Magic World
Current mood: jubilant
Ooooooh, I just love these mornings where I wake up, look out the window, and see the city covered in fog and mist! I get this strange, magical, medieval feeling when the skyscrapers are covered in fog and the car lights are just dots moving through mist.
I'm always wistful at the passing of summer into fall, but it's mornings like these that remind me all seasons are special. Lyrics from the song "Season Cycle" by one of my favorite bands, XTC, pop into my head:
"Season Cycle"
Season cycle moving round and round
Pushing life up from a cold dead ground
It's growing green
It's growing green, well
Darling don't you ever stop to wonder
About the clouds about the hail and thunder
'Bout the baby and its umbilical
Who's pushing the pedals on the season cycle?
Summer chased by Autumn
Autumn chased by Winter
(season cycle go from death to life)
Winter chased by Springtime
(bring a harvest or a man his wife)
Springtime's turning
(it's growing green, it's growing green, well)
Darling, don't you ever sit and ponder
(darling did you ever think)
About the building of the hills a yonder
(all this life stuff's closely linked)
Where we're going in this verdant spiral
Who's pushing the pedals on the season cycle?
Round and round and round and round
I really get confused on who would make all this
(is there a God in Heaven)
Everybody says join our religion get to Heaven
I say no thanks why bless my soul
I'm already there!
Autumn is Royal
As Spring is clown
But to repaint Summer
They're closing Winter down
(Music and Lyrics by Andy Partridge)
Currently listening :
Skylarking
By XTC
Release date: 14 May, 2002
Friday, September 8, 2006
Friday, September 1, 2006
We're Killin' Ahselves Heah!
We're Killin' Ahselves Heah!
Current mood: bitchy
You know, it's absolutely ridiculous that I only get 2 weeks of vacation every year. And I work my ass off, every single day. I think that people should have a minimum of at least 6 weeks a year away from their workplace. Just think how much more valuable of an employee I'd be if I had enough time away to make sure things in my personal life were all settled. Sometimes it's such a rush just getting all the little errands, projects, and goals in your life accomplished. Not to mention the countries I'd like to travel to but don't want to waste thousands of $$ just for a lame weeklong visit (you can't do shit in a single week. I'd say it takes a minimum of a month to really start feelin' the culture)
A couple weeks ago I had drinks with an old friend from college, Ben from Germany. He was here, of course, on vacation; one of the many he takes to all parts of the globe every year. He was explaining to me how his company gave him 2 paid months off a year, and how this went above and beyond Germany's mandatory 6-week requirement. And he has a good, skilled, high-paying job! What the fuck? How can he have his cake and eat it too?
We Americans are just plain crazy! Why do only give ourselves 2 weeks a year? Just to get a little step ahead of the next guy? This capitalism/free market thing, while a good thing for my wallet, sometimes isn't the best thing for the soul.
Currently listening :
Global Underground: Cape Town
By Dave Seaman
Release date: 22 August, 2000
Current mood: bitchy
You know, it's absolutely ridiculous that I only get 2 weeks of vacation every year. And I work my ass off, every single day. I think that people should have a minimum of at least 6 weeks a year away from their workplace. Just think how much more valuable of an employee I'd be if I had enough time away to make sure things in my personal life were all settled. Sometimes it's such a rush just getting all the little errands, projects, and goals in your life accomplished. Not to mention the countries I'd like to travel to but don't want to waste thousands of $$ just for a lame weeklong visit (you can't do shit in a single week. I'd say it takes a minimum of a month to really start feelin' the culture)
A couple weeks ago I had drinks with an old friend from college, Ben from Germany. He was here, of course, on vacation; one of the many he takes to all parts of the globe every year. He was explaining to me how his company gave him 2 paid months off a year, and how this went above and beyond Germany's mandatory 6-week requirement. And he has a good, skilled, high-paying job! What the fuck? How can he have his cake and eat it too?
We Americans are just plain crazy! Why do only give ourselves 2 weeks a year? Just to get a little step ahead of the next guy? This capitalism/free market thing, while a good thing for my wallet, sometimes isn't the best thing for the soul.
Currently listening :
Global Underground: Cape Town
By Dave Seaman
Release date: 22 August, 2000
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Accidents Happen!
Accidents Happen!
Current mood: uncomfortable
There was a super-nasty accident in the Medical/Dental Building parking lot today. That's the building directly west of my office on 6th and Pine. I guess there were 2 people literally mangled in between 2 cars. The rear car apparently hit the acceleration rather than the brake. (Makes my spine tingle!) As I walked by, I saw one of the women being carried out on a stretcher. Her hip bone was sticking off the side of the stretcher. This is one of the nastiest things I think I've ever seen in person. It's burned into my mind right now the way you get sunspots after you look at the sun.
As with everything, I tend to dig a little deeper. I am not a huge fan of outrightly violent movies, but some of my close friends absolutely live for the stuff. Our culture in general is very attuned to and desensitized to violence. (And strangely puritanical about a couple of things I happen to like a lot---sex and nudity!) I noticed that other passersby were not nearly as shocked and concerned as I'd become. There were a few exceptions, of course. But in general it was business as usual.
Does this mean I need to go out and buy a TV and tune in to CSI, etc., like the rest of the country? Should I quit with the obscure documentaries and artsy-fartsy story-based indie films; and seek out blood-and-guts action instead? (I did, after all, check out SoaP last weekend, although that was more of a comedy...)
I just dunno. Today's social mores seem to indicate that my skin is not thick enough, if a little bloody exposed hip bone wigs me out. Sensitivity is not a good trait to carry into the 21st century, it seems. Yet I can't stop thinking about these 2 poor people. I wonder how civilians in Iraq and Lebanon (not to mention the Congo, again, and Darfur) deal with the constant blood and gore they are surrounded with every day.
On a side note, I've never been more pleased with the fact that I don't own a car. Destructive machines, those.
Currently listening :
The Age of Plastic
By The Buggles
Release date: 15 June, 1990
Current mood: uncomfortable
There was a super-nasty accident in the Medical/Dental Building parking lot today. That's the building directly west of my office on 6th and Pine. I guess there were 2 people literally mangled in between 2 cars. The rear car apparently hit the acceleration rather than the brake. (Makes my spine tingle!) As I walked by, I saw one of the women being carried out on a stretcher. Her hip bone was sticking off the side of the stretcher. This is one of the nastiest things I think I've ever seen in person. It's burned into my mind right now the way you get sunspots after you look at the sun.
As with everything, I tend to dig a little deeper. I am not a huge fan of outrightly violent movies, but some of my close friends absolutely live for the stuff. Our culture in general is very attuned to and desensitized to violence. (And strangely puritanical about a couple of things I happen to like a lot---sex and nudity!) I noticed that other passersby were not nearly as shocked and concerned as I'd become. There were a few exceptions, of course. But in general it was business as usual.
Does this mean I need to go out and buy a TV and tune in to CSI, etc., like the rest of the country? Should I quit with the obscure documentaries and artsy-fartsy story-based indie films; and seek out blood-and-guts action instead? (I did, after all, check out SoaP last weekend, although that was more of a comedy...)
I just dunno. Today's social mores seem to indicate that my skin is not thick enough, if a little bloody exposed hip bone wigs me out. Sensitivity is not a good trait to carry into the 21st century, it seems. Yet I can't stop thinking about these 2 poor people. I wonder how civilians in Iraq and Lebanon (not to mention the Congo, again, and Darfur) deal with the constant blood and gore they are surrounded with every day.
On a side note, I've never been more pleased with the fact that I don't own a car. Destructive machines, those.
Currently listening :
The Age of Plastic
By The Buggles
Release date: 15 June, 1990
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Obligatory Sports Post
Obligatory Sports Post
Current mood: disappointed
OK, I just have to say it.
The Mariners officially suck. Thanks for getting my hopes all up, guys, and then proceeding to play like they couldn't beat my grandma's softball team for the past 2 weeks... Can't believe I thought we had a chance at the playoffs. Either suck, or be good, but stop jerking us around! I'd be fired from my job if I was that inconsistent.
OK, that's it. Had to get it off my chest. Back to your regularly scheduled existential blogs and survey bulletins.
Currently listening :
Power, Corruption & Lies
By New Order
Release date: 25 October, 1990
Current mood: disappointed
OK, I just have to say it.
The Mariners officially suck. Thanks for getting my hopes all up, guys, and then proceeding to play like they couldn't beat my grandma's softball team for the past 2 weeks... Can't believe I thought we had a chance at the playoffs. Either suck, or be good, but stop jerking us around! I'd be fired from my job if I was that inconsistent.
OK, that's it. Had to get it off my chest. Back to your regularly scheduled existential blogs and survey bulletins.
Currently listening :
Power, Corruption & Lies
By New Order
Release date: 25 October, 1990
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
The Price of Commerce
The Price of Commerce
Current mood: hungry
I love living next to the Pike Place Market. It's important to me to support local farmers. I love handing them my cash, having them make me change from the pouches on their belts, and the general old-fashioned form of free market capitalism on a very small scale.
Plus, I swear to Whomever that it tastes better. Safeway peppers are all slimy and obnoxiously large. The peppers at the market are fresh, crisp, and full of flavor. The guy who runs the organic stand is like an old friend of mine now. When I walk by, he always shouts out a recommendation to me, knowing that I'll take it straight home into some random concoction for the evening. I give him my feedback, and he passes it along to the farmers.
I wish I could participate more in small-scale commerce. Living in a major city makes that difficult, although recently I have begun to support small internet businesses, which you can do from anywhere. But at least the market is always there for me, and I don't have to pay some suit a percentage of my food budget.
Currently listening :
Dare!
By The Human League
Release date: 16 September, 1997
Current mood: hungry
I love living next to the Pike Place Market. It's important to me to support local farmers. I love handing them my cash, having them make me change from the pouches on their belts, and the general old-fashioned form of free market capitalism on a very small scale.
Plus, I swear to Whomever that it tastes better. Safeway peppers are all slimy and obnoxiously large. The peppers at the market are fresh, crisp, and full of flavor. The guy who runs the organic stand is like an old friend of mine now. When I walk by, he always shouts out a recommendation to me, knowing that I'll take it straight home into some random concoction for the evening. I give him my feedback, and he passes it along to the farmers.
I wish I could participate more in small-scale commerce. Living in a major city makes that difficult, although recently I have begun to support small internet businesses, which you can do from anywhere. But at least the market is always there for me, and I don't have to pay some suit a percentage of my food budget.
Currently listening :
Dare!
By The Human League
Release date: 16 September, 1997
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