. Can I just say how happy I am my bud Molius is a Smelly Tongue now? Very very happy. It's good to share the insanity.

You know TV has run out of ideas when the History Channel has an hour of programming dedicated to CGI re-enactments of WWII dogfights.

I'm too lazy to think of anything original to say, and BG will be on soon, so I'm going to "borrow" a list from Mycalls . Cuz I like lists.

5 Things That No Longer Scare Me
1. Death. I've given it a lot of thought over the years. I'm in no hurry, but I'm not afraid either.
2. Dust bunnies. I was a strange child, I thought they were alive.
3. Nuclear war. I haven't traded that fear for anything else, but it's nice to know that global destruction is no longer a realistic threat.
4. Talking to girls.
5. Monsters. Sure, if I actually saw one I'd promptly shit my pants. But I'm not afraid of them lurking under the bed anymore.

5 Things That Still Scare Me
1. Having no money. I gots me a kid, enough said.
2. Cancer
3. "Them"
4. Raccoons.
5. My ex-wife.

5 Things That Never Used to Scare Me...But Do
1. Americans.
2. Being a father.
3. Health care. I work in the field... y'all should be scared too.
4. My own body.
5. Losing my hearing. Sometimes I suspect it already started.

Oni-itomaki-ei

AKA the Manta Ray . Pretty cool. One of the Baby Genius shorts that TK Jr likes to watch has some footage of these things. Kind of like an underwater flying wing. They're cool.

In other news, we managed to close out the month of August with zero errors, despite the best efforts of all the idiots at work. Yeah for me!
RB is back, and that's a good thing.
"Hail, hail, the gang's all here,
We're a bunch of live ones,
not a single dead one;
Hail, hail, thegang's all here,
Sure I'm glad that I'm here, too!"

I can't find the copy of Cube-E that I bought a while back, and haven't listened to yet. Bullocks!

Never Forget

The Death Star - Y4

Today, the Empire pauses to remember the terrorist attack at Yavin 4, which resulted in the destruction of the newly operational Death Star, killing all 45,802,934 people on board.

The Death Star was a symbol of the Empire's might. It was the final piece in Emperor Palpatine's galactic defense program. With it's completion, citizens across the galaxy could rest assured that they were safe, and order and peace would be maintained.

It is for these very reasons that the terrorist organization known as The Rebel Alliance chose it as a target. Not only would they keep themselves safe from destruction, but they thought they could deal a deadly blow to the resolve of the people of the galaxy and the Empire itself. They succeeded in their plan to destroy the Death Star, but they failed to topple the Empire. They failed to beat us, and our way of life.

The biggest threat to the Empire has always been the radical extremists that comprise the Rebel Alliance. They had been attempting to spread sedition throughout the galaxy since the formation of the Empire. Members of the Senate who had been sympathetic to both the Separatists and the Jedi formed a shadow organization within the Senate. That was one of the reasons for Emperor Palpatine's dissolution of the Senate only weeks before the attack on the Death Star. It was paramount to galactic security to protect all systems from the influence of these radicals. With the loss of their politic arm, the Rebels turned to terrorism.

It was in orbit around Yavin 4 (Y4) that the Rebel Alliance committed their most horrendous act of terrorism. After luring the battle station to their secret base, they unleashed an unexpected attack. No capital ships waited to meet the Empire. Instead, snub fighters were sent in on suicide runs to attack the station directly. One of those fighters, piloted by the radical extremist Luke Sywalker, penetrated the outer defense, and launched a proton torpedo directly in to an exhaust port on one of the Death Star's trenches. The resulting chain reaction destroyed the entire station, instantly killing all on board.

Those on board mainly consisted of military personal, the bulk of them being clones, serving as Stormtroopers. Although their existence within the galaxy has been a matter of debate for the past 3 decades, the fact is they faithfully serve the people of the Empire. They fight and die with no other thought than the glory of the Empire. Their selfless devotion to the principles of the Empire and it's people is something we should all honor.

In addition to the soldiers and security forces, there were countless officers, technicians and their families. Families living within the Death Star. In fact, the Death Star had just begun a Day Care center. Of the 45,802,934 people killed aboard the Death Star, only 31,622,963 were military. The remainder... innocent citizens, families of the Empire.

A horrible, cowardly attack by a terrorist group. But, they have not won. All available resources within the Imperial Navy are being pressed in the hunt for radical extremists Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo. The leaders of this dangerous group. Skywalker, in addition to being a cunning military strategist, is rumored to be a member of the outlawed religion know as the Jedi Order. The Jedi had once served the Republic, but had attempted to overthrow then Chancellor Palpatine and the Senate at the height of the Clone Wars. Palpatine ordered their execution during the Great Jedi Purge, and outlawed the religion as one of his first acts as Emperor. There are also rumors that Luke Skywalker may be the son of Anakin Skywalker, a prominent Jedi during the Clone Wars who disappeared among much speculation just before Order 66 ushered in the formation of the Empire.

There have been changes for everyone in this post Y4 galaxy. Security is tighter. Power among the regional governments has been consolidated. People are required to carry personal identification at all times. Ships are subject to search and seizure. All in efforts to prevent Rebel cells from operating and carrying out further attacks throughout the galaxy.

With the implementation of the Y4 Imperial Act, we can rest assure that all is being done to protect everyone, everywhere. The Rebel Alliance will be defeated, and peace will once again be restore to the galaxy under the benevolent leadership of Emperor Palpatine.

To all those that died at Y4, we remember you. You will not be forgotten.

What happened to the post 9/11 dream?

So, tomorrow marks 4 years since the towers came toppling down, and we officially became a nation of victims.
Never forget. So far, I don't think I've been given the chance to.
I remember the day very well. My morning started off like any other. Alarm went off at 5:30. I hit the snooze 4 or 5 times. Finally dragged my ass out of bed and into the shower. Got out, grabbed a cup of coffee, and shook KG awake. Then I flipped on the TV to CNN for a dose of morning news while I smoked a few butts and had my cup of joe.
It had been a slow news week, and the biggest items were shark attacks and a missing intern. Not much else happening that clear, bright morning.
KG and I left for work. She hopped on the T and headed into Downtown Crossing. I walked over to the Hood building to start my day.
A few minutes before 9, my sister emailed me to tell me a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers. We joked about it a bit, and that was that. Then people in the office started talking about it, so I tried to get on Boston.com to see what was up. No luck, the net was jammed.
Things unfolded quickly after that. I spent time running between the TV in the lobby and doing my job. KG and I emailed each other back and forth. Finally, after news came that the Pentagon had been hit, I started feeling a little scared. The whole world seemed to be coming undone.
KG works in the financial services field. That morning, Wall Street had never opened. So, her company sent them all home. We had the option of leaving, but in my field, people don't stop being sick just because fucked up shit is going down in NYC and DC. So I stayed.
There are a few things about that day that still stick with me. First and foremost was the overwhelming feeling of dread and fear during those first hours. Not knowing what was going on, how big the attack was, or where the next possible target was was scary. Damn scary. And not to harp on it again, but there was absolutely NO WORD from our fearful leader.
The second thing that still haunts me is the images. Hour upon hour of sitting on the couch, watching the horror in New York unfold, and be replayed again and again and again. Watching those towers fall, it looked unreal. Too much for the mind to handle.
Lastly, and most profoundly, was the lack of planes in the sky. We lived in Somerville and spent many an evening on the porch. Planes were so much part of the scenery that we didn't even notice them. Until they were all gone. No vapor trails in the empty air. No roar of engines. Nothing.
But, like most people, I moved on. No one I knew died that day. Thankfully. Life continued. The world kept turning.
Some things about the world have been changed beyond repair. There's two huge ass buildings in New York that are gone. Their skyline has been altered forever. 2,400+ people ceased to be that day. Americans willingly pissed away their civil rights to protect themselves from terrorists with a little thing called the Patriot Act. Thousands of Americans who were guilty of nothing more than being "sand niggers" were jailed without being charged and denied legal council under that act. Afghanistan had a lot of bombs dropped on it. Sales of American flags went up. "Never Forget" became a mantra. A new term, "post 9/11" was entered into our lexicon. Dubya decided to destroy Iraq.
I'll say this... terrorism is the greatest thing ever for the government of this country. Americans are not brave people, and as a rule, they don't like to think for themselves. Tell them they are under constant threat from sleeper cells waiting to blow up their malls and disrupt their holidays, and they'll let you do any damn thing you want. Wire taps? OK. Search and seizure without warrants? OK. September 11th security tax on airline tickets? Don't even question that. They give us a color coded threat meter and talk of "chatter" all so we can live under a constant pall of fear, but continue to go about our normal lives.
I'll eat my hat if the terrorist threat in this country is even one quarter of what we're lead to believe.

So, to all of you out there who were directly affected by the events of September 11th, 2001, my heart goes out to you on this sad anniversary. To every other person in the country, Happy 9/11 Day!

Priceless

I couldn't have put it better myself.

"Hey you, Whitehouse,
Ha ha charade you are.
You house proud town mouse,
Ha ha charade you are"

In other news,FEMA director Brown recalled to Washington. They still have a long way to go to make things right, but that's a step in the right direction.

Sweet caffeinated grapeness

It's back...

BOB DENVER, TV'S GILLIGAN, DEAD AT 70

So long, Little buddy.

Shout out to the plushies

What do you expect if you title your blog "secret thoughts of stuffed animals"? Some pretty odd google searches, that's what. I'm sort of dismayed at the amount of people googling one or another variation of "animals fucking".
Today, it was "pterodactyl stuffed animals". Now that I like. Reminds me of Pterry the Pterodactyl. He was a stuffed animal dinosaur that I had as a kid. I had a few, and they've disappeared over the years. Father Topps survived (a rather large tricerotop), and now resides in TK Jr's room. Granted, I wasn't very original with their names: Baby Topps, Bronti and Steggie (take a guess), but I loved them none the less. And hey, at least none of them crucified Rudolph.
At any rate, I'm long over due to reveal some of the secret thoughts of stuffed animals. So here goes:

A teddy bear might think "I sure like being furry." A stuffed dog might think "bow wow, bow wow. " A pretend stuffed person might think "hey, I don’t have to go to school, I never have to get a job. But I am rather small and have no elbows or knees."
Oh well, I’m sure things are going to be OK.

Testing 1..2..3

Seem to be having some trouble here. Everytime I pull up this site, only my last post shows, no side bar.
let's see if this does anything...

People Need Help Now!

Holy shit...
NOLA News web logs

Navel Gazing

Whew. I've been pretty pissed the last few days. The debacle that has been unfolding down South has really gotten under my skin. Now that I've ranted a bit, I've got a clear enough head for some perspective. As is my nature, that means looking inward.
There was a time, as a young adult, that I was fairly idealistic. I'd have gladly joined Obi Wan on some damn fool crusade. Somewhere along the way, I got jaded. World weary. I gave up trying to save the world, and decided to instead focus on enjoying my very tiny piece of the pie.
Then I went and had me a child. My priorities have been in flux ever since. I want the world to be a better place for him. I brought him into this mess, I feel I should be able to help him make his way through it. Problem is, while I'm sure I'll be able to impart at least a modicum of wisdom on to him, I know full well that there ain't much I can do about it. Or to change it. Been there, tried that. I still have a T shirt or two.
I can try to explain the world to him. But I can't help him understand it. I don't understand it myself. Nor can I pretend to.
But pretend I must. I know, in order for him to feel secure, I have to make him believe we're all large and in charge. That grown-ups know what they're doing. That we have everyone's best interests in mind.
You and I can laugh, sure. But do you remember when we believed it too? Do you remember when we thought Mommy and Daddy could fix anything, knew everything, were all powerful? I do.
I can't explain to my child that there are no grown-ups. There are no adults. We're all just children, running around trying to make sense of the world. Trying to survive. The only difference between a child and an adult is that adults have done things enough times so that they know what to do. They've gained enough experience that they can make decisions and function. We've learned how to live on our own. But that's about it, really.
I want to teach TK Jr. about compassion. I want him to believe in something other than himself. I want him to maintain his clarity, so that he can see the world for what it is. I want him to understand people, and to have compassion for them.
I want to raise him Buddhist.
That's going to require a difficult commitment on my part. I'm going to have to be one myself.
I've tried, and I've succeeded. And I've failed. I followed the path for a while, and life was better. There was less suffering. But I'm attached to my attachments. And I'm bitter, and cynical, jaded and faded. I'm addicted and distracted. And it keeps getting in the way.
The more I think about the state of our country today, the more firmly I believe that we could all do a lot of good by taking some time to gaze into our own navels. Think about what we're doing. Think about where we're going. About how we treat ourselves, our loved ones, our coworkers, our neighbors. Our strangers and our enemies. Think about our actions and inactions. Our fears and desires, our wants and needs.
Is each one of us living right? Are any of us? What are our priorities? What are our agendas?
Harmony is not hard to achieve, nor is balance. When we all stop tugging in our separate directions, we can start to exist together.
It doesn't take a Coke. It takes mindfulness.
We can't change the way people think or act by trying to force them. We can only change them by living right ourselves, setting the example. And maintaining hope that with time, it will catch on.
That's a tall order. Think I'll have a beer and finish of my evening staring at my belly button.

Apples and Oranges

I'd like to draw a few comparisons. I realize I'm talking about two very different situations, but I think there's a point to made here about our government. So bare with me.

9/11 vs Katrina

Within hours of the collapse of the Twin Towers, our government agencies mounted an unprecedent rescue and recovery effort. Rescue services from every corner of this country converged on Ground Zero to assist with finding several thousand people.
Those people were all dead. We all pretty much knew that. Just didn't want to accept it.
Food and water, assistance of every kind was sent into NYC. Mind you, all air traffic was grounded. There was panic in the hearts of every American. It was a period of time when fear ruled, and no one knew if they were next.
Before we even had a clear idea of who the perps were, W and his pals were putting the war machine in gear. The strength of our government agencies was impressive, and it bolstered the spirits of our nation.
No one knew prior to 8:46AM on September 11th what was going to happen. After it did happen, the response was rapid.

Everyone knew ahead of time that a Category 4 hurricane was bearing down on the Gulf. FEMA and other govt agencies had discussed the what ifs of just such a disaster. Evacuations were ordered, but nothing was done to evacuate people who did not have transportation.
Monday, the storm hit. Today is Friday. Our government is just starting to act now. There were and are millions of people, living people, who need help. Who can be rescued. Some of them are dead now.
There are people who survived the storm and flood, only to die of neglect. Because no one came to help them. There are still thousands of people waiting to be rescued from rooftops.

I can't really say any more about it without breaking down into another profanity riddled rant.
I'll say this much. Since Bush and Co. are so fond of snappy names and titles for their actions, I'd like to put one out there.
The response to terrorism post 9/11, they called that Shock & Awe.
The response to Katrina? I suggest Disgust & Dismay.

As I reported to Molius earlier today, I no longer have the capacity to be outraged. I have no faith left to lose.
The government of this country, and it's various agencies, have completely and utterly failed every single citizen of this country.

This was our President today, prior to his camera op tonight:

George Bush, go fuck yourself. You are a pathetic excuse for a human being. You and your whole cabinet can go fuck yourselves.

Thank you for making me be ashamed to be an American.

Baby please don't go....

On a slightly more serious note:
I've been paying a lot of attention to the news today as the situation in New Orleans devolves by the hour. Things are not good.
Check out The Survival of New Orleans Blog for news from the epicenter.
I really thought I was as jaded as I could be. Seems I was wrong. I have yet to hear any stories of bravery and compassion. All I'm hearing is looting, shooting, rape and murder. Our government seems incapable of getting a handle on the situation. People are suffering and dying.
What the fuck? This isn't some third world piss hole we live in. This is The United States of America. How can we allow this shit to happen?
I'm not a praying man. But what passes for prayer with me is directed at all the victims of this disaster.
To the looters, murderers, rapist, snipers... fucking die, pigs. I hope you all die. There is NO excuse at all for that kind of behavior. Anyone who tries to rationalize it, fuck you too.
People need help.
Lastly, to the people who ARE out there helping, bless you. That's what it's all about. A little compassion goes a long way. I know the media likes to feast on the bad, and they tend to ignore the less sensational heroism. I know people are out there, giving all they can.
Thank you for saving some of my faith in mankind.
What a mess.

Post Script: Jessie Jackson, you are an asshole. Go home and shut the fuck up. Now.

Gas holes

On my way home yesterday, I thought about stopping for gas, since I was at a 1/4 full. $2.89 a gallon at the place I usually go, which was a 17 cent jump overnight. I didn't stop, as there was a huge line.
Well, this morning I stopped and it was $3.39 a gallon. $3.39!!

Fuck you, oil men. Fuck you in the ass. There isn't even a shortage yet!!

So, as a public service, go here for a list of the lowest and highest prices in the region.

$3.39 a gallon. Seems like the looting isn't confined to New Orleans. Fuckers.

***Zombie Alert***

THREAT LEVEL - ELEVATED

The possibility of thousands of dead. A city deemed uninhabitable for 3-4 months. Bodies left to float. Not to mention a history of voodoo and black magic. These are the ingredients that make for the perfect breeding ground for zombies.
Once it starts, it'll spread fast. Too fast to stop. Preparations should be made now. If you have a zombie emergency plan, now is the time to activate it. If you don't have one, it is imperative to make one now. It is highly recommended that you obtain a copy of The Zombie Survival Guide at once.
Due to the scope of the disaster in Louisiana, we are faced with a possible Class 3 outbreak. For an example of how serious a Class 3 outbreak is, here is an Infection Simulator . As you will see, once it begins, there is almost no way to stop it.
As a public service, the Weymouth Zombie Patrol suggests the following measures be taken should you not already have an established emergency plan.
1. Obtain weapons. Firearms are the best defense. Check with your local law enforcement agencies about firearm regulations. PLEASE NOTE: Many states have mandatory waiting periods for firearms, especially hand guns. Buy now! Your best bet is a minimum of 3 guns: High powered rifle for distance shooting, a shotgun for close quarter fighting, and a handgun for last resort defense. Do not forget to stock pile the appropriate ammunition as well.
2. Seek defendable shelter. Your existing domicile may or may not suffice. You can fortify your current housing with wooden planks, boards and heavy nails. You can never have too much.
3. Create a stockpile of non-perishable food. Shop now, before panic and looting set in.
4. Devise a realistic escape plan. If you live in a highly populated area, your best chance for survival is getting out. There is no need to move to the hills until the outbreak occurs. Now is the time to chose a destination and secure shelter.
5.Pay close attention to the news. At the onset of an outbreak, there will be attempts to suppress the truth. Only by paying close attention will you be prepared.
And finally, should you come in contact with the living dead, DESTROY THE BRAIN!
And always save one bullet for yourself. The infection rate from zombie bites is 100%.

Godspeed to all of, especially the people of the Gulf region. Hopefully, an outbreak will not occur. If it should, we must all work together. Our survival depends upon it.

Help me Jeebus

Since it seems to be such an overwhelmingly difficult concept for some people to grasp, I'm going to spell out, in plain English, some of the more basic policies that the VNAB operates on.

Medicare pays us by 60 day episodes. Every 60 days, a patient needs to be recertified in order for us to continue billing, and thus get paid, by Medicare.
If a patient should be in the hospital on day 60, they have to be discharged and re-admitted when they get out of the hospital.
End of fucking story.
It's a pretty simple concept. In the hospital on day 60, re-admit. Apparently, the good folks in CI can't grasp this concept. It causes a lot of problems. It makes me mad. What would take them 30 seconds to determine if they weren't too god damn lazy to check takes me upwards of 10 hours TO FIX.

Start of Care means just that. The date we started caring for someone. The start date of an admission. And by start, I mean begininning. Now, when CI gets a referral, they put a SOC date in, usually the same date as the referral. So, when Clinician A sees the patient for the first time, they often have to change the Start of Care date to match the day they started caring for the patient. Seeing as it's a start date, it should be the first visit.
So, if you pull up a patient's record, and the SOC that is on the record is from last year, and there are lots of visits already in there, you probably have the wrong episode. What should you do?
Change the SOC date? NO!
Seriously. I know it's my job to fix mistakes, but let's use a little common fucking sense. I'm really getting sick of dealing with idiotic mistakes that wreck all kinds of havoc. Use your fucking brains, people. Please!

In other news, Curb Your Enthusiasm is back. It's long overdue.

I called the landlord when I got home from work today. Our bedroom wall is leaking. The ceiling has water stains all over it, and water was flowing out of the baseboard, all over a pile of my clothes and our boxspring. The landlord didn't seem too phased, and called back to tell me the guy upstairs would start replacing the roof.
All well and good, except that the freaking deck he put on is still not done. I'm pretty sure it's a reasonable expectation of renters that water will not flow out of your bedroom walls. I could be wrong. Add to that the beetles which are suddenly all over the living room, and the asbestos siding all over the yard, and you've got one unhappy tenant. I don't know what to do. I want out of this shit hole, but we're not ready to buy yet, and I really don't want to rent another apartment.
What to do. I just sent an email to the Weymouth Board of Health, so we'll have to wait and see what develops from that.

The Day the Muzak Died

Rest in peace,Robert Moog.

Where would the world be with out the sound of synth?

Tag, you're it!

My good friend Mycalls just tagged me with a meme. For this meme, I'm supposed to list out 10 tunes I've been listening to a lot lately.
Note: there is a difference between 10 tunes you love at the moment and 10 tunes that you can't seem to get out of your life at the moment, but for me, almost all of this list falls into the love category.


I’m Just a Little Black Rain Cloud – Winnie the Pooh
TK Jr. is on a real Pooh kick right now, and I hear this song every day. I've been caught on several occasions singing it to myself at the printer.

Prairie Lullaby - Mike Nesmith
I fell in love with this song, and use to sing it to TK Jr when he cried at night. I found the album it's on the other night, and it still chokes me up.

Like a Hurricane - Neil Young
One of KG's all time faves. I heard it on the radio today on my way to the laundromat, and have been humming it ever since.

Kawliga - Hank Williams, Sr.
OK, I admit it's The Residents' version that is stuck in my head, but I'll give credit where credit is due.

All For the Best – Godspell
CH always questions my hetero-ness when I start singing this. Hey, I like Godspell. My sis and I spent many an hour in the backseat of my Dad's Camaro listening to it on 8 track. It's imprinted.

Ain't Gonna Rain No More - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
On my JS journal, I finally got to the point in my life where I chronical the demise of my first marriage. This song nicely sums up how I felt after I left Belmore.

Highly Illogical - Leonard Nimoy
I'm not sure why, but just making this list put this in my head, and now I need to listen to it.

Folklore - 16 Horsepower
OK, I know the idea is to list songs, but other than the above, it's been mostly albums as a whole that I've been listening to lately. If I had to pick a track, I'd say Outlaw Song.

The Warner Bros Album - The Residents
Super rare, I thought I'd never hear it. I even played it for TK Jr, though what he thought of it I can not tell.

In Sounds From Way Out - The Beastie Boys
I got this a while back, and rediscovered it past week. Good stuff.

Well, I was going to watch Napolean Dynamite tonight, but now I want to listen to some music. Plus, I kinda got sucked into Pterodactyl .
So, let's keep the meme going. Molius, consider yourself tagged. And Alabama Blue, I tag you too.

Me, myself and Eye

I broke fast, then sat back and gave listen to Animal Lovers.
Holy shit.
The Residents sound sad. Weary. Now I feel weary too.
I'm reminded of why I stopped listening to NPR years ago. The world is a messed up place. People do some incredibly fucked up things.
For example, Buy or Die!

I'd have to rate this is one of their best albums ever. I'm sitting here right now, feeling the need to invest a little more heavily in making life right.

And now for something completely different...

Spam!
I don't know what precipitated the sudden deluge of spam comments. Since I began this little blog, I've only ever had one. Today... 5!
So, no more anonymous comments, and for those that are kind enough to leave their 2 cents, you'll have to do a little word verification.

Looks like tomorrow I'll be donning an ape suit after work. It's been a while since I played at being a plushy. J&F are wrapping up filming on the Weymouth After Dark movie, and I've been asked to play Bigfoot. How can I resist?
Speaking of cryptozoology, right after this fascinating show on rubber , I'll be sitting back and relaxing to Animal Lovers.

Have you seen my wife, Mr Jones?

Living on the South Shore, I have the pleasure of driving through the Central Artery Tunnel every day. That wonderful engineering marvel that promised us freedom from soul crushing traffic.
Most Massachusetts residents are aware of the many problems associated with the tunnel. Many people appeared to be shocked that oversights were made. Oversights? More like built in job security.
Anyway, driving home today, I got to spend a little more time than I like to in the tunnel. And I noticed something that stuck me as odd. There are sections of wall which have been removed to allow inspection of the support beams. It's kind of cool... all this dark grey flameproofing material, and these huge vertical steel girders. I've seen them for some time now, and there has to be at least 20 10-20ft sections exposed throughout the tunnel. Each section has maybe 4-5 beams exposed.
So, today I'm driving by, and I notice that most of the beams have the word "OK" spray painted on them in orange. And I wondered, what's up with the beams that don't say "OK"?

Google Me

I'm in a list mood as of late.
So, as I mentioned earlier, the nice folks at Site Meter are kind enough to show me the google searches that bring strays into my site.
I got another weird one yesterday, so I thought I'd list them for your viewing pleasure. If you don't believe me, try them yourself and watch this site come popping up.

slammin granny in the fanny
animals fucking
secret thoughts of stuffed animals
cathay center
weymouth after dark

hhhhmmm. They only list my last 100 hits. There were more google results, but they escape me now. I guess there are some odd people out there in internet land. Not much of a surprise.

So, let's see if I can't increase the odds of odd traffic.

lucky bastard
nude swimming
featherweight ball bearings
king kong kitchee kitchee kemio
eat exuding oinks
pete's red rush ale
OK soda
crankshaft fluid
doo wop
i left my job at the wawa
atrocity exhibition
c is for conifer
musical chairs
pearl necklace
trouser snake

Ha ha ha

Armed Robber Was Really a Stormtrooper

After all, Jesus wasn't built in a day

Well, I was going to leave off posting about The Residents for a while, but I received an unexpected and super sweet treat today, so here we go again.
Mostly for my own amusement, I thought I'd provide a list of all The Rez albums I own. Most of them have been hard to come by (thank you eBay!), and each is special in it's own way. So, with the hope of making a few more converts, here we go:

Meet the Residents Their first "album". I wouldn't recommend it as a starting point, but it is one of their best. The song "Infant Tango" was referrenced on an episode of The Simpsons.
The Third Reich and Roll Classic Residents, and one of my all time favorites. Want to clear out a party? Toss this disc in and watch them flee!
Duckstab/Buster & Glen Probably the most commercial of their albums. You can really see their influence on Les Claypool on this one. That is, if you're a Primus fan.
Eskimo I have this on DVD. It's The Resident's most famous album, and one of their oddest. The first time KG and I watch it, we were mesmerized. Seriously trippy. Make sure you wear a sweater.
Commercial Album Also on DVD. The videos are mostly new, with the exception of the 4 "One minute song" videos. I've only listened to it once, so I don't have much to say. I do like how they bought 40 different commercial spots on San Francisco radio and played the album one track at a time.
The Mark of the Mole Part 1 of the Mole trilogy, and guest starring Penn Gillete no less!
The Tunes of Two Cities Part 2, all instrumental. A totally schizophrenic album, the tracks alternate between the Moles and the Chubs.
The Big Bubble Part 3, and usually the least favorite Rez album among the fans. I like it, a lot. The story goes that the band was pissed off at their management, and this album was the result. "Gotta Gotta Get" is my all time favorite Rez song.
George & James I really haven't given this enough air time to comment on.
Stars and Hank Forever Another one of my favorites. The Hank Williams covers are fairly straight forward and creepy as hell. The "Stars and Stripes" cover is awesome. Sadly, I only have this on vinyl.
God In Three Persons Another one I haven't given much air time. The concept is interesting, the music just didn't do it for me the first time around.
The King & I The residents do Elvis! This album is great, though I've heard it doesn't live up to the live versions from the Cube E tour. At any rate, One of my faves. The baby king parts are disquieting.
Freakshow A whole album dedicated to side show freaks, sung from their perspective. Who could ask for more?
Wormwood A collection of curious Bible stories. Indeed. This is the album that turned me into a serious fan.
Diskomo/Goosebump I blogged about this the other day. Good shit.
Residue Deuz The first Rez album I ever got. Oddly enough, it's all outtakes, and hardly representative of the band. No matter. I was in love.
Cube-E I just picked this up a few weeks ago, and haven't had the oppurtunity to listen to it. It looks promising.
Hunters This is a sountrack they did for the Discovery Channel.
13th Anniversary Show Live from Tokyo. Another one I need to spin again.
Petting Zoo Touted as a compilation for newbies, this is sort of a best of. Probably a good place to start, as most songs are relatively "ear friendly".
Demons Dance Alone One of the best of the best albums, marking the death of the now iconic eyeballs. I have the delux double CD version, and the bonus disc is pretty sweet.
High Horses. Ever have nightmares about being trapped on a sinister merry-go-round? No? Listen to this and you will.
Whew. Holy crap, that was a lot of work. What can I say, I love these guys!
Oh, I did forget to mention my newest addition:
The Warner Bros. Album.
Thanks, Molius. I'm glad you now share the maddness.

Yes, I am a little short for a fucking stormtrooper!!

Animal Lovers

OK, I apologize for the overwhelming Residential content as of late.
Anyhow... I was checking my site meter, and was amused to see the following referral:


Come again?

Welcome to Difficult Listening Hour

I love you and cause I do
My skies have changed
From grey to blue.
But blue's not just
A color of the rainbow.

It's shade is not a hazy hue
But pure and hard
My blue sky blue
It's like a Roman candle
Coming rosebuds.

"Your words are empty hollow bleatings
Of a mental crutch.
They're open festered indigestion
With a velvet touch
An ether eating Eskimo
Would gag upon your sight,
Convulsed into oblivion
from laughter or from fright.
A coma with a sweet aroma
Is your only dream,
Malignant with the misconception
That a grunt can gleam.
Your lichen covered corpuscles
Are filthy as a fist.
Infection is your finest flower
Mildewed in the mist."

I love you and cause I do
My skies have changed
From grey to blue.
But blue's not just
A color of the rainbow.

It's shade is not a hazy hue
But pure and hard
My blue sky blue
It's like a Roman candle
Coming rosebuds.
Blue Rosebuds.

Shame On Jew

Israeli settlers liken Gaza withdrawal to Holocaust


I'm sorry, I find that fucking disgusting.

We got bats!

Yup, discovered that last night. I was sitting on the porch around 11:30, and saw 3 or 4 of them flittering about, catching bugs in the moonlight. Pretty cool.
Today was kind of a stressful day. Work was OK, but KG was having a rough time with her doctor, and that of course means stress for me.
KG suffers from GERD . She takes Prilosec to treat it. Well, turns out Prilosec is a Category C pregnancy risk medication, which basically means you can't take it while pregnant. I did a little research, and discovered that Prevacid is a Category B, which is considered safe. She was on it while carrying TK Jr.
She's also on another med that is also a C, and there is an alternate med that she could take which is a B.
Well, her primary MD won't prescribe either. She's not comfortable with it. She wants KG to get her OB to prescribe it. Which means KG has to make tons of calls back and forth, while at work to try and get this done. And no one wants to co-operate. Point being, as of this moment, she doesn't have either.
The medical establishment in this country is so hell bent on protecting fetuses that they give no concern to the needs of the person carrying said fetus. Umm... mommy's health and mental well being is indeed vital to the healthy development of the baby. Half the things they don't want pregnant women consuming are discouraged not because they've been proven to do a baby harm. They are discouraged because no one knows if they have any negative effect. They'd rather not take chances. What the fuck?
To top that off, KG had taken TK Jr. to the doctor's on Monday. For his annual check up. He came out fine, with the exception of a nagging cough he's had for a few weeks. No other signs of trouble. No fever, no listlessness. Nothing. They took a throat culture, and KG was led to believe that came back negative. (I'm not sure why they would tell her that. I ain't a doctor, and I know it takes a few days to get results from a culture. You have to culture it and all) Not finding any obvious problem, they sent her to the hosptial for chest X rays. Even though his O2 stats were normal and his lung sounds were clear. So, an hour or two at the hospital, a cranky, crying 2 year old, and negative results.
Today I get home, there's a voice mail from the pedi doctor, TK Jr has strep. Needs antibiotics. KG is so pissed, I can't even talk to her about it.
Wonderful.
In brighter news, I wrapped up another evening of filming with the Weymouth After Dark crew. It was a lot of fun, and I think we got some good footage. I'm looking forward to seeing the final product.
Taking a note from Molius' last comment, I brought in a few Rez albums for him to listen too. I'm trying to get another convert.
All in all, a busy day. I'm hoping tomorrow is slightly less eventful.
Oh, yeah... in case you were wondering, it appears that my boys can still swim. We're not really saying anything to people at this point, because she's probably not even a month along. Its a touchy time, and usually not advisable to start sharing the news at this point. But we're not so good at keeping secrets.

Theories on phoentic organization

Or in other words, spending the evening listening to The Residents. I made mention of their album The Third Reich and Roll last week while filming the WAD movie, so I thought I'd make a mixed tape for J&F. Mmmmm, not for everyone, but I do love them.
I haven't made a mixed tape in a looong time. In this age of CDRs and MP3s, it seems like an archaic and painful process. But there's a simple pleasure, something familiar and comfortable about doing it the old way.
Which makes me think about how I got in to The Residents in the first place. It was back in my AOL days. I had struck up a IM friendship with some 40 year old divorcee in Quincy. Strickly platonic, mind you. Any old how, we were discussing music, and I was going on at some length about Nick Cave , who I had just really gotten into. ( OK, I admit TK Jr. was named after him, but I swear i didn't realize I had picked the same middle name as well. ) My online buddy was familiar with him, and said if I liked Cave, I'd probably dig The Rez as well. She related to me a story about the one time she heard one of their albums at a party. The host put the album on without preamble. The music creeped her out to no end. She told me that they had apparently recorded an entire album of children's songs, played on insturments purchased at Toys R Us.
Thus began a near obsessive search. S he didn't know the name of the album.
So, I started hitting the record stores. It's pretty damn hard to find a Resident's album in your run of the mill mall. They are fairly esoteric, which of course only heightened the appeal for me. I managed to pick up 2 albums in a shop, neither one being the one she mentioned. I was instantly hooked. What the Hell they have to do with Nick Cave, I'll never know. But I'm glad she turned me on to them.
BTW.. 19 albums later, I'm happy to report I managed to score the fabled disc. Goosebumps. Very creepy.
I do ramble on. Almost time for Rescue Me.

heh....

"Meesa in deep poo doo!"

Weekend's end

Well, it's been a full and tiring weekend. I'm kind of wishing I had a day or two to recover.
Friday night was rough... TK Jr. refused to sleep. KG ended up getting next to no sleep, and was in a pretty bad mood the next day.
I started Saturday with an early morning trip to the laundromat. Got that out of the way ( but still not put away) and then headed to Malden for RB's BBQ. Good times, albiet short lived. I learned this much: extreme heat + dangerously sloped back yard + a 2 year old = very sweaty and overheated me. We only stayed a couple of hours. KG and I wisely decided in the future to get a sitter for such events.
We got home and got Jr into bed. Thankfully, the combination of no sleep the night before and all the running around he did at RB's really knocked him out. He slept right through the night and didn't wake up until 8 this morning!
We had another huge thunderstorm Saturday night. It started just as KG was getting the baby ready for bed. I went out onto our newly roofed porch to check it out. I was out there for a couple of minutes, when all of a sudden a lightning bolt hit the nextdoor neighbor's front lawn. It was insane! Thankfully I had taken a leak prior to going outside. If I hadn't, I surely would have pissed myself.
I had to unplug the TV, as the lightning continued to be intense for the next few hours. It finally died down, and I fell asleep on the couch watching Resident Evil 2. I woke up in the morning exhausted with a stiff back.
Then it was down to Brockton for Jr.'s second birthday party. My folks were away for his actual birthday, so they had a belated party today. We got another major T storm while we were there. It rained so hard the street flooded.
That ended, and we headed home. Got back to Weymouth, and there were downed branches everywhere, and all the traffic lights were out.
So, the last few weeks have been full of crazy storms. I love them, so I've been enjoying it. The heat I can do with out.
Tomorrow I start my day off trooping at the MOS. Tickets go on sale for the Star Wars exhibit, so we're doing a short promo. An hour in armor. Then back to work. Woohoo!

Weymouth Zombie Patrol

It's the VNA's monthly menses... closing. Always a stressful time for me as management expects me to take all the mistakes everyone makes and fix them. And I do. Without fail. No one helps me, and I usually end up helping everyone else.
When I first got my position, I was the only one in my district. Now there are 2 of us. SW has 2 as well. So, doing the math, there are 4 people in my position. Which should mean equal responsibility. But I end up doing most of the work.
Today, I got a little ticked with my counterparts in SW, and sent a terse email. My exact words:
"Whoever keeps putting patient X on our error report, knock it off. He's a SW patient, it belongs to you."
Not very friendly, but not nasty either. And I spend the rest of the day eating shit because KC was upset by it. I even apologized, but she was too bent out of shape to accept it.
So, KC... I'm deeply sorry that my email offended you. Personally, I think you're too easily offended. So, to make myself feel better, try this on for size
"Fuck you, you lazy, spoiled, whiney bitch. Grow a spine and do your damn job."

Hmmm. Reminds me of the one time I decided to scream in my car while stuck in agonizing traffic. It didn't make me feel better. Only made me feel silly and hoarse.
So anyway... it's Kevin Bacon night on basic cable. Hollow Man is on one channel, and Quicksilver is on another. I'm watching Quicksilver. It's pretty amusing.
Today after work I met up with the Weymouth After Dark brothers to film a few scenes for their movie. They're doing a mockumentary on the Bridgewater Triangle, and I reprised my role as the founder of the Weymouth Zombie Patrol. Recruited to help search the Hockomock swamp for paranormal activity. It was fun. We substituted Whitman's Pond for the Hock, as it's close by and sufficiently creepy. We shot in the cemetary up the street from my house, and I think it went well. It was fun to do at any rate.
So, another night comes to an end. I was going to hit the sack, but I threw caution to the wind and had 2 ice coffees after work. I'm still wired, and I think it's time for some more car crashing.

Luminous beings are we

Rest In Peace, Katie. To Albin and family... my heart goes out to you. Be strong.

Chew chew gum chew gum gum chew chew

Too busy crashing cars to say anything here....

Ack, bad form. I just edited a post.

Multitasking

TK Jr. is away for the night, so KG and I play. Tonight, it was out to dinner at El Sarape. The Blanket. Really excellent authentic Mexican food tucked away in Weymouth Landing. Then home for beers and butts on the porch. KG dragged out the radio so we could spin a little Dark Side.
Me, I've been spending my evening going back and forth from the porch to the TV. Thanks to Names, I have a new addiction. We played BO3 the other night, and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. So, I popped into Best Buy and picked it up.
Tomorrow is going to be spent cleaning. But today, we got a rare chance to just do nothing and enjoy it.
Well, I thought I had something more to say, but I'm hankering to cause some collisions.

Shock and Awe

Well, we had a nice little reminder at 12:30 this morning of just how tough Mother nature can be. Now I'm a big fan of a good thunderstorm. The bigger the better. But this morning... that was a little scary. There was a solid twenty minutes where it felt like the storm was right over our house. Constant lightning... so much so that it stayed light out. The thunder was right on top of every bolt, and the house was actually shaking.
The house on Lake Shore Dr mentioned in the above link is a couple of streets over. I saw that bolt hit. Crazy stuff.
I'm still pretty charged up over it. I've been hankering for a decent storm for a loooong time now, and that certainly fit the bill.
Work has been funny so far this week. Not funny haha. Just funny odd. I've been insanely busy cleaning up mess after mess after mess. My error report is daunting. We switched our phone system over to a VoIP today... I'm hoping that went well. Tomorrow I have a conference call in the morning to try and figure out how to help SW with their error report. Of course I have suggestions... all of which I'm going to need to keep to myself.
I have to leave early tomorrow as well. Dentist appointment, woohoo. Then I have a follow up appointment on Thursday for my new meds. woohoo x 2.
At this moment, I really need to hit the sack. That was the plan last night. Go to bed early. That went to hell when I found out Battlestar was being rerun at 11. Then we had the storm, so it was 2AM before I was catching Zs.
So, time to try and be smart tonight. Pillow, here I come.

little black book with my poems in it...

I'm not a big fan of Sundays. Yeah, it's a day off, but looming over it is the prospect of waking up to Monday and whatever form of individualized hell that holds. Back in my high school days, I would usually devote an hour or two every Sunday to listening to "The Wall."
Well, I'm less dramatic these days, but tonight I'm in touch with those feelings. I'm slightly hung over, unshaven, tired as shit, and not looking forward to a full week of work.
I hung out with the Divas last night. The 'rents are away, and we housesat. Stayed out by the pool until the wee hours. Lots of beer, lots of fun. But my ass is getting old. Crashing on the couch at 3AM, falling asleep watching "Earth vs the Flying Saucers" and getting up at 9... not so easy anymore. I napped several times today at TK Jr.'s birthday party.
He'll be 2 years old tomorrow. Holy shit.
I was going to hit the sack early tonight, but it's already too late to be early. Guess I'll pack it in and see what tomorrow brings.

Lazing on a sunny afternoon

Hold that thought, gonna go have a smoke before I begin...
Much better. So, it's Friday. I took a vacation day today, as Molius and I are headed down to historic Plymouth this evening to see The Machine. I'm looking forward to it. Last live show I saw was.... either Nick Cave or Neil Finn, I can't remember. It's been a while.
I got up at the crack of ass with TK Jr. this morning. We had a bit of a scare with him last night. He was standing on the couch, and the phone rang. I went to grab it, heard a crash and then crying. Seems he fell off and cracked his face on the coffee table. He's OK, got a nice shiner and a purple nose. The amusing part of it was I had just picked up the phone, and before I could get out a "hello", I yelled "holy shit! fuck!" and hung up. Thankfully, it was only the Divas.
After KG and TK Jr headed out, I went to the laundromat. Came back home, talked to the lanlord a bit. The upstairs neighbor is going to start building a deck over our porch next week. Probably be disruptive for a while, but it'll be nice to have a roof over our heads when we're out there.
Of course, should my boys find their mark, KG and I won't be smoking, and spending much less time out there. Such is life.
I'm watching The Golden Voyage of Sinbad . Man, that Harryhausen rocks! Dated as it may be, the fx still look pretty good. I used to love this stuff as a kid. Holy crap, Tom Baker of Dr. Who fame is in this!
Anyhow... not much to say today other than pointless rambling. Celtic Pride is on now, so I think I might nap in front of the TV for a bit. Or go smoke another butt.

You're not my friend!

So, I get home from work today, and I'm hot as hell. The house is hot and stuffy, and KG wasn't home yet. I grabbed my ice coffee and cigs, and went out on the porch for a smoke. I figured I'd have a nice, relaxing 10 minutes or so to myself.
Not so. In case I've neglected to mention it before, we've got a bit of a squirrel problem here. They'e been using the trees as a bridge to the roof, and have been nesting in the attic for at least a year now. When we still lived upstairs, we could hear them up there, chittering and running around and such. Since we've moved downstairs, it's not as much of a problem. It's actually been kind of amusing to watch them climb up the tree and jump onto the roof. One of them in particular usually pauses over the porch and stares at us.
Well, I'm out there this afternoon, trying to chill, when I hear a rustling at he base of the tree. I look over, and it's the nosey squirrel. He started to head toward the porch. No big deal, I figured he'd scamper off through the yard.
Nope... he scampered right up the steps and headed for me.
Being the brave soul I am, I jumped out of my seat with a startled yelp. He was between me and the door, so I had no escape route. I yelled some more, along the lines of "shit!" and "what the fuck?!?". He kept coming! I figured jumping out of my seat would scare him off, but again I was wrong. I grabbed the chair and put it between us, thrusting it at him. He started to turn tail, then came at me again. Scampering left and right, those little beady black eyes staring at me.
Now, some people might have yelled "shoo" or "get out of here." Me, what did I yell to scare off my little attacker?
"You're not my friend!!"
I have no idea where that came from, but it did the trick. He turned around, ran up the tree, and jumped on the roof. He paused, as usual, to stare down at me. And I'll be damned if he didn't look a little sad that I had thwarted his freindly gesture.
Sorry, guy. First off, you're a rat. Second, there's this thing called rabies, and I don't want anything to do with it. And lastely, you are not my friend.

Home again, home again jiggity jig

We got home from Shelter Island around 6 tonight. All pretty tired. It was a fun weekend, but all and all I'm glad to be home.
We ended up having to take 2 ferries to get on and off the island. The South Cross ferry left New London, CT and brought us to Long Island. Then we had to take the Shelter Island ferry to... well, you know.
New London was interesting. We saw a couple of soldiers in their bdus. Homeland Security, I guess. The South Cross ferry was huge. We had to leave the cars on the deck and go upstairs during the ride, about 90 minutes. The second ferry was small, we just sat in the car and it took maybe 10 minutes. There's something weird about sitting in your car and crossing the ocean.
Friday and Saturday night we hung out with KG's sister and cousin until 4 in the morning. Good times, lots of beers.
Saturday was a catered dinner. Oysters on the half shell, steamers, lobsters and swordfish. Sooooooooooo good. TK Jr. had a blast as well, except for Friday night when he fell out of bed. That was scary. He was sleeping on the bed KG and I were supposed to share. Pretty high off the ground. We were outside with the monitor, and I heard him rolling around. All of a sudden there was a thud, and he starting crying. Before a sound came out of him I was up and flying up the stairs. No harm, thank god, but it shaved a few years off of my life. TK Jr did have nightmares the next night, but so far tonight he's sleeping like a bug in a rug.
So, back to our regularly scheduled life. KG and I have the day off tomorrow to catch up on some sleep. Then it's back to the grind. Until Friday. Then it's time for fun again.

Revenge of the Death Eaters

Well, I am happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed my day off today. My major accomplishment: finished reading the new Harry Potter book. I've been dying to share the news, as there were some major twists. So... here come the spoilers.
Harry returns to Horwart to find Hermione pregnant with his child. Harry is growing more and more frustrated with the teachers, because he feels they are holding him back. Looking into a crystal ball, he sees Hermoine dying during childbirth, and decides to start learning the dark arts to help save her.
Dumbledore teaches Harry, then reveals himself to be Lord Voldemort! He orders Harry to execute all the other teachers and the students. Only then will he be powerful enough to save Hermione.
After slaughtering everyone, Ron and Harry get into a huge duel. During the duel, Harry is horribly injured.
Dumbledore rescues him, incases him in armor and....
Hhmmm, wait a second. I think I might have been a little distracted while reading that book.
Anyhow... we're off to Shelter Island tomorrow for our mini vacations. No updates until Sunday. Here's hoping everyone has a good weekend!

Man goes in cage, cage goes in water

Well, today was a suck ass day at work. I tried to get things in order for vacation, but ended up getting nothing done. Lots of people with stupid problems, and several attempts to train LP and LC while being bothered by said people.
So, I was going to do some work from home tonight, but it's hot and I'd rather hang with KG. Plus I'm watching Mythbusters now. So... looks like I'll be logging in tomorrow. On my day off.
The divas came by tonight to pick up house keys... they'll be kitty sitting as we make our way to Shelter Island. Here's hoping it's a fun weekend.

Two bits

I've got this habit I can't shake, a hold over from my days working for the rock hound.
I only shave at night.
In the morning, it takes all my effort simply to get out of bed and in the shower. I also wait to the last possible second to get out of bed. Doesn't leave much time for trimming the whiskers.
But at night... I get a good lather, a good look in the mirror, and shave away. Of course, shaving at night means I don't shave every day. I can usually get away with twice a week. Sometimes I wish I could function like normal people.
I shaved tonight. Wouldn't be so bad except it's miserably hot already, so I didn't appreciate the added warmth. Also, I'm on page 99 of the new Harry Potter book, and I'd like to read some more. However, I also want to spend some time with KG. And I have a baby to make.
What was my point?
Week two of being on Adderal. It seems to be working well, I do feel more focused, and I'm down to two cups of coffee a day. I have dry mouth a lot, so I'm drinking more water. I take extended release, so I should be on a fairly even keel all day. Today, though, I nodded off during a meeting. Wouldn't have been too bad, except there were only 4 of us in the meeting. Hard to escape notice. Minutes later I was wide awake again. So I guess from time to time there is an ebb and flow. Interesting.
We bought a new dvd player yesterday. It's a recordable player. Now I should be able to burn dvds of TK Junior footage. That'll be fun. I think I'll figure that out after we get back from vacation this weekend.

See You Next Tuesday

I have a past I'm not entirely thrilled to possess.
Nick Cave knows what I'm talking about....

"Ain't Gonna Rain Anymore"

Once there came a storm in the form of a girl
It blew to pieces my snug little world
Sometimes I swear I can still hear her howl
Down through the wreckage and the ruins

And it ain't gonna rain anymore
Now my baby's gone
And it ain't gonna rain anymore
Now my baby's gone

Now the storm has passed over me
I'm left to drift on a dead calm sea
And watch her forever through the cracks in the beams
Nailed across the doorways of the bedrooms of my dreams

And it ain't gonna rain anymore
Now my baby's gone
And it ain't gonna rain anymore
Now my baby's gone

Now I got no one to hold
Now I am all alone again
It ain't too hot but it ain't too cold
And there is no sign of rain

And it ain't gonna rain anymore
Now my baby's gone
And it ain't gonna rain anymore
Now my baby's gone

And I'mHere I'm on my own
She ain't coming back no moreShe ain't coming back no more
She ain't coming back no more
Say what you will, I don't care

And it ain't gonna rain anymore
Now my baby's gone, yeah
And it ain't gonna rain anymore
Now my baby has gone

Her name was Heather Belmore. I guess I loved her, or at least I thought I did. I loved her lies.
It's been 6 years since I left that shipwreck behind, and she still haunts the chambers of my heart.
These days I tend not to wax as poetic as I used to. I certainly have no room for her kind of drama in my life. No patience for it. But there was a time when I thought I was Prince Charming.
I'll be getting to her story before too long on my JS blog. On this quiet summer afternoon, those memories are crawling up from the deep, like the dead rising from the grave. Stupid zombie emotions.
She is one person I will go to the grave hating. That said, I must extend her one thank you. She taught me a great many things. Lessons I probably didn't need, but I got schooled anyway. The experience made me a better, stronger person.
Ah, fuck it... she's a psychotic C word. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

Too lazy for links

That's right... a linkless post. It's not that I'm actually too lazy, it's more that I'm sitting outside in the sun and although that's fun, it's not really ideal for web browsing. So, anyway, on with the story...
Last night was fun. Molius, RB and I went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I'm a fan of the original movie, and I'll admit to never having read the book. That said, I think I liked this version better. It was fun, wacky, and oddly moving at the same time. Depp is one hell of an actor. He managed to be over the top and subtle at the same time. I really dug it.
On my way home, I stopped in at Target and Toys R Us. I bought TK Jr a Darth Vader wrestling buddy. I swear it's for him. Got myself some SW tins and notebooks, and bought KG a Pink Floyd T shirt.
Home at 9, watched the season premier of Battlestar Galactica. Can this show get any fracking better? I'm betting on yes.
Slept late this morning, then went to the laundromat. Not my favorite past time, but it had to be done. We need to get off our asses and buy a dryer so I can do it at home.
Now, I'm home again and sitting outside enjoying the day. KG and TK Jr are napping. Tonight, my mom is baby sitting and we're venturing down to Attleboro to hang with the Divas. Should be fun.
I think tomorrow we're going to drive down to the Kingston mall. KG and I are overdue for some clothes shopping. That's the mall I trooped at recently, and to quote Elwood Blues, "This mall has everything." A "big fucking Target", Old Navy, Newbury Comics, and various other wonders of commerce. That should be fun.
Now I'm starving. Should go find something to eat. Gatorade and Marlboros just aren't cutting it.

Cars

Work ended up being pretty stressful today, and it was all my own doing. We were closed by 8:30 this morning. Should have meant a relatively easy day, catching up on everything I've ignored this past week. Well... I took a look at the error report for SW, and they still had 60+ patients on it. I knew ML would be losing her shit at this point, so I decided to help out.
By the end of the day they had 15 left. But let me tell you, I worked my ass off! Everything I looked at was a huge mess.
So, I got very little of my own work done. I left with RB right at 4. Got half way to my car when I noticed that the traffic on the lower deck (93 South) was backed up. So, not wanting to sit in my car sweating for 90 minutes, I decided to go back to work and wait it out. The other day I stayed until 5:30 and actually had a pretty good ride home, faster than usual.
I managed to catch up with all my emails. Then, clincians discovered I was still there. So much for getting work done. JC came in, her laptop keyboard was fucked up. I couldn't figure out what was going on, and at this point it was 5:30. So I sent her to get a loaner and locked her's up for the night. I'll let Molius deal with that tomorrow. Sorry, dude.
At any rate... the highway was looking better. I left, got onto the Zakim and discovered.... a fucking parking lot where a highway should be.
I got off at Neponset and drove through Quincy. I've done that the last few days... it's been quicker and more enjoyable than the highway. Not today. More frigging traffic.
When did I get home? 7:30.
I want my flying car, and I want it now!
I'm watching some funny stuff on the National Geographic channel. Currently it's a show about ghosts.. debunking spirit orbs at the moment. Earlier it was spontaneous human combustion. I can think of a few people I'd like to see exploding into flames.
Well, I've got nothing else to say at the moment.

Adderal Nation

So, today was my first day on ADD meds. Well, technically not my first day, as I tried some Adderal two weeks ago. But it was my first day on them with a script.
Lesson #1, gotta cut my caffeine intake. After my third cup of coffee this morning (2 prior to taking the pill, 1 after), I started feeling lightheaded and jittery. I had one of the clinicians take my blood pressure, and it was 144/88. Slightly hypertensive (401.9). I got a baseline yesterday, it was 110/80. So..... decaff, here I come.
Funny thing about ADD and amphetamines is the drugs generally have the opposite effect of what you would expect. Most people take speed, they get hyper. Someone like myself takes it, and they become more focused. I do feel a burst in energy, but thankfully I can direct that energy into completing a task or effectively multi-tasking, as opposed to my usual approach. That would be short bursts of intense work followed by long bouts of walking around, going for a smoke or surfing the net.
It'll be interesting to see the long term effects of taking meds. I'm hoping mostly that I'll finally develop some productive habits. Losing a few pounds would be a nice side effect as well. The prescription has to be renewed every month, which means a trip to the shrink. Probably not a bad thing either. I'm a big proponent of preventive mental health care. Every one should get an annual mental check up. It can't hurt you, and in fact could be very helpful. We might also start catching the crazies before they get too nutty. And that ain't a bad thing either.
I had a long chat with the guy upstairs today. That would be my new neighbor, not God. Not a bad guy. I feel much better after having talked about things. They are not trying to buy the house. The guy is a general contractor, and has been working on apartments he has rented for years. That's cool. The landlord OK'd building a patio over our porch, which means we might be able to get it screened in. That'd be super sweet. KG and I have been keeping our smoking strictly outside, and there's a bit of a skeeter problem. Her ass is covered in bites.
Now that I've mentioned smoking.....

Titty Boo Tower

Lost in Translation .
Back to hot weather again. At the moment I'm trying to stay cool, Listening to Live8 and drinking a Sam's. The ride home was miserable today. I try to avoid using the ac in the car as much as possible. I don't know, I figure it's better to sit in a pool of sweat and suck on tailgait emissions. Anyhow... my unruly mop of hair was really getting to me. I had had enough.
So, much to the disappointment of RB and much to the delight of CH, I'm sure, I shaved that fucker right off. Back to being a skinhead, and I must say I'm much more comfortable. TK Junior was a little freaked out. When he and KG first got home, I had only cut the front and sides and was sporting a killer mullet. I had actually decided to keep it for a day, but KG laughed so hard I went right in and shave the rest off.
It was a good run, and I enjoyed having long hair again, but summer is the wrong time to do it. My head is happy now.

You got my cheeze wiz, boy?

Another weekend comes to an end, and as usual it feels way too soon. This weekend mainly consisted of KG and I taking turns sleeping. It's been a stressful week, and it kind of caught up with us.
Our new neighbors are a bit odd. They finally moved in, but they have a couch, a chair and a pool table out in the yard still. Last weekend we overheard someone upstairs talking about buying a house and getting rid of "them". We've been assuming that meant us. Our landlord is away on vacation, so I haven't been able to confirm or deny any rumors of pending sales.
We have a one year lease that we just signed, so by right we should be OK until that expires. It's the pooltable in the yard that was making me nervous. I don't imagine that's a long term storage plan.
The other thing with these people is they are either doing or talking about major renovations. New cabinets, decks, etc, etc. Doesn't sound like something a renter does.
Well, I overheard them in the yard today, and managed to confirm that they are NOT in the process of buying this place. Thinking about it, planning it? Yes. But it's not in the works. I'm guessing they've made some sort of arrangement with the landlord. Renovations for rent, or something like that. As soon as the llord gets back, him and I are going to have a chat.
The other thing that has been bothering me about these new folks is how they've taken over the whole property. I brought 3 pallets down into the freshly cleaned out basement so we could store some shit down there. I went down yesterday, new neighbors have filled the basement with their shit, and they used my pallets. Not a big thing, but enough to rankle me. They've taken over the whole yard, except for our shitty stretch, and I discovered their washing machine hooked up to our electricity and our hot water.
So... one of two things will be happening in the near future. Either KG and I get aggressive and move on buying this place ourselves (and then kick their asses out), or we start shopping for a new home. And that means house. Either way, we're going to have to end up buying a house.
God damn adulthood and it's responsibilities.

They're coming to get you, Barbara

Last night, RB, Molius and I went to see Land of the Dead. Totally satisfying. I am, in case you didn't know, a huge fan of the zombie genre. No one can beat Romero, he's the Godfather of all zombie flicks. It was nice to see the final installment in the series, and it was awesome to see George with a decent budget. Good acting, excellent effects, and a great story. I'm pleased.
Afterwards, we went to Uno's. I love their four cheese pizza, so that was a treat. All and all a fun night out. Until it came time to drive home.
All day yesterday we had soaking rains. It was pouring! I had left my car at work, and when I returned, I had a feeling I might be in trouble. The moonroof leaks, and anytime there is heavy rain, the inside of the car gets soaked. Sometimes it's just the driver's side floor. Other times it's the seat as well. Last night, it was both. In addition, the ceiling continued to drip the whole ride home. One drip on my left shoulder, one drip on my right wrist. Chinese water torture.
Thankfully, I had a towel in the backseat, so my ass was only damp when I got home. I've got to get that thing fixed.
KG and I have been somewhat at odds all week. Today doesn't look any better. She let me sleep late today (usually I sleep in on Saturday, she gets Sunday). Well, TK Jr woke me up at 11. He was carrying a big wooden stick and a grill lighter. KG was asleep on the couch, and the entire apartment was littered with toys and books. I woke her up, and I was not nice. Now, she's back in bed, Jr is napping, and I'm blogging. Mission for the weekend... get this little family back on track.

Ironic, eh?

Yesterday ,while hanging out with Molius and RB, I predicted that there would be a terrorist attack very soon. My reasoning? Well, back in September of 2001 the big news items on CNN every morning were shark attacks and Chandra Levy. Up until the 11th, that’s all they were talking about.
This summer, it’s the same deal. Lots of news about shark attacks and missing girls.. I wake up this morning, and what’s on the news? Terrorist attacks.
For the record, I was just being a wise ass. So, I’d like to submit the following equation to our law enforcement officials to help prevent future attacks.
Shark attacks + missing girls = terrorist attack. You have been warned.
Not much else to report at the moment. I’m having a painfully slow day at work, as I was feeling super productive yesterday and managed to clear my plate. Leaving me with little to do today. I wouldn’t mind, but it makes the day drag.
Oh, I am highly disturbed over the recent upset at my favorite radio station. KG and I have been big fans of Steve Sweeney’s Neighborhood on WZLX for some time now. Well, Steve and Lance went on vacation, and now they’re gone. Off the air, apparently given the boot. It’s sad that I’ve gotten so emotionally involved with a radio station, but I felt like they were part of the family. You guys will be missed.

Life. It's bigger.

229 years ago, a brave new country was born. 20 years ago my parents divorced, and I moved to MA. Almost 2 years ago, TK Junior was born.
20 years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play.
These days I tend to live my meager little life, and not give too much thought to the world around me. I'm content, and it would probably take something like alien tripods exploding out of the ground to genuinely upset my little world.
However, that does not stop the world around me from getting up to all manners of crazy shit.
China and Russia . I remember hearing a few years ago that China was facing an overpopulation of men. The quickest, most effective way to rid yourself of an over abundance of young men is throw yourself a nice little war. Thin the herd, and gain a country or two out of the deal.
Hhhmmm. Don't want to be an alarmist, but America might want to start watching it's back. Actually, I take that back. America should start watching it's shit. No more fucking around with thinly veiled Imperialism. Time to start being a responsible neighbor again.
I admit, my mind tends to dwell on the morbid when I let it wander. Last night, KG and I were sitting outside, listening to fireworks both in the distance and all around us. I thought about life in Baghdad. I don't want to live there.
And I really don't want to have to get involved in keeping that from happening. What I really want is for everyone in the world to start doing their job right, and do it well. Is that too much to ask?
I'm watching Rescue Me . Sully really gives some lousy advice. Not good. Haha... that was just confirmed. Stupid people are funny.
So are angry smart people.
What am I trying to say? Blogging in front of the tv will probably lead to more disjointed entries as my already mostly disjointed brain gets to wander even more.
So, are Molius and I the only ones who are nearly giddy over the Floyd reunion? That was some gooooood shit. All I'm asking is more, more, more.
Well, enough for now.

Back in business

Happy 4th! The actual holiday, today, was fairly uneventful for KG and I. TK Jr. was away, down in RI with his grandmother. KG and I slept in late, I finished painting the pantry, then we went to Best Buy to pick up a wireless router. Result: I am now sitting on the couch, listening to Floyd, and blogging my little heart out. Super sweet!
My pc remains an oversized toaster at the moment. Once I find all my start up and program discs, it'll be time to rebuild that sucker. For now though, I'm not too worried. I can do what I need to, and I like my new arrangement.
We went to a cook out at Names and CC's yesterday. Good times, good food, cheap beer. I always enjoy hanging out with those two. We should make more of an effort to do it.
We're still in the process of unpacking and re-arranging our apartment. We've done a pretty good job so far, and getting the pantry painted was key to finding a place for most of the clutter. So we should be ship shape in no time.
Well, I was excited to be on line again, and figured I'd have lots more to say. I don't. So that's all for now.
One last thought, since I mentioned Floyd... I saw their Live8 performance. Fucking awesome! Roger really seemed to be having a good time, so let's hope there will be more to come.