Favorites
Now Playing: House - Fox tv show
Topic: Mysteries of Life
Tuesday night. Two of my favorite shows on. Gilmore Girls and House. Love em both. I've known real Lori Gilmores and I'm a grump like House.

Microsoft Police
Mood:  irritated
Topic: Mysteries of Life
Wow. After complaining about how Windows has made it so my Pinnacle USB TV device would no longer work in no time at all the Microsoft Nazi's had found my rant. Ten minutes. tide517.microsoft.com right on my ass and presumably busy hammering a cease and desist letter for slandering them. Of course, the fact that it's true doesn't enter into it. They must have dedicated servers and employees trolling the web for any mention of themselves. Kinda like Drudge does.

Morning Beam/Shaft of Light
Now Playing: Anouk - Graduated Fool
Topic: Mysteries of Life


Yeah. Bright and early at sunrise, bitter bitter cold and a clear sky. Something unusual at least in my experience. As the sun was coming up there was a discernable abnormality, there was a shaft of light shining straight up like a spotlight. The pictures don't do the sight justice, only had a camera phone to take a few pictures while in traffic as my only witness to the very odd sight. I also saw to the left of the sun a bit of a rainbow arching up. Very very strange, as the sun was coming up the light from it shot straight up. I kid you not. I would guess that it was an optical creation of uniformly distributed ice crystals in the atmosphere. Either that or a sign of the impending Apocalypse. It's got to be in the Book of Revelations somewhere - his coming heralded by the 'morning shaft of light' etc and so forth. Humm. I'll still bet on the ice crystals.

Safety is a phone that works.
Now Playing: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor
Topic: Mysteries of Life


Indeed, safety is a phone that works. And in other news, it's grey outside today. Like every day.

Now Playing: Daniel Bedingfield
Topic: Mysteries of Life


A trip, a camera, and you get pictures like this. Road warrior that I am I'll simply take shots over the steering wheel. If you can recognize this city then you are a better man than I. And in other news, my poor old Broncos got their butts handed to them by the Colts. Alas. I didn't have any expectations about that game so I was not very put out by it all. For the first time I'm watching a bit of the '24' show. It seems good so far. I've always liked Kiefer Sutherland from Young Guns and from Lost Boys and of course from remembering his dad Donald from Kelly's Hero's. A classic romp.

No Tone
Now Playing: Playoff game
Topic: Mysteries of Life
Well at least I don't have to wait for the mail now. Sometime next week a phone shows up. Maybe. I think. Of note in other things, DAZ is giving away Michael and Victoria. If you don't know what those are, they are 3D figures for use and abuse in the program called Poser. Very exciting - for somebody.



In other news somebody googled me together with UD Law School. Who knows what that was about but I did follow the google to find an old orphaned set of pages at the school Orphaned Law School Pages A nice description of Clinic and what we did there. My name is mentioned as well as everybody else who was in clinic at the time. Deanna, Wyman, Derek to name a few. Wyman and I were partners, we did a trial together and were taking different parts of the trial. When his part came up near the end of the trial he froze up and I had to spring up to do his bit. He never did thank me for that. I emailed the school and the professor in charge of Clinic now to let them know about these old orphaned pages so they can delete them. If you want to see where I sat at Clinic you'd need to go look at the above link before Monday.

Day Five - No Phone
Mood:  don't ask
Now Playing: Chris Rea - Mention of Her Name
Topic: Mysteries of Life
Yes indeed. No phone for yet another day. Called the customer service. Spoke with a computer. Actually spoke with a computer, actually prompted to speak what was wrong with my phone into the speaker and the computer correctly decided to send me to a customer representative. So, twenty minutes later after jarring rap music, 80's Madonna and other music selections that defied description - punctuated by overly loud and comparatively shrill statements of regret over my not being able to speak with an actual person just yet on account of the fact that all representatives were busy with other people who had probably called an hour before I was finally connected to a loudly ringing phone. This was my clue that perhaps a real person was on the other end momentarily. Well it was, a sweet sounding female voice, soothing and pert who already sympathized with my plight and instantly regreted all of the problems I had ever had in my entire life. Just the way she had been trained. Someone professionally trained to talk jumpers off of ledges, trained to sooth the raging customer who had already had all he or she could take.

Yes, I wasn't mistaken. My order had been put in. No error on my part had resulted in me being dropped and now in need of being shoved into the system again. No indeed. It seems that there was and is a backorder on my particular phone so my next day delivery would in fact be another four more days, give or take a couple of days. What a complete load of you know what. So, I am again and continue to be naked, phoneless. Unable to reach out and touch anyone. If I was a tomato I'd be a stewed tomato.

Butterflies and Urinals
Mood:  crushed out
Now Playing: Dark City
Topic: Mysteries of Life
Silly interesting site here http://Urinal Picture Sitewww.urinal.net/ Found the link on Boing Boing. It's one of those natural laws of the internet which says that if you might have thought of doing something because it seems silly and satirical then someone has indeed done it. I've contemplated the idea of just taking various pictures of various urinals from everywhere and putting them up. Yup, standing there, doing not that much, just thinking. You know, unless there is some strange fellow beside you and your thoughts are there- cautiously wary. :-)
Another picture here.

Butterfly discussion later.

Merry Christmas-
Topic: Mysteries of Life
Was in a store a while ago and glancing down at the CD portion of the place. Saw A box set for 'Big Country' - the scottish band, from around the 80's. New Wave pop music. The box set, a whole section of them, sitting in the country music section. Those 'Big Country' box sets been sitting there in the country section for a while now. Sigh.

I am watching another japanese language horror movie, "Dark Water." It's got me jumping all over the place, these japanese movies are really really scary. Scary and disturbing. Watched Ju'on last night and am still feeling creeped out by it. I've always been partial to japanese culture and will watch most any subtitled movie I can, usually campy, samuri or fun pop types. But these japanese horror movies seem more real and so the things that are frightening are really more frightening than anything in any english language horror I've seen. Hack and slash movies feel insulting to me and I won't even watch them, they seem to be for people who derive pleasure from watching women frightened and then slashed/hacked to death. Not a thing I find even slightly entertaining and in truth I think they should be treated as obscene and ultimately banned. But that's just me. Other english language horror movies follow the same formula, a bunch of people, a house, whack whack, characters dead before you even have a clue as to what is going on or can even begin to care about them. Boring- waste of time. Let's see, the other boring horror movie is a big house, uptight people, a slow incomprehensible story and then, hard to remember- I'm gone doing something else by then. AH well.

Speaking of DVD's, a non horror movie I've happily watched to feel some of the spirit of the season is my favorite 'Holiday Inn' - Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire. A wonderful, sweet movie with a charming memorized plot and fun songs that I spent a good long time finding the dvd of. Great show and I think even the remake, 'White Christmas' is on tv Christmas day. Nothing better that that. Got the White Christmas this time.

The Sum Total of My Knowledge
Now Playing: Girls of Angeli - The New Voice of the North
Topic: Mysteries of Life


Every once in a while I find it necessary to remind myself that I really don't know a darn thing. An important exercise in humility that helps keep you from blinding yourself to other points of view and other interpretations of what you know and what you think you know. My internal generalizations about people - cruel and uncaring for the most part was put to the test the other day. I was walking, just walking and for some unknown reason my legs just folded up on me. Unknown because I don't particularly want to know whatever sort of palsey is grabbing me. I crumpled down to the ground and an older man was there before I was done falling. Genuine concern and worry for me, a complete stranger to him. It was very nice and reminded me what I sometimes forget, that it's better all around to be smiling and to have real compassion for people. It's better to pass that around than the grumpy thing.

Where's the Egg Nog? The Meaning of Christmas
Now Playing: The Beatles - From Me To You
Topic: Mysteries of Life
To say that I generally loath Christmas is a gross understatement. At no time of the year do you find more people who are grumpy, nasty and generally of a foul nature and disposition as during Christmas. As I search for the meaning of life one of the constant sources of information about life comes from living it. Well, yesterday was a day I had a few errands to run and as it is approaching Christmas I know in my mind and my soul that the quality of the experience is something I would as soon avoid. Well, I found myself in a Toys R Us with a few items. I hand over my cash and prepare for the mental challenges that come with attempting to make sure the person doesn't shortchange me but first she, - with her hand on the register/keyboard asks for my phone number. Mind you, I paid cash for these non explosive, noncontroband, non controlled items. But have no fear, in the speed it took those words to exit her lips and vibrate along the inside of my eardrums a loud NO exited from me. Momentarily stunned by my refusal to kowtow to the great intrusive advertisement machine that is American commerce she didn't know what to do. So of course, I said NO again, a bit more loudly. Then I went into my MoJo JoJo imitation. I reiterated in different words the meaning I meant. Which is to say I said it again, NO, Null, none, there will be no phone number of mine for you to put into your computer so that some automated marketing computer can call me on the phone I pay for at any time the computer thinks I might be interested in the latest sale of Bionicles at my local Toys R Us. Congratulations, you have joined Radio Shack as a store I will not enter again willingly. AH, I was soo very mad.

Well, why should my day change at all. I went to a food store in search of a few items to make my meal complete. Some asparagus and some portabello mushrooms. And wouldn't it be nice to have some eggnog. Some nice thick, once a year eggnog. Well let's see, I see about twenty varieties of Soy Milk. There is ah, soy milk, vanilla soy milk, very vanilla soy milk, very very vanilla soy milk, chocolate soy milk etc and so forth. Where is the local dairy eggnog? What the heck? Can't find a bit of it. Even in those occasional places where all of the items in an area are gone. I diligently check those tags, nope, more soy milk varieties. No eggnog. NO I don't count that canned eggnog. But there it was, canned eggnog. I can't believe this. No eggnog. Now I'm grumpy. I stand in line contemplating the wicked gods who would abscond with the eggnog in the universe. A bit of a line in front of me. What do I care. But then some smarmy greasy headed fellow with a clip board excuses himself to a person in front of me. Excuse me mamn? Would you mind answering a few questions? The lady, taken aback as are we all when accosted by strangers in line at the grocery store fumbles with her words and mutters something that sounds like a gurgle which the question asker takes to mean yes. He looks down at his clipboard and asks her whether she prefers chicken or meat? Ahh, chicken she says. Another consultation with his clipboard, do you like Pepsi or Coke? She answers whatever she answers and he thanks her then moves on to the man in front of me. A large large man. This large fellow, apparently a victim of the courtesy training which leaves people vulnerable to answering the questions of annoying strangers is annoyed but still he answers all the questions asked by clipboard boy. Me, I have passed that stage of my life sometime ago. The stage where I allow people to impose upon me with such space and time assaults where I am left feeling imposed upon and angry for not standing up for myself, much the way the two people in line ahead of me were feeling at that moment. 'Excuse me si..' says clipboard boy. "NO, NO NO, - do not bother me, leave now." says I. Clipboard boy, actually a man- scurries away leaving the rest of the line alone by reason of my brave stand. I feel the large broad back of the large broad man ahead of me sort of clench further. I see he values courtesy a bit higher than the invasion of his own space. He likely sees me as some rude loud mouth cave dweller. Well, I turn and hold a very nice conversation with the older lady behind me in line. and by the time he gets to the counter he is most likely confused and puzzled by what he thinks of me. Ah well. I'm still confused and annoyed about the eggnog.

And while I don't much like what Christmas has become I still actually know what it is. And I appreciate the sentiments involved in the meaning of Christmas. Like the Bedford Falls feel to Niceville in the Christmas lights picture below. Here would be a picture I took at the Dayton Art Institute this last summer. I think this guy has something to do with Christmas. :-) I'm Buddhist myself.

Christmas in Niceville
Now Playing: ERA - The Very Best Of
Topic: Mysteries of Life


Who says I never update this page? Actually, I do more blogging via my place over at Blogger - which you can find a link to from my websites front page. (over at - www.gadlaw.com) It's for the more immediate replies from world events and issues that I am interested in such as the death penalty and the gathering threat from China. A rough trip through Tennessee as usual, both ways come to think of it. Not cause of the tiny tiny mountains they have but because of my memory of seeing a girl fall out of a SUV vehicle. This happened a few years ago and it saddens me whenever I drive those very roads again. Melancholy memories all around. Anyhow, a nice picture or two of the Christmas lights for the nice little town of 'Niceville' - The alert viewer will notice the word scrabble possibilities available when one takes a few of the lights from a few of the letters. With a few unscrewed light bulbs you can have a 'City of Evil' ready for your satanic rituals and general Hammer horror show. Quaint little place though.

A Few Pretty Photos Taken
Now Playing: Gone Fishing- Chris Rea -NIN -Closer
Topic: Mysteries of Life
Here are a few photos I've taken in the last week. A few hours to steal away and you can find treasures everywhere or anywhere. It just depends on your desire to find those things you usually step right over and ignor. Had a discussion with a fellow a few weeks ago where he mentioned that everywhere he left some natural weather disaster followed. And that natural disasters did not happen until after he had gone. He seemed quite satisfied with himself. Alas, I didn't have the heart to tell him that such was the actual case with me. I remember living in Japan with the tv on and watching the big earthquake happen just as the Giants and A's were starting the World Series game, right where I used to live. I remember,- ah boring stuff. You can see where I used to live by following the track of Ivan the Terrible. If you're like Bill you can even see it up close. Such is the nature of random chance.

Tick Tock- There Goes The Clock
Now Playing: Not A Thing
Topic: Mysteries of Life
Well, in case there are a few people who drop by here to see what words of wisdom I have to impart I thought I should drop in to say that I will be away from the computer for a few weeks and so it would be fruitless to see if there is anything of note written here. By all means, if you are like some folks who have something interesting to write and wish to contribute to the body of knowledge on my site, whether it be to the death penalty discussion, the buddist information or even something like Bozena's page information then do send me the emails and I'll get to them as soon as I can. I've recently incorporated some information from a Mr. Cain who has some biological and scientific information about the mechanism of the death penalty as administered via the electric chair. His information is on the page having to do with death by electric chair. I'm happy to use reasoned arguments and discussion points whenever they present themselves. The information is just that - information and information wants to be shared. Points of view can be discussed but without a common basis of information then our discussions and our views cannot have the value they should have. I think I just said that if you have something to contribute then I'd be happy to put it on the site. I do appreciate the feedback I get so please do email me with your thoughts. Again, I'll be away, but checking my email at gilbert@gadlaw.com . Thanks for visiting and I hope you found my site interesting and worth your time. :-)

Dancing- Breakdancing Transformers
Topic: Mysteries of Life
Breakdancing Transformers

Nuf said.