the green, green grass
Things I’ve spent my idle cycles on lately:
Skipping Christmas is a novel about skipping Christmas (who saw that coming?) by John Grisham. You can read the whole plot outline in Wikipedia, but in a nutshell: a couple decides to go on a cruise, instead of celebrating Christmas the way they used to and are subjected to peer pressure [to comply with the traditions] by their happy-face, pushy neighbors.
Overall it’s an interesting read, but it is not clear to me what the message of the book is. It’s either: don’t spend like fools, just enjoy Christmas or enjoy Christmas no matter what the costs are. The novel does a miserable job of getting the reader in the Christmas spirit. It’s also interesting to find out what the cost of Christmas is (was in 2001 when the book came out): around 6000 USD. You would think it’s a bit exaggerated, right? No! Once you get into their Christmas mindset you wonder why the number is so low.
Tent City – definition in Wikipedia. Simply unbelievable. Advertised by some authorities as a solution to the overcrowding of the homeless shelters.
The stories of people living in such places are simply unbelievable. Scary.
Tent City 4 – in Seattle Area:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tent_City_4
http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/Community/tentcity.htm
Aerial image of the encampment: http://bit.ly/iiQKUQ
Also, search for Tent City on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tent+city The picture is not pretty, and yet you don’t hear anything about these people on the news. It’s interesting how people here in the US focus on an earthquake in Haiti, or an oil spill somewhere, when right in their backyard people are living in tents and starving.
Was telling you some time back about a talented singer / songwriter in the Moab, UT area: http://theromaniandream.com/blog/2010/09/02/lx-skye/
Turns up he now has a Facebook account, through which he shared a link to http://www.reverbnation.com where you can listen to many of his song. Check it out at: http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/1160045
Also, seems that he’s a DJ at KZMU (kzmu.org): http://www.kzmu.org/ShowProfile.cfm?id=117 You can pick up the show if you’re in Utah or online.
Enjoy 
From here: http://artspolitics.blogspot.com/2010/12/romanian-dream-country-as-outside.html I’ve learned about a project called… hang on… the Romanian Dream [Visul Romanesc]. Judge for yourself the validity of the conclusions in the first article and the ‘project’ which was supposed to build and unveil the Romanian Dream Symbol.
If you ask me [and this is my own opinion] the approach is moronic. It’s like you have lung cancer, you want to get rid of it, but you don’t want to quit smoking. Not only that, but you look at your handsome, athletic neighbor and wish to have bigger muscles. If you act like that, you simply don’t get it. If you go outside Romania, see things you like and start bitching about how things are going in Romania, but don’t do anything about it you don’t get it.
The symbol of the Romanian Dream on the other hand, is f’n hilarious (picture in this post) or you can checkout Facebook for a full set of pictures: http://on.fb.me/fW6bJ9. The symbol is a suitcase from which, among other things, a pig and a dog pop out. To someone who doesn’t know or speak Romanian this must be an instant WTF. How does this represent the Romanian Dream? This is rooted in an Romanian expression “cu catel si purcel” which if translated literally, means “with dog and pig” but actually means “with everything [important] you have” when used in context of a move or a journey.
Joke 1:
When renting the apartment we live in, the nice person showing us around and explaining the terms and conditions mentioned that if we have a pet we must pay an additional fee suggestively named “pet rent”. I asked it we should add this to the check we write or if the pet should write his own check and bring it to the leasing office… Blank stare. Awkward moment followed by a forced laugh when I tried to explain it was a joke.
Joke 2:
When having some blood collected, the person who was collecting it kept palpating my forearm. Seemed that she had problems locating a major blood vessel to stick the needle in. I joyfully said: “You know, before I started doing intravenous drugs I never had this problem“. Again: Blank stare. Awkward moment followed by a forced laugh when I tried to explain it was a joke.
For those who don’t know today is Romania’s National Holiday. Other interesting stuff that happened on this day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_1.
Enjoy our ironic anthem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kov-PvgtDaA [w/ English Subtitles]
http://phylo.cs.mcgill.ca/eng/index.html
Here is an interesting site I came across, which supposedly harnesses the human ability or recognizing patterns. It applies this ability to solve a problem: Multiple Sequence Alignments – it does that in the form of an online game. While I understand the whole theory behind it, I don’t see why each level has a time limit. The game is interesting and how many times a day do you get to use your huge brain to cure cancer?
Yet another post about the American Dream, this time in the Bulgarian form. Bulgaria, for those who don’t know, is Romania’s south neighbor.It’s the Bulgarian Dream because it’s a story from a Bulgarian who came to the USA to live the ‘Dream’, had some interesting experiences, became a US citizen and finally took the decision to return to her home country. Definitely a good read and good “reality-check” for those who think about emigrating. Enjoy:
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=122551
Most powerful parts:
I remember the feeling of loneliness and the deep sorrow from being uprooted from everything and everyone I knew and loved; the helplessness from not being able to understand spoken English. There is a vivid memory, however, of me sitting on a bench in a beautiful park, watching airplanes in the sky above and thinking which one of them could be going home.
Meanwhile, through all this – I worked a number of part time jobs, especially in the beginning, to make ends meet, offer my child a decent life and support my parents in Bulgaria. I was also constantly attending college classes – first to get certified as a teacher, and then as a school administrator.
In Bulgaria, a friend is everything – someone you talk to several times a day, meet several times a week, a sounding board, a drinking and entertainment buddy and a shrink.
Friendship is different in America. People do not get that close; they do not socialize or confess to each other as much and that often. There are things you never talk about even with very close friends. But Americans are always there for each other. Bulgarians tend to take care only of their own; Americans take care of everyone in times of need. I remember people collecting money, cooking, offering a hand to acquaintances and even strangers, because they were in some kind of trouble…
Guess the ones that think about how lucky the emigrants who pack their bags and leave for brighter horizons never stop to think that these people are not robots. Doesn’t really matter where are you coming from. When you’re moving to a foreign country you are trading a part of yourself for, hopefully, a better living.
What do Johnny Cash and Nine Inch Nails have in common?
It’s actually Johnny Cash that did a cover after Nine Inch Nails(not the other way as you would one expect). Would have never guess this. The voice on the cover surpasses anything NIN could do with this song. It is simply amazing.
Here is yet another movie on how bad the economy is in the US and how everybody is doomed: Broke: The New American Dream
You can watch it all on Youtube (6 parts). Here is part 6/6:
Key points in the movie:
- use common sense and prefer logic over emotions
- if you want to get ahead of the others you need to do something different
- chasing sheep is a lot of fun
I personally found Moore’s movie more entertaining.
Today is Thanksgiving which traditionally was a day for giving thanks for a bountiful harvest. Now, since the actual harvest is something that not many people do, the harvest is given a symbolic meaning… people are thankful for all the good things that they have, either material or spiritual.
Nothing wrong here. The fact that you actually need a day to enjoy what you have is what seems a bit messed up to me. It is somewhat implied that in the other days of the year you are not thankful for what you have? A clear distinction here: please don’t mix wanting to have more with being thankful to what you have. So rest of the year you don’t give a damn, right?
Take for example Black Friday, which is right after Thanksgiving. How exactly does these two go together?
Or think of Valentine’s Day… One day to show your love. Don’t give a damn the rest of the year. You have to do one think at a time. Multitasking is for losers.
Or… the Day of Caring. Again you care one day, ‘live your life’ for the rest of the year. (although this is not technically a legal holiday, it’s still worth mentioning to make the point)
Or Earth Day: Let’s all turn the lights out like morons for one hour to show we care about the Earth. C’mon… Buy an energy efficient fridge or efficient light bulbs if you really care. Don’t buy crap you don’t need. Good for the Earth, good for you.
I’ll stop here and start enjoying the Turkey Slaughter Day. It’s a holiday after all. Does it really matter what we’re celebrating as long as we stuff ourselves and get drunk? Pretty sure that if the turkeys would have a Thanksgiving day, they would be thankful that it’s not our Thanksgiving.
Code Monkeys is an animated TV show that I’ve been watching lately. The show is sometimes insane and it definitely has a special kind of humor associated to it. And the fact that it’s drawn like an old video game is just awesome.
Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Monkeys
And here are two ‘samples’:
Even since starting this blog I’ve been toying with the idea of the American Dream… from mocking the simple-minded incarnations to admiring complex versions of the dream. Well seems that, as far as reality goes, the dream is kind-of over. At least that’s the opinion of a nice gentleman, who by chance also happens to be a New York Times columnist:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/20/opinion/20herbert.html
Now I usually tend to take everything that is “economy-related” and appears in the press with a grain of salt, but you cannot get more to the point than this:
However you want to define the American dream, there is not much of it that’s left anymore.
[...]
We’ve become a hapless, can’t-do society, and it’s, frankly, embarrassing. Public figures talk endlessly about “transformative changes” in public education, but the years go by and we see no such thing. Politicians across the spectrum insist that they are all about job creation while the employment situation in the real world remains beyond pathetic.
[...]
America will never get its act together until we recognize how much trouble we’re really in, and how much effort and shared sacrifice is needed to stop the decline. Only then will we be able to begin resuscitating the dream.
A reaction to the above article:
http://online.worldmag.com/2010/11/23/is-the-american-dream-over/
Checkout the rules for achieving ‘The Dream’ towards the end.
Lately there have been countless news / blog posts / tweets / you name it about the newly introduced airport body scanners. Stories like this: http://gizmodo.com/5690749/these-are-the-first-100-leaked-body-scans or blog posts like this http://johnnyedge.blogspot.com/2010/11/these-events-took-place-roughly-between.html make us feel outraged. How is this possible? Some ‘scientists’ even argue that the scanners are not safe for your health, etc. Well… at least you know what to say when they want to subject you to a ‘detailed’ pat down: “don’t touch my junk” I’m not going discuss if what is happening is wrong or how is this making everybody lose their freedom, etc. kind of crap. People who do that, show that they don’t really have an understanding of how the system works and/or like to believe they are special. Breaking news: you’re not special.
I, on the other hand, would like to turn the empathy switch on for all you insensitive selfish people who by chance also have to fly. This empathy switch is for the TSA employees. Before diving into that let’s take a look at some obesity statistics. 1 in 3 Americans is obese.
Now think about the poor TSA employees who have to either: look at you naked using the scanner OR give you a ‘detailed’ pat down. What is going through their heads? God, please let this fatso walk through the scanner so that at least I have the option to look away. God, I hope he fits through the scanner. Oh nooo… he has an attitude… he is refusing the scanner. I will spend my next 20 minutes petting him…
Now think about going through this experience over and over. What is the logical response when you see a normal, beautiful if you’re lucky, human being? You want to get the ugly and the fat out of your head. Suddenly the Can’t get you of my head song makes sense. You want to forget. Forget by pleasing your aesthetic sense. Maybe you’ll save a picture of the beautiful stranger to look at when the going gets tough. Or if you are lucky you get to pet her/him. If someone deserves special treatment and should have an attitude this is the right person. God… remember when you sent the hippos to the petting station? It’s time I get something in return…. Hahaha.
Now, that you’ve mentally been a TSA agent for a few minutes maybe you’ll show them more love the next time you encounter them. Be nice and they will treat you right. You’ll be touched in unexpected ways and your experience will be unforgettable. You’ll feel like flying.
A couple of more pictures of Ceahlau, this time on favorable weather.
Photos were taken by Lucian.
Album link: http://mircea.smugmug.com/Public/20101016-Ceahlau-extern-Lucian/14565281_d8wrX
The National Parks in Washington State – a fine art photographic exhibit.
Where:
Washington State Convention Center
7th Avenue and Pike Street, Seattle
Open seven days a week 7:00AM -> 10:00PM
2nd Level South Galleria – Free Admission
Here are the Washington State National Parks: http://www.nps.gov/state/wa/index.htm
Most of the photographs are focused on the Olympic Peninsula and Mount Rainer – no big surprise here.
My favorites: “Trees in Winter” & “Shi Shi Beach Sunset” both by Stephen Matera
