7. December 2008 by admin.

The last two PBN’s have been incredibly easy to do.  This happens when you aren’t afraid to cop out to an old joke for one & flat out use someone else’s image for the other (hey, I left the original credit on the picture, and it used for humorous purposes, so it’s legal.  I think).

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1. December 2008 by admin.

The two most dreaded words for the aspiring author: writer’s block.

The two most dreaded words for the aspiring blogger: internet interdict.

Tackling the latter first: my job decided that since some people couldn’t get off Youtube and Myspace long enough to work, the entire company is banned from using the corporate network for personal internet browsing, even while off the clock.  This has (obviously) impeded my ability to post during my most (ahem) productive hours.  Not that it gives me a pass, I have internet at home, and I haven’t gotten my lazy duff into the chair to put a few words to electrons.

Which leads to the primary lede.  Total frakin’ lockdown.  Which is ridiculous, because I know how the story goes, I make sure I have the plotline in my head before I put fingers to keyboard, even if I don’t know the fine details or all the twists and turns.  Yes, I do kind of make this up as I go along.  I think thats more fun, and from the ever increasing hits on the stories, so, Gentle Readers, do you.

I have tried the traditional remedies: I’ve gone for a walk, worked on other projects, beat my head against the wall, etc.  Next step: alcohol.  I’ll get something written up, but I make no promises about it’s legibility or coherence.  It seemed to work for Hemingway though.

There will be the next segment up on Wednesday.  I’ll try to  get it uploaded before I go to work, or Tuesday night.  If I can’t, I’ll have it up Wednesday evening.

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17. November 2008 by admin.

Two words, Gentle Readers:  Jury Duty.

And not even the fun one where I got to decide someone’s fate.  Instead it was the ’sit in a room and wait for your number to be called’ type duty.  Not that the other is so much better, but at least you feel like you have a purpose.

I did get some decent writing done, mostly on the next story (more details later).  I’ve been late getting things posted because the jury duty, combined with the missus having a new night job means I had to adjust to a new schedule.  Things should go back on an even keel now (until the next crisis hits).

I actually didn’t mind doing jury duty.  Coming so soon after the election might have been part of it; the recent reminder of how lucky we are to live in America eased the inconvenience of the whole process.  Ask me after I’ve been called a second time.

I did get a PBN  out of it; that we choose people to judge others based on their ignorance  just seems absurd; that it apparently works so well is scary.  I know the idea of a paid juror position has been bandied around for years.  I wouldn’t want to trust my fate to someone compensated to be professionally uninformed.

I’m sure the Navy could have come up with a better plan than earmuffs.  It probably would have been funnier too.

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11. November 2008 by admin.

I’m not some high powered CEO, but I’ve done my time in retail hell at a managerial level and I know you don’t evicerate your sales staff by getting rid of your good  employees, so why didn’t the president of Circuit City?

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30. October 2008 by admin.

People have been telling me to go as the PBN for Halloween, and in the midst of explaining why I won’t it struck me that in real life the PBN & co. would run into situations like this a lot.  The old lady and her dog I just thought were funny.

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30. October 2008 by admin.

Domestic oil proponents like to talk about how we send $700,000,000,000 a year to countries that “don’t like us very much.”  And then we read in the news how Venezuela is funding the FARK, Iran is training and equipping “Liberation Armies” in the Middle East and Russia is rebuilding and modernizing its military.

And then how the price of oil tumbled.

Petrodollars fueld all these counties’ nefarious deeds.  Which is all well and good, and totally expected in a Realpolitic sort of way.  Those countries felt they had strategic imperatives that needed to be met, and flush with money made heavy investments and commitments to accomplish their goals.  The gloating about the ‘weakness’ of the United States and its dependence on oil imports I thought was silly.

And now the socialist utopias built on the capitalist gas consumption are reaping what they’ve sown.  As the price of crude plummets the ability of the petroregimes to fulfill their promises to their people and proxies  is pinched, resulting in unrest and alliteration.  It’s fun to watch.

Am I gloating?  Yes.  Is it silly?  You Betcha ;).  Payback’s a bitch.

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30. October 2008 by admin.

Always Time To Do It Over was short today.  I spent a chunk of my writing time finishing a Mad Scientist meerschaum hookah and making a corncob pipe.  I’ll get pictures up sometime after Halloween.

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17. October 2008 by admin.

A plus about the credit crisis: I’m not getting inundated with credit card offers anymore.

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15. October 2008 by admin.

So where are Wall Street’s legendary balls?

The Government has opened the credit window wide open, is injecting craploads of cash directly into the banks, has guaranteed interbank loans, and has done everything execept enter the commercial paper market itself (instead we’re just handing the banks money directly, but that’s a different story).  Given all that, why can’t the stock market build momentum for a rally?  I mean, 900+ points is pretty decent, but only for a day?  C’mon folks, would a second day of enthusiasm hurt you?  What happened to the image of the steely eyed trader taking a risk for the big rewards?  Is the market capitalist dead, buried under the piles of cash the government is dumping over Manhatten?

Maybe we have become a nation of whiners.  Investing is designed to be risky, with the greatest risks offering the greatest rewards.  But now we seem unwilling to accept the concept of loss, and are willing to only take a chance when we know the government will rush in to bail us out if we guess wrong.

America was born of speculation and the promise of reward for risk.  It’s sad to see how far we’ve fallen.

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5. September 2008 by admin.

I don’t remember any protesters at the Democratic convention.

That’s what struck me most while watching Sen. McCain’s acceptance speech last night.  John’s speech was repeated interrupted by protesters being drowned out by delegates and images of the protesters being frog marched through the aisles.  I understand the incumbent party is going to draw more ire from the disaffected, but given the fervor some Republicans have against Obama, not to mention the anarchist and other groups who just hate government in general, I would have expected at least some attempted disruption during the Democratic convention.  Are the Republicans really that much more civilized?  Did the Republican Convention’s security really suck that bad?  How did those people get in the hall anyway?

I was glad to see that John said nice things about Barack last night.   After the hate-fest that was Wednesday, I was looking for a ray of positive energy and anti-partisanship.  I was really impressed with the McCain campaign for releasing the coolest political ad last Thursday where John congratulated Barack on his historic nomination.  It reminded me of the John McCain who ran his Straight-Talk Express into the ground seeking the candidatecy, and who excited me a lot more than Obama has ever managed to do.

Notice the past tense?

McCain the Candidate has become McCain the Canned.  Since he sealed the nomination he has become handled, packaged, controlled.  He is disciplined, on message, and boring.  His spunk, his spontaneity, and his willingness to be himself despite the consequences are gone.  It makes me sad.

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