Boy, the Media LOVES pandemics, don't they?

Media coverage of the Swine Flu perfectly demonstrates how the media loves to over-dramatize a story to such a degree that it creates PANIC. "You're WRONG Supergoober! People are dying! It's a raging pandemic!". You sir are a blithering idiot.

Case and point...and this should shut you up for good.

Perhaps 180 people have died of the Swine Flu WORLDWIDE. This is terrible indeed and I commend governments for taking action to restrict the spread of this virus.

Comparitively 4400 people will DIE of AIDS in Africa TODAY...and another 4000 tomorrow, and 4000 more on Friday, and another 4000 Saturday, and another 4000 Sunday, and another 4000 next Monday, and another 4000 next Tuesday, and another 4000 next Wednesday, and another 4000 next Thursday, every day this year. You want to talk EPIDEMIC you frickin MORON! And this is JUST AFRICA!

Oh, BTW, 146,000 people will die of something today throughout the world. Oh, and I forgot to mention, 25,000 will die of HUNGER and STARVATION. How was lunch today? And over 2,000 people will KILL THEMSELVES today. That make you feel sad and blue?

In other words Media, take you Swine Flu Panic and shove it up your ass.

My comment copied from TheProf's blog:

Responding to:

http://ifbrevityiswitthenwhydoikeep.blogspot.com/2009/04/james-joyces-dead-part-1-from-memory.html

"....and we get to see where our own foibles might dovetail with Gabriel's."

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. That's me (and I know you)...and the best stories are those that invite us to identify with aspects of certain protagonists.

In any case, Joyce is WAY WAY WAY over my head. Despite that, I can utterly appreciate any work that demands so much attention, delicate thoughtfulness, and participation from the audience. Jasper Johns and Miles Davis comes to mind in art and music respectively.

To often in today's world do we see folks interpret experiences based on first impression. Personally, and cynically, I believe this simply has to do with there being alot of stupid people in this world (just see what movies and music sells best and it becomes pretty apparent). Example: the Rorschach inkblot. This test does, to a certain degree, correlate strongly with intelligence.

Let me explain: you show them an inkblot that looks like a bat. You ask them, "What do you see?". They respond, "Looks like a bat". Then you ask them again, "Besides a bat, what else do you see?". This invites the person to enlist they're imagination and more importantly, their unconscious mind in the service of interpreting a rather amorphous looking blob.

Guarded folks are quick to respond with bat-like responses: bird, butterfly, moth, etc. One particular thing to note here is the time element. Guarded folks are also generally quick to respond with surface impressions. Inviting them to "think" utilizes faculties that stupid and unimaginative people just don't have. Mind you, the test is much more complex than I've described but with regard to this "staying on the surface", it does in a way speak both to an unwillingness to tap deeper into one's psyche and inability, for reasons associated with intelligence. Furthermore, too much in the other direction speaks to a psychotic process but I won't go into that.

Now back to the story. Joyce like Jasper Johns and Miles Davis and Stanley Kubrik, all of them asks the audience "What do you see?". Stupid people within the first 9 seconds will say "A bat" and nothing more. They don't see transcendent potential, or symbolic themes, or an invitation to delve deeper into one's imagination and unconscious. All they see and will EVER see is a frickin BAT.

I can't talk to these people. They're just dumb. I know I'm being too harsh because perhaps it might have to do with Maslow's principles and that perhaps they do have the competence but are currently dealing with more important and pressing matters like food and shelter and issues related to their health. Issues related to self-actualization and introspective enlightenment can't be addressed when you are emotionally or physically overwhelmed with other more important life issues. Which is why most folks look to movies as "escape" and want nothing more than to spend 90 minutes in a dark theater laughing about something that means nothing about nothing.

Reading Joyce smacks of that level of meditative thoughtfulness. I'd imagine most folks could sprint through "The Dead" in an hour and see nothing but a boring story. These are the same folks that listen to Davis and say, "This isn't music, where are the lyrics?". The same people that will watch "Apocalypse Now" and say "I got bored. For a war movie, there wasn't enough action in it. MORE EXPLOSIONS, MORE EXPLOSIONS!" I feel sorry for folks like that.

But I (like you) enjoy being challenged, which doesn't mean I can't be quite a Philistine at times!...hehehe

Music I can't get out of my head:

I think Lilly Allen is amazing...and so so adorably cute. I was introduced to her with her track "The Fear". My favorite version is the Stonbridge Explicit remix which you listen to here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sozsgo5aXnI

...and she's dating Ed Simmons, the guy from Chemical Brothers so she's cool on top of being cute.
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Also really digging anything Kaskade and particularly his work with Deadmau5. My favorite at this time is this track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFlI6vJjX48
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The next has been quite an all consuming search for me. I've attempted to find one particular version that's been stuck in my head for years. There are literally HUNDREDS of versions of BINARY FINARY on YouTube:
- Paul Van Dyke's remix
- DJ Tiesto remix
- Gouryella remix
- Binary 1998, 1999, and their own Finality Mix
- KayCee remix
just to name a few. But I've finally found the version I've been searching for here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF2wKZMfdiI

...totally epic version.
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And just to throw in a curve ball, Nessun dorma (No-one shall sleep) is a tenor aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot. I swear, this piece of music was written by God himself. Just epic. On youtube, you might find a hundred different versions from Boceli to Paul Potts to Domingo to some no-name opera student. But whatever you do, save Pavarotti's 1994 Los Angeles version for last. This guy's voice is once in a century...just completely effortless.
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Next is my favorite Dream Theater song...for now...its difficult to chose with this band! It's called "Glass Prison". The best vid is this one (IMHO). It's the video of Portnoy laying down the Drum track...AWESOME!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrxGBQ7XL6k
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Next up bums me out cause the singer is dead. Drowning Pool's "Tear Away".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUh2rw9o2JY
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The next blows my mind watching it. It's Paul Gilbert's tribute to Eddie Van Halen. The most insane aspect of this piece is that it's played on only three strings AND all the strings are tuned to "E", three octave separation. This guy is a frickin genius. BTW, just skip past the electric part to the acoustic part. The second part is Paul attempting to "teach you" how to play this piece...he MUST be kidding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4NNE3NRjJQ
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And next up is Miles Davis. This guy is a frickin REVELATION every time I hear him. It's neigh impossible to chose a favorite but certainly almost anything from "Kind of Blue" (which in my opinion is one of the most important works in music this past century) works. BTW, the 1997 remastered version is THE ONE to pick up. All previous versions were nearly an entire half-step sharp! Here's an example from Kind of Blue, "So what":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEC8nqT6Rrk
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And lastly, I leave you with Steve Vai's "I know Your're Here"...just amazing. Here is a LIVE version from G3 2003 Denver. NO ONE plays like Vai. He is an entire genre unto himself. He's playing a triple necked guitar; a twelve string up top, a six sting in the middle, and a fretless on the bottom. The fretless is played through a Fernandez sustainer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY8wyKuLY2k

The Craftsman's progeny's Birthday.

He turned ONE last weekend and I attended his Birthday gathering. The Acupunturist and theDiscourser attended as well. Boy, did I feel completely out of place. Couples with little children running around all over the place. I would have felt a little less uncomfortable if I had my wife with me but unfortunately she didn't return from Oaxaca until that evening. I think the Acupunturist felt even more out of place...poor guy. In any case, the party was fantastic and we had a great time: the Craftsman's new front lawn/deck/planter box looked AWESOME, and best yet, there was alot of food.

I eat alot, as all of you know. That night, I swung by theProf's home for some L5R gaming: the Acupunturist, Rave-Boy, and NTT's Brain attended. TheProf's said something to me that I took to heart. It was regarding the RICE. You see, I eat alot of RICE...and when there isn't enough, I get angry. C'mon, rice is like five cents a cup and whenever we cook rice it always seems we never make enough! My goodness, if I'm there, just go ahead and make 20 cups and we'll be good for a couple of hours. In any case, the Prof told me "You have to learn how to share the rice.", and I suppose he's right. I can't claim the whole tub as my own, particulary if I'm at someone else's home. This almost childish lesson truly speaks to my near Neanderthal position with regards to this particular staple...and you can include SPAM into the mix, which is why it was pure Heaven when I arrived at the Warden's house to see a dozen cans stacked next to his fridge at our last CorpCon.

But I have to say, theProf's new downstairs ROCKS; a huge projector screen, surround sound, a PS-3, a fridge, freezer, and a RICE-COOKER...just perfect. L5R gaming was great. My high-power character, Tsuruchi Kasena, is struggling to maintain his sanity. I've gone back and forth re. what I'd like to do with him: take the honorable route vs. becoming an all out villain. I've decided (at least for now) to take the honorable route and try my best to follow the Code of Bushido. It's been difficult to get into the Rokugan mindset re. soul and sword. My guy is all about duty and acclaim, issues I can wrap my head around. Start talking about ancestor and honor, I'm a few steps behind. Rave-boy has been playing this game really well and I'm quite impressed with how he's been able to translate the Samurai psychology.

About my car and driving; thanks to thePerfectLine and his uploaded vids. I've watched it 10 times now and I'm jonesin to return to T-hill to continue my work. I'm actually at a point where MORE POWER is no longer my first (or even second) priority. I'd like the car to stop even more viciously and looking at some future options. Going for a full R-comp with tires are definitely in the future...as soon as I scrub through my stock Yokohama Advan A13 C's. I'm looking at my schedule over the next few months and plan to get a couple of track days in during that time.

I'm eating Popeye's chicken as I type and will need to head back outside where it feels like the surface of Mercury...I'm sweating through my shirt and I'll have to put up with it for a couple more hours...yuck.

Thunderhill Update:

So I can't say it better than thePerfectLine so here is a link to his blog. He even uploaded VIDEO! Amazing stuff. The last video is nearly 20 minutes long...the entire length of session five. Bear in mind, there is some swearing, but damn, it's a great learning tool for me.

http://theperfectlinecar.blogspot.com/

In any case, I drove a 2:16.100! I was shooting for a 2:18 and would have been happy with that time, which is one second slower than an BMW M-Roadster, 986 Boxter S, and S2000 (see www.fastestlaps.com). I was soo pleased with myself. But you have to understand; thePerfectLine got in my car and pussyfooted a very tentative 2:16 and 2:17 time with just 2 hot laps. I watched his video and there was absolutely NO DRAMA in the cabin; no sawing at the wheel, no blatant oversteer or understeer...very clean and smooth. My lap was far from that; high drama, squirrelly at several places, and jarring braking. I figure if thePerfectLine had a whole day (as in 5 sessions) in my car, he could pull a 2:10 easily by the end of the day.

Here are some shots of the car on track:

CORPCON and THUNDRHILL this weekend!

ThePerfectLine is flying up and renting a G37 and hitting the Track with me and Rave-Boy. TheDuff is making his long awaited appearance driving down from Portland (the most depressing city in America) to do some gaming and gettin some rides. TheWarden has put up his place as Goober Central and we'll have TheGM, the Prof, the Acupunturist, and NTT's Brain in attendance as well!

Re. track days: I've now been to nine track days and attended about a dozen others as a spectator receiving rides from instructors. One thing you notice about the cars that come to these events....you see the same model of cars every time. You'll see:

- Porsche's: 911's, Boxter's, and now more and more, the Cayman.
- BMW: mostly E36 and E46 M3's.
- Subaru: WRX's and STi's.
- Mitsubishi: EVO POWER!
- Mazda: Miata's mostly
- Honda: S2000's and Civic Type R's
- Lotus: Elise's and Exige's
- Corvette: mostly Z06's.
- Mini Cooper S's

And occasionally, you'll find a one or two:

- Audi: S4's mostly
- Mustang: GT's
- Nissan: 350's
- Ferrari's: 360's
- Acura NSX

Now for cars you will almost NEVER EVER SEE:

- Any other American heavy ass, rattle trap, brake-fading, overheating piece of shit.
- Mercedes Benz: Despite their prodigiously powerful AMG's, mostly blue-haired 60+ year old real estate brokers drive these 4000lb cruisers.
- Volvo's
- Saab's
- Lexus
- Infinity (maybe a G coupe every now and again)
- Any Korean Car
- Any SUV or Crossover or Hybrid
- And to reiterate: Buick, Cadillac, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, Mercury, Oldmobile, Plymouth and Pontiac
- And any car weighing more than 4000lbs

To demonstrate, here is the list of cars that will be in attendance at our next Track Day:

http://speedventures.com/events/attendees.aspx?id=-1999999626

I will see my first DODGE at any track event I've ever been to at this event.

You see, 95% of automobiles can't even manage going around the track even for ONE LAP, particularly in stock configuration. Ask thePerfectLine. Give him the car for ONE HOT LAP balls out and I'm sure he could completely destroy most cars gearbox's, ignite a fire in the wheel well from the brake rotor heat, over-heat most cars piddly cooling system, send the oil temp through the roof, and boil the hell out of the brake fluid. I'm not saying that 95% of cars can't drive a lap at a road course because any car can drive a four minute lap at Thunderhill...my mother can drive a four minute lap at Thunderhill in her Toyota...okay, she can't, but her car can. What I'm saying is that 95% of cars when driven 10/10th's by a hot shoe will explode into pieces after just a few laps.

And thats what truly impresses me about most of these track-ready cars; their ability to endure massive amounts of abuse. They can rev and rev and rev and bounce off the limiter all day. You can pound and mash on the brakes till ABS kicks in 10 times every lap. You can throw it into a turn at a speed your mind can't accept, and the car just takes it again and again and asks for more.

I've never had that kind of car....until now.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DISCOURSER!!

...and he will always be older than me. Hope you had a great conference and a fantastic Birthday bro.