We have a tiny grapefruit tree in our yard. I’m told the fruit is small and tart.
We have possums in the yard. Leah saw a cat-sized one maybe 2 weeks ago. Yesterday I saw a tinier, cuter one.
We go through so many headphones and earbuds. I think the kids really do eat them. If you have a source for earbuds by the dozen please leave a note in the comments.
Alex liked the Elmo I got her on FreeCycle. Febreeze apparently did the trick.
The next IRS payment is in the chamber, ready to fire on the 15th.
I’ve not delved into Xubuntu as much as I intended to this weekend. Mostly I laid in bed and tried to get well. I also missed Ty’s basketball game this weekend. Tony worked hard on a project yesterday and only occasionally checked in on Star Wars Galaxies to see if his trade had gone through. The TV was off and he took no calls. That counts for some pretty good discipline these days. Lastly on the kid front, I really am finding myself a patriarch. The kids listen to me and ideally I’m expanding their mind to the possibilities and perils of life. Yesterday we talked about resumes and interviews at the dinner table. Big topics like: “what do you include on a resume?” and “can you just leave off jobs that were bad?” and “can you include anything on your resume?” Leah and I did our best and pretty much stuck to what the best advice would be, and I tried to include plenty of my own experiences and difficulties. I find the kids respond best when I simply tell them my story and not try to abstract everything into a general rule that they must follow. It feels good and natural and still bizarre to be a patriarch.
Lastly, I am still sick. Not as much as I was, but not well. Still coughing up phlegm. Still sneezing. My nose is nearly raw. I want a fast-forward button for illness. People would buy it.
“Having defeated and then occupied Iraq, democratizing the country should not be too tall an order for the world’s sole superpower.” – William Kristol, Weekly Standard editor, and Lawrence F. Kaplan, New Republic senior editor, 2003-02-24
Around my house we try to avoid the word “should.” Maybe that’s why.
Who am I kidding? I don’t want to write an ode. It’s six in the mornin’.
Starting early. Having lunch with a good pal I’ve not seen in a few years. This could be fun.
Swam yesterday, TWICE. Even shared a lane swimming laps. It was fine.
I swam every day in the past 7 days for at 30 minutes or more. Malibu, Calabasas, Camarillo, depending on the timing and day. I’m thus continuously sore.
What’s that they say? Pain is weakness leaving the body. I think that might be true.
I used to hate it when a wise instructor of mine, Mr. Paul Lemons, M.A., would say that “no learning is possible without pain.” I rejected this out of hand. With every year that passes—18 years have passed now—I understand the truth in his statement. I think he was paraphrasing Camus, but still.
Speaking of pain, Leah has a root canal today. Wish her well, won’t you? It’s gonna be great for her!
Not sure I will swim today, but then, I thought that day before yesterday, too.
Also, the moving process has begun. I hate it. My wallet is suddenly very thin from delivering deposit money. It’s all rather tight, considering TAX DEADLINE looming in the distance. But it’ll all get done. That’s how we do.
Have a good day, you. And as I used to say much more often, and am saying again more regularly—ONWARD.
A colleague of mine here at work is in search of evidence of his biological father’s existence. Because he knows I’m a big internet data mining nerd he asked for my help, and in turn I ask you for help. Here’s the information he provided me:
During a Dodger game during the 1965, 1966, or 1967 Seasons, he was carried out on a stretcher, having suffered a kidney stone during the game. His full name is purported to have been Paul Ronald Ryan, though this is not certain. He would have been, 70 years old this year, putting his year of birth at about 1937. It’s possible this man is still alive, though this also is not certain. It was said that he was born in New York, again, not a certainty.
That’s it. His mother is not alive. My colleague has contacted the LA Times and Dodger Stadium but has not heard back yet. He has not sought out his father with any seriousness and now wants to. Please contact me via email or comment on this post if you have ideas or suggestions.
Please feel free to pass this along or crosspost this item.
Hey y’all. Getting back in the saddle after not feeling too well. Also, I did a rough draft of my taxes and it looks like we need to save a pile of money or The Tax Man is gonna be mad. But have no fear, we have payment options. Developing.
The internal voice I’m cultivating is the voice that sounds like this fictional character:
... that voice is one so clearly informed by real writing, real recovery, and a real and difficult life that I can scarcely look at the screen without being moved. I’m going to try and get some music by him too. I need to add him to this list. He may have a small part, but it’s an inspiring one to me.
Change isn’t good enough. The word change doesn’t include a direction or an intention. We have had a lot of change over the last seven years. Most of it was in a seriously wrong direction. We will be feeling the effects of that change for decades to come.
I say no more talk about change. We’ve had enough. What we need is reform. What we need is progress.
IN 2006 EMI, the world’s fourth-biggest recorded-music company, invited some teenagers into its headquarters in London to talk to its top managers about their listening habits. At the end of the session the EMI bosses thanked them for their comments and told them to help themselves to a big pile of CDs sitting on a table. But none of the teens took any of the CDs, even though they were free. “That was the moment we realised the game was completely up,” says a person who was there.
David Byrne discusses the fact that some dolphins have culture. And this gets us into the territory of “what is culture?” Fairly interesting territory.
As for respecting celebrities humble enough to keep their political opinions to themselves, allow me to suggest, humbly, even, that this fellow really ought to grow up a little. What he’s really saying is that he doesn’t want his fantasy image of celebrities messed with through the inconvenient fact of a celebrity being an actual person. But, alas, celebrities are not merely poseable action figures for our enjoyment and control; they regrettably come with thoughts and brains and opinions and such, which they may wish from time to time to use and express. Possibly some of these celebrities will be not particularly astute in their opinions; you could say the same about real estate agents, plumbers, doctors, bloggers or any other group of people, including, alas, politicians. I wonder if this fellow also only patronizes real estate agents, doctors, plumbers, etc, who never express a political opinion outside the confines of their own brain, and if he does, if as a consequence he’s become quite the handy man.
As for me, I’m tired but it was not a bad week, taken as a whole.
You’re older than you’ve ever been and now you’re even older
And now you’re even older
And now you’re even older
You’re older than you’ve ever been and now you’re even older
And now you’re older still
Go ahead and watch the video:
Seriously though, Leah’s a year older, but still a beacon of awesome.
And also in the vein of awesome, aging, and cool, Professor Sassy Lee “Matt” Sassburton, Esq. and his lovely wife Beth are expecting! I knew Sassy when he was knee high to a pup, or thereabouts, but I’m pleased as punch as I know whatever the sex of the offspring, he or she will be inculcated with a deep knowledge of haberdashery, unit testing, grinding rails, and Simpson’s trivia. Leah and I wish the bun in the oven, as well as the bun’s parents, only the best.
You know, I had planned this to be a short post, but mayhaps it has a need to be longer. Perhaps I shall address some miscellany. What else has been on my mind, you may endeavor to ask?
They say in social situations to avoid discussing politics and religion. So let’s be anti-social and address a bit of both.
Politically, very interesting things are afoot here in these United States. I’m excited to see energy and elevated participation in the Iowa caucuses and in the New Hampshire Primary. Let’s run down my opinion of the candidates, at random off the top of my head. The best part will be at the end when I have to look up whoever I forgot and pretend I have an opinion about them.
1. Barack Obama. I like him. He seems to be a straight shooter with upper management written all over him. I like that I my spidey sense doesn’t tingle with “Plastic Robot!” when I watch him speak. I would like him to be President.
2. Mitt Romney. “Metallic plastic robot!” But seriously, if I were voting for a CEO, I like him, maybe. I did like that the guy was pro-Gay marriage at one time. That’s pretty cool. I nominate him to be manager of my local Fry’s Electronics.
3. Dennis Kucinich. Not a robot, and definitely I could sit down and play some Apples to Apples or Rummy with that guy. I would like him to be my Mayor. He cares about stuff.
4. Hillary Clinton. Oi. TOO. MUCH. BAGGAGE. No offense to the baby boomers, but we need to be rid of their ilk in the Executive. We have a baby boomer in the White House now and it’s been nothing but trouble. Is this ageist? Sure. Tough! I would like Hillary to be my District Attorney. I don’t want her to live in Washington D.C. anymore.
5. Rudy Guiliani. DO NOT WANT. That dude is an opportunistic, xenophobic idiot. Great District Attorney in New York, crappy Mayor. Didn’t screw up things for about a week in September, 2001. Screwed up everything since. The cops and firemen who worked for NYC were screwed. And while sometimes you can tell that somebody’s doing good if their underlings are unhappy, this does not appear to be the case for Rudy. Also, he’s like the Anti-Family man. How many marriages has he screwed up? Who am I to judge, but then, I am not running for President, right? I nominate him for Baseball Commissioner so he can focus on something he can’t screw up too much.
6. Fred Thompson. I nominate him to go back to playing lawyers and Congressmen in TV and Film and please stay the hell away from any government that has any jurisdiction over me.
7. Ron Paul. I like that kid! He or whoever is responsible for his campaign totally get the internet, which is wonderful and terrifying. If It were, say, Ron Paul vs. Hillary Clinton in the general election, I would vote for him. I nominate him as Grand Ombudsman and Constitutional Scholar of the United States. I know the title doesn’t exist—maybe he could work for the Office of Budget Oversight or General Accounting Office. I want this guy checking on the legality of what our crazy stupid government is doing. I also think I’d love to spend an evening drinking beer (or whatever, I’d probably have a shandy so I can keep sharp) with the guy. He’s smart and a little crazy, and I dig that.
8. John Edwards. Kind of plastic, but I like him. He has an emphasis on helping out the little guy that I really like. Unlike everyone else on the planet, I think trial lawyers rock. They’re actually an essential check on idiocy. I wish the court system worked with better speed though. He’s like a character from a Scott Turow—which is apt since he’s a lawyer. I nominate him to represent me personally should I get into legal trouble or become a character in a legal thriller.
Here’s where I’m not sure who I missed. Let’s consult Wikipedia and expose my ignorance to public shame.
9. Mike Gravel. No idea. The fact I’ve not heard of him can’t be good for his campaign though.
10. John McCain. Oh, right, yeah. How could I forget John McCain? I voted for him in the California open primary in what, 2000? I don’t think he’s the President we need. I find his incredible range of views on the current administration, Iraq, and everything else—confusing. I liked him better when he appeared to have principles. I nominate McCain to be my neighbor across the street who tells great stories about Vietnam, Congress, and running for President. I look forward to grilling burgers with the guy.
11. Mike Huckabee. I got a soft spot for this guy. He’s likeable, funny, and makes terribly funny quips on nearly any TV show he appears on. He’s a serious Christian Evangelical, and he’s got a sincere streak of feeling for those who are in need. He doesn’t think the government should be abolished, a switch from most of the rest of the field. If he were running against, oh, Joe Biden, maybe I’d vote for him. But he’s so good on TV. I nominate him to be guest host of the Tonight Show, or perhaps Letterman. I could also see him as School Board Commissioner (but keep him away from the science textbooks!), or, more likely, Governor.
12. Duncan Hunter. Isn’t this guy one of those crook Republicans? Oh, no, I’m thinking of Duke Cunningham. I don’t know anything about Duncan I can’t read on Wikipedia, so I’ll abstain from nominating him for anything.
13. Alan Keyes. I nominate Crazy Alan Keyes to make me giggle at his asinine principled positions. I liked him better when he was harmlessly pundit-ing on political talk shows.
Aaaand… That’s my election wrap up! I get to vote in the February 5th Election here in the State of California. I encourage all twenty of my readers to vote in this election, even if you don’t really think it makes a difference. I think this democracy thing might catch on if more people did it.
This morning I made muffins. This afternoon I had leftover Cobb Salad from Roxy’s Deli. Today’s a pretty good day by food metrics.
Oh, right religion. Nah, not today. Go enjoy your day. More blogging next week.
Back at work, kids will go back soon-ish. A new year has begun in full force. Jobs to be done: get Wii fixed, get out of debt, get a handle on taxes, figure out where Leah and I will live next. I’ll ship the Wii today. The rest are nontrivial, but can be managed.
You're looking at artlung.com, the personal website of Joe Crawford. That's me. I make websites professionally and as a hobby. I'm married to Leah, I'm a stepdad, I blog. I live in Moorpark, California, USA. I work in Los Angeles.
Phone: 805-857-3951. I'm not seeking employment/ I'll be available in June 2008 for new work. Email: joe at artlung dot com.
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