Averred, advised, revised..

So, here we are - June 13, nearing the end of the day. I've just watched "1776" on DVD, which I've never seen on stage or as a movie. Lord, two hours and forty six minutes. It was interesting, yes, but .. not a great musical. I can scratch that off the list, though.

Idle questions -

Why do people selling cars (that I find appealing) on eBay ask prices that aren't remotely connected to reality? $69,000 for a 1969 4-4-2 W32? Uh ...

Who would put a sun porch on the back of a house in SE Texas? Today, the "high" on the sun porch reached 130F. Outside, it never got higher than 96. What plants could I put on that porch that would be baked alive?

When do people grow up?

Back to our regularly scheduled program.

Tomorrow is a busy, busy day for me. Monday, well, hell the rest of the week, too.

FOCUS!

I need er.. will now manifest some web developers and marketing support to move things forward.

And, I had planned to take a vacation at the end of next month - and forget to ORGANIZE it. I think I need to get on that stick.

Channeling the Orlando magic

Orlando magic sinus infection, actually.

So, feeling like your head is burning up isn't the most fun one can have. Seems to be that, anyway.

I have more stuff on the "to do" list that needs doing, but it isn't going to get done today. Just about time to wrap things up and head for the house.

So many things to keep track of - most of them seemingly insignificant. For instance, I could benefit by opening up OnStar online, modifying my commuting preferences and get a run down of traffic in those areas before I headed out that way. Takes forever, as their interface sucks. Of course, if one were fortunate enough to have the equipment and subscription, XM NavTraffic would do that for me in real time - except I fully expect Sirius to screw that service up as well.

Well, according to the Chronicle's website, it seems the way is clear to head out, so off I go!

hanging at MCO

Another hour or more before we start boarding for the flight back home.

Airport is very dated but has free wifi - I'll take the funky 1992 carpeting in exchange for the free internet access.

CNN is hawking for Charles Schwab - encouraging people to invest "with as little as $100"

Great. Why not encourage them to refinance with adjustable rate mortgages??

Oh, that's happening too. Great.

last night in Orlando

Coming home tomorrow. This sure has been an interesting trip. Started out with seeing a Lamborghini convertible at the drive-through of the bank. Kind of makes you wonder - someone has a $400K car, but makes deposits at the drive through?

Got to the airport, bright and beautiful day. Got to gate C30, and could immediately see that the 757-300 that was scheduled had been replaced with a 737-900. Clearly a number of people were not going to be on the flight. Had a seat assignment for the last row of the original plane that were accommodated on the smaller one.

Went with Matticia to his bosses' new restaurant, had a few glasses of wine and some Bruscheta. Friday, we knocked around, went out for a drink, came back home. Saturday, we went shopping a tad, and Matt made a state dinner that was AWESOME.

Today, we drove up to visit my Dad which was quite the entertainment. Saw over 30 anti-abortion billboards on the way there and back. Interesting, considering today's murder. Interesting that the pro-lifers will speak for violence and murder until one of their number does it, and then they decry and deny everything.

Dad was entertained by having a new set of ears for his political ranting - and gave it his all. I think today that I found the source of my having people in my life who carry on a monologue of repeating self-interest, insisting on my attention but uninterested in anything but my hearing.

What to do with this insight? That remains to be seen.

There is a clear connection between the situation with my family today (and for the last twenty plus years) and the events at the church. How interesting that I can deal with it so easily at the church, both emotionally and intellectually, and I'm catapulted back forty years by the actions of family today. Hopefully, seeing the association will be productive for me.

Been re-reading "Your Marketing Sucks" in anticipation of using it in developing my own business and that of Fabulair.

Watched "The Dark Knight" this evening, finally. Got a copy of it for Christmas, which was shortly thereafter snatched up by someone. Very good movie.

Hoping for cooler weather tomorrow after I return home so I can wax the car.

Is it only that the social scene here in Orlando seems more welcoming be ause it is unfamiliar? Houston's has felt moribund for years - cliquish and aloof

Miscellany - May 27 2009 (but finished on June 6)

A productive day, peppered with appointments out of the office. Who knew?

Yep. That's all I wrote back on May 27. I don't remember anymore what had come up, but I never got any further. Such a delicious blank space, and nothing erudite to contribute. Since then, I've posted a few things, tweeted a bit, wandered around.

So, since this remains a gorgeous blank space, I'll throw out some random thought-oids.

I love my car a lot more now that I have it cleaned and waxed. And repaired. Mostly.

I never thought I'd get attached to a cat, but it seems to have happened.

It's really frustrating to see that I've made huge progress in some areas and almost none in related areas

I wonder if I should sell my Petosky stones (they're worth about eight bucks) or put them on my desk with my other trinkets in the corner.

My dad has 267,000 miles on his 96 Olds 88. Basically, that car has been free for the last 167,000 miles or more.

I don't think that the friend I was hoping to see a movie with tonight is going to call. Unless I give up and drive toward home, and when I'm just about to exit, 27 miles east of downtown, he'll call.

I feel like doing some journalling tonight, but I also want to watch "The Boys in the Band" on DVD

The entire cast of "The Boys in the Band" save three died of AIDS related illnesses.

I had forgotten what the 1980s and early 1990s were like until I watched the special features of "The Boys in the Band" DVD last night. Everyone I knew was dying.

Pandora is the bomb. It's aces. It's got me listening to music, which I never used to do aside from in the car.

I really think that this job is the right one for me.

It's time to shut down and drive eastward for the night. Church tomorrow (June 6, remember?)

Outrage with a broad brush

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I do NOT understand gay Republicans.

Of course, I don't understand most Republicans. I don't mean the cloth coat, pre-Goldwater Republicans. I understand them quite well. I mean the snarling, bigoted, racist, hate-filled people who want to bomb every brown person into oblivion, save for the ones here in this country, for whom they reserve starvation, penury and Tasers.

But, gay + Republican = confusion. Mixed messages. Gay in behind hand behavior only. Gay, but vote against having any inclusion in the society. Gay, but hate on the brown people - even if you ARE a brown person.

Maybe my frustration with Gay Republicans is that I want to help them see that they're campaigning for their own restrictions. With non-Gay Republicans, it's easy enough to navigate "safe" conversations, or even to reach agreement on some issues. Most of the Republicans I know are not in favor of half-Billion dollar stadia for Millionaires to play in for the financial benefit of Billionaires, all paid for with tax dollars.

Here in Houston, we have four such with a fifth coming. What could we have done for people here with the more than $2,000,000 spent on these monuments to bread and circuses?

There is little disagreement on giving tax dollars to banks, or maintaining our enormous, wasteful military.

Wander, though, from such safe topics and the conversation degenerates into a snarling furball of anger toward taxes, toward brown or poor people, toward other countries, toward government.

These are never substantive conversations, and any effort to direct them into analytical discourse encounters an increase in volume. "Nancy Pelosi is a liar!" "Obama is a socialist!" "Tax and spend!" "Free markets!"

Of course, NOTHING is simple enough to be reduced to four or five words. Yet, these memes are thrown about as circular, self-proving statements. "How would you like to see things done?" "WE NEED FREE MARKETS!" Okay, free in what way? We let loose the bonds on the financial markets, and in five short years we ended up with world-wide calamity, but fewer than 0.05% of the population made a whale of a lot of money, most of which they've now lost.

Why is it so hard to engage in a discussion about what works and what doesn't, and come to some resolution, even if it is to disagree on how to get there?

Have we as a (human) race come so little down the path that we still cling to our fear of those who are not "like us" and make long-term choices based on that?

Back to gay Republicans - in talking with a young man whose Republican leanings I cannot penetrate - he, like so many people have been convinced since the early 1980s that Republicans will protect the average person, I guess. Not from affluence nor privilege, why would a working-class, Hispanic gay boy be a virulent follower of Bill O'Reilly and Glen Beck?

I've thought about this both on a macro and micro level; the only thing I can come up with through observation, conversation and assumption is that he, like any gay Republican I have encountered, isn't able to accept himself at all.

I've been there myself. I spent years fighting my sexuality. Even after twenty years of what I thought was acceptance, I still found plenty of self-limiting communication and behavior. I think when one combines growing up knowing you are something that your environment tells you is wrong and unacceptable with a very religious or conservative family upbringing, you can push yourself into expressions of self designed to contain or deny who you are, rather than expand and celebrate.

Nigerian scammers and giggle greatness

The other day, a friend told me he'd received one of those chain letters in the mail in which you send a dollar to the person at the top of the list .. I had totally forgotten about that scam!

Back in the day, I had several clients who were convinced that they were going to get rich by sending a dollar to each of eight people. They wanted me to play with them, and I told them that it was as illegal as anything - not believing, they moved forward UNTIL a bunch of them got arrested IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM OF A LAWYER'S OFFICE!! The lawyer, by the by, had been telling them that there was nothing illegal with the scheme.

I guess that lawyer got their degree from a box of Chex Cereal.

Then, only a day later, I had an email from a dating site (that I frankly had forgotten I had once registered on) from some young man promising me eternal love and happiness - but he was regrettably back in South Africa. NIGERIAN SCAMMER! WHOOT! It has been YEARS since I've seen that come on, and I laughed right out loud.

And sent customer service a little note saying .. uh, nuke this guy's user account.

NOTHING is free. Love, money, property, profit, nothing. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Still, there's a sucker born every minute. I'm glad to be a mere observer.

why is it (May 2009 edition)

So, today I jetted over to Knapp Chevrolet after my friend Jimmy told me that they had a Victory Red 1LT RS over there.

Sitting there, out front, was indeed the first production Camaro that I could look at and sit inside of.

Red with black (cloth - it was a 1LT) - and the RS package (including wheels, which I wanted to see in person).

We crawled inside, and .. yes, it's somewhat claustrophobic in there. Yes, the window line is quite narrow. Yes, the interior is very plain. Yes, the view out the rear is very limited. Yes, the passenger side of the dash is featureless.

And yet, I love it. The Hyundai Genesis Coupe has a jewel-like interior, but seems .80 scale, as does the Acura RL. The Genesis Coupe also drove like a wizard, but left me cold on its looks.

I haven't driven the Camaro yet, but from the WaPo's auto editor, I'm going to love it.

Some of the very fun interactions between me and the very nice salesman who came outside to say hello:

"Oh, this is the only red they make." "No, they also have a red tintcoat color." "They only make ten colors." "Yes (recites ten colors by name)."

"We can put leather seats in this one much cheaper than getting the 2LT package." "Yes, but what about the other equipment that comes with the 2LT?" "It's just the leather."

"We had a guy come in and want to see the orange that was on the concept car at the car show. It doesn't come in orange." "Yes, it does. Inferno Orange."

sort, organize, clean, put away

I think I'm finally mostly settled into the new office.

I've been waffling over whether to unload my collection of 20th Century Limited memorabilia .. and I think I'm going to hang on to it for the time. I need to bring its display case over here to the office and hang it, and then unload the two boxes thereof.

It is driving me crazy that I have ONE ungrounded electrical outlet here. I need to get that upgraded.

Waiting to hear that my car is done. I may go home early and clean it up. It really, really needs the help.

Was watching "Elizabeth, the Golden Age" last night. AWESOME movie. I have to finish it tonight.

Anyone know how to replace an ungrounded outlet with a grounded one? Let me know.

After a time away, a posting

Happy Birthday to my dear dutch Auntie, who celebrated in the Hill Country this weekend!

Pollen affects people very differently; it makes me want to sleep endlessly. I had respite from the onslaught of pollen up until Saturday, and then it whacked me like a Batman comic. So, although I was rocking today in church, I'm still wiped out.

As sundown approaches, I hope that wakefulness doesn't grab me by the throat. That happened quite a bit in the last thermonuclear pollen meltdown.

During sleep of late, I keep dreaming of having met a new, fascinating man. This afternoon, in the drooling, post-church napification, it was a beefy would be real estate investor who was looking at an old house and apartment set that I've dreamt about oft before. He was eagerly tearing into closets and other scary elements of the abandoned house that I wouldn't go near. Last night, I was at Southland Mall in Portage, where I had my first job. I met a handsome Dutch man, who had an adorable tow headed little boy, and seemed to work for Continental Airlines managing their 767-200ER fleet.

Both of those dreams were interrupted as they got interesting. I keep swearing that I'm going to go get earplugs, and I don't do it.

So, four fascinating new man dreams in five nights. The first one was a combined dream car/dream man dream in which I was driving a new BMW 7, ; I was driving it around at night, and couldn't figure the headlights out - had to stop at a non-corporate exotic car store and ask for help. THEN, had a dream about having a boyfriend who was handsome, and fun, and smart, and not out to be supported..

I don't know which dream is less likely. I say the boyfriend; Brian says the 7. I'd prefer an S8 anyway.

Tell it to stop.

Moving into the NEW new office, which replaces the OLD new office across the parking lot. The office space is glorious. I have to find movers to haul my office furniture back across town to the new space, and that has to happen by this week, pretty much, since I have nothing to work on at the moment in the way of surfaces and chair.

Projects are presenting themselves, and there is a lot of enthusiasm on my part for the spring and summer months. I'd still like to have some clear guidance on what to be when I grow up.

Several years ago, when I was uncommonly attracted to the VW Phaeton, I thought it was the end-all, be-all car for me - now, one has been offered to me at a high but decent price, and I keep thinking "green Imperial" - another opportunity to have something disintegrate in the driveway.

Uh, no.

Quite a shift. I'd love one of Jason's Magic Audis, but they don't sell that particular model here in the US (A8 short wheel base, W12 motor) so the closest I could come to Jason's MAGIC Audi would be a S8. I just don't see paying that much money for a car, though.

I think I'll watch another episode or two of "The World at War" - a BBC documentary filmed in the early 1970s. It's an amazing piece of work. Last night, Alger Hiss, Curtis LeMay, Avrill Harrimann, Lord Avon, and three members of the Imperial Japanese Cabinet were interviewed (on my TV!) Contrary to what we're hearing these days, the Japanese Cabinet members suggested that Japan would NOT have withdrawn from the war had we not dropped the atomic bomb, and that the Emperor himself made the decision to quit the war; the Cabinet, the Army and the Navy were totally against it. They wanted to fight to the last man.

I'm almost into the bonus material of the series. It's awesome. If you're a history buff or a WWII buff, you should rent this from Netflix (don't buy DVDs, sheesh!) and watch it. It's about 40 hours of programming, so don't expect to do it in a weekend.

The dreams of my death are...

Pretty darned cool!

The other day, I was enjoying the random nonsense themes that my brain was generating (if you stop and reflect instead of letting it rule the roost, it's very much like having Lewis Carroll writing you a personalized fantasy all day long). As the monkey mind was spinning around, one of the thoughts that passed through was of serious illness and I re-assessed the idea of death. Most of my prior contemplations about death focused on anger, disappointment, or loss. This time, I was okay with it all. Okay as in I feel like I've gotten somewhere with this experience of life, and if it were my time, I'd be okay with it.

Perhaps that contemplation led me to this morning's multi-media dream event about my own death, but it was pretty darned cool.

As evidence for this being a sleeping dream, allow me to share with you that the circumstances and place of my demise were that I was about to make my first appearance as the Wicked Witch in a Broadway touring production of "Wicked," and would have been the first male cast in that role. I was in costume, and working with the production manager who had herself played the role of the witch, and she was showing me how easy it was going to be to fold myself in half and have only my flagellating arms and legs poking out of the hole in the stage that would facilitate the sequence where I was "dissolving" after having been doused with water. There was lots of gauze, and lots of activity (and the show was going on right then), and I went back around the curtain to prepare for my entrance. Just then, I gently fell to the floor, in a pool of muslin, heavy velvet and gauze and realized I was having a heart attack.

The dream continued with me calling on people who were yet alive, and with whom I had a strong emotional connection. My visitations with them were joyous; I was filled with love for them and for our relationship together. Occasionally, one of these people was able to perceive me as if nothing had changed, and we had conversational interaction.

Guy and I had some time together, going through a grocery store as he loaded his basket with items needed at home, and the two of us chatting about psychology, human behavior and airplanes, just as always. It was immensely rewarding.

Went to a BMW 7 launch party last night

Reception. Open bar, sushi buffet, in the grand ballroom of the Zaza, with two brand new BMW 7s. The corporate product manager for 6/7 was there (we chatted her up for at least a half hour) plus the regional management for BMW corporate, a bunch of contract product specialists (whom my friend Jeffrey terrified all) and about 150 would bes and wanna bes milling about with about 20 be-s

A diminutive latin boy (he's 40 actually) named Carlos, very handsome, awesome body, about 5'4" who's in the real estate business was at the BMW reception last night. Thinks he's straight, but was glommed onto Jeffrey like a barnacle.

Carlos was talking to "his" BMW salesman from Advantage downtown, saying he'd had six BMWs in the last eight years. the salesman said "six? really?" Had he bought six from the same guy, the guy would have known Carlos' birth weight, along with the details of the cars.

Carlos was with a VERY handsome South American man name of Carlo who wasn't very comfortable and didn't speak very well English.

Carlo ditched Carlos, and Carlos started glomming in more firmly. By that time, we were at the bar and Jeffrey had struck up a conversation with McCain Herring (as in McCain and JoAnn Herring). We pawned Carlos off on JoAnn Herring's Granddaughter in law who took him home in her BMW Alpina B7 - the only example in the Houston area.

On the way out the door, I spoke to one of the marketing reps, and told her about the abysmal local level dealer internet communication and made some specific suggestions - which she said she was going to share with the regional and national BMW folks who make things happen. Heh!

The last Monday of February

More moving on the horizon - this is a great space here, but the noise from the neighbor downstairs and the car wash next door is disturbing. Getting out of storage, and into a more business like environment will be great.

Brian last night reminded me of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, which I had seen and been impressed by at the Houston Auto Show and Gift Exchange. It's CHEAP. It's GORGEOUS. Wow.

Last week, I pulled a box of Marvin the Martian stuff out from my desk and unpacked it all. It just doesn't have the interest for me that it used to. Maybe it's time for it all to head yonder into the sunset.

the day after Single Awareness Day

It's just astonishing how something totally made up can drive people to choose financial hardship, enormous and impossible expectations, or even bizarre, temporary assignations.

Valentine's Day was made up by Geoffrey Chaucer, who was a poet, and therefore had an axe to grind and sell. It lay mostly fallow until the mid 1800's, when it was resurrected by a writer (needing something to write about) and then a Massachusetts woman who created a niche for herself with mass produced Valentine's Day cards. Her father owned a large printing company, thus she was able to create this new product line and distribute it.

For a profit.

Only since the end of World War II has the United States lept off into the deep end of the commercial swimming pool, by lavishing ever more expensive trinkets on one's "love". The candy business sells over $345 Millions in chocolate. The event is good for an additional $250 Millions in hotel rooms. A billion cards, averaging $3.50 each. 110 Million roses at $40/dozen. The average consumer spends $77.43 for their Valentine.

For many, it is one of the only occasions during the year that their affection and appreciation is expressed for their loved one.

Well, I don't feel left out, disabused, a lesser being because I have not lavished effusive trinkets upon a special someone.

But, I do feel $77.43 better off.

Where does the time go?

Twenty-nine days of January gone by already. Did I do anything with it? I think so. I hope so.

I want chocolate for reasons I cannot name. Should I or shouldn't I?

Should I, as it turns out.

When does the question get answered?

The one that goes "What do I want to be when I grow up?"

Just a spoon full of sugar...

My interest in blogging has been flagging for some time.

Is that because I've read elsewhere that blogging is passe? Most bloggers either use their sites for lots of posts related to their primary business (journalism) or their primary axe to grind (obvious) or politics. Many of the blog sites I used to frequent a few years ago are now dormant, and most of the personal blog sites are deader than a door nail.

So, we're back from the inauguration. It was AWESOME. The best part of the trip (aside from the amazing Westin Hotel "Heavenly Beds") was how people interacted everywhere we went. No grumbling, complaining, trying to get ahead in line, trying to gain an advantage. Open, friendly, excited, helpful - I could get used to living in that world all the time.

It's time for some sleep. And a clearance sale. More of that is coming my way - getting rid of more boxes of stuff I won't/don't use and don't want anymore.

Where's the motivation?

I've hung up some pictures, but what is slowing me down is the mass of boxes and assorted crap that needs to be gone through, and about half either thrown away or photographed to sell on eBay and Amazon.

Blarg. No fun.