I'm reasonably sure that most people who are thinkers in any sense of the word go through similar days and moments as I am having right now, but how they deal with it I can't say... me, I blog... or at least attempt to blog. Several things have been happening in and around and even totally peripherally to my life but the combination of circumstances, people's tendency toward idiocy and lack of self reflection, and the general media environment have left me a bit shell-shocked and not quite sure how to proceed.
[1] The state legislature of California and the governor are locked in this mess about how to come up with a budget that works and have been at impasse for weeks if not months while the common person suffers.... and yet, in a very real sense, it is the common person who has put us here. It all began with Proposition 13 in the late 1970's and then continued on with such things as Proposition 98, etc. As such, the initiative process which was supposed to put more power back in the hands of people and force the legislative process forward when politics intruded into vital areas of concern. Nice idea, lousy results. The average person in California can't balance their checkbook much less should they have any input into the budget of the 8th largest economy in the world! But they people of this state (like so many other states in the nation) have bought into the false claim that you can lower taxes and still get the same services from government that you always had up 'til then. The citizens of California were sold a promise they swallowed like a hungry Parana then have the hubris to get angry at the government when they don't have the funds to do the work they would normally do if the taxes were there to lend them the money FOR such purposes. You idiots! This is a pay to play system! You want the services, PAY FOR THEM! This childish crap of listening to fascist political pricks say "Government is the Problem," believing them, voting them into office, and THEN being surprised that they are ineffective at the job has GOT TO STOP. Whoever said that democracy was a great idea was an imbecile; democracy sucks... except there's no better system to take it's place. Look in the mirror folks.... In short California.... grow the fuck up.
[2] I hate it when you meet nice people for dates, you've put time and effort into knowing them, and then they don't see you the way you'd hope they would. I just can't stand the saying,"Let's just be friends." It's not a particularly bad phrase. It has a direct and fairly pleasant intent.... so why does it leave such a crappy taste in my mouth? Now, I'm a big boy and I try to just take it for what it is. But.... I suppose I hate it that both she AND I didn't come to this conclusion earlier in the writing. I get the feeling sometimes that I'm just not quite a typical member of the human race... more a demon in human form or a machine wrapped in human flesh... Where are all the women who can keep up with my geek, are good looking, like to get physical, and can play chameleon as well as I can? Just gonna keep looking...
[3] I love the place I'm living which is why I've been there for SO LONG. But, even so, I have a right to at least a few bitches: {a} The place doesn't have enough electrical outlets for what I want to do {b} the cabinets in the kitchen and the upstairs bathroom need some major work and finally {c} IT HAS NO CENTRAL AC... yup, in central California and no central AC. I've done what I can to compensate by having lots fans moving the air and having them computer controlled, putting water on the roof (but it only gets done when I'm home), and darkening the house in the daytime as best I can with dark curtains and sun shade screens outside the house. But on days over 100 degrees F.... brother... Today is one of those days and I'll probably end up at the end of the day restricted to the upstairs where the small window AC is and watching the tele through my Slingbox on my computer.... I gotta get Norman to get a second AC downstairs... just gotta.
Labels: Comedy, Politics, Truth
Everybody who knows me knows how much I love technology (I know, I know... others would say I have an obsession with widgets, doohickeys, thing-a-ma-jigs, and whatchamacallits), but I really get crazy over anything that can make me more productive and help me with my failing memory as I get older (No comments, peanut gallery). And as such, for several months I have been looking at the product that is pictured to the left which is known as a Pulse Pen and comes from a company called LiveScribe which I think you gadget freaks like I am should really check out. Basically it's a small computer that records everything that's being said around you while you are writing on your paper and thus can play back the conversation or lecture by touching the areas you wrote at the time you wanted to hear what was being said. The small videos at the company website are much better at an explanation than I am but I got mine, have been practicing with it, and it's really COOOOOOOL. Anytime you start up the pen, as you write on the special paper, it remembers what was being said as the writing was going on. Now, you can also take that information and put it on your computer and have it looking just like your notes. THEN... you can play back the conversation/lecture just as if you were there! I got the 2 GB version because I know how long winded teachers can be ESPECIALLY when they are in administrative meetings. The paper, however, can't be just any paper but special paper that allows the pen to know where ON the paper the information was being written. In addition (again) the information can be exported as pdf's and there's free transcription software that you download that allows for the changing of the notes into a printed format. Totally cool. Go ahead! Check out the site and see what technology can do for you!
