I'm thinking it may be time to bring the blog back to life.

And.....relax.

Hello fellow travelers. 

Today is the first day of my winter break - 3 weeks of blissful, work-free sloth. Going to head off to California on Monday to see my sister and then my mom.  I'm looking forward to stuffing my face with real Mexican food and other western goodies I can't find here in Taiwan.  Then, of course, there is the grocery store/Walmart experience, which is always a highlight.  As many of my expat friends know, there's nothing quite so over-whelming as walking into an American supermarket after being abroad for a few years. Most of the time, I simply wander the aisles slavering over the sheer variety of stuff available.  Favorite places in the store: the deli and the cereal aisle!

Anyway, it'll be a good trip.  I'm planning on renting a car this time and driving from San Francisco to my mom's house in Crescent City.  I haven't done a good road trip in years, and I'm looking forward to the drive.  It's been a long time since I've had a car. I got a small taste of driving when Ian and I were in Guam, and I've been thinking about it a lot since. The only thing I hope for is that the rental car has a way for me to plug in my iPod.  No way do I want to drive that far listening only to the radio - shiver!

The How-low-can-you-go Limbo

Sarah Palin endorses Donald Trump. Rumors of a Trump/Palin ticket circulate.  It's the end of the world.

Feelin' The Bern!

I admit it. I am very skeptical of Bernie Sanders' chances at pulling off a victory in the upcoming election, but I am attracted to much of what he has to say. There is a problem with some of the math when it comes to how he is going to fund many of his domestic proposals, especially with a Congress that is guaranteed to be hostile to most everything he wants to do. That said, if all the people who say they want to vote for Sanders actually vote for him, he may have a fighting chance.

New Music

Psychedelic Stoner goodness from Australia:  Hobo Magic

 

Mellowing in the New Year

Partying like I'm Wilford Brimley

The year has come in with a whisper. Rebecca and I spent a pleasant evening soaking in a hot spring. We got home just in time to watch the New Years Eve count down, and then we went to bed.  I didn't mind in the least. It would seem that the Road Warrior years have finally come to an end.

Resolutions have been made.  The perennial favorites - lose weight and get better organized - made the list of course. Getting back in the pool is one that needs to happen.  I was very busy this semester and got behind, which made me feel that I didn't have the time to swim (I can only use the school pool at lunch time, which I used to try and catch up...unsuccessfully I might add).  I actually miss it quite a bit, so that is, of the three, the most likely to happen. I may try to get some yoga or something done in the evening with Rebecca, but it's hard.  We both have brutal commutes to and from work, so it's really hard to find the energy after two hours on one bus or another.  Half the time it's difficult even to decide what to have for dinner.

The getting organized thing is going to be a struggle as it has been my entire life. I find that I get  distra...SQUIRREL!!

Umm...Where was I? Oh yeah.  Getting organized.  I asked Rebecca to find me a desk calendar, the big kind that lay on the desk.  It may help if I can write things down and have them staring me in the face every day.  The little organizer books are useless to me. I write stuff in them and then leave the damn thing at home or lose it. I think the last time I moved, I threw away five or six datebooks with entries on the first page and then...nothing. Why don't you use your phone or get a tablet, you may ask.  For that, well...Oooh look!  Facebook!

Ahem...Uh...yeah...Getting organized...ahem.  Anyway, you get the picture.  Nuff sed.

Learning that Niceness Never Pays (or the Blind Leading the Stupid) 

One of my 10th grade Lit students learned a tough lesson this past week. Over the course on the 2nd term, all the students have had to write essays on the stories we've been reading.  My student, who I will call Fric, is  a good kid and very diligent.  He always has his assignments done on time and has a generally good attitude in class.  His friend, whom I'll call Frac, asked Fric if he could look at his (Fric's) essays to get an idea of what to write about.  As it turns out, Frac is an idiot. Frac took Fric's essays (three in total) and handed them in to his teacher, Mrs. Wu, as his own work. Now, none of this would have come to light had not Frac, in a moment of pure, unadulterated stupidity, handed in the last essay of the term without changing the names on the essay. In other words, Frac handed in an essay that had Fric's name still on it.  Frac had not changed a single, solitary thing.  To make matters worse, Frac, when confronted with this issue, was unconcerned and attitudinal.

All this happened last Tuesday.  I wasn't going to see Fric again until after the long weekend, so I figured I should talk to him and tell him about the mountain that was about to fall on his head.  I asked one of Fric's classmates that, if he saw Fric, to have him come see me .  Fric shows up in my classroom, and I asked him straight out if he new the trouble he was in. Fric was quite surprised by this, so I explained the situation. As it turns out, not only had Frac told Mrs. WU that Fric had given him the essays, but had not decided to tell his "friend" that he'd been busted. Plagiarism and cheating are taken very seriously at Kang Chiao, and the person who aides and abets the cheater is considered equally guilty.  Poor Fric had been thrown under the bus by his buddy without a second thought. 

I am going to go to bat for Fric, because a) I think he really did think his friend was just going to look over his papers, b) the thought of having his parents called into school and getting a 0 on all his papers practically brought this kid to tears (in my experience in 17 years teaching in Asia, these kids are notoriously bad liars, and I believe Fric's anxiety in this case was not feigned), and c) Fric's a good kid learning a tough lesson. I'm not saying Fric shouldn't be punished, he should be, but i would like to soften the blow at least a little.

New Music

Here is a nice little Psychedelic Blues Rock band from Oklahoma City that I recently discovered: Them Hounds

I read the news today. sigh.

I am Christian, Muslim, Jewish. I am ALL religion, and I HATE you! You should DIE because you don't genuflect before my idea of God. You should DIE because my moral code is superior to yours!

I am a Patriot, and I HATE you! You should DIE because you don't love and worship my country as much as I do. You should DIE because you come to my country and do not act as I think you should.

I am white, black, brown, and yellow, and I HATE you! You should DIE because you are DIFFERENT than me and that FRIGHTENS me!

I am a Politician, and I HATE you! You should DIE because you do not believe in the utopia my corporate overlords wish for you!

I am HUMAN!  Hear me HATE!

Orgasmatron
By Motorhead

I am the one, Orgasmatron, the outstretched grasping hand
My image is of agony, my servants rape the land
Obsequious and arrogant, clandestine and vain
Two thousand years of misery of torture in my name
Hypocrisy made paramount, paranoia the law
My name is called religion, sadistic, sacred whore

I twist the truth, I rule the world, my crown is called deceit
I am the emperor of lies, you grovel at my feet
I rob you and I slaughter you, your downfall is my gain
And still you play the sycophant and revel in my pain
And all my promises are lies, all my love is hate
I am the politician and I decide your fate

I march before a martyred world, an army for the fight
I speak of great heroic days, of victory and might
I hold a banner drenched in blood, I urge you to be brave
I lead you to your destiny, I lead you to your grave
Your bones will build my palace, your eyes will stud my crown
For I am Mars, the God of war and I will cut you down

Wow! Wasn't sure this thing was still here.

Well hello,

I have decided to shovel the dust off the old blog and see if I can't find some inspiration. It's been over a year since I last posted.  Things are going quite well.  I have a good job.  Rebecca and I are getting along swimmingly, and the weather finally got cool enough, so I'm not sweating my butt off every time I breathe. Can't complain at all.

I'm going to kick off the renewal with a tale of dreams.

For the past 10 years or so, I have had this recurring nightmare that involves mostly unseen evil of a powerful nature, and more often than not wakes me up with a shout and gasping for breath.  There was a particularly dark point when I was in Korea, where I literally thought I might be going insane. I would wake up not knowing whether what happened in the dream was real or not. There was a slip in reality that frightened me quite badly.

The source of the evil in the dreams was a children's book which always reminded me of Eric Carle's, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Most of the time, I could never get near the book because the evil emanating from it was too powerful. Over the years, I was able to touch the book about four of five times and able to open it twice. The first time I got to open the book - you have to understand that, in the dream, this was a monstrous struggle - I saw the number 2, and on the second time, there was the number 7.  I have no idea what it means other than this nightmare has been with me for a long, long time, and the struggle is difficult and terrifying every time.

Last night, the dream returned. This time was different because the details are much sharper than they have been in the past.  Whereas before, I could never quite tell where I was, this time I was very distinctly in a classroom in a fairly large school building. The book was on a lone desk in the middle of the class. I was actually able to walk right up to the book, and everything was kosher until I opened it. When I lifted the cover, a violent blast of energy threw me back across the room. I got up, and struggled forward to the book as if I was leaning into a full force gale. I pushed and pushed forward.  I finally made it to the desk.  The book was opened to the page with the 2 on it. Holding onto the desk for dear life, I was able to reach up and tear the page out of the book.  There was a great whoosh as the room expanded outward, stretching like a room in a cartoon and then snapping back into place.  The classroom had transformed into a gymnasium with folded up bleachers and twin sets of red, pad-locked, double-doors.  There was a great crash at the doors as two maniacal janitor figures tried to break into the gym.  As they snarled and pushed and stretched through the doors, things got sketchy and I woke up.

I have no idea what happened to the book or the page that I was able to tear out.  But I do know that when I woke up, I felt as if some corner has been turned in my subconscious.  I'm not sure the war is over, but a battle has been won.

Traveling, Typhoons, and other mundane reasons for living!

Howdy folks.  It's been a while since I traveled the dusty halls of blog land. Things are...well...things.  The exciting/terrifying/eagerly anticipated (which may be the same thing as exciting, but what the hell) thing that is going on, is that on Friday, I will start my new job. I will not start teaching on Friday because these folks are very serious.  I will start a month long orientation to prepare me to teach for Kang Chiao International School.  This, my friends, is a real job.  I haven't had one of these in a long time.  Now, while I am looking forward to the challenge, I am also thinking to myself, "Holy crap! I'm actually going to have to do some work!"  Talley Ho! and what not!

Last week, Rebecca and I joined her co-workers on a company sponsored trip to the eastern coast Taiwan cities of Hualien and Taitung. There were about 40 odd folks on the trip from the two branches of Rebecca's company including employees and their families or friends. Now, I've never actually been on one of these scripted tours where you are at the mercy of the schedule, which led to my being a tad grumpy the first day because things were moving faster than I would have preferred.  Rebecca however, put and end to that by telling me to suck it up and go with the flow. Me, being the dutiful husband...cough...gasp...did what I was told and ended up having a good time over all.  I knew I loved that woman for some reason.  Anyway, we toured part of Toroko National Park that Rebecca and I hadn't been to before (see previous post). The Baiyang Waterfall Trail is a winding trail through a deep gorge marked by a number of tunnels blasted through the cliffs that ultimately leads to an underground waterfall that you can stand if you wish.  I wasn't so interested in the waterfall, but there were a number of places where the water in the river at the bottom of the gorge pooled in such an inviting way that I really wanted to go in. Unfortunately, sheer drops of 50-100 or more feet generally discouraged this. It's beautiful country regardless, and if you ever travel to Taiwan, it is well worth the visit.

The next day, we headed off to a clam museum. I opted to wander around outside since the whole thing was in Chinese, and I really don't like clams that much. One of the things that you could do, was jump in a pond and dig for clams. Once you got the clams, then you could bring them to the little restaurant area, where they would cook 'em up for you and you could have a feast.  Fortunately for me, many of Rebecca's co-workers are beer drinkers, so while they ate their clams, I got to drink beer. This is always a good thing. After the clam thing, we all got on the bus, and the tour guide broke out the karaoke machine. Now, I was not aware of this (although the clues have been there now that I think about it), but my wife is a karaoke queen. She even has a pretty decent voice.  The bottom line is, Rebecca LOVES karaoke (we were on a Noraebus, for my Korean friends, lol). I did my duty and sang a couple of songs, but the fact that it was the middle of the day, and I wasn't blind drunk, my singing voice was not at it's best. We finally arrived at the hotel - all the hotels were very nice - but this one was kind of like Disneyland.  It had a swimming pool, a bar, game rooms with billiards and table tennis among other things, and live music (I often want to ask the guys that play in these hotel cover bands what they do for "real" music, but a gig is a gig I suppose. After going for a swim in the pool, Rebecca and I met some of her co-workers and proceeded to down three cases of beer in one of the rooms. Now Rebecca is not what you would call a drinker by any means, and in truth, she does not approve of my predilection for the the sweet, delectable, barley and hops beverage.  However, she is a good sport and only gave me a couple of sideways glances.

Too be continued (with photos)...

What happened America?

I don't understand my country anymore.  A country built by immigrants that now hates immigrants.  A country that claims to respect the individual freedoms of all its citizens but truly only respects the rights of those citizens who can pay for them.  A country that believes in liberty, freedom of speech and freedom of religion but only as long as it is the RIGHT kind of speech or the RIGHT kind of religion. A country that spends trillions of dollars to send young men and women to fight and die in stupid, useless wars yet can't find the cash to properly care for those young men and women when they come home crippled and maimed.  A country that says, "Hey. You're poor? FUCK you!  A country built on compromise and intellectual ideas that now seems to believe that compromise is a dirty word and that ideas and intelligence are some sort of cancer. A country that will will get all gussied up this coming weekend to celebrate the independence of a nation that no longer knows who or what it is.

That makes me sad.

Sunday Morning

Well, it's a lazy Sunday morning.  I'm having my coffee, watching baseball, and doing some laundry. The real decision to be made is whether to start studying for the Chinese test I have tomorrow or take a nap ... zzzzzzzzzzzz ...

Random thoughts

I have found that being out of work for an extended period of time can actually work your nerves a little bit. I find myself happily cleaning the bathrooms, mopping to floors and taking random walks along with hours of wasted time playing around on the computer.  I'm sure that a couple of months after I start working again, I will be pining for the lost hours of freedom, but at the moment, I'm simply bored.

One way that I am going to relieve the tediousness is by taking what I think is an absurdly expensive intensive Chinese course at the Chinese Culture University Mandarin Learning Center. While the name of the place is certainly a mouthful, I have read some pretty good reviews about their courses.  It's going to be a challenge because it's three hours a day, five days a week, and I think it's going to be one of those courses where missing one class will put you almost too far behind to catch back up.  Anyway, I'm up for the challenge. The main reason I want to do this is because I've been spending a lot of time with Rebecca's family and while they are super friendly and try to include me as much as possible, their lack of English and my lack of Chinese means that I am often the odd guy out.  I can't expect Rebecca to translate everything. So we'll see how it goes.  Maybe I'll actually become proficient in Chinese.  Of course I said that about Korean as well and after 14 years living in Korea, couldn't hold a conversation to save my life.

Not much else going on really. Just killing time until my job starts in late July.  ...And so it goes.

Random Stuff

First of all, for all you who may be interested, I am now employed.  I will be working for the Kang Chiao International School.  I'll be teaching English.  Mostly I'll be teaching TOEIC and TOEFL stuff, but the school offers a lot of English literature classes as well as social studies classes which I may also get the opportunity to teach. I'm thinking this is going to turn out to be a really good job.  The only thing I'm not thrilled with is that I'll have a two hour commute each way which will make for a long day.  That said, I'm actually really excited to get started.  I'll begin July 25th.  In the interim I'm going to have to find some things to do to keep me from going cock-eyed with boredom.  I figure taking a Chinese class will be part of it, but I don't know what else yet.

The other thing that happened to me is that I discovered my sciatic nerve. Now those of you who have had experience with this wonder of the human anatomy know very well that it is literally a pain in the ass. Anyway, Rebecca sent me off to the National Taiwan University Hospital to get myself checked out.  This was an adventure in and of itself.  Following the signs that supposedly lead you to the Family Health Care clinic, I walked through a door which led me too a hallway that had a ceiling only an inch over my head.  Not only that, but as I'm walking around I'm noticing that there's not much in the way of hospital type stuff going on, but that it's mostly small restaurants and convenience stores. So here I am, crouched over because I can't stand up straight due to the ceiling height, staring at people slurping up nodles and wondering what in the Hell have I got myself into.  I finally find another sign that has an arrow pointing up some stairs and says Family Health Care.  I follow and wind up in what seems to be the oncology lab.  The first person who looked like they worked there that I talked to sort of looked at me and ran.  So I did the next logical thing and called Rebecca, so that she could talk to someone and get me headed in the right direction.  I finally get sent to the hospital lobby.  Now when I got to the lobby, I was immediate reminded of a really crowded night market.  There were five different sets of windows all labeled cashier and five million people milling around in what has to be some sort of organized fashion but at first glance was simply chaos.  I stood in the middle of this, staring around in all directions and just laughing to myself thinking, "What the fuck do I do now?"  Finally, Rebecca sent me a text with what I was looking for written in Chinese, and nice little helper woman got me pointed in the right direction.  I got to the doctor, she told me I was suffering from a pinch sciatic nerve and prescribed some mild painkillers.   This led to my next adventure.

The painkillers weren't doing much good, so Rebecca suggested that I should try acupuncture. I've never tried it before but had always heard positive things. Given that my hip was bothering me in a big way, I said, "What the Hell."  I got to the clinic this morning and in short order was talking to the doctor who spoke excellent English and explained the process to me.  It was all very civilized.  The only kink in the works came when I had a fit of giggles thinking of the picture I must have presented laying there on my side with needles sticking out of my butt. Laughing makes your body move. Moving makes you able to feel the needles, which is a tad uncomfortable.  So far, the pain is gone, but we'll see how long it lasts.  The Doc said to go back Monday if the pain persists, so I will do that.

That is all for now...

Vacation Photos

Here they are:

Rebecca and I getting married for the second time.

The Del Norte County Clerk reading the wedding service.

The deed is done! Everyone...laugh?

In front of the Flynn Administration Center where we got married.

Rebecca, my sister Shelle, and I on the road to Sonoma.

Rebecca's Latte bowl!

The Marina District and Fort Mason, SF.

Heading out on a Bay Cruise. The weather was nice when we left the dock.

Saw some sea lions.

Then it started to rain.

Got some good photos and had a good time despite the rain that, of course, stopped the minute we got back to the dock.

Being tourists in Chinatown.

You have to take the cable cars!

Taiwanese (?) tea franchise in SF.

Fisherman's Wharf

Thus tells the tale of our time in California for what amounted to the most expensive visa run in history.  had a great time with my family and my fabulous wife!

Post Post Vacation Post Post

The other thing you do when you go home is shop.  When you live in Asia and are a man of my...ahem...stature, a trip back to the land of the large every couple of years is necessary. That and the fact that I have big-ass feet means that I can't find shoes that fit in Asia. So, I got to California and hit all the hot spots: Walmart, Target, Sears and stocked up on enough of the necessities to last me until my next adventure to, as my buddy Ian calls it, "The Land of the Great PX." It really is shocking to shop in America.  I'm in awe every time I go back to visit a supermarket, wandering down the cereal aisle or staring, mouth agape and drooling, at the ridiculous number of choices in the cheese section. I simply can't imagine how someone from a country not known for its abundance feels when they first step into these hallowed halls of excess.  It must be mind boggling.

Now, personally, I don't like to shop.  I go shopping, especially for clothes, out of necessity and try to get it over with as quickly as possible.  Rebecca, on the other hand, LOVES to shop.  During our stay I think we hit just about every mall between San Francisco and Oregon border. Fortunately for me, Rebecca understands my aversion to shopping and, rather than listen to me sigh heavily every time she wants to try something on or wants to venture into just one more store, usually parks me and a book in a nearby coffee shop or pub while she peruses the merchandise. Our greatest adventure was in the search for everything Coach.  Coach products seem to be very popular among Rebecca's circle of friends but are much more expensive in Taiwan than they are in the States. Thus, Rebecca and I hit every Macy's, Coach store and outlet we could find looking for deals on bags and wallets requested by friends and family.  I somehow came out of this the proud owner of a Macy's card which I will probably never use again. I'm not sure how many bags we came back with, but it was a lot.

All in all, it was a great trip.  I got to spend some quality time with my mom, and with my sister, I ate a ton of great food - I made my pilgrimage to Los Hermanos; the home of the world's best burrito, and got a lot of new clothes.  Good times!

Photos to follow.

Post Vacation Post

There are two truths that are undeniable about traveling to the US. One, the only thing that loses weight is your wallet, and, two, your sleep cycle is going to hell.  I went to bed at midnight last night after 18-19 hours of traveling only to wake up at 5:00 am this morning.  Only it wasn't 5:00. It was 4:00 because I forgot to set my watch to Taiwan time after our layover in Tokyo.  It was even worse when Rebecca and I got to California at the beginning of the trip.  I think it took almost a week before we started sleeping less than about 14 hours a day.

As far as the diet is concerned, you pretty much know that you are going to put on an extra 10-15 lbs when you are greeted at your mother's house by a 22 lb turkey with all the trimmings and only four people to eat it. There is also the thing about portion size.  I am always amazed how much food you get when you go to a restaurant.  I wonder if I thought the portions at restaurants were unusually big before I went to Korea or if they felt normal?  Now I go home, and I'm thinking, "Holy crap!  How the hell am I supposed to eat all that?"  I usually manage to find a way to shovel all that food in because you know... you don't want to waste anything...starving children in Africa and all that. Anyway, I got to eat a ton - maybe literally - of great food while I was home, and it was awesome!

To be continued...

First World Problems: The No Sound Blues

Sound.  Think about it for a minute.  Sound. Then...No sound.

Computers are fabulous things.  You can do so many things with them, from sending emails to looking for work to doing research.  However, computers lose a great deal of their intrinsic entertainment value when the sound quits. Think about how absolutely you take for granted the sound that emanates from your computer every time you use it.  Be it a squork or a bleep or the ever-so-comforting-until-it's-gone Windows start-up sound. When it's gone, desolation follows.

If you are like me, you have whittled your entire entertainment world into a storage space the size of a paperback book because it's easier and much cheaper than hauling 50 boxes of books, cds, DVDs, and lps around the world.  Your family may be willing to store them in an attic or garage, but may start to look askance when you come to visit every couple of years but never seem to leave with any of the boxes.  Then, of course, you start to pray that your chosen sibling or parent has become so entrenched in your storage space that they will never have to actually move your crap for you.  Maybe they'll forget about it altogether. Ultimately, you simply have to downsize.

The problem with having all of your entertainment packed into hard drives is that you need a computer to access it.  That computer also needs to have sound. Playing a music or movie file on a computer with a malfunctioning sound card is an effort in futility only akin trying to eating a bag of Cheetos without turning yourself and your immediate surroundings day-glo orange.

Needless to say, my inability to fix this problem is working my already frayed nerves. Fortunately, I have my iPod, which is stuffed with enough musical goodness to get me through this oh-so-trying time.

Captain's Log: Star Date 2014/03/07 - The Island of Formosa

Here I sit, in a strange new land, in a strange new life, on what may become a typical Friday night: the wife and her sisters playing mahjong in the living room, and me sipping on a beer, listening to music and banging away on the keyboard. This blog has been neglected far too long. - Ooops!  Forgot the beer! Yikes!

It's an odd thing, starting a new life.  Moving away from the familiar into uncharted waters.  Why did I stay in Korea so long? The answer is pretty simple.  Staying was easier than going. Despite all the crap that I complained about, for most of the time I was there, the options - or lack of options - elsewhere, made Korea the best choice.  To a certain extent, it was the only choice.  While I'm not uncomfortable with change, I am a man that likes a certain amount of routine.  Sometimes my routine led to stagnation.  The last four years in Korea are proof of that.  Yet when you hit that comfort zone, it can be a hard thing to break out of, and I accept that I'm the only one who can break that cycle. The cycle has been broken, and it is good.

There are things I will miss about Korea. I made some really great friends in the years I was there (you know who you are). There's part of me that will always be waiting for Ian's call on a Saturday afternoon to decide which animal was going to be killed, grilled, and eaten and whether we were going to take the bus or cab it to Gung-dong.  I'll miss Mr. Ho saying, " I LOVE / HATE Jaegermeister!" depending on whether he beat me at pool or not. Hell, there's even a part of me that will miss arguing with the KAIST students over their horrid music tastes.  Over all, the fourteen years I spent in Korea was a great experience.  Sometimes when you're stuck in the middle of it, it doesn't feel that way, but hindsight is always 20/20, and I'll remember my time in Korea fondly.

There will be routine here in Taiwan as well, and I'm liking the way this routine is starting. Waking up in the arms of someone you love deeply is a wonderful thing. It's almost as if Rebecca and I are starting a new relationship in spite of the fact that we've actually known each other for almost ten years and have been married for a year and a half. It makes me realize that I've been alone for a long time. I'm happy.

White Noise

The internet is a wonderful thing.  However, there is part of me that gets nostalgic for the "quieter" times before the 24 hour news cycle; before the information overload that comes with literally everyone talking, or, as the case may be, screaming at once.  A case in point is the demise of the "Letter to the Editor."  Well, the letter to the editor hasn't really died, it has been replaced by the online "comments" section.  What has truly died is people taking the time to inform themselves on a subject and then organizing their thoughts into a rational statement or argument before committing them to print.

Writing a letter to a newspaper used to be a commitment.  It took time. It took thought. You also had to put your name on it. Sure the paper controlled whose letters got posted, and you had better chance of seeing your letter in print if your views coincided with those of the paper's, but the paper's editors would usually publish just enough from the opposing viewpoint to maintain the appearance of objectivity.  The best part was that the editor's were allowed, if only because of a limited number of column inches, to weed out the cranks, racists, lunatics and everyday morons who wrote to them and choose from the letters that actually might merit reading.  That, unfortunately, is lost to the ages.

These days, every major newspaper has an online version. There is a comments section for every article or story in every section of the paper. While the moderators do weed out the most offensive posts, their standards are at best arbitrary.  Free speech may be the backbone of American ideals of democracy and freedom, but it would seems that the thought that is supposed to go along with that right is in perilously short supply.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that there are a lot of folks out there who are simply...well...idiots.  You get some readers who take the time to digest an article, inform themselves on the subject and write rational, thought out responses to the issue at hand.  Unfortunately, you have to wade through 500 posts of the most inane drivel in order to find them.  It's mind-numbing.

I stopped watching television news because it has devolved into a cacophony of voices talking over one another without even the pretense of listening to what is being said.  I've stopped reading the comments sections of the newspapers for the same reason.  It's just white noise.

Blogger Block

I love to write.  I find it to be an often cathartic exercise.  It can also be silly, inane, pointless, and, at times, drunken - if only there was an un-send button. However, these days I haven't been writing.  I lack inspiration. There are a lot of things to write about. From the ridiculously inept U.S. government to the extremely disappointing Nationals.  The problem is that none of the things going on around me seem to spark...well...anything.  I am awash in apathy.

Why is this happening? I have a few ideas but no answers.  It could be that my life has become too routine.  I know I've been in Korea too long and am longing for the day I can get the hell out of here.  I don't do anything anymore.  I used to be active.  Korea used to be fun.  Now all I do is go to work, come home, play games or watch TV on the computer, drink too much, and fall asleep.  It's not like there is nothing to do.  There's disc golf, ultimate, baseball games, and a myriad of simple get-your-ass-out-of-the-house options, yet I can't find the will to do them. Am I depressed?  Maybe.  Am I bored and unsatisfied with my life?  Most certainly.

What can I do?  I'm waiting for March to come, so I can move to Taiwan. I'm hoping it will be the change I need to break out of the malaise.  It will be an adventure in a number of different ways.  I'll actually be living with Rebecca for the FIRST time, which should be interesting at the very least.  There are a lot of unknowns that accompany the move as well.  Can I find work? Can I find work close to Rebecca, or will I have to live n another city.  However, these unknowns are also the things that charge me up.  It's the change I need.  Korea has been very good to me, but it is way past time to move on to greener pastures.  Well...different pastures anyway.

It's a Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World

Youth is Wasted on the Young

This is one of those posts that is guaranteed to make my mother and uncle shake their heads and smile that knowing smile of those that have tried to explain that, yes, they have experienced the foibles of youth.

I, alas, am rapidly approaching my 50th birthday and find myself frustrated by the self-centered, lack-of-work-ethic, disrespectful 20-somethings I meet every day in Korea. When I was younger I was, of course, a model of generosity of spirit, steeped in respect for my elders. I never only thought about myself.  I was a paragon of selflessness...cough.

I'm absolutely sure that every generation looks at the generation that follows and wonders how the species will survive. Following that tradition, I despair for the world.  I mean, what is it with kids these days?  They have absolutely NO taste in music; zero sense of basic etiquette, and a fairly stunned expression that screams, "I don't get the Three Stooges!"

The more I meet the youth of today, the more I have to admit that there is part of me that wants to be that cantankerous old guy on his porch waving his cane and yelling at passers-by, "Listen to REAL music you morons!" I would also like to have the kind of house where kids dare each other to go knock on the door, but that's another story.

Random Notes

Head Lock

Spring, or at least what is passing for spring in Korea these days, is here.  The weather has been completely schizophrenic.  Cold and wet one day, warm the next, and war AND cold the day after that.  All of this has, of course led to either the worst allergy attack I've had in decades or I have a spring cold that has locked up my sinuses tighter than a drum.  Considering the fact that when my sinuses lock, my ears plug as well, teaching has become an interesting exercise. "Eh? What's that?  Speak up ye mousey little bugger. I can't hear ya!"

Comin' Around at Last?

It would seem that the Nationals might finally be coming out of the swirling miasma that has been the beginning of the 2013 campaign. They took three of four from the Reds and split the series with the Braves.  While the offense is still mired in relative mediocrity, the starting rotation seems to be finding its legs.  Jordan Zimmermann, who has been absolutely lights out all season has thrown 17 shutout innings in his last two starts.  Dan Haren, an off-season acquisition who has struggled mightily, had a brilliant game against the Braves today, and the bullpen seems to be coming around as well.  The Nats still need to get the offense in gear, but there are signs of life. April is gone, and May has started out with a Curly W in the books.  The boys are off to Pittsburgh to play the surprising Pirates.  Hopefully, things will continue to move in the right direction.

South of Heaven: Jeff Hanneman 1964-2013

The metal world lost a giant with the death of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman. I have been a fan of Slayer since the early '80s.  I had the great good fortune to see them several times at the Stone on Broadway in San Francisco from '83-'85.  Unfortunately, location and bad timing prevented me from seeing them after that, but the music has remained a part of my playlist ever since.  RIP Jeff!

No Joy in Mudville

After being swept by the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend, the much hyped Nationals, picked by a majority of sports pundits as World Series favorites, have sputtered and gasped to an unfortunate 10-11 record to start the 2013 season.  Issues abound with this team.  The vaunted starting rotation has been shelled on a fairly regular basis, and the bullpen, once the real strength of this team, has been horrid.  The defense until recently has been very sloppy; compiling a league leading 19 errors.  And the offense? Well, the team has scored a measly 4 runs in the past 30 or so innings. Punchless doesn't even come close to describing the misery at the plate these days.

We are 21 games into the season. While it is still early - there are 141 games still to be played - there is reason to be worried.  The Nats next two series are against the Reds and Braves who are both playing great baseball at the moment.  Those are 8 games that, if the Nats don't get their act together, could start a death spiral from which the team may not be able to recover.  

I'm not willing to throw in the towel just yet.  Baseball is a finicky sport.  Teams get hot and cold. Often it's not the best team, but the hottest team, at the end of the season that wins the championship. As Tommy Lasorda once said, “No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one third of your games.  No matter how bad you are, you're going to win one third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference."


GO NATS!!