Self-talkers: Lock your phones

If you are the type of person with a tendency to talk to yourself, you must always lock your cellphone keypad.

American Idol, or, "I'm crushing your head."

American Idol is back on, some of my favorite treadmill/TV material. But I think I'm becoming too sensitive for this show. I mean, I really don't like watching Simon tear down naive, young dreamers. There is nothing funny about such a shocking reality check. It's not even interesting looking to me... Just cruel.

Funny, I had something profound to say about American Idol- oh yeah... All of the competitors should be required to read Victor Frankl's, "Man's Search For Meaning," especially the part 2, where in speaking of existential dilemmas and "success," it is concluded that the only way to ever achieve "success," is to stop pursuing it and just "be."

I suppose that would destroy the ratings, if the show consisted of a bunch of young stars who were at peace with themselves and the universe around them, full of gratitude, love, and acceptance.

But really, I don't like to see them being crushed.

WebCam

On the record, I was streaming on webcam32 with my 3com homeconnect as early as 1999. Back then, no one thought of it as a "real" application for business, social, or any other purposes. It was only novelty (except my grandparents seemed to like it when they could see me from Alabama). Note: if you see a random still picture, this means the webcam is offline.



I'm so awesome.


You know what? I am not entirely sure that either Mo or Leroy realize that the little, blinking, green webcam light means that someone out there loves them a little.

Secret cat communications

Holy crap, check this out: I just found one of my cats (Mo), sitting upstairs by the cold air return vent, apparently LISTENING, as his brother meowed loudly downstairs, near another air vent!

About Treadmills, or, Treadmill Workstation: the dream begins

[Note, 12/8/08: due to popular demand, all internet treadmill walkstation/workstation posts have been moved the the following blog, http://internet-treadmill-workstation.blogspot.com/. ]

My favorite thing about treadmilling, or "riding" the treadmill, is playing guitar at the same time. I really can lose myself, and the hour goes by before I know it. It makes the "fat burn" (slow) setting not so boring, too.

My second favorite is smelling the kitty litter that sits beside the treadmill.

The dartboard has nothing to do with the treadmill. That was just a phase, I think, and it might be time to move the board to the garage.

Time, Relativity, Beauty, Childhood, Nature, Poetry, Love, Wonder, and Jack Johnson

I believe there are truths that transcend our current tools of language. Shades of meaning that can be captured in a painting, song, or shared experience.

Why is Jack Johnson's little "Spring Wind" ditty so moving??? It's clearly not the chords: D-G-A-D-G-A-G-D-A-Bm-D-G-D-A-Bm-G-A-D. I can play these chords without being paralyzed with emotion. Although they do seem to resonate with something deep inside.

G D G
All my friends are getting older,
A BM
I guess I must be too.
G
Without their love and kindness
A
I don't want I'll do
G D
Oh the wine bottle's half empty
A BM
The money's all been spent
G
We're a cross between our parents
A
And hippies in a tent.

G D
Oh, Love calls just like a wild bird
A BM
It's just another day
G A D
Spring blew my list of things to do away.

G,D,G,D

G D G
In a mucked up lovely river
A BM
I cast my little fly
G
But I look at that river and I smell it and
A
it makes me want to cry, Oh
G D
To clean our dirty planet
A BM
Now there's a noble wish
G
Now I putting shoulder to the wheel
A
Cause I wanna catch some fish, Oh
G D
Love calls just like a wild bird
A BM
It's just another day
G A D
Spring blew my list of things to do away.

I'm thinking about dissecting this, because there was a lot I had to say about what this song evokes (see title), but the interesting thing is, when I use the analytical part of my mind to try to pick the song apart, it's like the feelings are no longer accessible. Weird.

Joe vs. the Volcano

I think Joe vs. The Volcano was brilliant, and I don't care who knows! Perhaps there has never been a more powerful portrayal of a meaningless, miserable office life.

Secret, off-the-grid babies

So I asked my doctor wife (not my doctor- she is my wife and she is a doctor that sometimes helps bring babies into the world), "Do babies come out of their mommies with Social Security Numbers?

If not, do you know when they get a birth certificate, and when they get a social? I'm contemplating the pros and cons of having an "off-the-grid baby." Once I know when they receive socials, and if they can bypass this when born at home, I can ask dad about property ownership and bank accounts, as well as IRS law.

Health care and education might be a problem, too, but there is home schooling, and Jehova's Witnesses, the Amish, and Christian Scientists have pioneered the "no healthcare" waters, right?"


To which she replied, "i don't know how birth certificates work, really. when i deliver a baby, i have to sign a paper certifying the birth, but that paper then goes to some administrative office and the certificate that mom and dad get is issued to them several days later. as far as social security numbers go, i do know that parents have to apply for that separately, and children aren't required to have them."

So, this leaves many unanswered questions. Primarily, I wonder at what point a U.S.-born person is required to be documented. I mean, wouldn't be a neat gift to a child to give them the option of citizenship and tax payment?

Why am I wondering this? Because of the immigration debate, and thoughts about representative government. Do undocumented immigrants always want citizenship? If not, why?

My Hands are Bananas

I applaud My Hands are Bananas. Great concept, but a little tiring towards the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO10s_HK6d0&NR

The Famous Rebecca Bryant

[just discovered this gem while doing some HDD housecleaning]

My sister, Rebecca Bryant, has officially surpassed me in "airtime," while I still hold a comfortable lead in the blogging category. Speaking of "lead," the reason for Rebecca's new found fame has to do with Architecture, Green Building, LEED Certification, and stuff that generally makes the world a better place.

Check it out:

1. article (linking to webcast) here: http://cr0ck3tt.com/blogs/crockettdunn_blogspot_com/Rebecca_Bryant_Leed_Certified_Green_Architecture/KUHF City Buildings Go Green (2004-06-23).htm
   
2. webcast (live), here: http://www.kuhf.org/upload/multimedia/green-building.ram
3. webcast (archived wav file), here: http://cr0ck3tt.com/blogs/crockettdunn_blogspot_com/Rebecca_Bryant_Leed_Certified_Green_Architecture/Rebecca Bryant- LEED, Green, Sustainability.wav