Talkin’ About My Generation…

Before this scheduled post, I wanted to acknowledge a major event in this country. 50 years ago the governor of Alabama, George Wallace, blocked the entry of Black students to the University of Alabama. President John F. Kennedy acted to remove him from the steps of the school so the students could attend. Today marks the day that NAACP activist and civil rights pioneer Medgar Evers was gunned down at his home. The vitriolic political climate today rivals the hatred of that time, even though people keep claiming that we’re in a ‘post-racial’ society (whatever the fuck THAT means)! It’s an amazing, fascinating, and very sad thing. From the Huffington Post:

“Evers was 37 when he was shot and killed outside his home in Jackson, Miss., on June 12, 1963. The man accused of his murder, Byron De La Beckwith, was freed in 1964 after two trials ended with deadlocked all-white juries. In 1994, he was retried and found guilty of murder. He died in prison in 2001.

Bill Clinton called Evers the first assassination victim of the civil rights struggle. The former president said it was a time when African-Americans could fight and die in combat overseas but, in many Southern states, couldn’t vote or run for office.

“The next time you hear people complaining around Washington about what a rough business democracy is, we might do well to remember what it was like 50 years ago and the sacrifices that were made,” he said. “When you get angry about what you see and frustrated in Syria and the aftermath of the Arab Spring, remember 1963 when we lost a genuine soldier, citizen, hero, and left his wife to chart her own course for 50 years.”

I would add that Emmitt Till might be called the first recognized assassination victim, for many reasons!

On another note, Tata Madiba is gravely ill. He’s been in hospital for five days now, battling a recurring lung infection. He looks so frail…Winifred has been to see him; one of his daughters flew in from Argentina, where she is an ambassador. They are saying their good-byes to that great man. He’s a true king; a legend, a giant among men. I remember when he was released from that South African prison…I thought, “Wow…this man has been behind bars longer than I’ve been on this earth.” Some things are very humbling when you take the time to think about them. He’s fought long and hard for his entire life, it seems. It’s time for him to rest, and I will be saddened by his passing…I, and multitudes of others.

Back to the topic: The ‘generation gap’ has been on my mind recently, due to conversations I’ve had with my son about things in his life that he’s wrestling with. Like many ‘millennials,’ he’s on Facebook and tends to be very vocal about his life; I’ve tried to let him know that he leaves himself very open and vulnerable to heartless sociopaths by doing so, but he doesn’t listen. He thinks that having an assload of online ‘friends’ means something, even though his loved ones are merely a phone call, text, or email away – and always available if he wants to talk. It frustrates me at times that he places so much value on some faceless interweb denizen’s opinion! Anyway, there was some ‘news piece’ on a local channel, talking about how the generation labeled ‘baby boomers’ are experiencing hearing loss at an earlier age than, say, the ‘greatest generation’ did. It made me reflect a little bit on my own, ‘lost’ generation – the one labeled ‘Generation X.’

To me, the ‘boomers’ seemed to be the most self-centered generation. They acted like the only historical events occurred during their lifetimes, even though plenty of events have happened since they stoned it up at Woodstock. They spoke of Vietnam, murdered politicians, marches for everything under the sun, and The Beatles. They think that, because the ‘civil rights’ and ‘equality for women’ era was in the forefront, they’ve solved all of the problems and “nope, nothing more to see here – we’ve done it all!” They talk about the four students killed at Ohio State as if nobody else has ever been murdered by police during peaceful protests. They were the most vocal about childbirth, sexual development, and sex after 40…now they’re vocal about geriatric sex. Come to think of it, obsessing about sex-related things seemed to define their generation the most – and, I can see that ‘millennials’ have the ‘boomers’ beat when it comes to sexual obsession and blind self-absorption! It’s so strange…I recall a time when knowing how to ‘read’ people was an important skill. Because of this, I much prefer face-to-face interaction when I have to talk with people – they can’t hide their thoughts, because their expressions give them away!

I’m a GenXer, but I was born after my time…I also feel, in some ways, that I was born before it. Where and when I ended up in the world when I was born is just that – I’m here now, at this time. I’ve never ‘fit in’ anywhere, with anyone, so being a solitary loner is my nature. I observe anything and everything that catches my attention. I also enjoy life to the utmost – it’s a treasure to appreciate!

What defines Generation X? Depends on who you ask, I guess. Lots of people would say, “Apathy – GenXers don’t care about ANYTHING!” Not true, not true at all. Speaking for myself, I would say that I care TOO much sometimes – I have to step back at times and ask myself, “Is this really what it seems?” The Cold War was at its height during my youth, so propaganda about the ‘evil Russkies’ and the ‘great bear’ was everythere, much like the anti-Muslim propaganda is now. The point is, those of us who were exposed to propaganda tend to recognize it for what it is – although, admittedly, a lot of people still fall for it! Personally, I try not to jump on a bandwagon or ride coat-tails, and that’s why I’m accused of not caring. I care, but I don’t need people pushing my buttons or demanding that I see things exactly the way they do. It’s impossible! Cynicism and skepticism is big amongst us, too.

My generation shares common experiences. Here are but a few:

• The launching of the first space shuttle.
• Owning a ‘personal computer’ – the home-based PC.
• Video games! Atari, Coleco, Activision, etc.
• The fear of nuclear war.
• Personal stereos: if you had a boom-box, you were righteous; if you had a Walkman that had two headphone jacks, you were too cool for school!
• Making those gawdawful fashions of the ‘70s and ‘80s work – it was tough, but doable! Best leftover fashions of those days are bell-bottom jeans, platform shoes, and big hair. Yes, I rocked ‘Afro-puffs’ before they were in style!
• “I want my MTV!!!” – those words were on EVERYONE’S lips! The video age was in as ‘video killed the radio star.’ Music took evolutionary leaps with the mighty Moog synthesizer, amongst other things.
• We were called “latch-key kids” because we were the first generation to come home to an empty house after school. Both parents working; the baby-boomer ‘hippies’ morphed into ‘yuppies.’
• Corporal punishment still occurred in schools – the teacher could beat your ass at school, then you would get another ass-whipping when you got home for acting up! No worries about some psychotic fucktard shooting up the classroom, or getting shot yourself for giving some nerd a wedgie.
• If you don’t remember Esperanto or the real ‘generic’ foods that used to be sold in stores, then you’re most likely NOT a GenXer.
• The news stations hadn’t quite gotten into the entertainment industry, so you could still trust what was reported. Being a journalist still meant something, so you could still see ‘real’ journalists in action. No, Geraldo wasn’t counted even then because of his moronic stunt with Al Capone’s vault, along with everything he did on his fucked-up ‘talk’ show.
• Video cassette recorders and video-discs. The original DVDs were larger than LPs! The question to ask in stores was, “VHS or BetaMax?”
• Cassette tapes, 8-tracks, and vinyl could all be found in the same place – now, what stores remain will turn over entire departments to fit in the ‘latest technology’ and get rid of the tried and true, all because of some blast on Facebook, Twitter, or Yelp.

That was merely a tiny sampling of common experiences that link a lot of GenXers. I’ll leave you with a few more songs, because I can’t stop looking out of the window. The sun is peeking through the clouds, I saw a rabbit just outside of the fence this morning, and the fawnless doe was bedded down next door for a few hours. I enjoy living in an area that’s like a nature preserve…it keeps me in touch with reality!

Before the music, one final thought: what do you do when you go to a baseball game and a hockey game commences? Wow…

Steve Miller Band: “Serenade”

Howard Jones: “New Song“

Bruce Hornsby & The Range: “The Way it Is“

Faith No More: “We Care a Lot”

Dire Straits: “Money For Nothing”

Casual Observations…

It’s another beautiful day, so put off mowing the shaggy, overgrown lawn yesterday. I will get to it soon; I’d seen a tiny, green frog in the grass a couple of days ago, and I didn’t want to disturb the little critters…so, let it grow, let it grow, let it grow! It can wait for the next sunny spell of weather. We have a resident dragonfly, too – it was darting about the yard, hunting…hope it’s getting those pesky mosquitoes and fruit flies. I’m sure that the tadpoles cut down on the mosquito population just a little bit; there haven’t been any larvae in the frog pond. If the weather stays like it is now, I’ll get it done before my fiancée gets back from Porkland. He had to pick up some articles like our repaired leathers and a push-mower, so I’ve been able to get more housecleaning done.

Speaking of critters, the bear made a small encore yesterday, after surprising me a few days ago. He was wandering around the outside of the fence, near the little greenhouse at the back of the property – probably after the salmon-berries that are beginning to show. Can’t wait until they’re ripe! We also hadn’t seen the deer since the day they were peacefully browsing a couple of weeks ago; some douchebag had chased after them in a vehicle and frightened them away, and that pissed me off! Fucktards always disturb the peace and tranquility wherever they go…it’s annoying. That changed yesterday, as we saw a doe with new, twin fawns! They were probably two weeks old, cute little things with spots – they were in a yard just around the corner from ours; across the way and two houses down from our streetside mailbox. Also, a lone doe browsed in the yard next door for a couple of hours, not long after we spotted the one with the fawns. It stood on its hind legs to forage in the trees…damnit, I simply must get those cameras!

The Seattle Mariners won the first game of three against the Houston Astros yesterday, after losing the 4-game series to the damn Yankees. The Ms won the first game against the Yanks, but let the next three slip through their fingers – it was disappointing. I was glad that Hisashi Iwakuma pitched well and that the bats were hot; a pitcher can’t win a baseball game solo, any more than a quarterback in football can win a game all by his lonesome. The bats need to come alive, more so, at the proper time…leaving men stranded on base seems to be an Achilles heel for the Mariners!

I’m definitely relaxed today…I have a couple of posts on the back burner, but they can wait. Just because I’m not in “bitchy bitchington” mode, doesn’t mean that I’m not aware of pertinent things going on in the multiverse. One doesn’t need to be in constant “full on” to be taken seriously, and it’s a shame that few share this viewpoint. For instance, it appears that Trayvon Martin’s murder, the murder trial against George Zimmerman, is going to take place – I guess that people figure he’ll get away with it so there’s no reason to discuss it. Anybody with a brain can see that Zimmerman is guilty of murder, and one could easily argue that it was premeditated. This is a major deal, but few people are discussing it. They would rather get bent out of shape over some fucktard at a Papa John’s in Sanford, Florida, leaving a racist rant on the voice mail of a Black customer. This is the same township where Zimmerman murdered Trayvon Martin, in the same state where Michael Dunn murdered a Black youth named Jordan Davis over loud music, so why is anyone surprised? I can’t boycott Papa John’s because I never ate there in the first place – they’ve never gotten a dime from me before this incident, and they certainly never will – but me not spending my money somewhere doesn’t make a lick of difference to anybody but me. Other people still eat there; last I heard, Papa John’s was doing just fine.

The recent storms in the Midwest apparently took the lives of former Stormchaser stars. Um, if you chase dangerous storms, you could end up dead – it’s not rocket science. Interesting thing to note, people have been far less cruel about their deaths than, say, the unfortunate and accidental death of ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin. People are very selective about who they choose to criticize and why!

I recently saw a story on this blog here, and noted that the Huffington Post finally decided to say something about it:

“Turkish riot police fired volleys of teargas canisters into Istanbul’s Taksim Square, centre of protests against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, driving thousands into narrow side streets, witnesses said.

Police and water cannon vehicles advanced across the square, entirely clearing the north side after a day of skirmishes that had defied the authorities’ efforts to restore full control.”

I guess it’s all to do with the power of Twitter and ‘social media!’ Basically, if you’re not hooked up with Facebook and everything that links with / to it, then nothing you say will get noticed by anyone. Even if it is, it will be very selective: it must be deemed worthy by someone who has been named as an ‘expert!’

I also heard about some guy who leaked ‘sensitive material’ about the NSA, and people are up in arms about it all. I just SMDH and ROTFLMAO at it all, because the same people screaming about said ‘sensitive material’ are the same ones who thought it was JUST FINE for the government to tap people’s phones and computers after 9/11/2001. You people wanted your ‘national security’ so you all could feel safe from ‘terrorists’ – what in the ever-loving FUCK did you think that really meant?!? Did you give it any thought? HELL NO! Speaking of Mr. Snowden, it appears that he didn’t really have the credentials to work where he did in the first place. He had a shaky work history, dropped out of one school, and didn’t even make it in the military – yet, the 29-year-old white had a cushy job in Hawai’i and a big house. If Mr. Snowden had been non-white, he wouldn’t have been given a pass to get that cushy job; also, if he were Black and on the run, you can bet people would be calling for his head on a pike! He wouldn’t be labeled as a ‘hero’ by Michael Moore or Julian Asange – shit, just look at the treatment Charles Ramsey has received. He who helped rescue those young women in Ohio, who had been held as sexual prisoners for years, has been treated abhorrently by EVERYONE in the media!

I’ve busted my ass for years and couldn’t accomplish what ‘Snowden Happypants’ did…gee, I wonder why? No, I know why! No need to talk about it though, because it’s just an issue that nobody cares about or wants to do anything about. Who cares if Black people are STILL discriminated against in pretty much everything under the sun, including employment?!? What really frosts my cookies are the Black people who DO own businesses, yet refuse to hire other Black people – WTF is up with THAT???

Besides, there are other, bigger things to screech about than the petty issues I just listed! Let’s piss and moan ENDLESSLY about things and talk about what HUGE PROBLEMS exist, then identify them, and then…DO NOTHING but REPEAT YOURSELF ENDLESSLY about all of these HUGE PROBLEMS, and shut down ANYONE who doesn’t say or do the EXACT SAME THING as you do. It’s so beneficial to NEVER TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS, ONLY THE PROBLEMS, isn’t it? Whenever I turn on the television or plug into the interwebs, I read or hear an endless, repetitive litany of shit that is regurgitated verbatim from mindless drones and Limbaugh-esqe ‘ditto-heads.’ Wow…how fucking limiting and depressing, eh? Fuck-all, I thought that I and my fellow GenXers were mopey and apathetic! We have nothing on the ones who are constantly plugged in to technology; people who think that entertainment is reality and have no concept of face-to-face conversations or meaningful relationships. When I see young adults in their early 20s talking about getting assloads of plastic surgery and thinking that how they look is going to solve their obvious mental problems, it makes me SMDH and think, “Wow – it really sucks to be you!” I tend to think that about the unbalanced ones, who feel the need to be in people’s faces with their desperation and screams of, “Look at ME!!! Love ME!!! I HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS – LISTEN TO ME!!!” *SIGH* How tiresome those types are…

Jebus Cripes in a chariot-driven sidecar!!! I could go on, but the things that I care about, and what things matter to me, and what things I find important, just don’t matter to others. I don’t grow grey hairs over that, though, because the feeling is more than mutual…I can’t say that I give a flying fuck about things that other people find relevant! I don’t give a shit about pop culture, for instance. Celebutards are boring to me, for the most part. When I watch Conan O’Brien, or The Daily Show, or the Colbert Report, for example, I don’t pay much attention to the guests unless they happen to be someone I find interesting – and that isn’t very often, I can tell you that!

I’ll cut this one short and leave off with some music…it soothes the savage beast, don’t ya know? I also think that it’s past due time for a Skyrim update – I need to regale you with tales of ‘my’ travels in Solstheim! For now, I’m going to sit in the sunshine and tend to my ‘locs, while the sun warms my scalp. I will watch the hummers battle and the eagles circle; I’ll listen to the nearby birdsong and the surf roar in the near distance, and I’ll close my eyes and enjoy the music of the “liltin’ wae and liltin’ tae,” as Jodie Foster in Nell stated. Moths are flattened in arrowhead shapes on the side of the garage – I count three. The seven spears of bamboo get taller by the day – and I noticed another one in the midst of the main clump! All of the plants in and around the yard show evidence of growth…they are healthy and thriving, and I love the way they look. When one is able to surround themselves with natural beauty, it brings a sense of peace.

Dire Straits: “Lady Writer“

“Yeha-Noha: Wishes of Happiness & Prosperity“

Missing Persons: “Words“

Crash Test Dummies: “Mmmmm Mmmmm Mmmmm“

The Moody Blues: “The Voice“

I’m also going to insert random pics of guys in my posts. Why? Because it’s fun!

Random Friday Ramblings: 7 June 2013

So today, I get online and check out the news “info-tainment” websites. There’s very little ‘real’ news reported anymore, from what I see. For instance, the top stories on the BBC include this article about a man who went on a shooting rampage in Santa Monica, California:

“At least six people are dead after a series of shootings around a college in Santa Monica, California, say police.

The rampage began at a house and ended on campus where police say they shot the gunman in the college library.

Police say the attacker killed two people in the home, two more as he headed to the nearby Santa Monica College and another two on campus.

The unidentified gunman was clad in black and armed with an assault-style rifle, according to the authorities.

The violence broke out before noon, when a man in black opened fire on a house, which caught fire, and then a car, wounding the driver, police said. The suspect fled the scene in a car.”

Crazy, crazy shit…again, some white freak goes apeshit with a gun and murders innocent bystanders. Because of his inborn privilege, other white people will excuse his abhorrent actions.

Next, here’s this psycho-bitch, privileged white cunt actress who sent ricin-laced letters to President Obama. She, and the white woman who murdered the guy who’d won a state lottery, make me wonder why men think they’re trophies of some kind? Shit…seems to me that men lose their cocks, sanity, and lives when they get involved with psychotic women – but apparently the “great sex” makes it all right! They always say that the psychos are best in the sack…go figure!

The sick fuck who abducted three girls in Cleveland, Ohio, then held them captive for decades, has been indicted thusly:

“A man accused of imprisoning three women for about a decade in his home in Cleveland, Ohio, has been indicted by a grand jury for rape and kidnapping.

Ariel Castro faces 329 charges, with 139 counts of rape, 177 of kidnapping, seven of gross sexual imposition, three of assault, and owning criminal tools.

The 52-year-old also faces two counts of aggravated murder for terminating one of the women’s pregnancies.

The women were Michelle Knight, 32, Amanda Berry, 27, and Gina DeJesus, 23.

Last month, the suspect was charged with three counts of rape and four of kidnapping, which includes a six-year-old girl he fathered with Ms Berry.”

Ye gawds…those women went through unspeakable hell. The man who rescued the one and made sure that the others were safe deserves all kinds of applause and accolades – but, because he doesn’t fit the picture of the “hero” he has been dragged through the mud unfairly. No surprise, there!

Finally, the test-tube-produced child of notorious self-hater Michael Jackson apparently tried to kill herself the other day:

“Paris Jackson, the daughter of late pop legend Michael Jackson, is in hospital after attempting to kill herself, a publicist has confirmed.

Paris, 15, is “doing good” and recovering, said Angel Howansky, her grandfather’s publicist.

Emergency officials said they responded to a reported overdose in the Calabasas area of Los Angeles where Paris lives, but did not identify the patient.

Local media say she left the family home at about 02:00 PST (09:00 GMT).

Ms Howansky, a long-time publicist for Joe Jackson – Michael Jackson’s father and the girl’s grandfather – could not confirm reports of a possible drug overdose or multiple cuts on her wrist.

But she later said that Paris was “doing good”.”

I’m not surprised at all by this. She doesn’t share his genes, but she certainly caught his pathology! Proof that money can’t buy everything, and if you’re raised by a nutjob then you’re going to have issues. She’s definitely as white as Michael himself wanted to be!    

* SIGH * That shit is all too much! It makes me weary and heartsore for many reasons. I watch less and less “news” programs, and more amusing thing where I can laugh at the news – and this isn’t saying that I have no compassion, I just choose to donate my time and resources where they will do the most good. Feeling sorry for people doesn’t do a damn thing to help them with their plight, and pissing and moaning over every little thing doesn’t solve anything. I do what I can, and then I take a break from it all!

I go outside and tend my yard. I look in the pond and see legs forming on the tadpoles. I walk through the grass and see a tiny, green frog hopping away to safety. I watch and listen to the hummingbirds squabble with each other. And, yesterday morning, I startled a bear as it wandered past the garage after it raided two of the hummingbird feeders! He ambled away and I backed slowly into the house…that was a better wake-up than my morning coffee. I love the wildlife that I get to see. The peace and tranquility can’t be beat…my blood pressure has dropped significantly since my job termination two years ago, and I see what a blessing it truly was! I’m genuinely thankful to be away from that quagmire of misery and hate – the change of scenery is exactly what I needed.

With that, I leave you with some music for the weekend…I’m getting ready to root for my Mariners; I sure hope they do better against the damn Yankees than last night! Gawds…being a fan is painful at times!

The Doobie Brothers: “Listen To the Music“

The Pointer Sisters: “Fire“

The Carpenters: “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft“

Dazz Band: “Let It Whip“

J. Geils Band: “Concealed Weapons“

Happy Final Friday…May 2013!!!

It’s a beautiful Friday today! No rain, the clouds have parted and thinned, the sun was out all afternoon, and the rest of the week looks to be fantastic. I can finally scrape out the moss that’s forming betwixt my toes! I wandered through the yard today and saw more shoots sprouting out from one of the existing bamboo stands – there are six total, running in a westerly direction. The tadpoles still have tails…I don’t see any evidence of legs forming yet, so I’ll have to dust off some of my old books about amphibians and read up on their timeline of formation.

From the Corner of Edgar & Dave
Game #55: Seattle Mariners (23-31) at Minnesota Twins (23-28) | 7:10 p.m.
…marinersblog.mlblogs.com 

The Mariners had one hell of a slump going on and I didn’t want to post a topic until they pulled out of it, which is basically my own silly little sports superstition – I strongly believe that any athlete and / or fan has one, even if they never admit it outwardly. For instance, one superstition I used to have would be to not watch a game if the team I was rooting for was behind…I didn’t want my ‘evil eye’ to curse them! Silly, to be sure, but that’s what superstitions are. Anyway, since the Ms tied the series against the Padres and “blanked the Twinkies” as the announcers put it, by winning 3 – 0 against the Twins today, I’d say that they have shaken off their case of the rattles and are rockin’ steady…they got that gorilla off their shoulders! It’s nice to see them performing better. I sure hope that Michael Morse’s quadriceps strain heals soon – the “Big Horse” needs to be in the lineup, for many reasons… 

Speaking of the Mariners, I’d bought a team flag to hang and it came in the mail today – we hung it up during the game and will fly it again throughout the weekend in support. No fair-weather fan, here…I suffer through the losses and rejoice in the victories, and would freak out completely if the Mariners made it to the World Series! It’s a sports thing that few people truly understand, IMHO.

I have a challenge to randomly toss out to all of the brothas and sistas who ride, wherever you might be. Actually, I’ll just throw it out to ALL brothas and sistas, and if you happen to ride a bike of any sort, that’s a bonus. I also mean, literally, ANY SORT OF BIKE – even the pedal-powered ones. This is partially to see if anyone truly believes in solidarity, or if people are all talk and no action, as I cynically believe from personal experience. It’s mainly to bring some color to this tiny little burg and make the locals crap their pants, too! I want to see a huge showing during the “Rod Run to the End of the World” in Ocean Park, Washington on 7 & 8 September, 2013. Just make sure that your bikes, hot rods, and / or classic cars are heavily insured; tweakers tend to use Highway 101 as a major meth-transporting route, and we all know how those types destroy anything and everything they touch! Seriously though, cruise on through and check out the scenery. Stop in and say “hello” to Jerry at Bulldog Firearms; he said that dinner is on the house for all the bikers who park in front of his store and at least walk in to check out the merchandise. Just tell him that Sepultura sent you! I’m going to post this challenge on my two other ‘social’ sites to chum the waters a bit, too. I have made a $50 bet with my fiancée on this one, LMAO – I’ll post who won after the event!

Well, time to jump into Skyrim and explore the island of Solstheim! Have a nice weekend, one and all. Here are five awesome songs for your enjoyment.

Josh White: “Freedom Road“

Shabba Ranks: “Kill Me Dead“

Big Youth: “Green Bay Killing“

Musical Youth: “Pass the Dutchie“

Freddie McGregor: “Africa“

Torrential Rains…

It has been raining, raining, RAINING here forever, it seems! 40 days and 40 nights…not really, but it feels like it! The last time we saw full sunshine was when we headed into Portland to pick up some items. Since then, there have been a couple of “dry” days where we saw patches of blue between the clouds, a little bit of sunshine, and no droplets falling for a few hours. Right now, even with some music playing and the sounds of my fiancée playing Skyrim, I can hear the rain drumming on the roof of the house – torrential sheets of fast-falling precipitation! Still, I can’t complain. The Evergreen State, as Washington is known, is green for a reason…all that rain! It rains more in Wrangell, Alaska than it does in Seattle, Washington, believe it or not! I think it’s funny to hear Seattlites and Porklanders bitch and moan about how much it rains in those cites. Hey, live in Ketchikan for a year – you’ll find that Seattle is positively balmy, comparatively!

Southeast Alaska is home to the Tongass National Forest, which is listed as a ‘temperate rain forest’ – not all rain forests are tropical! From Wikipedia:

“The Tongass National Forest /ˈtɒŋɡəs/ in southeastern Alaska is the largest national forest in the United States at 17 million acres (69,000 km²). Most of its area is part of the temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, itself part of the larger Pacific temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, and is remote enough to be home to many species of endangered and rare flora and fauna. Tongass, which is managed by the United States Forest Service, encompasses islands of the Alexander Archipelago, fjords, glaciers, and peaks of the Coast Mountains. An international border with Canada (British Columbia) runs along the crest of the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains (see also: Alaska boundary dispute). The forest is administered from Forest Service offices in Ketchikan. There are local ranger district offices located in Craig, Hoonah, Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, Thorne Bay, Wrangell, and Yakutat…The Tongass National Forest is home to about 75,000 people who are dependent on the land for their livelihoods. Three Alaska Native nations live in Southeast Alaska: the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian. 31 communities are located within the forest; the largest is Juneau, the state capital, with a population of 31,000. The forest is named for the Tongass group of the Tlingit people, who inhabited the southernmost areas of Southeast Alaska, near what is now the city of Ketchikan.”

I don’t let the rain depress me, because I love the beauty it brings! Lush greenery and beautiful flowers, and the wildlife that comes with it…there’s nothing better. Speaking of beauty, driving along the Columbia River is a delightful experience some days. If you take Highway 4 to 403, then cut off onto 101, you get to see why it is called the scenic coast route! Such indescribable majesty – you have to see it because my words would be inadequate. Eagles, hawks, and osprey soar. Gulls and pelicans glide and dive. Cormorants, ducks, and geese paddle and forage. And a peacock strutted by the side of the road…yes, I know that it isn’t a native bird, but there it was! I am seriously going to get a GoPro cam because I guess the damned commercials worked; I’m still wrestling between a Canon or a Nikon for good still photos, though. You also see deer and elk on a regular basis – just the other day, a fawn and its mother grazed in our yard and the yard of the house next door for the entire afternoon! I was sitting here writing in my book and saw movement out of the corner of my eye; looking up, I saw the fawn standing right outside the window with its back towards me. It wandered back and forth and nosed around in the stand of bamboo while its mother browsed next door…it was a peaceful sight. That’s another reason I want better camera, because I want to capture those sights.

The birds in our yard are a nice variety, too. Sure, there are lots of crows and gulls, but we see eagles fly over our house regularly. Flickers browse in all of the yards; we hear them trying to drill on the walls of the shop or the house from time to time. Hummingbirds are everywhere, too! We have a couple of feeders out; one near the kitchen window, and one near the window of my writing / reading room so I can watch them zipping about. ‘Hummer Wars’ happen, too – so fast you can barely see what they do! And just yesterday, when I was switching out a feeder, two hummers landed and began to feed on what was left in the bottle…while I was holding it! I became a statue and just watched them; they looked at me and kept on eating, and a third buzzed back and forth waiting for a turn. I think two minutes passed before they finished and I could hang the fresh bottle, but that was just the neatest thing. I believe that one was a ruby-throat, and the other was a rufous, based on the coloring. Little flying jewels!

Rufous hummingbird

Ruby-throated hummingbird

I was taken back to the time I actually held a hummer in my hand, many years ago. I was 12 and living in Alaska; I think it was the height of summer during a rare warm spell, must have been late July. It was a rare day where I had the house to myself and I was enjoying the peace and quiet…no demands were being made of me! I could read without being pestered to do some meaningless, menial chore. I was reading and heard a thump on the window – this was before the big plate-glass window was switched out for three nice, narrow windows – so I ran to investigate, knowing that a bird had hit the window. I didn’t want the cat to get it if it was still alive and uninjured! A hummingbird was laying on the deck, stunned but alive. It was moving a little, so I carefully cradled it in my hands and brought it inside the house for protection. I put it on a nest of tissue paper, in a shoebox, and sat with it by the sliding-glass door, in the sunshine. After five minutes it stirred more and started looking very alert, so I took it outside and held it in my hands one more time. It hovered in front of my face for a moment, as if to say “thank you,” then zoomed to a tree and sat on a twig – then it was gone. That was a moment in time that I’ll never forget…it was one of those things that gave me peace and allowed me to look forward in life and time – it was like an epiphany of sorts. Life-changing experiences, for the better, are the things that people should hold on to. If more people did that, maybe there wouldn’t be so many miserable fucks ruining this beautiful world for everyone.

I’ll post some songs tomorrow!

Talkin’ Bikes: Accessories & Gear

I figured that I’d shift gears again and talk about motorcycles, riding, and travel in general! We’ve been considering taking a small road-trip to Seattle in the next couple of months to visit family; maybe take in an afternoon Mariners game…we’ll see! Traveling is one of my many passions, and doing so on a motorcycle is one of the best ways and means. Four wheels is fine, don’t get me wrong – but there’s just something about being on a bike whilst going cross-country that adds an extra aspect of freedom. My spirit soars when I’m on my bike! In a car, your view is obstructed by the doors, the hood, and the bonnet – well, if you’re in a convertible then you have a better view of the sky than in a standard! On a bike, no cage encloses you. You could reach out and touch plants or flowers if riding through wooded areas; the wildlife is easier to see, and the weather affects you more – you’re more exposed to inclement elements. It’s all part of the experience! Anyway, I wanted to share some of my favourite gear and accessories that I always pack along.

First off, outerwear is important. If you see a person on a bike and they’re head-to-toe in leathers, you can bet that they are a serious rider. I’m not talking about the ones wearing chaps and patched vests, either – they don’t count, and that’s another topic! No, I’m talking about custom-made, skin-saving leather jackets and pants from Langlitz Leathers in Portland, Oregon. I just had a set of pants built for me, which are my summer pants; I’ll have a jacket built soon. I have some Harley-Davidson® brand jackets and boots which I’d bought before my son was born, which were well-made at the time. Lately though, it seems that Harley-brand clothes are going more towards the ‘fashionable’ and away from the functional. Yes, leathers look and feel great, but they are designed to protect the rider from losing skin and flesh if they should happen to lose control and skid down the road. A good helmet to protect your brain-case is crucial as well – we have some 2-year old Scorpion helmets which are great. And people, please…wear boots on your bike, not tennis shoes or flip-flops! I cringe when I see fools on a bike wearing hardly any foot protection, because the engine and the pipes get FREAKING HOT and you could seriously burn yourself! Also, if you have to shove your bike out of a ditch or you skid on a bit of oil, those shoes or sandals will make the job much harder – assuming you didn’t break your ankle when you went down!

Layers come next. If you ride year-round like my fiancée and I do, then proper layers can make the difference between a comfortable or miserable ride. In spring and summer, a lightweight layer of silk (shirt, pants, and socks) is all you need between you and your leathers. In fall and winter, add some merino wool undergarments – again, shirt and pants – and invest in some electric gear by Gerbing’s. We have electric jackets, pants, and gloves; for my boots, I use electric insoles, while my fiancée prefers electric socks. Those make a huge difference! When we went cross-country last year, for instance, we went through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Nebraska on our first trip. We got snowed on in Wyoming and the temperature was 25° Fahrenheit, but the electrics kept us at a comfortable 70°. By the time we got to Omaha, it felt like summer so we packed the electrics and didn’t need them again until we got home at the end of May! It was nice.

Speaking of warmer weather, there will definitely be times when you want to walk around and see some of the local sights – wearing boots all the time is impossible, so I recommend these nice, comfortable ‘toe-shoes’ from Vibram. They are aptly named ‘Five Fingers’ and my feet love them! If you’re the type who likes going barefoot, these are the shoes for you – especially if you live in a city and going barefoot outside would be a death sentence! There are models for surfing, bicycle riding, doing yoga or other workouts, and even a rugged set for hiking and rock climbing. We bought a set before our trip last year and put them to good use!

I like taking pictures of fascinating things, so I like to take along a good camera. It’s funny to me that my phone takes better pictures than the camera I currently have, so it’s time for an upgrade – the phone has no zoom function or capability! I’ve always been partial to Canon or Nikon cameras, so I’m going to do some product comparisons and buy a camera that’s not just a point-and-shoot. I’ll need it for my wedding, too, so I can justify the purchase! I am getting used to spoiling myself, LOL

Being on a bike means camping out from time to time; a good tent and sleeping bags are obvious necessities. Travel-sized hygiene products (toothpaste, soap, deodorant, foot powder, lotion, etc.) are perfect, but sometimes the brand I prefer isn’t in a travel size. I find that buying travel containers and filling them up with my own products works well in those instances. Little headlamps are great when you need to exit the tent for a call of nature, and citronella candles are excellent for keeping mosquitoes and other biting bugs away! We also take a thermos (or two, or three) for coffee or tea, and have a couple of CamelBaks for water. For food storage (especially restaurant leftovers), we found these nifty little tiffins at the New Seasons in Vancouver – they stow away quite nicely. You’d be surprised at how much we can get on our bike – packing it for the road has become an art form!

Lastly, today is a holiday in the country of Norway. “Syttende Mai” (called “Mayfest” in Petersburg, Alaska) celebrates the day that Norway signed its national constitution in 1814. Party hearty, my ‘Norske’ friends!    

Soapbox Time!!!

I don’t get on a soapbox very much. Opinions are all well and good, and it’s important (sometimes necessary) to air them out, vent them, and get them out of your system – but it’s also important to pick your battles wisely, then get off your arse and DO SOMETHING if you’re able! For instance, if you hate it that young girls are STILL being taught that they have to look a certain way to be accepted and acceptable, then get out there and be a mentor to young girls! Otherwise, all the kvetching and spleen-venting is for naught and ends up making the complainer look like a rabid psycho! Seriously, shit or get off the pot – if you can make something positive happen from a negative event, then do so! I prefer to act and get shit done, not piss and moan over the stupid antics of the popular celebutards that others laud and revere. I do notice some things that chafe my buttocks from time to time, so I examine the cause of that chafing and throw it on the floor, get down on hands and knees, and look at it closely. Following are a few things that recently annoyed me – posts on crime, death, warfare, and the notable and legendary will have to take a back seat!

First off, let’s talk some baseball! The Mariners have been orienting their ship in the proper direction by chalking up some wins, even though there was a blown save the other day when they first faced the Yankees…a 3 – 0 lead vanished into a 4 – 3 loss! I HATE when that happens, but they made up for it with a fantastic 12 – 2 win. Anyway, one of the commentators on the pre-game show was talking about Hisashi Iwakuma and his dynamite pitching record; he is ranked 3rd overall in the American League, with team-mate Felix Hernandez ranked 2nd overall in the American League. The male commentator made the statement that Iwakuma is the “Japanese Greg Maddux.”   *needle scratches record*

Hold the phone, here. You mean to tell me that any non-white person with exceptional talent can NEVER be held up as a star in their own right? We are always going to be labeled the “Black,” “Japanese,” “Latino” or whatever, and compared to some white dude or chick? REALLY?!?!? Never mind, this is a rhetorical question – I already know the friggin’ answer! It really chaps my arse that the guy couldn’t have said, “Iwakuma is a fantastic pitcher – look at his record! His pitches are nearly untouchable!” But no…he had to rank Iwakuma as somehow less than Greg Maddux, much like other fans will always claim that Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Whitey Ford are the only names in baseball worth mentioning. I guess I could say that Michael Saunders is working on being the ‘white Ichiro Suzuki,’ because he’s good at stealing bases and his batting is picking up steam, right? * SIGH *

Seriously, it would be nice to hear people mentioned as being exceptional in their own right, and not endlessly compared to some white from the past…I want my books to be ranked on their own, not compared to another author, no matter how much I may respect them and their talents!

Next up, there was some ‘news’ story being splashed around the interwebs - let me just say, there’s almost no way to escape the celebutard bullshit when you’re online, especially if you have Gmail, Yahoo, or any other web-based email – you can’t get away from all of the “TOP STORIES!!!” that are blared incessantly as if they are really important! Anyway, longtime ‘journalist,’ Barbara Walters (aka Baba Wawa), is leaving the talk show “The View.” Big whoop! I don’t, and never have, watched ‘The View’ – it’s not my thing. Most television programs, whether daytime or nighttime, aren’t my thing! My hide is chapped over this little tidbit because that old hag only got where she is today by spreading her legs for a man. This is no joke – early on in her career, she had an affair with a married senator from Massachusetts. Small wonder that she had the scoop and inside skinny on many of the stories she reported on, no? Whenever I see some white, blonde bimbo as a newsdesk co-anchor, I always wonder who she spread for to get where she is – especially lately, where there seems to have been an explosion of those types on local TV stations! Bottle-blondes with capped teeth and fake tits who stumble over every word on their teleprompter, barely past legal drinking age, but they scored the career of a lifetime!  Sheesh…that’s one of many reasons why I don’t really take Arianna Huffington very seriously, either. She holds the reins of a multi-billion dollar industry – wonder how she managed THAT! Hard work? Yeah, right…and speaking of old, white hags, how is it that Cindy Crawford is suddenly, once again, the darling of the fashion world? Who’d she fuck THIS time?

Last but not least, it seems that Angelina Jolie, that sleazy, slutty, psycho-bitch daughter of racist fuck Jon Voight, had both of her tits removed because of a ‘cancer gene.’ I guess I’m supposed to feel sorry for her or something, just because I’m a woman and personally know breast cancer survivors? Sorry, but I don’t. Miss Thang threw those puppies in everyone’s face in her many movie ‘roles’ so they may be gone, but they’ll never be forgotten, and I’m sure that every straight man worldwide is ecstatic about that! How the fuck is she ‘courageous’ for electing to have a double mastectomy? To me it’s akin to chopping off my arm because of my tendonitis, or cutting off my feet because I’m prone to hallux rigidus - “oh, these will eventually become a problem, so let’s get rid of them.” Here’s a novel idea - we’re programmed to die from the time we emerge from the womb, so we just might as well end our lives once we get booted out of the nest! Right? That’s oh-so COURAGEOUS!!!

I find it difficult to support foundations like Susan G. Komen or others that profess to fight breast cancer. Any organization that needs catchphrases like “We (Heart) Boobies” or “Save The Ta-Tas” seems desperate and juvenile to me. And the guys who jump on the breast cancer bandwagon are downright creepy! Seriously, dudes – you guys are the biggest supporters of women getting unnecessary breast surgeries done, so don’t pretend to care! Ye fucking gawds…

I feel sorry for her children, especially the ones she adopted from Africa. Being raised by a nutjob of those proportions is criminal – adoptees from any country need protection from those freaks; sadly, we suffer and bear psychological scars from being raised by “well-meaning” folks who really had other agendas. Changing the way that system operates will require the time, dedication, and money of many – but nobody cares to do so. The impending childbirth of “Kimye” is FAR too important!    

Final thoughts:

• The IRS ‘scandal’ involving the TeaBaggers isn’t wrong. The IRS has targeted other groups before and nothing was said about it then, so the TeaBaggers should just STFU, suck it up, and let it go.
• Stephen Hawking was perfectly justified in boycotting that gathering. Israel has too many people bowing, scraping, and unnecessarily kissing arse, IMHO.
• The AP ‘scandal’ is ridiculous, for various reasons. The right to free speech has always been selectively enforced, and is sometimes trumped by the right to bear arms and the personal rights of certain privileged groups. Those same privileged groups, in general, are allowed more ‘free speech’ than others.
• Buying firearms hasn’t been the hassle I thought it would be. I purchased five in the past month!
• That Mother’s Day shooting in New Orleans was crazy – so, too, was the story about the three women recently freed after decades in captivity.
• I’ve lost count of how many sweatshops in other countries have caused the deaths of their workers, simply because fat, sloppy Americans want to buy $5 t-shirts.
• People who think that the age group labeled “Millennials” are somehow more tolerant than previous generations seriously have their heads lodged where the sun don’t shine. If Millennials are the most common users of Twitter and other ‘social’ media sites, then this map shows how ‘tolerant’ they REALLY are. I’m a proud GenXer and the hipster-racist ‘Millenials’ are, in my eyes, spoiled children who will navel-gaze well into their 50s. Self-indulgent navel-gazing should be over and done with by the time you hit 25!

Whew…okay, I think I’m done. Just had to get that off my chest – pun most definitely intended!