Psychobabble

Thurgood, so good!

dm — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:36:48 GMT

I went to a play tonight. As always the theater staff announces “please take this time to turn off all phones and electronics. And all recording is prohibited”. It is amazing to think how much I am part of the documentation movement that has to twit details of my life and photo graph what I eat. I sometimes feel like it would not be real if I did not share it digitally. I definitely was not always this way. Quite the opposite. I hated taking photos unless it was for artistic purposes and I definitely preferred privacy over any publication of my experiences. Stepping out from behind the camera, not recording the moment but truly experiencing the live performance is a refreshing change. And it was easy to do with this play. I saw Thurgood tonight; a one-man play about the life of Thurgood Marshall. Lawrence Fishburne’s performance as Thurgood was fabulous. I was completely captivated and he nearly brought me to tears as he lead me (and the rest of the audience) through the life of a man who became a civil right pioneer. When this play travels, don’t wait to see it. The story of the Thurgood Marshall is one that should not go unheard. Please take the time to go see this eloquent performance and learn more about Thurgood’s positive contribution to our country. http://dennismueller.org/blog/2008/08/thurgood-so-good/

Find More, UseLess

dm — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:18:03 GMT

The GOP’s new slogan, “Find More, Use Less” is useless. Ok. Let’s talk a little about the realities about the oil market. It is a global market with China and India desirous of more and more oil. Regardless of our minimal conservation efforts, prices still rise, because global demand has not decreased. Speculators negatively effect the oil market for consumers. Once the US government opened up the futures market to non-consumers, pure paper speculators, the market has become more volatile. The oil market is still just a market, thus the rules of supply and demand drive prices and behavior. Let’s break this down a little further. Find More. The US oil companies are making win fall profits on the constricted supplies. Though this might not be driving their behavior, they already have leases to drill in the Gulf of Mexico that have not been explored or exploited for more than a decade. This is because the oil companies, like all business, don’t actually have the unlimited resources to explore and develop. Even if they start to drill in those areas or got access to the wildlife reserves, what do you think the benefit would be to the consumer? Nothing (see point 1 above.) The additional oil supply, which would likely only be an increase of 1-3% at maximum, would just go into the global market and fulfill the global demands. The people who would benefit most are the oil companies and the politicians they support. Use Less I am a strong believe in conservation, but this wont solve our problem either. Frankly, the free market has been working to benefit the US. Because of the high prices, gas efficiency standards have improved. In December 2007, CAFE standards received their first overhaul in more than 30 years! Most all of the major car manufactures are reducing their truck fleets and making battery powered cars! So what can the government do? Well, regulating the speculators would be a great first step. And here is a thought, why not use the Market to effect positive change. Since the high gas prices has made car companies change their fuel efficiencies without government regulations, and it has consumers moving close to their work or taking public transportation, why not use the tool of tax to drive better behavior? What if our government actually raised taxes on gas and diesel? Used the taxes to further curb demand and use the funds to give incentives for truckers and farmers to transition to more fuel efficient or non-fossil fuel based equipment. Frankly, since we live in a free market. I bet you prices would even drop when it became apparent that the US was serious about reducing the Oil consumption. Funny that, but we don’t have the political will for such actions since the oil companies help elect our representatives, like Senator John McCain. He has taken on the traditional GOP party line because he is funded though the traditional GOP channel, big business. Thank you for personally approving this message: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiTpS4MK3D8 Original can be found at http://dennismueller.org/blog/?p=73

WordPressing my buttons…

dm — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:15:51 GMT

I have started a new BLOG. Tribe has official been down too many times. If you want updates from me try me at http://dennismueller.org/blog/ feed:http://dennismueller.org/blog/?feed=rss2 I might still try to put some links here to my blog but otherwise I think I am done with tribe for now.

Mothra Attacks!

dm — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:19:53 GMT

So in my eco-friendly desire to be a good citizen, I have purchased on too many organic bulk food items without understanding the real risk and consequences of my actions. You might think, well he is doing a good thing but you would be wrong! Because of my foolish green eating hippy ways, I have gave birth to Mothra and she has spawned hundreds of followers who have now taken over my house. AHHHHHH!!!! The Indian Brown Moth is a nightmare. It is nigh impossible to destroy and infests almost any food, packaged or not. Only way to really get rid of them is to remove anything that might be food or breed upon, and yes, they eat about anything. This is really difficult since they don’t need to lay eggs only in food. So here is the tid bit to help you prevent an infestation (note the prevent part): Put all grains, rice and pasta in the freezer for 4 days after purchasing. This will kill any potential infestation. If you are an unlucky soul like me, here are a few good sites on what to do to combat the problem. I will let you know how it turns out in the next few months. http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/domestmoth.htm#moth2ctrl http://www.ext.colostate.edu/Pubs/insect/05598.html Once you take the steps above, you can also use the Tanglefoot Pantry Trap System that uses pheromone that attracts the male moths. There is no poison involved… http://www.merrifieldgardencenter.com/products.php?pid=11563&openparent=115 http://www.biconet.com/traps/pts.html

Politics as usual?

dm — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:04:24 GMT

A friend sent me this picture and thought it was great. Go Barack! As you might have gathered, I am a bit of a news freak. I listen and read the news at least three hours a day. It is a nasty habit but it is a good pastime. I came across an article about Carol McCain, John's invisible first wife. Here is a compelling article about Carol McCain: http://archive.salon.com/mwt/feature/2000/03/06/carol/print.html I know McCain prides himself as a man of character but sometimes the way you handle your personal life does reflect truer than that of a career. And frankly, his service to his country, moderate approach to politics and his stance that seemed independent from the party line has earned him some respect in my book. Though, more and more I have found that his rise to nominee for president is most disturbing when I found out about how he left his first wife, Carol (a swimsuit model), after she was crippled by an accident while he was in Vietnam. She comes off as a woman of character and strength, probably more deserving than her ex-husband. I guess my biggest concern is that his personal history and career speaks to one major theme, personal ambition. He had even changed his stance on the Bush tax cuts that he vocally opposed for the .01% of Americans because it makes the wealthy supporters of the GOP happy. As Ross Perot, who helped support the medical bills of Carol McCain while John McCain was in captivity, stated earlier this year that McCain "is the classic opportunist--he's always reaching for attention and glory. Other POWs won't even sit at the same table with him." [from Newsweek http://www.newsweek.com/id/94827 ] I truly hope that this is a distortion of the truth and that if McCain took office he would live to up to the ideals he preached for so long in the Senate. But since I have a say on who gets elected, look to see what the other side is doing: http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

My friends can get married!

dm — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:15:13 GMT

Today the ban on same sex marriage is deemed "unconstitutional" in California. All I have to say is that marriage is an institution that should be afforded to all couples to build a more stable family structure and society; it is even better when they are in love. I am so very happy that my closest friends can now experience the rights I have taken for granted. Micah & Jerry, I am looking forward to city hall in San Francisco and being your best man, again. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/05/15/BAGAVNC5K.DTL

Carbon Footprints in the Sand

dm — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:24:34 GMT

I am an NPR freak. I have a long commute and listen regularly to the new. I heard on the radio today that Thursday should have record breaking weather in SF, above 90 Degrees in the city and on our beaches! Just after that they reported on how the ice packs are at 50% capacity thus mandatory rationing will likely be needed in the East bay shortly followed by a summary of a speech John McCain gave in Portland on "human-caused climate change" his plan for a mandatory cap and trade system of carbon emissions. When the Republican presidential nominee seriously talks about carbon emissions, one has to admit it really is time to do something. Now I don’t really believe that weather or a hot day is a clear signs of climate change but it still has a visceral impact. The idea that beaches in SF could be as hot as 90 degrees in May is kind of shocking. So I felt motivated to check out my household's carbon footprint. I did it on several different sites (PG&E had the highest estimate) and they were all about 16 Tons/year for Karen and me (glad I traded in the sports car for a hybrid 2 years ago). Short of moving closer to work and changing my landlord's appliances in my apartment, I can easily offset my household's carbon emission for about $200/year. It sort of feels weird to just throw money at the issue but hey, if it means more trees are planted or old growth forests are funded and preserved, then who am I to argue with the free market economy. Here are some links: http://www.carboncounter.org/ http://www.carbonfund.org/CarbonCalculator http://www.pge.com/myhome/environment/calculator/

I now use the green bin!

dm — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:19:27 GMT

Did you know that San Francisco composts? http://www.sfrecycling.com/residential/composting.php?t=r My objection to composting has been simple and I think many other people have this same issue. The compost bin is outside so either I take the compost out every time or it smells up the house. And then what ever I use to transport compost is now dirty, smelly and requires washing. So with the help of some friends, I found an elegant solution. Get a compost bin for the house that does not spell and that I don’t need to clean. And if I do need to clean it, it is dishwasher safe. Compost Pail and Charcoal Filters from www.cleanairgardening.com (you can get the same thing at Williams Sonoma for $10 more) * Stainless Steel Compost Pail $39.99 [http://www.cleanairgardening.com/pail.html ] * Pack of Two Extra Filters (lasts 6-12 months) $7.99 [http://www.cleanairgardening.com/paoftwoexfi.html ] Compostable Liners/Bags from Costco South San Francisco (10th St. SF was out when I checked) * Biosak 125 Compostable Bags (3 Gal.) $13.99 All said and done it will cost me less than $0.50/week to recycle my food scraps and not smell up my kitchen. Here is what you CAN compost: [http://www.sfrecycling.com/pdf/compostggss.pdf ] * All Food: fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, shellfish, bones, rice, beans, pasta, bread, cheese, and eggshells * Food-soiled Paper: waxed cardboard, napkins, paper towels, paper plates, paper milk cartons, tea bags, coffee grounds/filters, wooden crates, and sawdust * Plants: floral trimmings, tree trimmings, leaves, grass, brush, and weeds The following items are NOT accepted in the green cart: * Styrofoam * plastic bags * plastic flower pots or trays * diapers * kitty litter or animal feces * rocks, stones, or dirt

Mushrooms can save the world...

dm — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:12:36 GMT

It is no surprise that fuel prices and food prices are raising. Our government is subsidizing US farmers to produce maize for ethanol production which drives both the consumption of fossil fuels and reduces the supply of food. According to Cornell University researchers, 40% of the energy contained in one gallon of corn (maize) ethanol is expended to produce it. I have read reports that the fossil fuel consumption is as high as 60% – 75% of the product depending on how it is grown, harvested and converted to ethanol. That really does not sound like much of a solution. I recently watched Paul Stamets give talk on TED.org that gave me hope. "6 ways mushrooms can save the world." He presented an intriguing question, "how can we address the energy crisis in this country?" How about "Econal", which is ethanol made from... wait for it, fungus. But he also presented a more potent discussion about using natural tools, like fungus, to benefit the world. It is worth 17 minutes of your life to see this presentation. http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/258 Maybe the Smurfs had it right after all?

"Gary Gygax hit zero Hit Points."

dm — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:00:16 GMT

My youth, my college experience, the reason why I am in California today has all been directly influenced due to the genius of Gary Gygax. If you don’t know, he is the inventor of Dungeons & Dragons. Yesterday he passed away at the age of 69. Although any people probably think role-playing games are just a silly pastime, and well they are, role-playing games are also a great outlet for creativity and building relationships. His creative manifestations have given me hours of amusement, sleep deprivation and poor dietary habits. D&D taught me a lot, I learned mythology, it started my interest in acting and performance, I even had a use for graph paper by the age of 10, however I was devastated to find out that not all buildings are built based on 10' x10' sections when I started to study architecture in college. Even though I got path that disappointment quickly, he even helped me fail 2 semesters. I know this does not sound all that positive yet, but the most significant influence Gary Gygax had on my life is that Dungeons & Dragons was the vehicle for meeting some of the people I love most in the this world, Brian, Micah and Andy. Because of them, I am in California and living a great life. So, for that, I will always be thankful for the contribution Gary Gygax made to my life and the world as a whole. Even as your legacy takes on a new live every time a person picks up a 20-sided die, Gary Gygaz, you will be missed. For more info: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/arts/05gygax.html?ref=arts PS - One lasting lesson that I will take to the gave is that when seeking adventure, you need to go to the tavern.

Martin Luther King Day

dm — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:53:03 GMT

Martin Luther King Day always makes me proud to be an American. Although I may never truly understand oppression and effects if has on people as a white man in America, I do appreciate and understand the need for freedom, equality and social justice. As Americans, we are more alike from coast to coast than most politicians would have us believe. OUR country is great through empathy and understanding that unites all Americans. As the election time grows near, I have found that I have been inspired like I have not been before by a politician, a leader, Barack Obama. I would like to share a bit of Barack Obama's speech on Martin Luther King Day: "King inspired with words not of anger, but of an urgency that still speaks to us today: 'Unity is the great need of the hour' is what King said. Unity is how we shall overcome… "Brothers and sisters, we cannot walk alone. In the struggle for peace and justice, we cannot walk alone. In the struggle for opportunity and equality, we cannot walk alone In the struggle to heal this nation and repair this world, we cannot walk alone. "So I ask you to walk with me, and march with me, and join your voice with mine, and together we will sing the song that tears down the walls that divide us, and lift up an America that is truly indivisible, with liberty, and justice, for all. (from: http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/mlkvideo ) He inspires hope that we can unite this great country. Find Hope this election year by being involved to unite this country. Your voice makes a difference. Please, regardless of you beliefs, be involved and vote. Voter registration here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm

Time Magazine's Person of the Year

dm — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:35:32 GMT

On NPR the other day I heard a fabulous commentary about the POTY by Bill Langworthy. I tried to find a transcript of it but ended up having to type it out myself. So forgive any errors in advance. If you would like to hear the original, check it out on NPR.org: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6642874 > And the Winner of 'Person of the Year' Is... I was shocked when I saw times person of the year cover. I was expecting a humanitarian or world leader but instead saw a computer and the word "You". "Yes you" it reassured. You control the information age. There were so many deserving people this year. So I was surprise and well as humbled to learn the person of the year was, in fact, me. Fortunately I had prepared a brief acceptance speech because you just never know. Wow, I can honestly say I didn’t expect this. JFK, MLK and now me. And to think a year ago, I was running windows 98 with an infected hard drive and had 3 friends on my myspace including Tom. I could never been POTY without a lot of help. I'd like to thank the Numa Numa guy, Ok Go, Chad Vader and LonelyGirl15. I'd also like to thank everyone who downloaded my mashup of Panic at the Disco vs. Loudon Wainwright III. I'd be remiss if I didn't say something about the other nominees: Al Gore, loved your movie; I watched it on a file sharing site then burned DVDs for all my friends. Kim Jong-il, I really thought you had me when you detonated that nuclear device, this is always next year. As you read on my BLOG, my road to person of the year was not without a few bumps. I dropped almost 300 bucks on a Zune that was supposed to connect me to new music and friends; it might have if anyone else had actually bought one. I also lost my job when I spent three days camped out at a Best Buy chasing a PS III, but as my fellow POTY, Winston Churchill once said, "Victory at all costs". Now as I join the company of Popes in the immortal pages of wikipedia I am reminded that my work is far from done. There will always be witty IM's to compose and A-team parody webisodes to produce. There will always be camera phone pictures to Photoshop and more guitar hero songs to unlock. In conclusion, I want to thank you for making me your Person of the Year. Not only because it is a great honor but chiefly because it will look really cool on my facebook.com profile.

Freedom

dm — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:14:40 GMT

As we go into election season once again we, as individuals, have an opportunity to change our future by being involved. This is can be as simple as just educating yourself about the topics that you feel passionately about so that you can discuss or even debate issues with friends and neighbors. Ultimately it will come down to going to the poles and casting your vote. One of my hot button issues is that for the past 6 years our freedoms have been systematically removed from us. Our country was founded on premise of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I find it harder and harder to not fear for our future when we as a nation choose to give up our liberties in exchange for perceived security. So please, I beg of you, take the hard won freedoms that our fore fathers sacrificed for and discuss your disgust and say it loud, say it proud and vote on Election Day. I would like to share some wisdom from the very people who founded and shaped our faire nation. "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" -Benjamin Franklin "All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom." -Albert Einstein "Freedom is not merely the opportunity to do as one pleases; neither is it merely the opportunity to choose between set alternatives. Freedom is, first of all, the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them -- and then, the opportunity to choose." -C. Wright Mills I believe there is no persuit of happiness without liberty. -DM

Thoughts on 911 by Keith Olbermann of MSNBC

dm — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 20:31:15 GMT

Written by Keith Olbermann (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14687895/#060911b ) Shown on MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/ ) On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/v/NiIF5qtHuCE "This hole in the ground" Half a lifetime ago, I worked in this now-empty space. And for 40 days after the attacks, I worked here again, trying to make sense of what happened, and was yet to happen, as a reporter. All the time, I knew that the very air I breathed contained the remains of thousands of people, including four of my friends, two in the planes and -- as I discovered from those "missing posters" seared still into my soul -- two more in the Towers. And I knew too, that this was the pyre for hundreds of New York policemen and firemen, of whom my family can claim half a dozen or more, as our ancestors. I belabor this to emphasize that, for me this was, and is, and always shall be, personal. And anyone who claims that I and others like me are "soft,"or have "forgotten" the lessons of what happened here is at best a grasping, opportunistic, dilettante and at worst, an idiot whether he is a commentator, or a Vice President, or a President. However, of all the things those of us who were here five years ago could have forecast -- of all the nightmares that unfolded before our eyes, and the others that unfolded only in our minds -- none of us could have predicted this. Five years later this space is still empty. Five years later there is no memorial to the dead. Five years later there is no building rising to show with proud defiance that we would not have our America wrung from us, by cowards and criminals. Five years later this country's wound is still open. Five years later this country's mass grave is still unmarked. Five years later this is still just a background for a photo-op. It is beyond shameful. At the dedication of the Gettysburg Memorial -- barely four months after the last soldier staggered from another Pennsylvania field -- Mr. Lincoln said, "we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract." Lincoln used those words to immortalize their sacrifice. Today our leaders could use those same words to rationalize their reprehensible inaction. "We cannot dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground." So we won't. Instead they bicker and buck pass. They thwart private efforts, and jostle to claim credit for initiatives that go nowhere. They spend the money on irrelevant wars, and elaborate self-congratulations, and buying off columnists to write how good a job they're doing instead of doing any job at all. Five years later, Mr. Bush, we are still fighting the terrorists on these streets. And look carefully, sir, on these 16 empty acres. The terrorists are clearly, still winning. And, in a crime against every victim here and every patriotic sentiment you mouthed but did not enact, you have done nothing about it. And there is something worse still than this vast gaping hole in this city, and in the fabric of our nation. There is its symbolism of the promise unfulfilled, the urgent oath, reduced to lazy execution. The only positive on 9/11 and the days and weeks that so slowly and painfully followed it was the unanimous humanity, here, and throughout the country. The government, the President in particular, was given every possible measure of support. Those who did not belong to his party -- tabled that. Those who doubted the mechanics of his election -- ignored that. Those who wondered of his qualifications -- forgot that. History teaches us that nearly unanimous support of a government cannot be taken away from that government by its critics. It can only be squandered by those who use it not to heal a nation's wounds, but to take political advantage. Terrorists did not come and steal our newly-regained sense of being American first, and political, fiftieth. Nor did the Democrats. Nor did the media. Nor did the people. The President -- and those around him -- did that. They promised bi-partisanship, and then showed that to them, "bi-partisanship" meant that their party would rule and the rest would have to follow, or be branded, with ever-escalating hysteria, as morally or intellectually confused, as appeasers, as those who, in the Vice President's words yesterday, "validate the strategy of the terrorists." They promised protection, and then showed that to them "protection" meant going to war against a despot whose hand they had once shaken, a despot who we now learn from our own Senate Intelligence Committee, hated al-Qaida as much as we did. The polite phrase for how so many of us were duped into supporting a war, on the false premise that it had 'something to do' with 9/11 is "lying by implication." The impolite phrase is "impeachable offense." Not once in now five years has this President ever offered to assume responsibility for the failures that led to this empty space, and to this, the current, curdled, version of our beloved country. Still, there is a last snapping flame from a final candle of respect and fairness: even his most virulent critics have never suggested he alone bears the full brunt of the blame for 9/11. Half the time, in fact, this President has been so gently treated, that he has seemed not even to be the man most responsible for anything in his own administration. Yet what is happening this very night? A mini-series, created, influenced -- possibly financed by -- the most radical and cold of domestic political Machiavellis, continues to be televised into our homes. The documented truths of the last fifteen years are replaced by bald-faced lies; the talking points of the current regime parroted; the whole sorry story blurred, by spin, to make the party out of office seem vacillating and impotent, and the party in office, seem like the only option. How dare you, Mr. President, after taking cynical advantage of the unanimity and love, and transmuting it into fraudulent war and needless death, after monstrously transforming it into fear and suspicion and turning that fear into the campaign slogan of three elections? How dare you -- or those around you -- ever "spin" 9/11? Just as the terrorists have succeeded -- are still succeeding -- as long as there is no memorial and no construction here at Ground Zero. So, too, have they succeeded, and are still succeeding as long as this government uses 9/11 as a wedge to pit Americans against Americans. This is an odd point to cite a television program, especially one from March of 1960. But as Disney's continuing sell-out of the truth (and this country) suggests, even television programs can be powerful things. And long ago, a series called "The Twilight Zone" broadcast a riveting episode entitled "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street." In brief: a meteor sparks rumors of an invasion by extra-terrestrials disguised as humans. The electricity goes out. A neighbor pleads for calm. Suddenly his car -- and only his car -- starts. Someone suggests he must be the alien. Then another man's lights go on. As charges and suspicion and panic overtake the street, guns are inevitably produced. An "alien" is shot -- but he turns out to be just another neighbor, returning from going for help. The camera pulls back to a near-by hill, where two extra-terrestrials are seen manipulating a small device that can jam electricity. The veteran tells his novice that there's no need to actually attack, that you just turn off a few of the human machines and then, "they pick the most dangerous enemy they can find, and it's themselves." And then, in perhaps his finest piece of writing, Rod Serling sums it up with words of remarkable prescience, given where we find ourselves tonight: "The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men. "For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy, and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own -- for the children, and the children yet unborn." When those who dissent are told time and time again -- as we will be, if not tonight by the President, then tomorrow by his portable public chorus -- that he is preserving our freedom, but that if we use any of it, we are somehow un-American...When we are scolded, that if we merely question, we have "forgotten the lessons of 9/11"... look into this empty space behind me and the bi-partisanship upon which this administration also did not build, and tell me: Who has left this hole in the ground? We have not forgotten, Mr. President. You have. May this country forgive you.

A Dream Come True

dm — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:19:06 GMT

After many years of promotion, event planning, searching for venues and working with artistic nonprofits through various organizations, I finally have found a home at Workspace Limited. As of this month I now manage the event space. This is in many ways a dream come true. The opportunity allows me to facilitate events for emerging artists and help financially support an awesome nonprofit. So if anyone hears of some budding artist who wants to participate or needs event space or Gallery space, please feel free to contact me.

DPT is a joke in yo town

dm — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 13:22:12 GMT

So I have been up all night waiting; waiting for the police since I called them at 1:45 am, and now waiting for DPT since it my case got transferred over to them at 6 am. Waiting for them to ticket and tow someone from my blocking my garage. I have been waiting and waiting and must stay up for they wont ticket and tow someone without you present. Also my car is illegally parked, blocking someone else so I need to move it when I finally get my space free. It is 6:15 am. I have been up for 24 hours. I was told it will be another 30 minutes until DPT can show up and unknown time until an actual tow truck will show up. I am exhausted... and frustrated that some ass has the audacity to block two driveways and the police/DPT won’t do anything for 4.5 hours. So I wait, knowing I need to get up in 4 hours; knowing that there is little I can do that is legal to rectify my situation. And that I will not rest for at least an hour after DPT finally shows up. Addendum: it is 7:33 am and yes, the photo proves it. I can now finally go to bed.

My BLOG on Tribe is a Googlewhack!

dm — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 23:02:12 GMT

Doing a google search for the words pictured above I found out that my BLOG is a Googlewhack! Who has geek-cred now biatches! You can start calling me the Googlewhack master. But seriously, if anyone does call me that, I will whack you for real and enjoy every last moment of the stinging pain I inflict. Mmm, good times. Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googlewhack

Word of the Day: Recoculous

dm — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 23:41:29 GMT

Recoculous Main Entry: re•coc•u•lous Variant(s): ri•coc•u•lous or re•cock•u•lous Pronunciation: r&-'kä-ky&-l&s Function: adjective Etymology: Modern English combination of words ridiculous and cock referring to the usually vulgar definition of penis. These terms are derived from Latin ridiculosus (from ridiculum jest, from neuter of ridiculus) or ridiculus, literally, laughable, from ridEre to laugh; reformed with the Middle English cok, from Old English cocc, of imitative origin 1 slang: arousing or deserving ridicule: absurd, preposterous beyond ridiculous Example: A little Asian school girl satisfying three gigantic horny tentacle beasts at once is just recoculous. 2 slang: absurdity in reference to the masculine genitalia Example: Jimmy’s penis falling into the mashed potatoes during Thanksgiving dinner was absofuckinglutely recoculous. synonym see ridiculous, laughable, cockfoolery - re•coc•u•lous•ly adverb - re•coc•u•lous•ness noun In the memorable words of Iñigo Montoya, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." - "The Princess Bride" Notes: Definition recoculous Definition ricoculous Definition recockulous Definition ricockulous

Eco-Warrior ‘n dah house!

dm — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 02:56:04 GMT

After four months of waiting it is finally here.. I can officially be called an eco warrior. Not only do I recycle, I own a Pruis. It is the most technologically advanced cars I have ever seen and even with my driving I am actually getting 45+ mpg! I really can’t wait until I can use the carpool lane. Soon there will be no slowing me down!

Movin' on

dm — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 18:37:53 GMT

After almost 3 years and many great parties, the time has come for me to move (and move on). And so it shall be. My little Oasis in the Mission has been abandoned to others more tolerant than I. I can not help but reminisce about all the good times and revel in the pleasures the space has enabled. Such good memories. ;-) I have moved to a new place now. I am still in the Mission actually only 2 blocks away. The new apartment is nice. It is without drama and more of a sanctuary than my old house could be. It is, how ever, taking a lot of work to get it to my standards. This is the first building I lived in that is older than me since I was a child. So lots of little fixes to all the wear from years of abuse, neglect and ill fated repairs, and painting, etc... I estimate there to be several more weeks of working every day/night to make it a home for Thuy and I but it seems to be more a labor of love. I say this because I have not lost motivation in the least. Since before my move I have not stopped working on the house and with the help of Thuy, Isabel and Micah I am starting to finally see the place come together. This is a fresh start and something I have needed for a long time! I hope to be back out of the house and socializing again very soon.

This I Believe

dm — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 20:28:14 GMT

The older and "wiser" I become the more I realize that I will probably never know all that I want to. I will never have all the answers or even a good comprehension of the issues that boggle my mind. I am ok with that. I don’t need to know all the answers to live a fulfilling life. Mystery and the unknown is nothing to be feared. It is actually stimulating to me that there is always more to learn. My little piece of wisdom that I have gleamed from my intellectual (and spiritual, if you will) journey is that it is the question is most important. It is the debate. Through my life I have struggled with my relationship to religion, and the concept(s) of God. I have immersed myself into several faiths and sought spiritual enlightenment where and how I could. The challenge was never believing; I think faith is the easy part. The challenge was keeping an open mind through it all. From this all I became an "agnostic" for lack of a better term. I am not saying I believe in God, quite the contrary from the definitions I have experienced, I am just open-minded. This morning, I went into work late, and as luck would have it NPR aired a series that had not been around for quite some time. The series is call, “This I Believe” where people submit essays about what they believe in; a positive reflection of belief not focused on what people don’t believe in. Penn Jillette, a magician from Penn and Teller, submitted an essay that resonated strongly with me and my beliefs. It articulates many of my thoughts that I have shared with very few people, especially not in such a antidotal manner. So without further ado and an open-mind, please enjoy... "I believe that there is no God. I'm beyond Atheism. Atheism is not believing in God. Not believing in God is easy -- you can't prove a negative, so there's no work to do. You can't prove that there isn't an elephant inside the trunk of my car. You sure? How about now? Maybe he was just hiding before. Check again. Did I mention that my personal heartfelt definition of the word "elephant" includes mystery, order, goodness, love and a spare tire? So, anyone with a love for truth outside of herself has to start with no belief in God and then look for evidence of God. She needs to search for some objective evidence of a supernatural power. All the people I write e-mails to often are still stuck at this searching stage. The Atheism part is easy. But, this "This I Believe" thing seems to demand something more personal, some leap of faith that helps one see life's big picture, some rules to live by. So, I'm saying, "This I believe: I believe there is no God." Having taken that step, it informs every moment of my life. I'm not greedy. I have love, blue skies, rainbows and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough. It has to be enough, but it's everything in the world and everything in the world is plenty for me. It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more. Just the love of my family that raised me and the family I'm raising now is enough that I don't need heaven. I won the huge genetic lottery and I get joy every day. Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around. Believing there's no God stops me from being solipsistic. I can read ideas from all different people from all different cultures. Without God, we can agree on reality, and I can keep learning where I'm wrong. We can all keep adjusting, so we can really communicate. I don't travel in circles where people say, "I have faith, I believe this in my heart and nothing you can say or do can shake my faith." That's just a long-winded religious way to say, "shut up," or another two words that the FCC likes less. But all obscenity is less insulting than, "How I was brought up and my imaginary friend means more to me than anything you can ever say or do." So, believing there is no God lets me be proven wrong and that's always fun. It means I'm learning something. Believing there is no God means the suffering I've seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn't caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn't bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future. Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-o and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have." -Penn Jillette (2005)

And the chase begins (I just wish I knew I was a participant)

dm — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 22:52:01 GMT

"Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop. Your normal speeder will panic and immediately pull over to the side. This is wrong. It arouses contempt in the cop-heart. Make the bastard chase you. He will follow." -Hunter S. Thompson ("Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas") The unfortunate part, I did not even know I was being followed because when I am on my motorcycle, I tend not to look at what is behind me unless I am changing lanes... I mean really, what is the point and frankly I can’t hear shit at 80 miles per hours. The only good thing is that they let me off with a ticket even though I did not have my proof of insurance with me. Ah when it rains...

Sometimes I am a total spas

dm — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 07:43:19 GMT

Ok so all I have to say is, it totally sucks to loose the keys to your car; especially when your car has “high security” keys that are laser cut and it is so difficult to break into the car that reinforcements are called in. Then after two and a half hours and several of their tools still stuck in the door, they give up and just start to drag it onto a flatbed, tools and all. Well, at least I know no amateur will ever steal my car.

Pomegranate seed

dm — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 22:45:49 GMT

Every time I see a pomegranate or taste of its splendid nectar I can't help but feel nostalgic; a longing that I never knew fruit could invoke. Pomegranates seem to have a bit of provocative past, with the Greek myth of the Abduction of Persephone and how Hades forcibly took Persephone as a wife; then tricking Persephone into eating a pomegranate seed and by doing so she was forever bound to him even to the dismay of Demeter, her mother the goddess who cursed the earth with famine until she returned. Such sexual allusions drew no such imagery until I met Thuy. She has such an innate ability to make anything seem seductive, especially when she tells me of the sorted stories of Greek goddesses as she delicately prepared, piece by piece, a full pomegranate for the consumption of anyone who wished to share of it with her. Although she prepares fruit rather efficiently, the action of removing each fragile seed shows a level of care and attention to detail that only is seen in someone with a true passion... a passion for fruit. I am one of the lucky few who share of the pomegranate seeds she so graciously served. I can't wait to see her again with her long flowing black hair sitting on the floor picking apart pomegranates for the mere pleasure of the experience.

The Taxman Cometh

dm — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 00:24:55 GMT

Is there ever really a time you want to get a big envelope from the IRS? From my experience, there really isn’t. As it seems, the government is hunting down small businesses to make up for their spending deficit. As several of my friends have had to deal with this same issue in that past few month, now I too have the same stress of proving my business records to the IRS so hopefully to prove that I have no more money for them to squeeze out of me... And I thought Republicans were all about tax breaks for businesses? Wasn’t it the stance of the elephant party to bring about smaller government, less business regulation and lower taxes? From my observation, since Bush has taken power and the congress has become Republican, they really all only concern themselves with big businesses making greater profits and putting for a socially conservative agenda forward. For a person who considers himself open-minded, I really have to wonder what happened to values of the Republican Party. Is it really just a vehicle that is cow towing to the evangelical right? If so, do people really think that their standard of living will improve if there are more socially constricting laws, give tax relief to the top 1% and putting in more regulations for smaller businesses? Where is the morality of making so difficult for a small business to operate legally that one considers just shutting down so to avoid the hassle and frustration of trying to legitimately succeed in a "free" market economy? Grrr...