Monday, January 31, 2011
Poetry Monday |9| Imagine the Sheer Amount of Acid
My soul is separate; it leads the way. Transcend the bullshit.
Where mere mortals crawl, I've come to fly.
How these silvery sheets of foam chill my skin,
Yet I cannot find a way to purify.
Why can't I forget where I've been?
Onward I glide, holding pace with time;
Nearing a boundary that should ne'er be crossed.
To the edge where the dead men lie,
Yearning to find those Li(v)es that were lost.
Outside of the presence of all Mankind,
Underneath the realm of all we can find.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Almost Forgot This One
I'm probably out of touch...
Republicans: Lower taxes, especially for the upper classes; have total faith that them having more wealth will ultimately result in everyone having more wealth (something that his been disproved time and time again). Cut spending, especially on social policies (unless it pertains to them or in any way educates people). No matter how unnecessary, the military budget is untouchable, unless you want to throw more money at it. Leave education to the state or family. Basically, they're faith-based idiots who are total jerks.
Democrats: Make taxes fair, lower taxes for the poor, raise them for the rich. Can't trust anyone wealthy (absolutely no faith in humanity). Spend, spend, spend, but in the "right" places. Talk a lot, become total pussies under pressure (basically wastes of time and taxpayer money). Educate the masses for a better future, simplify and empower the federal government for the good of the people. Tendencies to be obnoxious pricks. Infrastructure! Fuck corporations, save the worker (that'll keep em here) *sarcasm*.
Average Americans: Middle of the road, swings left to right with time and frustration with the other parties bullshit. Probably registered to a party, votes with that party most of the time, but flips if necessary. Wants education for children. Wants less government involvement. Hates corporations shitting on them. Hates paying social security and taxes but loves the outcomes. Basically, the other two parties take turns shitting on them.
Yeah... I'm out of touch.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
What the Fuck Is This, I Don't Even
"Taylor, what the fuck is this, I don't even..."
I'm almost positive that you will all feel the same.
Now that we got past that, I have big news. In case you didn't know last night was the, drumroll please, 2011 Presidential State of the Union Address.
Now, I personally think that the State of the Union is total bullshit, at least what it has become. It's kind of sad that it takes a national crisis or some stupid annual tradition for three key parts of our government to get together and outline each others goals.
Back in the old days, State of the Union addresses were much more common; in some instances it happened a few times in a single year. They were also given in the form of a letter most of the time, although there were of course speeches. Woodrow Wilson really made the custom of speaking annually and it's stuck.
Now State of the Union addresses are Constitutional obligations by the president. Article II, Section II of the United States Constitution says:
He [the president] shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.
In case you missed that or something, basically the Constitution says that our lame-ass President has to, from time to time, get in touch with our shitty-ass Congress and tell them what's up because apparently that's not somewhat inherent with their duties. I personally think the President should be talking to Congress as a whole at least twice a year. It shouldn't be this massive, stupid, event.
Also, what the hell is with the rebuttals? I looked them up and I'm ashamed to say that modern Democrats started this bullshit tradition. I fucking hate the party I align with.... This entire sick show is just a microcosm of the fucking bullshit that is U.S. Government. Why the fucknuggets are you giving a rebuttal to a statement you stupid shitheads!?!
I swear to God, our politicians these days are like children...
This is a fucking joke. America is a fucking joke. Thanks guys, you made my blag post digress into a public breakdown. I hate this stupid country, I hate the people who run it, I hate the people who are so dumb that they've fallen for this bullshit, and I hate the idea that it's only going to get worse.
...
We're all retarded and we're going to end up as the shit on the rest of the worlds shoes. I blame the baby boomers. ^-^ LOL
Cheers!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Poetry Monday |8| Begin the Code
From the dust we came, to the dust shall we return.
Justice. Achieved only in isolation, which
Even the best of our laws cannot abide.
Not without God is Justice brought;
Nor has it or will it ever been done.
In divine isolation, it must be wrought.
For in sight of man, it's prone to greed.
Even those Laws are flawed with time;
Rendering Justice unreal, merely sought.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Armac's Shameless Plugging Special 2
This week, however, I'm just posting this new album of ambient soundscapes. Enjoy.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Chaos Theory Update
I found that it works astoundingly well at school. When I'm sitting at lunch and I don't know what piece of work to do first, it is simply amazing. It takes most decision making out of the equation, and mandatory wildcards keep the fun and humor up.
It has also kept me busy. If I ever have a moment where I feel even somewhat bored, the cards usually help me remember two or three things that I need to do or want to do. They force me to think of multiple options while writing the choices down and it keeps me from forgetting things.
So far they (the cards) have not led me to do anything with noticeably negative results, but I'm obviously not complaining.
I have actually been considering raising the stakes a little bit with this chaos theory. Using them more often and for borderline crazy things. I'll probably decide whether or not to do this with a shuffle...
So far, I would recommend this to anyone. Start small and by shuffling only with simple tasks, then slowly move towards more comprehensive use. Jumping straight into it would make it hard to be consistent. Remember to have wildcards when shuffling chores, and chores when shuffling wildcards.
Finally, abide. Bad things happen if you don't... trust me I know. Have faith that the Universe will steer you right. ^-^
Cheers!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Maximum Occupancy
Why 49?
If you know me, even a little bit, you probably know that I have A.M.O.C.D. A term I made up just now that means: Apparent Minor Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. For example, when it comes to volumes on TV's and radios, and such; I have this paranoid thing where the volume must be set to a number that either adds up to ten or is two of the same single digit numbers in a row. So 11, 19, 22, 28, 33, 37, 44, 46 and 55 are all PERFECT but everything else just drives me crazy. I don't know why.
Also, when I'm showering or brushing my teeth my scrubs have to be a factor of eight. When I walk along the sidewalk I try to make it so that I step on every block the same amount of times. Now that I say it out loud, maybe it's more than A.M.O.C.D...
Anyways...
That number 49 is driving me insane right now. I can't understand what kind of sick human would put 49 in stead of just rounding up to 50 like a normal person.
I bet they're hiding just out of view waiting for someone like me to snap and have a nervous breakdown in the middle of the lunchroom. That fucking sadist.
Seriously, what sort of fire marshal walks into a building and evaluates that only 49 people could safely be inside at one time. What sort of logic does he put behind choosing a number like 49. As if 50 would certainly just be far too much.
He must have been insane, deranged, psychotic...
This is driving me crazy.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Spring 2011: Semester II
Let's see how Chaos Theory operates in a school environment...
Tomorrow, another post. Should be a good one.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Poetry Monday |7| My Blue
The one I chose, amongst many.
As the last light of day drained westward,
Westward with the masters of innovation,
I cast my unwavering sight duly North.
There and to the East, a jewel of time caught my eye.
A distant diamond in the infinite rough;
Vibrant with life of a celestial kind.
There, a million million miles, lightyears, or lifetimes
Distant; a glistening heart, gliding with grace.
Its pale glow so immense, beckoning me
Like the beacon it is, to a safer shore.
Its own shallow harbor, cast blue with its shine,
Must be a place of unimaginable wonder.
Its journey through the night, the eons, I follow.
For an infinite time it lives; apart, together,
Like night or far brighter than day.
As endless bridges of dust or orb of power.
My star is, always has, and always will be.
Christened by me on the tenth night,
My star is my guiding force. Caeruleas Mea.
A month since, I still follow her.
A month since, I still yearn to be cast, alone,
Onto her azure shores.
I yearn to follow that ever-glowing beacon,
The one that beckons me so.
So that I may be warm in her radiation;
So that I no longer feel so lost, adrift, in time.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Armac's Shameless Plugging 5 (Track 9)
Hi! It's me, Howie.
I liked the reacousticized version of this song
so much that I've hijacked the post
and set it to publish three hours ahead of schedule.
Seriously... it rocks.
Friday, January 14, 2011
How To: Cook White Rice Like A Boss
So I was like, "Okay."
Let's get started!
- 2CUPS of WATER
- 2TABLESPOONS of OIL
- 1 TEASPOON of SALT (I like more though)
STEP TWO: Stir in RICE. Let BOIL until the WATER is NEARLY DRY.
Try again... make it yours... make it awesome...
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
A couple of Sevens, low sun, blue sky, country roads...all is good.
Why There Is No Post Today
Monday, January 10, 2011
Poetry Monday | 6 | I wrote this on one of those really good mornings.
Mornin' Baby
Jazz music and coffee is
Too sweet, too sweet
To be true, I love days like this.
Babe I can't wait till we kiss;
When our lips
Will meet, will meet
We'll set fire to the land
And leave this place hand in hand.
Steel and wood never
Looked so good
Except where we gather.
I would really rather,
Kiss by the river
I hope they understood
When we left the sand
And came to listen to this band.
It isn't ever blue,
Inside of me
When I'm holdin' you
I feel our love and it's true.
I wish I knew
When we, when we
Would be close again
And you'll walk right in.
Then I'll say,
Mornin' Baby.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
F... f... f... frosty physics!
- Cyclists on the dual carriageway, each in turn waiting for the other to pick his teeth out of the gutter whilst losing more core body heat through ever more holey spandex.
- Two Buzzards feeding on roadside matter, hardly flinching at the snail pace parade of idling 7's
- A sign offering Bulls for Sale.The boot sadly not big enough today.
- Chawton End: where Jane Austin lived and wrote some of her novels , wonder if she could hold a pen wearing gloves in these temperatures.
- A big old owl in a tree, more interested in thawing mice than slipping 7's.
- A Peugeot, frozen mid hurdle of a five bar gate, the driver: sat pensive, perched alongside.
- A horse box on it's side, no horse kept inside.
Discussions over the well earned breakfast concurred on this, the main fear on the road being the barrelling metal coming in the other direction, of which we would have no control.
Empathy went out to the half dozen bikers who'd made it for breakfast, we were told that some of their number were to have a late breakfast at home, once the recovery truck had collected the big pieces from the pitch. No major injuries reported. Camaraderie of the shared challenge brought free discussion amongst the survivors of both camps. Like a winter mountain restaurant only accessible from a hazard strewn black run... and with another black run still being the only way down! Each new arrival spoke of their experience and incredulity at the unexpected conditions.I mean, you really wouldn't have ventured out on a sports bike if you were expecting those conditions surely??
So, with reference to the 'This can't be for real?' weather headline to the previous posting... no it wasn't, not in the way that most of the Sunrise collective on this particular morning were expecting!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Armac's Shameless Plugging Special: Everyman Remastered and Bandcamp Layout Update
- On Running B, the line "beat by beat", now has bass-beats under it
- On Undefined Bliss (Reprise), during the vocal-less second verse, there is a cacophony of every other song on the album sped up.
This can't be for real?!?!
Friday, January 7, 2011
I'm Going to Chaos Theory! [wait what?]
Well it's Friday and I have another whole week of break until school restarts. I've been getting ready and I realized I need a way to make sure I get everything done. However, I also want to spread my metaphorical (and cliche) wings a bit this upcoming year. I have a lot planned...
Weight loss, kicking the shit out of school, deciding my own fate, meeting people, working, et cetera.
For once I actually want to follow through with all of my plans though. I want it to be fun too! Fortunately for me, a few stars aligned and I think they're guiding me to do something that just might be my ticket to success.
SINCE I KNOW, FOR SURE, YOU'VE SEEN IT...
Then, I'm watching my daily double dose of politics with Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow and the same fucking doctor is on talking about checklist shit again!
So I looked it up for seriously (thats proper ingles) and checklists seem like an awesome way for me to keep my life in order. But it's just, not, me... and I certainly wouldn't be able to keep it up because of that. Then I remembered Chaos Theory.
I'm going to rely on note cards and chance from now on;
Like in the movie Chaos Theory.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Poetry Monday | 5 | This one's derp.
There isn't a song we haven't yet sung.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
First Blat of the year...finding the magic.
Only '2 up' today, but virus's, SORN status, relatives and frankly an hour's notice isn't going to allow for a full house...despite the temptation!
So, if acceleration and noise aren't the prevalent indicators that you're back in the 7, what is?
To me it's the braking that is truly noticeable.It catches you out at the first medium speed dab on the pedal. Even with cold pads and tyres, the middle pedal acts like a momentum kill switch and you'll be yards short of your turning in or stopping point. This happens more than a few times as your mind goes through a recalibration period. And, when the relevant surfaces have reached what's considered a normal operating temperature, the impressive nature of light weight car dynamics are truly demonstrable under braking alone.
Bear in mind that this relates to a X-flow engined 7 with drums on the back, discs with admittedly decent pads up front, and very little in weight saving features. In comparison to other big disc multi pot 7s with carbon panels, that are pretty usual these days, I imagine the contrast to be even greater!
Directional change at medium and high speed are the next factors that seem to come effortlessly to these cars when you've been away for a while.
There is no lag between thinking it and having executed the input, no apparent lateral flex or lean, just a 'point and done'.Sometimes this is video game like in response, but the feedback from our road surfaces remind you that this is going on right now and there's no pause button on the apex of a real time turn in !
Here in lies the addictive nature of that lack of momentum, that sense of minimal mass, and, as the driver, it frees the car to do as you wish. It'll go exactly where you point it and as fast as you can think it, there's every reference from the car to indicate as to what's going on, but little sense of restriction from the machinery around you and the physics that normally binds you. It's that sense of weightlessness and freedom that can actually be captured and savoured for a few minutes that has you going back for more of that 'magic'.
So, how come this isn't all just a one way route through the hedge?
The truth is that most of us haven't the skill to get anywhere near the limits of a 7 on the road.Track experience proves that these cars are barely stretching themselves on the roads of Britain...and, most of the rest of us, haven't the nerve to go to that corner of the performance envelope to even look at the limit! That's the safety factor, a margin of capability that the car rarely has to fulfil.
Most 7 drivers have a good perception of what driving is all about, they wouldn't have the car if they didn't, and a 7 has to be 'driven', demanding involvement. Most 7 drivers will apply all of their driving skills all of the time when behind the wheel, that's where the enjoyment is after all, but the car is actually many times more capable than the driver. Stay with me on this...A missed braking point is remedied with fractionally greater pressure on the pedal, or carry the braking into the turn, and then change down a gear if you have to...not recommended for real pace on track, but if the car's way inside it's performance range there's room for forgiveness and the lack of mass allows things to come back in line very quickly ... preferably before the fellow blatter spots your indiscretion as you flick to another tune on the i-Pod and miss the gear change or braking point!
This is why today we could still enjoy the discovery of a local road that gave us some hairpin switchbacks speed signed at 10mph ! That'll be like a sign to the sweet shop then ;-)
The barely treaded and hardly appropriate R888 rubber on cold roads, that we weren't familiar with, are factors that could begin an accident report...but the predictability and familiarity of the 7 have me only reporting a great drive out in winter sunshine and finding more of that magic!
Not bad for a car that is more than 50 years old... well, with a few mods along the way.
Anyhow, we came across a microlight fly in day, so we stopped for a bit.
They were having the aerial equivalent of a Blat I suppose, but they had a BBQ and men with radios and stuff. I liked the space frame chassis (OK, fuselage) in this one...I believe it was made of drinking straws:
Some of the air machine men in their awkward fitting and unhappily coloured romper suits spoke to us ... we think it was because we had helmets too. I mentioned wing loading to one of them, we nearly missed our lunch.
And so to lunch at 'Loomies', where our two wheeled brethren stood on parade in the car park talking bike. Ian H and I went in to speak chips and eggs.
The Loomies Cafe 2011 wall calendar is now available and doesn't just feature images of visiting bikeists, no, July (or perhaps August?) features a rather splendid line up of three particular 7's ...
....a small but significant moment of satisfaction as the Sunrise Sevens make a 'wee on the tyre' mark at this famous biker stop!
Stop everything!!
Put the hoover away, cancel the trip to the dump, postpone the inevitable visit from relations... crack open the garage door and BLAT!!!
A rare and special appearance by the sun from behind broken cloud and the day accelerates rapidly into a set of
different priorities.
See ya ;-)