2006-08-29

Great News

My friend Andy Ledger has been able to recover about 500MB worth of old pictures from my Laptop from Boston. He mailed them to me and I got them today. I am in the process of uploading some, but this is going to take some time. We are talking about over 2300 photos here. A good majority of them are work related, but some others are ones I took of the scenery when I was working in different parts of the country. Thanks very much Andy You have really made my day.

2006-08-27

Are you fucking kidding me?



More proof that the music industry is on a downward spiral. Look at this shit. Can you actually believe this shit?

Do I need to remind you that my neighbors are assholes?


I had to get up at 7 AM this morning for work, so I had my alarm set. But as it turned out, I didn't need the alarm set at all. My asshole neighbors have, as usual, neglected their dog -probably by not feeding, not providing drink, etc. So the dog was howling and barking at 6 AM. And of course I can't put in earplugs or anything cause I need to be able to hear the alarm clock I set. So I basically have to lie there and try and get as much rest as possible until 7. Meanwhile these fuckers have been planning a garage sale cause when I am getting ready for work I notice about 20 cars parked in front of my house. I wonder if the teenage girls that live there are having a party at 730 am. But no they have a garage sale. And the damn dog is locked up in his Guantanamo-esque cage pacing and pacing and jumping up on the cage desperately trying to get my idiotic neighbors' attention.


Just what the fuck is up with these people and their goddam garage sales anyway? Who the fuck gets up at 6am to go drive to a garage sale? Jesus!

2006-08-26

Ordeal... Midwife


Back in my army days, we had this good system of using code words. When encountering someone in the wilderness or anywhere, one person would issue a challenge word, and the other person would say the password. If the password was right, the first person who issued the challenge would know this other person was a friendly. Once in Alaska, we had the challenge word of ordeal, and the password of midwife. Its funny how you can remember things. I thought about this today. The reason is because I was in one hell of an ordeal.

I was done with my work at around 10:30 AM. I was already in Nashville so I decided to go driving around looking for interesting things to photograph. I went out to the Tennessee State Prison. This building has been abandoned for years and I heard they filmed the movie "The Green Mile" there. So I was quite pleased that I was able to just drive up and photograph it. Already there were clear signs it was going to be a nice afternoon.

I then decided to go to downtown Nashville to have a look around and investigate the parking situation for further visits because I always hate paying $10 just to park downtown. I found out that there is metered parking but there is a two hour limit and only if you are lucky enough to acquire the spot.

Anyway, I found some free parking on Gay St. I stopped there and walked down to 1st Ave. Took some really excellent pictures that I am currently uploading to my flickr page. I then went to Bicentennial Park and took some more really good photos. You will notice that this is where the day turned to shit.

I reached down and felt that my cell phone was not in its holster. I immediately panicked. I ran back to the car which was parked about a mile away. Out of breath and sweaty from the afternoon heat and humidity I searched frantically in the car only to come up empty handed. I then thought to look for my other cell phone, so that I could call my cell phone and listen for the ring. I check it and it is dead. So I had to drive home.

At home I immediately called my cell phone and it rang and rang and then went to voicemail. I then called Verizon and they enabled "Lost mode" whereby the phone can receive calls but cannot place calls. I then picked up the charger for my old phone and made my way back to retrace my steps. I Went to the Tennessee State Prison and retraced my steps but it was nowhere to be found. I Called the number about once every 3 minutes while driving from there towards 1st Ave. And once I was on Broadway making my way towards 1st Ave. Someone answers my phone.

I say "Hi, I've lost my cell phone and you have apparently found it."

The guy says "Yeah."

so I say back "Well where can I find you?"

He says "Do you work on the Mississippi Queen?"

I say "No, but I was down there taking pictures earlier."

So he tells me that it will be waiting for me at the boat. I am so relieved I am not even the slightest bit mad when an unkempt looking old man with a grey beard and a shirt with the sleeves cut off tells me he is holding the parking spot on Gay St. For his wife who would be there shortly. I drive about a half a mile further down on Gay St. to park the car, and walk down to the boat. There were two guys there who worked security for the Mississippi Queen, one of who I thought was the guy I talked to just moments earlier, grilled me with a series of questions to ensure the phone was actually mine. I answered him and he gave me the phone.

I walked back to the car and was on the phone to Verizon to enable the phone again. I had brought the bill from home that had the Verizon number on it and other information should they have needed such as my account number etc. I was by this point really exhausted, after not having eaten any food all day. I decided it was worth it to go and reward myself with some Panera and upload all my pictures, and publish this story, of loss and anxiety.

So here I am sitting in Panera with food in my belly and my anxiety and fear gone. The phone had just simply slipped out of its holster. Its not as if I am incompetent or anything. Shit happens. In my case, shit happens often.

2006-08-24

My asshole neighbors



These motherfuckers bought a dog -shortly before we moved into this house in October 2005. I know this because the dog was just a small puppy the first time I noticed him. These motherfuckers keep the dog outside 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The dog has never seen the inside of these peoples home. If you remember, back when I was complaining about this these people would leave the dog outside with snow falling.



These motherfuckers have no business owning a dog. The guy is a total prick and he didn't even answer or respond to our letter. The dog was howling and howling one night last week. I noticed he was still chained to the tree as he had been since 7 am that morning. It was now almost midnight. I went outside and saw that the bowl of water that he did have was shallow and was dirty. And the food bowl was overturned and completely empty. So we brought out some food to him and he ate it up. These motherfuckers hadn't tended to him all day. The first picture was taken this morning and the sun was hot to me sitting in my back yard. I am sure it was hot to this dog cause of him being black. He was so hot that he was hiding behind his house to escape the sun.

So I don't know what to do. If I call the pound on him this asshole is going to probably get me back somehow. But I hate the way that they treat this dog. Him locked in a cage like a prisoner. To be constantly treading in his own shit. And this guy's stupid teenage daughters don't give a shit either. It all makes for an unpleasant situation.

The only exciting thing going on lately is my newest additions to flickr. And its also coming up on the 2 year anniversary of this blog though I haven't been updating this at all. Will find the zoo pictures on the other camera and upload them sometime.

2006-08-15

Why Americans are fat


Lets take this example here. I was waiting for an appointment and parked in a local Fast food Restaurant's parking lot, because it had a tree that I could use for shade. I waited there and took this picture cause I was absolutely appalled at the gross advertising. I only used the place later, to go in and take a piss, and then left.

Firstly Americans are always sucked into deals that trick us into buying more food that we don't need. To somehow think we are getting a better "Deal". The deal is being dealt by the fast food industry resulting in fat people. Why on earth - unless you were buying for 2 people - would anyone need 2 quarter pound burgers? And secondly, the burger to the right of that, fucking hell, that thing is massive. Way bigger than any normal sized portion. Lastly, that "Salad" is probably as fattening as any burger, but under the guise of being a "salad" they trick people into thinking they are eating healthy. Its got greasy beef, probably cheese, and sour cream.

If you haven't read this book you seriously need to:

Buy it at Amazon

2006-08-09

Dead tired

Its late again and I am dead tired. I did nothing at all today except drive very far, and then wait in my car reading a book.

Felt very unproductive. Was also very uncomfortable. Check out my flickr site for the pics I took today. Here is just a sample.





First appt is at 11 and it looks as if this week is going to be a non productive week. I may get under 40 hours but as I am on salary that is fine by me.

I wish I had a camera that I could focus instead of being autofocus. But these seem to come out pretty good and interesting.