Happy Halloween!!

The missing link...

The Nation's First FLILF?

Okay... I knew this concept would someday hit America when Thompson becomes President of the USA next year, with his bombshell of a wife as First Lady, but I didn't know Dennis 'The Lucky Charm' Kucinich was holding out America with his hot red head wife. Where is the Maxim spread? I might give up my money and freedom to the poor for that one. Sorry DW for my truthiness with this post but Holy ShitCrap. (Watching the swearing around DS)

The Daily Show is a freaky riot for creating this video. I love how the music starts during Mrs. Kucinich's speech.

And there it was...

A goat eating dynamite

Disney Blitz in 3 Hours

The Statue of Walt standing proud like Lenin did in Red Square

Well... here's a little story, much like this guy's without the costumes, the puking and the hard foreign alcohol. Okay well, it involved hard foreign alcohol. (Amazing the similarities...though like metaphorical though)

As part of my last night of Disneyland and my vacation. Me and the two sister in laws went on run. A fast run... See, we were at the last restaurant of the mighty G-Family of Downtown Disney and the three of us were watching the clock. Elijah had it and DW was well off to bed. It was roughly 8:30PM. California Adventure closed at 9 and we wanted a run at the Tower of Terror. And then a run in the big park which did not close until 12:00 AM.

So the clock was ticking, I swigged the last of my margarita and we were off... To the hotel first to change some clothes and shoes...

Little Sis ran us fast through the park to the Tower which had a bit of a line. It only took 20 minutes though and we got the first spot as pictured below.:


Neat huh? We just had to show y'all. After Katie snapped the picture she was like, "This so has to go on your blog..."

At this point it is safe to say the margaritas kicked in because we were clamoring for a flask of something. And the contents of that flask could have been anything.

Here's us at the top of Tower of Terror (I am the drunk dude in green):





Pretty funny stuff...

Next we ran full speed out of the park and into Disneyland. At that time a parade was running so the lines were short (so we thought.) We found a group of girls maybe early 20's or late teens running for Thunder Mountain Railroad like we were. I don't know what happened or who started it (me) but it turned into a race to get there. And we're old except for Katie so we were like anchors beating these chicks out. Katie towed her sister and I through the park. It was funny because we were failing like pieces of paper and Katie had the direct path to the ride. We finally made it to the ride so we ran through the line. And right before the train... the line splits and we went left running all the way to the front... On the right were the chicks we were trying to beat out and I yell, "Well... look who's gonna ride first?" and Karen yells, "Denied!!!" Katie looked at us like we were imbeciles but it felt good. No freaking way with our bad backs could we ever beat those chicks with Katie. The photos would have been seen below had we taken them. Pitch black in the tunnels with the fireworks blasting as you came out. It felt spiritual. We went by the goat eating dynamite (which I have a picture of but the camera is in the car) and I got like three rows attention behind me and then I yelled it while pointing as we went by. The people behind us were like, "That dude's hammered..." But really I was coming off my buzz at that point...

Next was a side detour on the way to Splash Mountain. Keep in mind, we had less than 3 hours to hit these rides from the beginning. The park was dark with a bunch of shitty parades going on. It was wall to wall people and we had to zig zag around to get where we needed to go because they had all these feeble ropes with retired people waving flash lights on where to go.

But the side detour we took was directly to Pirates of the Caribbean. We got right on... There wasn't any excitement. Karen and I just got our breath. They yelled twice to keep your feet on the floor but it wasn't me.

Next was Splash Mountain. Ice cold water and chilly fall air. Nice to get soaked. I lingered towards the back of the log. We had a group that got the front of the log so we were cool. I almost slipped forward making a stupid pose for the camera. Karen flashed her gang signs. Katie wished for world peace. It was symbolic. If there were photos, they would be seen below. I yelled a lot as we went through the tunnel.

The final attempt we made was to hit the Matterhorn. Unfortunately my dream of riding this thing at night was still only a dream left for next year. They closed one side like idiots so the line was long. It was decision time... wait for the Matterhorn or checkout Space Mountain and ride it. We decided on Space Mountain. It was around 11 and the sign said 45 minutes for the ride. We waited for an eternity, people watching throughout the line. I hate couples who sit and make out while the line is moving. I hate really fat people who listen to their iPods by themselves wearing Star Wars trucker hats. I hate red necks. I hate parents who drag their 5 year olds into a long line and then yell at their kids because they hand on the chain dividers that make the lines.

Anyway, the ride was awesome for the 3rd time this week... Here's a picture of Elijah in an over-sized Charlie Brown shirt at Knott's Berry Farm:

The Goat Is Eating Dynamite: Disneyland Photos with excerpts

If you have ever ridden the Thunder Mountain Railroad then you know what the title of this post is about. I took this photo after getting off the ride at Disneyland yesterday. Me and my little 7.1 megapixel camera snuck up on this butterfly and just caught four photos of shear beauty. This is the best one of the four. I uploaded it large so if you click on the photo you can see it in a real large size.



As anyone knows that has been with a one year old, this sign holds true. This was behind the Winnie the Pooh ride at Disneyland. Elijah had fun on this one. He had fun on a lot of the rides. Not one freak out where we quickly had to dash off the line. I think he really likes the Bug's Life rides at California Adventure. Kind of a funny park, California Adventure with a bunch of Californians visiting it. It's not like we can get around the state too easily.




Many mythes surrounding this spike that I have not confirmed. One is this golden spike under Sleeping Beauty's castle is the center of Disneyland before the addition of Toon Town. The other is that when Thunder Mountain Railroad was built this was the first spike for the track. Almost no one sees this spike. When I stopped to snap a picture people asked me what it was. I just said, "A golden spike".



Elijah rides the carousel with Goofy...



This is the Tower of Terror. What's amazing is the faintness of the smoke still lingering down here. When we got here earlier in the week the smoke and ash were still all over. I was standing maybe 200 yards from the tower so I decided to snap the picture of the smoke.

Dude

Bud Light Dude - Watch more free videos

Elijah Joins The Twisted Few

I wonder if El Jefe knows he has an under-aged member...? (Like the local sheriffs would care) Elijah is here checking out the Giant Fricken outside of the Twisted Oak Winery. I stopped in (finally) to pick up the latest bottle of "The Spaniard". 2005 Vintage, very tasty... Gonna let that sit on the rack for a bit until the next big summer barbecue. I can always get more though... for a while.


I couldn't pass up attempting this shot and it is too bad you cannot make out the old BMW 2002 in the background or the Frog's Tooth Winery sign. The seester-en-law and I wanted to head out and taste the wines here. We had not had a chance since they opened in August. Great selection. I don't know what it is with white wine lately but I picked up a Pinot Grigio and a Fume Blanc. The Fume Blanc was my favorite. I bought the Grenache too. One of the best up here in Murphys. It was a cool day so all of the wines tasted great.

Later on, I caved in the Murphys Village Toy Store next store and bought my son a toy truck that is really cool. I also picked up my salty Dutch Licorice at Nelsons.

Brisk day here in Murphys and lots of bright Fall colors. Great day to fly around in the Porsche with the sunroof open with the ass warmer seats cranked on five. I wish I had the 914 up so I could roar past all of the Corvettes that are up here for some Corvette show. Corvettes are over rated. I mean after about 1972 what is really new. The 80's 90' and late models look the same and are a bitch to see out of. My middle aged crisis car would will probably be a Cayman. If I can afford that car in a few years I am so buying it. $47,000 right now with similar engine placement and wheel base of my 914, who could go wrong.

My New Creation: Steve's Word

I have kicked around this idea for months. How could I actually take this blogging thing to the next level? How can I make it more fun? Something different that no one else is doing...

Well... I took the 10 minutes it actually takes to create a blog these days and I started a new one. It's called "Steve's Word"

Come see what the fuss is all about... http://onewordoneday.blogspot.com/

I say give it a few weeks. Let it grow on you... It won't involve much more reading. I just need to make the extra step of posting once or twice a day... one word or phrase. You be the judge...

Thanks! Oh and I think this is post 450 or something like that.

Paranoid Android

This is the video back in 1997 where I went, "What the hell was that?" The bridge of the song (where they are actually on the bridge in the video) is my favorite.

At 1:58, you hear the guitar theme played 4 times. It's in 4/4 time but played as 8/8. Right after the 4th time it changes and it goes into 7/8. So freaking cool...

The songs guitar solos are always come up as some of the best ever.

Dude....

Amazing Base Jump - Watch more free videos

Take the time to watch this amazing video... It is just sick! If you ever wanted to see people fly, this is about as close as you can get.

You! Take Me To The Disneyland!!

I just love this picture...

Reckoner by Radiohead

This new song by Radiohead has got to be one of the most awesome songs I have ever heard. Ranks up with Strawberry Fields Forever by the Beatles in it's complexity. You might first hear it and dismiss it as terrible.

Listen to the syncopated guitar work against the drums throughout the song. It's pretty simple but sounds so awesome together as the song goes back and forth from minor and major key.

The part that gets me starts at 2:27 where the drums cut out. The whole song changes with the layering of strings against Thom Yorke's falsetto voice. It just sits on those strings and then it all picks up again at 3:20 seconds... then finally leaving us to the viola at the end.

Just a sick song...

Lyrics:

Reckoner
You can take it with you
Disavow the pleasure

You were not to blame for
Bittersweet distractors
Dare not speak his name
Dedicated to all your
All your needs

Because we separate
it ripples our reflections
Because we separate
it ripples our reflections

Reckoner

Dedicated to all your
All your needs

Land Park Round Table Is the Most Screwed Up Place On The Planet

I am really hungry... and it is raining and cold.

So I ordered a pizza for delivery at 12:41 PM

It's 2:15pm... I call...

"Hey I know you are busy... but where's my pizza? I was told you would have it here in an hour, it's like an hour and 40 minutes."

"Sir... there is no order here for Steve."

"What??" I say, "You are serious?"

"Yeah, uh... hold on..."

"Okay.." the person says.."I found it, we called back to confirm the order and no one answered so we canceled the order..."

"WHAT?!?!?!?" as a head gasket completely blows through my forehead...

The phone voice repeatedly says sorry as I relentlessly tell them how much they suck...

At the end she goes,

"Do you still want your pizza?"

"When can I get it?"

"40-50 minutes from now..."

"FUCK NO!!!" I say..."And... I know you can't do any thing about it. But I can... I have a blog."

I have a blog.

Two Pounds, Forty-Five: The Evolution of a Record Buying Experience

OK...

I seem to remember it went like this. It was 1997. I see this crazy video for "Paranoid Android" on MTV. I go, "Holy Shit!!! That was freaking Radiohead? When does it come out!!"

I wait a month or so for the release date. Drive to some Tower Records and pick up a copy of OK Computer the day of the release. Then I struggle relentlessly to peel the plastic wrapping off the jewel case and pop the CD into my stereo.

I continue to listen to OK Computer for years, thinking that it has some secret meaning to life that I could not find out on my own.

All this before:

• The commercialization of the internet
• The advent of Yahoo! and Google and how mainstream it has become in our lives
• Illegal Downloading and the complete self-destruction of the entire record industry
• The death of Rock N Roll as we know it. (Emo? WTF IS THAT!!!)

Now... roughly 10 years later, this 33 year old crumbling, impotent and feeble storer of inadequate sperm (me)...

Does the following:

• Fires up Foreplay/Longtime by Boston to remember what rock n roll used to sound like
• Sits patiently reloading Radiohead's site to download "In Rainbows" at the lowest price I could honestly pay for it: 2 pounds Site takes forever (3 minutes to load)
• Enter private info for download (1 minute)
  
• Runs full speed up a cold metal spiral staircase into an equally cold metal baby gate, with bare feet to find credit card. (1 minute)..Yells "Fuck!" real loud while grabbing toe. (2 seconds)
  
• Enters credit card and begins downloading ZIP File (30 seconds)
  
• 48 meg download, (2 minutes on my 10mbps)
• Wonders if I can actually open a zip file on a Mac (10 seconds)
• Drags files into iTunes (3 seconds)
• Boston song finishes and I press play on first Radiohead song "15 steps"(Total Time: 7 minutes 48 seconds...exact length of Boston song)

My overall experiences are way different now. Yet... this is the best Radiohead album since OK Computer. Not quite as good as "The Bends" but a really solid album. My personal favorites while writing this are:

• Reckoner
• 15 steps
• Jigsaw Falling Into Place

I loaded it onto my jump drive so I can install it on every computer...

Quickie...

Just want to give a shout out to the peeps... Earned half of a free Southwest Airlines ticket in10 days. But I am home safe and sound.

The house is unusually clean... Not like I left it.

It rained like hell last night. My garbage cans were in the middle of the street when I went out at 8:00 AM for my liquid crack at Starbucks.

Elijah and I were buddies this morning.

Off to build spread sheets.

Such A Caring Guy...

I never regularly read my horoscope. No reason really... I find horoscopes to be so arbitrary and vague that if you read one, any one of them and even if it is under another sign, you can make it your own.

Today on Yahoo, my mouse cursor rolled over this:

Capricorn (12/22-1/21)

You must regard a person you don't like as someone who is as deserving as you are.

What the hell is this? I don't hate a lot of people, Hillary Clinton and actually I can't say that I really hate anyone. True I have some competitors in my field that I can say I hate, but I don't wish them ill will because in the industry I am in, they may be working along side me in a few years. I think in those people what I dislike the most is when they succeed through ineptness. But really, "I wish them well" as my wife would say in a situation where she might reach the sometimes moral crossroad of classifying someone as a like or dislike.

When I dive into the idea of ineptness I think about the social issues people latch onto. The social issues that make up the people; the issues that actually develop them into a class of people. Vegetarians for example. I think vegetarianism er uh, even veganism is a truly honorable and passionate life style choice for people. It is a social thing, but it is a lifestyle people choose to be healthy and supportive of the animal world. They choose first to eat healthy, but the reason that backs it up to begin with is, and hear a lot them say this, is that they don't eat things with a face. Cows, chicken, fish... even eggs. And then a step further, they won't consume any dairy products; cow or goat. Animal cruelty truly becomes the cause that supports the foundation of their lifestyle. At some point it is more than their own health, rather its for a cause. Support of a cause starts to define you into a class of people.

Typically, people that live like this are part of a bigger class of people. There are some conservatives that live like this. But the majority are liberals. Not eating animals is considered "new age" or "cutting edge", even... dare I say spiritual. Spiritual in a sense that one is not conforming to some almighty God, but rather in a sense, of say Buddhism where one feels as they are more apart of this great big planet we live on. A sense of community and righteousness of how things should really be without all this chaos in the world. It's not a religion, but a spiritual well being, suffice to say... well being that becomes purity. It's this side of liberalism where one decides to be an activist. Activism good or bad, is what propels us forward as a society from either aspect. Without activism there would be no conservation of our resources. Transversely, without activism, there'd be no war. Humans are fallible... They cannot always decide right from wrong. They must live first.

Yet, I find one thing that totally conflicts with this earthy, oneness, vegan lifestyle: The Pro-Choice movement. The right to choose to destroy life, a human... All these people live for is to be healthy and caring for animals around the planet. Whales, Michael Vicks dogs, the protest at the local KFC... all they live for is to protect and defend life that is not human. And then, will turn around and stand up and actively defend the right to destroy an unwanted human life. It totally conflicts with the vegan lifestyle er uh, the vegans who are pro choice. Their compassion is lost right there because they totally conflict with animal life preservation. I could almost envy the spiritualism that vegans have but it is suddenly lost the moment they want to allow the taking of a human life, simply because it's unwanted. It's unjust and not right. It is in fact, morally reprehensible. It is this ineptness of the vegan lifestyle that my horoscope at the top is asking me to treat as deserving. But it does not deserve my attention. A lifestyle that conflicts with humanity and the morality of the right thing is not worthy of my attention.

Time out.... Time out... Time out...

I got you... I got all of you reading this. This entire post is bullshit. I thought about this last night before I sat down to write this today. Could I write a post that was purely over the top? Purely one-sided that steer one direction and one direction only. Yeah... Quite easy for me. If I take the time, I can hook someone with a passionate piece of writing. Anyone in fact can do this. This goes to the Penn & Teller video I have posted below. It is not similar though. On the one hand, I got some of my readers to agree with me. On the other hand, I got most of my readers really pissed off at me. This is the blogger's biggest problem and why this blogging thing is so screwed up. All these sites spring up that are overtly opinionated. And then the opinion of the writer gathers some steam. A few people spot it and hang on. At that point, a good writer with an ego or who deep down inside is full of himself... which I am guilty of, and Teeny is going, '"I know, seriously" can take on a messiah complex. Everyone wants to be a messiah even if no one is really listening. The scary thing is when someone is. When someone is hooked on every word that guy says. There are millions of blogs out there and there are thousands of them saying careless shit all over the internet. What scares me is that we as a society may steer ourselves away from what is reality because of some "free thinkers" out there from both sides of the political, social and ideological landscapes without as knowing. Free speech is a wonderful thing and I hope that right is never taken from me. But I think sometimes, we all got to sit back and wonder what we are saying to each other.

I wish you all well today.... :)

Free Burma!

The Troubling News Out Of Malibu

Britney lost her kids to Kevin Federline.

I am sorry but, I really thought they should have been given to that Chris Crocker kid who seems to be making a bit more money these days than Kevin or Britney.

But serious, Federline or Spears? Which is the lesser of two evils? First you got a guy who is a nobody who is either extremely fertile or is someone who has his a way claiming to be allergic to latex to every woman he meets as a play on their sympathy to bump uglies. He's got four kids and no other income other than what's left in Spears bank account. I guess the judge would rather take a chance with him instead of the ghost riding freight train who can't seem to stay on the tracks. I mean, he's nothing. Who is going to pay him for anything beside the local burger stand? And he'd be good at the burger thing because if there is one thing this kid is good at, it is setting up Federline franchises.

Then there is Spears... who makes makes millions in royalties still across the globe. Yeah, she might have a taste for the powder but that can be easily overcome with whitewater landscapes of southern Utah. Just ask Lindsay who is yet to reappear as a law abiding citizen. I'm pulling for that Red Head.

As far as Britney though I personally, don't care either way... but I think the chick can actually survive the train wreck and be a better custody holder than Federline (dude's from Fresno). She gets clean, starves herself and hooks up with the right producer (T-Bone Burnett..LOL!!!) I think she can pull through and recapture the magic that could easily slip away to one of Billy Ray Cyrus's dumbass kids. (Wow! Talk about flash in the pan)

My last thought on this is.... yes, this has been a slow news week for Steve's Blog. I have had nothing to say and it has bugged the shit out of me. I'll get it back... you'll see!

PS; (I personally will give Radiohead $20 for their new album so I can make up for all the bastards who donate 1 cent to them to "steal" their great music.)