This is the first time I have ever found Absinthe from the source legally, "Lucid".
I've had 6 pint glasses, mixed as it should be, so far.
U still need a food scientist apart from this jam. This might be a hungry jam.
But you know that you should b taking PT 11. too much.
I really feel like this song captures all my feelings up until this song popped up.
- These are my thoughts on the newly legal Absinthe. I didn't enjoy the drink too much, but obviously my mind had different ideas.
Today we should begin to think of the environment as a living organism. Gaia takes it to an extreme but there is some credibility to that. The Earth has arteries and veins (rivers, oceans) and a energy source (the molten metal core). It heats and cools naturally sometimes to excess. But the Earth doesn't need human beings around. Trees grow on the planet and can die off. We are like the trees, we have been around but the resources might not be there in the future to live on. Do you get that? We are to the planet as trees. Trees can die. It doesn't kill the planet. It doesn't even kill every lifeform (cockroaches and who know what else?). But we are very sensitive to the temperature and humidity. Humans are very susceptible to environmental changes AND pollution.
This came from mankind's love of fire. It's the main thing differentiating us from animals. No other thought to make a campfire or BBQ a steak. Up until now....that has worked. Every engine is powered from burning something. And we have yet to figure out that better thing. Or have we? We have. Today's alternative energy sources would work better if we did them on a bigger scale (solar, wind, water, nuke power). Nuclear power is this universe's unlimited energy source. I hate to say it but men will never get past nuclear power. That is where we are meant to go hundreds ..... thousands of years from now. But it is so so dangerous. We may blow ourselves up, or others with weapons before that point. But I do think we should keep working on it. We need to continue to work at perfecting it without blowing ourselves up. We have nothing stronger than the power of the atom on this planet.
As a kid in Chicago I noticed winters starting in November and moving through January. I have seen the seasons change whether people believe me or not. Today we are lucky to see snow by December and winters that last into April. And everything seems milder than the previous year. I have noticed the seasons change from what they were.
When I was a kid I also thought we'd have moving sidewalks by today's times. But we are not even close to flying cars and holo-decks. But one genius thing we do have is solar power. It's a great thing. The sun powers our lives. It can generate energy predictably. We have pretty cheap solar cells and the technology is always getting better. I know it works. So let's hook them up everywhere in unused spaces. And support it in conversation. We should at least have solar panels linked together around the world to constantly follow the sunlight. Permanent power. It's something we know but don't use. There is also definitely a government conspiracy with the car and oil companies to not research alternative energy sources. That we can not fight as individuals unless we demand electric cars or solar ones.
So to save the planet we need to just burn less stuff. That's the key. Well that and a little goodness in the world. Maybe some respect for your fellow people. But mainly by not encouraging burning fossil fuels in your cars and in your local power plants. Our power is in our individual connections. So if the conversation comes up, be sure to throw this in. The person you talk to may be a suit who doesn't know any better. Demand alternative energy research. Bicycles help the environment (by keeping your cars in the garage) and your own mood (as you you get fit). So ride a bike, tell people gas is terrible for the world, and live life.
Dedicated to my brethren blogging today for environmental change.
I have been thinking alot about the after-life recently. Trying to figure out everything that anyone has known about this. And.... no one really knows anything.
I just had the idea that when you finally DIE......your mind kicks into an eternal dream that never ends. You have that crazy dream that just keeps on going.
I just turned another year older today. I'm not quite where I was last year at this time.
I'm listening to Bob Marley's youngest son Damian jam out right now. And the Arctic Monkeys, QOTSA, Satellite Party, Bowie, Thin Lizzy, Dangermouse, Grohl, Alan Moulder/Flood, Terry Date, Nigel Godrich, Beck, and Interpol.
The state of the world in 2007 disgusts me . The war, the corruption, and the criminal mentalities walking around free right now is crazy. I have tended to be pessimistic and sad about what the world is right now. Starvation, war, poverty, homelessness, medical corruption, genetically modified food and animal, tabloid tv world, AIDS, legal guns, Corporate Monopolies, and a terrible paid-off Media that has NO backbone at all. When I need to watch BBC news to see what's going on in the rest of the world.
The real estate market has also ticked me off this past year. Trying to buy a condo has taught me alot about the system and capitalism. Over-inflated prices paired with Sales. A crazy combination. A system right now where 40% of homebuyers are foreclosed on within the first year. They are building like crazy everywhere, no one is buying it, and they are charging way too much. The bubble will burst in a few years and alot will lose out on trying to cash in on selling real estate.
But I have turned over a new leaf today. To Optimism. To Hope. Skepticism has taken it's toll on me, but will not ever leave me. I just have to say that at this point in my life, my negativity serves me no purpose or good. It's just that it sucks to focus on life enough to be bummed out by it. The Bible-belt will talk of the Hope told in scripture. But that does not give me Hope, it's the years of seeing something in everything that changed me.
Some will say it's old age. The youthful spirit gives up its fight against the system. Yeh, once you work long enough and become part of the system, it takes it's toll. But I am not giving up my dreams. They have kept close to me my whole life. I just didn't have the finances to move on all my crazy ideas earlier on in my life. Had to work to get to do what I wanted. But it paid off.
This goes out to Paul McCartney and Meghan who's birthday it also is today. XOXOXOX
As an Irish American, I didn't think Eire produced any band like Guns n Roses, but they did. Thin Lizzy. Back in 1969. Guns 'n Roses definitely have heard this band. Velvet Revolver too. Slash knows it. They pre-date GNR by 10 years.
But they weren't really understood at all in Ireland. They weren't ready for a band like Poison to pop up in a town of farmers and folk musicians. They didn't get it. But some did. Like me, many years later. And American Rock radio "got it" in the 70's, when they had THEIR hit "The Boys Are Back In Town" on. That song still gets played EVERYWHERE on Classic Rock radio. And at a Bears game I was at last year.
Their "Live and Dangerous" album from 1978 really captures a stadium rock band....way before the 80's and 90's rock/metal bands imitated them. Hair metal has to pay it's way through Phil Lynott's afro.
Hard Rock with dual guitar, rippin' shit guitar players, and a drummer extraordinare. The band broke up when the bassist/singer died of a drug OD. That was Phil Lynott the singer. The creative force of their band. The band lasted only for a small slice into music history. But they got their 1 hit wonder!
They had a real sense of melody and amplified music. I can hear the Irish music in the guitar solos. They all know it. They all slip into the rhythm and kick it, just oh so much, that it's cool to hear. This is well recorded, or recently remastered. Nice.
Pick up the "Live and Dangerouse" album on iTUNES.
This cut is from a pub in Ireland. And remember, these pubs have never ever had this level of amplifier play in these places. I am SURE this pub was having shit fall off the shelves all over the place. This music was loud. Picture knick-knacks fallin'. It was all acoustic music over there. It still pretty much is all still, except for U2. Until this.
I have an issue that's been bugging me for a year or two now, who put the Bible together? No one tells the story of the "divinely inspired" editing crew that chose what was in the BIble. Or what wasn't in the Bible. I'll give anyone that there's bound to be a few people in the Bible that knew what was going on. On a different plane then the regular dummies. But to say they all knew that their stories would be included in a encyclopedia of sorts, many years after they died never happened. No one writing any story in the Bible knew they would be included in the Bible years later. Maybe Moses, he wrote more than 1 book (first 5). Anyways, I'm sure there were councils involved but that only makes it worse. I can't agree that a editorial council, many hundred years later, knew what was supposed to be put together. I can't say that ANY editorial staff anywhere was ever divinely inspired. So, I have moral dilemnas wondering who put all these stories together (definitely human, no gods) and for what purpose. Just something always bugging me. Even the most Bible-belt believers don't know this answer, even though they'd stake their lives on the "good book". But it's important. Thought you all needed to think about it.
Is it a book written by man, or by God? I know I can prove it's a book written by many men over many years.....and compiled by many men over many years. That's indisputable. But where does God fit into it. To meet one man who says he's talked to God raises my walls. That's hard to prove without seeming crazy. Most people don't claim they've talked to God, but these guys do. ! maybe. But the next 300, I've got my doubts. Just something on a Tuesday night. Thoughts????
So we finally got Saddam. He was hung about an hour before this post. I'm not defending the guy. Every dictator should have their come-up-ance. But why not all of them?
The US always acts like we get all of the tyrants out there in the world. But we can't. We pick a fight with a country not harboring Bin Laden. I think democracy in it's pure form could change the Middle East, but the people of Iraq feel like we went after them accidentally after Bin Laden. Our mission became to liberate the country but didn't start that way. It's a mess.
Bill Maher always jokes that Saddam was the only capable leader of Iraq. He was crazy, the place is crazy. Strong religious factions. It took alot of executions, but he ran the place. The war is killing so many now I wish we had handled it better.
I know if I wanted to be president right now, I wouldn't want to run this term. This is a mess that no one knows how to clean up. Not a great first test.
I can only offer this as any response to any good coming from Saddam's death. The world needs better leaders. This tough love shit is tough itself. We do not talk enough. If I was prez I would try to talk to every single person I could to over there to fix this shit. And I know prez only does that once a month...maybe. We should try and figure out a safe place where we can all share the world and live in an environment of encouragement.
Oh, and the fact they hung Saddam. It's old school. It's final. People watch until you are dead! What did capital punishment show here? People might actually pay for what they did and be judged for it, before you die. That's the legal system. Anyways, that's just some thoughts I have about where we are at now. Have a good New Year's weekend!
I just read on pitchfork that this guy malachi (an experimental musician in chicago) recently lit himself on fire to protest the iraq war. and he burned himself to death tied to the millenium flame sculpture off the kennedy expressway. i just can't believe this. it shocks me and really depresses me that someone would do this kind of protest. and that it went by and was never covered in the media. both acts are pretty insane. i'm not defending the mental health of this guy, but the fact a death like this didn't effect the world at all is interesting. at least he thought one person (me) would find this curious.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/39663/Malachi_Ritscher_19542006
Malachi videotaped his death on a nearby camera (footage not looked for by me) and left a suicide note. here is a guy reading that note. Not Malachi.
a response to the note:
another response:
One main problem I have with today's journalism and news media is that they do not follow up on any hard questions they ask anyone. The media seems to have it's own political agenda and the reporting is sub par as far as getting me the truth. It seems that if any news reporter asks the polticians a tough question, they don't get invited back (or picked on) at future interviews. And if they do pick the reporter they give a very vague response and the reporter doesn't force anyone to answer the question. Our pres is very good at giving a completely redirecting answer to tough questions. W likes to smirk and joke at a tough question and moves on to another question quickly. Reporters are supposed to represent the common people in getting us the news to make better decisions. If I was a reporter I would keep at a person until my question was answered to my liking, whether that takes one day or weeks/months. If I get a vague response I may let it slide once but I will not let that answer be used a second time. Instead the media tends to cover superficial stories in times of war. If you didn't know the media has access to what are called "minute-by-minute ratings". They can track to see which stories are the most popular across the whole show. A lot of tv channels will start preparing shows by what is most popular, which is OK unless it is the news. Pet dogs, comical mishaps, cola trends, etc tend to dominate the news. From a world event aspect the media tends to just show what the government wants us to see. I have switched over the watching BBC world news for my news. I still feel this channel is biased but they cover stories both about the world and the US that I never see on the American news. In general we should ask of our reporters to find out the truth.
man. it sucks that the crocodile hunter was killed at work. it really does. this man was the best handler of dangerous animals i have ever seen. he could handle the spitting cobra, crocs, kimodo dragons, and everything else.....but a stingray did him in. but a stingray is deadly. its long slender tail can form a spear and stick right through you. and apparently the croc hunter was trying to ride or touch the top (a badplace to be if it gets defensive). the ray speared through steve and into is lungs and his heart. they said he was probably dead instantly. never the less, he didn't get to a hospital. as a biologist i really appreciate his "balls" to show the world the creatures in life that noone with a reasonable mind wants to go towards. how else am i going to see anything in his world. i would run at the sight of 99% of these creatures (the naturally reaction). but he'd go in, piss it off, and then grab it by the head and show it to us. balls. plus he always emphasized conservation. don't buy anything that a closely extinct animal is made in to. he always said aligator boots were wrong. and they r unless u r really hungry and kill it and eat it (and use it all afterwords, no waste). i'm sad he is dead because no one will ever have the guts he had to get around these creatures. and he was filming a clip for a kids tv show he was producing. checkhim out if u haven't....steve irwin "the crocodile hunter" if u haven't.he was tough. he is survived by a wife (often on the show) and 2 children. he worked at the australia zoo in queensland and will always be loved in australia, and the rest of the world.
This idea has been in my mind for a long time but I had to get it out......the one God so many religions pray to....are the same God. I personally can rationalize a Supreme Being who had some intelligent design for everything. One. No more right now. As far as the other angels and minions spoken of, I don't know. But whatever all the religious stories tell (Buddha, Jesus, Moses, etc), they all talk about "the one" we do not understand. There can't all logically exist. We are all right in our views but we are all worshipping the same one "thing". I don't think any of us know the real true story of God on this planet but deep down we know and feel the thing that is behind it all. But it's that same thing for everyone no matter what book you think has all the truth. This said, we should not have all the religious skirmishes we have because it's all about being "good" and treating others with respect. We have wars over religion and politics and they have recently become THE issue in these wars the world is now taking upon itself. Muslims vs. Jews/Christians. The point of it all is that we live peacefully. Treat others like yourself even though it is hard. There is not enough negotiating for ways to all get along. We are like little kids around the world just calling other people "wrong" and not wanting to share anything. If we all just try a good life and encourage others to do so also, we may see opportunties that never seemed available with the new cooperation. People, just think about what you truly don't know about God, and figure out that everyone worshipping God has the same hopes and fears. Religion should help create a better world rather than create war. One Love.
You know, I don't hate the idea of paying taxes. I am fine if some of my money can be used to fix this world I live in. But it's not. I do hate seeing my tax money not being put towards things that I see as useful for the improvement of our society in general. Excuse me if it seems like this administration is putting our entire country's assets into war. I see our schools sinking lower and lower, the kids getting more ignorant. Lower passing standards. If the schools look bad because of stupid students, they lower the passing standards to stay open. They also consistently cancel any classes encouraging imagination (music, art, etc.). Health care is still not free (as it should be). The countries with national healthcare programs use their consitutents taxes to pay for free health care for them. Imagine your taxes helping YOU out! It's actually more of a business for the rich now than it ever was (HMO's). Homelessness is still rampant. The poor are getting poorer, the rich richer. The ice is melting at the poles. Big business and pollution have finally started changing our climate. There are also more countries/governments (besides Iraq) that are oppressing their people brutally. Going unchecked. Children and adults are still starving in large numbers throughout the world. AIDS has not went away. It's spread. Beef has mad-cow. Chickens have bird-flu. Fish are over-fished and polluted with chemicals. Most major diseases have still not yet been cured (AIDS, Cancer, etc.). Cars and machines are still powered by oil. The list goes on. My gripe is that the roughly $400 bucks I paid (plus what was taken out of my salary all year) has not went towards anything beneficial to either me, children, the poor, the needy, or the oppressed. Way to go government (sarcasm)!! You guys (and Condoleeza) suck! How about fixing something besides our oil supply. I'm not sure how much money the government makes off of taxes, but it goes straight into the war/business machine, and I don't like it. What can I do, except gripe. I'd get audited if I complained to them. Think about it. They take your money too. Is it going where you would want it to go?
It's sad that this isn't a more exclusive holiday. I don't have it off work (but I know some do). Of all the people's holidays I get off of at work, this is the one I think I should have off. Of all the days we celebrate in America, this man's is the most important because he had a message, a dream. Other political people in America have made change that earned them a holiday, but their lives were nothing of an example for people to live by. Most of it motivated by greed and power. In other words, not motivated by love. MLK was an American prophet of the truth. In my books he's right up there with Jesus (and Gandhi too). But he walked our streets, and influenced the world. I never saw Jesus in his lifetime so this is the closest person I have to that experience with a deep man. An American philosopher, poet, preacher, and prophet. He preached so many things that deep down we all knew to be true. He is still remembered because no one can deny the truths he put before our eyes. It got him killed. Why do the people that seem to know "the truth" get killed before they could ever lead this world to a better place? Too powerful were the things that he was saying. He believed in "The Golden Rule" and he preached it. I don't know what else is true in this world, but deep down I know that the golden rule is right. Anyways, I don't want to be too preachy. The world should celebrate this day though.
"Let's kiss, not fight. Try to do what's right tonight. Make love, not war. What the hell are we living for?"
Andre 3000
I wish a most happy new year's to all of my devoted followers. It's been a tough year but I feel MUCH better about next year. I promise to review more, still be skeptical, and inform you all about everything I can think of to get YOU ahead. I will also Podcast like nuts next year to make my name. Stay with me. In general try and follow these steps this new year:
1) Workout more.
2) Stop eating late in the day.
3) Stop watching TV and read/write/draw/sing instead.
4) Stop smoking cigarettes.
5) Buy organic meat and farmer's market vegetables.
6) Listen to the stuff I tell you I like.
As a food scientist by day, I have become increasingly disgusted over the years by how much humankind has manipulated our food supply. We have gone so far away from how primitive man ate. Not that I wish to be a caveman (hell, not having sushi would suck), but humans used to eat things they found around them in nature (fruit, veggies,nuts, etc.) and occasionally kill some buffalo. Now most people don't know what is edible outside in their own neighborhoods. And there still is food existing naturally in nature (if we haven't polluted the land!). All of our fruit and veggies are genetically engineered and eternally pretty looking and shiny (not how they are in nature). Our animals are mass produced in disgusting feed lots, pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, then quickly ground up with "god-only-knows" to become your McDonald's burger. Our food supply is no longer natural people. Unless you support farmers markets (which I plead for you to), you buy food that was never of this earth. Monsanto (amongst other faceless corporations) controls the seeds for most anything any farmer will grow. If as a farmer you do not want to take chances with natural varieties (whick will not look as pretty, go bad quicker, and will be subject to bugs) they will buy these "perfect" seeds. And believe me, I am all for the farmer, but they get shafted day in and day out by politics and the government. Check out the Farm Aid concerts if you know not of what I speak. The people that grow our foods can barely stay above bankrupcy, so why should they risk growing something naturally. So to stay in business most farmers and meat producers buy genetically altered seeds and grow these franken-meats in order to compete. The amount of farmers growing naturally is very small. And this is scary. If a new disease/plague comes about and targets our food supply (bird flu, potato blight) we do not have many of the original varieties of seeds and animals left that came with our planet and we may not have anything to eat. The meat industry is wildly unregulated because of the huge amounts of money they give to politicians. Now we have mad cow disease. This comes from what we feed the animals that we eat. Regular feed is too expensive for these cheap skates. They have been feeding cows other ground up cow's brains, eyes, and spinal chords. Doing this has created mad cow. Now they can't serve brains/eyes/and spinal chords to cows. They realize its bad (only when forced because of mad cow scares). They still can serve cows and chickens and hogs other parts of the same animal legally (blood, bones, etc). We have forced our feed animals to be cannibals. It couldn't get any more disgusting in my mind. This is the modern era. This is what is scary. It these times of high technology and big money you'd think we'd have a utopia. Far from it. The high output and quick timelines that the fast food industry has created has changed our whole food supply. Not many farmers feed their animals really healthy foods, let them roam freely to graze or give them time to develop. I have switched to all organic meat and to organic/farmer's market veggies. It does cost more, but I know what I am getting...something natural. The more you know about what you eat the more it will disgust you. I urge all of you to start buying organic everything because without looking into all the crap that you are eating in your current food, you will at least know there is nothing in your organic food. That gives me a little peace of mind rather than looking into what is in the current food we eat.
You know, driving used to be a pleasure for me to get out and cruise. Now my time is preoccupied with trying not to get killed by other "dumbass" drivers (most on cell phones). The Logan Square area (west side) of Chicago has the worst drivers I have yet to see in my life. All driving laws seem to be tossed aside in favor of everyone rushing to get somewhere (although I doubt anything they are rushing to is that important). Now I dread driving because of gridlock and dumb drivers. I think I need to move somewhere much less congested. Peas.
Oil! It all seems about oil nowadays. The fat cats control the oil and gasoline industries. The SUV craze is causing widespread pollution and a larger demand for gasoline. There are many people dying over oil RIGHT NOW! The world seems like a powder keg ready to go off. I have a problem with the fact that we still NEED oil/gasoline. I am positive that at this point in our scientific evolution we have an alternative to fossil fuels. BUT there is too much money to be made to just get rid of it. The car makers and the oil companies WILL NOT sacrifice their business (and profits) just to clean up the environment. Our world will not be inhabitable in the future because of this greed. We will only act when we start getting sick and profits will become secondary. I encourage everyone to push for cleaner industrial machinery. Please discourage the SUV/polluting/gas guzzling phenomenon. This is JJ's problem #1 with the politics and business of our world.
As a person with allergies I've come to some new conclusions, pollution is creating allergies. Have you ever had a city bus drive by you? You can't deny the pollution that millions of vehicles (and companies) are making. I have seen so many kids (and adults) developing allergies. Most of the people I am close to have developed asthma as adults (which is not common). I've been stuck in traffic with nothing but exhaust fumes surrounding me. My point is, if you meet people (and kids today) with allergies/asthma, think twice about what has caused it. I think pollution is already making people sick. Nothing will change though until the fat cats get sick.
I've come to realize that my generation (20-30 yr olds) don't think we can do anything to change the environment. That it's not our problem. What bugs me most recently is the HUMMER craze. It is the least practical vehicle for the city that I've ever seen. Gas-guzzling. Polluting. As big as a 2 lane city street. If you confront someone about their choice of big vehicle, they'll say, "what can I do, there's thousands of other SUV's!" It's partially true. There needs to be a major change in car purchases in order to reverse global warming. But it needs to be done. My generation also feels that whatever we do, we will not be effected by these changes in our lifetime. That has yet to be seen. I believe the kids right now, will see problems in their lifetime. Changes are happening right now, whether we experience them in our youth. If you are planning on buying a car, please consider a vehicle that gets good mileage (since gas prices are constantly going up too) and is possibly a hybrid car. There is also already enough of a focus on the future of the world relating to oil. As a world we are doing nothing to get away from the importance of oil and gasoline. We are consuming even more now (because of SUV's) then ever. The more oil we need, the more wars we will have (and lives we will lose). We need to decrease our reliance on oil, and those countries that produce it.
Here is my problem with American "democracy", they (the fat cats) pick who we vote for. We never are presented with the best and brightest, the most ethical and honest people. We are always given 3-4 goofballs to pick from who are far from "the best" candidate. Every year people trying to get me to vote always use the phrase "pick the least of 2 evils." I don't like picking the better of 2 dishonest dumb people. Maybe it's just me but I don't believe any politician is honest, or out to protect the poor or middle class (the people that need help the most). The best person to lead the country could be your next door neighbor, or your brother/sister BUT they will never be able to run for office unless they raise funds and cater to all of the interests of the groups that give them money (forcing them to be unethical/dishonest). Is it just me that feels the choice of Kerry and Bush are far from the wisest, most honest people our country has to offer? I know it is not so. As a democracy we need more candidates that the people pick.
I saw a special over the weekend on how the rates of asthma and allergies are rising all over the world, every year. They danced around not understanding (or pointing fingers) at what was causing this to happen. It's simple, pollution. It'll be too late to fix the problem when enough people get sick where people (and the government) can't avoid it. Everyone ignores it until you can say pollution is the cause. I'd say the main polluters are automobiles and industry. I was in Amsterdamn where most of the city rides bikes and the air is cleaner, noticeably so. The world will have to figure out some answer in the next 20 years. I don't see the people of the US all riding bikes (where obese already BUT maybe that's the way to change). We'll come out with a non-polluting car before we exercise! It seems like everyone is raising a child with asthma or allergies now so people will get sick eventually of catering to sick people. When will everyone notice?
It really sucks that all of these hurricanes and tsunami's are terrin' up our world. The government's seem incapable of just chippin' in together and fixing everything. i see all these benefits and telethons looking for donations, but all us average income people chippin' in can't pay for this, not like government and private business can. Bill Gates could single handedly just rebuild new orleans like venice italy if he wanted and just put a microsoft sign somewhere. he's that rich. there are a few richass people around that could just fix these problems. they could modernize africa and just cure hunger and most crazy diseases around. our governments also deal in such huge amounts of money that they can do more than just say, "we'll give ya 20 million but that's all we really got". they are also connected to the rich elite. so why do we still quabble over all these debts we have? i just hate seeing fundraisers for disasters, diseases, hunger and poverty and expecting the pocketbook of your average man to even dent the money required to fix the problems of our world. the rich people on this planet need to trickle down some of their money from the beds they sleep on. just my 2 cents.