Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Now You See Me

So... it's been almost 23 years, apparently, on September 11, 1990, when then President George Herbert Walker Bush stood before an audience of congressmen and, actually, the whole world audience watching on TV, and he spoke about the coming "new world order". His choices of words and phrases, ripples that formed into wave after wave of events, have sent all of us spiralling toward this moment. Right. Now.

I remember this speech. I don't remember if I watched it on TV, or heard clips of it in the news, or read about it in the papers and magazines. At that time I was seventeen years old and had just graduated from high school. My path took me to Hollywood, California, where I was to begin one of the most life-altering years of my existence here on this planet, and let me just say now that I am very grateful that my path led me to there and not into Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm.


I recommend you queue the video to 6 minutes, 33 seconds. Then, at around 7 minutes... listen very closely.

As we stand on the edge of yet another war I find it important to reflect on the smallest moments.

Life consists of moment after moment, and in particular moments we perceive our experiences in a negative light. Universally, the human condition involves suffering, pain, loss, fear, and galaxies of other difficult and challenging situations. When we are in the moment and we are still moving amongst these challenging pieces to our lives, or we are reliving them from a vantage point in the future, we may find it difficult to salvage anything positive about our experiences. We might become cynical, jaded, or just numb with inability to see the light from the dark.

What I know now, however, is that all is fleeting. All is momentary. All is ephemeral and temporary. For, the moment we acknowledge the perception of our experience the experience has passed.

'And this too shall come to pass'.

And it is for this reason -- because all is fleeting -- and because we always have a choice -- that we can choose to see any experience in a positive light. For it is ALL our experience -- it is ALL of the moments -- that makes us who and what we are. It is ALL our experience that makes up the human condition.

I can't say with any certainty that I know why things happened the way they happened other than to say that things happened the way they did so that right now things would be the way they are.

Appearances can be deceptive. The way things are right now might seem to be different than what we want or desire them to be. They may seem to be unexpected and surprising. They may seem to be falling into place just right. They may seem discordant and chaotic. Things are not always as they seem.

It's an oft-quoted, simple thought. You might accuse me of stating the obvious.

Then again, sometimes we need to be reminded of oft-quoted, simple thoughts.
So, here it is again:
Things are not always as they seem.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Review: America by Design


America by Design
America by Design by David F Noble

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I read this book more than ten years ago, and I'm just reviewing it now. It's one of those books that I found in a bibliography or references cited section of another book I had been reading. That book was probably either a John H. Bodley book (author of Victims of Progress) or some other sociology-related tract. Perhaps, it was Langdon Winner's The Whale and the Reactor, which was another great book that develops a similar theme. In America By Design, Noble describes the co-evolution of technology, science, and, that all-important element of capitalism, the corporation. I don't recall the specifics of Noble's argument, other than to say that he clearly demonstrates that all three of these elements of modern society worked together in their development. They drove each other. It struck me as a very post-modernist kind of argument, as it employed the 'science does not work in a vacuum' theoretical framework, in that business decisions often drove the science and thus, drove the technology. Of course, at other times, the technology is what drove the science decisions, which drove the business decisions, and so forth.



View all my reviews

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Review: Dracula: The Original 1931 Shooting Script, Vol. 13 (Universal Filmscript Series)


Dracula: The Original 1931 Shooting Script, Vol. 13 (Universal Filmscript Series)
Dracula: The Original 1931 Shooting Script, Vol. 13 (Universal Filmscript Series) by Magicimage Filmbooks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The story of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' has thrilled me since I was very young, as the vivid descriptions of the geography and people of the Carpathian Mountain region has filled my imagination and fueled my creative impulses ever since I first laid in my bed with my, now-worn, copy of a paperback edition. The 1931 film, starring Bela Lugosi, has long been one of my most favorite films. I traditionally watch the film in September or October, as a prelude to the festivities of Hallow'een. So, I was delighted to find the script was available for me to read through, and this book has an excellent collection of background information on the original film, the actors, the director, the producer, the writers, and all that went into the film. There is a photo of a first American edition of 'Dracula' that is signed by Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi, Dr. Raymond T. McNally, Christopher Lee, Vampira, and many other famous horror film figures, which really caught my attention. I highly recommend checking this one out.



View all my reviews

Review: Night of the Living Dead


Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead by Joe Kane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The story of the place of zombies in our culture cannot be told without a significant part of that story pointing to George A. Romero, and the movie that staked its claim in the zombie phenomenon, 'Night of the Living Dead' (1969). The story about how this movie came to be and on its impact in horror cinema and american culture, in general, is a very exciting story. This is a great book that tells that story. There is a lot of exposition on movies that preceded 'Night...' and a lot that came after.



View all my reviews

Review: The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead


The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead
The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead by J. Gordon Melton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This book is an excellent resource for serious researchers, fans, and writers who appreciate the realm of horror, the cultural phenomenon of vampires, or culture, in general. This reference contains many entries related to cultural works related to the vampire mythology, legends, and lore, but there is a good amount of research on the less fantastic environment in which these myths, legends, and lore have been borne and thriving.



View all my reviews

Friday, February 18, 2011

The 2011 Dystopia Challenge

Dystopia ChallengeI have decided to take on Bookish Ardour's "BA Dystopia Challenge" at the "Congtagion" level of reading 15 dystopia-related books by the end of 2011. Since it is now the 18th of February I am beginning a little late, but I already have a few dystopian novels checked out from the library, ready to read.

If you want to join me, that would be great.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Tomorrow, Wendy - Andy Prieboy Covered by docrivs

Tomorrow, Wendy - Andy Prieboy Covered by docrivs: "




This is my first YouTube upload, and I just decided to perform this song. I like the song a lot, but this video is first take, and I screwed up a few parts. Maybe I'll retape it sometime and re-post that version. For now, I had to get something up! It's about motivation.



Weeds: Season 2: Disc 2

Weeds: Season 2: Disc 2: ""

Howard Zinn: You Cant Be Neutral on a Moving Train

Howard Zinn: You Cant Be Neutral on a Moving Train: "

Here is a review of a new film by Denis Mueller and Deb Ellis about fascinating anti-war activist, Howard Zinn, who is, unfortunately, no longer with us.

"

news

news: "

Cheetah Chrome played guitar for Cleveland / Detroit Garage Rock favorites, Rocket From The Tombs and Dead Boys, and now he plays with members of the New York Dolls, The Cult, and Alice Cooper in a group, called Batusis.

"

news

news: "

1 reviews"

Junctionview Studios | 889 Williams Ave. Grandview Hts. OH 43212

Junctionview Studios | 889 Williams Ave. Grandview Hts. OH 43212: "

'Ramona Moon has been gluing onto and performing with art cars since 1978. She is featured in the film and book Wild Wheels. She continues her madcap way with glue in all media and on objects of all sizes. She also enjoys installations and costuming.'

"

30 Minute Meals : Rachael Ray : Food Network

30 Minute Meals : Rachael Ray : Food Network: "

2 reviews"

Junctionview Studios | 889 Williams Ave. Grandview Hts. OH 43212

Junctionview Studios | 889 Williams Ave. Grandview Hts. OH 43212: "

1 reviews"

pharcyde.de

pharcyde.de: "

Drop - The Pharcyde



(Bootie Brown)

Let me freak da funk Obsolete is da punk

That talks more junk than Stanford sells

I jet propel at a rate that I complicate

Their mental state as I invade their masquerade

They couldn't fade with a clipper blade

Ten years in a trade is not enough you can't cut it

I let you take a swing and you bunted for an easy out

I leave M.C.'s with doubt of exceeding

My name is Bootie Brown and I'm proceeding leading

They try to follow...

But they're shallow and hallow

I can see right trough them

like an empty 40 bottle of O.E. they have no key or

no clue to the game at all

Now they're washed up, hung out to dry

Standing there looking stupid, wondering why... (why, man)

It was the fame (fame) that they try to get

Now they're walking round taking 'bout represent

And keep it real But I got to appeal

Cause they're existin in a fantasy

...when ...holding the steel.



(Slim Kid)

Rock-a-bye baby listen to my heart beat pumpin

to a fine ravine of all things it's a vain of a shrine

All missions impossible are possible cause I'm

headed for a new sector three-sixty-five days from now

I'll wipe the sweat from my eye and each and every trip

will stick or fall from the sky of my cloud nine

From homies all the way to chicks no matter how fine

Controlling is a swollen way to wreck a proud mind

Here told it in ya hands and watch a man start crying

Tear after tear in the puppet man's hands

Everytime you take a stance you do the puppet man's dance

And the world's at a stand still deep in a mansville

Trapped in the moat with anvil still killing ya self

And doggin ya health you ain't amphibious so grab

a hold of yourself



(Krumbscull #1)

Sh-sh-shit is ill but trough my will

My flow still will spill 'toxic slick'

to shock you sick like electrocute

When I execute acutely over the rhythm

On those that pollute 'extra dosages'

Is what I gotta give 'em I got 'em tremblin

Cuz I been up in my lab assembling

Missiles to bomb the enemy because they envy me

And the making of my mad currency, currently

I think we're in a state of an emergency

Cuz niggas done 'sold their souls'

And now their souls is 'hollow'

And I think they can't follow they can't swallow

The truth because it hurts this is how I put it down

This is my earth my turf the worth of my birth is

A billion and you know what time is it

I'm gonna make a million"

"

pharcyde.de

pharcyde.de: "

1 reviews"

This Cup is Green | Vidafine

This Cup is Green | Vidafine: "

1 reviews"

Lego: More than Just a Toy | Vidafine

Lego: More than Just a Toy | Vidafine: "

1 reviews"

http://www.newbombturks.com/nbt/columbus_files/PLBO5_poster.jpg

http://www.newbombturks.com/nbt/columbus_files/PLBO5_poster.jpg: "

"

Psychologist and Author, James Hillman, speaking about his book, 'A Terrible Love of War'

Saved as a podcast, this is a recording of an event when renowned psychologist James Hillman spoke about his book, 'A Terrible Love of War'.

I finished the book last night, and I have to say it is one of the best analyses of war I have ever read. Hillman goes deeper into the psychology of why we war than any other analyst I've encountered, and he uses sociocultural anthropology, ethnographic, historical, and sociological methods to break through the skin and stare at the guts. For anyone who is interested in the study of war, conflict, and violence, this book is at the top of my list, and for anti-war activists it is at the top of the top.

217 pages.

http://cdn11.castfire.com/audio/71/796/2431/29751/29751_2008-10-28-195522-151-0-0-0.128.mp3?referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kcet.org%2Fsocal%2Fpodcasts%2Faloud-at-central-library%2Fjames-hillman-on-a-terrible-love-of-war.html

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Biking to Grandview

So, I rode my bike to work for the first time on Friday, and after work I rode down the Olentangy Trail to visit a friend of mine in Grandview. This was the route I took. After riding to work 0n Friday morning, from work to my friend's that evening, and then back home on Saturday morning, I calculated that I had gone about 25 miles. Not bad for my first real bike ride all season.


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

My First Rain Barrel





First, I bought the barrel, which was $15. It once held Kikkoman Soy Sauce.

Then, I drilled holes in the lid so that I could cut the lid off. I used a saw to cut the lid off.

Once the lid was off I was able to clean out the inside of the barrel with soap, water, and a scrub brush.

Next, I drilled a hole for the tap. I forced the tap into the hole and sealed it with plumber's caulk, which turned out to be a bad idea. That stuff just erodes away. Use silicon. I made my own rubber gasket out of a piece of rubber.

Then, I tested the seal. The seal was great when I first tried it out, but eventually, the plumber's caulk gave way.

I screwed some longish screws around the inside edge of the barrel to hold the lid up, because it shrank up. The lid had already been outfitted with a PVC pipe adapter, courtesy of the guy who sold me the barrel. But, that would be the next step if you were to cut your own hole and add an adapter. This adapter makes it easy to go directly from a gutter or PVC pipe into the barrel.

The next part was screwing some mesh screen to the bottom of the lid to keep the mosquitoes out. They're bad this year.

After that, I set up a PVC pipe / adapter / gutter system to run from the roof to the barrel. And that was that. It works great!

Two more to go.

Young Buck at Rush Creek


Young Buck at Rush Creek
Originally uploaded by docrivs.
We were only 8 or 9 feet apart, so I am very grateful that he let me get that close to him and just sit there and shoot. Maybe he was just as curious as I was, or maybe he was just cautious and didn't care that I was there as long as I didn't make any sudden moves. He had a companion off in the woods a little bit away, but I couldn't tell if it was a male or a female, adult or younger. Rush Creek can seem like a magical place sometimes.

Irish Fiddler, Kevin Burke, of Patrick Street - Dublin Irish Festival 2008, Dublin, Ohio


Patrick Street Kevin Burke
Originally uploaded by Cindy Funk.
Great pic!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Down With The Military-Industrial Complex

Read this USA Today article, by Edna Gunderson, about Bob Dylan. Pay close attention to paragraph 22, which is the part where Dylan's words about his song, "Masters of War", were placed. Then, after you've read that paragraph, go back up to the byline of the article and check out the date.

"You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you sit back and watch
While the death count gets higher"

More than 6,000 Coalition Troops, from over 20 different countries, have been killed in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many more 'insurgents'/'anti-occupation' forces members have been killed, whether they were members of Al Quaeda, Taliban, Iraqi army, or some other armed force, or whether they were just lone operators. Many, many more civilians have been killed in these conflicts.

A Perfect Circle - Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drum

From cowtown to the rest of the world... the sheep are warring...

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

An old friend's words... still relevant



We interrupt this program with a special bulletin

America is now under martial law

All constitutional rights have been suspended

Stay in your homes!

Do not attempt to contact love ones, insurance agents or attorneys

SHUT UP!

Do not attempt to think or depression may occur

Stay in your homes!

Curfew is at 7 p.m. sharp, after work

Anyone caught outside of gates of their surveillance sectors after curfew WILL BE SHOT

Remain calm, do not panic

Your neighborhood watch officer will be by to collect urine examples in the morning

Anyone caught interfering with the collection of urine examples WILL BE SHOT

Stay in your homes, remain calm

The number one enemy of progress is question

National security is more important than individual will

All sport broadcasts will proceed as normal

No more than two people may gather anywhere without permission

Use only the drugs described by your boss or supervisor

SHUT UP! BE HAPPY!

Obey all orders without question

The conformity is now mandatory

BE HAPPY!

At last everything is done for you

Sunday, June 06, 2010

How To Make Your Own Rainwater Harvesting Barrel


Using Google Documents I have created a folder dedicated to rainwater harvesting, and in that folder is a PDF document that contains a great set of "how to" instructions for making your very own rainwater catchment system, using a 55 gallon plastic barrel and some very low-cost pieces of hardware. It shouldn't take much more than a half-hour to build one of these.

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Friday, June 04, 2010

Central Ohioans For Peace Tent, ComFest 2010

If anyone interested in speaking briefly at ComFest 2010 (Friday - Sunday, June 25-27, Goodale Park, Columbus, Ohio), leading a discussion more than giving a long presentation (about 10-15 minute presentation, followed by discussion & q&a), at the Central Ohioans For Peace tent please email docrivs@gmail.com or jay@docrivs.com. There is a recommended list of topics, but if you can speak about a peace-related topic, then let me know. Thanks!

About COFP: http://www.centralohioansforpeace.org/aboutus.asp

COFP Meetings Info: http://groups.google.com/group/central-ohioans-for-peace

ComFest: http://www.comfest.com/

Saturday, May 01, 2010

At the Xenos church Recreation Center, for the Bellydancing and Arabic culture fair, Cairo Columbus 2010. Z Nomads booth.

Monday, September 07, 2009

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

FW: CITIZEN OR CONSUMER?

From: Adbusters Magazine [mailto:jammers@lists.adbusters.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 12:59 AM
To: 74730
Subject: CITIZEN OR CONSUMER?

 

CITIZEN OR CONSUMER?

On July 4, declare independence from corporate rule.

A corporation is not a person. It’s an organizational structure that has no morality and feels no remorse. Yet the modern corporation enjoys the same rights as you or I: free speech, the ability to own property, the right to lobby government officials and protection against self-incrimination. Decades of deregulation and laissez-faire capitalist ideology have allowed corporations to steer the world's political, economic, environmental and cultural agendas.

We need a contemporary insurrection to reclaim our democracy, our freedom and our country. We must challenge corporations and take back what is rightfully ours. Flying the Corporate America Flag as a symbol of our rebellion, let's make this July 4 the beginning of the second American Revolution. Let’s declare our independence from corporate rule!

====================================================================

HELP US!

We’re thrilled about our recent victory in the BC Court of Appeal, but the battle is far from over. Leonard Asper and his CanWest cronies have appealed our victory to the Supreme Court of Canada. Our lawyers tell us they don’t stand a chance … they’re just trying to deplete our coffers.

This fight is about media democracy, the voice of civil society and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which gives every human being on the planet the right to seek, receive and impart information without hindrance.

Don’t let Leonard get away with his blatant censorship of the public airwaves. To continue this fight, we must raise $50,000 to cover legal costs – we’ve already raised $12,000. Please go to www.adbusters.org/donate and put something into our coffers.

 

====================================================================

SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS ...

Adbusters #85, Thought Control in Economics, is only a few days away from deadline. We’ve got maverick economists like Herman Daly and Lourdes Beneria offering their views about the current crisis and interviews with Nobel Prize winners George Akerlof, Paul Samuelson and Joseph Stiglitz. But we need your intimate epiphanies peppered throughout … send something juicy to editor@adbusters.org.

If you’re an economics student anywhere in the world craving a different point of view, get in touch with us and we’ll send you a complimentary copy of the issue.

 

 

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Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.374 / Virus Database: 270.12.89/2197 - Release Date: 06/23/09 05:54:00

Monday, June 22, 2009

Saturday, April 04, 2009

A Taste for the Blues in Cowtown

The Patrick McClaughlin Band
I've been looking at the page for the Columbus group, and I thought I'd post a collection of blues music-related links.

Columbus local bluesman, Damian Knapp seems to be a success story. He's won a Columbus Blues Alliance award, and he has a few CDs on the market that appear to be doing well. I like a rather somber acoustic/slide blues tune he does, called "Goin' To Realsville." It's on my MySpace page right now, and Damian has his own MySpace page. Also, I found another page on Damian, indie911. His music is posted on there, and there is a lot of good content.

The Sean Carney Band also has a following in Columbus. He has a voice like Tom Waits and he plays blues guitar like a mf'er. There was a little write-up on Sean in the Columbus Alive.

Dirty Linen has a good page on Events in Ohio.

There is a site for Blues Festivals that has a page on Blues Societies, and on that page, there are links to Ohio blues societies.

You can always check out "The Columbus Dispatch" Weekender page on their website. There are always good blues happenins going on in Columbus.

ColumbusArts is another good place to check for blues events in and around Columbus, for any night.

You can check out the Columbus Alive for any nightlife, concert, and event info. There are restaurant and bar reviews, interviews with chefs, servers, and bartenders. Although, the Alive doesn't necessarily specialize in blues music, it's a great source of info for what's going on in Cowtown.

The Cringe seems to be another great Columbus entertainment-related website. Again, this is not a blues site, but you can find info on events related to all kinds of musical styles here. It's a great site to check out, if you love music.

If you want another place to check out blues events in and around Columbus, then check out BuckeyeBlues.Com. Here, you'll find info on blues festivals, organizations, artists, and fans.

In the Arena District, you have a place called Park Street Tavern, and here you will find great live blues or jazz music just about any night of the week, and the atmosphere is kickin'. Plus, you'll be close to some of the best bars and restaurants in Columbus, and Nationwide Arena, home of the Columbus Blue Jackets (if you're into that kind of thing).

For other music, you can check out the site of the New Basics Brass Band, who have been jamming out brassy funk for years. These guys know how to rock a party with that N'Awlins style white boy funk.

Another band that's been rockin' Cowtown for decades is the Hoodoo Soul Band.

I don't know much about this next band, but Terry Davidson & The Gears have been entertaining all over Columbus for a long time, as well. Check them out.

There is an infamous venue for great blues, located in Grandview. It's a little place on 3rd Street, called The Thirsty Ear. Great place to check out some down-home blues and soul.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

“There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity.” General Douglas MacArthur


i knew i'd find it. i've been trying to think of the exact words of that quote for awhile. there are many ways to say what you said above, but the main point is that with change comes opportunity. i like how general macarthur put that into words, because he included the reality that we sometimes feel the illusion of security when we do things the same way we have always done them. however, there is no security in that. life gives us situations, and it is what we do in those situations that determines our destinies.

another reality is that it is usually action alone that defines us in our own self-perceptions and our 'selves' in the the perceptions of others.

i've sought love and trust and respect from people, based on 'who i am' (as you put it) - based on my own perception of who i am, as a person. other peoples' opinions that have been voiced to me (directly or indirectly) about myself have colored my own self-perceptions also, and have become part of my self-perception. what i've found, in reality, is that people give love and trust and respect based on one's actions - not some illusion of who you are as a person.

life deals your cards, to put it in another way, and it doesn't matter what you've done in the past, how good or bad of a card player you are, or what kind of a history you've had as a person, the only thing that really matters is what you do with that hand - right here. right now.

you'll remember what you made of a situation. other people that were touched by the experience also will remember what you made of that situation. most people won't take the time to analyze your history - where you came from, your childhood, your younger years, your middle years. what they'll remember is that one moment where you shined (or bombed?) and they saw it happen.

you've probably heard the phrase, 'never rest on your laurels'. it means don't hold so much pride in your past achievements that you forget that you are still alive - that life hasn't stopped putting you in challenging situations and opportunities to shine and grow and develop.

life seems crazy and chaotic most of the time, but when you reach the final years of your life i think it will all make sense. you'll look back and say, now i see how i came to be where i am today. this led to that. that led to this. this allowed this to happen. that prevented this from happening. that led to this. the road is much clearer then.

i'm not that old. 36. i just know enough from my own experiences that this is what we can expect when we look back at 40, 50, 60, 70, or more years of life - if we have the ability to recall that far and are cogent enough to synthesize all that information.

i've been in a similar situation as you are in - looking forward to change - to a new job in a new place - possibly a new lifestyle. i know how it can be exciting, scary, hopeful, and sad, all at the same time.

i wish you well.

...and (*clink*)... here's to new beginnings and the possibilities for further adventures.

Monday, March 23, 2009

How to master an artistic skill

"mastering the guitar has been one of my greatest accomplishments so far."


How I did it: it's something i worked really hard at, although i've enjoyed it all the way. i don't think you ever really 'master' something in the sense that you couldn't improve somehow. it's just that i've reached a level on the guitar where i can say that i feel like i can do what i want to do with it and make the music i hear with it. how did i do it? discipline, practice, hard work, open mind, listening, and practice... oh... and practice.


Lessons & tips: practice. find a teacher. love what you do.


Resources: videos. books. the internet. other musicians. teachers.


It made me rock!

making room for new goals

i just haven’t had the desire to really do this. the idea is interesting to me, and i’ve actually followed other people online who do this. it’s very cool – portable art that people find. i just haven’t done anything with it, and i don’t mind saying that i think i can live without accomplishing this task. it’s not a goal. it’s an idea.

10 weeks of walking to work everyday

it’s been about 10 weeks since i found a new job within walking distance of my home, and i have never regretted having to walk to work. it’s just a short walk – about 10 minutes – but if i get up early enough it is a relaxing time to shuffle down main street towards the office. after work, i love not having to fight traffic. i’ve felt much more free than i have for a long time. now… grocery shopping is a different story. walking home with 5 or 6 bags of groceries really sucks. i did that last week, instead of taking a cab home, and it was a bad idea. the plastic bags stretched almost to the point of coming apart, and they were much too heavy for walking. my backpack can only hold so much, and i am not going to be dragging a wagon down the street or sneaking off with a grocery cart. i’m thinking about an electric scooter or maybe a very fuel-efficient or even hybrid personal vehicle. i’m still walking to work, though.

i've been thinking a lot about design, style, and fashion lately

for most of my life i haven’t really put too much thought into what i wear – the clothes that i pick off the rack. if i have an unconscious liking for a t-shirt, a button-down, or a pair of shorts or pants, then i try it out. however, i’ve mainly shopped in the ‘big box’ kind of stores – target, kohl’s, walmart, marshalls… i haven’t really wanted to spend a lot of time picking out clothes, trying them on, and spending a lot of money. now, however, i realize that i just have no unique style. i just wear these generic clothes that don’t really fit me well. my favorite clothes are usually the clothes that certain people in my life have given to me as gifts. on the other hand, i have all of these other bits of clothes that i don’t even really wear, that i bought, and they just take up my closet space and keep me from buying newer clothes. i see things i like, but i feel like it’s a waste of money to buy them. then, when i feel like i need clothes i go buy clothes that i see on the rack – generic, boring, and tiresome. so, now, i want to empty my closet of a lot of what’s in there and replace them with clothes that i pick out – that i really like and will honestly wear – clothes that make outfits. this is not a gay thing. this is not a ‘metrosexual’ thing. this is an ‘i want to look how i want to look’ thing. the same goes for the haircut. i tend to shave my head when i get tired of my hair being in that mid-way point between short and long. i want a haircut that i can actually maintain and ‘style’ without having to do much with it. that’s what’s so great about a shaved head – no need to do anything. but, i guess i’m bored of having no hair.

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