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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

Shit Happens

Yes that is the same kind of car I drive for work and yes it is even the same exact color, but no it is not my work car.

Here it is midnight and I just now got done with my work again. Daniella is going to bed at 10 pm still so its at that time when I can start my paperwork.

Gawkers at the accident scene.

The will to excess

One of the many things wrong with this country is when you can allow greedy fat fuckers to pay poor Mexican immigrants $6 per hour to perform hard back-breaking manual labor building houses in Franklin, TN that these same corporate fat fucks turn around and sell for $800,000 to White-washed America. People who have grown up with silver spoons in their mouths, and whose kids will, and are growing up with silver spoons in their mouths. White people whose well stocked pantries have more square footage than some people's bedrooms. There is something completely wrong with the fact that these white people have only been fortunate enough to have been born in to the right family.


America is increasingly being filled with the same clone drone identical shops, stores, layouts for strip malls. The exact same cardboard cut out neighborhoods. The same fake roundabouts. The same gigantic houses with the same air conditioners that suck up so much of the city's electricity. The same GMC Yukon's and the same Ford Expedition's parked in the same exact driveways. America is a nation of giants. Gigantic people, gigantic vehicles, gigantic houses. Houses that are sufficient enough for 12 people to dwell in, when in fact there are only 4 people living there. The same rich, whitewashed family of 4. Enough food in these houses to feed an entire village in Africa. Enough food in the trash bins of these houses to feed some villages in Africa. Just one of these gigantic SUV's waste the equivalent amount of fuel to power 4 generators for 8 hours. And the saddest part of it is, this scene is being copied all over the country.


At the end of the day, the Mexicans go home to their apartments. Their small rented houses. They don't get new roads. They don't even have cars. They get to ride in the back of a pickup truck with shovels, hammers, nails, cement. The fat, white corporate fuckers don't even go outside in the 100 degree heat. America has become a place for people to be excessive. There is so much waste in this country it fucking makes me sick. And I am not just ranting about people who are rich. I am ranting about people who waste. Even if you are rich, there is no need for anyone to waste so much space and energy, regardless of whether or not you can afford to pay for it. Thats where the Pro SUV crowd get it wrong every time. It doesn't matter if you are able to pay for it, it matters if you need it or not. Why wastesomeone else's gas?

Inconsiderate fucker

As mentioned previously on this blog, one of my biggest complaints is when inconsiderate fuckers pour out their sugary soda onto the parking spot right out their car's doors. This is an example of such rudeness. I saw this at the Kangaroo Station in Murfreesboro. (Uploaded to Flickr) So the next person (me) gets the pleasure of treading in this shit. Since the inconsiderate fuckers just pour it out right at the door, and are probably too fat and lazy to get up and, god forbid, pour it in the grass or just simply throw the cup away in the trash can, it is poured at the exact spot I step into when exiting my car.

Thanks fuckers!

Posting from Phat Bites

Ate dinner here, after the meeting at work. I am now posting this from their dining room cause they have free wifi. The place is awesome. Good food and atmosphere. I wrote about them back here.

The Elegant Universe

I long ago got this book in the store (2002) and PBS aired a series based on the book. It is an excellent series. I just found it online, all the episodes and chapters.

Check it out, you need QT or RP to play it. (Quicktime is far superior to Real)

Interactive videos, watch them all when you have time.

Scruncher vs. Folder

As discussed on the DSC, There is a worldwide vote over at scruncherorfolder.com

It started out as a yanks vs. Brits segment, but as the site shows, there is no real correlation between Yanks, vs Brits, and scrunching vs folding.

Flickr playing up

Flickr is playing up so some of my photos may not be viewable.

Still in the process of writing a short story, the process is slow, and I am done with a chapter but I want to fine tune it, make it better before publishing anything.

So be patient. These things take time. Basically I want a story that will take the average person to 30 minutes to read. This may take longer than I thought.

I may publish it in chapters at a time. I don't know yet.

At work on a new blog

A Short Stories blog. Will be at

http://chrisandshortstories.blogspot.com/

Driving again

In my job, I drive around every single day. I drive about 100-200 miles per day. So I get to look at a lot of interesting scenery. I really like the first few photos.














Truly odd Bilboard, that is just in your face and done in bad taste in my opinion.


The reverse, done in better taste.


The most exciting thing about Scottsville, KY WOW!

Iowa at sunset

Decided to not be a dork. I own the rights to this photo by the way. I took it driving South on I-29 in Iowa in early April 1999. I was going about 70, rolled down the passenger window and took it.

Turned out great even though the lens was only 28mm.

An Injury

In my attempt to document the injury I took several photos. I was trying to shove the foam cushion provided by Sampsonite (the case used for my laptop) into my backpack. I shoved my hand right in where on the other compartment was a plastic folder. The edge of which went straight in between my thumbnail and the flesh of my thumb, shooting pain directly to my brain. I just thought it was a minor thing yes it did hurt, fuck it hurt very badly. So I look at it and sure enough there is blood collecting in the fingernail. Its a ritual now that I play with Daniella until she says she wants to lay down. Then I take Buttons and my computer and back pack etc. upstairs to work while she goes to sleep. I was in the process of gathering up everything when this happened, so I wasn't allowed to swear or even shout. Cause Daniella said she was ready for bed. I can type using my thumb now though, When I first started doing my work, I couldn't it sucks, cause its just a dull pain now.









The pictures turned out kinda cool. You can see the outline of the energy efficient lighting I have. Thinking about it now though, I should have placed my hand on the desk and shone the light from above. And then took the picture.

Sunday Night

It seems like there was actually no weekend. Having worked Saturday. And now it looks like tomorrow will be a full day. I can't complain though. I at least have a job.

I am now typing this on the laptop you see pictured above. This is my upstairs workstation -its messy but I have been so busy lately to tidy up in this room. So I am writing pictures to a CD on the desktop, while writing this on my laptop. I like to multitask when I work on weeknights. I usually do my work (for work) on my laptop, connecting my HP1160 to the laptop behind the desk, and at the same time while waiting for various things to download for work etc. I like to go on my boards and do podcasts, get podcasts etc. On the desktop. So no one computer ever really gets bogged down. Like now. I am writing this on the laptop while writing photos to a CD on the desktop and also DL'ing podcasts. If I had tried to do all of them on one machine, they would probably bog down. (maybe not though) but anyway, as this laptop is a work laptop, I like to do the work on here and then do personal things on the desktop. Its an OK setup and it works. I really need to get a comfortable desk chair though. I did have one in Massachusetts, but we couldn't take it in the move. So it had to be left.

All 3 machines in the house are wireless so if something goes wonky with my router I am fucked.

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This picture was taken in Sept. 2001. In the town of Wheeling, WV. I thought the mural on the wall behind me was cool, so I had my picture taken. Note the gas price