the price of oil

Money. Money comes and goes. The ex taught me to make the most of it whilst it was around.
Looks like cheney and his cohorts did the same.

the bedside table

ok computer

no, i am not reading cds.  this is a book in the 33 1/3 series that each take on an important album.  ok computer, regarded as the best of its era, is tackled by the head of the music department at oxford brooks university.  boingboing told me about the series and it sounded too good to pass up.  

dr. griffiths point is that ok computer represents a special collection of songs - one that he terms a cd album.  he first introduces the concept through some philosophical and esoteric explanation of critical defintions and explorations of underlying arguments.  this part is pure gold, especially for a somewhat music geek like myself.  it would be even better for a more informed music geek.  he then continues to a detailed song by song breakdown of the album, explaining how each fits into the wider concept of the album and how they work together to create a cd album.  

a great book, well researched and explained, with an interesting thesis.  my only complaint is that i wish i knew the album better.  as i was reading i tried to play the music in my head, with little luck.  i really should have been playing the album while reading the album breakdown.  there are lots of great albums to choose from, so maybe next time . . . . 

the bedside table

anathem

one of my favorite authors currently writing is neal stephenson.  i'm sure that says something about my taste in literature.  i find his books to be somewhere in the vast area between trash and art.  (not that trash is bad or art is good.  i have enjoyed plenty of trashy books and been bored stiff by many art books.)  mr. stephenson writes a different kind of book each time out, and this is his sci-fi book.

the story takes place on the planet arbe, a more advanced but somewhat earth like place.  the scientific community has been shuttered up in monasteries called maths.  (while there is a sprinkling of new words, it's not cumbersome and mr. stephenson has, for the most part, taken care in his word creation.)  a cataclysmic event, which i will spoil in a later paragraph, brings them back into the saecular world to hopefully save the day.  a fun ride for sure.

what makes mr. stephenson's books so interesting to me is what he includes beyond the story.  in most of his books that i have read, it is clear that he is trying to teach me something.  this book spends a lot of time in what can only be described as socratic dialogues.  mr. stephenson uses these interludes to flesh out some of the more interesting ideas from philosophy, physics, music, and whateverelse he wants.  there were many passages to return to just so i could figure out the ideas behind them.  i had quite the time trying to explain them to mrs. timmeh.  the acknowledgments page is a cornucopia of interesting information, too long to actually be in the book.  i can only think that mr. stephenson's goal was not to write about arbe, but to share some cool information he has.

like many of mr. stephenson's books, this one is long.  850+ pages.  damn do i like me some long books.  it really allows me to know the characters and inhabit the world of the story.  there is not much better than a great thick book.  this one certainly qualifies.

SPOILER ALERT.  DON"T READ PAST HERE IF YOU DO NOT WANT SOME OF THE STORY EXPLAINED.

NO, REALLY

so the cataclysmic event is aliens show up in orbit around arbe and the planet is not sure how to react.  four races are represented on the alien ship for reasons that i won't explain.  at a couple of points they mention earth, which i was thrown off by.  as i think back to the planet names, i don't remember an "earth".  probably this is just sloppy reading on my part.  i have a tendency to do that as i get close to the end of a book.  but i cannot help but wonder if that was some sort of editing error.  just a little tidbit i wanted to put out there.

and if you read that paragraph i don't think it spoiled much of the story for you.  it was an easy guess as you were reading.

Word On The Street

So, there is this guy that everyone I have run into is talking about. It does not seem to matter where they are from: Thailand, Britain, Iceland, Japan, Argentina, China, Australia, Czech, Kenya.... you name a country and a person from that place is talking about this guy. His name is melodically bellowed out with the same reverence reserved only for the highest of religious figures: Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed... it really is stunning for me. I have had my eye on this man for a mere 6 years, but, it seems as though the world has been watching him for millennia. If that is possible.

My smile professes proudness. After such a time in the wilderness of shame, as I cross the world, now I can reclaim honesty in my nationality thanks to this "friend" of mine that everyone seems to know. No longer will you here me sing out "oh Canada" because of my fear of what will happen if I tell the truth of my upbringing. Now i can once again proudly belch out "America the Beautiful", and instead of getting empty martini glasses thrown at me, I get offered sex on the beach. Sounds good to me.

Obama: decimating the evil Bushism the world 'round, changing "merica from a four letter word into a word offered forth only by the likes of Gabriel, and getting my glass filled with alcohol by people incapable of voting for him from across the Earth; keep up the "good works" big guy!

The Bus Ride Home

I do not read much before bedtime. However, I do read on the bus. And seeing as how I have between 1.5 and 2 hours to ride the bus everyday, I do have a lot of reading time.

I do not always read so quickly though, because the bus is also sleep time. Though I have been able to finish four books in the last month. The World According To Garp, Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, Tai-Pan and No Country For Old Men. Three are between 600-700 pages. And No Country For Old Men is 300 pages.

I began Garp first, and I think it was the most well written. It it is a story about what it is to be human. Garp is an everyday person and it is about the craziness of the life he goes through. It seems to me that it is a sort of auto biography of the writer: John Irving. As you follow T.S. Garp through his life, do be prepared to laugh at the most awkward moments during this story. Though not as beautiful as Marquez, nor as profound as Kerouc, Garp is a solid read and a good way to pass the time.

At the same time I was reading Garp, i was also reading The Butlerian Jihad. This is a furthering of the dune chronicles. Please understand that those of us who like Sci-Fi think that DUNE might be the best Sci-Fi novel ever written. In fact, I put Dune right next to One Hundred Years of Solitude and the Bible on my wall of fiction. Now, as for this "jihad", it is not a strong, life altering read by any means. It did pass the time well enough, but along the lines of one of the early Batman movies (i.e, the jihad) compared to The Dark Knight (think Dune). If you have not read the other books in the two different Dune series, then you might like this one...

Being a novice historian, I tend to like historical fiction. And James Clavell tends to do this type of fiction very well. From begining to end I enjoyed reading Tai Pan. It is the story of the beginning of Hong Kong. Though I did like Shogun better, tai pan was easier to read all of the way through. Watching the British out think
and out maneuver their advisories always gives me pause to wonder about how much trust any one should put with the British. All in all, a good read.

Now the last book I have finished is more difficult for me to talk about. I am not sure why though. No Country For old Men has sat in my mind for a long time. It was made into a movie that is as close to the book as any movie since Star wars, but reading the book did not seem to explain why this work has always left me thinking about what it is. I think that it is a study of the bad side of existence. I think that it is about someone who has spent a life surrounded by evil and evil events, but does not see that evil is innate in the world until he runs into the after effects of one Anton Chigurgh (sugar), who is evil personified. If you have seen the movie, you really do not need to read the book, and vice versa. This is the most disturbing and probably the most profound of the recent readings I have done.

Remember, whether you read or not, continue to forever explore your own imagination. For it is limitless.

the bedside table

tristessa

trancendental empty kissable milk light of everlasting eternity

clocking in at only 98 pages, this is proof that good things come in small packages.  kerouac is widely known for his work with spontaneous prose, and this is a tour de force of the genre.  if the myth about on the road is to be believed, then tristessa could easily have been turned out in fifteen good minutes of writing.  as you read it is clear that kerouac is exercising his writing muscles, and it is a wonder to behold.

tristessa is a meditation on some of the junkies kerouac met while living in mexico city and returning to visit after a year.  we meet tristessa, cruz, and a number of their fellow addicts including old bull gains.  their persons, descriptions, thoughts and actions serve as the best deterrent for the use of morphine and its derivatives.  believe me, i'm going to just say no.

first level your own mind, and then the earth will be level, even unto mount sumeru.

Screw The Norwegians ...

... and you might be in trouble. A new law in Norway that covers Norwegians across the whole globe has banned them from paying for sex.

Norwegian citizens caught paying for prostitutes at home or abroad could face a hefty fine or a six-month prison sentence...

The stated reason for this I think is commendable...

"We think buying sex is unacceptable because it favours human trafficking and forced prostitution," deputy Justice Minister

Now I agree that trafficking in humans and forced prostitution is a very bad thing. However, I do not think that creating new levels of punishment around "the world's oldest profession" is called for. Why not go after the actual traffickers, and not the people who provide income for poor girls who might not have any other way to make the same amount of income doing anything else. This law makes all forms of "compensation" illegal, and be-careful about who touches you where ladies, because this might be construed as "selling sex" if you take anything in return....

the sexual activities it covers... include payment for sexual intercourse, physical contact between exposed genitalia, one or two-way masturbation or touching someone’s private parts or breasts. “Payment” is defined as the exchange of money, or payment in kind, including the giving of flowers and gifts.

Looks to me like the Norwegians might have just banned Valentines Day ladies. So no more chocolates and flowers and dinners and movies for you from them... Goddamn those smart Norwegians!

the bedside table

a confederacy of dunces

i have an affliction - i must finish any book i start.  this affliction gave me great pains for the first 50 - 75 pages of this book.  i did not like any of the characters, was not engaged in the plot, and foresaw a slow creep towards either a library due date or page 338.  fortunately, as i plodded along, something in the book drew me in.

this book was suggested to me, multiple times, by a pal of mine.  it has many accolades from those who matter, all prominently displayed on its jacket.  the book is a comedy, which is one reason i think it did not work well for me.  my comedic tastes do not translate well to the written page.  other highly recommended comedy books have met with indifference from me.  there is only one book that has caused me to actually laugh and one other that i genuinely find mildly amusing.  if you enjoy literary comedy, go read this book!  

the situations are genuinely funny - to someone with an actual sense of humor - and the book has a definite charm and appeal.  i'm sure most of you are more sophisticated than i, so i can easily recommend the book to all y'all.  if you find yourself struggling to make it through, keep going.  the climax is worth the time and effort to get there (as they usually are).  [you didn't expect me to be able to resist doing a climax link AND a climax joke, did you?  i'm sure you're glad i chose the lesser of two evils.]

An Auto(matic) Response

So many responses to the question I put forth... where should I begin? I guess I shall go through them one by one

Mark said,

In a capitalist society when you put out a good product that sells you are entitled to all the profits. However when your management is so greedy and has it's head in the sand regarding future trends, ie-the price of oil. You deserve shit.

Your point is well taken, and you should keep in mind that the rulers of GM have been from the finance department and not from the engineering department as of the last 40 years. This point should be taken by every business that ultimately is dependent upon innovation... never allow your finance people have more influence than your engineers if you rely upon engineering for your product line.

As for Claire, I am going to paraphrase you in my response. Not only will the public be demoralized if we allow the auto industry to go under, they will be put out of work. And this cannot bode well for any one else in the U.S. if a full 10% of its population is out of work. And I do agree with putting conditions on any assistance, such as: fuel efficiency that stated, and not frivolously suing California over laws that would have made the auto industry competitive today. As for the electric idea, there was the EV-1 that the GM rulers torpedoed because of its cost. Talk about a stupid decision based upon short term thinking. And currently there are plans for the VOLT. Though this is a little too late for the current problems. And lets not forget about the Chrysler Idea of electricity in all vehicles.

And, yes claire, we should all be with-in walking distance of our daily needs. Including work.

As for Timmeh, and his capitalistic approach, does he not see that the system of capitol that is in place is broken? And to allow these companies to fail might further make the whole market system fail beyond a point of recovery. Despite the fact that these financial guys at the head of these companies cannot see daylight because their heads are so far up their asses, does not mean a full 10% of the American population should be put in jeopardy of loosing their jobs. The market is not so free after all. read your Marx. I have, and am feeling like this was completely predictable. And what conditions do you suggest timmeh?

As for -McG-, I cannot argue with the stupidity of taking your most expensive machine to go beg for money. This is yet another reason why the current leaders of these companies should be put to the wayside. Bad decision upon bad decision. I do think that the workers will give up any "extras" they might have gotten over the year for the continuation of the company because they realize that anything they might have gained will be on the chopping block if the company goes under. Unlike the insanely huge bonuses the board got for causing this debacle, they will not return years past money for poor results recognized today. F**king bourgeoisie bastards!

And that last comment leads me right into Jungle Jim. Your brilliance is not surprising Jim. It is the ignorance, or lack of willingness to state an obvious possibility that is surprising from the some of the others. The talk of "free markets" and of "conditions", or "restrictions" only begs the question about social control of the companies. There was a chance of this through government partial ownership, but that has been put to the pasteur by the Southern Republican elite who believe only in keeping the workers wages low and the worker subjugated. Now the ball is in the Bush administrations court, and we have already seen how they have f**ked up everything they have touched... talk about the antithesis of the Midas touch. I fear for a viable American economy in the next 5 years if the auto industry decision is left up to the Bushites.

And as for the last one, yes, I am a bizarre and interesting man. That is why you still talk to me. And the same goes for the rest of you.

I feel that america cannot necessarily afford the loss of this industry. Though. I do feel that if this industry should fall do to the coincidental incompetence of its own leaders and those in the government, this could bode well for future industry, With all of those out of work factories made for car making, what start-up electric car company would not want to take a hold of all of those already outfitted placements? The American auto industries failure after one hundred years of dominance could in fact be the fertilizer for another time of dominance by America in an industry that is integral for all business and industry throughout the world

the bedside table

alpha dogs

i first heard about this book on the daily show.  i must have been drinking, tho, because i am positive it was a female author i saw interviewed.  

do you know all the love and joy that karl rove brought to our political process?  well this book is about that.  it follows the sawyer miller group from its founding to demise.  they worked on multiple political campaigns here and abroad.  they pioneered crazy schemes like focus groups, polling to direct campaigns, and microtargeting.  practices that are common place today.  and they were able to export these practices to fledgling democracies in latin america and asia.  they even won corazon aquino an election.

sounds like a great story?  well parts of it are.  the author is not detailed enough about what they sawyer miller group actually did.  there are interesting recaps of foreign elections, there are allusions to knock down, drag out campaign infighting.  but the book does not go beyond that.  none of the american elections get covered.  (yes, i know that it is about exporting american style politics around the world, but throw me a freaking bone.)  and the author has an annoying habit of referring to the stars of the book as "alpha dogs".  sure, the metaphor is apt, but it gets annoying after the tenth or so time the author ends an anecdote with some variation on, "that's what alpha dogs do."

that being said, it is an engaging story for a politically interested guy like myself.  the windows into the inner workings of a campaign are enlightening.  it took my local library quite some time to get this book.  i think that i would have enjoyed it a lot more had i read it before november 4, 2008.

An Anniversary

Today is important to me. It will forever sit in my memory, not as the day America was forced into WWII, but as the day I went into the hospital for Type 1 diabetes. It was 1981, which means I have been injecting insulin for 27 years now.
When I was that age, I took two types of insulin, now I take three. When I was first diagnosed, the insulin ran $4 a bottle. Now, two of the bottles are $45 each, and the new kind (that requires a prescription, despite the fact that it much safer) costs almost $100 per bottle.
As you read this, keep in mind that I am one of the few Americans who has paid out of pocket for these meds his whole life. I suppose it is the principle of the idea that why should insured people be able to pay dramatically less ($5-$10 per bottle of all three types) than uninsured people. Because of this, I have always chosen to pay out of pocket for the meds that others in the country would have to do the same for, despite the fact that I have had insurance that would pay for it.
For this I say shame on America.

the bedside table

true enough promised to tell me how to live in a post-truth society.  well, it did not quite deliver, but i did get some good information anyway.

farhad manjoo spends most of the book deconstructing many of the myths that people labor under - 9/11 was an inside job, the media has a liberal bias, john kerry did not earn his medals.  he does not exactly set out to disprove the myths, although he does along the way, he more lays out the specific societal constructs that made each possible.  he mixes sociology, psychology and history to root out the cause of the disappearance of truth.  it is an easy and enjoyable read, but not quite the guide to modern living that i had hoped for.  

but it does give me more ammunition when i am confronted with the bits of common knowledge that abound today.  i need all the ammunition i can get.

The Latest Question

I think a lot. So do most of you readers. I appreciate this very much. I know that you do not always think the same as I do, or as each other. This is why I love you. It gives me perspective. As most of you know, I love to think about politics and economics quite a bit. And prose poetry... but that is for another time, sorry. Now for the question....

what do you think should be done about the U.S. auto industry?

If I get enough responses... or any, I will post what I think on my next post.

The Map

Here is the college. Think of it what you may. There are some interesting takes: McCain's largest % take for any given electoral area (I say area because of D.C.) was 66% (OK.), while Obama's was 93% (D.C. itself). Obama's largest actual state take was Hawai'i at 72%.  And in California Obama took in more votes (61% of CA.) than McCain did if you combine the totals he won for 13 of the states. Considering that McCain won only 21-22 states, that is an impressive take in California for Obama (and a good argument to keep the college in place). I am proud of the last two states I have chosen to live in... California, and more recently Hawai'i. They have done right by me, and the world in their voting. Now, if only the Thais could learn something from this...

An investment opportunity

As I look at the date today, I wondered how many of you took me seriously when I left the post about going out of the country. Yes, I made it to commie land (Laos) and back alive. The part I am wondering about is the comment on the 7 7/11's. 

Yes, I have 7 different 7/11s between my apartment and the closest sky train stop (Victory Monument).  It is a straight walk of about 1 km (just over a half mile), and I s**t you not, there are at least 7 of these stores in that small distance. Two are right across the street from each other. And one of them opened up two days after I moved in. 

Understand that I have only counted on the street between my apartment and the BTS (sky train) station. I am supposing that were I to do a 1 km radius count of the 7/11s from my apartment, I would count far more than 7.  And the funny thing about this is that every one I have been by is always packed with people... including the walk up stand that only has a window, a hot dog roaster, a slurpee machine and a cold case for beer and soda and milk (imagine something about the size of a smart car or a yugo).

So as Asia industrializes, all I can think is 7/11... what an investment opportunity.

the bedside table

among the thugs

like drinking?  like football?  (the english version, where they actually, you know, use their feet.)  how about exotic travel?  can i interest you in some good natured drunken fun?  what about lots and lots of violence?

bill buford does for soccer hooligans (WARNING:  reading this book makes that picture a lot less funny) what hunter thompson did for the hells angels.  he lurks on their fringes, learns their habits, participates in their adventures and tells us all about it.  like the crowds that he examines, the book moves along peacefully at points.  it is even fun.  then, with little or no provocation, violence erupts.  buford is looking for why, and never quite finds it.  but, again much like the crowds, the trip is pretty interesting.

exhale

aaahhhhhhh

Screw it, I'm leaving the country

Going to Laos. So don't let Timmeh burn the site down or get McCain elected or anything drastic like that. I will be back with your new  mother in a few days. Hope she is pretty. Oh, and I left some beer for ya'll at one of the 7 nearby 7/11's, and some rum in the freezer.... Remember to Barack the vote and turn the lights off on your way out.

Apparently, I F**ked up

I guess I should have woken up earlier.... or at least stayed in the country.

four years later

a little something to get you ready for tuesday.  let's hope it works this time.

Trips to the store

What is a trip to the store? Is this something you do when you are out of milk and honey... uh, milk and beer? Is it done when the baby is in the sink and the pampers are in the trash and you notice that there are no replacement huggies? Do you do this when you are lonely on a wednesday night and you just want to check out some hot MILF in the produce isles? It is all of this and more....

It is something you do whether you have the time to travel to the tundra to ride bare back on a carabou, or the energy to make a life changing journey to the grand canyon in order to pee off it at 2 am. A trip to the store fills the daily void. This is where we go to sustain ourselves on a regular basis. Yes, we do need to vacate our reality occasionally and travel to the beaches of Hawai'i. Of course we need to every so often replenish the soul with journeys to Thailand. But it is our trips to the store that keep us alive and going until those times come. This is the action that fills the emptiness in our daily grind. It is the profoundness of our everyday routine. 

With the profundity we gain in the simplicity of going to buy the dish washing soap, we build the foundation of who we are. And we place the mortar in our foundations that makes it so that when we swim with the tigers in Hawai'i, we devour the moment, even if we are in turn devoured by those tigers. The trips to the store provide us with the food for our fidelity. The sustenance for our souls.

And so next time you are collecting the cleanser at costco, and you see that every checker is open, and there are forty people waiting at each one, smile and continue to relish the moment you are alive in. For this is a trip to the store.

Work

I got it. Starting tomorrow. Wednesday. I have to wear a tie. 

After having lived in Hawai'i, some of you might be able to guess where my mind is at at that thought. A tie. My god, how life turns. An

d yes, I own several ties... at least as of tonight. For those of you that have never been to Hawai'i, I once went to teach school in cut off shorts and a white tee shirt and no one said anything. 

Note the pic to the right, that is the area where I will be at.

Nontaburi. That is where I will be working. I have been told that it is one of the best schools in Thailand. We shall see. I must say that before the demonstration lesson I had to give, I did see one of the teachers telling the students to stop what they were doing in English. Yelling, "Stop, Stop." And this is with the science and math department, not the English department. Hope they realize that they have a crazy social scientist on their hands... if not, I am willing to bet they will figure it out quickly.

 

From Sol to Soul

seen this?

or this?

or these?

big picture is prolly my new favorite blog.  it may take a while to load, and some of the posts are boring, but when  they are worth the time they are sure worth the time.

An invite... and about where I am...

I have Invited a new blogger to the post... I have known this person for most of my life. I both respect and admire him... so treat him with all of the disgust and hate that you would normally reserve for me.

As for Thailand... I do not have that much sought after work yet. I say yet, because I do have two different job offers. I have told the second place I have interviewed with that I must fulfill my obligation to go to the second interview with the company I interviewed with first before I can make any decision. They both pay the same. It is not quite what I was hoping for, but it is close. I did very much like the boss and the other people at the second agency. And I know that they like me in the same manner due to the fact that the boss of that agency could not wait to find out how I felt about the second interview at the first agency... which had to be postponed until monday. 

As for the reason I have come to Thailand this time for a little while, no, I have not found the "bride of frankenstein" (as my beautiful sister michelle calls her) ... yet. I have found someone I do like, but she has said that I cannot put the picture up that I have of her because she thinks that she does not look good in that photo. I, however, think that she looks beautiful in that pic... as that I am a respectful man, I heed the will of this women, whose name is ling.
 

One thing for you all to think about, in America I was a medium to small man, small especially compared to Hawaiians. In the land of smiles, I am a medium to large man, at least compared with the Thai men. Because of my years swimming, and my developed shoulders due to that, they seem to think that I am a boxer here. So be it. Makes me feel good. Regardless of my actual size, the Hawaiian kids always said that I was "murf" (buff). Now, the Thai's seem to think the same... so maybe it is true... comments?

Wassup... 8 years later

A foreclosure, no healthcare, ruined 

life savings, and global warming... 

and don't forget about the guy stuck 

in Iraq.

UPDATE:

This might take a while for you to load... 

as that it seems to be very popular. You

can find it at youtube under "wassup".

Bangkok sun rise

The first day of a new adventure. Coming from Maui, Hawai'i, I wondered how this time in Bangkok would be.  No, this is not my first time here. this time I have chosen to come for a little while though. I have faith that there are certain things that tell a person that they are in the correct place at the right time in their life. This picture is evident to me that the decision was spot on. For I have not seen a rise like this before, nor since.... this was first morning.