So, it is time for a new blog indeed...

So Alvie's life as it has stood in the last few months of no blogging? A lived life! A fine life! and one where I feel that though my slow-pace of life is still being lived, I am at least trying things here and there. Recently, I finally made the time to do something I'd wanted to do for 10-years but never made happen, a trek out west. Case in point San Francisco last Halloween. Ever day there I smiled, even while feeling like I'm going up hill both ways (seriously, it's that hilly in some places). The prices were high as had been the satisfaction of being somewhere really different, somewhere fun and a trip out of town for the week. What I needed and what I made happen. Andrea had been a wonderful, beautiful host the whole time and seeing her joyous over my presence really made my time there all the better.

I finished my three online classes with a 3.0, or 3-Bs, fine grades. Bs, and BS, get degrees yo, and these had not been easy, breezy classes. Though my casual, dare I say cavalier approach to online courses did not help at all, I did get through them.
The literature classes I found underwhelming, leaving me with less interest in the subject matter compared to when I started, though I'm definitely keeping the books. The sociology class I liked a lot more, as it showed me a different way of studying religion and faith from a more objective perspective that I came to really appreciate, having had one class studying religion a lot less satisfying, a Comparative Religion course, HACC Fall 2006. Yes, that's correct, for me an internet course felt more satisfying then a real life one.

I have a toddler buddy! Young Soul-Louise who I baby-sit about 2x a week (on average). Honestly, though my friends have been saying for years I am great with kids, I'm now actually baby-sitting, and baby-sitting well. Made me think, would I consider working with children as a career? Absolutely!

I did more farm work this year, and realize no matter my love-hate relationship with that, it's a part of me, no matter what. Planting, harvesting, and yes even F-in weeding are a part of me, a deep part and even if I farm little, it still needs to happen. The physical and mental benefits of occasional farming far outweigh potential annoyances, such as monotony, pests, and other challenges sure to be thrown your way.

Wow it is time for a new post or two...

My love of gaming seems to have returned. Lately I've been into the following games.

Tetris: My love :) A product of Soviet Russia from the mid-80s, the game's changed very little since then, only with some graphic refreshments to look prettier, but it's always challenging and entertaining.

Alien Vs. Predator: No, not the new version, though as soon as I have access to it, I'd like to check it out as I love the look, not to mention the franchises Aliens and Predator. I haven't seen the two AVP movies, and from what I've heard, best not too, though they have their legions of fans.
I'm playing demos of the 1999 version as my old-ass computer can actually handle that. I enjoy playing as the marine immensely watching the splattering of the aliens as the acid flies when you shoot at them. It took me several hours of gaming as it is thankfully pretty challenging, not easy. When the right computer comes along, if ever, I'm buying the updated version that promises to work with contemporary systems.

Robot Unicorn Attack: a free game through Adult Swim's website where quite simply, you're a robot unicorn that can blast through stars and fly through the air, a rainbow stream coming out of your ass. Soft lovey music plays in the background. Quite an anti-thesis of AvP but surprisingly addicting and entertaining.

Mahjong: the classic Chinese matching game. I downloaded a free version for my computer sometime ago, and like that there is more to it then matching tiles, you have to strategically match tiles so that you do not run out of matches later in the game.

Ecco: A favorite from the Sega Genesis of mine many years back. I got it brand new as a 10th birthday gift, oh wow almost 17-years ago, and go back to it every few years to see how well I can do. As a kid I only beat a few levels and even then, that had been a bitch, but the game itself has an interesting storyline, and dark undertones not so apparent until you really get into it. And because I had been then, and I am still, a huge Dolphins (not Miami) fan I'm still drawn to the game. Some music from the games is excellent and I'd highly recommend seeking it out.

That's all the games I've been rocking lately. If I find any others worth mentioning I'll post comments on them.

in motion

Some are annoyed, some overjoyed when iron horses and their convoy make us stop and watch. One such time earlier tonight when after picking up my sister from her kung fu class we sat and watched three locomotives, one a left-over from the days of Con-Rail and the other two in the current livery of white lettering, and galloping horses on black backgrounds. Nearly 100-cars in tow, some living memories of railroads past others bright and clean, fresh from the factory in their bright lettering and paint. Finally at the end, a leftover from Con-Rail days, of all the kinds of rail cars out there, very few have railroads stopped using completely. One thought to be one of them until we saw it rolling along the rails. A rare site, the end of the train as it is. An old Con-Rail bay-window caboose in tow. Paint faded from years of neglect, but nonetheless real. Beautiful.

college postings...

What can't you do online now? Okay a lot of things, but in the last ten years, college degrees haven't been one of them. Seeking to fulfill two desires, change and a completion of the Bachelors. A salvation seemingly in an online degree program, there are many, I'm sure most are suitable, but I shant name the one I am using, unless you know me :)

Initial impressions seem good, warm friendly receptions welcome me to this new adventure of online education.

With less then 25-credits left to finish, finishing at even a less then quick pace seems the best option, thus I work to finish.

google's voice

Google is now my answering service. And do I like it? Well, instead of regular voice mail, I do get messages, but I also get an email with the same recording and text messages of the same message. The text messages make my day. Thanks to still evolving voice to text technology they're always rife with errors, usually with incorrect names or more. Today, I got a call from my mom, instead of the message reading, "it's your mother" it read, "it's your brother" doh...

oh farming

Occasional jaunts into the countryside, so healthy for mind and body.

Even when faced with that most monotonous, never-ending and sometimes downright boring of farm tasks: weeding. Yet, in the monotony, chafing and irritating of my hands I realize something: There is beauty in my work. My intentions, only to spare the handful of plants actually cared about. To give them more a chance to become fuller, healthier plants. Not for aesthetics, just a genuine chance at life without having to compete as much for resources.

Plants are genuinely alive and feeling beings, something a lot of people do not realize or want to realize. They to are worthy of compassion, I feel no need to pull all weeds, just those closest to say the squash, kale and strawberries I want to flourish. The more I can leave alone the better it feels, not to mention saving labor. Yay.

Long time no blog... farming again!

Subject lines never my forte, so bear with me.
Finally, it is time to write something:

As many readers know, for the first time in 2-years I am working on a farm for fun, and free food rather then a living. My living is and for the foreseeable future remains the bakery. Yay for consistency! Oh yeah, I gather a bit here and there from sales of stuff on eBay and Craigslist.

Initially hesitant towards getting my hands dirty working with mother Gaia. I acquiesce after partaking in some farm projects, discovering this will truly be different. A real community effort where we work mainly to produce food for ourselves and not our customers, though some produce will be sold to help pay for start up and costs of production next year.

On another note: I am now part of the initiating group for Transition Lancaster. I became interested in discussing transition in seeing how just focusing on green technology and shifting our consumption habits to green stuff is not the way to go. I know about peak oil, and I know that with the world's oil consumption, and the fact that we are likely to endure horrific shortages first, and not have a science fiction world of solar panels and wind turbines powering everything.

Green goods are useful yes. Though regardless of recycled content, we still need substantial energy to get those materials to us.

Despite the increased environmental awareness experienced lately. Our society as a whole sees green as optional, and a fringe thing. It shouldn't be. It should be mainstream, but the mainstream needs to change. Even if every piece of clothing in the mall is organic cotton, and all the lights showing them off are CFLs, and you drive there in a Prius, this is hardly progress. The mall culture even if greened up is hardly an aspect of the past we want to maintain. As green consumerism is still that consumerism.

Floyd confesses...

Did you hear the news? After four years of claiming he always rode clean, Floyd Landis admit he lied!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/sports/cycling/21landis.html?pagewanted=1

Four years of lying, two million dollars in legal battles to clear his name, declare his innocence and now he comes clean.

Landis even wrote a book, which I read the first chapter, with the title Positively False to vindicate himself and show the world he rode clean. Great title for a book with a false message of innocence. To bad Landis' story is now as we've learned, Positively False.

In recanting his claims of riding dirty, Landis is bringing down others with him, so the article says. Why Mr. Landis, why? Will your conscious be so clean after trying to dirty the names of others?

As a resident of Lancaster county, and finding a new love for bicycles, one not experienced in several years. What a joy when a local boy won the Le Tour Du France. Yet disappointed, seriously so, when his title had been stripped because he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Not a part of his culture, not something that he'd do, etc. etc. Not true, none of it, he did so, now he admits it, after years of fighting to maintain a lie.

Am I against doping? Honestly yes, in the case of professional sports, because it can deliver unfair advantages to athletes, not just cyclists. Today's society with it's stance on zero-tolerance shouldn't play favorites, especially in the case of athletes like Landis and others who are paid professionals.

coal and evil will go hand in hand

Disclaimer: I am guilty. Every watt powering this laptop, writing this blog and the music, sometimes Rachel Maddow segments, playing may have come from coal, or nuclear, or methane. Not sure exactly, but more to the point, it's not like I generated my own clean, sustainable power for this laptop. And because of that, I am guilty of using coal as well. Conscious of it? But being conscious of my role in creating a problem is not the same as being pro-active in stopping it.

The transition away from coal will be long and hard, but it'll be made all the worse if we do not start immediately. Long and hard is better than agonizingly slow and painfully hard.

Much like how the coal industry violently repressed workers calls for living wages, and not quite as dangerous working conditions in eras past, and now. The wealthy heads of these coal companies have found a new enemy: those that speak the truth about the foul black rocks from the bowels of the Earth. It's not the CEO's fault coal is dirty, but they are are at fault for profiting from it.
So long as people make money from destruction of planet, MTR, climate change, coal ash spills, and populace, billions in health care costs, lives lost from mining accidents, we must all ask, when will it stop? When will society break free from as David Roberts of Grist.org put it, "the enemy of the human race."??

Recent news: two people I know from Lancaster, far from West Virginia, have been arrested for minor civil disobedience, with no destruction of property much less peoples livelihoods, and are being held with $100,000 bail! One of the charges is "littering" Littering?! I don't condone littering, but how is it these coal companies get away with destroying mountains legally? A piece of paper or empty plastic bottle can be picked up and thrown into a recycling bin, or such, but a mountain top can never truly be restored. Reshaping and planting some pine trees is not restoration.

Once humanity stops dealing with our enemies, the dinosaur energy sources of oil, coal and natural gas, and start resorting to friends, the earth, (geothermal) sun, moon (tidal energy) and wind, a better, healthier future will be in our hands. Time, sacrifice, and effort will have to be made, but the end result will at least last us a lot longer, and not destroy the environment we depend on.

The issues with coal are not only seen in scientific graph charts and tables in books and presentations done by people with PHDs at Universities. It is seen in our health care bills from bad air, soil and water. It is seen in West Virgina, and other places in America where the sounds of nature are drowned out by explosives destroying nature in the name of cheap electricity.

Nigerian scams and a rant on suckers.

It's just a nasty part of life, wherever you go, there are rotten people all over and all they care about is a fast buck, pound, Euro or ruble, no matter how slimy the methods. These scammers and spammers have bilked good but naive people out of a ton of money, the exact figures are not available.

Young, 17, but not so dumb, opening up my email as usual the beginning of the day. An email from some guy who claimed to be the auditor general of S. Africa and in exchange for simple favors I'd get a lot of money!
Right... not as skeptical as I should have been, I at least looked up who said Auditor General of S. Africa is, and it's not the guy that sent me that email. So I deleted it immediately.

This happened in 2000, and yet we still hear of these scammers! And it's all through email! People really think a real inheritance will come from an email? Not a law office getting in touch through certified mail? These scams will not affect as many if everyone just had more sense for f-sake! I don't like scammers. Period. Yet, you'd think with all the news reports, investigations and oh the fact that you of all random, forgettable people gets an email from someone saying you have millions, they just need you to send lots of money first, and you fall for it? Hmm... remember thine Barnum, there's a sucker born every minute, though in today's society, that number has grown to multiple suckers per second.

What to write...

when you do not feel like writing?

Alvious the writer, his thoughts on coal power, bicycle parts and green living have been put out here already.

How about something I haven't written about yet? Hippie holidays back to back! April 20th, the infamous 4/20 for fans of what is in some circles a medicinal spiritual herb and others an evil, evil substance that only corrupts youth and destroys society. Very persuasive arguments exist arguing for legalization, which I am a supporter, since American society discovered long ago alcohol legalization, with regulation, became a boost, not drain to our economy.

After that holiday, is of course Earth Day 4/22 tomorrow on Thursday.

This invites some reflections on Earth Days past and present.
My plans for this Earth Day? Ride my back, maybe go farming, here's hoping, and enjoy that.

I first really remember learning what Earth Day means some 15-years ago. Then a young Eartho-phile, (yes, I made that up) much like the writer of this blog, age 10+1. Influenced by age appropriate books showing humanities disregard for our planet and the people, animals and plants thereof. Another influence, thanks to Cartoon Network reruns, came in the form of earth! fire! wind! water! heart! with the combined powers of these annoying, but goodhearted, teenagers we get Captain Planet! These teenagers fought flat, exaggerated capitalists, working to wreck the environment for their own benefit.

The show always, kind of bland, flat and dorky overall, never failed to entertain. Or did it? Entertain without much intelligence and insight for sure, but whatever! Still fun stuff!

The worst Earth Day ever?
April 22 2005, I wrecked a car, and felt like shit for a long time, on top of other difficulties in my life from the time. Getting to see Sin City, one of my all-time favorite movies that night helped me feel a bit better. I loved the movie, but still felt awful for a while. So far, no car accidents, my fault or otherwise, a serious bike accident since then, so I take that as a real blessing, as the whole ordeal rather sucked.

Best Earth Day? Not sure, the first one I remember was kind of fun thanks to the Captain Planet marathon mentioned earlier. Two years ago: did farm work with two great friends and got a job offer to do my summer stint with DigIt! A valuable opportunity, that really taught me a lot about myself. Though very stressful.

As the wheels turn...

To cap off the last month touched by winter and welcome warmer weather and the return of the leaves on the trees a friend and I embark on a bike ride.

A few miles outside Lancaster, hills feel steeper than they did before. Carrying extra dead weight from cold months of sedentary activity, focused on arts, the mind and not my fitness. Suffice to say, the ride would be harder than originally thought.

The place? Undecided at first, then we agreed: The Pinnacle. Hundreds of feet over the Susquehanna, and a gorgeous place to hike once there. Also, a nice trip through lovely, lovely southern Lancaster county.

The trip up the Pinnacle, Lancaster's highest point proved harder than thought. The Bridgestone's drive-train, with it's nice long crank-arms and what I thought were nice low range cogs and chain-rings that handled hills in Delaware County, felt way to high on the hills in Southern Lancaster County. The hills won in my case, I unlocked from the pedals and walked the bike. At first in the shoes, which are still not walking shoes and finally barefoot. The roads weren't so rough to walk in, though it killed the pace as the buildup of lactic acid finally got to me and forced me off the bike as well as the steep hills.
(yeah, the hills in SoLanCo are babies compared to some, but I'm not part of the pro-peleton so leaveth me alone!)

Despite the lactic acid, lack of breath and the hills, I carried on. My friend, much more in shape than me, tired as well, could keep going. Cycling back, we rested, ate banana and granola, still wanting to truck on. The Pinnacle is becoming gorgeous at this time as we finally arrive. Staying 30-40 minutes, not sure exactly.

Oh the descent back! Descents are my strong point, thanks to a heavier frame I always fly down any hill without real effort. Marvelous the feeling always, yet scary at the same time. The tires are training tires, light and quick, but not the strongest. Always the worry of a blowout or other accident flying down these hills. Yet, they never failed.

On the ride back, the ascents, though not as hard as before, still present challenges as I'm definitely not as energetic as before. The lactic acid and shortness of breath are still apparent. Not thrilling I imagine my friend who patiently waits as I hold him up from getting back to lovely Lancaster. But we trek on. The ride back still takes much less time than the ride there.

In the future, another ride there.

Thoughts on this ride after-wards:
Ordered another cassette for the rear wheel, something with a few more teeth to better handle the ascents. Speeding up the hills is not my goal, just getting up them.
The tires used, the racing tires mentioned earlier, are wonderful on smooth roads, but I'm thinking beefier, slightly thicker tires are in order eventually.

health care "reform" an Alvis raving...

Health care reform has been signed into law. Finally! But oh what reform we get! Instead of looking world-wide, or what do you know looking at two "socialist" systems we have here at home, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration, we instead come up with a huge new "reform" plan that allows private, for profit, insurers their way.
Recall term here, for profit. Basically, as insurance companies have been known to do in the past, and will do in the future.

Arguments against govt. rationed health care, while certainly of concern, always seem to neglect that every time insurance companies deny care, for whatever they choose, that is the same thing as rationed care. Or denied care.

This new health care "reform" bill, which will not go into effect until middle of this decade, just shows one thing: In America, corporate, for profit policy does rule everything. It would be so nice if our medicine didn't have a profit motive either. But sadly, it has gone from something insurance corporations bullied their way into over the last 60-years to govt. which I thought is supposed to protect the American people from corporate bullying and profiteering has not only protected, but in essence legislated.
If the best America can come up with since the end of WWII is this, when will we listen to the sick, and not the rich for once?

thoughts from last night

What a glorious city-style night. A play and dinner at a fine restaurant! The restaurant the Penn Grill at the convention center and the play, the focus of this blog, Noises Off.

Only knowing the 1992 movie Noises Off, which I loved, despite critical reception, thanks to a dynamite cast, incl: Christopher Reeve and John Ritter R.I.P., and, I thought, hilarious original material to work from.

Noises Off is described in detail all over the internet, so check it out, Wikipedia's page doesn't suck, if you want to know about it.

What'd I like? Again, only having seen the movie, I thought the sets and performances evoked near perfectly the originals in appearance, energy, enthusiasm and the ability of the actors to transition from their stage rolls to rolls within rolls without any blurring, or awkward transitions. Yay to the cast!

Not a lot to say, but I am not a real theater critic, and unable, or uncaring enough, to comment on the intellectual depth and texture. Is that necessary? Noes! It's just a great play, intelligently written, performed and produced.

Thoughts on the protest

Yeah, I marched. 3/20/2010, Washington D.C.
1000s turn out to make their voices heard.
Citing ever present problems of capitalism, classism, racism, sexism and ethnocentric, cold-war mentality thinking that produces illegal occupations which devastate the people, their culture and their way of life.
And all in the name of promoting Democracy?
Actions to promote Democracy abroad, decided democratically by a tiny number of people, most of whom know little about the culture they decide needs bombs dropped on it. Who is left out of this Democratic decision making? the people who will be exposed to the horrors that are modern war.
Sadly, if you read about peak oil, overthrows, and other histories not taught in mainstream classrooms you'd know these occupations and military actions are usually just for one thing: resources of land and people to exploit for, as Pablo Neruda called "obese emperors from New York" in his poem Standard Oil.

With reasons of what men and women of my generation and lately the next micro-generation after mine being dressed in green, hair shaved off heads and rifles in hand asked to fight for.

So what good are protests? For me, always a fun excuse to go out, pretend we will wake up da masses to what's going on. And what our mainstream media is not telling us.
Otherwise, not as much as any of us would like.
Protests occur monthly for various reasons and yet, despite the numbers of feet marching for change and the fiery rhetoric printed on our signs, we're ignored by those with obscene monies, too blind to see and too deaf to hear.

Check out the poem mentioned above here:

Warmer then usual lately...

Walking to work, I wore the usual, jeans, shoes, short-sleeve shirt and heavy coat. After wards, running errands, I wore the same but shed the heavy coat. Doubtful it'll be for good. I'm just happy to shed the heavy wool coat and wear the old reliable wind-breaker I've had for years and years.
So, what's exciting about wearing clothing that's so much lighter than before? The signs of warmer, more pleasant weather to come! Is it not wonderful? Soon, flowers growing again! Time to dig in the dirt and plant flowers and food again. Sweet...

In the cycling clothes again,

How to begin a blog on a subject written about much before? So dull to just write I did this and I did that as writers are tired to know. If you cannot get excited about what you're writing about, you're not going to be much of a writer when you write with the apathetic pen, or keystrokes, and not the so excited to burst with enthusiasm by spraying bits of connected language onto paper or computer screens all in the effort to tell a story. With any luck, you can tell an interesting one, and with even more elusive luck someone will read it, and by an act of divine intervention, they may even like it too.

Finally, the time came, awaiting this moment for far to long. Good enough weather to wear summery bike clothes, mostly wool and polyester. Hearing pluses and minuses to both materials as to what to make out of each. Shorts made from synthetics are considered better, least in my research the consensus is that way. Wool jerseys are classics for cyclists. Heavier then synthetics, but oh so much classier! Simple colors, and the long sleeve varieties make wonderful turtlenecks!

So attired in wonderful clothing for cycling, I prepare to ride.
Ah the beloved racing bike! Made of steel, made in Japan, designed to function as more than just a racer, but a durable bike that could be a real friend on two wheels. Giving her so much time and effort during my time outside Dutch county PA.
My excitement! finally! time and place to ride in my cycling clothes for a change.

To conclude, as I've written before, I love bike riding no matter what I am wearing, but in the proper attire it just to me has this much better feel of being so much more of say one with the bike, rather than just riding a bike.

FS: model trains...

Edit: Yay rewrite! so much for auto save functions...

Selling model trains on eBay. Basically trying to make some extra money outside work. Successful? I'm selling them, sometimes for prices to low, but they are getting out there and my customers seem to like what they get.

For my first 9-5 type, fill out a W2 style job, a hobby store! Here, learning the art of dealing with the public and upper-level management.
I made no commission, thankfully, as I had a regular salary instead. I spent a lot, saved very little. I lasted 6-months giving notice long after I no longer had fun working there. Temporarily killing my love of model railroading, but it had definitely peaked by then. No longer were trains something fun, but a product on a shelf to move and replace with others.
Fast forward some years: numerous college credits down... I found another avenue to sell trains, eBay. I work out of home, making my own hours and selling stuff off at my own pace. How do I like it? Well, it's work! Writing somewhat detailed listings for trains is dull, monotonous and time-consuming, not to mention time spent putting in boxes and running to post office, but I do make some monies at it. And clear out stuff I needn't keep around, yay!

While packing and shipping these trains, it brought back memories of what the hobby meant to me:
From 1998 to 2003, oh such fun, working with my hands, doing research, learning new skills, yes at the expense of school, but I didn't care. Paint and glue fumes probably weren't good for my brain-cells at the time, but again, I cared not, this stuff is fun! Breaking the stereotype of being an antisocial shut-in, I found a train club, where a finished layout that functioned pretty well allowed me to room and space to actually run my trains.

How do I regard it now? To me, all trains, even the nicest scale models are toys, as in toys for adults. The stuff that only lays behind glass? Maybe not so much, but they serve no function other than being eye-candy.
That said, I've always thought highly of the hobby, few allow you to engage in so many skills and crafts in pursuit of the creation of works of art. Wood and metal working, using an airbrush, historical research, electrical work and others all can be practiced through model railroading. Importantly, I feel that my own abilities with working on bikes, cars and small appliances had been boosted by having played with model trains in my younger days.

So I definitely thought highly of that hobby. I even still like looking at pictures of well done railroad models, but for personal reasons, namely other interests, I just choose not too.

To soon for another post? Nay!

I say!

All writers can relate to the challenges and trials of editing works. Easy? The rules of editing are simple for what punctuation marks follow what type of language. Yet, there is always conflict, either eternal or external as to what is truly correct. You know what you want to say, but others, readers think the finished product should sustain certain changes and be different. The whole writer vs. reader argument, and unfortunately, we the writers gain nothing if readers will not read our works because our editing is sloppy, it is our fault for being careless, not their fault for expecting works that are both well written, AND edited.

Several writers will have several different opinions on editing. Giving some time between writing and editing is healthy for oneself. Editing and writing at the same time drives one insane and if nothing else prolongs the process of trying to finish and polish a work.

Editing/revision never ends, one can always come up with changes and revisions no matter the work.

As a writer I'm fond of the computer and the physical form of written words on the medium of paper.
When editing, I always notice the real change in dynamic between going from writing/editing on a computer screen to editing changes to documents on paper. You look at the work differently, the change in medium really presents a significant difference in how you view it, and how you can then edit.

Welcome the second month of the new decade

Here we are and it is February. A thick coat of white to blanket fair Lancaster expected this weekend. And honestly, would it be February in Lancaster PA if that weren't the case?

For a change, at the end of this month I am going to Orlando! A Florida trip with just the family. Usually I don't go, not interested in Disney's rampant commercialism, but realizing that despite my disdain for Disney as it is. My family members, especially my sweet youngest sister so over the top with joy that Alvie will be going to Orlando! Mom is happy too, but no one so happy as Sara.

One of my goals for this year, get out of America, even for a couple days. Where? Anywhere cheap to fly too and stay in. Language barriers? I'm not so worried about that. What to do? I just want to relax, spend time in the sun, write in my journal or even my laptop, take some photos and if possible, ride my Bridgestone around.

Finally, took me long enough!

So I put off writing for a while as there has been little to write about. So apparently, this is an exception, and a worthy one I think.

Last years big blockbuster, James Cameron's Avatar offers much commentary on militarism, capitalism, racism and the influence those factors have had on the political climate of decades and centuries past where few have brought guns and germs devastating the landscape and the people who lived on them. This story takes place far from our home planet, but in a way, not so far from home, as it is in a way, a very human story.

The Na'vi and their way of life depend deeply on the health of the forests they call home. They live without concern for economy and social class. Their concern is the forest, the lush and gorgeous world of Pandora, where the geography bares similarity to Earth's tropical rain-forests. The creatures and people of Pandora so strange to our eyes much like the flora and fauna of the tropics may have been to European explorers in centuries past.

And much like the conquerors of times past, people from earth, a powerful corporation using military personnel and weaponry, have come for one thing: extracting the mineral unobtanium. Oh so expensive, and whose purpose to the Na'vi remains a mystery, but like the conquerors in history, they cared none about whatever uses petroleum, copper, gold and other minerals had to the indigenous people they took these resources from. Their "need" for X-mineral trumped all concerns for human rights and environmental impact, but who cares? Someone's getting rich!

So, would I say go see it? I'm no cinephile, nor a huge Cameron fan, but I'll say, the effects render a gorgeous looking film, however the character development is alright, though I thought the antagonist Quaritch, to be much like characters in Cameron's other flicks, I.E kind of un-real, they can be sometimes to evil, to smarmy, etc. The change to humans as invading aliens and the Na'vi as defending their home is pretty well executed and not often seen in Sci-Fi.

The other main aspect, the modern man becoming part of a tribal society, and gaining greater respect for the natural world that is his new home. Well, that's been done often before, I.E Ferngully and Dances With Wolves, and while not done poorly, it's not done in a stunningly original way either.
Overall, I liked this film.

Going into 2010, some reflections on 2009

2009 had been my year of change, in that I didn't just try doing a handful of things I had done before, but I lived a new life that gave me direction.

Moving out from home for six-months April to November 2009 to take a job on an organic farm.

Thinking back, I like aspects of the country life. But enjoy it much more so when an exciting city is close by.
In Virginia, the closest small town required a car to get too, 6-miles one way on a very hilly road. In PA, the small town, which had all the necessities we needed, a mile away, accessible by bike, but like W-Town VA, a hilly ride on not so bike-friendly roads either. The exciting city, el capital de estados unidos, 50+ miles away. Compared to el ciudad de bromance, a short, easy train or trolley ride courtesy of SEPTA. All in all though, I'd never want to live for to long a time outside the city, in the country, as well, I get kind of bored, and need to find things to do, restless? maybe, but it's who I am.

Though I started and ended the year with the same change in status: single. But more importantly, I gained something from beginning to end I always needed, and built up what I already have. More confidence, direction, clarity, happiness with oneself.

Losing more weight, starting the year at 185, and ending at 168-172 makes me happy.

I blogged very little, mostly on bike-related stuff, little on much else.
I'm not that much of a blogger I guess, I like writing blogs, though the quirky aspects make them feel odd to write at times, but whatever I still will.

Speaking of writing, I'd like to engage in that more productively. Even learn how to teach it someday, but always make time to just write, write non-fiction, fiction, occasional poetry, whatever, just write! Keep writing! as the Empress with three Fs in her name once said.

Enough for now...
I'm going to do all I can to embrace and enjoy this new year for what it will be. A New Year!