Oh yeah, it's that time of year again. Perseid meteor shower time.
For those of us who are fortunate enough to live out in the country, it's an opportunity to watch a great light show. You can still see some of them from town, but tall buildings and light scatter will lower the number of meteors that will be visible to you.
Look Northeast, anytime after midnight. You'll see meteors all night, up until dawn. The best days this year will be around the 12th of August. Just before dawn on the 12th is supposed to be the best time.
I'll probably park the pickup truck out in the field, put a 4x8 foot piece of plywood in it and block it up at an angle. Put down a layer of foam (or an air mattress), then toss a sleeping bag on top of it. This keeps me off the ground (which will get damp and cold, even in the summer) and it's much more comfortable than lying in a lawn chair. Bring along your favorite refreshing beverage and settle back. This can easily turn into an all night thing, but it's worth it!
Just remember that any fires, lights, etc. will ruin your night vision and cut down on your ability to see the meteors.
A few years back, there were numerous fireballs that came in. When they exploded they cast shadows! An impressive sight in the middle of the night.
If you can talk your favorite squeeze into doing this, it just might be a 'night to remember'!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Schedules and How Not to Keep Them
I was doing fine. Everything planned out for this week.
Got up this morning and my arm let know that it was taking the day off. Nothing like an old injury to throw the day/week schedule out of whack.
Just spent the past two hours writing what I thought would be the final chapter? Episode? For the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series.
It's at 1800 words and a bit too long for a blog post. Especially since I'm only half-way through the day we spent on the movie set.
At this rate, I could break it down and make it into a TV series.
OK, maybe not a good idea, considering.
IF I work 22 hours each day, for the rest of the week, I'll be caught up to the first of the month.
Then I'll only be 9 days behind on my work.
Got up this morning and my arm let know that it was taking the day off. Nothing like an old injury to throw the day/week schedule out of whack.
Just spent the past two hours writing what I thought would be the final chapter? Episode? For the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series.
It's at 1800 words and a bit too long for a blog post. Especially since I'm only half-way through the day we spent on the movie set.
At this rate, I could break it down and make it into a TV series.
OK, maybe not a good idea, considering.
IF I work 22 hours each day, for the rest of the week, I'll be caught up to the first of the month.
Then I'll only be 9 days behind on my work.
Friday, August 1, 2008
DEATH, World's Biggest Seller!
You want in on a little secret?
Invest in death.
That's right, you can't lose. It's always a money-making proposition. No matter what form you choose. Let's look at your options!
War
A perennial favorite! Thousands of years of excellent return on investment. Billions dead prove that this can't be beat for overall cost-effective management. Ask a politician, military leader or defense contractor today about investment opportunities!
Entertainment
Can't bring yourself to face the real deal? That's OK! We can pretend, just like kids playing 'grownup'. Books, TV, movies, video games, you name it, we got it! Death in a thousand ways, performed in slow motion, multi-angle, digitally enhanced, anywhere on earth or in space. There's no limit!
Sports
It's the next best thing to warfare! Plot, plan, execute your strategy. Win at all costs! Drugs? Cheating? It's all expected, as long as it's not detected by the 'officials'. Pay-offs not included.
Economic
That's right, the one most people never consider. That slow, excruciating crush of fiscal collapse. Watching as every last penny is squeezed to keep a roof overhead and food in the mouth. As seen on TV!
Environmental
Conspicuous consumption? Can't get enough of it? You gotta have something to put in them landfills! Why worry about killing off the planet, you won't be around to clean up the mess anyway! Leave it for the next generation, the lazy slackers!
That's just the tip of the iceberg! Ask the people on the "Titanic" about that!
It's the one thing that everyone has to deal with, so let's make money on it!
Death.
It's not funny, but it sure is final!
Give your money to someone else today.
After all, you can't take it with you!
Invest in death.
That's right, you can't lose. It's always a money-making proposition. No matter what form you choose. Let's look at your options!
War
A perennial favorite! Thousands of years of excellent return on investment. Billions dead prove that this can't be beat for overall cost-effective management. Ask a politician, military leader or defense contractor today about investment opportunities!
Entertainment
Can't bring yourself to face the real deal? That's OK! We can pretend, just like kids playing 'grownup'. Books, TV, movies, video games, you name it, we got it! Death in a thousand ways, performed in slow motion, multi-angle, digitally enhanced, anywhere on earth or in space. There's no limit!
Sports
It's the next best thing to warfare! Plot, plan, execute your strategy. Win at all costs! Drugs? Cheating? It's all expected, as long as it's not detected by the 'officials'. Pay-offs not included.
Economic
That's right, the one most people never consider. That slow, excruciating crush of fiscal collapse. Watching as every last penny is squeezed to keep a roof overhead and food in the mouth. As seen on TV!
Environmental
Conspicuous consumption? Can't get enough of it? You gotta have something to put in them landfills! Why worry about killing off the planet, you won't be around to clean up the mess anyway! Leave it for the next generation, the lazy slackers!
That's just the tip of the iceberg! Ask the people on the "Titanic" about that!
It's the one thing that everyone has to deal with, so let's make money on it!
Death.
It's not funny, but it sure is final!
Give your money to someone else today.
After all, you can't take it with you!
Not To Be Morbid OR Profound
Yes, the last post was probably too serious for many people.
Against the backdrop of the inane world that is usually bantered about on the blogs, why not slap some people back to reality?
I've been reading about paparazzi, stupid politicians (all of them), lazy union members, thieving businesses, you name it, the blogs are full of it.
So, what's being done?
Nothing more than a lot of posturing and mouthing. Not too much action, as in real world, down in the dirt, get it done.
That would take work and commitment.
Too many want to shirk and get paid.
No matter how bad things are, just smile.
Knowing that it's worse somewhere else, for someone else.
Against the backdrop of the inane world that is usually bantered about on the blogs, why not slap some people back to reality?
I've been reading about paparazzi, stupid politicians (all of them), lazy union members, thieving businesses, you name it, the blogs are full of it.
So, what's being done?
Nothing more than a lot of posturing and mouthing. Not too much action, as in real world, down in the dirt, get it done.
That would take work and commitment.
Too many want to shirk and get paid.
No matter how bad things are, just smile.
Knowing that it's worse somewhere else, for someone else.
Your Last Day
Your last day.
Think about it.
Yeah, I know. You're too busy. Got other things on your mind. Important stuff. Like what color to paint the kitchen or which new video game to buy.
It'll be around before you know it. Most of you won't see it coming. The majority will be horrified to think about it, much less plan for it.You really should think about it. Put it into perspective. Give yourself a chance to reflect on what you've done. More importantly, what you've blown off and NOT done.
Depending on your life, you'll get warnings. Some won't get as many as others. You might not get any warning at all. Those little incidents, where you barely escape having your life end.
Kind of like slicing an apple, the knife close enough to take off your fingertip, but just at the right distance to cut the apple into wedges.
A friend sitting next to you gets killed in a car wreck and you walk away with a couple of minor scratches. One of those close calls, where the breath of death tickles your neck, but extinguishes another life.
You live long enough, you'll know what I'm talking about.
You see enough death, you'll know what I mean.
It will make you question how people can continue to be arrogant and ignorant about the current situation in the world.
How people can discount the lives of people they don't know, because they aren't the same as them. Too many people devalue others, not knowing that they then devalue themselves. We all do it to a certain degree.
You want to scare someone? Laugh at them when they threaten you. It upsets their perception of being empowered. It will bother them that you show no fear.
When you face your final moment, then you will find out just how much truth was in your life.
A false life ends in fear.
Your time will come. Don't rush it. Keep going down the road, even after you've taken a wrong turn and had to backtrack. We all do it.
When you come to the end of your road, you'll want to be able to look back down the track and laugh at the great ride that you had.
It's all about being true to yourself.
Think about it.
Yeah, I know. You're too busy. Got other things on your mind. Important stuff. Like what color to paint the kitchen or which new video game to buy.
It'll be around before you know it. Most of you won't see it coming. The majority will be horrified to think about it, much less plan for it.You really should think about it. Put it into perspective. Give yourself a chance to reflect on what you've done. More importantly, what you've blown off and NOT done.
Depending on your life, you'll get warnings. Some won't get as many as others. You might not get any warning at all. Those little incidents, where you barely escape having your life end.
Kind of like slicing an apple, the knife close enough to take off your fingertip, but just at the right distance to cut the apple into wedges.
A friend sitting next to you gets killed in a car wreck and you walk away with a couple of minor scratches. One of those close calls, where the breath of death tickles your neck, but extinguishes another life.
You live long enough, you'll know what I'm talking about.
You see enough death, you'll know what I mean.
It will make you question how people can continue to be arrogant and ignorant about the current situation in the world.
How people can discount the lives of people they don't know, because they aren't the same as them. Too many people devalue others, not knowing that they then devalue themselves. We all do it to a certain degree.
You want to scare someone? Laugh at them when they threaten you. It upsets their perception of being empowered. It will bother them that you show no fear.
When you face your final moment, then you will find out just how much truth was in your life.
A false life ends in fear.
Your time will come. Don't rush it. Keep going down the road, even after you've taken a wrong turn and had to backtrack. We all do it.
When you come to the end of your road, you'll want to be able to look back down the track and laugh at the great ride that you had.
It's all about being true to yourself.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Buried by Work
I thought that I could keep up the blog and get work done on the farm. Didn't happen.
The past few weeks have blown by, like they weren't anything more than leaves in the wind.
Since the heat is now stratospheric, I'll be spending more time at the keyboard. I can only work a couple of hours, maybe four at the most, in the early morning. Then it's too hot and humid, with the heat index easily over 100F. I've seen air temperatures over 103F, in the shop, in the shade. Yes, I know that it's hotter in the desert. Here, it's the humidity that can kill you.
I've been expecting an earthquake down here, but LA got one before us. Glad to hear that it wasn't serious. You know what they say about earthquakes.
It's usually really hot before one hits.
We had one in Ohio about thirty years ago, a very mild one. I would rather not repeat the experience, thanks.
Back to the novel for me.
The past few weeks have blown by, like they weren't anything more than leaves in the wind.
Since the heat is now stratospheric, I'll be spending more time at the keyboard. I can only work a couple of hours, maybe four at the most, in the early morning. Then it's too hot and humid, with the heat index easily over 100F. I've seen air temperatures over 103F, in the shop, in the shade. Yes, I know that it's hotter in the desert. Here, it's the humidity that can kill you.
I've been expecting an earthquake down here, but LA got one before us. Glad to hear that it wasn't serious. You know what they say about earthquakes.
It's usually really hot before one hits.
We had one in Ohio about thirty years ago, a very mild one. I would rather not repeat the experience, thanks.
Back to the novel for me.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Outrunning the Avalanche
This is like downhill skiing, in front of an avalanche.
The faster I go, the closer the towering wall of snow draws to me.
Have a couple of more posts to do on the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series. but who's making movies right now? Only the independents. Most of Hollywood is shut down due to the SAG/AMPTP fiasco.
Plenty of work to do on the farm. It's only hot as hell with humidity approaching sauna levels. Work for about an hour and I'm soaking wet. Great way to lose weigh.
Still, I love it! Think of all those hours I could be sitting in traffic out in LA or riding the subway and NOT writing...rather be writing than riding. Especially with the speed limits we have.
If we go back to 55MPH, I'm gonna have to fix my old VW Baja Bug. It's got a top speed of about 85MPH and it takes all day to get there.
I'll be back yet this week.
If I can stay away from Nikki Finke's blog.
The faster I go, the closer the towering wall of snow draws to me.
Have a couple of more posts to do on the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series. but who's making movies right now? Only the independents. Most of Hollywood is shut down due to the SAG/AMPTP fiasco.
Plenty of work to do on the farm. It's only hot as hell with humidity approaching sauna levels. Work for about an hour and I'm soaking wet. Great way to lose weigh.
Still, I love it! Think of all those hours I could be sitting in traffic out in LA or riding the subway and NOT writing...rather be writing than riding. Especially with the speed limits we have.
If we go back to 55MPH, I'm gonna have to fix my old VW Baja Bug. It's got a top speed of about 85MPH and it takes all day to get there.
I'll be back yet this week.
If I can stay away from Nikki Finke's blog.
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