Red Flag Waving

2009 New Years Resolution - The Five Things

2009-01-02T08:41:00.002-07:00

Currently reading/playing: Neuromancer by William Gibson
Currently listening to: HammerFall
Current mood: stuffy

This year, I decided it was a good idea to go a different direction with New Years Resolutions. Previous years have given birth to good habits like "not eating fast food" and "not eating at chain restaurants" but this reveals a trend, I think, with New Years Resolutions that seems to have swept the nation.

Who decided that all NYR's should be to not do something?

Always a rebel, I was thinking about it last year and came up with a new plan. For 2009, I am resolving to do five things that I've always wanted to do but never have. Here is my official list, I'll post the "rules" below.

1. Attend a real SFF (Sci-Fi and Fantasy) convention
2. Go skydiving
3. Get on TV
4. Go to Japan
5. Read as many "Shannara" books as I can

The Rules: The things have to be plausible, meaning I couldn't pick something like "win the lottery," though I don't know how plausible "getting on TV" will be. I figure I can try to work the "local author self-publishes his first book" or, if I get far in the ABNA, that will garner a reason for my 15 minutes of fame. Anyway, it's a rule.

Also, Micah has her own set of 5 things. She is not required to participate in mine and I'm likewise authorized to abstain from hers, listed here, which is good because I will never get her to go skydiving with me.

That's about it for the rules.

I figure this will be a fantastic option to continue in subsequent years and I've already picked out a few things for 2010 that I want to do (ride a camel and take a martial arts class) so we'll see if this goes.

It's meant to be a fun and encouraging way to experience things that I've always wanted to do but never got around to. I'm not very good at setting goals, short term or long term, but when I clearly define them I tend to stick to it.

So, here's to 2009, the Year of Five Things. *clink*

The Intricacies of Music

2008-12-17T10:16:00.003-07:00

Currently reading/playing: Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
Currently listening to: Blaqk Audio - CexCells
Current mood: impassive

Being a drummer that has always had an inkling to compose music, I feel I have somewhat of a unique perspective on music itself. The advantage it gives me is something that few people, I think, ever learned to focus on: the beat of the music. I can actually tell what the time signature of a song is, find the count of the rhythm, and (usually) determine what type of dance goes along with it from the ones I've learned so far.

That being said, I'd like to comment a little on the way I see modern music. In the car this morning, I had an epiphany about the way I classify songs. Subconsciously, I "judge" a piece on two criteria: Technical and Artistic quality.

Technical quality refers to the adherence of musical "rules" - things like regularity, harmony, common known usage of instruments. A lot goes into the technical aspect but you can think of this as the equivalent of grammar. The most extreme example of a purely technical piece would be a drum cadence, since there is very little room to make it more than L-L-LRL (you marching-banders will know what I mean).

Artistic quality, on the other hand, refers to the poetry of both the music and the lyrics in a song. This is where a song really stands out from the rest, where it gets more "uniqueness" than any amount of technical adherence. We all know what artistic songs are; sometimes they are a Capella or near enough. A good example of this would be Imogen Heap's Hide and Seek. It is mostly voice, multiple voices in fact, with no real discernible rhythm or meter.

When you mix these two together for any kind of combination, I think you get "popular music," otherwise referred to as Pop. Pop is a good general mixture of both for folks like Britney Spears to kick around in, generally leaning more one way or the other depending on the song while staying clearly in the middle of the road. When I think of Country, I tend to think more Technical since the subject matter is clearly familiar to most people and within the boundaries of the genre there is only so much you can do with an acoustic guitar. Modern artists like Faith Hill and Shania Twain have blurred the line between Country and Pop, using common subject matter with a more artistic flair, but the stalwarts of the genre will always be men like Hank Williams. I believe this is one of the reasons why Johnny Cash is disliked by old-schoolers like my dad; he was a bit ahead of his time.

On the other side of the coin, you have the Alternative genre (and I'm including things like Punk and Emo as subgenres here, as Alternative itself is a subgenre of Rock/Rock&Roll). Back in the day, Classic Rock focused a lot on "how much can we possibly do with an electric guitar," giving birth to legends like Jimmy Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. More recently, we have a refocusing on poetic lyrics from artists like AFI (A Fire Inside) and Panic! At The Disco. Sometimes the song lyrics don't even make sense or even aren't proper English, but the poeticism reveals a focus on the Artistic side rather than the commonality of Technical expertise. Frankly, I think this is one reason why artists like Fall Out Boy are sometimes looked down on - their music appeals to what I can refer to as "the poetic age group" of teenagers who think it's fun to learn about sex through insinuation.

I think a proper song will take into account both of these aspects and a proper album will repeat that formula as necessary. Some of the GREAT albums I have come across in my short history include Pearl Jam's Versus, Days of the New (2nd self-titled album), and My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade album. These are albums I can listen to, start to finish, over and over, until the sun explodes and we all burn to a crisp, because they do it right.

But, miraculously, I also have the wherewithal to note that this is not universally applicable. I know, my subjective statements don't apply universally? What?? Honestly, I'm sure everyone has their "favorite albums" and even a few near-favorites with just a few tracks that would serve just as well as garbage can liners (looking at you Fall Out Boy, re: Under the Cork Tree's two horrid songs spoiling the otherwise perfection). What is universal, however, is the concept of pioneering something that fits outside of these two categories.

My favorite example of this last concept is Rage Against The Machine. Any album, any song. These guys are constantly experimenting with new sounds, new instruments, and just generally new things. Their lyrics are about as poetic as you can get, being that they are anti "the man" and do their best to speak out about oppression and still be considered "main stream" instead of "indy." Some people even consider RATM in their own "genre" because there isn't really anything else like it out there (even though there are considerable amounts of similar stuff in the rock/pop world).

At the same time, I think a really great artist can create songs that don't sound exactly like each other, even on the same album, but especially so on multiple albums. Billy Talent has a great punk sound and puts out quality music but, sooner or later, all of their songs start to bleed together. I think a great example of this kind of artist is Maroon 5 - though some might disagree. They use the same tools to create some very "different" songs, even on the same album, which is why they can release 5-6 songs from one album and still hit high on the charts.

Honorable mentions for artists doing great things in genres I don't usually like... Britney Spears, again, for releasing actual DANCE music like Womanizer that doesn't even need remixing to get played in clubs, Rihanna for songs like Rehab and Disturbia because not only are they played on the radio but they are completely different yet still "her", and Paramore just because they are awesome and don't sacrifice their principles yet still put out fantastic music.

Dishonorable mentions include Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers, who do little more than milk their target demographic with technical achievements that have no real artistic value. Then again, giving the "people" what they want isn't a crime, it's just the lack of quality to the music that annoys me (not the quality of performance, since they obviously put on a good show).

A Blog About Me

2008-11-10T14:19:00.002-07:00

What makes me unique?

Well, for starters, I like video games but only certain video games. Most games I'm perfectly content playing alone and only on consoles; I was never big into PC-gaming and have never purchased a subscription to play a game (like in Everquest or WoW). I love playing the Dynasty Warriors games from Koei, which is pretty rare, and I pretty much abhor Sports Games and nearly abhor First Person Shooters. So, while I do like certain video games, I don't quite fit into the "gamer" demographic.

I'm into cigars. Not so much that I'm smoking 5-7 per day, but probably 3 per week. This is a relatively new thing for me (only a few years) and, as yet, I'm about the only person in my "circle" that has a real pull toward it. I like smoking a cigar that's smooth but strong; it makes me feel a little cultured, I admit it, but it's also a brilliant way to take a break from everything. Sometimes it helps me think.

I am a writer, trying to be an author. Other than [some of] the people in my Writer's Group, I'm just about the only person I know who's trying to get a novel published. It's hard work and it has become difficult to find some empathy there, mostly because not many of the people I talk to on a regular basis read Fantasy (yet another thing setting me apart).

I question religion and philosophy and, in that way, I've become sort of a "one foot in" kind of person. Most of the people I know represent themselves as having the concrete foundation that people like me raise an eyebrow at, and I think they are quick to see my position as a dodging of conscience. I'm Christian but not evangelical. I believe in God but the rest is up in the air for me, depending on what I've read and learned and thought and wrote in the past little while. And I don't know if I'm still waiting for it all to come together or actually satisfied with the lack of cohesiveness in my spiritual aspect.

I like football but I don't remember any players' names. I don't watch it religiously. There's no way I could be organized enough to do "fantasy football" because I'm just not that connected to it.

I dropped out of high school and I've been divorced yet I'm one of the most persistent people I know of. I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science but I no longer work directly in Technology (nor do I want to). I'm 28 and married yet I still rent an apartment rather than own a house. I have two dogs, no kids, and that's okay with me for now.

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This should become a meme. If you blog, and you're reading this, tell us all what's unique about YOU.

Politics Hangover

2008-11-05T08:23:00.002-07:00

Now that all (most?) of the polls have closed, the President-elect has been announced and celebrated, and the expiration date has passed on the usefulness of CNN's commentary, I'm starting to feel a little bit of politics hangover.

As I remarked to both Gabe and Kevin last night, I've been religiously checking sites like Dailykos and Pollster (as well as CNN) to keep informed daily of the direction this election was going. I had my own predictions and knew right away when Pennsylvania was announce "blue" that Barack Obama was going to be the next President of the USA (based on my feverish poll observation). I didn't even care who won Florida.

When Obama hit 200 and they hadn't announced California, Oregon or Washington, I knew it was over. I'll always remember that, last night, I predicted those three states would push him over 270 just seconds before CNN-guy said the exact same thing (plus Hawaii).

While I have a politics hangover, I find myself with a renewed confidence in America. The slogan buzzwords of "change" and "hope" (aka "chope") and the resounding cry of "YES WE CAN" were truly portentious in 2008 and I will always be happy that I was alive to see this day.

I feel doubly appreciative of the victory since I live in a swing state this year and my vote helped to turn Colorado BLUE in 2008. I voted for Obama and Obama is the President. Half of me wants to start poking fun and laughing in a "we were right" sort of way, as if we bet on the right horse, but I feel silly having to admit that. I voted for Obama because of principles, not because I thought he would win. No matter how much I wanted him to win, I knew it was going to be a stressful day yesterday and that I would have to do everything possible to distract my mind from worrying. Anyway, I don't want to degenerate into "ha ha" mentality and poke fun at anyone, but it's hard to do that while celebrating. I don't want to rub anyone's face in anything, but I am glad that I supported my candidate in a battleground state and my vote "counted" this year.

America begins heading in a new direction starting today and I can't help but be glad that I still live here. Frankly, I haven't been too "proud" to be an American for the past few years, but that's starting to be on the rebound. Today, I feel the best I've felt about our country in a long time.

Toast to President-elect Barack Obama.
Yes he can. Yes he will. Yes he did.
And we helped him every step of the way.

Celebrating 28

2008-11-03T12:08:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, I turned 28 years old. As is customary, Micah had something fantastic planned (numerous things, actually) so - between doing day-job-work and sending more query letters for my novel - I'll tell you about it.

My "birthday" actually started on Friday, Halloween, when I was allowed to take the day off of work in place of taking my actual birthday off of work (since it was on a Sunday). I spent the morning sitting in a Midas waiting room while the brakes on my car were replaced. Boring. After that, I took the wuppers up to Micah's office (in their costumes) to show them off. We spent Friday night at Kelly's in Edgewater handing out candy (and booze), watching Silence of the Lambs, and consuming Pumpkin Maritinis and cookies.

Saturday I went to my Writer's Group where my short story "Man and Murderer" was critiqued. A lot of the acclaim was good, waylaying some of my fears about writing short fiction, but I got some flack for using the word "nudeness" because some people didn't think it's a real word. Well, it is, and I'm leaving it in for now... but I don't plan on doing anything with the story anyway.

Saturday night was my "actual" birthday party. We went to a club in LoDo called Sing Sing; a dueling piano bar that's as bawdy as it is fun. I was surrounded by the likes of Karla & Phill, Heather, Chandra & Nikki, Laura & Rick, and Corwin & Jake (pictures on Facebook). Also in attendance were a bunch of other people having parties, like a turning-21 party girl whose name is completely unimportant. I had a lot of beer, most of a bucket of booze, and a fantastic time. I want to go there again.

Sunday morning, it being my real birth day, began with breakfast burritos a la Micah. They were so good that I just ate another one for lunch today (that she lovingly prepared and froze for later consumption). We went downtown to the 16th Street Mall so that I could relive my tradition; around my anniversary of moving to Colorado I head to the B&N and purchase a bookmark just like I did the first day I lived here. I got a fancy new ruler bookmark and a copy of The Stormcaller, a debut fantasy novel from the same publisher that brought us Joe Abercrombie.

Sunday afternoon we took the weirdos to the park (pictures on Facebook) and then watched the Broncos get the snot knocked out of them (grr!). Before the game ended we had actually turned on Singstar instead, then feasted on a crock pot Roast Beef dinner that Micah made. It was a great birthday and we're apparently having dinner with my in-laws tonight so the festivities can continue. I also have a birthday present from Micah coming (as if the party and food wasn't enough) so this week-long celebration is still going strong.

Thanks to everyone for your well-wishes, cards, love, support, and presence.

Here's to being 28! (clink!)

Debate Night in America

2008-10-07T09:08:00.003-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Currently listening to: Christina Aguilera
Current mood: mavericky

Tonight, we have the pleasure as Americans to watch the second Presidential debate of the election season. It is "town hall" style, which I am going to wait for CNN to explain what that is and why during the pre-debate-show, but I'm sure we can expect McCain and Obama to show a couple of teeth in referencing past relationships with whooseewhatsits and question each others' judgment. It certainly doesn't seem out of scope for the current campaigns to do it, but to me it feels like McCain "started it" as a way to bring attention away from policy and put it on character, yet again proving that people want elections to be a popularity contest. Just like in Junior High.

At Micah's behest, I went searching on Facebook for Pieces of Flair by putting in the word "obama" and checking what it found. It brought back a veritable smorgasbord of pro- and con-type statements, surprising me by how much emotional phrasing people can fit on a tiny button image. I think the ones that bothered me the most were the stupid wordplay ones, like saying ObAMA=OsAMA and BIDEN=BIn laDEN. Utterly hilarious, considering that people are actually using the coincidence of letter placement as an argument against a Presidential candidate.

What did entertain me more, however, was one I saw that said "I am a Maverick... for Obama" because it is the right kind of wordplay. McCain and Palin tout themselves as so mavericky that I'm starting to feel like banning the word from general public use.

Now, many people more professional and better schooled than I am have put forth their opinions on both sides so I don't think I'm going to spend any more time mired in explanation of the what and why of this election. There is, I feel, enough information out there for Americans to make an informed decision provided they are willing to look for it. And, if not, that is actually why the debate is broadcast on every news-type channel, Network and Cable: because it is accessible.

The problem, I think, with these debates so far is that everyone keeps looking for a "winner." I think that dampens the view of the entire political race and campaign; simplifying or relegating the result of a single political "discussion" to points on a scoreboard. Shouldn't the issues win rather than the people? Of course, as I stated above, things don't quite work that way... but does that mean they should or should not?

I'm going to be watching the debate tonight to hear how the candidates put forth their information on policy so I know at least one person will care. But, as I've heard recently, by October most people have made up their minds who they are going to vote for and I am no different. I don't believe there is anything John McCain can say at this point that will sway me to vote Republican and it goes without saying that this is doubly true for Sarah Palin. For me, watching this debate is an effort to bolster my confidence in our chosen candidates and in America as a whole - that we have some willingness to use the intelligence we yack about so much.

Again, I can't wait for Election Day. I want to elect Obama and be done with all this uncertainty.

And I never ever want to see Sarah Palin again.

Bipartisan? Bullshit.

2008-10-03T12:42:00.003-06:00

And, keeping with the politics theme, I really need someone to answer this question for me.

Why is it important for Presidents (or Presidential candidates, rather) to be able to "reach across the aisle" to create "bipartisan" solutions?

Wouldn't this imply that Congress is not actually listening to us but rather listening to the President? Why should both sides of the "aisle" set aside their personal/professional agendas based on the coaxing of the President?

And, seeing the Bailout bill fail in the House after President Bush's urging, can we still really say that this is important?

Why is so much emphasis being placed on it in speeches, debates, campaigns, and the media?

The "Lag Effect"

2008-10-03T12:29:00.002-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Warriors Orochi 2
Currently listening to: Billy Talent
Current mood: curious

Recently, I was "embroiled" in a political discussion with someone who identifies as "extremely conservative." Part of the discussion surrounded the economy, as we're in kind of a crisis at the moment, and they chose to quote the seemingly adage-bound concept that the economy only does better during Democrat Presidents because Republican Presidents came before them. I've heard this before but I've never actually looked into it.

Upon thinking about it more often, without research, I wondered how it could be true during a Republican President's second term where we find ourselves running into a severe recession and subsequent "crisis." Now, people like me can't help but blame the state of things on who is in charge now but I did want to see if the "lag" theory was really true, so I am asking the question, "Is President Clinton somehow to blame for our current economic troubles?"

Clinton's era seems like so long ago now that I barely remember where I was or what I was doing. Obviously, this is not an easy question to pose to a search engine, but I did just that and found some interesting results. The linked test of this posts title, also here, goes to a blog post of a person asking that very question who has already put in the research (or quoted someone who has) and it satisfies my hypothesis nicely. The Clinton era seems much too far removed to be causing a financial crisis now, during the last two years of Bush reign.

To quote:

"Addressing the claim heard back in my college days, Dr. Parker also tried to account for a lag effect. He said, “It is a reasonable argument that economic performance early in a new administration is likely to be the result of policies followed by the prior administration.” Therefore, he tested whether lagging the effect of the administration on growth might support the argument that the economy actually performed better under Republicans. The professor found that even with up to four years of lagged effects, there was no evidence that the economy performed better under Republicans.

Dr. Parker drew the following conclusions regarding the claim that Republican presidencies are “best” for the U.S. economy:

But we can reasonably conclude that these government statistics provide evidence that directly contradicts the argument that the economy does better on average under Republican administrations. With lagged effects and other causes considered, the difference may be insignificant, but the economy may actually perform worse under Republicans."

Now, of course, this is just one study by one person and one blog entry, but I'm curious to see if other people buy into this mentality. Are Presidential politics only serving to pick up where the last one left off in leaving the next one in the lurch? What are your thoughts, does the economy truly do better under Democrat candidates because of the legacy left by Republican presidents? Why or why not?

Make it stop...

2008-10-02T08:42:00.002-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Warriors Orochi 2
Currently listening to: I Hate Kate
Current mood: annoyed

Like many of us, more than would probably care to admit, I am pretty much done with the 2008 Election season. This is the first Presidential Election year that I've lived in a "battleground" state (and been legal to vote) so it's a little disconcerting to see so many commercials for this candidate or that candidate appended onto the State Senate/Rep races and the Colorado ballot issues. It's a bit much, even with my limited television viewing. When the channel starts playing back-to-back political commercials, I usually switch off the set or change the station because it drives me a little nuts.

Add onto that the feelings I'm having toward this election and you have a volatile atmosphere inside Todd's head. For various reasons, my worldview has become severely altered in the past 8 years and, particularly for this election, I've become incredibly interested in politics as a whole. I've said before that I used to just stand on the sidelines, preferring to think that government just "happened" and I had no real role in its processes or direction. That view has now morphed into thinking I have a small role, though even its minuscule size can be pivotal if I take enough action. I believe now that voting, while basically the most important action I need to take, is not the only action that I need to take.

Casting a ballot is all fine and good but casting an informed ballot more accurately fulfills my purpose as an American. I need to not just vote for a Party, or an Issue, or a Candidate; I need to vote for what I believe is the best possible choice (rather than the "lesser of two evils" that too many people claim to be choosing, which I am sick of hearing, by the way).

Due to that need for information, I have been feverishly watching YouTube videos like the LiberalViewer and TPMtv channels, reading blogs like the Dailykos, and watching both network news as well as cable clips from CNN, MSNBC and even the occasional Fox News (against my will, I assure you, but it's hard to be "fair and balanced" without many and multiple viewpoints). I've been leaning very liberal this past year and find myself sitting comfortably in the Democrat camp for the moment; quite satisfied with the prospect of an Obama/Biden presidency.

What does frighten me, though, is the possibility of a McCain/Palin presidency. Now, I have gone through why I'm not voting for McCain so I don't need to rehash it here. I'm sure that if McCain does get elected it won't be a total disaster for America; I agree with a few of the things he's said and think his policies on reform would be good if he can truly carry them out. Sometimes I just get annoyed by the things people and the media place a higher priority on, like the "ability" to "reach across the aisle" for "bipartisan" solutions. If this were so important for a President to do, I'm wondering why George Bush hasn't done it more. Nothing has cemented this clearer than the Bailout issue this week, where the President urged Congress in multiple addresses to push the bill through and it was shot down in the House (mostly by Republicans, oddly enough). NPR asserted that the President was assuming much less of a leadership role on his way out, but I think it might be more than that.

Regardless, I don't care whether McCain or Obama can "bring people together" in Congress; I think it's great if they can, so that their Presidential promises can be achieved. But honestly, if the things they are pushing are in the best interests of America, shouldn't the Congressfolk already be onboard without much prodding? The campaigns lately make it sound like the President will be the only one in Washington representing our interests (which I hope is both untrue and an incorrect perception on my part).

I earnestly hope that tonight's Biden vs. Palin debate will "seal the deal" in the minds and hearts of America and that I never have to see Sarah Palin again after November 4th (other than in the gag reels). Watching her be interviewed these past few weeks has been utter torture because I want straight answers and she doesn't seem to have them, regardless of her running mate's "Straight Talk Express" image, and her supposed "experience" being in an executive position. I agree with the Dailykos that she is an expert on giving non-answers, and I will be curious to see how she performs in the debate. But, again, I really just wish she'd go away.

So, to conclude, I am recording the debate tonight with my DVR as well as the CNN pre- and post-commentary. I'll be crossing my fingers, but not holding by breath, that everything is civil and goes well, and that no "major" gaffes are made by either candidate.

But, deep down inside, I really just can't wait for this election season to be over.

Response to John McCain's Speech

2008-09-05T14:29:00.001-06:00

I just finished watching McCain's acceptance speech.

Micah and I have been working hard to give the RNC the same amount of attention we willingly gave the DNC (for one we're both voting for Obama and for two the DNC was here in Denver this year) but it hasn't been easy. Speeches by Lieberman, Giuliani and Palin were disappointing, angering, and annoying (respectively) to me but I paid attention. And today, since I was at a writing event that I'll talk about on Initial Draft, I watched McCain's speech on YouTube because I wasn't available for the live broadcast.

Let me just be clear before I begin in earnest that I oppose McCain and what he stands for. I don't want to spend an entire blog post bashing him, however, because blogs with much more notoriety, like the DailyKos, do it more effectively and with much better sources of information. The purpose of this post is to reinforce that clarity and explain my purposes for where I stand and, based on his speech, this is the most up to date version of those purposes.

I oppose McCain on principle.
Long before Governor Palin was unceremoniously thrust into the race (who I will try not to mention again, since this is about McCain) I looked at the two chief candidates for President from the main parties. Barack Obama, a man of mixed-race, which is an ambiguous term but I was informed recently that it is wrong to merely refer to him as "black," and John McCain, a 71 (now 72) year old veteran of the Vietnam War/Police Action. Of the 43 presidents that have come before this election, each and every one of them have been Caucasian males without exception. My principle is that I believe a 72 year old Caucasian male does not currently represent America, and I have believed this for many years.

Some people have heard about my ideal Presidential candidate: a black lesbian Jew. This seems like a joke when most people hear it for the first time but I do have a reason for feeling this way. Someone of non-Caucasian descent, of an alternative lifestyle, and of a [currently] non-majority religion would open the door for anyone to be President of the United States. We've harped on about "political correctness" and "ethnic diversity" for so long but yet every election the "best" options our 2 main political parties can offer are aged, white males. So, when I first saw Barack Obama on the YouTube Primary Debates, I knew he was one to watch. Hillary Clinton as well, but to a lesser extent for me. One step at a time.

As a corollary to opposing McCain based on principle, I also oppose him based on his age. Again disregarding Palin as his VP choice, I think a 72 year old man with numerous past health problems, an injured and tortured veteran, does not have the longevity I'm seeking in the "leader of the free world." Not that I think McCain is going to die of natural causes any day now, as his mother is 96 and seems to be in good physical condition, but I think my point stands.

Citing a second corollary would be heinous at this point rather than breaking things up in a more organized fashion, but this is a blog entry and I'm no professional pundit, so that's exactly what I'm going to do.

I also oppose McCain because others, mostly religious leaders like James Dobson, believe they have the right to tell me this is the candidate that I MUST choose. As if there is some kind of divine reasoning behind the Republican nominee. I was confounded Wednesday when I saw that the daily sessions of the RNC were opened and closed by prayer (like a Graduation or Wedding Ceremony are) but a friend named Karla corrected me, saying that the DNC had the same type of religious hoopla. This is, obviously, a minor complaint and quite personal to my own faith and religious outlook, but it touches on my main point for this corollary in the sense that I don't believe God is involved in this election. Just like the bumper sticker says, "God is not a Republican ... or a Democrat." I don't want to be told who I should vote for and I certainly don't want to be told who God wants me to vote for, therefore I ignore any argument of this nature, but the fact that the statements are being made pushes me further away from John McCain.

I oppose McCain for what he says.
Every time, in a speech or otherwise, that John McCain uses the word "peace," I almost throw up in my mouth a little bit. Okay, that's sarcasm, but I do mean it a little bit. Who is he to talk about peace? This is the man who has said he is willing to stay in Iraq for another 100 years if necessary to obtain America's goal of "victory," a "victory" already proclaimed by President Bush in 2003, yet the "war" drags on. McCain said last night that he "hates war," yet he is a veteran, and he didn't qualify that statement with any talk about the necessity of war (something I believe is a product of the human condition). I don't want this entire point to revolve around the "war," but it seems a lot of the things he says that I have a problem with do, so I'll go with it.

I recall that John McCain has repeatedly used a phrase that I loathe regarding the Iraq War, that he won't let our troops "die in vain." If President Bush said it instead of McCain then I apologize for the lack of validity here, but the phrase still bothers me. The reason for this is because WE started this war, WE caused the conflict in Iraq right now (the insurgency) with the agendas of Cheney and Rumsfeld and the lack of foresight, planning and preparation. To say that our troops died in vain for a war we began is ludicrous to me. McCain is a Vietnam veteran - he should know all about wars being fought by America rather than for America.

I oppose McCain for what he doesn't say.
In his speech last night, McCain made a lot of lofty claims about what America is and what America believes in. He also made a lot of ambiguous statements about how America will improve when he becomes President. What he did not provide me, and what I feel Barack Obama's acceptance speech did provide conversely, was specific choices and actions he will make and take. I watched the entire speech waiting for something like this and was shocked when the speech ended without it. Mostly what I did get from his speech was the same "America is GREAT" rah-rah that has permeated the RNC. Perhaps it is telling that the attitude of the Democrats was that America needs change because it isn't as great as it used to be and the Republicans are still clinging to the belief that America is #1.

I believe it was Bill Maher that I first heard say, "America needs to stop saying that its the greatest country in the world and start acting like it." I tried a Google search on this phrase and it seems to have been parroted quite a bit. Regardless, I believe that McCain said a few fickle words about "the change America needs" but didn't tell us how that change would come about like Obama did.

I oppose McCain for his consistency, or lack thereof.
McCain said at least once that Washington is somehow broken and that his presidency would work to fix it. If Washington is so broken, why has he voted along with President Bush 90% of the time and proudly owned up to it? The only return argument I could think of for this statement was that while Bush was a Republican in the White House, Congress was dominated by Democrats. I had to dismiss this outright since John McCain is in the Senate, a place of power, and because I believe the Democrat majority in Congress is in reaction to George Bush having been President these last 8 years.

As another glaring example of inconsistency to me, John McCain's campaign ads tout the slogan "Not Ready To Lead," accusing Barack Obama of not having the experience/judgment to handle the job of President of the United States. This argument went out the window for me, as it did with a lot of Americans, when he chose Sarah Palin as his VP nominee. Since she's a bit under the microscope right now, I shouldn't need to qualify exactly why I believe Palin is lacking in experience and why I'm still shocked that the "Not Ready To Lead" slogan is still being used. Well, except to use the now-familiar phrase that Sarah Palin's extremely limited experience will be "a heartbeat away" from the presidency, with a 72 year old wounded and tortured veteran in the actual office.

I oppose McCain because of his party affiliation.
It shouldn't be a secret at this point that I am Pro-Choice, Pro-Death Penalty, and Pro-Euthanasia. While the Republicans oddly agree with me on the death penalty part, there are numerous protests and even some laws in place regarding the other two staunch ones. There were "Pro-Lifers" outside Barack Obama's hotel writing with chalk on the sidewalk and shouting with a megaphone/bullhorn in protest while he was in town. We saw them when we went downtown and just happened to be in the right place to see Obama's motorcade leave the hotel and head toward the Pepsi Center where he made his "surprise" appearance after Joe Biden's speech.

Let me be extra clear on this point. I oppose McCain because he's running for a political party that supports Pro-Life, etc., not because he does himself. Whether he does or not is irrelevant to me for the purposes of this argument - he represents a radical Christian-based political party who support preserving the lives of fetuses (sometimes even in the case of rape and incest) while at the same time supporting the Death Penalty and having no plan or tolerance for the aforementioned fetuses once they enter this world. The neo-Conservatives (or "neocons") have little to no understanding of the quality of life, but instead would rather focus on the sanctity of life - a phrase that only those who fervently believe in Creationism and Intelligent Design can properly appreciate. Whether McCain believes in these things or not, I feel the talking heads of his political party do, and that is enough of a reason to make me oppose their Presidential candidate.

Is that all? Well, time will tell. Upon realizing that I'm rapidly approaching 30 and that my opinion does matter for more than just words on a blog, I've chosen to take more than a passing interest in this election but a real true-to-life stand for the beliefs and principles that I, as a human, hold. Hopefully I have achieved my purpose here in explaining not only why I refuse to support John McCain but also a portion of why I do support Barack Obama for President of the United States in the 2008 election. My values may not place me firmly in the Democratic demographic, no pun intended, but I'm certainly registered that way and I will be, without a doubt or second thought, voting that way in November.

Thanks for reading, whether you agree or disagree with me. Please don't hesitate to comment if you also wish to be heard.

Evil-ution

2008-07-22T14:25:00.005-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Chronicles of the
Black Company, by Glen Cook
Currently listening to: Scissor Sisters,
The Automatic, The Ting-Tings
Current mood: sour

Two words in the English language that should never be put next to each other again are Intelligent Design. Yes, I know this kind of post belongs on [OSC] but I'm putting it here because RFW has been a little neglected lately.

Frankly, I'm sick of the entire concept of people fighting against evolution as a theory or concept. People who a) do not understand it and b) do not believe that it could be true should just leave it the hell alone.

The fire was out of me on this one for a long time until Tony commented on Cuyler's long-ago blog entry about it. Now, I like Cuyler, and I'm not trying to disrespect him in any way, but the only reason I didn't comment on that blog entry was because my brain would not allow me to form a coherent thought after his fervent questioning of the validity of evolution.

I watched a History Channel documentary recently (Ape to Man) that really made things sink in for me regarding the geological timescale and how broad of a topic evolution is. I'm honestly starting to question the sanity of anyone who still thinks the Earth is only a few thousand years old (you know who you are).

Currently I believe that, whether God is/was involved in it or not, humanity came about via a process of evolution. Yes, we evolved from apes. We are no longer apes, and saying we "once were" is a bit of a misnomer, since the last time we were "ape like" was about 4 million years ago. Learning that we are not even directly related to Neanderthal (via DNA differences), a species of hominids that became extinct 40,000 years ago, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Human life is a complicated thing, but that shouldn't suggest we need to come up with cockamamie theories to explain it (like "intelligent" design). Nor do I believe it should be taught in the public school system past the point of saying "this theory exists but has absolutely no scientific foundation nor way to be tested or proven." If you want to teach Creationism or Intelligent Design, have a class in school other than science to teach it in - science is obviously on board the evolution train.

If people want to believe that people like me are "deluded" by "the Adversary" when we look at physical evidence of evolution (fossils, etc), that the proven age of the Earth and prehistoric processes like glaciers are some instrument of the theological "bad guy", and that everything I need to know about life is contained in one or more large collections of allegory, cultural history, prophecy, and letters, then they can be free to go ahead and believe that. Just don't expect me to be happy about it.

RIP George Carlin

2008-06-23T11:23:00.003-06:00

I'm sad that George Carlin died yesterday.

I first heard about it on the radio before I even got out of bed on a small part of blurb news. I got up, walked the dogs, and Micah turned on the local news. In between the stories of drive-by-shootings, it was announced again that George Carlin died at the age of 71 due to heart complications or some such thing. And then, they moved on to something else.

"You bastards," I instantly thought.

Now, before you think too lowly of me, let's rewind a week or so to when we were in Utah visiting my parents. Press paragon Tim Russert died not too long ago and it seemed to me (and my outspoken father) that all the news channels cared about was his death and his "legacy." Good for you if you used to watch Meet the Press but personally his death didn't cause much more than a simpathetic ripple.

George Carlin's death, however, is something that needed a little bit more face time, for me. This comedian's material, though quite a bit on the "dirty" side for many conservatives, was incredibly insightful. I can honestly say that he opened my eyes to a lot of the world around me, if only to grasp it from a cynical point of view. I've watched countless minutes of his standup comedy and I've been not only entertained but also informed. I learned things. I heard opinions that I would never have normally heard from people around me who aren't as cynical as me.

I'm very sad today about his death, doubly sad that the press didn't have much to say, and I will miss George Carlin's views in the many years (I hope) to come for me on this planet. Rest in peace, George Carlin.

Another Leo Video

2008-06-09T10:58:00.001-06:00

I tried to capture Leo's "scary peanut butter face" and you can see it a little bit. Basically this just shows how cute and energetic (and weird) he is.

Leo and Suki

2008-06-03T08:57:00.002-06:00

Here are a couple of videos of us with the dogs at the dog park this past Sunday. Crazy weirdos.

Making a List

2008-05-29T12:25:00.005-06:00

Micah made a quick list of stuff she likes/hates this week so I got it in my head to make a list, too. Well, a few lists, actually.

Smells I Love
Cigars freshly on clothing
Vanilla (especially perfume)
Fresh baked bread
A charcoal grill in use
Rain

Smells I Hate
Fart (especially dog fart)
Cigarettes
Musky perfume/cologne
Nail Polish Remover
Jack Daniel's Whiskey

Tastes I Love
White Mocha (iced or hot)
Meat fresh off the grill (burgers and brats most)
Hot Pepperoni Pizza
Cold lemonade on a hot day
Beer (in general)
Red wine
A well-balanced sandwich

Tastes I Hate
Overpowering mustard
Overpowering pickle
Green olives
Potato salad
Cold pizza

Sights I Love
Micah (awww)
"Album Cover" photographs
The view from a mountain top
Boudoir/Burlesque pinups (tasteful, please)
Endless expanse of ocean

Sights I Hate
Poopspray in a toilet
Unread email
Contrived rhymes labeled as "poetry"
Contrived actions labeled as "candid pictures"
Network Television Dramas/Sitcoms/News

Sounds I Love
A well-placed drum solo
Piano
Symphony
Modern Alternative Rock I've never heard before
Rain

Sounds I Hate
Belching while I'm eating
Birds (owned or otherwise)
Incessant dog barking
Most "rap" music
Cars with bad fan belts
Loud ambient bar noise/Loud live bar music (or a combination)
Canned "children" noises
Biting of popsicles/chewing ice

A Tale of Two Cities

2008-05-28T11:52:00.004-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Dawnthief by James Barclay
Currently listening to: Jimmy Eat World
Current mood: hungry

While I believe Denver to be a haven for fantastic sights (views of the mountains, etc) I was recently in two other cities that appealed to two of my other main senses and I'd like to tell you about them.

For those of you that have never been to New York City, I would encourage you to go at least once so that you can drink in the splendor of that many buildings. The best feature of NYC is probably their mass transit system - a subway that allows you to travel dozens of miles for less than a few dollars. But the biggest thing I will remember about the city is that it is loud. From the subway noise to the "street performer" person I experienced singing a song for "donations" during the subway ride to the honking cabs and many other things, New York City will always go down in my mind as the loudest place I've ever been. It's probably where the phrase "living out loud" came from. I visited a few choice spots for work purposes; I can say that I've been inside the beautiful New York Times building as well as the home office of Random House. I went to two pubs, rode a handful of cabs, and took the subway to and from JFK International Airport (which has more terminals than I've ever seen). I will definitely go back someday to do some other tourist-type things like perhaps see Ground Zero and the Statue of Liberty, especially since Micah has never been there.

The other recent attraction I braved, as most of you know, was Las Vegas, more commonly referred to as just "Vegas," or the ever-popular "Vegas baby, Vegas." You may not think so, but I actually realized that Vegas is a city of smells. From Hooters© wings to semi-saltwater hot tub and pool experiences to the warm desert air and the bouquet found in just about any casino, it was a very interesting place to smell. Walking by one such casino I picked up something that wasn't quite jasmine and wasn't quite vanilla but I was sure it wasn't just perfume. I had a couple of fantastic cigars there and, obviously, enjoyed them quite a bit while walking up and down The Strip (Las Vegas Blvd). Next time we go, and there will certainly be a next time, I think we will try to stay at the Paris hotel. It just made an impression on me. One more thing I will say about Vegas is that it doesn't really try any of the cheap casino tricks that other places do. Central City, CO and Wendover, NV are two places I've been where the low, mirrored ceilings and the dark carpet and tinted doors made you lose all sense of reality. Vegas doesn't need to do such things to disorient you. Caesar's Palace practically destroys any preconceived notions of what a "casino" could be and the splendor of the Bellagio fountain show reminds the more aware traveler that the city doesn't only exist to gamble in. I could only help but smile as Micah tried on an "anniversary band" at Tiffany & Co, and I can think of no better example than this to remind me that Las Vegas is full of more than just one-armed bandits.

Sometimes I wish I was a travel writer; I really do enjoy telling about the places I've been and what I found unique or fun about them. Expect something fantastic on Boston after our August trip but don't hold your breath about Salt Lake City next month.

Thanks for reading!

Are you moving into the weird guy's house?

2008-05-21T08:52:00.002-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Red Seas under
Red Skies by Scott Lynch
Currently listening to: Lady Sovereign
Current mood: ill

I'm fighting hard against a cold that is threatening to annoy me to death. I have a wheezy cough and it's very obnoxious but at least I have my voice back (for the most part). I haven't been blogging much lately so let's catch up on what I've been doing for the past few weeks.

I finished writing "part 2" of my novel and I've currently got Micah reading it to get kind of a first impression of the prose and content. Obviously I still have a lot of work to do for continuity's sake and to get the two "parts" combined into one huge novel but I've made a lot of progress already by writing a ton of words so it's going quite well. I'm confident that this will be a good first novel for me and can't wait to move on to the next one.

This past weekend we spent about 3 days in Las Vegas. It was a much needed and well deserved vacation, marred only a little bit by the onset of my aforementioned cold and loss of voice. So, I sounded like kind of a dork all weekend, but that didn't stop me/us from having a fantastic time. The highlight of the trip for me was definitely going to Studio 54 at the MGM Grand and dancing my ass off. It may not have been the best thing in the world that I was particularly lacking in inhibitions that night (thanks to a healthy serving of cranberry vodka) but I was kind of proud of myself for being bold and actually dancing instead of feeling self-conscious and watching other people have a good time. We didn't get any gambling done (much to the shock of a lot of people) but we did a lot of walking up & down the Strip taking pictures of various things and people. We played Beer Pong for the first time (Micah and I lost to Chandra and Kristen) and I was able to purchase a few fantastic cigars as well as enjoy them in the warm/dry weather.

Speaking of weather, it has really started to heat up here in Denver which means it is officially grilling season. Not that I'm "afraid" to grill during the winter (I did it once in awhile) but during the warmer months it's much easier and more enjoyable since we will soon be dining outside on a patio set we plan to purchase. I love my charcoal grill but Micah seems intent on getting me a new one (to which I say "aw dang" which means basically that my arm doesn't need twisting). I made some great pork ribs this past weekend and for Memorial Day I will definitely be doing some burgers.

Work has still been having its ups and downs. Things remain pretty stressful most days but there are periods of lull which make things a bit unpredictable. Oh well.

And that's about it! Hopefully I will blog again before June, but we'll just have to see what happens.

The Earth is trying to kill me...

2008-04-22T08:38:00.002-06:00

Currently reading/playing: The Lies of Locke Lamora
Currently listening to: Alter Bridge
Current mood: paranoid

"Happy" Earth Day, everyone, if you believe in that sort of thing.

Me, I'm quite certain that the Earth is out to eradicate every last one of us. I don't think we should be celebrating it - we should be putting plans in place to get it before it gets us.

I'm posting this little "essay" here instead of [OSC] because it's a more secular approach to our current situation, meaning I'll leave God out of this particular discussion ... for now.

If you think about it, no matter what we do the Earth is somehow responsible for our deaths. Judging by how many people die per day this shouldn't be a secret. If we don't die from the looming and imminent threat of "global warming" we might die of hunger; I heard on the news this morning that the pursuit of cleaner burning fuels is using up farmland previously employed for food production. According to a world food organization over 100,000,000 more people (one hundred million - not exaggerated) need food now than 6 months ago. So is there a balance to be found in this global warming crisis? NO! THE EARTH IS GOING TO KILL US EITHER WAY!

Not to mention the various disease epidemics that are constantly nipping at our collective heels. AIDS, various Cancers, Heart Disease, The-Superbug-Flu, Kuru, and that's just the beginning of the long list of ways we can die from the Earth polluting our bodies with its "food" and "water." We're corrupted by all kinds of tasty trans-fats and saturated fats (both mono- and poly-, for crying out loud) as well as bacteria and viruses that latch onto us like an underfed dog at a deli counter.

And then there's all of these "natural" disasters. Earthquakes in the Midwest! That's almost scarier than Hurricane Katrina and the South Pacific Tsunami put together! Volcanoes are just waiting to erupt, tornadoes plague our heartland, it has been snowing like cats and dogs here in Colorado for hundreds of years now!

So celebrate this "Earth Day," if you must, and plant a tree in New Orleans like President Bush. As for me, I'll be planning the Exodus to Mars just as soon as I can get this "terra forming" concept worked out without using products and raw materials from Earth.

This post was meant to be mostly satirical but does contain a fact here and there. Happy Earth Day.

Special Date Night - Told in 3rd Person

2008-04-21T09:58:00.004-06:00

Currently reading/playing: The Lies of
Locke Lamora, Dynasty Warriors 6
Currently listening to: Ludo, Alter Bridge, Silverchair,
Course of Nature, Fiction Plane, Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Current mood: calm

Far in advance of Micah's birthday, Todd had absolutely no idea what to get her to be "on par" with previous years' gifts. Todd is a good gift giver, if he does say so himself, because he listens and genuinely enjoys giving special gifts that he thinks a person will like. It's a rare case that he's not sure what to get.

Thankfully, Micah has grown to prefer experiences as gifts rather than tangible possessions. Neither Todd nor Micah had ever been to the opera.

With over a month to spare, Todd purchased tickets to The Flying Dutchman at Ellie Caulkins' Opera House on April 18th. The tickets came in the mail and Todd had to be a little deceptive about them so Micah would continue to be oblivious about the calendar entry called "Special Date Night." It would be opera.

A few days in advance of Special Date Night, Todd still had no idea where to eat. Searching online for good places near the DPAC (Denver Performing Arts Center), he found a very fancy Mediterranean-themed restaurant called Rioja in the 14th & Larimer portion of downtown. He called to make reservations, because that's what Todd does for special nights, and everything was ready to go.

Though the evening contained a few low notes, such as Todd falling asleep at the opera he so enjoyed (due to waking up at 5:30am and walking the new dogs twice a day) completely unintentionally, and a culmination of the week's stressful episodes, all in all it was a fantastic date night. Todd had a great time and, as always, enjoyed Micah's company. He's pretty sure she had a good time as well.

My work situation

2008-04-16T12:45:00.003-06:00

Currently reading/playing: something depressing
Currently listening to: something angry
Current mood: dejected, sort of

I'm taking a break for a moment because I really need to vent. My feelings about my job are reaching a point of utter hopelessness and I think it will help to put some perspective on things and get those feelings out.

When I started this job, it was a job switch from a Support job working for an unappreciative company. My team was understaffed and I was expected to work long, hard hours and do extraneous menial projects for which I was compensated a pittance. All in all, I had an impotent boss, depressing teammates, and zero prospects for the future, so I began looking elsewhere and that's when my current company came into view.

I took a job here in Support working with a single email platform (at that time the "company" had just acquired a second one, or however that works). Things were good for a long time, and when I say "good" I mean I was proficient at my job and that was evident to my superiors. I worked with clients, closed tickets, worked the late shift and extra hours without any complaints (the complaints thing is important to note). But, then we started to get short staffed and the job got a lot harder to keep up with and still maintain my sanity and personal life.

Now, I'm going to digress here for a moment and express my expectations. For any non-career job, or "job" as hitherto defined, functions basically thus: a probationary period occurs immediately after the hiring process is complete where the employee is expected to learn their tasks and improve upon them until such time as a steady routine is established. Once that routine is established, life is fairly calm and a person can work their "Nine to Five" in an almost mindless, yet comfortable, state, while pursuing more meaningful pursuits with the other hours of their day. We all look for this routine unless we're doing something we truly love - then we welcome a challenge.

Back to the story. After a time in the chaotic portion of my Support job here, I was offered a role as an Account Manager (or Account Executive, at the time, which sounded much fancier) on a new team with most of the supervisorial staff that I was already very comfortable working with. No problem, a pay raise and more complex interaction with the email marketing industry seemed right up my alley. At least, getting out of Support was a good idea at the time, and in retrospect still seems like a positive "job" move if not only for the pay raise.

So began my tenure in Client Services at this company as an AM. Except I still had Support responsibilities for a painfully long transition phase as well as the mental baggage that any Support person brings to a Client Services role. I'll phrase it like this, even at the risk of offending people: Support is a lot like the male mentality in that it states very plainly "I just want to solve the problem" whereas Client Services (aka Customer Service) is more of a female type perspective saying "I want someone to just listen ... and I expect that it will somehow solve my problem." Client Services isn't supposed to fix anything, and this was a difficult transition for my mind to make (and still hasn't completely made).

Regardless, I learned very quickly that Client Services was difficult. It wasn't a walk down easy street in Support, by any means, but straddling the two while having a full Account Manager workload was not a comforting concept. Eventually, I was forced to fully "ditch" my Support responsibilities but still maintain access to all of their systems to "help" me service my clients in my new role (which sounds helpful but actually means I still had to do twice the work). Needless to say, this compounded the stress I was already under from my external Clients, and it continued this way for a few months waxing and waning between extremely severe stressful days and only partially severe stressful days.

Have you ever had one of those days where you went into work and did absolutely nothing? Not me, not at this job. My inbox was filling up daily (and by "filling up" I mean literally reaching its size limit) with messages from internal distribution lists, support cases, client problems and complaints, and requests from higher-ups to do work that I should know how to do (but don't).

Fast-forward a few more months to April 2008. We have our Team Summit to meet and discuss goals and performance. I was elated that the meeting was in Toronto, where one of our offices is, because I love that city (more so now having been there twice and seeing more of it). Bringing the complaints of an already overworked, underprepared Account Manager, I sat through the first day of presentations and excitedly supplied my opinions and feedback on all manner of things, believing firmly at the end of the first day that we were heading in a new and more positive direction. Sure, there'd be a bit more work at the beginning of this new phase but it might even out eventually and give me the "routine" I'd been waiting for since Day 1.

Then, tragically, the entire experience was marred by a round of layoffs. Now, I don't mean to sound smug about it - especially in saying that it didn't "directly" affect me (I still have my "job") but it did indirectly affect me greatly because we lost one member of my team. It was someone who did my same "job" but with a different set of accounts. This all became apparently on the second day of our Team Summit, an exercise that was supposed to promote solidarity and trust as well as a gelling of our minds and efforts. With my team member's layoff, a huge storm cloud appeared over my head and it hasn't dissipated since. This is mostly because at worst I will be expected to pick up half their workload and at worst somewhere uncomfortably between one half and one third.

Just to be clear, I'm not afraid of losing my job. Frankly with the few of us they have left we will be lucky to do all of the work we have; I thought we were understaffed even before the layoffs. No, honestly I'm more afraid of how stressful my job is now going to become and no matter how I look at it I feel trapped in this strange world where I have no choice but to perform some kind of Fear Factor stunt. The gun is to my head to eat the weird Client Services crickets. And it's not that I'm afraid of leaving my comfort zone by looking for a different job, or anything ridiculous like that; it's that I have no idea where I would go. I'm going to be 28 this year and finding myself back in a Support environment is not encouraging at all. I may have a BS in Computer Science but I'm so sick of IT that when people ask me computer-related questions I nearly want to tear my hair out. Also, leaving this company wouldn't exactly supply me with a very positive recommendation, so I'm not really considering it as an option at this point.

So, here I sit, between the proverbial rock-and-a-hard-place, wondering what things the bleak-looking future might hold. And did I neglect to mention that my wife is in school full-time as well as working full-time and probably even more stressed out than I am since she's a textbook Type A personality? 2008 has not started well.

Break Room Etiquette, part 1 of many

2008-04-15T11:34:00.001-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Super Puzzle Fighter Blahdeehoohaa X demo
Currently listening to: Channel X on 1.fm
Current mood: peeved

Most of you know about my huge annoyance with people leaving time on the microwave.

Well, today someone took it a step further.

I went to heat up my lunch at 11am, as I semi-normally do, and left it heating while I used the washroom. At some point, someone opened the door to my microwave and closed it again, but didn't press the restart button, allowing my food to just sit there with a minute left on it.

Who does this??? I will find you, discourteous person!

Poop Patrol!

2008-04-14T09:35:00.003-06:00

Currently reading/playing: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Currently listening to: Ludo
Current mood: working

As many of you know, Micah and I got two dogs yesterday. They are fairly young (2 and 3 years, or so) and that means they are not technically "puppies" but they are still very energetic and a bit goofy. Suki, the Jack Russell Terrier, is the female and "my dog," while Leonidas, the Chihuahua Corgi mix, is the male and consequently "Micah's dog."

They're both very excited to be in their new home though they haven't eaten anything but liver treats so far. They are drinking water and (probably) sleeping in their beds. They enjoy walking around the neighborhood and growling/barking at just about everything unfamiliar - a behavior we hope to work with them on as I can't imagine how much noise they may be making right now while unsupervised.

Last night we took them on their first and second walks (to Jill's house and to Starbucks, respectively) and I had the distinct pleasure of picking up Suki's first poop. The little cartridge of bags is emblazoned with the words Poop Patrol and rightfully so.

But be proud of Micah! This morning's walk featured a nice gift left behind by Leo that she was responsible for picking up and SHE ACTUALLY DID IT! We are now the proud "parents" of two fully functional digestive systems contained in cute doggy exteriors! Again, props to Micah for picking up the poop. I'm way proud of her for surviving. She has pictures (of the dogs, not their bowel movements) posted on her blog!

Music Madness

2008-03-31T12:17:00.003-06:00

Currently reading/playing: A History of God
Currently listening to: Kenny Chesney (what??)
Current mood: annoyed

So, this should be a short one as I just wanted to bring up another one of my quirks. During our return from Santa Fe (more on that later) we took I-25 and drove through Colorado Springs. Having exhausted the CD's we brought for listening, we opted to tune in for some local radio goodness.

Now, I don't remember the station as we were cycling so many but I made Micah "change it back" because a song I liked was on. It was the song Never Too Late by a band called Three Days Grace. They are a fantastic alternative band and this song hasn't gotten *too* overplayed just yet (mostly because I've been listening to AM lately rather than FM). But I couldn't hide my frustration and rage when the chorus of the song blasted through the speakers and I heard the word change in the song that actually changed the theme of it.

As you may or may not know, I loathe censorship and editing. I loathe it most of all in music. I like my songs to be unfiltered - I like them to be played as they were written, as they were intended to be heard. I'm not in kindergarten, I can take the cuss words and references and concepts or I can change the station. So it annoys me to absolutely no end when I hear stuff like this.

Here's the original chorus as it is played here in Denver:
Even if I say / It'll be alright
Still I hear you say / You want to end your life
Now and again we try / To just stay alive
Maybe we'll turn it all around / 'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late

Here's what we heard from the Colo Spgs station:
Even if I say / It'll be alright
Still I hear you say / You want to change your life
(Emphasis mine, sort of. I took out the rest because it is unchanged.)

You might be saying to yourself, "What's so bad about that?" Well, I believe it changes the entire theme of the song. The song is about hope, thematically speaking. It's actually about not giving up and that it's "never too late" for things to change for the better. That's my view, anyway. I don't believe that suicide is ever an option but I can understand why some people think it is when life looks bleak and hopeless. A statement from a popular band saying "wake up, it can get better" should be a positive thing; not a thing to get in a censor's cross-hairs and destroy to make it sound more "Christian," as I interpret the "new" version.

Now, I can see two reasons for this change in the song and I'll bring them up to close out this entry. First, Colorado Springs has the 2nd highest suicide rate in the nation, according to a trusted source. Second, Colo Spgs is the home of Focus On The Family, a decidedly Christian organization that is the scourge of regular folks and skeptics everywhere.

I'll let you decide what you think is the cause for the [completely unnecessary] change.

The City that Never Sleeps

2008-03-19T23:10:00.003-06:00

Currently reading/playing: N/A
Currently listening to: E Nomine - Das Testament
Current mood: exhausted

I should be sleeping but work and the will to share my experience are enough to keep me from closing my eyes too early. I'm in New York City, lying in a $250 a night hotel with a room smaller than what I had on my honeymoon cruise ship. It's well past what any sane person would call "night time," bringing to mind a movie quote that goes something like ain't nothing up this late but the Devil.

NYC is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting and entertaining places to visit that I've ever been to, so long as you accept those adjectives with a grain of salt. With no other praise for the mass transit system than "it works," it's hard to truly recommend that someone come here on purpose unless they are comfortable exploring their adventurous side.

To paint a picture for you, I walked over twenty blocks earlier today through midtown Manhattan. Before you begin smiling, picture the dismal specter of rain and me without an umbrella (unwilling to pay for one twice in the same day). I could have taken a taxi. I could have even taken the subway. All that I really wanted was a chance to shop at the Hard Rock Cafe - a required souvenir for my wife was necessary before I left the city tomorrow (today?) and walking all the way from the office wasn't imperative. But it was an experience.

A lot of things go through a person's mind when visiting a place like NYC. It's one of those cities that the movies always paint as dangerous, treacherous, and rewarding. Donald Trump thrives here. New York is where the day's news begins while the liberals in California are still slumbering away the early morning hours. One could stick a hand out and close their eyes to easily find a homeless person (or a street vendor). What you might not see, though, is all of the danger that supposedly infests the streets.

Earlier tonight, I described riding in cabs as similar to riding a roller coaster. You get that same feeling of exhilaration as your semi-English speaking driver mashes on the accelerator whilst dodging through multiple lanes and halting only when a light turns absolutely red or a breathing obstruction bars the path. The only firm rule for NYC cab drivers seems to be try not to hit anything; other than that, anything goes. It's not easy to relinquish control but, in all honesty, they are far better at driving these streets than I would ever be.

The fun of the subway can't be matched by the innocuous "light rail" back home. Traveling over rivers and under ground while on the same train car sure beats the hell out of paralleling the only major north-south freeway in the state of Colorado. The signs are more than enough to entertain without factoring in the other folks on the trains (my pink suitcase notwithstanding).

I'll almost be sad to fly home tomorrow (today?), but I do miss my less complicated life back home. New York actually provides too many options for someone like me, especially since traveling here from an elevation of 5000 feet allows for many more drinks to be purchased than normally excusable. But I miss Colorado.
I miss the mountains.
I miss knowing which direction I'm facing.
I miss microbreweries.
I miss one-story buildings.
I miss my wife, my friends, and the comfort of recognizable surroundings.
I even miss driving my car.

This is the first time in many years that I can actually say I feel "homesick." Though it's been said a thousand times, I'll reiterate once more - New York is a fantastic place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here.

Todd and the Pink Suitcase

2008-03-18T21:10:00.004-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Legend (Gemmell)
Currently listening to: Ninety-Nine Nights (original soundtrack)
Current mood: abroad

Have you ever seen something and thought, "Now there's something you don't see every day." I find myself being that thing from time to time.

As you may or may not know, my job requires me to do a little bit of traveling and, in addition, I've become somewhat of a traveler myself (along with my lovely wife, of course). Well, seeing as I don't have my trusty black-canvas-duffle anymore, my best option for carting around the necessities of my wardrobe is via part of Micah's matching pink luggage set.

Now, I know my metrosesxuality is becoming more and more famous (infamous?) around the Denver area lately, and I'm okay with that. Pink should not belong solely to women since guys don't have our own "color" that women aren't allowed to wear. After quite a bit of protest the first time (my Toronto trip) it was mutually decided that it was perfectly acceptable and ultimately most feasible to tote around a pink bag - pun intended.

I can't help but wonder, though, what people thought tonight when they saw me on the New York City subway. A handsome, attractive 20-something young man wearing stylish jeans and a fantastic black peacoat. Unshaven. Spiky-haired. Manly black laptop bag slung casually over one shoulder. Fabulous pink suitcase carried in the opposite hand.

I know I am opening up the floor to multitudinous jokes and assaults on my manhood, and I'm okay with that. If I'm secure enough to actually carry the damn thing around then I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have a complex when it comes to talking about it. Life is what it is; we can't all have the luggage sets we want (personally I think it'd be nice to take a black bag and spray-paint it wildly, if only to throw people off a bit more and to make it easily identifiable at the baggage claim).

Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure I threw some people off at the JFK baggage claim when I shouldered past them at the carousel saying, "This is mine coming up." I couldn't hear their snickers when I snatched up the pink suitcase, but I'm pretty sure their eyes went a little wider than normal.

In the end, I'm forced to smile and realize that it is just a suitcase and not any kind of reflection on my manhood. If I were that worried about the situation, I think that would actually make me more questionable somehow. Maybe my small personal sacrifice will bring the male gender one step closer to throwing off the stereotype of pink, but in reality I'm probably just overthinking the entire situation.

Still, it is fun to imagine what goes through people's minds.

To the mountains!

2008-03-17T08:38:00.005-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Legend (by David Gemmell)
Currently listening to: Irish Drinking Songs
Current mood: blarneyed

Saturday:
Hit the gym for some nice interval training
Hung out with some fantastic dogs (two of which will be ours next month)
Went grocery shopping
Celebrated an early Saint Patrick's Day at a real-life Boulder pub (Conor O'Neills)
Enjoyed a cigar under a comfortable porch during a light rain that reminded me of childhood California

Sunday:
Went skiing for the first time EVER (and didn't do too badly at all)
Baked 2 loaves of Guinness Beer Bread
Baked 2 loaves of Banana Bread

Today:
At work, listening to Irish Drinking Songs at my desk
Plan to enjoy slices of each of my breads shortly
Beer-at-work is imminent this afternoon
Wearing my O'SHEAS PUB t-shirt

Tomorrow:
Off to New York City

Naysayers piss me off

2008-03-14T10:26:00.004-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Philosophy for Dummies
Currently listening to: Channel X on 1.fm
Current mood: annoyed

I am a huge Dynasty Warriors fan. I am also a big Samurai Warriors fan (oddly enough, I am a bigger DW fan than SW fan but I like Japanese culture a bit more than Chinese). Basically, I'm a big KOEI fan in general.

With the impending purchase of an HDTV and PS3, I decided long ago that Dynasty Warriors 6 was going to be the first game I acquired. I became a freight train heading right toward it. I salivated every time I watched a video of the Japanese release version on YouTube. I was seriously craving some next-gen Dynasty Warriors action. So, just to gauge how the game has been doing with North American folks, I jumped onto the GameFAQs message boards to get a feel for what was up.

Now, before I launch into a tirade about the topic of this particular post, I should give you a small bit of history of the Dynasty Warriors franchise. The game series is all about hack-and-slash action; you control a single officer and defeat hundreds of enemies per battle in a pretty chaotic war scenario to unify China during the fall of the Han Dynasty (circa 200 C.E.). There have been many iterations of Dynasty Warriors, and by "iterations" I mean sequels rehashing the same conquest story by adding new characters and redrawing the maps of the battles. I will concede the following things about Dynasty Warriors:

a) the gameplay is repetitive ... but this can be said for ANY video game
b) each iteration attempts to build on what was done before but also attempts to be a new game

Some of you know the conflict between the two words new and improved and know that it's impossible to honestly market a product that both words apply to. It's with this in mind that we jump right into gamers' reaction to Dynasty Warriors 6.

People complained about almost everything that was changed then, as if that wasn't enough, complained that not enough stuff was added to justify this game's existence. That's the basic gist of it; I'll avoid the details because frankly it's a laundry list and it annoys me to no end that people would get that granular.

Gamers are people and people have opinions - this can't be refuted, nor would I want to try. But, seriously, I think a lot of gamers become freight trains themselves in the sense that they refuse to acknowledge any progress or improvement and tunnel-vision themselves into focusing on the negative aspects of a game. I'm no saint myself, but rather than voicing my discontent in various rantings on a message board I choose to "vote with my dollars" when it comes to this sort of thing.

I'll wrap this up with an example.

Not long after I bought my [first] Playstation 2, I received the game Devil May Cry for Christmas. It didn't take me awfully long to "get into" the game, but I will be the first to admit that DMC had one of the highest difficulty levels of any games I've ever played, especially on the aptly labeled "hard mode." But I loved it. I couldn't get enough of it. I played through the game repeatedly, getting frustrated at points but always returning to progress further because it gave me a real sense of achievement to get one step further and eventually defeat the game. I beat it on Hard Mode - a badge that I will always wear proudly, but something that would be difficult to explain to someone who doesn't know how frustrated I get at video games (particularly difficult ones). Suffice it to say that I have destroyed both controllers and consoles in moments of intense frustration.

I was practically leaping out of my skin when a sequel to Devil May Cry was released. Luckily (and perhaps only for budget reasons), I rented Devil May Cry 2 rather than buying it. The game was completely different, and complete crap compared to what I was used to. The difficulty, one of the main draws to the original, was completely obliterated. DMC2 was made more easy to attract a wider audience of gamers who were turned off to the original's hard levels and unforgiving boss battles.

Rather than whining, crying, carrying on, or otherwise naysaying, I opted not to buy DMC2. I also did not buy DMC3 and do not plan to buy DMC4. I've thought about it, especially since hearing that the 3rd game returned to the hardcore style of the original, but the experience ruined the franchise for me. I spoke with my dollars and, even though that hasn't stopped Capcom from making sequels, it saved me from remembering the wounds of DMC2 and from the constant comparisons that my brain would be making rather than focusing on enjoying the moment.

I try to encourage others to do the same rather than rail against KOEI for "being a money grubbing corporation" and for "not listening to the fans," but my mission is doomed to failure. People like to complain because they like to be agreed with. I plan to buy DW6 in the next 2 weeks and I plan to enjoy it to its fullest potential. It's a new game, a new world, and a new chance for me to defeat my enemies by whatever means available.

Plus, now I get to climb ladders and swim!

The lasses have got to respect a man who can blow, finger and squeeze all at the same time.

2008-03-13T08:32:00.004-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Philosophy for Dummies
Currently listening to: Irish Drinking Songs
Current mood: awake

So, it's nearly Saint Patrick's Day. It is one of my favorite holidays and not for the "drinking" part. A lot of people think that just because I like Guinness (a lot) that SPD has become my "favorite" holiday.

Let me ask you this: Do Americans truly need a holiday to encourage them to get trashed? Don't we also do that with Cinco de Mayo (an American holiday if I've ever seen one) and Independence Day?

No, I like St. Patrick's Day because Irish culture is fun. Why else would the holiday be as popular as it is with underage folks? Leprechauns, 4-leaf clovers, the color green, pinching someone who's not wearing green, bagpipes; how can you go wrong with any of this? I'm not even 1% Irish that I know of, so all I can really do is "celebrate diversity as an American." But it's still a fun holiday.

^^^

On a separate note, I went into the nearest kitchen when I got to work today (to fill up my Avs water bottle) and saw that some dolt attempted to make coffee in an airpot that wasn't completely empty. Coffee was all over the counter. I get really annoyed when people do this and don't clean it up but I try really hard not to find them and drag them by the ear to clean it up themselves. I was halfway into cleaning it up on my own when a woman walked in from my side of the building (that I don't really know but I've seen a million times) and immediately began helping me. I didn't point fingers, but I did thank her for helping me. I don't want any recognition or thanks, but it did make me feel good that our normal cleaning girl (she's got to be in her 20's) didn't have to deal with someone's careless mistake. She walked in shortly after I was done and filling up my water bottle and had no idea of the catastrophe that had already been cleared away. I just smiled and came back to my seat.

Politics vs. TMI (too much information)

2008-03-12T08:32:00.005-06:00

Currently reading/playing: Philosophy for Dummies
Currently listening to: Breaking Benjamin
Current mood: overworked

So, you may not know this about me, but lately rather than listening to music during the majority of my commute I listen to NPR (National Public Radio). This is mostly because I've grown tired of the multitudinous cd's in my collection and I basically loathe radio DJ's and seemingly endless streams of commercials. Regardless, the semi-sudden change from entertainment to education (or edutainment?) has given my already overwrought mind much more fodder to kick around in my spare time, not the least of which is the 2008 political race and what President Bush is up to.

Now, I used to be the kind of person that would shrug rather than raise a fist when people said that they "hated" Bush. Politics in general wasn't a topic I was interested in, as a whole, and it still only interests me insofar as it actually pertains to my life. That being said, I'm starting to realize why people curse The Dubya for his policies outside of the War in Iraq. I was talking with Gabe the other night about America promising hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to Africa (quite a few years late, in my opinion) and I heard on the news this morning that Congress was unable (unwilling?) to overturn a veto from Bush to destroy a bill that outlaws "waterboarding." I've linked to articles on the subjects.

These are controversial for multiple reasons. The waterboarding bill, specifically, because in the public's eyes (and in the view of the world at large) it basically seems like the American President is endorsing torture techniques. Of course, taken in context this means that he's endorsing them to be used within boundaries and for the specific reason to protect the USA from "terrorism."

The state of America is such these days that this kind of information is not only readily available but also that, if we choose to be open to receiving it from radio/tv/internet sources, we are absolutely bombarded by it. The first amendment and the variety of media available on the subjects we may or may not be interested in presents a challenge in itself: too much information. Information overload. Watching television can be an assault on the senses (especially if you tune into MTV these days) but it can also be an assault on the brain. You may not have cared five minutes ago about the President promising over 300,000,000 dollars of American money to aid parts of Africa but now you're positively fuming over it - even though it may not directly affect you (if the money is raised from existing sources, however unlikely that may be).

What's the point of all of this? Merely that becoming "informed" is not as simple - or as fun - as those who would encourage you to do so say that it is. Not only do you have to process the multitudinous information coming in, but you also have to formulate an opinion on it (unless you watch, read, or hear "spun" sources like Fox News and CNN are purported to be). Life is complicated, and it can be complicated enough without injecting concerns about politics and other worldly or national matters. So I say "good luck," and urge us all to move forward however we deem is best, whether that is blissfully ignorant or malcontentedly informed.

Thoughts on Music

2008-03-11T09:31:00.006-06:00

Quite a few bands make a fortune writing and/or performing songs that make no sense and have no artistic merit (according to the music community at large). I'm starting to feel like there is such a massive amount of "popular" music that the market is, at the exact same time, saturated and diluted. There are so many more fly-by-night artists these days, I think, because of the relative ease in producing music (in comparison to thirty or forty years ago) rather than the few popular bands that produce great music and stand the test of time.

Micah has a lot of thoughts on music, as well she should since she's so fantastic at it, so hopefully she'll have something to say about the topic as well.

When I was in high school, "classic rock" was a genre that was still in full swing. Led Zeppelin was still considered popular and favorable - even songs that were released ten years before (or more). Today, we tend to label music by genre based on the period it was released in. 70's music, 80's music, and 90's music all suffer from this poor labeling choice, not to mention the music that came before (that all seems to blend together into "oldies.") A few years ago, I began to worry how music was going to be treated during my lifetime since it seemed to be growing more and more diverse.

This concern grows in weeks like this one, where Madonna is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now, I'd never discount Madonna for her fantastic career, notoriety, or her longevity in the music business, but frankly she no more deserves a spot in the Rock and Roll hall of fame than Britney Spears deserves a performing photo in the Hard Rock cafe. The labels just don't match. I guess since The Beatles, the term Rock and Roll encompassed any popular music that the older generation didn't like. I could be wrong there.

So who are we to look to as "the classics" when my generation gets older? Fall Out Boy? Kelly Clarkson? Will Nirvana be lumped into the same Rock and Roll label as Culture Club? Will bands like The White Stripes and Wolfmother truly share the same spot as Metallica and Motley Crue in our memories?

Or is there more to it than this?

What is a "Cheerios" blog?

2008-03-11T09:20:00.003-06:00

Some of you may be wondering what a "Cheerios" blog is. We owe this fitting phrase to our friend Tony who unwittingly labeled an entire genre of blogging while simultaneously explaining why he did not read those of this type very often.

He used this particular phrase because a blog about your day-to-day life may contain incredibly trivial things like telling us what you ate for breakfast. The name stuck. It's difficult to get readers to these types of blogs unless they are incredibly entertaining like La Belle Saison by Princesse Ecossaise, or you know the person writing (and therefore care about what is going on in their life because you may appear as a character from time to time).

What kind of blogs do you read?

What does RFW mean?

2008-03-11T09:06:00.004-06:00

You may be asking yourself, "What could he possibly mean by titling this blog the way he has?"

Is it some kind of Socialist propaganda blog?
Is it eluding to his Republican leanings?
Is it meant to garner attention based on the merit of a name that means something that attracts attention?

None of these are correct.

The title and description actually come from a song by a Canadian punk band named Billy Talent. The song is simply called "Red Flag" and the lyrics can be found here. To sum up my interpretation, what the song means to me is something like, "Here I am and I will not be ignored. I have a voice and you will hear it. I will not let anything get in my way."

So, now you know. Welcome to Red Flag Waving.

The Creation of the "Cheerios" Blog

2008-03-11T08:48:00.001-06:00

In the beginning, I blogged on Myspace to display my life and intermittently express my woes to those who would read. My blogging tenure evolved into a more focused approach when I created [Opinionated Spiritual Commentary], and again with Initial Draft. But, since I have grown to loathe the Myspace blogging interface, and generally disdain my presence on the site in general, I needed to find a new place to present "slice of life" blog entries that people could actually view.

This is more in the vein of my wife's blog, Use The Clutch, and my friend Gabe's blog, Repetitive Motion Injury.

Hopefully the entries here will be just as informative and entertaining as they would have been to the smaller audience on Myspace. Here on RFW, I can discuss politics and other fun things like how busy I think my life is without having to relate them to religion or writing.

Don't look for much fiction here. Like Micah says, "This is the true story."