Last day for Blogger FTP

Today is the last day (or yesterday) for file transfer protocol (FTP) using blogger sourcing: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/02/google-discontinuing-ftp-support-for-blogger-blogs/

Even though I own the domain name lefthandedliving.com and I host the site through a third party, I still use Blogger to create and publish my content- although my content is few and far between. Not sure what will happen.

So, until I figure this out.


Lata

one of my fav pics from the Virgin Islands

Give

I come flying off the highway after work on a Friday afternoon, i'm banging down Carondolet Street, in New Orleans' Central Business district. It's a picture perfect spring afternoon, blue skies, a slight breeze and warm afternoon sun. As I park my car, I notice an old man sitting on the sidewalk, soaking up the sun and looking content. He looked very peaceful, sitting quietly, probably listening to the birds. As I paralleled into spot, the old man on the sidewalk came into plain view. He was wearing a green, US Army fatigue jacket, sitting on a small wooden cart with caster wheels, and he had no legs.
My first impression was he was a Vietnam vet. When I got out, I realized that the meters were still running and I didn't have a quarter to pay for parking. Just my luck, i get a sweet spot downtown and I don't have any change for the meter. As I'm standing there in bewilderment, the man reaches out his hand and offers me a Quarter (for the meter). I thanked him, but declined his kind gesture. After all, how was I gonna take a handout from a guy with no legs, sitting on a homemade push cart? After declining his offer a few more times, he unabashedly placed the coin in my hand.

Wish I had a picture of him.

In other news, I'm going to have to switch my lefthandedliving.com setup, because, blogger is no longer doing FTP- file transfer protocol, for uploading posts and pictures to third party servers. It goes into effect May, 1, so i'm going to have to find another editor to do my posts on.

Acronyms are for Assholes

It wasn't put just that way, but the premise was the same. I forget the guy's name but what he said was that acronyms are lazy ways for people to communicate and could be vague, confusing, and exclusionary to those who don't know what the acronyms mean. This was in 2006, though.

On the other side of the coin, acronyms are great for communicating in short hand. You can communicate your msg with less characters. They are inclusionary; for those in the know. If you are amongst friends, work or social groups, acronyms are communications in code. Twitter is kind of like an evolving acronym dictionary. It reminds me of Morse code.

Shoutout: Cape Cod

I was just listening to this Nas song, Hustlers. I like Nas, but I've never heard this song before. I couldn't believe my ears, but he starts off the third verse with a nod to Olde Cape Cod. Listen for yourself @ 36 seconds ---

Senator Brown

I love this guy already: "Arianna's definitely not available but Ayla is," he bellowed during his victory speech. He's already giving his daughter away to the people. I would take her out.

FOrget the tea party, this guy looks like a bull in a china shop. I can't wait to see what he really does and how he votes. I don't think either candidate really promised anything beyond healthcare voting.... He was running on an independent platform and kept abortion out of it.

Help Haiti

The people of the Caribbean are strong and resilient, having to rebuild their (mostly poor) small island nations, after being ravaged by hurricanes, which seems like every other year. Seeing those crumbled concrete buildings was so sad, because much of the destruction and death could have been avoided if buildings were built properly. It's pretty sad, when the presidential palace can't withstand an act of nature.

Nobody in the Caribbean saw this coming?

Most people think of concrete (poured and block) as being strong, tough, durable; which it is, if it's built properly and reinforced/designed sufficiently to withstand the loads that may be applied. What struck me the most from the pictures was that all the structures were made of concrete; no wood framed buildings.

When the pictures and video started to come out from Haiti, I was reminded of my work in the lumber industry. In addition to being based in New Orleans and focusing much of our efforts on construction in the Gulf states, which suffer from many of the same threats as islands in the Gulf of Mexico.

With the plethora of forest products) building materials available (at low prices)due to the global recession, American and multinational countries can and should donate materials, shipping, tools and equipment, to both showcase their materials, get rid of their old stock and great PR.


Utilizing the International Building Code (IBC) and the Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM).

Maybe we should put the Pallet house to use (see below).

ITALIA

If World Wrestling Entertainment isn't promoting in Italy, it should be; with all the high flying action over there these days.
Earlier this month, an assailant, wielding a model statue of the Milan cathedral lobbed it at the prime minister. that's one hairy looking cathedral.

(Tool) Housing

With the housing bubble completely deflated across the country, I think it's worth taking a look at scaling back and looking at the important issues pertaining to homes and construction. We now have the technology to build super energy efficient and environmentally friendly buildings, but cost and acceptance are the biggest roadblocks.

I read an interesting article on boston.com about this designer/builder renovating an old gunsmith shop in Roxbury (village in Boston, MA). The guy was using 12 inch foam panels for insulation and was talking about heating the entire house (albeit only 750 sf) by making a batch of pancakes on the range?!

It was really cool and I totally agree with his ideology of using Passive house standard to retain heat. But then I took a look at the house and I saw was about as boring as a block of ice. I'm sure the interior looks fine, but the styling is so bleak, it makes me cold just looking at it. Plus, at 250k that's $333 per square foot, a bit excessive.

I have always been fascinated with small, inexpensive buildings/housing. I bring to the table, my inexpensive pallet house, built from common building materials. Start with common sized pallets 40"x48" and frame in with common 2x6 framing studs and plates.

Once framed, the wall structures could be filled with expanding poly foam. The foam would serve many functions:
-R-30 insulation and vapor barrier
-stiffening/rigidity - every pallet like a little SIP- (structurally insulated panel)
-sheathing/solid nailing for interior and exterior finishes

It's a very versatile system- with pallets being readily available and easily integrated with current wood frame construction practices and materials. And it's cheap

restrooms

In the past year, I've been fooled by at least half a dozen bathroom signs and walked into the woman's room, by accident. I can't be the only one. Seems like the cool thing to do these days, is to put cryptic codes on bathroom doors in restaurants and bars to confuse patrons. Who wants to stand there looking at the bathroom signs for two minutes wondering which door to choose?

a good man

At 9:40 pm, the world lost a good man.

Jim Gilchrist, was one of the most humble, considerate, and funny people to grace our shores. I have learned so much from Jim and I admire him deeply. If fortitude could be measured on a scale, Jim would tip it. He was a kind, gentle man, with an eye on the world and a great perspective for it. >

US Govt=GM

With the ensuing bailout of the soon to be bankrupt General Motors, I think the citizens of the USA and their representatives should have a say in how the failing auto manufacturer should be run. First, you can't be everything to everybody. What GM brands are worth saving, worth abandoning and what products work for the company? Competitive, efficient, and reliable is a good start. The Corvette, is a world class super car, why can't they translate that success into a decent lineup of cars and trucks? Let's bring some diesel models into the mix. I saw a VW commercial saying the new TDI diesel Jetta set a world record at over 58 mpg!!




I just read a good article about GM's information technology (IT) suppliers getting shafted during the bankruptcy. Go to Chevy's website and the paradox of GM comes to full circle. Great website, all the bells and whistles, too bad the company is BANKRUPT :( Maybe they should pay more attention to the competition, instead of captivating us with just another lame, Flash website.
Their only small, economical car Chevy markets is made by Doosan Daewoo, in Korea. It's not a good car at all, the Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris are similarly priced, and twice the car as the Chevy Aveo. I've rented both cars and I was nervous at over 75 with the Chevwoo. The gas mileage was mediocre at best. Take a page out of the Japan story (GM)- start building small, cool cars that will run forever and get great gas mileage.
Here's a simple GM math equasion:
good value + reliable + efficient = Profits

dreams

if it's in our minds, it's not a myth

when you slip into sleep
dreams become reality
the lines are blurred
between fake, farce and actuality

within reach
it's all possibility
we just need to learn and teach
ourselves to hope
and cope
with the waves of life
Newton never knew that what goes down must come up

the stocks are getting low
but they're guaranteed to grow
like brick oven baked pizza dough
love lasts for ever
while people come and go


float in, duck out and coast on
to the 3rd dimension
sun's setting, here comes dawn
come one, come all
don't need a reservation or phone number to make the call
your penance is your pension

Fear and loathing

Ever since 911, Americans have been told who are heroes are. Military and first responders right? Well, I don't doubt that we owe our lives to men and women in uniform, but there are everyday Americans (and people throughout the world) that go about their daily routines and hardly ever get the recognition they deserve.
I'm talking about the people that get paid to take care of those who can't take care of themselves; invalids and children.
People like certified nurses assistants (CNA's), caseworkers, and hospital orderlies are Heroes. These heroes represent some of the lowest paid professions going and they do some of the most invaluable work for humanity. These people clean up other people's shit, plain and simple. I think you are all heroes and thank you for your service.

I just read this article about the fleecing of the taxpayers at the hands of our first responders. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/04/21/police_unions_roll_up_votes_to_restore_bonus/
Police and firemen (and their screw faced unions) in Massachusetts have been robbing this state blind for long enough. Under the guise of "security" the taxpayers have been lulled into a deep sleep reminiscent of Rip Van Winkle. Everybody is tired of watching policemen "working" frivolous details, getting paid god knows what; $40-$50/hr, to sit in their car or stand around harassing hard working contractors, while they are supposed to be protecting and serving. Ditto for the firemen. Just last month, it was revealed that the "mechanics" paid to repair Boston firetrucks were firefighters that were paid in excess of $130,000 and they weren't even certified heavy mechanics. It's appalling that in our time of economic misery, we are constantly reminded of gluttons posing as Ghandi's

The Walls Have Ears

If you've never heard the saying before, it's an idiom that means: watch what you say, cause you never know who's listening. I don't think this term is very pertinent in our current situation, given the dire circumstances so many face. People are speaking their minds these days and they don't give a f#%k who hears them. And why should they? With our diarrhetic economy, who cares?

I know the bailout is a way to ease the burdens on people's backs, but it seems to me that our whole economic system has gone right down the tubes. I don't know about any body else, but this doesn't feel like the capitalism I learned about in school. America has long ridiculed and bastardized communist and socialist countries across the world, look at US now.

Past, present and future...

When I moved back to Massachusetts in 2003, I remember being blown away at the cost of housing and perplexed at how a house that was worth $150,000 in 2000, was now worth $300,000, only three years later. I'm no Greenspan or Ben Bernanke, but I know the basics of economics and something didn't jive. How can the cost of housing double, while wages stay the same? Somehow (post 9-11) the price of housing skyrocketed and it didn't seem to raise any eyebrows.

The economy is center stage with bailouts, bankruptcies, corporate and political crooks running a muck in America. I've been intrigued with this whole mess, since it's inception; the banking crisis last year. I've had some good dialogue about the situation with people from all different walks of life and financial standings.

Regarding the bailout: I'm struggling to find work and the economy has hurt me. In jest, I say, where's my piece of the bailout? In all honesty, why and how does the government decide who gets bailed out?

I was reading up about what corporations are doing to keep afloat and I came upon a company called Koch Industries, a conglomerate based in Wichita, Kansas. I had never heard of Koch Industries, but I was amazed to learn that Koch is the 2nd largest private company in America (behind Cargill) with $100 billion in revenue. Koch is headed up by some of the smartest executives in the world, and reading CEO Charles Koch's perspective on the government intervention was very insightful: learning from past mistakes so we don't relive history.

Satellite crash

The crash of two satellites recently, it makes me think of the old Atari game, Asteroids.

They're going to have to start arming the satellites these days, too much space junk to ignore.

Keeping people honest

Greedy pigs


Could be a learned trait, or could be ingrained in people's psyche. Either way, to me, greed is as heinous as it gets.

Today, President Obama and VP Biden lashed out at bank CEO's, who paid themselves $18.4 billion in bonuses; just as hundreds of billions of US tax dollars are going into saving these banks. Obama called it "Shameful" and I agree. Biden said he would like to put them in "the brig". There's an old saying: "beauty is only skin deep, but ugly cuts straight to the bone". In my opinion, Greed is the culprit that's turned our world economy into a black hole.

Oversight + accountability= Keeping people honest

Gulls on a roof

I've been working diligently to find a career path that best suits my personality, strengths and background. It's taken me 12 years, but who's counting? I ask myself, if I could have any job, what would it be? I think it would be an interviewer, like Charlie Rose or Travis Smiley.

Over the past 8 years, I have come to the conclusion that one of my greatest gifts is my ability to communicate with people, one on one. I have an inane ability to connect with people. This connection comes from my love for people and a genuine intrigue into their backgrounds, stories and histories. Why?

Last summer, I saw an old friend from high school. We exchanged salutations and the regular banter: "what have you been doing, where do you live...", nothing special. While I was talking to this friend, her brother (whom I had met, but didn't know they were related) came up and asked her a question and left. I told my friend, "I didn't' know you were related, he's a really good kid". She responded, "He's adopted. He wants to make everybody happy." This friend was basically apologizing for her brother, she had no idea that I, too was adopted. It was one of those times when you talk to someone and (unbeknownst to them) their words hit you like a freight train. I was shook. I saw myself in him and him in me. It was some deep shit.

I was adopted when I was a baby, but I always knew my biological parents growing up. Psychologists say that adopted kids are always searching for the love that could have been there and ask themselves: "why did my parents give me up?". I never went through that, because I always knew where I came from. I was a ward of the state and could have bounced around foster homes through my childhood, but was lucky enough to have been taken in when I was 10 months old. I have come to embrace my unique past and realize that it has made me who I am.

Live it up!!

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.



When I bought my I-Phone last summer, I synced it to my computer and I was surprised to see that on it, rest two of my favorite speeches of all time:

Martin Luther King's: "I have a dream" speech and
John F. Kennedy's inauguration speech



I hold Barack Obama in the same esteem as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy: some of the greatest Americans to grace our United States. Mr. Obama too, holds the weight of the nation on his shoulders - like those great leaders that came before. In honor of tomorrow's historic inauguration of Mr. Obama (a fellow left-handed living American), I pay homage to him and wish him the best. Barack too, like those who came before, will rise to the occasion and lead by example.

Winter thoughts from New England

Every place has it's ups and downs, and Massachusetts is no different. MOst of the things people complain about up here are the same things people complain about everywhere: weather, jobs, driving, people, whatever. I try not to get too worked up about things I can't control, cause, as my man Captain Bob once told me: don't sweat the small things and they're all small things.

I've been blessed to have great influences in my life. From the time I was little, I knew how lucky I was to be alive and I have tried not to take anything for granted. With a new wave of change racing through America, and the tumultuous period we live in, I'm optimistic that the future is going to be bright. If there's two things I've learned over the years that ring through my head on a daily basis:
everybody has a story to tell and everybody wants to be somebody

Peace isn't cheap

Persevere
You have to stand up for what's right
even if it means taking up arms
sometimes there is need to fight
but only as a last resort

communication can prevent a war
it's tough when everybody wants to talk
but nobody wants to walk the walk

now is the time to listen
life isn't just a journey
it's a mission
we got two ears and only one mouth for a reason
time has come for a change of season

tough get going

World War II, in my eyes, was America's second industrial revolution. Our country was whipped into shape, (seemingly overnight) from a post depression slug, into a manufacturing juggernaut. The story of the the Liberty ships is a true testament of our nation's competitive flair, resourcefulness and unity.

Similar stories of manufacturing marvels were reverberated across the United States, from Detroit to New Orleans, Boston to San Francisco, and everywhere in between.

It's times like these (our current economic uncertainty) that we, as Americans, need to hearken back to the stories of ingenuity and accomplishment from WW II.

dude, I don't have a home phone

It's funny how before cellphones, I could remember dozens of phone numbers off the top of my head, now I the only numbers I remember are the ones from before cellphones. I can still remember my childhood buddies phone numbers, even if i haven't dialed them in 10 years.

If and when you lose your phone or SIM card, you're screwed, unless you backed up all your contacts.

I was talking with a friend and he was telling me how he spent an hour in the wireless store waiting to get a new charger for his cell phone. Going to the store was probably the wrong idea in the first place, considering there's usually an hour wait and you can bet their will be a shouting match whilst you are there. Anyways, he tells me that he's telling the guy: "listen, I need this charger cause i'm on call for work and I don't have a house phone". Long story short, the guy still gave him the wrong charger after an hour waiting and he had to go back.

The story made me think about how important cell phones have become to people these days, they are so dependent on them. There's a funny commercial running on TV for a wireless carrier, where they make a pun out of the "dead zone" or cell phone gaps.

It seems like land (phone) lines are becoming obsolete. When I see the phone company trucks these days (verizon in Massachusetts), they are in poor shape and you really don't see phone company trucks like you do Comcast vans and other utility vehicles. I actually like landlines, but I, like so many other people don't think it's worth paying $40+ a month for something you rarely use.

Just as the laptop computer took over the desktop; with the emergence of 802.11 wireless high speed internet, I think this ne, high speed, 3G wireless network will further erode landlines.

Halloween

Went out with Nick Dorris and company on Halloween. I went over Nick's from work, I stopped at iparty to pick up some costume attire. I found a Rudy Giulliani mask for $6.99. I wore the mask backwards and put a shirt on in reverse, with a tie. once our crew was ready, we headed out to fenway to meet up with the annual halloween bike ride through the city.

Boombastic

Yesterday was a proud day for America. Love him or hate him, nobody can deny the fact that Obama (a fellow lefty) has changed our country, for the better. It blows my mind that it was only, little over 50 years ago that segregation was commonplace in the Southern USA and just yesterday elected a black president.

I read a great piece about President Elect Obama a few weeks ago. I can't find the article, but the gist if it was that in eight years, Obama went from being a nobody, watching the 2000 Democratic National Convention and not having enough money on his credit card to rent a car, to President.

Another day, another car

I reasure myself with each new car that: "this is the one", meaning the one that is going to drive me into the next millinium. Impossible, but it doesn't stop me from dreaming.

I knew something was wrong when I failed my emissons. I thought it was just the catylytic converter, but after finding out that the valve seals were spent; Claudio, my mechanic told me to drive it till it drops. In other words, don't spend another penny on this shit box. That was in August and i've been driving it strong until last week. I ran the poor little VW for only about 14 months but I put over 20,000 miles on it. WHen I bought it, it was a TMU, true Mileage unknown. The odometer read 148k, but I think it had 250k on it. She was tired.



My latest addition is a 1998 Subaru Legacy Wagon. 5 speed, AWD, Brighton edition. I don't know why it's called the Brighton edition, it must be code for bare bones. This pup does have a factory Tape deck, but no power windows, locks, keyless entry. It doesn't even have a tachometer.

THE PITS

So the story goes... THE PITS was an old wooden boat my parents had in the 70's. I guess there was a storm and it blew up on the jeddy and was ruined. My father, in an attempted salvage operation, managed to save the stern of the boa. He subseqently put it in the basement and used it as a bar. It used to have an old Miller High Life tap on it, but it was pillaged at some point.

The boat was sitting in the tool shed for about 10 years and I rescued it, to fix it up again.

Love and hate

Like most people these days, I can say that technology have leeched into my DNA. I appreciate the connectedness that email, cellphones and internet affort me, but all this communication connectivity has its pitfalls...

I remember being in Ms. Smith's english class in high school and being asked to go to my dean's office because I was acting out and being incogruous. As I was leaving the classroom (which was filled with a host of clowns) I said to Ms. Smith, "Patience is a virtue". She was taken aback by my comment and after thinking about it for a second said: "you're right Mark, now go to the dean". I was just being a punk when I said that to Ms. Smith and I didn't really even know what I was saying, it was just impulse kicking in and me trying to get the final salvo before being tossed out of the class.

The moral of the story is, patrience really is a virtue and I can say my biggest qualm with technology is my impatience with it.

Ironworker

I took this picture a few weeks ago. I was stopped at a traffic light checking out the construction of this building at the South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. I drive by this site every day and I thought it was a great scene to capture.

Bobby Harvey was a Local 7 ironworker who died this past summer. RIP

Green Revolution

Energy= the capacity to do work

Power= Rate of energy generation over time.

The past 150 years have been the age of petroleum oil, before that, it was oil harvested from whale blubber. Beginning with the industrial revolution, our country and the world as a whole has been hypnotized by petroeum's high energy output and it's versatility. Virtually everything you touch has oil in it.

I caught a great interview on Tuesday night on the Charlie Rose Show. It was with Thomas Friedman, author of the best selling books: The World is Flat and The Lexus and the Olive Tree.

Charlie was interviewing Friedman about his new book Hot, Flat, and Crowded. http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/bookshelf/hot-flat-and-crowded

With energy taking center stage on the minds, wallets, and media across the globe, it's great to see a writer digging deep into one of the most important issues of our time: ENERGY.

This guy is a fireball. He is a passionate, intelligent communicator who knows what the hell he's talking about. He takes aim at taboo topics like how are national infrastructure is crumbling, while every town and village in America has their own SWAT team. I was watching the news this morning and reminded of three different bridges (around Boston) that are in such bad shape that the state has reduce speed limits and limit the weight on the bridges.

Friedman makes the point that since 911, America has lost it's edge and become a country in slow decline, "the worst kind of decline". He sights the green revolution as being a bastion of hope for the lethargic American economy.

It's like this:
Energy=Power and he who has the energy has the power. Although we're not going to run out of oil tomorrow, it's not going to last forever. Take a look at the CIA's estimates of oil consumption for one day.

CIA Factbook:

Rank	Country	Oil - consumption (bbl/day)	Date of Information
1	World	80,290,000	2005 est.
2	United States	20,800,000	2005 est.
3	European Union	14,550,000	2004
4	China	6,930,000	2007 est.
5	Japan	5,353,000	2005
6	Russia	2,916,000	2006
7	Germany	2,618,000	2005 est.
8	India	2,438,000	2005 est.
9	Canada	2,290,000	2005
10	Korea, South	2,130,000	2006
11	Brazil	2,100,000	2006 est.
12	Mexico	2,078,000	2005 est.
13	Saudi Arabia	2,000,000	2005
14	France	1,999,000	2005 est.
15	United Kingdom	1,820,000	2005 est.
16	Italy	1,732,000	2005 est.
17	Iran	1,630,000	2006 est.
18	Spain	1,600,000	2005 est.
19	Indonesia	1,100,000	2006 est.
20	Netherlands	1,011,000	2006

1 bbl= 1 barrel= 42 US gallons

These numbers are 2005 and 2006 estimates, so chances are we're using more oil today than two years ago. Friedman said that in Beijing, there are 1000 new cars on the street, every day. Human's are beginning to figure out that if we don't look for new alternatives to oil, we're going to be in a world of hurt.

Although the green movement is on every body's tongues, talk is cheap. The problem is, there aren't proper incentives for development of renewable and sustainable technologies (in the USA), and investors aren't ready to invest in markets controlled by fossil fuels, which have a competitive advantage at this point in time $. It makes complete sense, why would anyone invest money in something that's not going to return the investment? Friedman argues that with the right incentives, our country will be an incubus for energy technology and will lead the world in a change.

One of the reasons why I'm moving to Boston, is to be part of the ensuing green revolution that I feel, like Mr. Friedman, is going to reshape and re-energize our country and our economy.
Everybody's familiar with the rebirth of wind and the advancements in solar and geothermal energy, but there are new and yet to be discovered technologies that are waiting to be hatched.

I think the power is there, it's the storage that we need to work on. I mean, even John McCain realizes that we need to figure out how to store power. In just the past few decades, battery technology has gone from alkaline, to NiCd: nickel-cadmium, to lithium ion batteries that power our cell phones and laptops and nickel-metal hydride batteries storing power in hybrid electric cars like the Toyota Prius pictured above.

Hurricane watch

The Atlantic ocean is a busy place these days, with tropical storms and hurricanes stacking up like a rush hour pile up. Each storm waiting to take out their vengance on the eastern seaboard.

Our first contestant is Hanna, who's doing a driveby right now up the coast. She's a tropical storm who just touched down on the Carolinas, so she's not really going to do much more than down some limbs, tear off some shingles and cry up the east coast.

Next in line is Ike. He's been going up and down in strength, but he'll certainly pulverize something. He's been meandering across the Atlantic and will probably pinball through the Caribbean and get slingshot into the Gulf of Mexico, or possibly back into the Atlantic.


Josephine was just downgraded to a tropical depression, from a tropical storm, but she's only 800 miles east of Cape Verde, so her trip is just beginning....

Tracking

Thanks to a friend, I was fortunate to catch two shows featuring Don McCluskey. This guy rips it up, period.
enormousd.com

New slogan

"Use It" (tm)

This would be great for a sportswear company, or any company involved in outdoor gear, sporting goods, apparel or package goods, for that matter.

communication breakdown

o v e r the p as t w e ek m y compu t er and c e l l p h o n e h a v e t aken a t urn for the worse. f i r st it was the keyboard on my laptop, then a few days later the: 2, 5, 8 and zero on my cell phone stopped working. it reminds me of the time my cellphone, bike and car crapped out on me when i was moving out of miami. luckily my new digi still works fine and i can still manage to use my computer (a little) and cellphone to do basic tasks.

August

August, to me has always been about days getting shorter, slowing down and going back to school. Maybe not entirely going back to school necessarily, but a change of scene and a new beginning. A little cliche, but true nonetheless.

For me, it's a cycle that's tough to break, not like i'm packing up my bags and ready to head out Labor Day Weekend to go back to school. It's more like reminiscing of the past and dreaming of the future, in the same thought. Places been, places go; people met and yet to met. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse, wanting change. But either way, I'm stronger and more complete for it.

Moving out

After much consternation, procrastination and back and forth pseudo-promises (to myself and others), I've decided to suck it up and get lost. I'll be moving to Boston this September. Although I don't have a job lined up, It will give me something to work for over the next month to get my act together and pull up my pants, so to speak.

I moved back to the Cape last year, mainly to help take care of my biological father, Jim. Now that he is maintaining and I'm the one who's floundering, I felt it time to bid sayonara to the The Strong Arm. Most Cape Codders grow up here and appreciate it but once they graduate high school, want to get the hell out of here. Alaska, California and Hawaii are three locations that are frequently sought out.

Although it's technically an island, considering it's surrounded by water, it's not really considered one, because the canal is man make. Either way, the Cape has a way of holding on to you, just like Nantucket, or Martha's Vineyard and it's tough to get free. I have plenty of friends who have never lived anywhere else but the Cape. They would say to me: "Mark, that's great that you can just pick up and move around the country. I could never do it" I ask them why and they say: "cause I'm scared to go where I don't know anyone or have a network". Now these dudes are rough and tumble, but their Kryptonite is being out of their element; the unknown.

Anyone who's from the Cape can understand the love/hate relationship you have with this place. In one sense, it's the bomb: one of the most beautiful places on earth (in my opinion), but it's also a black hole vortex, that sucks you in and tough to get out of. I had to go off Cape this week and as I passed over the Bourne bridge, I thought to myself: "damn, it's been a while" (since I have been off this little hook). It was eerie, because it was the same feeling I have when I return to the Cape after being gone for a while.



By the way, I've posted the sunset picture on the top before (Casey) but It's one of my favorites and I thought it fitting to post it again.

Where is my mind?

This past week was Ga-Ga!! It all started last weekend with hurricane Bertha serving up some gang banger waves last weekend. The first real surf we've seen for close to 3 months. Usually when a storm is in town, it usually comes and goes, within a day or two, but this baby was hanging around all F*%#ing week!!! I'm talking about 7 days of: eat, sleep, shitz, surf and work. It was bonkers and the best part was, the water is warm, so there's no need for a wetsuit: paradise.

But that was just the tip of the D. Monday night was Morgan Heritage at the Beachcomber, and I can say that it was one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. A gang of us went down and danced our faces off.

Adding to the fun factor, my college roommates were down from Connecticut for the week and rented a house in the seashore. I was so pumped up that Dan Mac, Das Mule and CO. got down to the Cape finally, Dan did it proper and stayed for the whole week, caught the Morgan Heritage show, tried surfing and had a great week on the Cape.

But alas, all that glitter's is not gold. I actually had to earn money to support myself in between all the madness. Not to mention be home by 9 pm and 6 am ready to go (or should I say blow?!). I've been on a cloud nine, but now I'm a super nova and my energy level is all but spent and I'm emotionally and physically exhausted. Ready to implode.

where is my mind?

007

A few hours ago, I was coming back from surfing and I saw this cool delivery van on the off ramp of the highway. This 'bread' van was sporting a set of nice chrome rims and the funniest part instead of having a traditional roll up door on the tailgate, it was sporting a steel door off of somebody's front door of their house!!!
I tried to snap a pic on the ramp, but only caught the tail end going through the stop lights. I was talking to the infamous, Mike Bik at the same time and I was relaying the spotting to him, over the phone. Mike and I met up at Scotty's Pizza for dinner about 30 minutes later and as we were leaving, Mike says: "is that the van you saw on the highway?" I looked up, and sure enough, he was spot on. I was dying laughing and had to snap a proper picture of the rig. The coup de grâce, was the fact that this beast is a registered camper.

Big Bertha!!!

Hurricane Bertha is sending waves our way and the whole eastern seaboard is pumped up. She's still a few hundred miles southeast of Bermuda, but the waves are starting to roll in. Finally, after two months in the doldrums, we will be bestowed with some ample waves. Nantucket is going to be ripping tomorrow, I wish I could hop a boat over there in the morning, but duty calls :( The buoys are starting to spike from the period swells from the storm and if all goes well, it will track offshore and stall out in the jet stream when it gets to the colder waters east of the cape. Should produce some good surfing for the weekend and through next week.

The picture below is from last Sunday, but i saved it, cause i thought it looked like an oyster. Ironically, my roommates from UMass are renting a house in Wellfleet for a week, starting Saturday. They will be in for a treat.