Names and Faces

Okay so, now I am joinging another trend that afflicts owners of blogs. (please notice that I am refraining my use of the word blog, especially in verb form, but also in other non standard noun forms.) That is mostly for my peace of mind, because I realized how free with the terms blogger,blogging,to blog, etc....to the point where I could easily see myself referring to the blogosphere, which is completely unacceptable to me. Not because it is a completely made up word. Which it is, to be quite honest. But (and lets face it, all words are made up, at one point or another. you can go back in etemology, but in the long run, somebody made up the word. without people making up words, we couldn't communicate. so making up words isn't a bad thing. But.... in this case, it isn't good.) Basically the fact that I am using it so freely tells me I am too comfortable with a "fad". I do not believe blogging is a fad as in a flash in the pan, here today, gone tomorrow, write a hit song about it, and it will be popular for a year (i.e. 1985 by bowling for soup, or whoever they were) but, not leaving a lasting impression. I see blogs as a fad like television is a fad. First off, it was a cool device that nobody thought would last. Yet 40 (or so, more or less) years later, it's still here. And still as popular, if not more popular than ever. But those who claimed it just fad, (similar to those who claimed fire was just a fad) were not wrong. Television has become the epitome of fads. First there was programming. Shortly (almost immediatly) followed by comercialization. Which led to governemnt control (fcc..pbs..etc) which led to political correctness, which led to more commercials (of a more boring type) which led to cable. Which led to TIVO which led to reading. (well not yet, but hopefully it's on the way.) in other words. Television is a fad, but it stays a fad, because it changes to keep it's standing. First expression. (although for a very short time, since it was based on radio which was commercialized about 50 seconds after it had a wide enough market, if not sooner.) Then formality, (regular syndicated programs.) followed swiftly by competition. (three networks for quite a long time) followed (probably although I haven't researched any of this, this is mostly common sense observation) by formality. (government regulation (fcc) followed by ( {censored word} cant think of the word for government subsidies of farmers) umm...hang on....oh to heck with it subsidies (pbs...paying people to grow worhtless crops) followed by more conformity. (networks again, and then political correctness, caving to lunatics who care to write rather than those who don't say anything because they like what they see) followed by cable (alternative to original state. Variety, freedom of expression (under careful watch if not control) appeal to broader audience.) followed ultimately by dissilusionment, lack of interest in being pandered too, frustration with commercials, lack of mental stimulation, etc. which will not erode it completely (look at the slinky, or better yet jars of bubbles mix) but will pave way for the new fad, which is reading. Which is the same history of blogging. There was a new frontier. It started with expression. unique, expensive, but artisticly satisfying. Quickyl hit the commercialization stage. from a non-explored history, I would venture to guess that blogs have been around for about 38 years. (it's 2005 go back 38 years, which makes it what 1967? which coincidentally is the year I was born. ) okay not necessarily 38 years. But I would say 30 or more. when the...never mind...that is going way to deep into the history of the internet, and speculation of when blogs hit the scene. Because blogs had to have started when the internet did. Because there are alway people who feel their opinions are most important. (A little personal background, I started messing with modems in the early 90's....the internet existed, but was in it's vestigal stage. There were tons of newsgroups, and believe me, there was already plenty of advertising.) Still let us imagine for a moment a world beyond the conversation style of the newsgroup, to the journal style of the blog. I am certain that he is not the first blogger in the world. (I have no evidence, I just look at the timeline, and figure there were at least 5 people less business savvy, but more technically savvy who posted their journals online.) anyway, matt drudge has to be considered the father of the blog. he is the one who thrust blogging into the mainstream media. He is the one who showed the world the potential of blogging. And while I have no proof (although perhaps I could check the wabac, I would have to know how) I am willing to bet dollars to winchelles stock (okay unfair how bout hmmm...home depot stock) that he had advertising on his site before his stories hit the mainstream. (which was from my memory the clinton era when everything was changing both for good and bad.) So anyway, the commercial hit, and along with that, well here the history breaks off a little bit. Rather than government control and sponsership, it went direct to cable. Now everybody is welcome to post and read what they want to post, or read. Perhaps the governemtn will come up with blog control, and then we will find a new way to do the same thing to sort people. Either way, it's a changing medium. It has gone from mindless newsgroup rantings, to dedicated pages, to advertising, (and at that time there were many copycat drudge reports,l but still don't know it counts) to basically me. I am finally at the ideal time for a fad. Of course I have to have the "stuff" to last the test of time. But well, I figure my writing is freeing. if not for you, then for me. I refuse to use advertising. And I only hope someday somebody just responds saying that I freed them to type what's in their brains. Either way, it's still just a fad. it will probably fade to some voice recognition posting. something like a cross between dictation, and telephone conversations. I mean, it's here now. you have cell phones, and answering machines. Just do like they might be giants they had their dial-a-song long before blogs. (or at least during their inceptions) anyway, theirs was a simple answering machine. You dial in, you hear a song. If you were in the early days, you could tie up their machine with a long enough message, and ruin it for everybody. Anyway that technology combined (cell/answering machine) added into computers wiht tremendous storage (which are ever more frequent) means that readint will faid away again. People will speak their blogs to the computer, access theirs and others via cell phone. then comment, or not, and whatever else via phone. Blogs will linger for the eccentrics and the die hards. And people like me, who desire public expression, but are to scatter brained to actually write something the public might read. Typing will continue, but probably we will have to pay for it. Meantime the less strenuous (because it's less interactive) method of vocal communication will again have a rise, and people will once again wonder how somebody concidered the telephone a fad. well by todays standards, those phones they had are a fad....for goodness sakes, 5 people who watch nickelodian tell me they understand the reference when somebody in one of the old sitcoms picks up the phone and says "darborn 215" )or something similar) let's face it everything from slinkeys, to soap bubbles, to tv's, to blogging, to phones (which I see as the last fad...it will be replaced by nanotechnology, which will appear similar, but will eventually require thought rather than speach. This will pretty much negate the phone, but also end the human race, because there is no way we can hide our thoughts from each other, and from my observance, no way to not be offended by what other people are thinking.

so I have jumped in the rapids of the curve, and followed everyone else once again, because I want to post a follow up to the preceding post. Unfortunately my fad insights took up too much room. i am sure I am joing some group of non-sequential bloggers, but I don't care. Next time I blog, I will finish the sequal I started today, but got distracted, so didn't acutally type anything relating to it.

Singing in the mud

There is a book. Actually in the world, there are several of them. Way more than 7. Most of them are particularly interesting. Some of them, are not. If we are being completely honest all of them are not. But, that is because everybody has different tastes, and I do not believe there exists a book in the world that is not disliked, or uninteresting to somebody. Except perhaps "where the wild things are" by Maurice Sendak? (that is such a huge guess, so I am going to look it up. hehehe I was right. (of course there is always a chance I wrote that, originally guessed Harriet Beecher Stowe, and when I found out I was wrong, was so embarrassed that I changed it afterwards. Nobody would ever know. But I am not easily embarrassed, so take my word for it I did not do that.)) So anyway, there is an author of books. Actually in the world, there are several of them. (please see preceding points, except ignore the part about "where the wild things are".) The author I am thinking of is Glen Cook. He is one of my favorite authors. I have been thinking of him tonight. He wrote the annals of the black company. A fantastic series in 3 parts. (more? Not certain) and approximately 8 books (more/less? I could look it up, in fact I will. I was wrong. There are 9. Plus "the silver spike" which while in the same universe, and having some of the same characters, I do not consider it part of the annals, because it doesn't deal with the actual company. It is merely a well written, and enjoyable side trip, so that we need not say goodbye to old friends so easily.) In his books, he has a powerful, fanatic, and incredibly sneaky group of people. Actually that describes pretty much all of the groups political, and military. Ah well, the particular group brought to my mind is the Stranglers. These were a death cult, that primarily killed by strangling. They felt that if they killed enough people in a frame of time it would bring out the re-incarnation of their demon goddess. Pretty cool, as nice a reason for a fictional cult existence as any. The thing is they had a fantastic way of disposing of bodies. I guess I should give more detail. The deaths were supposed to be secret. People just disappearing, mysterious, sneaky, bringing rise to stories of spirits, and powers, and whatnot. So there had to be disposal that would not draw attention. Here is what they would do. After strangling the victim (so that said victim would not make noise thus revealing the cult...Often the settled for breaking necks, but true masters would strangle by themselves....Anyway) after said victim dies. They took the body, and hammered all up and down, pretty much powdering all the bones. This allowed them to fold the body up into a nice tight package, about the size of say....A picnic cooler? (depending on the size of the body of course, still a tidy, and small package either way.) They would then bury the body in a small hole tailored to the size of the package. Which they would bury deep enough to discourage animals disturbing said package, and to allow the odor to diffuse a little. The real genius, however, was that they would puncture the bodies. This would allow the decomposition gases to leak out. This way the body would not swell like a balloon (disturbing the ground level) because of the gases from decomposition. A truly ingenious method of corpse disposal. Using that method, could keep a secret secure for quite some time.

On a completely (hehehehe sure) unrelated topic. My wonderful daughter for some reason was sitting on the couch with a shoebox. She apparently has 8 count them eight notes from Tyler S-something (is that his last name?) I am uncertain of his last name, because he has lousy handwriting, and my daughter will not tell me. (which has the added side effect that she does not get to go to homecoming now, so that is a worry off my mind.) Anyway, she managed to keep 7 of them from me. But I do remember a quote from the one she didn't get:

I have been meaning to tell you how beautiful you are. You are smart, intelligent, and oh did I mention beautiful...

Something close to that. Now this tells me that 1) he has good taste. 2) he is redundant. 3) he is not very creative. 4) he should learn all about singing in the mud. (if you know what I mean.) Ahh the joys of being the father of a teenage daughter.

But enough of that diversion, I should mention that there is lots of space under my house, and enough clearance, that digging a decent small pit would not be difficult, the only animals that go down there are spiders, and mice. something to think about. Or not.

If you can't beat em, burn down their barns

Okay, much to my chagrin, I have to admit, as of this post, I have joined the rank of the "coffee bloggers". What i mean is that I'm blogging about coffee. while, to be perfectly honest, I have yet to read a blog, or even a ranted entry in a blog about coffee, I know they are out there. After all, you could not swing a dead cat, without hitting somebody with strong opinions about coffee. Well, you would, but it would have to be an awefully small cat, and not swung anywhere near wherever I happen to be. Let me try again. Oregon, you know neighbor of the Starbucks state. I mean Seatlle. I mean, darnit what's it called, Georgia? no...oh yeah Worshington. So, basically people near me have very strong opinions about coffee. Mine is that coffe should be strong, also that somehow, wherever I go, eventually somebody starts yammering mindlessly about coffee, or a coffe related subject, or how evil Starbucks is. (because I do know a few people who do drink coffee.) So I am assuming with that broad a biased sample, that somewhere out there, there exists several individual posted rantings, and even entire blogs devoted solely to coffee. And now I am joinging them. Why? Why not avoid the whole coffee trend, and march to my own drummer, and all that load of tarantula fodder? Because my mind is on coffee. Cause I just set up the coffee for the evening, and thought I would post on my blog before doing the few things I do before I go to bed. And well since I start my stuff off with what's on my mind, and my mind was just on coffee, I am writing in my blog about coffee. So I have jumped on the chuckwagon, and followed the trend, and have done my obligatory coffee blog. So chalk me up with the group who say, "I like my coffee just like my women. Hot, Black, and Bitter." in other words a coffee purist with a twisted sense of humor. I pretty much don't have any of those "coffee drinks" so I don't know enough about them. I brew my coffee at home, I drink it on the way to work, and at lunch (for christmas 2 years ago (is that right bug?) My very precious, and wonderful child got me a 34 ounce commuter mug.) and sometime after work. So I don't know much about storebought coffee. So just chalk this up to the anti-latte crowd. Except that, I like Irish coffee. (without the whip-cream (or with sometimes)) So I am not completely against coffee drinks. i just like to drink coffee, and don't like to pay for it. There rant over. Wow I spent a whole posting on topic. I don't think i had even one distraction. That must be a first. Wonder why I didn't get distracted. Must be because it is so short. Well. I guess I could keep typing so as to keep a pattern. But I already shattered my iconoclastic trappings by joining the coffee herd and posting a longwinded rant about why coffee and coffe culture is so impressive in one particular way, what use is there in trying to recover my past glory by backpedling and trying to force a distraction. Let the blog stand as is, a testament to history, and the power of trends. They are enough to break even the shallowest iconoclastic rebellious lone wolf into writing aobut something every other writer on the internet has mentioned. Well at least I can take comfort in being last... at least for 30 seconds until a new blog is established, which will inevitably take up the coffee debate once again. Long live serious controversy that is vital to our american lives.

The rules

There was once a time when we used to have things that made sense. This was not how I had planned on starting this blog. Actually this is no where near what I wanted to do. I had a brilliant idea a couple of nights ago about what to blog. But, like all my other brilliant idea. (for example silverware. I know it's already been invented. But my brilliant idea was to make it out of paper. Well not paper, because that wouldn't work. Well it would work, just now well, and probably not as intended. Of course, I guess that would also depend on how you planned on using your silverware. But I am digressing. The silverware was, actually is, I guess most appropriately will be made out of something burnable. Basically what I want to do is make a form of lightweight silverware that you could take camping, or backpacking, or on some other outdoor activity, that when finished you could burn in your campfire. (I know you are not supposed to have campfires while backpacking, but even so it would be lightweight enough to pack out, until you found an established fire ring, and then you could burn it. Or, once you pack it all the way out you could dispose of it with less concern for the environment, because it would be either biodegradable, or recyclable, or possibly both depending on what it winds up being made out of.) Anyway, It is perfect. Lightweight, transportable, disposable, yet not plastic, or Styrofoam, or anything like that. I suppose technically you could use metal silverware, and wash it, and re-use it, and pass it along to your children throughout generations until the end of time. But I'm a guy, and so I don't think like that. I want to use it, and get rid of it, and then use some more. I thought of this idea a few weeks ago on the annual "men's campout" that would be plenty of material for blogging, if I wanted to blog that kind of thing. (wow I am way to comfortable using blog as more than just a name for where I post. I have got to curb that.) The thing Is that I try not to write about people, or events, or stuff like that. Well that is not the complete truth. I tend to just go where my brain takes me, and follow ideas to the bitter end, or at least until they turn into different ideas. Which makes for plenty long posts, which exercises my typing fingers (basically all of them.) and increases my words per minute, which doesn't do much, except give me another method to compete with my boss if she ever gets off of maternity leave. But I digress again. The whole thing about the silverware, is it needs to be lightweight, and burnable. Yet you still need to be able to cut a steak with it, and not give yourself splinters in the gums because you were not careful where you stuck your fork, or because you tried to cut through the bone in your steak, (or you were cooking the steak in the dark over the campfire, and it's the consistency of a rock.) and so the knife left little slivers of sliver for you to get in your gums and your tongue. Of course the real dilemma here is how do you bring a steak along backpacking. It is possible, they do amazing things with food nowadays. But it isn't a truly enjoyable steak. It's more of a cheap imitation steak that gives you a little mental lift, but disappoints you on a more spiritual and guttural level. So mostly the steak problem would be when you are out camping with the guys, or on a picnic, or fishing, or just don't' trust the silverware in the truckstop you happened to stop at because your children were whining that if they didn't get a hamburger in the next 55 seconds they were going to start singing all 750 versus of "greasy grimy gopher guts" which does not have 750 versus normally, but it has more than you would expect, and with clever repitition and randomization, you can get fairly close if you are an ingenious child with no morals, and a taste for causing trouble. (hang on parenthesis check...1...2 open. Whew) The added benefit of using them at the truck stop, is you can then set fire to them in the kitchen, and burn the place down for a quick escape without paying, which brings the dine and dash to a whole new level. You wouldn't need much either. A knife is mandatory. And you could get away with a pocket knife, because nobody washes those, but eventually after enough steaks, sticks, fish, clothesline, neighbors tires, and other objects you use the knife on, it tends to get sticky. So I prefer to save the pocketknife for it's traditional uses, and stick to cutlery for eating. Then I guess a spork type thing. To be honest I actually think a spoon is completely unnecessary, because I cannot recall ever having soup while camping. AHA...But what about chilly, mister smart guy? Well if cooked correctly, chilly can be eaten with a fork. AHA but what if the wife cooks mister smart guy? Well you just have to train her better. AHA well then why not just have hot dogs all weekend, then you just sharpen a stick, which you can burn later. Stumped...Except that if you are going camping with nothing by hot-dogs, you are missing out on a great steak, and all because you couldn't be bothered to invent burnable silverware. Anyway, yet one of many brilliant ideas I have had that will go nowhere, because while I am good at thinking them up, and can recall them at the most inopportune moments. I just never, get around to thinking of them when I can actually do something.) So since I started on a completely off center not, I believe I should just call it a day, and try again at a different time. Preferably while I am driving, and the truly great ideas come to me. I am sure there is a way to type and drive. Oh sure you could merely dictate, but that does not allow for exercise to the typing fingers, and it lacks a certain style and elegance. But...If you strapped a keyboard between 10 and 2. Why the world could be your oyster. Provided you had no need to read what you were actually typing.

Unfinished Stories

Another day, another sinkfull of water wasted. Well not completely wasted. It was put to fairly decent use. (perhaps indecent from the waters perspective.) Okay I am just trying to find an interesting way to say another day, another load of dishes down the drain. Except that the dishes didn't actually go down the drain. The water did. And most of the gunk that was to small for the filter to catch. And hopefully all the bacteria and other microbial nasties that live on dirty dishes. My daughet once did a science experiemtn on that bacteria. Turned out it lived on the clean dishes as well, only not so much. Well....hmmm. Actually all the dishes had bunches of bacteria by the time she was done with them. The good news, however, well I could not say for certain it was good news. But the interesting discovery. It was interesting to me. And to my child. and to my wife. And to my wifes mother. And to my wifes father. And to many of her friends. And to....not sure who else, although there were a couple of people (parents of friends of my child) who pretended to be itnerested. Which is almost as good as actual interest, only takes less effort. Sometimes it takes more effort. Sometimes it just eats a salad and watches the television looking for opportunities to write letters to the newspaper, or the fcc, or michael moore. All of which are not particularly fascinating pastimes, but they might be a little better than growing bacteria on a plate in a home made incubater with suntan lotion on the back seat of the car. Oh darn that reminds me. I spilled coffee in my car today. The problem is it was not actually my car. It was a rental car because my car was being repaired, because of what happened. I was surprised that I spilled the coffee today, the problem is that I would have expected to spill it yesterday. Because of what I saw. Because when I saw it, my attention was pretty much absorbed, and so I paid little attention to the coffe. So anyway we have to return the car, and there is a pool of coffe in the back seat floor area. what to do, what to do?

Life is about the unfinished stories. If you think about all the little things that happen in a day. Not necessarily to you, because that story is never finished. No I am talking about what happens around you. The little snippets that you see part of, and then are taken to your life, so you miss out on the rest. This writing spot is actually working well for me. I have noticed that when I dump my brain here regularly, it is much easier to focus when I am elsewhere. That came in useful today when I was helping my daugher.

The thing aobut unfinished stories is that they surround us, and we notice them, and most of the time fill in the end of the story. Well not really fill in the end of the story. It is more like we are making up parts we have not witnessed. Judgeing characters we might not even see. For example whilst (that is another word that is never used enough. Although while works just as well, and is more common, and there is nothing wrong with While, whilst is more wistfull, and fun. It should make a comeback. Not because it is like Factotem. (which left a huge gaping whole in our poor abused language.) but just on sheer personality and good looks. In fact I think more words should have arbitrary l's stuck inside them. It would be good for moral. And the letter l gets very little recognition, except in initials, and acronyms. Forget about asking why, it's not my place to judge.) The point is that we tend to flesh out the stories we see. To give ourselves a sense of completeness, and order. That is how we form reality, and that is what life is all about. It is the little bits we make up. Rightly, or wrongly that we cannot know. Well okay we could know them, but then we would be way to busy to buy a hamburger, and if nobody bought a hamburger, then mad cow disease would not be as funny and popular, but more importantly, it would have a drastic effect on the national economy. It reminds me of the "generic hamburger stand" in Corvallis. I have no idea what the actual name was. but it was black and white, with the name "hamburger stand" it sold "hamburger" (in a black and white wrapper with the name.) "hot Dogs" (same treatment) and... well you get the picture. Just like generic stuff. and it was only like 39 cents for a hamburger or something. That is one of those things. Was it done for cost effectiveness? Was it a clever and successfull marketing ploy? Was it something I made up for the puprposes of this writing? Was it a random thought that had nothing to do with what I was typing, but I made it fit? nobody (save me of course.) knows. Well I am certain somebody does, but it would not be anybody I could name. But To you and to me, it will remain unfinished. Except for what we decide to fill in for ourselves. For example despite the fact that I have not been by, or looked for it for more years than I can count because I do not know when the last time I looked for it was. ya know it is not more years than I can count. I can count several years. If I had a proper time line, or even history book, or even incentive I could count more years than I have been alive. I could not have experienced them, but counting does not require experience. All it requires is numbers. It helps to have something to actually count, but I have found it is unnecessary. sometimes just the numbers themselves are good enough. The point is forgotten. Then remembered. It has been more years than I can adequately calculate, because I am missing vital information, such as when the last time I actually noticed the little black and white hamburger stand. And how come you never see any generic stuff any more. When I was younger than I am now, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting something that was generic. Cola. Beer. Bread. Milk. Tuna. and so on. Now there are generic brands. Well hmmm I do not know if that is completely true. But it is like the generic products are out there, but they have actual names. Except in drugs. generic drugs just have the name. I mean they do not just call them drugs. They call them dexamethasone. or potassium or levothyroxine or citalopram or felodipine or fosinopril or gabapentine. Because if they were just labelled drugs. It would be confusing, and probably unhealthy. So I can understand the names. But the bottles are colorful and flashy. They are not a plain black and white. They have many different colors. well some of them only have a few different colors, but taken collectively they all have astoundingly different colors. On the other hand, the patterns are pretty much the same from bottle to botlle of the same manufacturer. Ivax is pretty much blue with white lettering. (except where the label is white with black lettering) Sandoz (I had sanofi, but had to edit it, because sanofi was wrong) (which used to be geneva) is pretty much yellow with blue, and black, and white. So, there is much brand marketing of generic drugs. IF you look in a vitamin section, for example. You have all of the nature made (is that the right one? I do not often buy otcs) is yellow with brown (or black, or green I am uncertain, but I choose it to be brown, so it is.) Whereas Goldline is kind of khaki/tanish with orange. Rugby is always orange and brown with white lettering. And so on. so that when you go to buy vitamins, they are all the same. They have to be. But you can pick the cover you like best, and buy all your pills to match. which brings me to my favorite drug. Citrate of magnesium. It is not my favorite drug in the whole world. It is not even close. But for the time being and the purposes of this particular tangent it is my favorite drug. What are favorites anyway? How do they come about? With food it is pretty simple. something appeals to our taste buds, for example pizza. Well that may be a bad example, but I will go with it. No I change my mind. I will go with fettucini alfreado. That is my daughters favorite dish. She loves fettucini alfredo. And yet....(dum dum dum (dramatic music)) She does not order it every chance she gets. Nor does she request it for every meal. If asked, or if required to fill out a survey with her favorite food she will say (or write) fettucini alfredo. But she does not always want it. If it is her favorite, why would she not want it? Well if she has too much, then she gets sick of it. Sure. Then it isn't a favorite. It is a flight of fancy. A whimsicle choice based on what she remembers, and perhaps on her mood. And words. There is another thing. For example, my favorite word, as has been stated previously is defenestration. It's a fantastic word it feels tingly on the tongue. It looks distinguished and impressive. It is obscure enough that many people either ignore it, or look it up. And it behaves well when you take it out on a walk. Yet....yet....I use so many other words. Sure they are more appropriate for me to communicate what I am actually thinking. But....if it were truly my favorite wouldn't I want to just make a post with nothing but that word. Just to show that I cared? I mean that's what I did with my wife. Except I didn't make a post, but I made a life, and a house, and a commitment to just that one person. And she isn't even my favorite person. (okay I'm just teasing you sweetheart, you know that.) That is what a favorite is all aobut. Except now that I think aobut it. I do not spend all my time with her. I work in a different city. I drive a different car. I live in a different house. (teasing you again sweetheart) So perhaps I am mixing favorite with obsession. Or maybe I am jsut babbleing, because I don't want to stop typing. but sometime I have to stop.

A world of useless knowledge

The weird thing about This writing thing is that I spend more time thinking about what I'm going to write than actually writing. Partially because I am lazy. Partially because I have more time to actually think than I have to write, and partially because I am easily distracted. I'm kind of like a raccoon without the tail. And without much of the fur, although I do have a handlebar mustache. I don't like it much. In fact it's getting pretty annoying. Because I am trying to conserve mustache wax. Well, okay, that was a true statement. But I suppose that it would help to explain why I am trying to conserve wax. Although it doesn't matter much.

My wife just told me it was 11pm. I should go to bed. Except that I have only been home for a little while, and I have not gotten to do anything relaxing for me. first I had to move the cars. Well no that's not true. First I had to say "hi" then I had to move my car, so that my wife would be first in line, because she has to go to bed first. Then I had to set up the coffee. Then I had to search the internet for information on "nationals incorportated" Because my daughter (who I am so proud of. but I was before this, and will be after this, but I just like to say that I am proud of my daughter. (that reminds me did I mention that yesterday was International Talk like a pirate day? It was a whole lot of fun for me. Why does my daughet remind me of talk like a pirate day? cause that's the way my brain works. Just typing along la-de-da without a care in the world, and suddenly BAM a thought comes along. It had to come from somewhere, so why not blame it on my child? Actually I was thinking of her before the thought, so somehow in some strange scheme of things they must be connected. I bet Drik Gently could help me with that. Too bad he is dead.) What I was trying to say is that International Talk like a pirate day not whithstanding, or even with with standing, I have always been, and will always be proud of my child. Sometimes I am dissapointed in her choices. (like when she chose to forge her mothers signature on homework. ) But still underneath it, she has been a good, well educated child, so I am proud of her.) Having said that, she got invited to a per-screening of a beauty pageant. Not sure how they got her name, probably because she subscribes to a bunch of silly girl magazines. Or maybe because she is just so darn impressive everybody knows her. Either way, she went to the screening, and got accepted to the pagaent. The problem is that I didn't want to write about this at all, but I am explaining why I am sitting here typing this rather than going to bed. Although to be honest I probably would not be in bed if I were not typing this. I would probably be lost somewhere in wikipedia the free encyclopedia Which as the title of this post suggests is a world of useless knowledge. It actually is a world of useful knowledge as well. (well not as useful as say merriam webster but that is mostly because I love words so much.)

Speaking of words, why do so many fantastic words become obsolete. I started subscribing to several "word of the day lists" a couple of years ago. But then I changed my internet provide, so I changed my e-mail, so I stopped receiving words every day. But I never lost the habit, so every day (or not, because often I forget, or get busy, or something else) I log onto the mirriam website and check the word of the day. I have found so many hugely useful and fantastic words that just are not common, or used anymore. One of the most reacent examples is the word of the day from....hold on I'm going to have to look up the day. Let's hope I don't get distracted again before I get back..................

Ya know. I hate to admit it, because I generally hate things that are popular. Also things that are commercial. And things that are both. But I really and truly love Google. I like Gmail. I like their search engine. I recently set up my personalized home page. and of course ther is also Blogger, which is a wonderful space for clearing out mind clutter. Especially after using all their other neat tools. Haven't ever used their sattelite images stuff. But their translator is a whole lot of fun. In many different ways.

So the word was from Sept. 12th. and it was apophasis. (actually it still is. I mean the word apophasis has not changed, but it is not currently the word of the day, because today is Sept 21st. It is, however still the word of the day from Sept 12th 2005. And it always will be until the end of time, although by that time I doubt anybody will remember. Unless of course somebody discovers this particular blog, and decides to make a religion out of the word of the day from sept 12th 2005. (there have been religions (and pseudo religions) based on stranger things)

Another fantastic word that has gone out of usage, and really should be revived is Factotem. It is becoming my favorit word. (although defenestration actually is still my favorite, Factotem is running a close second, and on some days surpasses.) Factotem is basically a jack of all trades. A general servant. A dude who does a bit of everything. It's a fantastic very despcriptive, and useful word that could and should be used in all kinds of places. Especially, I would think, in job descriptions, and Resumes. But it lies in neglect gather dust ignored by people who enjoy smaller vocabularies, and would rather use 3 words where 1 would do. it's a sad world.

So I had been searching to see if "nationals incorporated", or "cities of america pageant" had any horrible stories of scams and whatnot on the internet. They did not. In fact, they seem completely on the up-and-up. Which to be honest kind of dissapointed me. Because it would be much easier to blame the fact that they are evil, corrupt criminals for me saying "no", rather than me saying "no" because I am a horrible father. Actually there is no gaurantee that I will say "no". On the other hand, they want her coming up with $500 (actuly only $495.00) in sponsership money to participate. Which while not near the national debt, is still a healthy chunk of change to come up with in half a month. On the other hand, how often does your child get a chance to participate in one of the great institutions that defines american culture. (or did up until 15 years ago, or so.) and they don't have a swimsuite competition, so I don't have to get all stressed up over that, because she is way to pretty as it is, and I am going to have to give her a disfiguring scar someday to keep the boys from calling her. Actually they will probably call her anyway, because they aren't that smart, so maybe I will just start giving all the boys disfiguring scars. hehehehe

Oh yeah, and I am growing the mustache for Halloween. (did I mention this before? IT's time to stop writing if I am emptying old thoughts out of my head. Of course if I only suspect that I am emptying old thoughts out of my head, I should stop writing anyway. so I will just say that after halloween the mustache goes. maybe next time I will grow muttonchops)

The New Fall Season

Well, it is finally here. Fall is upon us. The days are gettting shorter, the first rain has come, and everything is pointing towards winter. I am finally spending more time indoors, rather than outside enjoying the sun and a good book. I am now enjoying the inside and a good book. And of course once again occupying the computer. as is semi-obvious I have been absent for some time. While I never had a great posting record, going as long as I have, is obviously (well maybe not obviously, but nearly so...at least to me, do not know how it appears to my readers, but since there are not many I know of, it doesn't matter much what they think. Well okay it does, but if I don't end this parenthetical statement soon, I may forget to close the parenthesis, and that would cause havok to my post, and while that has nothing to do with my readers, nor what they matter, it does have something to my personal sense of coherency. (which if you have read any of the previous posts in this blog is tenuous as best, but I like to keep my parenthesis neat at the very least.) so I will end this parenthetical statement here, and go on with my blog if I have not forgotten.) Basically more time on computer, more time indoors, fall is a season of change. And while it appears slow, because it lasts so long (i dont' believe we have even come to the last day of summer yet, let alone daylight savings changes.) most of the changes are sudden. One day you are outside sipping margaritas and reading "going postal" by terry pratchet, the next day it's windy and cold and possibly rainy, and you are inside sipping beer, and waiting for the new tv season to start. One day you have the illusion of freedom and lack of responsibility, the next week you have bell choir, tkd, zoo teens, search, via media, and a host of other obligations you had not even dreamed of before. Fall is an overnight change that sticks with you. The other seasons are more lingering and slow. Spring blends into summer as you find more time to be outside, and more weather condusive to outdoor activities. Winter, after falls long reign is full of skiing, snow angels, rain, and school. (and/or work.) Winter is most like fal lin that respect. While it is not a sudden change, it is pretty consistant. Wet, snowy and cold. You don't notice it as much, because fall has driven you indoors, and demande dyour schedule to change, but it's still there, and a long slow change as you druge through it's demands.Television is a perfect example. In the fall you get the new season. It's a sudden change. New shows, season openers to switch from the re-runs that have been airing since march. IT's all new, and all within a 2 week timespan. Which then settles into a rut. Which brings me finally to my whole point of writing this blog.

But before I get to the point, because as people have read I am the king of being distracted, I would like a bit of advice. The season has changed, fall is here, and it is time now to think of halloween costumes. To be honest I have been thinking of mine since march. I would like to costume myself as the monopoly guy, and have been growing my mustache to handlebar proportions since march. My wife, however, decided on her costume around the time I found mine, but since she didn't have to grow facial hair has not been thinking about it as much as I have thought about mine. So here is the problem. To keep with the game theme, I am going as the monopoly guy, my wife would like to go as Col. Mustard from clue. Unfortunately we cannot find any safari outfits for males or females in any of this years costume displays. I would certainly appreciate it, if you my loyal (or random, or disloyal, or anybody who has the patience to read through to this request) readers would give me advice, hints, tips, or ideas to turn my wife into col. mustard from the game Clue. (I figure khaki skirt and shirt, pith helmet, and a blunderbuss, but since none of those seem to be common in costume displays I am willing to listen to (and read since it's here) other ideas from the fantastic, to the...."hey this might work, who knows" type.

having made that request back to the new fall season. Television. It sucks. I have not seen anything that appeals to me. Not even the new cartoons, although xiaolin showdown does seem to be carrying it's own again. But I wonder now, if television has gotten horrible, or if I have changed. I look at the new DVD's coming out. There are all the seasons of Dukes of HAzzard, Knight Rider, MASH, everything. I look at those and think....wow those were not bad shows. But watch them and realize they were. Thank goodness for hollywood video so I don't have to buy the junk. It makes me wonder though. Lately I am timing taking the dog out at night so as I can watch the commercials, and miss the shows. Why is there not yet a commercial DVD collection? It is a brilliant idea, which the producer could get paid both by the people buying it, and the companies who made the commercial. You would have the classic pre political correctness comercials like Fred and Barnie Smoking (and why would somebody buy a cigarette on a cartoons reccomendation, while I feel they are as real as the next, I have to admit cartoons do not have the same health concerns, or even taste buds as normal people.) It would have classics, perhaps some of the original captain cruch "you can't get away from the crunch because the crunch always gives you away" shows. or even serieses. There would be of course the oscar meyer weiner song. There would be maytag commercials. There would be formal commercials. I remember several 1 hour shows of "TV's (best/funniest/weirdest/etc whatever) commercials." and people would watch that garbage. Why not put it on a DVD people would buy it, because it's better than say....Dukes of HAzzard. and for some reason, people currently desire expensive pointless nostalgia. I know within a month my commercial DVD idea will be out, but watch for it, and when you see it, remember me, because darnit that's what the new fall season is all about. Making me happy, and nothing on tv makes me happy, so you might as well try to sell me old commercials that I didn't appreciate when I was young, but will pay good money to remember something like the libby's libby's libby's jingle, and watching charlie the tuna try to have good taste.

oh and seriously if you have any tips on my wifes halloween costume, please post them.