R.I.P. Albert Hofmann

In Memorium -- Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, whose Problem Child changed the perspective of an entire generation, passed away Tuesday at his home in Burg im Leimental, Switzerland, at 102 years old.

Gas Tax Holiday?

Apparently we need a holiday. No, not from work, although very few American workers get half the vacation they deserve. The proposed holiday is a holiday from the gas tax. Both John McCain and Hillary Clinton are proposing their own versions of this Gas Tax Holiday which would last through the summer vacation months and save us all a hefty 18.4 cents per gallon (24.4 cents for diesel).

They can keep it. After a bit of math, I'd be keeping an "extra" $30 in my pocket over the course of the entire summer. Wow. Somehow, I just don't think that's going to impact anyone's travel plans one way or the other. I have to side with Senator Obama on this one who says that this is basically a short term, quick fix that doesn't solve anything.

Doesn't the government have enough money problems without depriving itself of a key source of revenue for three months of the year? If Americans were suddenly thrust into the European arena they would quickly be taking advantage of their right to bear arms and go postal over their petrol prices. A reader in Germany, KaiserMichi, informed me that he recently paid $9.70 for a gallon of gas.

And it's even more expensive in Italy. In fact, a half to two-thirds of the price of the gas in Europe is tax -- up to $5 or more. Yes, they are paying way more in tax on a gallon of gas than we pay for a gallon of gas. The positive results of this are that the auto manufacturers are thusly encouraged to develop more fuel efficient cars and the people drive less and use public transportation more.

So do us all a favor -- Big Government -- and don't give a starving dog a rubber bone. Save the weak and pointless gestures and do something that will really help. I'm all about paying through the nose for my fossil fuel addiction if the tax I pay on it is used to get me clean.

And I want to be clean....and green.

Historical Mutiny

Just a bit of naval history today.... On this date in 1789, Captain William Bligh and eighteen sailors are set adrift by the rebel crew led by Fletcher Christian in the most famous maritime mutiny in history -- Mutiny on the Bounty.

$6 Per Gallon?

This article on Newsweek.com -- "Should You Pay $6 Per Gallon?" -- had me thinking hard about the price of gasoline as well as my recent automotive upgrade. After a few fill-ups and doing the math, my new light truck is getting 14mpg city and 19mpg highway -- losing a few mpg from the "new" rating (it's a 2000) of 17city/21highway in the last eight years and 80,000 miles of its life.

And in a previous post, "Fossil Eyes", I had talked about what it would take for me to change my driving habits. A European reader, KaiserMichi, commented that they weren't impressed (in Europe) with our gas price woes as they pay more than double our prices at the pump on a daily basis and have been for years.

The article makes some excellent points. I must admit that although $4 a gallon is inconvenient, it's really not the hardship that some make it out to be. I'm sure I'd feel differently if I drove a hundred miles a day or more, but I don't. And at present, I'm now spending the same as I have in the past for fuel to get to and from work. I'm using less gas, but the prices have gone up.

In short, I'd gladly pay $6 a gallon or more if it meant that a large portion of the tax went towards developing alternative fuel sources. It would also have more of an impact on my wallet and therefore my driving habits.

It's folly to continue to cry about high prices at the pump as long as, instead of fixing this problem ourselves with alternative energy, we are dependent for our crude on countries that hate us. Those countries must feed their own needs first and we are stuck paying the price for being last in line.

We've got to wake up and accept that gas prices aren't going down. And if we want to continue to drive our land barges that keep getting bigger, heavier, and more powerful despite the world's oil issues, we'll need to find cheaper, friendlier sources of crude oil or altogether alternative (read: oil-less) methods to power us from place to place.

A Date With Frida

We visited the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the art museum today. Fabulous. I love surrealism and Frida is one of my favorites. Her unique vision isn't for everyone. I find her work beautiful, shocking, sensual, vivid, and disturbing.

Health Careless

This story "Dying for lack of insurance" on CNN Health makes me ashamed of the money-hungry healthcare system we have in this country. You can read the story, but it's not a unique one. There are fifty million Americans without healthcare insurance and this could be any one of them.

But since many people maintain their healthcare through their jobs and there is no job security anymore, this could be anyone at all. There but for the grace of God go I.

In short, if you're poor, uninsured, or under-insured, and have a chronic or terminal illness, you might as well spend the little money you have on your funeral arrangements because those who can treat you and make you well won't do it if they can't be paid. It's beyond criminal. There are exceptions of course, but those are few.

How we as a leading industrialized nation are still managing to turn our backs on universal health care is a mystery to me. It's been endlessly debated for years and nothing happens -- meanwhile people die every day because they literally can't afford to live. This needs to be figured out and put it into place. If there are problems, we figure them out as we go -- not "do nothing" because we haven't ironed out the details yet.

Until the government finally does its part, I'll just have to keep doing mine -- staying healthy and employed.

Thursday's Child

I'm still having one of those weeks today. Can't quite get out of first gear. With that in mind, I'm turning over the ether to David Bowie.

Barefoot Science

Science has finally vindicated me for years of bohemian attitudes. The results are in. Wearing shoes is -- in general -- bad for you. This article on NPR led me to this one on the New York Magazine site entitled, appropriately, You Walk Wrong.

In effect, four million years of evolution perfecting the human foot is at war with the last thousand years or so of injurious footwear.

For me, any day without shoes is a good day -- and not just because it means that I wasn't at work. Sure, barefoot is the best with sand between my toes, but barefoot anywhere is somehow more relaxed and comfortable. Sometimes just having to wear shoes at all is like wearing an ill-fitting tuxedo over a cheap, over-starched shirt with a collar that's too small.

I had heard that it's illegal to drive barefoot, but fortunately that has been debunked as an urban legend (since I couldn't imagine any sane person having a compelling argument to substantiate the rationale behind such a law). That would be a bit like making it illegal to drive unless wearing mittens.

So do yourself -- and your feet -- a favor. Kick back and take your shoes off -- as often as possible. In fact, this new-found celebration of sub-ankular nudity is yet another good reason to sign on to one of those Barefoot Cruises I've always wanted to take. But that's a subject for another post.

Happy Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. How will you observe it? Save some energy? Recycle? Take the stairs?

I think every day should be Earth Day. If I were the Earth, I'd feel a little put out that I'm only thought of one day a year. Granted, Earth Day's purpose is to raise awareness of the environmental issues of the planet for those with, well....low awareness of our planet's plight. The rest of us tree-huggers already have our finger on the pulse of just how grim parts of the picture really are.

So do your part make every day Earth Day.
And if you're in Pennsylvania, remember to vote -- and vote often.

Monday Monday

I'm a bit off today.
And I hate Mondays.
I don't know why.


But I'm trying to be optimistic. It can't last forever.
Every other day of the week is fine.
Maybe if I were in LA....

Kudos....

....To Danica Patrick for not being the Anna Kournikova of the Indy Racing League. Finally, after her 50th IndyCar start, she won the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan -- the first woman to ever win an IndyCar race.

Meet Billie Jean

I try to resist the rare urge to comment on pop culture because a lot of it is like bubble gum for the mind.

But I'm a musician and when I hear something special I feel compelled to share it. I've mentioned before that we watch American Idol. In my opinion, this year has a far greater percentage of really great talent than a few previous years combined.

One of the favorites who consistently turns in superior and original performances is David Cook. He knows his instrument and how to use it beautifully no matter what the theme of the week (two weeks were Beatles tunes, a recent week was Mariah Carey, etc...). One of the themes was to choose a song from the year of the contestant's birth.

David chose a Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden and Audioslave) arrangement of 1983's Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. Thriller was a great album, but I didn't love Billie Jean until I heard this version -- which I think David sings better than Chris Cornell, by the way.

Birthday Party Overkill

This article about extravagant children's birthday parties had my head spinning. Seemingly sane parents actually spend upwards of thousands -- tens of thousands -- of dollars for kids' parties.

The first part of the story is about a mother who dropped $5000 on a party for her three year old. Please....who are we trying to impress here? The other toddlers at the party? And she's small potatoes. Others are spending ten and twenty thousand. I don't get it.

It's like we're seeing a whole culture of what can only be called Child Worship empowered by these doting diaper-sniffers that have small children with busier social obligations than they do. So naturally, when Junior turns two, nothing short of the fanfare worthy of a Royal Wedding will suffice.

The jaw dropper is the bat mitzvah for the daughter of a former defense contractor that cost ten million -- yes, that's $10,000,000. Hey, you only turn thirteen once, right? I'm sure that father was also a philanthropist, donated to the poor, funded educational programs, and had hospital wings named after him.

No? Well, at least his little princess will always cherish the memory of Aerosmith playing at her party -- assuming she even knows who they are. Let's call a spade a spade -- this was about bragging rights and Dad inviting all of his friends.

By all means, let's add to the attitude of entitlement that a lot of kids have already. Are kids getting the wrong message? Umm...Duh! Of course, it's "all about the kids having a good time", right? I seem to remember having a good time at home with family, my favorite cake baked by my mother and the latest cool toy that I just had to have.

For me, the punch line to this article is the end. It not only provides some tips for giving a party inexpensively, but also several websites for added reference. Apparently, we've been so brainwashed with the necessity of extravagant soirees we've forgotten how to simply buy a present, bake a cake, and sing Happy Birthday.

Our Slice Of Shangri-La

At the risk of prattling on about hearth and home, I have to mention that we've taken yet another step in the completion of the homestead.

Our castle sits on a modest piece of land with a commanding view of the neighborhood. However, some of the homes -- ours among them -- are close enough that we feel somewhat "on display" when relaxing on the deck. The solution?-- a privacy barrier.

We had tried the subtle shrubbery route, but it would have been years before being enough so a handsome fence was chosen in their stead. I really don't like the idea that we need walls and fences to separate us from our neighbors. On the other hand, we all need our space and privacy, and we actually did the neighbors a favor. Our fence affords them the same privacy that it does for us.

If I could only figure out how to add on a garage to safely store the Harley-Davidson I don't have yet, this place would be perfect.

Paying It Forward

We gave away our lawnmower today. It felt good to let it go without a second thought as to its value or any attachment to it. It ran well, but probably wasn't worth much anyway -- except to me when I was cutting the grass last season.

This season we have a couple local guys taking care of our lawn so it seemed like a good time to clear out some space in the shed and pat ourselves on the back for our charitable nature.

Yeah, right.... I belong to a Yahoo group called Freecycle. It's for people like me who don't want to wastefully discard useful items, but also don't want to go through the hassle of trying to sell them. I posted a description -- not like this machine was any kind of treasure -- and waited to see if I'd get a response.

Who knew that a free lawnmower would be so popular? I got two dozen responses. There is no set rule as to how to choose whom to give your treasures to. Subsequently, I had guilt because there were several almost impassioned pleas from people that needed it for one reason or another.

In the end, the lucky winners were a young couple that just moved into a home and hadn't any of the standard "home-owner" stuff to take care of their yard -- kind of like we were when we moved into the house after eight years of apartment living. We had lamented our lack of lawn care products upon buying our house and the seller offered us his lawn mower since he'd be buying a tractor to mow his new acre of land.

So it was good Karma and it had a certain symmetry that we pass on what we were given for free to those in the same situation. Now if there were only someone in need of a Karmic boost who needed to pass on a good used Harley....

Tax Day, Schmax Day

Here's a good article by Glenn Beck about taxes here in the US. He says that tax day is the only bipartisan day of the year -- everyone hates it.

With that in mind, here's a little something in keeping with the situation. These guys always put me in a better mood -- despite the taxman.

CaffeiNation

I read recently that there will be a bill introduced in New Jersey that would prohibit youth from buying super-caffeinated drinks and supplements. While I whole-heartedly applaud this move -- especially on a health conscious level -- it doesn't bode well that the same bill failed after its introduction in Maine.

But in a way it seems a bit un-American. How will we continue as a nation of speed freaks if we don't indoctrinate our children? Let's face it -- if you're into speed, this is the country for you. You can't go a mile in any direction without running into a Starbuck's. I think this country would threaten grinding to a halt if we didn't have our daily fix.

I can't pretend to be holier-than-thou. I've taken to having a couple cups of java after I get to work. In small doses, caffeine is beneficial to mental acuity. As opposed to the serious addicts that drink a pot a day or more, I have no problem cutting myself off at a cup or two -- probably because the sludge available in the office is at best a barely palatable caffeine delivery system.

A word or three about the picture at the top of this post. The names given to these energy drinks run the gamut from humorous to frightening. The pictured drink's logo is a direct reference to Nitrous Oxide Systems -- a company that has been around since the 80s (at least, I'm pretty sure they're still around). I wonder if anyone but a gearhead would know the reference to drag racing and horsepower boosting.

There are many more -- Jolt, Hype, Awake, Red Bull, Cocaine.... Let's stop there. Cocaine? Yes, some marketing genius decided that an energy drink should be called Cocaine. Is this really a word that we want to have more than one meaning or reference? I think the one is quite enough. The drink's inventor, James Kirby, said, "It's an energy drink and it's a fun name. As soon as people look at the can, they smile." I think these are smiling people I don't want to meet.

We have enough problems with real drugs in this country -- cocaine from South America and opiates from the Middle East, to say nothing of the widespread abuse of prescription drugs -- without marketing speed to our youth. They have more than enough energy, in my experience. If they don't, what they need is more sleep, better nutrition, and a higher level of activity -- or a trip to the doctor -- not a canned, temporary boost that gives them high blood pressure and a sugar crash.

Thought Food

"I can tell you this: The Stone Age didn't end because we ran out of stones. The Oil Age won't end because we run out of oil." -- Sheikh Yamani

I, Borg

I endured the better part of this afternoon inundated by technology whilst battling one of the many demons of Microsoft mail services. The server at my fingertips was fifteen miles away. I connected to my Blackberry with a Bluetooth earpiece and spoke to tech support in Texas and then....India? I never found out. After I gave up my vital statistics and was put in the queue, I waited nearly two hours without connecting to a technician.

But that turned out to be a good thing. The same ghastly loop of bad jazz that sounded as if it were coming straight out of Satan's bottom repeated over and over on the music-on-hold -- between the occasional assurance that my call would be answered in the order received -- until some primal survival instinct took over to keep me sane.

I entered a state of complete clarity as if both hemispheres of my brain had synchronized to a common cause. Every thought wave resonated with the goal of tearing apart my problem until I had a solution so I could end the call and make the ruthlessly tortuous music stop.

It worked. Within a few minutes I formulated what had to be done, implemented the solution, rebooted the server, and confirmed functionality. Uncanny. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bad Jazz on Hold had been carefully chosen to encourage people to either give up waiting or trigger their critical thinking into overdrive.

Brilliance or happenstance? I hope the opportunity for a repeat experiment is indefinitely postponed.

Encore

Before it becomes old news, I'd like to tip my hat once again to one of my favorite actors of the Twentieth century with a clip that not only shows his acting chops, but his great sense of humor.

This scene with Mike Myers is Chuck's cameo in Wayne's World:

How To Design A Logo

A friend sent me this last week. It needs no further commentary from me. It's chilling and brilliant.

Hump Day Tool

I'm taking the day off from life slices and strong opinions to share a video from the band Tool. It's not for everyone. Not like it's rated "R" or anything, but some of the imagery might border on disturbing -- in a twisted, science fiction quasi-nightmare kind of way -- to those with more delicate sensibilities.

On the other hand the bizarre graphics are amazing and the music and musicianship are excellent as always. The song is Parabola.

Fossil Eyes

It seems the price of a barrel of crude hits a "new high" every other day -- thanks in no small part to the commodities speculators. But they didn't create the problem, they're just making it worse for the rest of us by capitalizing on it.

I wonder how much a gallon of gas in this country will have to cost before it radically changes my driving habits -- $4? $5? We've just upgraded our vehicles so that we can be safer and more fuel efficient, but that's only a matter of degrees. I used to spend upwards of three hundred dollars a month just to get back and forth to work. If I've shaved off even one hundred dollars a month with the new vehicle I'll consider myself lucky.

Not that I'm straining my arm to pat myself on the back for my Herculean conservation efforts. I had briefly considered a hybrid, but the technology is relatively new and I've read conflicting reports regarding their efficiency, reliability, and so on. One of the stories I read went so far as to discourage buyers from considering the hybrids because the extra money spent on the technology would outweigh any fuel savings. Apparently, the reviewer didn't consider that some would buy a hybrid to conserve our fossil fuels irrespective of the slight additional costs.

An electric vehicle is out of the question at the moment. They must be plugged in to the house or a charging station to recharge, so I don't see any conservational advantages as long as most of our electricity is made from the burning of fossil fuels. Also, battery technology -- which hasn't changed much in the last hundred years -- is just starting to evolve past the point of needing large, heavy cells to store power.

So for the foreseeable future, I'll just have to content myself with driving smarter and looking forward to another vehicular upgrade in a few years when oil will be even more dear than it is today and automotive technology will have (hopefully) advanced to offset it.

Us and Them

I just don't want to be like one of them. Some years ago living in Germany, they were Mercedes drivers. I found it a strange dichotomy that in some ways, the Mercedes drivers were slightly resented by nearly every other driver -- probably because they would rather have been Mercedes drivers themselves -- yet they seemed to get the better parking spaces and "got away" with far more driving infractions than the rest of the unwashed.

What, like they were better or something? No, but their cars were. In the card deck of German automotive hierarchy, the Ace may be Porsche, but Mercedes is King (with Audi and VW doubtless filling in the remaining face cards). Logically then, if someone has the good sense and wherewithal to drive the country's flagship automobile, they certainly merit some additional consideration, Ja? Klar.

The only other country with a similar mentality is Italy. The prancing horse is the unofficial national symbol and Ferrari is nothing less than a hero. It's amazing that Enzo himself hasn't been canonized. Watch any Formula 1 race in Italy and the stands are full of fans waving bright red Ferrari flags half the size of Rhode Island. Put an Italian in a Ferrari winning an Italian Grand Prix and the celebrations in the streets would last for days while the pilot's place on Mount Olympus would be assured.

But this is America. I purchased pre-owned to avoid the insane depreciation that sucks the value from every new car. I got a V6 to conserve gas, all wheel drive for the three times a year I'll actually have to navigate snow, an almost bumper-to-bumper four year warranty, and the safest light truck in its class for my peace of mind. This truck practically dropped into my lap as we were closing the deal for Dena's car. Yes, I have as many good, practical reasons for owning this truck as I have misdirecting rationalizations for clouding the snob appeal -- which did factor ever so slightly in my decision to accept fate and acquire the Benz.

And despite my commanding view of the road, I'll not use it to look down on my fellow drivers -- after all, I don't want to be mistaken for one of them.

Goodnight, Sweet Prince of Hur

I was saddened at hearing of the passing of one of my favorite actors of all time, Charlton Heston. I've enjoyed his films for decades and he has starred in many of my favorites: Ben-Hur, El Cid, The Ten Commandments, The Greatest Show on Earth, Planet of the Apes, The Agony and the Ecstasy, the list goes on and on....

I found this tribute to him on YouTube that includes a few famous film clips set to an acoustic version of Oasis' Wonderwall:
And now I post in his honor a triumvirate of his most memorable film clips -- the first, his soliloquy as the Player King in Kenneth Branagh's 1996 complete version of Hamlet, Act II Scene II:

Amazing, right? As much as I had enjoyed him for years, I had no idea he was that good.

Secondarily, a scene in which he speaks one of his most memorable lines of all time from Planet of the Apes.


Now grab some popcorn and enjoy one of the greatest sequences ever filmed -- months to shoot but lasting only nine minutes on screen, it remains a cornerstone of movie greatness. Chuck doesn't have any lines, but it is him driving the chariot.

Buy American

So I've finally upgraded my truck -- kind of like an iMac is an upgrade to an abacus....

Despite the legions of jobs that we've exported, it's nice to know that there are still a few things available that weren't assembled in an Asian sweat shop. Americans in Vance, Alabama, built this prime example of German craftsmanship.

The V6 gets better than twice the mileage of the Dodge's eight and is safer in every way. Am I rationalizing? Well yeah, I might be doing that for a while.

Pride

Early morning, April 4....

I Roll

We welcomed a new addition to the family yesterday....from Dena's side -- Swedish. She's a beauty. Great lines. I'd like to call her Sadie (because she's a S80....get it? Nevermind...), but I don't think I get to pick the name.

At least she's blue.

Recent Toys

I can't very well trumpet the short-lived greatness of my first bike without a nod to the machine I just parted with. After all, I only had the ZX1000 in Germany for a couple weeks before the accident. I owned this '86 ZX900 for four years and put on a lot more miles -- most painfully, a four hundred mile (one way) road trip to Ohio. I had expected a minimum level of sustained comfort for a seven hour ride that the bike could not provide for longer than 45 minutes. Ouch.

Lesson learned. But carving up back roads or enlivening the morning commute was right up its alley. As much as I'm looking forward to a torquey American V-Twin, there's nothing quite like the smooth and wide power band of a Japanese in-line four cylinder. It's Formula 1 engineering at a Volkswagen price.

With that, I could almost talk myself out of a Harley except for one thing -- I've ridden one. Now I have to have one. Besides, it was like pulling teeth to get my wife -- who loves to ride -- on the back of the ZX. If it's even possible, it's more uncomfortable for the passenger than the driver. A nice saddle on a Harley is inviting enough for a day's worth of relaxed comfort.

So I am not only between motorcycles, but schools of thought as well regarding riding style. The next bike will be a Harley -- because I've wanted one for so long, even though I could surely get comparable quality and price with other American manufacturers like Indian and Victory.

Someday I will probably have another crotch rocket -- or at least a sport touring -- because every now and then I'll need my adrenaline fix and nothing beats the rice bikes for fast-acting, long-lasting, white-knuckled thrills.

But I've heard that sky diving comes close.

Old Toys

With all of my lamentations about my two-wheeled shortage this season, I can't help but remember the machine that got me into motorcycling. Pictured above is my first bike. Well, not exactly -- the picture is of a 1989 Kawasaki ZX-10. In 1993, I purchased a 1989 Kawasaki ZX1000 while in Germany. Same bike, different name for a different market, I suppose.

But the picture is accurate down to the color and the stripes. Did I mention it was fast? Way too fast, in fact. I took it on the Autobahn and twisted my wrist as far as it would go. I don't know how fast it would have gone -- I chickened out at 160mph.

A friend owned the previous year's ZX-10 that he tweaked. With both of us on it -- we were both around 200lbs -- he sent the speedo somewhere north of 190mph on our way to Denmark one fine day.

Of course it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. I didn't, but suffered a couple fractures and some gnarly road rash after a clueless driver cut me off at 120mph -- actually, I was doing 120, he was probably doing about 70. I walked (slightly limped) away, but the bike didn't make it. I was told that the crash was quite spectacular. It's a shame I was too busy tumbling down the Autobahn to really enjoy it properly.

So now I'm at the point that I'm ready to make the lateral move from sport bike to cruiser. I still love the crotch rockets, but most of them aren't made for comfortable, long distance cruising. And I'm just not in that much of a hurry anymore.