Final Post on The Road from Demockery

I am finally tired of politics. I am especially tired of all the people who are tired of politics. The word "politics" is Greek-derived for "city building." Who doesn't want a say on how their cities are built? Who would get tired of trying to get their voice heard? I'm tired of being tired. So, I'm going to leave that realm to the authorities on it. In other words, the least capable hands around. (Who understands libery better than an authority, anyway?)

No more politics period. I'm going to vote the way I will vote come Tuesday, and four years from now, I'll find some way of distracting myself during that campaign season. I don't count on campaigns to give me the information I need in order to be an informed voter. It's all about histrionics. I will try to stay on top of the voting records of as many representatives and governors as possible, and base my decision on whether or not those people understand the founding principles of this country. It will never for me be about who has the toughest stance on foreign policy (just don't be too freakin' weak, ok?), but who will not try to say that this is a country founded on one religion. It isn't. Don't believe me? Look for yourself. (The founders were predominantly of one religion, but they new not to allow that to run the country. True, theocratic countries have been remarkably stable for long stretches at a time. Look at the price, though. There is rampant oppression of all other religions, and by the time these countries do fall, they fall hard.)

So, what will I have in place of politics? How about recipes? That'll be nice.
David Aaron's Dumplings and Chicken
You'll need;
One crock pot
One whole roaster chicken
Enough water to just cause the chicken to float
Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic Seasoning
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups milk

Remove giblets (gizzards, kidneys, liver) and discard (or save, if you like those parts ... Yecch.) Rinse chicken in cold water. Place chicken, breast up, in crock pot and fill pot with enough water to make chicken float (but taking care to not over fill). Add Poultry Magic Seasoning to taste. Cook chicken on low setting for twelve hours.

Basically, at this point, you'll be making biscuits (unsweetened scones), only you'll be dropping them in chicken broth. My measurements will be totally off, because I don't measure anything. Increase crock pot to high setting, and drop dumplings into broth.

Enjoy!

What's Up with that Audioblog?

I've tried to use it a couple of times. One time I knew it was I who screwed it up. I was calling in my post from a cell phone, and was joking about bad connections and hung up on myself in the middle of a word. On purpose. Only seconds later did I realize that maybe I should have stayed on the line to see if there were any more hoops to jump through before my voice would show up here.

The next time, I called from the same cell phone (free nationwide long distance, unlimited weekend minutes). Not only am I not paying for the phone, I'm not racking up any charges when I'm trying to use it for my own little schemes.

That time, I stayed on the line, pushed the #(pound) key after I was done (just like it said to do), and nothing showed up. Repeat that for the third attempt.

As for the fourth time ... I don't know what I can do differently. I'll try it one more time. If that doesn't work, I'll find some other way to get my voice heard. For now, I'm going to do some research to see how to get this thing started ...

Do You, Err, Yahoo?

I do now. I have a Geocities site which will be a weekly digest (don't get the juices on you ... They're caustic) of what I write here. I've noticed that what I do on This Space for Rent could be quite a bit more elaborate, if I really tried. And, I've been too lazy ... Mmm ... Busy ... To try.

In case you're wondering, I no longer worry about mentioning any of Google's competitors on my site. I'm going to be using both, and thereby creating more advertising space for people who want to sell you something over the web.

Hey, I'm just trying to do my part to help boost the economy!

So, follow this link to the as of yet unnamed Yahoo Geocities site I just set up yesterday! (Try not to be too disappointed. I'm still reviewing this site so I can put up the first digest by Saturday.)

Have a good day, all!

To borrow from a new online acquaintance, here are some lines from Hall and Oates' "Do It for Love"

I won't do it for money

I won't do it for pride

I won't do it to please somebody else

If it don't feel right

But I'll do it for you
And at least I'll try

I don't need any other reason

If I feel it deep inside

I'll do it for love

Humpday Quote of the Week!

I'm glad I'm not bisexual. I couldn't stand being rejected by men as well as women.
-----Bernard Manning.

And I thought I came up with that one a few years ago ...

Writers' Groups are Cool ... When the Other Writers Show Up

Don't let the title fool you ... The writers' group I met with last night was cool enough. It was just me and the proprietor of Reincarnated Books close to my neighborhood. I met up (in person!) with another ... Let's say "outsider" ... Like myself.

I've had a bit of an Omega Man syndrome going. I have lived under the assumption that I was one of only a very few around who still mourned the passing of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I found out last night that not only am I not the only one who would mourn that passing, but the spirit is alive and well. The lady who owns the bookstore says that she and her friends have a competition going to see who can bring about the crummiest movies for the others to watch. They sit around and make comments while those movies are playing. In case you're wondering, yes, I would very much like to end up watching such movies with these people!

In fact, last night while combing the shelves of Wal-Mart and Mejier's for Todd Rundgren's The Individualist (or the Scooby Doo 1 DVD ... in an outtake Velma sings "Can't Take My Eyes off of You!" Rrrraaaooooaaaarrr!), I found three very bad 50s sci-fi movies on DVD for a dollar each ("Attack of the Giant Leeches," "The Manster," and "The Beast of Yucca Flats." The last one is a Tor Johnson movie. It has nothing to do with Scrappy Doo.) I'm going (possibly to force myself) to watch these movies. It'll probably be more fun with other people around cracking on them, but I'll use my imagination to come up with a few one liners myself.

I am going to be making time for this writing group. It meets every other Monday (and there are usually no less than four other writers there), so I'll be taking two Mondays off a month. (Or, I might find another job that allows me to have off in the afternoons. I think I like that option just as much.)

I Know What I'll Be Doing on November 20^th!

I've spoken about the fact that I would have loved to have had a family right now. And, now more than ever, I wish there is something I could have done in the past (other than the obvious) to have made that dream come true. I'm not going through another bout of the blues for not having wife and children by now ... It simply hasn't happened (yet), and I've made peace with that. It's just I don't know how it's going to be when I go to a particular movie next month ... By myself.

I feel comfortable enough that I can tell people (even total strangers) that I still love cartoons. I even enjoy the new ones. Like Johnny Bravo, the Powerpuff Girls, Aquateen Hunger Force, and even Samurai Jack (and I'm normally not into those high action shows!)

But, there is a special place in my heart for this particular cartoon. I can't even explain why. I mean, like the others I listed, this one came out when I was in my early (if not mid) twenties. There is no mistaking that it is meant for children. I suppose, though, that it has to do with the comic timing the people who work on this show have. I'm talking about SpongeBob SquarePants.

Check out the trailers, you'll know why I want to see it. And, I'm not going to let the idea that I won't have kids of my own around me as I watch this movie bother me a bit!

Tha Road Blogg!

For the next two weekends coming up, I have road trips. Coming up this week is another trip down to Alabama. For those of you reading from the South, I apologize for what I say next.

I've never been too nuts about The South (and that whole Confederate Flag thing is a complete turn-off for me.) You know your history. You know what kind of stuff was happening down there even as recently as the last half of the previous century. But, you know what? There are an awful lot of very nice people down there. Equally beautiful is the scenery. There is still pain (and why shouldn't there be?) Heaven knows a lot of troublesome things have happened there. However, trouble follows wherever humanity goes. Then again, so do hope and healing. Pandora's box is opened everytime we enter a new stage in our history, and as the contents scatter, the final occupant remains.

So, the south is a place of healing. I can feel it in the air down in Muscle Shoals. (Disregard what Skynyrd said about Neil Young. That was a miscommunication. Neither Skynyrd nor Young should have anything nasty to say about each other. I took it that Skynyrd meant to say "the past is gone, and we don't hang folks because of the color of their skin anymore." And, Neil meant to say, "Don't forget the terrible things your forebearers did." Neither had a bad message, I think.)

So, with all this talk of healing, hope, and music, I'll make a jarring transition into the following weekend's road trip.

I'll be going to Louisville, Kentucky to watch a live wrestling match. Yeah, the real WWE thing. (It used to be WWF, but there was some confusion about an wildlife foundation ... I wish I'd have been paying attention to the news a few years ago. I would have found it incredibly funny that the World Wrestling Federation was being sued by the World Wildlife Fund. I still think it's funny, but I wish I could have watched that play out in real time!)

I have never been to a wrestling match before, and I don't know what to expect. It's going to be on Halloween, so I'm thinking there might be quite a few people in costume for it ... I plan to dress as Shaggy from Scooby Doo, and I'm already working on the goatee, and I'll be hitting the Goodwill stores in search of a green shirt and brown bell bottoms ...

My friends are expecting the Undertaker to be there .......

I've never really gotten into the storylines of modern wrestling. Though I am looking forward to seeing people pretend to hate each other, then really pound the hell out of each other, and then go somewhere and have a beer or two together to celebrate a good show (like the friends they are in real life.)

Station Break. And Now a Word from Our Sponsor.

Does life have you down? Do daily situations have you on the ground? Do you feel like the whole world is just kicking you in the teeth?

Despair no more. Help is on the way. Allow four to six weeks for delivery, so act now!

Get on your computer and order your free lifetime supply of Blogitol(tm)!

Side effects are generally mild but include:
Expanded circle of friends
Accidental alienation of old friends
Unintentional miscommunication among family members
Improvement of communication among family members
Loss of job
New job opportunities
Increased enjoyment of life
Increased anxiety about life
Greater love of politics
Greater disdain for politics
Exposure to new ideas
And a complete and total new outlook on the whole world!

Ziiiiiiiiinnnggg!!

This is from one of my "It Really, Really Happened!" files.

So, let me set the scene.

Four years ago, I worked at a wastewater treatment plant. I could go into details here, but I've been out of that line of work for long enough that I'm starting to lose my appetite when I think about where I worked. But, suffice it to say, part of my ... ermm ... Duties ... Involved cleaning machinery.

The building I worked out of had absolutely no storage space. It was mostly open spaces, with a truck bay (the ... mmm ... Dump truck ... Was parked under two large funnels and three pipes that delivered ... *shudder* ......)

Anyway, since I couldn't store my supplies or equipment in my building, they had to be stored about a quarter of a mile away in the Maintenance building. I was always getting down there (arriving by golf cart, which was FUN during the winter ... Mmmm! Donuts!) as the maintenance guys were having their meeting.

Up into my mid twenties, I was very much a morning person. That draggy period which the morning crankies wore off has pretty much always been short for me. And, I was the kind of little perky-jerk that could get on peoples' nerves (if they are of the proper mindset, at least. People usually ignored me until they woke up.)

One day I was walking through their morning meeting, doing my normal routine. This particular morning, the boss was assigning jobs for his crew to do for the rest of the day. One guy got an assignment he normally didn't get (these men, for the record, are licensed mechanics, so anything other than preventative maintenance and/or repair is not something they usually expect.)

The dialogue, right as I was walking by;
Boss: JIM!
Jim: [Who had looked nearly asleep in his chair a moment before. Sitting bolt upright now] WHAT?
Boss: [as David Aaron crosses the scene]I need you to hose out the tanks today.
Jim: [as David Aaron approaches within inches of him] Tanks?
David Aaron: [Leaning in toward Jim, placing a hand on his shoulder] Yar Velcome! [Walks immediately away to gather cleaning supplies]
Jim: [After blinking and a three-beat pause. As David Aaron crosses quickly out of the scene with a bucket of supplies in his grip:] Man, it is too early in the morning for that shi...!

Humpday Quote of the Week!

Your potential is full. Empty it out. It's starting to stink.
from a Homestar Runner Fortune Cookie

Out of the Blue and into the Blog

Receptionist:[Phone Rings] Hello, you've reached the veterinary
practice of Dr. Heisenberg. How may I help you? [pause] I'm sorry. I can only tell you where he is, but I don't know what he's doing.

Afterword

Keep in mind folks, I used to be a physics student. If this is a bit far out for your tastes, I'm sorry. I just couldn't hold it back anymore.

Awww, Ffffffffffuuuuuudddddgggggggge!
Forget the foreboding, fastidious folks! Finally, a formerly formidable faux-paus may be uttered!

A Feature I've Never Used Before

I was just poking around, and I decided to use the BlogThis feature more for my own reasons than for anyone's entertainment. (I started at my blogger profile and clicked on one of my interest links. I got back a list of other people who had common interests, and started reading random blogs tonight. The profile for the blogger who writes Curbside Prophet has as one of her favorite books Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman. Very interesting book, also one of my favorites ... I consider it recommended reading. ...If you ever want a good idea about just how loose security was around Los Alamos even sixty years ago ...)

I Have Done the Impossible!

I've kicked myself for not being able to do it before. Although, everyone else I've ever talked to says they can't do it either. That just isn't good enough for me. I want to be able to do the things no one else can.

When I was a child, I wanted to be able to fly by flapping my arms. I've long since given up on that. (Let's face it ... What adult out there can seriously say they aren't disappointed that flight could never happen like that?)

As I got older, I got into one of those fantasies I know now to be typical for my demographic. I wanted to be an astronaut. Of course, no one had the heart to tell me about neither the strong math skills needed, nor the physical conditioning, nor the discipline to achieve either one. I got that idea on my own after watching as much Nova on PBS as I could.

Since I gave up on that, the next dream was to become an actor. I've succeeded at that! If you look at the statistics, for every actor working in the field, there are dozens (if not hundreds) working day jobs. That, and the pay stays low, except for the relative few that make it really big in the movies. (If you note, however, that even these folks may go a couple of years between really good paying gigs, their tremendous salaries look to be as they are ... Anomalous.) So, if you figure that the average actor is underpaid in their profession (hey! I never got paid when I was doing it!), and they spend lots of time between gigs (it's been eleven years for me, this month), then I can seriously say;
"I'm an Actor!"

That doesn't count, then, in the world of impossibility. I've done it. It's easy to do (not so easy to be successful, but I never said anything about success).

What's not so easy to do is what I did today.

I'm wearing my favorite shirt. It's a Dragonfly (for those of you out there who know what that might mean), it's almost totally white except for some red flame-like design around the bottom with the same design around each sleeve. I never miss an opportunity to wear this shirt ... I love it so much ... But it never fails that whenever I do, I end up eating pasta. Every ... Single ... Time. You can guess what happens every ... Single ... Time when I do.

That shirt winds up with some extra red designs on it.

That didn't happen today. I don't know why. Maybe this shirt's starting to become ... Lucky ...?

Goodbye, Rodney.

When I heard the news last night, I knew I was going to abandon the quote I've had picked out for the past few weeks. Rodney Dangerfield died yesterday at about one thirty in the afternoon. Since I never featured him in my blog, and never included a link to his site (nor did I even think to look for his site), I didn't want anyone to think I'd never heard of him. I, in fact, very much have heard of him. And, he was one of my childhood favorites.

Sheesh.

I never gave him any respect!

People say fish is good for a diet. But fish should never be cooked in butter. Fish should be cooked in its natural oils - Texaco, Mobil, Exxon...
-----Rodney Dangerfield

Proof of Creativity

I know it seems that I've allowed my writing to fall by the wayside. For a small part, that's true; I've cleared off some of my writing schedule to read Beowulf and parts the complete works of Edgar Alan Poe.

But, I'm doing that to see how it's going to influence my writing. I'm going to try to do some short fiction. It's been a very, very long time since I've completed a short story (and I've never completed one to my own satisfaction, anyway).

For the time being, though, I will post a little lyric I wrote ... Based on Warren Zevon's Excitable Boy and Scrappy Doo.

Excitable Pup
With apologies to the late Warren Zevon, his family and estate, as well as Hanna Barbera, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network. Also, all the Scrappy Doo fans out there.

Well, he flew from the train in a tiny box
Excitable pup, they all said
And he ever said, "Hey, put 'em up!"
Excitable pup, they all said
Well, he's just an excitable pup

He took on the Ghouls when uncle Scooby ran
Excitable pup, they all said
And he'd sometimes pee on Daphne in the Van
Excitable pup, they all said
Well, he's just an excitable pup

The gang got weary round about Yucca Flats
Excitable pup, they all said
After ten long years, he snuck out of the Flats
Excitable pup, they all said
Well, he’s just an excitable pup

And he took Spooky Island, tried to take the world, too
Excitable pup, they all said
With the Gang back together, his plans fell through
Excitable pup, they all said
Well, he's just an excitable pup

Breaking News, Everyone!
(Or, Networking At Its Finest!)

I broke down and joined a fan forum on Yahoo .... Do I get to talk about a competing site on a Google driven blog?

Anyway, I've joined this group, and I've asked permission to include a link directly to them, and their fan art section. Soon, I'll let more news out ... For now, let's say I think I've found a place for people like me on the web. This blog and now the fan forum prove it!