All these things will come to pass When heroes of the middle class Face up to their responsibilities

before coming to the desert, a buddy of mine said 'the people will make all the difference' -- the textures of Islam in the distance, Ugandans playing soccer, plenty of America f*ck yea ice cream in the dfac do little to quell the monotony of the situations, but the personal relationships cultivated are priceless.

I came out here to see a whole different world, in physical reality, mindset, and to see a breath of spirit that is ever expanding into the open mind.

what's going to happen out here, hell who knows, when the money runs dry (o wait, that's happened) and popular opinion dwindles, my guess is some sort of parliamentary dictator will take hold, but we'll have them on strings.

afgan is the place, wow, what a fascinating and sad place the more you dig in -- we've taken their 'banks', i.e. opium fields, hence they're pissed. how's this for a challenge, 94% of your countries GDP comes from opium --

--

When I'm done here, I think I want to live here, and study here

All the Stars Seemed Lined Up in the Sky, Those 4 Letter words are in your Eyes

Facebook has added visibility to my blog presence, 99% of this new base if newbies to facebook, but old friends, etc, etc, hence, adding a very personal aspect to writing. Every time that happens I get writers block.

Back in the old days I could blast out political sentiments, existential thoughts, and other points of contention and societal grind. It's harder to expand your boundaries and still have a plurality with the rapport of your friends and family -- It's easy to blast, blast, blast to the world, it has little consequence.

Society and its labels -- Throughout the years, people just don't know what to smack on me to help them understand what I think or feel. I've been affectionately been called 'communist, hippie, socialist, pacifist', blah blah, yet I work the defense contracting machine. I go to church more than most and yet I don't think the trinity will play a big part in my life, unless it's the matrix trinity.

Where have I been the last couple years...to hell and back emotionally would be an understatement, all self inflicted b/c for the most part I lived a charmed life. Self inflicted hell is what motivates me, it's the hard 20 after the easy 80 has been accomplished is where I find comfort.

Most points of discussion / argument in social culture have been settled in my mind, hence much of what I see and hear is aggregated is skewed, tired and old. Life to me is a pursuit of interest and unique opportunities and conversation. My passion lies in talking about politics, religion and the girl.

I've had several people say I've fell into a bout' with pessimism; I agree, and we can't have that. I've been regaining a positive mental attitude, and I feel that it's going to come back with vibrancy.

Life out here in the desert has helped buy my freedom from economic shackles, putting the world in an oyster. I've had to do a lot of life maneuvering to get here, more cuts and jukes to come.

My blog visibility used to be to 20 or so loyal readers, now critiques come from different people who I had no idea tuned in -- The friends I have in my first few concentric rings of influence I think is an interesting microcosm of people that bring a ton of different perspective to the table.

So the nudging, judging, perceived narrow perceptions of readers and also the writer is all a part of establishing a strong rapport with all dear in my life. Not everyone will like or agree, but I'm thinking it all through, often out loud --

For the foreseeable future, I will focus on the lighter side of things, and the hopeless romanticisms life has to offer --

An address to the golden door, I was strumming on a stone again Pulling teeth from the pimps of gore when hatched

I can't really wrap my head around short selling the market.  This week I'm going to conduct an experiement based on companies that are expected to do well.

 

Initial capital = 5,000

Expected daily return = 3%

Commission Fees = 26 bucks / day

 

Stock that I think will perform well per day --

 

monday - hum
tuesday - ice
wed - axs
thurs - awh
fri - mir

 

if i'm right, the pflight of 5,000

 

Monday = $5,124.02
Tuesday = $5,277.74
Wed = $5,436.07
Thurs = $5,599.16
Fri = $5,767.13

 

There are other points to ponder, on a general level, I'm going to see how this plays out

 

I like scenerios one and two, I'm focusing on mastering scenerio 1 first, then moving on to the rest --

This is believe me music, this is forget me music This is who can love me you know, this aint no roxy music

in a nutshell, living out shines a spotlight on the difficulty i have living under conventional circumstances.

sure there are concrete walls everywhere, the bed sucks, dust and sand everywhere, the food fluctuates, and the days are short, months are long.

back home are relationships, commutes, politics and media and all you can eat.

life is exciting and meaningful, both the beauty and the struggle is in the little details.

lots of pop psychology and philosophy floating around in my head, too tired to organize --

beer in my lap, one window down, bird in the tree, kiss on the mouth

Lots of time for introspection in the desert, working the noon to midnight shift, a ritual of mine is hanging out facing the airport over a man made lake, looking at the planes and helicopters flying around.

Thinking about history, what always went down in the books was were the civilizations 'rubbed', not the Greek guy chillin out eating grapes, BUT, I've learned to understand how to cherish those times......at least mentally.

The world turns while you're out here, I have very little baggage or obligation in life and I still feel it -- I can't imagine how families must *cope* with being away from each other.

Phases one goes through, denial, anger, acceptance -- I'm beyond the acceptance phase and have reached the phase of pragmatism in wanting to get something done, both for the job and personally.

The late nights remind me of the dreary fast paced nostalgia I lived months ago. Life has done a 180, I'm doing the time to empower myself to do extraordinary things with my life. At times its hard, but at the same time this is the perfect catalyst for me to dot the i's and cross the t's in my life, and straighten the bowling pins before knocking them down again.

I've consistently been hard on others, perhaps moreso than myself in life, I've really come to realize that out here. I've judged so much and still do, I go about thinking, wow, 'they're settling.' A better way to look at things is 'they are just framing their realities in a different way.'

Reality has lost 'center' for me, and many parts of me are glad that this has happened, I'm in a minset of minute by minute growth. I feel I have to re-define what conventional means to me and for me so I can bring others into the equation.

This has been on repeat the last few days -- I Was a Fool by Roman Candle

--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RuOvEimumY

--

Out in the evening past the bridge and below
frogs and cicadas left and right growling low.
I've spent so much time round here when spring is done
been here a thousand times, not heard a single one.
Birds in the morning while I'm shoveling the snow
coffee pot wheezing soft as my stereo

All of the things I've had whether I've known or not
All of the things I've known and then somehow forgot

When I was young riding around
beer in my lap, one window down
bird in the tree, kiss on the mouth
I thought that I had figured it out
I was a fool. Then I met you.

Dusk was the longest hour when I was a kid.
Beautiful things sometimes can seem pretty hid.
Funny the things that make you want to walk the land
are the things sometimes you barely understand.

Found lots of crooked road before I found you
hard to curse any road but sometimes you do.
Feeling all strung out, drawn up from head to gut
I was calling out, I didn't know for what

When I was young riding around
beer in my lap, one window down
bird in the hand, kiss on the mouth
I thought that I had figured it out

All of these things so hard to find
up in my face, lost to my mind
hand on the knee, kiss on the mouth
I thought that I had figured it out
I was a fool.

He's ahead of his time you know but, he cant use it - If only he could prove it

One of the 'most fun' things out here is water detail.  We make an assembly line out the building and proceed to bring 6 huge pallets of water outside the building to inside.  If the '12 packs' are extremely dirty, we feel like we haven't got our money's worth.

 

Planning a trip down the old silk road in China, on one of these , can't wait to go, meanwhile I'm reading about Republic of Letters.

Weary sun, sleep tonight, go crashing into the ocean, Cut the line that ties the tide and moon, ancient and blue

General Updates --

1. The heat is much better than the dust, tomorrow the 'feels like ' index will be 138, its not describable
2. Big difference between the sand and dust, dust is much worse
3. one word, Jackyl, not the chainsaw solo band, but the animal, subject to many jokes around here concerning lonely soldiers, etc
4. Seriously thinking about taking the 'chernobyl tour' when i'm done here, either in the winter next summer
5. cd's are my best friend, if i have a new compilation a day, it brightens my day
6. lots of opportunities i'll have leaving this place for sure, but opportunities are finding me here as well

Been very lucky to have met some lifelong buddies here, and very lucky to have several points of reference back home.  I'm used to this already, and for someone 'like me', it has been a feat.  It means not just getting along, but functioning and thriving in a mindset I'm far from accostomed to --

 

I miss a lot of folks back home, I often think about them, how it would be like if certain individuals were out here in the desert, and things spoiled people would complain about.

1. irregular water flow and temperature
2. coat of dust on everything 10 minutes after cleaning, a thick coat after a week
3. long, long walks in the hot hot heat
4. eating the same thing over and over and over and over
5. driving / travelling conditions that are to the point where you'd rather NOT go anywhere
6. staying inside ALL day b/c it isn't too bearable outside
7. zero aesthetic, 5000 percent bizarre
8. walking on a dark sidewalk seeing someone ahead of you thinking, are they going to go postal today?
9. no 24 by 7 coverage of monkey trials or pop star funerals

The disparities, to the victors go the spoils

1. ac ducts hanging out of our buildings equipped with generators and portable ac's, b/c its probably cheaper than fixing the existing french versions
2. people throwing plate full of assorted stuff away while people starve in the distance
3. having the gun that says, we see your missle, and we'll shoot it down before it hits anything
4. Quran w/ Democracy, a question that has plagued western civilization, it ain't going to be answered anytime soon
5. creative ways to have fun out here, many of these things are burned into my head already
6. we do have a store, it has about 10 things in it, including a 20 dollar microfiber towel i dream about every day

Back in the day I wrote with a point, now I just ramble -- I have some points, just don't know how to make them, till then I'm poaching, hoping a jakyl doesn't piss on me --

OO, This Feeling Is Wonderful, Don't You Ever Turn it Off --

evilution happens to everything, including twitter, in 140-whatever characters -- i boast i got an account the first day it opened at the dreaded sxsw interactive festival, my evolution of twitter is --

1 - saying what i had for lunch
2 - talking about all the cool things i've done
3 - talk about all the cool things i've done, and also aggrigating tidbits on life, love and links

certainly MOST, not all individuals who don't use it for facts and figures dine at the FEAST of EGO, in an UNPERSONAL BARREN WASTELAND WHERE NO ONE CARES! --

That's why after the buzzfactor is going, its not a viable business option, because its impersonal, and biz-ness these days is all about personal interaction. 10,000 or so people now see the 'great idea' from the iconoclast of choice, so hence, the idea isn't the science, the personal interaction is the new hotness.

Why do I think so, b/c no one in the TWITisphere seems to care about that, they're all overexerted to the bone, trying to do more, see more, act more, feel more, MORE MORE MORE --

It's not sustainable in the environment, and its not sustainable to one's soul --

Scoble says it best, when actual work was being done, not the exploitation of work -- and I cut and past --

------

Drama vs. Helpfulness, how I will rebuild a friendship

by Robert Scoble on June 29, 2009

Twitter. It almost means drama. Heck, for those who didn’t catch musician Wil.i.am and Perez Hilton going at it over on Twitter you can get a whif of the kind of things that seem to happen in our real-time entertainment-focused world.

I have drunk too much from that world.

It’s too easy to be nasty. To build alliances, mobs, and use them to hurt people. I know, I’ve been on both the receiving end of that and the giving end of it too.

But I’m going the other way. How can I be helpful?

Yesterday I reminisced about the good old days, when coders ruled the world, not drama. Code isn’t dramatic. It either works, or it doesn’t.

Code doesn’t incite riots. Code doesn’t call people names. Code doesn’t end friendships.

So, I’m leaving the drama world to those who want to use Twitter to riot, to harm, to hurt, or to cause a fight to encourage people to click on their links so they can get the page views and get paid.

Tonight a friend says he’s ending his friendship with me. I don’t care how or why, but I’ll work to be helpful again. I used to be helpful.

I used to help by being excited by seeing the coolest latest startups. I used to help by trying out all the latest technology and knowing more about how to use it than anyone else.

That is still there, but it’s been repressed by the real time world. The drama. The fights.

My friend is noticing the same thing, although he’s articulating it badly. So am I.
It takes two to fight, so now I’m off. How to be helpful?

Well, for one, have you tried Feedly? I’m playing with it and it is now my favorite way to read

Google Reader’s feeds and tell the world about who has the best blogs. Yeah, it only works with Firefox, but most of you should be using that anyway. Would love to help out.

Anyway, earlier today I wrote that with every tweet we have a choice: helpful or hurtful. I’m trying to be helpful. Kick me if I’m not.

i never really thought it would be like this, i know its kinda hard but i'm glad that it is --

idealism has always had a tendancy to bring out the best of the worst of me, today that tug of war rages on --

ever since i learned the expression 'when you point a finger, six get pointed back at you' -- i've made earnest effort to sit back, take 27 deep breaths, take what i think are the shortcomings in others, internalize and reflect on myself the mental notes i've taken of others.

often times i wonder, does that introspection and self enrichment pay off? i think 'what percentage of the population is trying to improve themselves, and what percentage increase are they doing to achieve 'better ground' .5, 5, 15 or 50% --

squandered talent KILLS ME being a c student in high school, passing college by a gray nose hair, and generally speaking working harder than the next fella, often times a lot harder --

squandered time is relative, damn if i'm not finding myself apathetic more often than not the last few weeks, there's an invisible to me mountain i'm pushing against emotionally, one of two things will happen 1- the moutain will reaveal itself to me, or 2 - i'm like hmmm, this just got easier, what happened --

i'm searching for answer one, so i don't have to climb that mountain again --

i'm finding its a great thing to have expections of people, but finding it difficult to factor that in the living a extraordinary life effortlessly.

--
lately my thoughts lack a central theme, i hate it when i read stuff that i can't derive a central them from as much as i hate watching movies like 'snatch' --

undertones will tell the tale of my past to me, or good stories for people that are close to me -- stories that i don't have trouble articulating --

two butterflies tie knots in his stomach they love it when he goes too fast

wind whistles past round oceans of air that will mess up his hair though he no longer cares anymore --

wow, perpetual bad mood only is illeviated by thoughts of --- wow, what's neil hannon doing now, what is the gang from belle and sebastian doing in glasgow, how bout billy bragg, or sondre lerche -- guess they've never been to iraq, i don't think we'll see them on a moral tour here anytime soon.

the heat is UNF*#@%&^ING believeable, this sentiment coming from a native Texas boy -- not to mention the dust, wow, man vs. all sorts of things out here.

onion layers continue to peel off, it's a good thing -- its like the soul's 'fat suite' comes right off -- binge drinking comes to mind --

only two months in, i know coming back i'm going to have a hard time 'adjusting' to civilization. i'm going to see inefficiency everywhere i go, from the showers to the commutes, to the apathy seen in peoples faces, and the general lack of care and consideration for your fellow human.

i keep talks back home short, its great to see and hear friends and family. there are some folks here that never truly accepted they are here, i've come to accept that i'm here for a good while, and i'm having a good go at it.

two nights ago, after a few hours in the heat, i'm laying in bed, cold room, and my body temp is off -- throw on the cover for 30 seconds and i'm hot -- i will have to do something for my poor feet soon too. :(

--
as we inject some capitalism into this nation, here's a quote from stalin of mother russia, maybe my friends would stop calling me a communist one day if i quite quoting brutal dictators --

“The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do.”

--
wow, just re-read this, i'm all over the place -- need to recollect

You kept running, You Got Money You Got Fame, Every Morning, I See Your Picture from the Train

Its not about having the right answers, but rather asking the right questions. My question has always been, 'how do you develop unconventional talents in a conventional world?'

-- haven't done it in my magical armchair
-- not in the pubs or on dates
-- not by hanging around people with the same mindset
-- not by knowing everything about everything or wanting to learn everything about anything
-- not even by tuning in to the emerging social scenes online

what's done more for me than all of that in just two months

-- going somewhere where most have guns
-- seeing post apocalyptic vehicles in real life and not just on mad max
-- tied to the plow 84 hours a week
-- hearing the sound of islam 500 yards away and going....'huh?, what is that?'

what i've found is a hard balance between judgement and perception --

-- why does it take moving to the desert to see a right wingers perspective on war?

-- why does it take moving a right winger to watch a polar ice cap fall off to convince climate change --

What I can do back home to be unconventional

-- listen to others
-- know where to take the conversation after inception
-- don't talk passionately about 1/2 of 1 percent of the picture

the world has some problems while we lament on

-- who to blame for it
-- how to sell it
-- the best way to stay distracted

----
Right now I think back to a moment in time, what was going on in my head when I was living in Queen Bee's basement, and Belle and Sebastian's The Life Pursuit album hit the torrents -- O how the times have changed.

And all my senses seem to shine through the day, honey that's okay Yes all my senses seem to shine in the night, honey that's alright

A buddy said what you'll experience on a deployment, 'youll never been happy, sadder, pissed on, pissed off, tired, energetic, etc' in your life, -- I'd say there's a lot of truth to that. Lately is hysterical laughter, the kind that only comes with 42 straight 12 or so hour days.

Random Thoughts --

Things that will change when I get back home (will cross reference in 6 months)

-- will be EXTREMELY happy to see the family

-- change my 20% lazy time to 2% lazy time

-- really work out some tough arrangements on the guitar

-- stay in super shape, eat right'ish

Trancendental Thoughts --

-- if everyone had at least 25k invested in common stock in America (not 401k, etc), there'd be a totally different perception of the economy, market forces and how pub debates are framed. the more you look the more ick' is revealed. classic enslavement that's been going on since the advent of trade.

-- every time i see a mention of tribal bs political talk I gremace. rome burned, the track we're on we're heading to the same fate, same as it ever was

-- oil enslaves us, 'recoveries' are blocked due to the price of oil, and my thoughts, american hedge funds try to drive up the price while opec tries to keep it down -- i'm trying to wrap my head around that one.

-- growth at the expense of mother nature suggests her nudging us off the planet, sustainibility will require A-BOMB project type coordination times 100, I'm ready. i understand what's good for water skiing isn't good for snow skiing, but there's something looming.

Tonight I throw myself into, and out of the red, out of her head she sang

tonight i get the 'twitter and social networking is stupid' tongue and cheek speech. although i think social networking is just a tool (garbage in and garbage out), it is a world flattener.

there's some iraqi officials on twitter, and i can say @yodude here's what i think about the world situation. in a nutshell that's a potential game changer.....if ---

people actually listen -- the key now isn't the idea, or listening, its execution, timing, vision and luck. good ideas are being given and consumed by so many people at this day and age, the part that you can control of a success equation is how bad you want it -- and from what my inclinations show me, people don't want much, they just talk a good game.

to this day i've never really 'wanted anything' bad enough to GRIND it out -- i desperately want to have something to sink my teeth into, until then its calculated decisions about where my life and career are going.

--
lately i've been thinking, i'm a fan of globalization WITHOUT growth. i think about what awareness does to the fertility rate, sustainability and repair (for instance, how long is that plastic smoothie cup going to stay in this man made lake, and how long is the lake going to be around?), and the true keys to the kingdom and happiness --

i've been thinking about how tired 'conventional war' is, and what's next on the horizon....clone wars, etc, etc --

i've been thinking about the hideous and sensationalist 'socialism' debate and how people get caught up in this. could it be that one day we're all so efficient we can cocoon in our chu's and have what we want on demand free of charge and free from work?

i've been thinking about how i want my stock to go up, so i can live on the interest earned --

i've been thinking about a hammock in the back yard in shiner, a really good one, laying in it all day and reading --

i've been thinking how i spend my days back home, and boy are there going to be some changes when i get back --

I'm an Outlaw, I Make my Livin' on the Run, My Life is Lonely, But I was born to Need No One

The desert is small, seeing points of reference from back home can make your disposition do a complete 180 --

Calvanism, a suggestion, something I've always been afraid to approach, but I think here's the time and the place for it -- According to wiki, its The system is best known for its doctrines of predestination and total depravity.

Another tool to make sense of a different reality, why not grind your brain against it.

To balance

Firehouse, the 80's band I've been jammin' back to back to back nights on my jog. After this jaunt through the depths of knowing thyself and self actualization, I hope to end back up at Firehouse, for as if the laws of economics say 'mo money mo problems,' a deep dip into the brain grunge certainly hinders happiness.

Yes, I'm saying it, one day I think I'm just going to like shit with a beat, but its probably going to be Mozart and the gang.

To make a mountain of Your life is just a choice But I never learned enough To listen to the voice that told me always love

for a solid 4-5 hours today i thought about mis-steps in my life, especially with people, things i'd like to make right -- on the myers briggs test, the last letter, based on my mood, i'm either a J (judgemental) or a P (perceptive).

Generally speaking, a more 'ideal human being' is a P. It means observing, cataloguing and all the other stuff that comes with action before thought. It constantly reminds me to think a situation through before making a snap judgement based on my ideology or prejudice.

this short amount of time out here at told me to look the other way in regards to what it petty, and get down to the heart of matters and see what needs renovation.

conflict, discontent, malcontent and other negative connotations don't advance agendas -- my personal agendas tell me to respect, respect, you have to show people respect.

the opportunity costs for negative emotions are enormous, as I get older I need to tear down those walls, all of them, and just let it flow --

its been a torturous day of sorts.

if music be the food of love, then play on

Since arrival -- no movies, but i plan on coming home with 52 music dvds --

they bring 2 hours of smiles to my week, and it kinda makes me feel like i'm travelling without travelling

week 1 - josh ritter Live in Dublin
week 2 - foo fighters live in london (my first bluray disk ever, i must say its impressive)
week 3 - nirvana mtv unplugged in new york
week 4 - springsteen in philly (i think) circa 1975
week 5 - jeff buckley grace tribute (live from all over the place)

see you in another 5 weeks with the next 5

Make crosses from your lovers Throw roses in the rain Waste your summer praying in vain For a savior to rise from these streets

Two prevailing thoughts --

1 -- how a song morphs with your through life, thunder road by springsteen when i was a kid was a jam, in high school i liked the 'you're not a beauty but hey you're allright' lyric, and now there's another peel that comes off that onion, wow sprinsteen is the man -- that's what it takes to sell out stadiums, write timeless tunes like that

2 -- 'deep economy' the book i'm reading says, ok, you're rich, now what? it takes about the perpetual growth models we promote and their implications on society. analysis says 10k a year is the cutoff point for happiness, you make more, the happiness curve goes down.

a hammock and bare feet will come for me sooner than later, that's happiness -- hopefully the abstract notion of true love come true to boot

High on a hillside, trucks are loading everything's ready to roll I sleep in the daytime, I work in the nightime

Colbert is here in Baghdad this week, putting on some insane shows, giving away coveted army coins with the slogan 'heads we win, tales we win' -- The show goes on in front of a palace. Many would say this constitutes an 'America F*ck Yea' attitude as per Team America World Police. All pretty gutsy.

One thing Colbert said, something the account of, 'you guys are great, etc, some of yall have been here 4 or 5 tours, racking up frequent flier miles, enough for a free trip to Afghanistan.' -- Tonight, in the 'gang shower' complex I spoke with a gentleman who was here on his 4th tour. Ahhh, the human element that goes along with all this, families missing their wives and kids, makeups breakups bad moods ambiguity and most of all investment of precious time.

Today it struck me that I'm still sorta on 'leg one' of this marathon, I'd say mile 2 -- Many, or most rather have the 'freedom calculator' here, an excel spreadsheet that calculates to the second when they're able to go home.

Wow, days are hard, but they go relatively quick, relatively..

tonight i'm gonna eat apples and cherries, fruit that reminds me of you, days i spent asleep in the orchard, reminds me of people like you

back to harping on the 'when you're a hammer, all you see is nails' routine ---

back home this is most prevalent in the bar scene. once i went out with a dental crew, i'm sitting in the corner talking to a lady about life while everyone is jammin' to the window to the wall and getting their groove on out there -- people hooking up see other people hooking up, hipsters see hipsters, so on and so forth.

army sees army, art sees art, music sees music, black sees black, white sees white, straight sees straight, gay sees gay, hardly little compromise.

I get about 15 - 20 minutes of american tv per day, fox to msnbc to cnn in the span of 15 minutes, and its all F*CK*NG GARBAGE. How can anyone watch ANY of that and take it with any grain of reality or relevance? Then its back to hammers seeing nails, people seeing and believing what they want to, so they don't have to think.

if you want to play the prophet man you got to learn the lines...compassion

its funny watching the 'foreigners' here pick up American military tradition, especially at the chow hall when the individual slinging rice on your plate says 'here you go SIR' with potency.

prevailing currents of weather are interesting here, today was hot, but a relatively cool circular breeze was blowing.

times get long, i just have to keep in mind i'm running a marathon not a sprint --

with red lights flashign time to retire, and we turned the liquor store into a structure fire

today i began thinking about careers, and the relevance people put in them, and how they so much strive to be like the person or position above them, beside them, beyond them, and they let it dictate how they live their lives.

baseball players who can hit the curve ball out of the park get paid big bucks, those who can switch hit and hit breaking balls are the superstars.

bad part about the world we live in is people get all giddy when they hit a single or double, and expect a-rod dollars for it. its the time when everyone gets a trophy, and you're bound for promotion reguardless. -- that's always been the same.

i'd say what got me to baghdad was swinging at a slyder in the dirt on a 2 and 2 pitch and running out a base hit. not an ideal situation, not what i wanted to do when i was in the batters box waiting to hit, but i sure am glad that i got that base hit.

hell, i might even have a cramp from running out the throw, but next time i'm at the plate and the perfect pitch comes, its going yard, and that time's coming.

why? not sticking to convention, not posturing my life for the next slop on the totem pole, but by something completely different, something very rewarding.

Hope in the freedom he can almost touch, Folk take for granted as they walk to church

Thinking about the conflict in the middle east, I see two distinct tactics unfolding --

Two bullies back in middle school get in a fight,

1 -- they fight, beating each other up while everyone else is going 'woah', brutal, blah blah -- sometimes a whole brawl ensues, a free for all so to speak. at the end of it, the bullies at the least are all beat up, maybe even more, and then all go back to their places going damn, that shit hurt.

2 -- a principle gets in front of the bullies and says look, you ain't gonna fight.

The POTUS gave a speech today in Cairo, I wasn't able to see it, but a line that's been common through has been to focus on common interest, most reasonable minds in the middle east agree that violence isn't the way to roll.

Stats show (according to Newsweek) that G Dub and the boys killed 85% of the al qaeda, supposedly only 2-300 of those boogers left. Picking them out with the help of a moderate voice in Islam, which is most around here, is the way to do it.

Sure we could continue to do what Robin Williams said in 'Good Morning Vietnam' and say, 'Well sir, how do you know if they're the bad guy', 'Well we ask them, are you the bad guy? and if they say yes, we shoot em' -- but the transcendental approach is to refine the theocracries and academics.

Back to the bully analogy, there is some relevance to punching the bad guy in the face, the other bullies don't want to f*ck with you, however, both the strength and weakness of radical Islam is chaos and unorganization, and we're not dealing with bullies, we're dealing with weasels.

Sailing heart-ships thru broken harbors Out on the waves in the night

At some point man invented the clock, driving a wedge between himself and god / nature.

Mathamatics led to currency lead to traders led to banks led to economics led to leverage, growth being the bottom line.

What happens when the market reaches 14k again, what about 28k -- It reminds me of something I read in a book recently about having 'enough.' When is 'enough' and what makes humans reach for the illusive dangling carrot, and what prevents their will power from holding back from the 50 inch tv?

So what is going to push humanity foward, past the age of consumption. The most powerful piece on the chess board is the queen, and I think the queen is going to push us to the next level. Queen = mother nature, and when I say she's going to push us to the next level, it means she's going to make the markets her b*tch.

It's happening now, first solar, etc, etc -- the markets will usher in the new age, only to be met with gradual irrevelance, don't ask me how' its going to happen, but that's my prediction. Could be her hiccuping us off the planet, could be us learning a little obedience and less arrogance.

Your perspective on the world doesn't change when you have money in your pocket, you're still the same ol' person you've always been, I think people often forget that point and frame everything around monetary policy.

I've been hitting the chess board again, I enjoy running through the scenerios, and during my 'library break' I play a brief game of risk, polishing up my attack, wait, fortification, strategy skills.

I often think about what it means the 'be in love' out here, as I see so many people missing their families, wives, kids -- I'm waiting for the shockers to bring back that fleeting feeling to my soul.

Like Toshi said today in an email, this kind of stuff helps your mind -- It doesn't need to get really any deeper than that, just something that frames reality in a different way -- I *think* its actually seeing the collective world for what it is, we see races of people that fight each other, to no end, for various reasons. Same reasons the dems fight the repubs, christians vs muslims, catholics vs protestants -- Before guns there were arrows, before arrows spears, before spears, clubs, so on and so forth.

It helps the mind by allowing you to focus on yourself, but not about yourself -- It helps you identify your place in the world.

I think about the fall of empires, french in indochina, brits in america, etc, etc throughout history, and the prevailing theme was a loss of financial sustainment. Sure these good willing fellas had the stay the course attitude, but to play a bad joke, when the lobster gives way to bread and water in the chow hall, and when the money stops flowing, history tells us we have a problem, despite and resolve one might have. With the money goes food and 'standard of living', time just has to lean a degree and game over, today, tomorrow, next year, 100 years, whatever.

Living 1,000 yards away from 5% or so of 5 million people who really really really don't like you, at all is a learning curve.

i can walk down my old block, and not a lot can make my old knees knock

but when there's a sad storm in the desert, things that go bump in the night are creepy, just watching the dust EAT people in front of you --

highlight of my time in baghdad this far, having 'DFAC' dinner with my cousin, GREAT to see him, catch up, talk about the family, talking about the time leading up to us getting here, literally and figuratively.

fighting against being exhausted, i'm winning :)

All anyone can ever want is a co-pilot Someone to leave this town and Up and start a secret

Blogging after an EXHAUSTING day, this isn't Kansas, come to think of it, its not like anything I've remotely experienced before, that's why it's a good thing.

I sit at mental gridlock, although tons on my mind. It's hard to look towards the future at the moment, instead the general rule is to live day by day.

This morning's jog with O'Dub was nice, the weather was beautiful.

Everyone chuckles about groundhog day, but you don't really know what its like until you're living it, or in my case, as close as I'll ever come to it --

A typical routine here for you limited time off,

Sun -- Some sort of quick impromptu bbq
Mon -- Flag Football
Tues -- Volleyball
Wed -- Hang out on Patio
Thur -- Ping Pong
Fri -- Movie at 'theater'
Sat -- Some sort of fellowship

I've been the introvert here, mine has went something like get up, go to work, leave work, go to sleep, but I'm working up the energy to break it up, something like this

Sun -- Music DVD of week
Mon -- Call a loved one, tell them they're loved
Tues -- Gym
Wed -- Strum Guitar
Thur -- Hang out in hopes of good conversation
Fri -- Album of the Week
Sat -- A nice introspective meditation and subsequent blogging

Everywhere I look I see opportunity, it reminds me of what my mom always says, everywhere I look I see work. How does one 'weave' themselves in to an introverted and cliquish crowd.

The bigger the crowd, the less vested interested is in the people getting together. No matter how much one wants to give, you can't give what someone doesn't want. That's something new I think about moving forward when trying to bring people together. An oil man doesn't want to talk wind, and a hippie doesn't want to talk to a conservative, etc.

At this moment in my time in the sand, I'm apathetic to branching out, all in due time, slowly but surely. I'm having a hard time bridging the fundamental differences in why people are here, until I can figure out a common thread, its hard for me to communicate.

----
In times of extreme tired, the song I always go back to is 'inside of love' by nadasurf -- such a cool tune --

last night I dreamt that I grew wings, I found a place where they could hear me when I sing

Life in Baghdad-e-o isn't all that bad, long hours, hard work, don't even know where to begin with all those.

Just walk with an authoritative walk and do you job, I guess that's the way to roll --

Teamwork is big out here, which is AWESOME -- Pile A needs to get into building, everyone assembles to help, not a 'thats not my job,' etc. Heaven forbid we take our OWN TRASH out, we clean our own area, etc.

Yesterday I started a pflight to get in not just good, not just great, but the pinnacle of my physical fitness. This means 2.5 miles a night, and 3 miles in the morning.

I also read somewhere about, you guess it, food is addicting. Chemicals can make food taste like anything these days...if you want a 'seared' (sp?) flavor, just add a few drops of this, that or the other. Luckily there is a healthy menu out here, and I've been exercising EXTREME self control. My only indulgences, ice cream on Friday night, and two near beers on Saturday, while sitting at my desk at work.

Logistics of the job, getting from point a to b, and also just logistics of living, Things are very organized, everything is, I guess they have to be. The mind is a wash, how did I get here, I belong but I don't belong feelings, but I know great things are going to become of this, I'll definitely be able to mark some things off my list.

When the past becomes the now, When the lost becomes the found, When We Fall in Love with War, When the Angel.....

Nothing says a hard days rockin' like falling asleep while walking -- I promise to never complain about a 40 hour week again, I won't ever complain about pulling weeds in yards, It's a good hardening effect here.

Meeting all sorts of cool people, linguists, politicians, people studying Arabic, etc, etc. Always the 'dumbest one in the room' syndrome with me.

The 'MWR' facilities are the best, the work hours are the worse -- Starting to eat less, exercise more. 2 weeks down, a ways to go --

Last weekend I was in denial of where I was, totally, this weekend is a sorta bleak acceptance. In a weird sorta way I like it out here, that doesn't mean that I don't dream about my 'happy land' time in Bavaria.

I would say this constituents 'living on the fringes,' -- I'm doing 'hard stuff' now so I'll be set for the unique opportunities coming in the future.

More to come after a nights sleep, or getting used to this schedule, if that's even possible --

WIFI to SKYPE via IPHONE to people in USA --- equals the world is flat, at least for communication, however I wish were had artery style bandwidth instead of a skinny vein.

Because my inside is outside My right side's on the left side

Tonight broadcasting from 'the fish bowl,' the original and only bordello in the palace complex area. Disorientation continues, eyes hurt terribly bad today, burnout has came and went. A few more iterations and I'll be used to this.

The 'hula girls' from Hawaii were here tonight providing entertainment including song like 'Imagine' Hawaii hula girl style. Airman G says, 'this is great entertainment, just look at everyone out here having a good time.'

This made me consider how critical I am of life in general, and how advanced our society is as to be able to give criticism on such a granular level, i.e. 'he didn't sound that G chord out right', or the show was great, but the theatrics were just 'ok', etc.

---
How is this going to play out? Regardless of if we leave tomorrow, a month, a year, ten years, or 100 years from now?

-- The Iraqi 'bill of rights' says it best and I paraphrase, 'Anything that goes against the Quran is strictly prohibited.'

The 'marketing' over the loud speakers two or three times a day, and what 'academia' in the middle east teaches will keep it same as it ever was.

Christ could walk on water we can wade through the war You don't need to tell me who the fire is for

4 am venture to the loo's this morning reveals the moon / star that's present on the flag of Islam, man and his symbols.

It's safe to say that 'things' move 3-4 times quicker here than back home, strip the frivolous politics from you day to day work environment and you get what you have here, you need it, you got it. No pet rocks in the building, a great caliber of people all around.

What have I been doing to stave off insanity and attempt to create rhythm? Trying very hard to create a routine. Never thought I'd be happy to say 'I'm glad its Monday, but I am, for its when America lights up, around 4pm here, the people, the markets, the list serves.

I've found a nice walkabout around a lake, inside its about 60 degrees with the computers, outside its 100 plus. I do plan on making 5pm or so 'calling time' to family back home, and 5am calling time for friends back home. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, tea run at the barista 9pm, PX run to look at the same ol' crusty stuff in the afternoon, 'Blackhawk Mall' on Saturday.

There are other options I'm looking at too, all in all, I would say enough to keep busy for the tour here.

Speaking of tours, also plenty time to start planning my world tour 2010. Starting in Iceland, so far the cities are..

Reykjavik
Oslo
Stockholm
Helsinki
St Petersburg

Istanbul

Damascus

Tel Aviv

Riyad
Moscow
Mumbai
Hong Kong
Bangkok
Ho Chi Minh
Manila
Melbourne
Sydney
Auckland
Honolulu
Panama
Bogota
Quito
Rio
Buenos Aires
Santiago

---
Dept of Defense Banter for the day: 'People often consider if their lives have made a difference, Marines don't have that problem.' --- My hat goes off to these folks, I'd say they have the hardest job in modern day warfare.

And I'll dance with you in Vienna I'll be wearing a river's disguise

I recall the gently rolling hills / mountains in Austria, and when I see them again I feel 'my heart will search no more.' Same thing with a lot of other aspects of life. Nothing like a war zone, long hours and a desert sun to put life into perspective.

Over here, ever yard is like the last 10 yards, like the 4th quarter, like the player playing with a cramp, like the Nascar with an engine that's missing a beat.

Catch Penny is here in a few days, and although I don't know them, I have the utmost respect for them already. I used to think the whole 'support our troops' was a bunch of rhetoric, and never gave it meaning outside of my kin folk, especially nephew Alex, now it takes on a whole new meaning. Reading through some of the jargon on that website really got to me, in the future I will almost always frame from a human standpoint and not one of ideology.

To me, the meaning of the whole 'why are WE (i.e. we who are actually here) isn't a political answer, it has to do with the execution of a task, the powers that be in a freely elected democrazy pull the make it happen card, and you got a lot of smart, dedicated, courageous people trying to scrap it out.

It ain't easy, it ain't glamorous.

What defines success? As my buddy said, USA and Iraq have a different measuring stick, what we see is failure could be seen as progress on their front. Often people have used the words 'foreigner' (not in terms of the band), but to describe people that aren't like them. In this land we are those foreigners, and it's painfully obvious every step you take.

i'd a danced like the queen of the eyesores And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well

groundhog day, really sank in to me tonight, that i won't have a free weekend for 6 months or so. putting it bluntly, it kinda sucks -- 12 hours a day 7 days a week are just words until you're actually there. the difference b/w this and a silicon valley startup is 12 hours of work doesn't mean mixed in with facebook, twitter, iphone, sushi and checking out the latest trends. it means work, sleep and a couple hundred yards of wiggle room. its tough on the mind, body and spirit, everyone here goes through it.

tired as an old diva is the state of mind, when i'm tired i mispell words all over the place -- layer one of societal paint was removed tonight, knowing that tomorrow is work, sunday is work, and the week starts all over again.

a strange and wonderful perspective is kicking in, a few weeks downs the road i'll have better definition, but where I'm at and why I'm here is a good thing that will only help me down the road. right now, not a lot of doubt, but like tenacious d would say, 'the road is f*ckin hard.'

absence will make the heart grow fonder: of the people in my life, the concerts i go to, the buffalo wings i scarf down, of the hot shower, or a quiet nights sleep.

i'm going to come back smarter, damn a lot smarter -- self enrichment at the cost of isolation in many ways, kinda like the count of monte cristo getting his learn on in prison.

the food is still damn good, but very impersonal, the best thing about mammas home cookin' is mamma.

the laundry service, STELLAR

the green beans coffee, TO BE DESIRED, the 4 shot expresso, PRETTY GOOD

the palace, DIRTY

the air, STINKY and sometimes SMOKEY

the people, still GREAT

did I mention a PESTERING HEAT?

hand out, faces that he sees time again aint that familiar

its a clash of civilizations, on one side you have players who see nothing but a finite game, played to win or to lose. on the other side, half play the same finite game, the other half play an infinite game, a game where winning is to have the factions play again.

such polarizations seem to never turn out well, so you get what we have here, helicopters choppin on the right, muslim prayer over loud speaker to the left. question is how many people on either side believe that there is something worth sacrificing for an ambiguously defined objectives on either side? how do you fight apathy, i think we have a hard time fighting it at home --

-- the smell of smoke in the air
-- the gap in between the lakes of the palaces, and the drought caused by this in the south
-- the setup here, i mean, wow

what pokes its head up from the ashes is what you have here, some are curious, some are profiteers, some are adventure seekers, some are marksmen, for most, it's their job.

somewhere in between all of this is a ripple that i have a hard time framing.

The daughter of the biggest big town banker He kept her like a princess I stole her like the Fort Knox gold

More bullet points until cohesive though can sink in --

• I haven't seen bigotry here, people, political, religious, etc -- the caricature I saw of the war fighter or those that support it has always taken a 'conservative' stance, I see the question framed differently here. The ant nest has been kicked, now you have the ants rebuilding the mound, In a way, I boil down the critical success factor in this endeavor as 'do the people of iraq want it enough,' then I think, that's not a fair way to frame the question, which brings, 'can these people handle what we are trying to give them,' that's the question. 21st century advanced citizenship with secularism is much more different than a 12th century theocracy. I see the disparity big time here
• Rollin' to the loo at night 100 yards after sleeping isn't fun at all, you can't go to sleep afterward, and I refuse to resort the 'the bottle' in the room.....at least as my mind stands now.
• Here its Spain hot and sunny, but add dust and dirt on top
• I'm finding much of my 'desert attire' that I brought with me isn't working very well. blisters on my feet, sunburn on the tops of my ears, taking less showers than 'i should', and fighting overdrinking / underdrinking water, all part of the equation -- i have to adjust, and change the way i percieve this life in general. for the next year i have to figure out how to 'become one' with my surroundings
• the chow halls here are like pinocco island of food, first day i had veal, then prime rib, the sausage gumbo, all grade A stuff, probably the caliber of what you'd get at a 5 star hotel back home.
• I know I'm going to come back to the states and see inefficiency and stuff taken for granted everywhere, from water in the showers and bathrooms, proximity and availability of stores, laundry, etc, etc -- its very efficient here, perhaps because of the abundance of money thrown at the problem
• the enlisted folks as well as the contractors are some of the best people i've seen at the table for a meeting -- same tired debates, but lots of creativity and though thrown into the equation, not a lot of 'brainstorming' goes on here, just pragmatism and decision making, and quick turnarounds.
• last night, two senior enlisted guys were outside the palace, playing covers of songs like pearl jam and weezer, this debunks the notion that all people here are kid rock toby keith loving war mongering rednecks
• fundamentalism and sensational here are shokingly absent (except for the morter lobbers outside the camps). when bad news hits about a soldier taking the lives of 4 buddies then himself, the news back home has it on for days, taking a deep dive, here's there is empathy for the victims, and for each other, and mental support, at times its not plesant, but everyone's in it together here, and I'm finding that to be a strong bond
• eating, sleeping, working, exercising with the same crew all the time, something good has to become of it, never had to do it, i'll be blogging about it as it goes on --
• the crowd here is transient. just so happens the group i sat with at the dinner table last night, two captains, two contractors, will all be gone in 3 months, and new faces will be there. i'll have seniority on systems that i barely even know how to spell yet.
• on a 'down day' i'll walk at least 3 miles, some days i've been walking 5+, the body doesn't really per se sweat, but i can tell its taking a toll. trying desperatly to find sunglasses that look right on a fat head, so i don't come back to the states all squinty.
• lots of thoughts floating around, the uncertainty is sorta gone, but the funamentals of a routine haven't sank in yet, i'm told when it gets much hotter we can work through the night and sleep durning the day.

3.33 am, still can't adjust to the sleep patterns, I'm going to crash and burn this afternoon --

Special shout out to Praveen, the barista at Green Beans coffee hear, thanks for the twice a day quad shot Americano

and when you're lookin' for your freedom, nobody seems to care, and you can't find the door, no you can't find it anywhere

day in the life --

-- 4 am wake up, pushups, lots of them, leg lifts, lots of them
-- out the door by 5, breakfast at 5.20
-- watch mavs for 30 minutes in chow hall at breakfast
-- work at six
-- tinker around with environmentals for a few hours
-- 10 oclock meeting
-- 10.45 tea with the british multinationals
--11.15 spam america with email
--11.45 chow hall run
-- 12.15 hooked to the plow
--3 pm - 20 minute nap
-- work till 7.30pm
-- chow with team
-- go home 20 minute nap
-- volleyball at 9pm
-- 10 back at home
-- clean up get all the logistical stuff ready for next day
-- shower
-- do mini version of browsing what i used to (back down to the basics)
-- my kingdom for bandwidth
-- 20 minute call to mom in the state @ 3 bucks a minute
-- hit the sack
-- do it all over again, except that time between 8-10, that will change up a little everyday

Down in the valley a choice has been made a new reputation, it sleeps in your bed like you said: it never was better than how it was

4 hours sleep first night, tonight almost 5, things are getting to 'normal'

-- work is good
-- chow is amazing
-- intangibles surreal

The camaraderie is something I've never quite experienced, I know I'm going to come out of this with some lifelong friends.

-- The dust is brutal, everything is dirty
-- You see the best and the worst of the human spirit here
-- You see many people grinding it out

You have to bring integrity and responsibilty to an endeavor like this, because it's not going to find you here.

Every day I wake up and it's Sunday Whatever's in my head won't go away

In the last 24 hours, Tampa to DC to Kuwait to Baghdad.

• Gryphon Air I was nervous about, but turned into being a really 'nice' flight to Baghdad
• Met 3 people enroute, one medic heading south, one security guard heading south Baghdad, and one teacher who is working to integrate people and teach them modern stuff
• My room is small, spartan but enough to suffice and keep it all good for a while, my roommate is an older gentlemen from Korea that's very friendly
• The surroundings are beautiful / surreal
• It's dusty and dirty
• Saw a Becks beer bottle, after closer look, non-alcoholic of course
• I've already been signed up for a dodge ball tourney next Sunday
• There seems to be plenty for moral
• 3 of my coworkers picked me up at the 'airport'
• Throughout the night I'm hearing sounds that I've never heard before, planes, etc, etc
• flying over the 'outskirts' of Kuwait City reminds me of Tatooine, the other parts of the city look very modern and exciting. Flying over Baghdad things look very impoverished.
• The smell isn't all that great

All in all, ready for the 'new adventure,' feeling strangely fine.

Birds beneath my window dustying their wings upon the lawn I hear them in the morning light giving last amen to a migratory song

Last post from the US of A for a while, heading to partake in a risk / reward scenario overseas. What to bring, a good attitude at the least.

With a belly somewhat unsettled and an open mind, I can see a decoupling of societal constructs, it'll only do me well.

The mind always imagines things worse than it actually is, here's the worst of my imagination shining through

1. Having a sloppy / snoring roommate
   
2. Eating bugs for dinner
3. getting shot at or riding helicopters
4. not 'fitting in'
5. getting hooked to the plow and working your butt off relentlessly
   
6. living 'groundhog day' over and over
7. 750 yards of roaming space
   

What DO you do when you have to live groundhog day..., the non Hollywood and glamorous version. Well, you can electrocute yourself, jump in front of a train, or retreat to the room in silence.

OR, you can take the experience life has given you and choose to enjoy that experience. You can build / morph true feelings, true experience, bonding and reverence. You can make it a time to leave the distractions behind and see what really lies in the core.

I'll be blogging more, I'll have more time to think, I want to catch a rhythm, I want to make it good.

Out on the Desert and I'm Feelin' Lost, The Bonnet Wears a Wire Albatross, Monster Ballads and the Stations of the Cross

Today begins a new journey, or as Monty Pyton would say, 'and now for something completely different.' I've always talked about perspective, but find myself staying in my mental 'safe' zone.

The more you look, the more you realize the facts are so far removed from our 'civilized' and advanced societies that everything is abstact, everything is personality and emotion based, and things seldom appear to be as they seem.

I think of 'the core' of your soul as the ball, and society has washed layers apon layers of 'crap' on you, new adventures, perspective, SELF-enrichment and a sky full of stars in a open desert will wash away these layers, leaving the core visible, malleable, discoverable, approachable.

The journey of self discovery starts with a step, for years to come, drunken steps, back and forth, 5 - 10 years from now I'll have the walk of life down to a T, with a balance of perspective.

State of mind is an open book and a blank page.

All Talk No Action, What's the Big Attraction

Two quotes --

'Thought, expression and sensibility are given through communication'

and

'The clearest way of seeing through a culture is to attend to their tools of conversation'

It's never been about the mechanics of the tools, rather a state of mine. There's always been a quote that surrounds on of my favorite cities, 'people are open minded and accepting of everyone, except people who AREN'T open minded and accepting of everyone. When you're a hammer, you look for nails, you find them. Social networking arises, two examples --

--------------------------
1 -- The Walled Garden
--------------------------

A utility where you invite you sisters, punk rock friends, hipsters, preachers, republicans / democrats, Buddhists / Christians, etc to the table for an extended conversation. / -- a vast variety and diversity of individuals.

Perception suggests someone that has 1,000 people in their walled garden is well respected. I argue a more affluent person can have 10 friends, all of differing ideologies, and bring them to the table for relevant conversation.

1 person with 1,000 'cool friends' that are all nails is a commodity, ten friends with a different perspective is balance.

There is a psychology to what you project here --

--------------------------
2 -- The Open Prairie
--------------------------

A lawless land of despots, warriors, wizards, peasants, and jokers yet very few 'common people'. Unfiltered, unadulterated, communication, simple, opt in style -- A brave new world in the area of communication which yields great power but has potential for great blow back.

Huxley was different from Orwell in that he suggested there wasn't a need to ban books, knowledge would become passee in the land of distraction.

--
Always garbage in garbage out, a tool is only as good as what is aggregated. You can play the games and figure out what you think you want people to see and hear, or you can be yourself, and you don't have to remember anything.

Usefulness, legibility, and sensitivity is what I'm looking for --

The harbors that they built for the ships to set me free And sometimes when it's all too much I know they'll come for me

Once someone told Thoreau, there's a new invention, the telegraph, and it allows someone in Maine to talk to someone in Texas almost in real time. Thoreau's response, 'what would they have to say to each other.'

Fast forward a short time and you have a society faced with a new psychology. A quote that recently rang true, "Society works precisely because conversation is ephemeral."

Today is a life of curiosity, we learn simply because it's there, we use and abuse accordingly. The life and times today allow you opportunity, and with this opportunity comes tearing down emotional walls only to build others higher, what emerges are emotionally stern individuals on one side, and drones on the other.

We have institutions that work to tear down walls, and we have institutions that practice mind control, the yin and the yang all work together.

What is the blow back of a hyper connected age? Does it take the thrill out of the situation, and constantly feed an empty yearn to be someone or somewhere else?

I have ideas. Through the summer I'm going to take a deep dive into the Greek culture, an integrated society that yielded a phenomenal amount of intellect, brawn, and standard of living.

Time will tell if a blackberry in hand 16 hours a day will make a man healthy, wealthy and wise. In the meantime I'm going back to meditation.

--------------
“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back.”
- The Buddha

I lit the match, I lit the match, I saw another monster turn to ash, felt the burdon lifted from my back

Two things that have gotten me in a major down and out mood --

1. Slaves to the almighty dollar -- The more and more I read about the stock market, the nastier and nastier it gets. Index funds, fine, but ETF's, hedge funds, leverage a buck at times 33 to 1. Hence, a fund looses 3.1 cents on a dollar, they're sunk. I can understand 5 to 1, maybe even 10 to 1, but any more than that, you're building something that truly don't exists. You extract more value than there is true value, its blatent exploitation of our money. When times are good, so be it, when times are bad, we are in what you get. I can't understand any ideology that condones this behavior. How about a consistent 5% growth, that way society can scale with the wealth created? These institutions that create wealth have becoming self serving, and people not on top of this will become victims. Just ask the folks in iceland
2. Information overload -- I feel as if I've become a slave to the system. Neil Postman argues with great success that in the 'age of information' we are lost more than ever. Feudalism, theocracy, etc, etc at least gave someone a consistent look at a deck of cards. It's hard for people to find consistency when any and all special interest load the dice. We live in an age where information is prevelant, wisdom is lacking. 95% of the people out there have learned the mechanics of spatting out content, but don't have much to say.

trust

i've been hung up on this important word for some time now -- just picked up a book that will hope to shed some light on .......

why do you trust?
why do you trust them?
who trusts you?
why do they trust you?
how do you gain trust?
how do you become trusted?
how do you lose trust?
why do you lose it?
can you regain lost trust?
how important is trust in your business relationships?
how important is trust in your personal relationships?

i look for hereos in my search for identity but none of them seem to be quite what they want me to think

Tonight a good buddy of mine gave sage comments, 'You seem to live life for life's sake, to seek knowlege for the joy of self improvement' -- and yet another comparison to Charlie Brown, the THIRD so far in my life --

Could that mean that I always try to kick the football, could it mean that I'm a nice chap that has a lot of friends, I guess that's all up to me.

I always try to find a silver lining, and tend to sway to the positive, even though I've also been told I spew venom.

There are a lot of people that I admire in life, the ones I admire most are the ones that have a plan. It's the best way to leave the white noise of the world behind.

I'm not Easily Scared, By Things that Go Bump in the Night

Signs you're getting old, and why there isn't anything wrong with it --

1. When you have 16 nieces and nephews, 2 great nephews, one great niece. It's great hanging out with the family, listening to the stories by these youngin's, even though I'm a socially awkward and lack of attention span mess around them. I find the psychology of parenthood fascinating.
2. All your facebook friends are having babies, and you're proud of them. Seems like every other day baby photos are posted, and you think, wow, I'm glad they passed on their genetic code, they are good people.

All in due time, meanwhile, I do my part the keep the population in control --

I brought him to the dream. He had the coolest sandals that I have ever seen

As the battle rages on about who and what needs to be done to fix the economy, the root cause has yet again been neglected from the conversation. We've lived in a world with too much credit, its been brewing for a long time.

My opinion, the two things I look at the see when the economy will 'rebound,' or at least rightsize.

1 -- The Price of Oil -- There's no coincidence the price of oil falls with the economy. Which came first? While most people complain about the greedy oil people, their 401k's are stuffed with oil stock, go take a gander, I'm sure most are still, by default. Currently there is a stockpile of oil in ports all over the world, you can't just 'turn the spigot 'off', hence a hedge on the price. When this lowers, oil will settle between 75 - 90 bucks a barrel, rightsizing this toxin, which will aid in bringing things 'back to normal.'

2 -- Home Depot Stock -- Watching the ups and downs, these folks are reading the charts that will answer the ultimate question, 'when will people begin investing in their homes again?'

I Bring the House Down I Hardly Know, Which Way is Up or Which Way Down

These days this is the only taking head I listen to.  History repeats itself, and people get caught up in sensationalism.  I've always found it easy to hide behind 'the sky is falling' stories.  Many don't have the attention span to see past tactical day to day manuvers.

'One upping' everyone else is so rampent, I seldom engage in conversation at cocktail parties, working lunches or what have you.   Fabricated extra parts can potentially be capitalized, but volitility of the message and human nature tends these artifical growth mechanisms crumble. The truth is in the fine print, which no one reads.

A few nights ago, while painting a broad general picture of what I do and why I do it got me a rebuttal of, 'I think you're full of sh*t.'  What I've learned in life is to keep things simple and abstract until people earn more than that.  Intimacy is a sacred thing people just throw around at a whim these days.

Mechanics of a job are one thing, intuition, judgement and vision are another thing.  Some jobs require a high degree of intelligence to master the mechanics, while the latter is a different set of mastery that all starts with knowing yourself.

The more BS I hear on a typical night out on the town, I've found these differing forms of intelligence are like oil and water.  People who have mastered the mechanics of 'widget A' also assume they are experts in soft and intuitive skills, and they often condescend on people like myself, who speaks in abstracts attempting to get a feel of what's really going on.

Conceptual thinkers on the other hand, feel the mechanical thinker is engaged in a boring finite game, one whos outcome is necessary, yet predictable.

A fundamental complaint about society and its ability to 'troubleshoot', is the lack of its ability to question the status quo, or question things in themselves.  I've found that many people, once they get a decent job, a little money in the bank, are able to go to Cancun, etc, now have achieved a sucessful life, now its sustainment time, a time to dig in and fortify boundaries and dig a huge moat around my intellectual capital.

Individual responsibility is lost to the way of arrogance and it spirals up.  My car is better than yours, my house is better than yours, my political and financial ideology is better, my god is better than your god, and soon you are wedged between yes and no, right or wrong, and the holes individuals have dug, and the knots they have tied make it necessary to chose one of these poles, and shy away from the grey area like cryptonite.

The media and entertainment outlets solidify this by making stories out of boring news, by taking the doom and gloom approach, and do it in a candy coated way so people don't feel bad.  

Choke the medicine down.

seems so at ease A strange inner peace Is all that he's feeling somehow

The city of Brotherly love, perfect backdrop for an M Ward concert.  Love the time there. 

The city center, filled with thrasher guys filming their moves -- Nice to sit here and soak up the scenery.

Aparments near the city center, lots of really old / neat looking habitations.  Didn't see any suburban living on the trip.

A nice painting on the wall in the museum --

An 'asian' habitat, Toshi, can you confirm?

The evilution of the killing machines, guns, which use gunpowder to project a piece of metal at a tremendous velocity, which easily pierces skin.

The legend of Zelda fairy, which gives you back life.  When my back started hurting, I sat by her, and I magically felt better :)

Wow, one of the older versions of 'bling,'  what a room!

Back in the day, this was your baseball hat.  I would have picked the one in the middle to the far right, and try to pass myself as an explorer.

Spears, Spears Spears, my favorite room in the museum.

The city skyline from a major museum, a nice walk.

Rocky with the museum.

The thinker, below the statue.

The original thinker -- Mike P had recorded a satirical video of what he was thinking that got major chuckles from the locals watching on., unfortunately the vid didn't turn out well.

I think this is 'south town' or the bohemian area, they had burn barrels -- 

Geno's, threw my diet out of the window for the week to experience, cheesesteak, 

after cheesesteak

After M Ward at the Trocadero, a bordello back in the day, one of the most unique venues I've ever seen.

View, great one, lots of elbows thrown to get here :)

The view from the outside --

Jamacian Blue coffee brewing, or whatever this scientific contraption was  doing.  Supposedly the best and rarest in the world, from the Blue Mountains, 8 bucks a cup, but worth it.  Got it off the list.

Chinatown -- lots of fresh produce on the stinky roads

after cheesesteak, Jim's, I would say was my favorite --- in all objectivity, I think Texadelphia is better :)

Mohon at the love sign --

Independence Hall, I wonder what kind of whig  I would have wore back in the day -- 

And I Should Be Scared, But I Feel No Fear

Lots of great talk with Mike P this weekend, two heaviest things I can recall, two toxic elements in modern day society, politics and religion.  If you don't frame the question or challange around these two necessary but dying ideologies, a whole new world becomes visible.

Keep your beliefs, spirituality and ideologies, abandon the proxies.

In another life I was a holy roller in another lifetime I flew I have always kept a distance this is what I do

Watching a thunderstorm from my porch thinking, life is good. All I can think about is Steve Martin in 'Leap of Faith.' When asked by many in his 'congregation,' 'When's it gonna rain?' His rebuttal is 'When's it gonna stop?'

A very cynical man stumbles onto a few miracles, a very nice thought.

1. Second day of Nutrisystem, my belly is going, 'why me' but I do feel much better than normal, and of course 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels'
2. A quick trip to New Orleans this weekend, seeing Andrew Bird at the HOB New Orleans was therapeutic
   

That's it, nothing much, just happy that it kinda rained.

I saw another monster turn to ash Felt the burden lifted from my back Do you recognize the nervous twitch That exposes the weakness of the myth

It's good to skim massive amounts of information, I would argue that its better to follow the few that are trendsetters in the field.

Similarly in stocks, diversification is for the weak at heart, and those who lack confidence in their ability to interpret the writing on the wall.

Find a winner, stick with the winner, have a plan, simple.

Trains roll... like gamblers in slow mo Tryin' to find good luck When they couldn't find love

I've always spoke of integration and its importance, my thought tonight drifts towards what it all means in context of social networking.

finding voice, in terms of self enrichment, and self integration with friends, family, co-workers, potential clients, employees, bosses, political rivals, people of differing opinion, you can figure out what you think you want people to hear, or you can just speak what's on your mind. it's freedom --- it integrates your past, present and future, if you would like it to do so, and it helps fill the 'white space' in your life.

what you aggregate, I know there is great defense of social networking, that which calls for using the tool for more than for vanity and congregation. if you posts pictures of the beer party, or the big chicken friend steak, that's one thing, but seasoned 'social networkers' can still keep there integrity, yet provide concrete or abstract meaning to followers. one day i believe I'll be able to be one of these people, integrating life with work in a way that attracts both people who are interested what you say, how it can benefit them, and also take a genuine interest in you as a person.

walls the quote from the sorrows of young werther 'we amuse ourselves painting our prison-walls with bright figures and brilliant landscapes.' this certainly is the case. currently people find false 'digital shelter' in the utility of choice, some cowarding behind login and password. my thoughts are hell, if you're going to do it, you might as well do it right, one voice, many facets, no walls.

People 'get it' (social networking) at varying levels. The world revolves around the individual, while we're a part of a collective. advance social networking says to me, the collective is fickle, the individual is true. harness the right apples from the right trees, then you have something.

So, sure, I could just close my eyes. Yeah, sure, trace and memorize

25 Random Things about me

With a preface by Richard Russo: "In all my books the unhappy people are the ones w/o the wisdom to love the life they've been given."

1. behind the melodramatic exterior, there's an Everest of sentimentality
2. Wants to see all the world wonders in civilization, twice
3. thought I'd marry the first chick I fell in love with
4. brings integrity to the ballgame
5. reads a book or two a week
6. big fan of objectivity theory
7. I clump all religion into the 'mystic' category -- Rush (the band) says it best, A planet of playthings we dance on a string, of powers we cannot perceive. I don't believe in cards, I don't believe in signs
   
8. Would love to have some beers with Neil Hannon, a man who's words changed my life.
9. Feels immortal in spirit, like an 80 year old in body
10. thinks achievement is based what you produce
11. love conquers all, even time
12. cherishes aesthetic over convenience
13. lives simple while carrying the weight
14. life in the fringes is the only way to roll, you can find the fringes no matter where your stand and what your view is
15. thinks politics is what kills any society, issues should seldom be framed in political context
16. likes to walk, probably would like walking on the beach too
17. earth wind fire water, i like fire the most
18. for the friends who i've done the psych test with, for what its worth its kinda correct, 'i walk alone, i see bears, snakes, vultures as i walk, my reaction is to mark them and deal with appropriately, a big house with no fence, and ocean in the back of the house, i get across via the minnow (Gilligan's island boat) --its been refined over the years
19. have come to love my balanced life portfolio and open-ness and objectivity to most viewpoints.
20. is very happy to have a lot of unique people around me and in my life
21. really care about my family, and the love they give to each other, etc really wears down my selfishness (in a good way)
22. need to go the the australian open so i can get that off the list of grand slams in tennis (this travel tidbit really bugs me) nyc, paris, london -- check
23. communication is key is the subliminal message i send myself every 6 minutes
    
24. hates people, loves people, hates people, loves people -- the older i get, the less i want to be around a big crowd
    
25. mom and the gang provided me with a firm foundation, and i like to think i've done a lot with a little, and i'm positive the best is yet to come
    

White light, strange city, mad music all around

6 finance / personal investing / stock books since the time 'I have money,' I've found most blogs on how to become rich are terrible.

My approach, Peter Lynch meets Warren Buffet with a heavy hand of geopolitics. Find value stocks in things that you know, wherever they may be. I will stay away from mutual funds, and the financial service sector at large (except for my 6.99 per trade e-trade account.)

First draft of Framework --

Energy -- Till we're green, we need oil, Obama says no more from Middle East, Russia, or Venezuela in ten years, that leaves Canada and Brazil, Petro Brazil is choice, for at least 5 years.

Until a true leader emerges in the green energy crusade, Its hard to find a good performer.

Tech -- Next time (and hopefully last) time we test the bottom of the market, I'm going to buy Google, I use religiously, they're ahead with the cloud, etc. (buy and forget)

Retail -- Roll with Amazon, they svcs run twitter, and will corner the small B2B market in cloud services, not to mention a steady payroll for being the 'wal mart' of the web, but cooler and more informative. (buy and forget)

Defense -- Paying close attention to how, who and what is going to guard our ports.

Infrastructure -- Primarily in China, and those who partner with Chinese companies.

More to come....still thinking

Ten years from now, I have to have some 3 to 4 baggers (where 1 dollar turns to 4), etc, etc -- While at the top, I'll slowly funnel some money to commodities (probably in Australia). When I'm 50, I may roll more with bonds, but I'm still not sure on how the flow will work, but it'll be either one of the two below strategies, depending on life circumstances.

1 -- Invest in common stock till the bitter end, and have the 'the shit hits the fan plan' when and if it happens.

2 -- Stocks for the big wins, commodities for a decent gain, skimmed from the top of stock wins, bonds, from both, as I get older.

Call me crazy, but I don't see the need for mutual funds after my -37 percent return for 2008. I think I can do better than that with my eyes closed 15 minutes a week. As a personal investor, you have much more leverage than institutional money.

The journey begins soon, I plan on being couragous, moderately risky, and never putting the money on just red (guessing, hitting and hoping) --

When the cash its the market, it'll be the most thought out stuff I've ever done, and it'll have a plan I stick with, i.e., thresholds, etc, etc.

Dizzy, Lizzy, Major Tom

Here's what I've learned from Twitter thus far --

• The 'permission marketing' aspect is great. It's like I have these cool smart people 'forwarding' me email, it's me going to, not receiving from.
• From a 'real life' friend perspective, it's very impersonal
• Someone who is 'following' more than a couple hundred people really isn't following anyone
• Someone who is 'being followed' by more than a couple thousand people, the idea / message isn't really that unique, which is a pro and con.

My twitter strategy still remains the same, tweet about keywords / interests personal to me, and grab like minded people who find you via search words, and the slow diffuse your thoughts / mind through the lenses of like minded people and their interest.

Do open windows keep the rain away? Do open eyes keep the ghosts at bay?

Like a Martin guitar, the experience will only get better with age. The logistics of getting to DC were a nightmare. Left Fredericksburg VA (approx 30 miles from DC), at 3.30 am, rolled up to 'the area' where everyone was at 9.10. About 3.5 hours in the car to the metro, 30 minutes in line at metro, 1 hour on metro (and the smell of a girls puke) later we made it to DC.

It was about 20 degrees, BRUTAL cold, and of course, ill prepared for the realities of that man people around.

Here's where we landed.

Here was looking the other way.

You're not going to find a hot dog dealer in this mess, nothing could survive the mass, surprisingly few capitalists cashing in on pimped out Obama swag.

Maybe because these guys were perched on every building, the Powershot G9 could find em' all.

This was as close as us 'common folk' could get to the event while it was going on. Mr Army Man made sure there was no civil unrest.

A GQ shot in from of the Washington Monument, I even dipped a toe in to the frozen water, en route to the Arlington Cemetery metro, for a more reasonable exit.

Finally Bob and Rob, the Texas boys who were there, to prove that we were there, that we heard of him first, now, relatively speaking :)

You can take a trip through your juke joint smoke-filled paradise You can give it your all, cause you are walking a fine, fine line

My lack of understanding economics is killing me, for it's crucial in truly understanding what's going on. I don't trust media outlets and blogs that say the sky is falling, its human nature to think that way, and its a sure fire way to increase ratings.

Our collateralized debt obligation will lead to us as a nation not being in control of our own destiny. From what I've read, and throwing in that I'm not an expert, most of our collateralized debt is in the form government bonds, 60% of which China 'owns,' with a slow and steady rate of 6% return. Ayn Rand would be rolling in her grave at the quick / greedy schemes conjured up these days to undermine hard work. Prosperity and hard work go hand in hand.

The free market will live on, and like an optimist says, a phoenix will rise from the ashes, but that phoenix will be soaring with the bald eagle, and that's indeed how it should be. The global economy will find new markets, and find its way to societies in which people are begging for and deserve a better standard of living.

The creatives in China and India are working for a sort of 'grass roots' capitalism, one that doesn't manifest itself in the rich. The new hotness is by cheap goods by volume for the volume.

People say its the 'perfect storm,' blah blah, and its been hard to not repeat this doom and gloom. The contrary suggests the connected world market is more of a blessing than curse, it keeps institutions in check, and it has mechanisms to punish bad behavior. Whoever you want to blame it on, the USA will have a nice black eye and broken leg when the dust settles.

In a nutshell, my thoughts are, to fix this, globally, the governments of India and China will allow more expansion to keep the global economic ship afloat, funded by a consistent 6% return on investment of our debt collateral for the unforeseeable future. At some point, western civilization (this side of the Atlantic) will have to take the hit, could be now, could be later.

The old line, payback is a b*tch. The last 2 years I've made SERIOUS compromises on my life to enjoy a debt free living, the law of averages says America as a collective has to do the same. Cultural humility and awareness should be baked into the solution too.

there was no bed, there were no chairs, there was no roof, there was no stairs

Great conversation today with co-worker who had similar experience in his youth as I recommended Wild Man's Journey.

Rites of passage, especially into manhood seem to have taken a back seat in modern times, especially for ones who've lost a dad. It's a very fascinating human element the more you explore it, and also exhilarating.

I can recall several life incidents in which I'm standing in circumstance, and there's a gap between when it began and I ended, all subtle but very apparent when taken a closer look. Family relations, girls, sports, jobs, emotions, the way you frame yourself in the universe,.....all things considered.

I'm getting close to being talked into the New Warrior Program, to perhaps fill in some of these gaps.

our lives are better left to chance, i could have missed the pain, but i'd of had to miss the dance

That's right, Garth Brooks for the evenin', I publicly admin to liking his tunes, ironic or not, a part of my past, and still a reservoir for life metaphor.

• I recall our high school history teacher, not only having the 'we didn't start the fire poster' up, but also talking about the pros and cons of life through the lyrics of GB. Something I'll never forget, conventional wisdom coming from someone I truly respect.
• I recall my niece Krysi getting married, and her husband Alex singing GB's version of 'To Make you Feel My Love', very heart warming and genuine.
• I recall a massive rain delay at Baltimore's Camden Yards field, they played rain tune after rain tune, one being, 'the thunder rolls'
• I recall my buddy Brad in high school, coming to school in boots, wranglers, and a shirt bearing the lyrics 'choose to chance the rapids, dare to dance the tide'
  

Growing up I was 80% convention, 6% progressive, 14% the rest.

If I had to take a gander at my life the last couple years, and acknowledge where my sleep zone (the way I stack my physical and emotional equity) is, I'd have to say rooted in 40% convention, 40% progressive ideology, 1% radical, 19% the rest. I really want to think this one through one day and break out those number even more.

• Passion was a big thing for me back in the early days, I'd often stay up all night worry about things to come, things left undone
  
• Emotional Balanced scorecarding and hedging are things I've only come to identify with recently, it's my version of Prozac

When I was 22, Emotion Scorecard = (and i think i was better than a lot)

1. hey man, where's the party?
2. do you got the booze?
3. let me borrow a good shirt
4. that cologne smells good, let me have some!
5. dude, that chick is hot
6. (long interlude of frivolous flirtations), and poking out ass in hopes to get noticed
   
7. insert junk food of choice before bedtime
8. man, i'm so hungover, i must have had 15 last night
9. BIRP
   
10. i'm so cool, lets do it again, tonight, and next week
    

Now at 32, Emotional Scorecard =

1. Seizing opportunities when they arise
2. Communicating what needs to be said
3. loving, listening and understanding your family
4. developing a firm level of trust with your good friends
5. a healthy exercise routine
6. while still being able to enjoy a big flat plate of whatever the host is serving
7. a career that challenges and rewards, taking pleasure in doing the hard things
   
8. a snapshot in time (for me is shiner) that doesn't change much, so i can see how much i change
9. ambition, a dedicated hike to the fountain of youth atop of tall mountain
10. understanding the beauty of a simple plan
    

It's all about soul It's all about faith and a deeper devotion

On Jan 20th, much will be about soul. Masses will watching on television, and masses, like myself will be watching from 17 blocks away.

I put faith in personality, emotion, trust, and intelligence, and someone who angers fundamentalists on 'both sides of the aisle.'

The Systems Fail, All the Circuits Blown, And the Message Lost, In The Machine

Reading economic crisis story after economic crisis story would lead one to believe apocalypse is coming, however, the doomsday crowd always fails to estimate the creativity of mankind, and more importantly the cardinal desire for self preservation. Several times in the past year I've heard the rubber plane analogy. When faced with dire circumstances, with obstacles or predictions not met, one could say the rubber plane has hit the mountain. In essence, the plane changes course until it hits another mountain, all the while the only thing needed to steer clear of is the volcano.

The 'real wealth' is a paradox in terms. It reminds me of what Chris Rock once said, 'Shaq isn't rich, the white man who signs his paycheck is.' In recently talking to an academic type friend of mine, who thinks this vaporware wealth is largely 'evil', the wheels spinning in my head validate to me that the fundamental science of economics is good, it makes common people like us able to buy cars, and live in suburbia, with a standard of living better than kings in old times.

Throw a bad math equation in the mix (subprime), couple that wil reflexivity (people think the stock goes down, therefore it goes down), and puts and shorts on otherwise healthy stock (greed) and we have some problems. Enter the life and times now, volatile, 1) China going, hmmm, is the white man ever going to pay us back, 2) the Jones's not able to afford any more luxuries on credit, and 3) a turbulent middle east, one in which the US takes a staunch support for Israel, we threaten alienation from OPEC, therefore potentially losing the currency reserve status for oil. All the while, our money printing presses going 24x7, where's the inflation going?, and when is the right answer to fix this going be 'save and produce' instead of spend more?

Yes, doom and gloom -- I would say it looks 'bad' for the USA only because of the scaling back of lifestyle, heaven forbid, the government and consumers buying only what they can afford. The USA won't sink into 3rd world status, and there won't be a run on the bottled water on the store shelves, the rest of the world will simply enjoy a higher standard of living, that is, to the extent of their respective dysfunctional governments will allow.

What is real wealth anyway? Say if one has a 401k that matches to a certain percentage, you put 50% in, your employer 50%. If you're 'down' 37% for the year, in nominal terms you're really still 'up' 13%, and that's the math we have to get used to in the new financial era. Two factors will corral 'growth' to nominal means in the future 1) intense scrutiny and regulation of the markets, and 2) the emergence of 'business ethics' as Billy Madison would say. Ahhh, capitalism these days, feelin' like the puppy that $hit in the corner.

As Peter Schiff says, 'there's a bull market somewhere' and like the ancients say, 'if you want to build cities, you have to build roads'. The rise of global shared hegemony is on the way, currencies will be allowed to 'float' against the reserve, and it will be holistically beneficial to civilization. China is building infrastructure, and churning out double and triple the number of educated and hungry people. As government regulation eases by means of controlling civil unrest, the red will also add white and blue.

Perhaps I'm young and naive saying the US hegemony is over (its been said time and time again throughout the 20th century), our credit is stretched, our military the same, our attention span and tenacity have went to the way of iPhone apps and 'hard working' paper shifters.

As we stand on what Mr Progress calls the 'arc of history,' the way I see it, we have a few options, continue to think the world will give us their money, and in return re-create vapor money for them, or we can embrace the developing world, investing in something tangible. My 35,000 foot high level strategic investment strategy for the future, invest in what makes America green, and what makes China red, white and blue.

rumor coming in from the underbelly of the east coast rumor going out from the dirty mouths out west

If anyone wants to make a trip to see M. Ward play at the Trocadero in Philly, trip Feb 20-22, round trip airfare is 120 from SA to Philly, and the tickets are 30 bucks, and you know I roll with the Motel 6.

Can anyone, other than turdboy get a kitchen pass for this historic event? OOO, there's also the statue or Rocky and the liberty bell.