So many roads: November 2006

I have spent most of the weekend painting my daughter's room

Entrance

Giving thanks on Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving - and it is a time to be thankful. It does not matter if you believe in God, the Goddess, logic, science, the great cosmic coincidence of life itself, or nothing at all - the reality is all of us here are alive and breathing and that is reason alone to be thankful. This is a time of year when some in our extended families have either passed on or may be about to pass on. Death touches us all in one way or another, and nobody really knows what follows after life. Some may believe we live on, some may not - but either way - it makes us appreciate one thing - that we are alive today, and that life itself is the greatest gift that we have to be thankful for. We wake up every today often taking for granted the basic essentials that many in the world are not fortunate enough as us to have - food, running water, electricity, a working bathroom, a roof over our heads, warmth when it is cold, refuge from the sun when it is hot, protection from the wind, our health, and most importantly - loved ones around us.

This day originated almost 400 years ago in 1621 when the pilgrims who came to America from Europe gave thanks for a bountiful harvest. Let us take the time today before we have our feast to remember that everything we may take for granted is a gift, a gift that we should be thankful for while we are here to appreciate everything we are blessed to have.

Light up ya lighter

I checked out a Michael Franti CD from the Carson City library in the reggae section and was completely blown away. These lyrics echo my feelings on the war:

(Listen to it at this link to My Space)

Armageddon is a deadly day, Armageddon is a deadly way
They commin for you everyday, While Senators on holiday

The Army recruiters in the parking lot, Hustling kids there jugglin pot
Listen young man, Listen to my plan , Gonna make you money, gonna make you a man

Bom Bom

Here’s what you get, An M-16 and a Kevlar vest
You might come home with one less leg, But this thing will surely keep a bullet out of your chest

So Come on Come on, Sign up, Come on
This one’s nothing like Vietnam
Except for the bullets, Except for the bombs,
Except for the youth that’s gone

Chorus
So we keep it on, til ya coming home, Higher and Higher
Fire, fire, fire, light up ya lighter, fire fire fire, so we keep it on
Til ya commin home, higher and higher
Fire, fire, fire, light up ya lighter, fire fire fire

Tell me President tell if you will,
How many people does a smart bomb kill
How many of em do you think we got,
The General says we never miss a shot
And we never ever ever keep a body count,
we killin so efficiently we can’t keep count
In the Afghan hills the rebels still fightin,
Opium fields keep providin
The best heroin that money can buy
and nobody knows where Osama bin hidin
The press conferences keep on lyin like we don’t know

Some say engine engine number nine,
Machine guns on a New York transit line
The war for oil is a war for the beast,
the war on terror is a war on peace
Tellin you they’re gonna protect you,
Tellin you that they support the troops
Don’t let them fool you with their milk and honey,
No they only want your money
One step forward and two steps back,
Why do veterans get no respect
PTSD and a broken back,
Take a look at where your moneys gone seen
Take a look at what they spend it on
No excuses, No illusions

Keep it greasy so it..

go down easy

How do I follow my last emotional gut wrenching post that probably upset more than a few people who may have read it, and it was quite upsetting to write it from the author’s point of view as well. Where do you go from there – well – hopefully – that subject is dead for a while – it was like resurrecting ghosts and then realizing that even the ghost of the ghost is dead. Maybe I need an island to bury the bones so to speak, but hopefully that subject does not keep coming up because all it does is get me depressed.

So now for something completely different – a discussion on birth control – but from a male point of view. Some background here – Victoria’s ex-boyfriend who is now part of the wanna-be husband list – there are always at least one or two out there – his mother who apparently has some psychic abilities very matter of factly told her during the last trip to Chicago that she would be pregnant soon – this was after some kind of voodoo cleansing ritual that involved cigar smoke and chanting, leaving my wife in a somewhat trance like peaceful (ch)easy feeling. There was also a statement that she was wearing black (when she wasn't), and now that her Dad is almost gone, that prediction seems to already be true. So – from my point of view – I am the sole contributor of sperm these days. (The future is always subject to change for both of us, but for now we are monogamous. We have already discussed the notion of polygamy – not technical polygamy – being married to more than one, but the idea of living with two partners who would provide sex – sounds like a great idea except I haven’t found any willing takers yet as partner number 2, and the one we considered for the plan initially was just too far emotionally gone for consideration). So that put forward the question that we discussed with the Schrantz clan locally a while back – what is the best way to prevent unwanted psychic pregnancy predictions from taking place. After all – as presented in our discussion – that one little drop of “pre-cum” can pack a sperm carrying pistol and do the unwanted job, as carefull and sklled at “pull out” as one might be. One child is far more than enough for us, and with Victoria slowly creeping up on menopause, it just does not sound all that practical either. So – we have both agreed as a result of this psychic warning to dig up the old portable one use raincoats for birth control – also known as the condom. The idea of a vasectomy makes me sick, and all other forms are just too complicated for now.

So though I approach this somewhat sensitive subject from a personal point of view, it also has worldwide applications. After all – the two purposes of a condom are birth control and prevention of STD’s such as Herpes (not always effective with that one from what I hear), HIV, gonorrhea, Chlamydia, syphilis – all intruders that many would prefer not to know on a part time or permanent basis. Monogamy provides some assurance that those unwanted friends may not come around – as if both people are only with the other, then they aren’t coming around – but who is to know how long a monogamous situation will ever last, no matter how good it looks. Maybe some day we will have a mutual parting of the ways, or one us will decide a need to explore relations with another, and it is better to be prepared for that possibility.

One of my friends in San Diego, that some of us know as “the captain” told me that he just didn’t see the point of wearing a condom, since the intimacy of the contact of the two sex organs is taken away when that intrusive raincoat is slapped on top of the male candidate in the same way that a hood is placed upon a prisoner about to be noosed (that was my analogy, not his). I can kind of see the argument there – the sensitivity of the experience is much more magnified when “naked” so to speak. For the last 7 or 8 years, I have been experiencing this magnification of sensation, (as often as I possibly can) but there is a trade off in that there is that nagging notion that once the end of the story arrives, there has to be a massive urgent escape from the chamber of pleasure to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. For those who don’t even pull out, it is like playing Russian Roulette and with strangers involved, there is that added risk of disease.

So anyways, lately after becoming re-acquainted with the portable one use rain coat, I have discovered it does have its benefits. Yes – the sensation is minimzed, but because of that there is the endurance factor – you last longer. Some people take crystal meth for endurance, but no need for that when the umbrella is in the medicine cabinets. Also, even if the “intimacy” factor is lowered because there is no direct contact, there is the emotional part of the experience where two people are close to each other and the closeness on other levels can take the place of one area of imposed distance. Finally, to get technical and a little graphic, I find that since it takes longer to get there, by the time you finally arrive at your destination, the orgasm itself is a lot more intense and there is no nagging notion of having to pull out – you can just enjoy the moment stress free knowing that Mr. Prophylactic is doing his job in creating that anxiety free moment that all is well.

Sure there is some extra effort involved. Without a little bit of the tools to “keep it greasy so it go down easy” there is the dryness factor. It does take more work to get to the destination, and almost a leap of faith that you will arrive there, and no guarantee that you will even get there to begin with. The possibility of going down with the deflated ship increases. I can see why some will argue that they are a hassle and inconvenience. But I believe it is worth the effort, that especially for those who engage at an early age (the abstinence bullshit is so far against human nature that it just invites childhood pregnancy) it is an imperative and that for those who get started young (not me unfortunately), it is the way to go. So the moral of the story is slap one on – you won’t regret it!

Bollywood Restaurant, Carson City, Nevada

If anyone ever saw a scene from Spinal Tap where there is supposed to be a record signing but instead of a large crowd at the store there is just the group alone in a corner with one of them obnoxiously and loudly blowing his nose - the event last night was like that - we had a "free meal" in place of Victoria promoting a dinner dance event, but despite her frantic effortss, we were about the only ones who showed up and the owner seemed a little pissed off at her as a result - still - one of the best lamb dishes I have ever had in my life