A Life is to be LIVED, not built or managed.

http://www.psmag.com/navigation/business-economics/leaning-out-sheryl-sandberg-women-career-work-78360/

and...

http://www.psmag.com/navigation/business-economics/will-ever-able-enjoy-shorter-work-week-78891/

Taxes 2013

All I can say (yet again) is "WHOLLY FUCK! FILING YOUR TAXES SURE DOES SUCK!"

Glad that's over....for now.

Some of my favorite art is science

Stumbled upon this quick little post of a presentation by Jonathan Corum, Science Graphics Editor at the New York Times, entitled The Weight of Rain.

It's a beautifully succinct and touching overview of how he has struggled to create meaningful visualizations of science efforts such as the explorations of the Mars Curiosity Rover .....

or the Kepler Search for Habitable Planets survey.

Well worth the quick read.

Smarter thieves means we need smarter cops....and a purge in Washington

I'm currently reading Griftopia by Matt Taibbi....yet another punch in the stomach to my ever-more corroded notions that America is a nation of justice and equal treatment of law for all.

With Mr. Taibbia's background, it's no surprise that the book has a bit of a leftist-leaning bias...but I think that shouldn't be taken as a reason to avoid the book. I mention it simply so you have some idea of the perspective the author carries into his book....and you can prepare the appropriate "bias filters" as you consider the writing.  I'd offer the same warning for any detected bias...regardless of political spectrum it leans towards. I.e. don't read only those that agree with you....and be EXTRA careful about your "bias filters" when you're reading those whom you agree with...sneaky mindfucks creep in too often in such moments of letting your guard down.

 Nonetheless, having worked in the mortgage industry during the sub-prime boom that lead up to the 2008 crash, and being closely involved in that industry during the crash, I assure you that much of what Griftopia describes is accurate.  I would differ with some of the descriptions, opinions and conclusions the book presents, yet overall, the main point he makes and the tone of his writing make the book a worthy read for anyone who wasn't intimately involved with the high level financial shenanigans that went down.  For the rest of us, Matt explains the overall arc of this recent international financial scam in his entertaining and accessible writings.  Sadly, the overall arc is a description of how, yet again, the powers that be have pulled a giant con on the masses, enriching themselves at the expense of the common man and his offspring for generations to come.

Today I stumbled upon this article in the NY Times regarding a recent investigative report from the Inspector General of the Justice Department.  Although its focus is on fraud closer to the loan origination side than Griftopia's (which covers the BILLIONS of dollars swindled via the treasury and the financial markets), it still is sickening in its revelations of the scope of the problems. The report, “Audit of the Department of Justice’s Efforts to Address Mortgage Fraud,” emphasizes how our law enforcement and regulatory agencies are at best, incompetent in the face of "white-collar" criminals, or quite possibly, complacent in the fleecing of the American taxpayer (and other victims around the world) via corruption throughout our government and financial entities.

Religion and sex are power plays

Manipulate the people for the money they pay

Selling skin, selling God

The numbers look the same on their credit cards

Politicians say no to drugs

While we pay for wars in South America

Fighting fire with empty words

While the banks get fat

And the poor stay poor

And the rich get rich

And the cops get paid to look away

As the one percent rules America

  - Spreading the Disease, Operation Mindcrime - Queensrÿche

Seems Confusing To Call It the "Second First Friday Salon." Hmm?

I've decided I want to start an art club.  It turns out I'm not getting enough time sipping shiraz out of a paper cup and smoking a filterless cigarette that gently litters light grey ashes across my "Hades midnight" (black) organic cotton turtleneck.  Life is too short.

Ok, actually it's not really an art club, it's an artists' club.  Yep, I've been hitting the Seth Godin kool-aid again.

The idea, in it's beta version was released to the public during a delightful evening of beers, food, and conversation with two of the most genuine and admirable guys I know: Mike Proctor and Steve Hathaway.  The seed for that idea was planted by a lunch outing with my ex-boss and friend, Mark Swift just hours prior.  My brain-to-mouth turn-time is amazing, eh?  "Fuck it, Ship it!"

Initially, the idea was to form a monthly gathering of friends....just an assortment of the interesting, impressive, admirable, wickedly smart people that I've been blessed to have stumble on to my life's stage. Poor bastards!

You see, after returning from Mexico (and accentuated by our too-brief visit back to Oaxaca in January), Meredith and I have felt the withdrawal of no more fiestas de amigos. In Mexico we spent a good chunk of time in each month just hanging out with our friends - talking, making/enjoying music, drinking, laughing and saying God-only-knows-what to them in our half-assed Spanish.  Yet, here in the "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave" we have spent less time over seven months than we did there in any given month doing anything similar to those Mexican social gatherings. HELL, I spend more time in my fucking car in traffic each week than I do truly, actively "in" my friendships!!

Perhaps, I could see more of my friends (and they could see more of each other) if I made it a bit more "scheduled."  Nothing more formal than a happy-hour after work would at least be something...if not the first step towards something even more "real," and intimate, and meaningful.

Many years ago....ok, MANY, MANY years ago, my girlfriend and I started something similar.  Most of us were in our twenties and dispersing geographically across the metro area.  News was slow to make the rounds. Job changes and relationship changes could happen and once-close friends might found out only months later via some shared contact.

This wasn't just pre-Facebook. This was pre-(public)-Internet, BITCHES!!!!

We started the First Friday social club and convinced enough people to join us for cocktails and appetizers and, most importantly, conversation, on that designated evening each month.  We emphasized it wasn't a party or a dining event. It was a chance to catch up with a special group of people.....friends who had many years together.....friends who were now noticing that life was pulling them apart and the bonds would wither without some effort.

Eventually, we started rotating the location among the homes of the participants.  And it grew.  And, I believe, it became a meaningful event to all of us. Time marched on and more changes came and went just like the seasons.

So, I want to do it again.  I want to spend more time hearing the thoughts and laughter of the clever, funny people I know.  I want to see what happens when those who don't know each other make acquaintances. I want to share more of the nifty, amazing, awe-inspiring, silly, inspiring things I stumble across.  And I want my friends to do the same so we can determine if maybe these types of honest intimacy are the true jewels we ignore in the crazy-lust of consumerism that seems to be America. Thus, it's time for a new salon!

More details to follow.  In the meantime, Id love to hear your thoughts on starting, conducting or nurturing the growth of a salon? Care to join us?

Viva la Revolution!

None of us knows the shape of the future. This half-century of disorders teaches us that the future is a secret which is divulged neither in the works of Karl Marx nor in those of his adversaries. But we can say this much to the future which a few impassioned young men are somewhere building: every revolution that stifles criticism, that denies the right to contradict those in power, that prohibits the peaceful substitution of one government for another, is a revolution that defeats itself - is a fraud. My conclusions will irritate many people. No matter: independent thought is almost always unpopular. We must renounce outright the authoritarian tendencies of the revolutionary tradition, especially its Marxist branch. At the same time, we must break up the existing monopolies - whether of the state, of parties, or of private capitalism - and discover forms, new and truly effective forms, of democratic and popular control over political and economic powers and over the information media and education. A plural society, without majorities or minorities: not all of us are happy in my political utopia, but at least all of us are responsible. Above all and before all else: we must conceive viable models of development, models less inhuman, costly, and senseless than those we have now. I have said before that this is an urgent task: the truth is, it is the task of our times. And there is one more thing: the supreme value is not the future but the present. The future is a deceitful time that always says to us, "Not yet," and thus denies us. The future is not the time of love: what man truly wants he wants NOW. Whoever builds a house for the future happiness builds a prison for the present.

- The Other Mexico (1972) by Octavio Paz (1914 - 1998)

My Favorite Superbowl Ads

Beer-flavored Doritos: http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/43/videos/commercials#page:2/video:09000d5d80e7a273

Conan party starter: http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/43/videos/commercials#page:3/video:09000d5d80e80945

PepSuber: http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/43/videos/commercials#page:3/video:09000d5d80e81831

eTrade Babies: http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/43/videos/commercials#page:5/video:09000d5d80e7bdf3

Jackie Moon Bud Light: http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/43/videos/commercials#page:7/video:09000d5d8067384c

Keep the teeth, Santa. I want trains and Legos.

So B lost his second tooth yesterday. He lost the first one about a week ago. So now he is missing his two front lower teeth. Seems like were all set up for some sort of Leave_It_To_Beaver era Christmas card photo. But B doesn't need to limit he wish list with Santa to just two front teeth; he has the adult teeth already halfway in.

Parenthood is such a funny drug - doing things such as making you proud of a ubiquitous biological process.

So what is the state of the Tooth Fairy economy, you ask? B wanted to keep his first tooth so we told him to leave a note for the T.F. and expect that the absence of a tooth would mean no payment. "She" (cuz all T.F's are female, right?) left him a dollar coin for getting the first tooth out by himself (no string tied to a door knob) and told him the next tooth would also get a discounted payment. For the second he rec'd a five spot. WTF! I think I got a quarter per tooth, on average. Man we parents of singles are spoilers. Shame on the Tooth Fairy.

DSD

No Obama/Biden gushing here...

Though my family is elated that THEIR candidates walked away with the election. I myself am once again scratching my head regarding the electoral college. I tend to be biased towards the founding fathers when the issue is debatable (e.g. the age requirements for President, US Senator) and idealistically libertarian when it isn't (e.g. slavery is NOT tolerable - period). With the popular vote for President much closer than the electoral college results - O=53% of the votes cast for O or M, and M = 47%, but, 349 to 147 electoral votes (0=70%, M=30%) - it just seems strange. Not as bad as 2000 with the popular vote and electoral college at odds, though. Nonetheless, I admit to being discomforted by yet another apples to oranges oddity but I'll go with the founding fathers' design...for now. Oh, and let's not forget the "third-party" candidates' votes. E.g. My candidate - Bob Barr with maybe 0.4% of the popular vote.

9/11

Oops, it's noon and I haven't put the flag up yet. Shame!

NASA Remembers

"The world changed today. What I say or do is very minor compared to the significance of what happened to our country today when it was attacked." So said Expedition 3 Commander Frank L. Culbertson, upon learning of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.
This image is one of a series taken that day of metropolitan New York City by the International Space Station's Expedition 3 crew that shows a plume of smoke rising from the Manhattan skyline.
Upon further reflection, Commander Culbertson said, "It's horrible to see smoke pouring from wounds in your own country from such a fantastic vantage point. The dichotomy of being on a spacecraft dedicated to improving life on the earth and watching life being destroyed by such willful, terrible acts is jolting to the psyche, no matter who you are."
Image credit: NASA