Tuesday, July 29, 2008

12 Seasons

For 12 seasons there was anticipation of the next;
the wind blew mornings and sunsets one after the other
regardless of weather
or mood

Ignorant hope danced with informed optimism
that came with each new opportunity, so life
always smelled clean,
like new,

Alas youth too has its drawbacks and fresh cuttings
release fresh colors, but also fresh pollen,
allergy be damned
and so forth.

Enter understanding and love without expectation --
Ghosts get scared and a protagonist arises
at the perfect time
with a grin

Suddenly there’s no rush for Fall to relieve Summer;
it’s hot and muggy but the weather’s just right,
rejoice now, the heart is ravenous at the feast
of indulgent peace.

Monday, July 28, 2008

A Letter to Mobile-Addicted Drivers

Dear Guy on the Freeway Still Talking on the Phone without a Headset,

It's been a month now. The law still says you can't talk on the phone without a hands-free device. Please put it down. Save yourself. Save the rest of us. Save the insurance companies. Save some innocent victim. Put down the cell.

Headsets are $0.99 on eBay. Even Bluetooth ones are pretty available.

The stock market is dying. The economy is dying. Soldiers in Iraq are dying. The "American Way" (whatever that is anymore) appears to be dying. Even Obama's campaign is losing steam. Everything politico-policy-wise is heading for the shitter. But this one law, this one seems pretty well thought out. So put the phone down, free your hands and feel that wheel. Remember how invigorating the feel of the open road can be? Take the time to feel it. Take time out. Away from your screaming wife, your "on-call" work and your 2.35 children.

I know that you think you need it. So have it. Just get a headset of some kind. And you don't need it, by the way. Any more than you "needed" that old SUV you just lost $10k on when you ducked out of that lease. And you got rid of that right? So get rid of this habit at the same time. Hell, my friend Kelly has a 4th kid on the way and she manages without the SUV, without the cell. She doesn't even have email. It is possible to still thrive. Yes, it's scary.

VW says, "Drivers Wanted". Hands-free required.

Sincerely,
GP

Yoga Journal Pose of the Day 3

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Making Ends

How do you people do it? The ones out there with the recurring monthly bills for "necessary services". Lets add up the ones I don't pay, shall we?

- Hard-line telephone even though you already have two cell phones
$25/month

- Digital Cable (cuz I weeely weeely need TNT, pweety pleeze) and this is not with HBO or anything fancy, just freakin' cable (probably bundled with that useless phone above)
$50/month but most likely $70/month because you like that DVR

- Cell phone with data, text and voice minutes
$90/month

- Gym membership
$30/month

- Recreation costs (yoga, tennis club, dance, whatever wakes ya up in the morning)
$60/month

Ok, so far that's a hell of a lot of stuff. $250/month in stuff you had to have. I'm guilty of some of that stuff, but I manage to get it through work. Get a job requiring a cell phone, cancel the one at home. Don't do cable, sorry. Work at a gym. Work at a recreation area or studio. Check. Check.

Lest you think I'm lecturing, I'm just pointing out that it amazes me those folks who are paying all of those things above can still go out to eat, save for retirement, send the kid to college and pay the bills while not bargaining with the devil himself. Or perhaps that's the piece I'm missing? Whatever it is, I want the skills required to know that those things are possible easily. I already have the skills to know they aren't necessary.

Gasholes and the bicycle backlash

I read an article just the other day in the LA Times about some crazed angry motorist killing two cyclists. Apparently he slammed on his brakes while descending some crazy-ass hill (Mandeville Canyon) and one guy flew into his back window. He's under arrest for manslaughter. Unbelievable. It's not bad enough to blow $5/gallon on your super-jumbo SUV, you also have to run over the other people trying to enjoy themselves and not contribute to the problem! Click here for all the details.

There's quite the discussion in the LA Times blog.

And then today my friend Aaron sent me a link to an article about some gashole there (the USA's most bike-friendly city according to Bicycle magazine!) drove around with some cyclist clinging to his hood. No shitting. That's real stuff people. Get a god-damn grip on reality folks!

Daruma-otoshi skyscraper demolition

Wednesday, July 09, 2008