August 2007

I enjoy seeing other people’s offices. I like seeing what kind of gear they use, how they have things set up. The current set up works pretty well. It could be better, but it serves me right now. If you look at the photo on flickr you can see what some of the objects are.

I’m not much for religious messages here on the blog, at least not lately. God is where God is found. That is where. Lately God is found at the beach. Also, in music. Also laughter. Also in small things. Even films can have God in them. Despite the language and violence, I believe there to be spiritual truth in the movie Ghost Dog. It quotes heavily from the text Hagakure.

In the words of the ancients, one should make his decisions within the space of seven breaths. Lord Takanobu said, “If discrimination is long, it will spoil.” Lord Naoshige said, “When matters are done leisurely, seven out of ten will turn out badly. A warrior is a person who does things quickly.”

When your mind is going hither and thither, discrimination will never be brought to a conclusion. With an intense, fresh and undelaying spirit, one will make his judgments within the space of seven breaths. It is a matter of being determined and having the spirit to break right through to the other side.

This evening I went to my current favorite beach—Thornhill Broome Beach in Camarillo, south of Point Mugu. It’s part of Point Mugu State Park. There’s not much online with photos, it’s rather spartan, being on the grounds of a State Park it’s been saved from being colonized houses and commercial properties. I like to think that the tax bill I’m paying off with them as though it’s user fees for that beach. God bless the Great State of California.

I really am enjoying California these days. Expensive though it may be to live here, I dig the place. I was born here. No immigrant me, though like many things, like San Diego, The Catholic Church, it’s something I come back to and leave periodically.

That’s what it looked like in 2004 when californiacoastline.org took a photo. You can see lifeguard tower #8, manned by a lifeguard during the day. Actually, they all seem to be teen boys, no more than 17 to look at them, but I won’t renege on calling the small blue buildings “manned.” The lifeguard kindly tells me the temperature of the water when I ask. Though today I didn’t ask. It was a little blown out and I just wanted to get out there. I wonder what he makes of the large, flabby hairy man who spends an inordinate amount of time getting pummeled by the unruly, strong waves. I wonder if he would agree with my contention that he (that is, me) is bodysurfing? I feel better having him there, the California State website says that when he’s on duty, there’s a one in 18 million chance that I’ll die by drowning.

I got some great rides today. It takes a great amount of force to move a man who weighs 24 stone. And I love that the waves can do that. Frankly, I enjoy it when the water is so strong I’m forced under for a time. I like being batted around. That means there’s real force happening. More force makes better rides. If I stop to think about the thousands of pounds of water that allow me to move at great speed I might get intimidated. Actually, I do think about it, and there’s a healthy respect that one might call fear. When I do too much I take a break. I haven’t been too scared there yet this year, but there’s still time.

If I nearly drown I think that teenage lifeguard will take good care of me. More money well spent with the State! Thanks Cali!

Thinking about the State as a “member state” of the dysfunctional family of states we call the United States, for some reason gets my mind thinking about how it might be different. In William Gibson’s novel Virtual Light there are two political entities, Los Angeles resides in SoCal, while San Francisco resides in NoCal. It’s not impossible to envision. In fact, California is already split. When you go to, say, Cabo San Lucas or Rosarito, you’re going to “Baja California”—well jimbo, that makes where I am “Alta California.” We dont’ call it that anymore, because of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. There’s a great page over on wikipedia showing the territorial evolution of Mexico.

Speaking of William Gibson, I’ve been looking forward to his new book for nine months, and the time’s almost here. I may even have time to read it. I know I enjoy reading his blog. Check out Spook Country on Amazon. It comes out Tuesday. I wonder if the local library will get a copy?

Speaking of the local library, the Moorpark City Library got divorced from the Ventura County Public Library system at the beginning of 2007. The way Ventura says it in a PDF on their site is this:

Effective January 1, 2007, the city of Moorpark has chosen to leave the Ventura County Library system.

Chilly, no?

When I was working in Ojai I dug being able to return stuff from Simi Valley there, and vice versa. I’m not sure how a small town can expect to go it alone with good services, but I wish them well. As I have more free time (theoretically -Ed) I think about how it might be fun to volunteer at the library a few hours a month. I don’t even know if they have anything like that set up though. When I was a teenager I enjoyed working at the downtown public library in San Diego.

What does the title of this post have to do with anything, why it’s a translation of a lyric from Frank Zappa.

I am the heaven
I am the water
I am the dirt beneath your rollers
I am your secret smut
And lost metal money
Down your cracks
I am your cracks & cranniesI am the clouds
I am embroidered
I am the author of all tucks
And damask piping
I am The Chrome Dinette
I am The Chrome Dinette
I am eggs of all persuasions

I am all days and nights
I am all days and nights

I am here
And you are my sofa
I am here
And you are my sofa
I am here
And you are my sofa

That’s translated from the German language, which how the Big G speaks whenever it’s Heavy Business.

I am eggs of all kinds. I am the Chrome Dinette. And you are my sofa.

I look so serious.

by leahpeah.

Yay! This is good news for the accountability of elections. I know I’ve not posted much in the way of politics in the past year—frankly there’s not been much in the way of good news on any fronts, but this, from my own Republic of California.

California Secretary of State – Voting Systems Review
Secretary of State Debra Bowen began her top-to-bottom review of the voting machines certified for use in California in March 2007. The review was designed to restore the public’s confidence in the integrity of the electoral process and to ensure that California voters are being asked to cast their ballots on machines that are secure, accurate, reliable, and accessible.

Tony got way into photobooth.

We went to the Santa Monica Promenade today and messed about. Easy fun!

there are some bad people on the rise
there are some bad people on the rise
theyre saving their own skins by
ruining other peoples lives
bad, bad people on the rise
young married couple in debt
...ever felt had ?
young married couple in debt
...ever felt had ?

oh a government scheme
designed to kill your dream
oh mum, oh dad
once poor, always poor
la la la la la
interesting drug
the one that you took
tell the truth
it really helped you
an interesting drug
the one that you took
god, it really really helped you
you wonder why you were only half-ashamed?

Bike ride, that is. Nicely sweaty, I think. This is from Saturday morning. For some reason the Sprint to Flickr posting by phone was not working the other day. Just tried it now and it is working again. Crazy computers never work, man. Amazing when they do.