Civilization IV

Ok a few weeks of playing the phenomenal Civ 4 have passed and I wanted to detail a few things I have learned as a new player.

1. Researching Bronze Working allows chopping trees. This is very helpful hurrying your development in the early game. Make worker, chop trees to give hammers for another worker and/or settler. Note: when you chop down a tree that tile loses one hammer permanently.

2. Bronze working also allows for Slavery civic. Slavery is quite helpful. As you know, city unhappiness is a terrible waste of your resources. Slavery allows you to hurry production (extra button lights up in your city screen) in exchange for population. This is called "whipping"! While you dont want to do this too often this is a great way to keep your cities from getting so big that they get unhappy.

3. Religion makes money. If you can be the first to found a religion then you want to spread it via missionaries. For every city who converts to the religion you founded you gain coins. Sharing religion also makes it less likely they will go to war with you. Also if your religion is in an opponent city your can get information about that city.

4. If your selected unit is right next to an ememy unit/city you can press "Alt" an hover your cursor over the enemy to see the odds of the attack going your way.

5. Check out the Civilopedia in game by pressing F12. This is an amazing wealth of knowledge.

6. Last but not least, Civfanatics.com has a wealth of information and strategy tips.

Letter to my Aunt

This pretty much sums up how I am living lately. This is a letter to my Aunt Sandy who lives in California. What can I say, I am a lover not a fighter.

Hi Aunt Sandy,

I thought I would write to you and tell you how I often I wish I was closer to you and Jack so I could drop by to talk or have spectacular dinners. I miss you both.

Sonja is in her third and final year of residency at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. This is supposed to be her "easy" year but she still often is working 13-16 hrs a day with only sundays off. She is an amazing trooper and keeps smiling. My job is to keep her fed and healthy and not wake her up when she is home. I have recently been cooking a spicy tomato soup as well as a roasted cauliflower and indian chickpea curry dish. Every time I find myself having fun cooking in the kitchen I smile and think that I must have inherited some of your genes.

I also have recently been admitted into a masters program in psychology at Seattle University which begins in September. I am really excited to stop working as a research tech in a lab and go back to school. I hope I can just help somebody out there one day. There is so much that I learn about myself and humanity by studying psychology.

Anyway I do hope you and Jack are living and loving life!
Much love and I will let you know if I can get away and down there to visit.
Love,
Nathan

Civilization IV

Over the past year I have heard a few acquaintances rave about the addictive game Civilization IV. Its a turn-based strategy game where you play a ruler of an empire developing from the stone age to modernity as you compete with 18 other opponent civilizations (computer or human). The victorious empires win by influencing the globe in one of several ways: militarily, culturally, technologically (being the first to go into space), or diplomatically (being elected president of the UN). Here is a great video review to watch.

After researching the game I have really been impressed by the reviews! Its got a huge following of fans around the world as well as fan websites constantly developing new mods increasing the game's diversity and options.

What is really drawing me in however is the multiplayer capabilities of the game! Many groups of friends are staying in contact with one another from across the country through playing semi-regularly online together. I am hopeful that you now reading this will join me so we can all have fun together and keep in closer contact. In Civ IV they have developed a convenient way groups can play muliplayer games together without all having to be online at the same time!

The game is called "Pit-boss." Since Civ IV is turn based strategy game, each person needs to only go online to complete their turn when they are up. Conveniently the game can email you when it is your turn. So this will allow the group of friends to all have a fun time after work and at our convenience!

Cool thing too is the game only costs $30 at Civ IV at Amazon.com
The thing is a friend said the recent expansion is a must to have if playing online because it patches some bugs: Here is the Beyond the Sword expansion to get, it's just $30 clams. Word is that you can save money by just sharing the base game with a friend and then you each only need the "Beyond the Sword" expansion disk to play.

Now you are wondering: Can it work on my PC? System requirements Here. Its not bad! Even a 1.2 GHz machine with at least 512MB RAM + a 64 MB video card + dial up internet can run it.

Are you in!?!

Halo

Calling all Halo fans! Halo3 multiplayer movie out. Looks fun! I can't wait :)

My friends and I have been casual Halo players for a while. Its like being a kid and playing cowboys and indians x1,000.

There is something about playing games with other people rather than against a computer. The competition, the challenge, the choices that you are constantly making to solve how best to win. Dexterity games however are sometimes not as fair as board games which really pit a person's mind against another. I love watching others work to solve the challenge that a game presents. I love it when everyone is at even ability to make the experience more challenging and fulfilling.

Oh, and Starcraft 2 is coming out in a year! Movie

Items of Interest this Week

This week I have been turned onto:

David Horsey: Political cartoonist for Seattle PI. Great cartoons on their site daily!

Dance Dance Revolution: This has been around for several years but I had never played it until last weekend! My little bro Gabe and sis Mia'ana have a rocking two pad setup that we danced on for the playstation2. Between dancing up a storm and then jumping into the pool to cool off I had a blast! I love being a kid again. But more importantly this game was hilarious and a workout! Parties will never be the same.

Home Budget Software: Using Excel has never been so much fun. Now I hope the I can save up enough of our hard earned money to someday afford the coveted CowSlippers! Its going to be beans and rice discipline for me. But seriously, money for rich people like us is just a game of goal making and luxury good buying. I just would like to play the frugality game a while to see where the money is going especially now that I may be out of work soon.
I love my Dear wife Sonja for being frugal with me this week and not going out to restaurant once in 6 days! (its like a record for us). And she is such a champ. She comes home and is excited to try to make some type of meal out just old things hiding in the cupboard and fridge.

Revolution

"The Revolution will not be televised." Do you know who said that? Learn it man. What this quote reminds of is the energy and focus required to understand or learn something. You can't just take what your parents, boss, tv tell you as truth, you got to work a bit to discover it.

There is so much out there that people have no idea of. Yet many things they hold as truth are assumptive beliefs given them by "trustworthy sources."

Close your eyes. There are a multitude of sights, smells, and history out there beyond you. With 6.5 billion of us currently on the planet (and so many that passed before us) can you imagine the diversity of experience and knowledge that exists? Do you think your beliefs/morals/way of life are correct? Does that mean the billions who don't subscribe/disagree are incorrect?

The reason I am noting this fact is because most people I come across have no concept, let alone interest, in confronting this fact. They live in their bubbles, insulated. They have no interest in finding out that much of what them and their loved ones hold as truth is wrong.

Don't be afraid to step into the unknown. Don't impose you views on others but rather have courage to open yourself up to experience. Fathom the possibilities that there are ways other than your own. You don't need to be correct to be good, just not full of your own shit.

"Believe nothing, O monks, merely because you have been told it … or because it is traditional, or because you yourselves have imagined it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings—that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide." --Buddha

Summer Reads - Fiction/Scifi

After recently spending the week with Andy and Mike I began to get an itch to read some good fiction books for some reason...probably because they constantly talk the fantasy/starwars? I did some digging around on Amazon.com and now I have a list of books of interest that I will be trying to read when I am reading my psychology texts.
(note: all these are on my GoodReads.com list you can access and share your books!)

Very Far Away from Anywhere Else by Ursula Le Guin - Coming of age novel not really scifi.
More than Human by Sturgeon - Classic Scifi is the word
The Sparrow by Russell - Supposed to be the bomb~!
The Razor's Edge by Maugham - Older coming of age for ex-veteran (good movie with Bill Murray)
Altered Carbon by Morgan - This is supposed to be awesome SciFi
The Road by McCarthy - post apocalyptic
Crown Duel By Sherwood Smith - Young adult ?
Earth Abides by Stewart - post apocalyptic
Ecotopia by Callenbach - Futuristic ecological existence
Tunnel In the Sky by Heinlein - Survival Scifi classic

I've Been Busy!?

Ok June 29th: Sonja and I met up with Ian and Odele, our lovely pregnant friends, for an adventure in the San Juan Islands...actually they needed a ride up to see Ian's father and Sonja and I were on our way to Vancouver Island B.C. for a wedding in Sooke. Our friends Amanda and Paul were to be married at the highly esteemed Sooke Harbor House...man did we eat well! Glorious view of the water and did I tell you that this is my first trip to Canada? What a place! I love our 51 state so much now!

I was trying to figure out how to get citizenship while I was there I enjoyed the vibe so much. Ahh the Canadians were just so interestingly similar to us...and yet not...strange how we went to a "Roadhouse" type restaurant and bar and it was surrounded by beautiful forest and a pond. Also we stayed with Ursula's Bed and Breakfast and may I just say that woman is awesome? She totally has a heart of gold and is a true blue transplanted German Hippie. Wait no. You cant call her a "Hippie" because she is the real thing in her heart. She is like 60 and she travels the world and roughs it in Mexico with her boyfriend for fun!

While at the bed and breakfast the first night Sonja and I had Schnapps (homemade) shots with a few friends of Ursula's and talked about Love, philosophy, simplicity...you know the real issues we all yearn for. Then the next day after breakfast I had the great opportunity to learn about the psychological-biological bridge that exists as well as spiritual chakra healing with Colin a British musician of about 50 yrs old. He could play some beautiful guitar and more than anything I really enjoyed getting him talking all about the wisdom he has gained through his crazy life. He inspired me to start playing guitar and that who scene at the bed and breakfast in general was really peaceful with mucho deep conversations between strangers...damn that is good living...but are all Canadians like this? haha

Sonja had a nice run though the residential neighborhood right before the wedding. Saw some deer and many picturesque houses...its clean in Canada and its obvious that western civilization has only been expanding out here in the past 200 years since Lewis and Clark. Mucho space still. But for how long at this rate?

On the way back from Canada we had the pleasure to boat over to Waldron Island and spend a night at Ian's Dad's place. Simplicity is riding in the back of an open bed truck riding through deep forest and singing. Larry is so cool, caring, and down to Earth. He is the real deal. I loved riding on his small boat past the seals and drinking a beer with him and Sonja as we motored down.

On 4th of July Sonja and I had a grilled hot dog at her mothers before spending the evening at Andy and Jill's for a BBQ at their new home site. Congrats to Andy and his new castle. I hope he puts in a moat and tames that dragon. Just a beautiful house out in them trees.

The next day Michael H. and the rest of us all woke way too early and started our hike up to Deep Lake and Cathedral Rock. The weather was perfect. At lunch at Squaw Lake I took a skinny dip with Mike and Andy but quickly got out since it was FREEZING! I dont know how they stayed in truthfully. It was quite a wake up and cool down though. Beautiful since we had the entire place to ourselves since it was Thursday.

There have been two nice inventions created that made life easier while hiking: the compact water burner and the portable water filtration pump. I dont know how we would have made it if we had to carry all that water up ourselves. So we hiked up through snow and were on the top of the world there. I wish I had my camera there at that point. Everyone was eaten by mosquitoes quite heavily at Deep Lake so we camped up on the ridge the second night. Played a few card games and frisbee on top of the world. I brought a flask of tequilla and the pipe Andy gave me which was nice to enjoy as the sun sank. The small pleasures such as no bugs and easy access to water were missed though. Its nice to appreciate so many little things since I have been back.

I really was inspired too by my friend Michael who for some strange reason (he is crazy afterall) hiked all the way down to the truck at the trailhead that night and then back in the dark! It was probably a 5 hr hike at a quick pace....at night. haha! I mean you begin to stretch your beliefs in what the body is capable of after you conceive of feats like that.

Mike also showed me the hilarious ROBOT CHICKEN spoofs on Star Wars! Then Andy did an excellent job of cleaning my teeth...what friends huh? I love 'em. May we have more days together again.

LayOffs Pending

Today at work I walked into our conference room on the 7th floor for a staff meeting. This conference room has huge windows that look out on Seattle and Mt. Rainer in the distance. It was a sunny bright day, but even on darker days that view is spectacular.
As I sat there and listened to my boss tell me the news, that due to funding issues I and others will most likely be laidoff in 2 months, my eyes would focus on the view of the mountains that I would soon miss. Now that this experience was coming to an end I kept thinking how much I have been blessed. So many good times spent in this space. If I was king of the world I would preserve this building in a museum to remind me of this period of my life. I was 22 when I first stepped foot in this lab overjoyed to be here...now I am thirty and I have grown enough to know that I need to leave despite how hard it may be. (note: I did leave when I was 25 to enter and drop out of a PhD. program in UC San Diego just to mix it up a little...I will tell that story another day).

Jobs can be like a comfortable couch for many I believe. You get in one and it becomes your stability and safety. You're just happy to make a good living while keeping it relaxed. Once you find a low stress position it becomes hard to get out of it voluntarily. Questions like: If I quit, how will I continue to live the lifestyle I've become accustomed? What if I hate my new career? But there are so many new adventures waiting that are never experienced due to our natural fear of change.

In September I begin my masters program in psychology which is scheduled for evening classes so I am kinda set, but I feel for some of the coworkers. I plan to look for another job and hope it's as relaxed and with good people like this one was. "How fortunate is the man with none."

Today's Rant: The Departed

The other day I finally watched the film "The Departed." This highly rated film was similar to watching angry dogs strutting and tearing at each other in a pit for entertainment. Films like this remind me of the great chasm that lies between me and general American public who continually support and enjoy violence and domineering males.

It was well acted yes, but so are many films out there. Ultimately you must ask what you get or learn after watching a film. How does it influence you? What I got from the film was that it was ok to act the way these guys were acting. I wish that someone in the film had a realization of how meaningless that kinda struggle and fight is. To separate themselves from it all and promote some peace and happiness in the world instead.

To be respected does a man have to be that way? Show no weakness...show no emotions or kindness. The men have their role and the women have theirs as submissive dolls to be played with in the off time. "The Departed" and films like it exemplifies to me how we are so attracted and enamoured by the aggressive, tough male image that we cheer on their behavior at the expensive of ourselves and our society. This same kind of machismo can get us into wars yo!

The White Stripes

Friday night, I attended a great event at Salty's restaurant on Alki. Sonja's coworkers were having an end of year event. Excellent seafood and drinks. I learned that you can substitute tequila for vodka and make a mighty fine "Bloody Maria."

Then later Andy and Jill showed up. Andy and I played Hammer of the Scots (er shall I say I got played). Lets also confirm that Andy can drink alcohol without hangovers. He is a bit larger than me but still he should have had at least a little headache the next day.

Yesterday I rocked around YouTube.com getting educated about a band that has been rocking below my radar for like 7 years: The White Stripes. Let me just say that I am really impressed! You can really feel that Rock in their veins. They are a brother/sister duo from Detroit that keeps it real despite the fame. Watch a few clips of them here and here.

Friends, let me know if you want to join me and go to their Seattle show Sept 26th.

Lastly, I have to drop this hilarious video from Amy Winehouse too "F* Me Pumps."

GoodReads.com

I've heard that Socrates believed that the written word (ie. books) would be used too much as a crutch for man. He seemed to believe a person addled their mind, became lazy, by relying on a written source rather than memorization. His concern is valid but there are so many positives that outweigh it.

And as Al Gore said in a speech recently, the invention of the written word, then the printing press (and now the Internet) had helped to democratize information and societies. These inventions allowed people to educate, write and distribute their ideas to others. It allowed a person to participate in the world of knowledge! No longer was information controlled by the few (not as much at least).

In the early days the powerful disseminator of knowledge was the church. What they said was truth. This was because there wasn't another source of information, no less a dissenting one to open up an argument on the topic.

One of the first book's to be widely distributed using the printing press was the Gutenberg's Bible and it wasn't in Latin but in common tongues. Now suddenly the people could interpret the Bible for themselves and talk about it then print books themselves with their views.

Now the Church wasn't the only channel to watch when wanting to hear God's word. You can see where this goes. The point is that democracy is strengthened by the public having access. Multiple sources and the chance for their own ideas to be heard by others.

So lets celebrate reading! Today I learned of a very cool website: GoodReads.com Here people can track what books their friends and others are reading and reviewing. It's free and gets me excited to read more.
Please join me and go make an account. Peace

Music To My Ears

My music picks today:

Nick Drake: Melancholy Brit from the 70's who had a fantastic fingerpicking guitar style and sound. By the way, today is his birthday. But read how he died here.

Stevie Wonder: You can get a best of Stevie for cheap these days. OMG! Here he is on Sesame Street.

Amy Winehouse: Another Brit with some serious style. She sounds like a soul singer from the 60's. Here is a review of her debut Back to Black. She is kinda taking the world by storm as you may have heard.

Beastie Boys: These guys just keep rocking. Here they have a new instrumental only album out entitled "The Mix Up"!



Peace YO!
(ps. you can listen to snipets of albums on Amazon.com or Myspace)

Democracy Now! and Alternative Radio

Ok its time to get political now. If you have been paying attention you are outraged by the situation in the world today. I wanted to recommend to you the best sources for news and information that I have come across. These cut down deeper than the daily superficial sound bites of the popular media (TV, newspapers). These guys are part of a network of "progressive" sources that I and much of the world really respect due to their commitment to truth. (Note: Listening to these professional sources can blow open your little world).

Democracy Now! - Daily one hour news radio/TV program out of NYC...awesome.
Alternative Radio - Hour long lecture each week from some of the world's best authors/thinkers.
Counterspin - 30 mins of de-spin of popular media
Common Dreams - Online essays by progressives and links to many sources.

Rocketboom

There is a daily online news video blog (vlog) that is quite fun that I recommend, its called Rocketboom. It is one of the most popular vlogs online next to Ask A Ninja

Rocketboom is newsworthy however and keeps you up to date on crazy news on the web, while Ask a Ninja keeps you in touch with something else....not sure what. :)

Seattle Solstice Parade

Today I enjoyed one of the best parades ever. The Seattle Solstice Parade is Seattle at its finest. They've got naked bicyclists with exquisite body paint starting it off. Then there were belly dancers, marching bands, heavy metal rockers and even the Bush group in chains to end it. Believe it or not its quite family friendly. I really enjoyed the "Love" group who came down the street giving everyone hugs. This parade and Folklife fest are the best times to come and experience Seattle.
I have got to get a drum to join in and participate next year.

Thanks to Jenni, Patrick, Justin, and Catrina for a great day.

A Day in the Life...

Ok this post I will attempt to summarize what most of my days have been composed of for the past 4 years of life or so. The thing I have learned since college is that working full time can cause your life to get into a groove. I believe that time passes by at a quicker pace in this "working life" since there is less diversity/school breaks like there are in college.

I often remember experiencing more in one day as a student than a week as a slave to the grind :) I like calling myself a slave haha, but really I LIVE such a blessed life and am very happy with my work.

Wake about 8am and shower while listening to NPR
Dress up (in some of Sonja's clothes, hehe not really)
My regular breakfast since 2002 has been a fruit smoothie! Make one yourself: In a blender add 1 banana, 1 peeled orange, 1 cup of soy milk, frozen mango chunks, protein powder, maybe ice.
I then saddle my bicycle outfitted with my fluorescent jacket and helmet and cruise on a few backstreets of Seattle (18 blocks) to the hospital. Trick to riding bikes in Seattle is to get right into the traffic and act like a car when you can keep speed, and act like you are invisible the rest of the time.

I then stroll into the hepatitis c laboratory around 9:15am where I am a senior research technician in a group of around 12.
Throughout the day I perform my duties which include: being a molecular biology monkey, extracting RNA from infectious HIV/HCV tissues - very carefully :), then doing several steps to eventually work this RNA up to DNA sequencing. Overall I have several different types of work days since each week I am at a different stage of a project work up of these samples. I also analyze data, direct/teach students the how to's, order supplies/chemicals for the lab....let me tell you that if you want to make a load of cash just start a company supplying labs. Its like a crazy mafia racket it's so expensive...I digress.

Often when I am at work I've got my trusty boom box rocking me with some KEXP or NPR much to the enjoyment of my other squirrely labmates(and yes squirrely is the word for them). By Noon I will jump a bus over to UW campus to attend a psychology class...which is a ton of fun and really breaks up the day. If I dont have a class that quarter then I will go to the hospital cafeteria...that's right, the hospital cafeteria for the largest trauma center in the northwest which also takes a majority of the uninsured patients in the area. Thus its common in the cafeteria (which is usually jam packed at noon) to bump elbows with the homeless, people in wheelchairs who just got out of the ER, nurses, doctors, very poor country bumpkins who are in town due to some relative in the hospital, as well as TONS of immigrants/minorities. Lastly I must not forget the crazy array of "lunch-ladies" who are all tough, short minorities and often speak English as a second language...let me tell you that this type of crazy diversity and the understanding and experience that comes with it is exactly why you will not find me living in rural America.

Ok to sum it up I normally get a spinach salad for lunch...which taste just like they smell...delicious. But more to the point they are cheap and I get my veggies in for the day.

At 4pm I ride home, turn on my stereo system (we don't have cable TV only PBS), make dinner, watch a DVD with Sonja, read books or play video games or get together with friends for a board game. Sonja and I will jog 2 times a week commonly or go for hikes. Jogging in our neighborhood is wonderful. Capitol Hill has big beautiful houses in picturesque neighborhoods. One night a week I volunteer answering phones at the Crisis Line for King County from 9pm-1am. I have found it quite fulfilling to help others so I hope to become a mental health counselor in the next 2 years.

Last note: Sonja and I both love the same foods (i.e. all food). So when we go out to eat though we commonly will get: Thai, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Veggie Burgers or Falafel.

David Grey

I'm not much into celebrity or anything but today is the musician David Grey's birthday. Happy Birthday Sir.

I give a shout out to this man because of the strong connection I have with his early album "White Ladder." I would play this album at almost every occation when partying with my fine friend Andy back in 2004-05. To the right is not David Grey but Andy...yeah. What a guy. I get a BIG smile just thinking about the times shared.





Isn't it amazing how music can transport you and uncover memories past? The songs in White Ladder are soulful and speak of love and challenge it presents.

So, if you haven't yet sat down with a glass of wine and turned up White Ladder I suggest you do soon. It'll send you.

Father's Day

So Father's Day is coming up this Sunday and so I thought I would tell a story about a Dad I met recently.

Last Friday I tripped up to the San Juan's of Washington State with my wife on a retreat/vacation with some of her workmates. In Anacortes we parked our car in line to wait for the ferry and up ahead of us we saw Sonja's colleague, Jeff, who owned the house we would be staying at for the weekend.

So we stood outside our car as the sun went down and got to know each other. The wind comming off the water was cold for a June day so I grabbed my sweater.

Jeff had a 10 yr old son, Tai, who stood by him with a big smile and curly dark hair. When I was Tai's age I was in that transition from boy to man. From my memories of being age 10 I expected that this boy or his father would probably not behave in certain ways. So I was unprepared for what happened next.

Tai told his father he was cold and with a smile reached under Jeff's fleece jacket. Jeff very naturally then pulled it open to allow Tai to cuddle within the strechy fleece as we continued our conversation. Jeff was like a "kangaroo Dad" then with Tai's head popped out of his jacket. This was so amazing to me. A 10 yr old and his father just were more restrained and "cool" than this in my experience. Openly affectionate is just not something I see much of. And I think that should change.

Before the ferry came, Tai challenged his Dad to a game of "catch me if you can." They then proceeded to chase each other as fast as they could up and down the rows of parked cars laughing as they went. And they did this for about 10 mins! The love and respect I witnessed between this father and son was healthy and inspiring. This is true success in my mind.

Over the rest of the weekend together I experienced the capacity and capability for Jeff and Tai to care for each other. They kidded, wrestled, hugged, touched, and laughed all weekend. Tai turned out to be much more mature, confident, and intelligent than I was at that age. He and his father both taught me a lot.

The Field - Here We Go Sublime

http://www.amazon.com/Here-We-Go-Sublime/dp/B000NQDDO6/ref=sr_1_1/104-5667468-9420759?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1181700943&sr=1-1

So today while listening to the phenomenal kexp.org local radio (which you can listen to online) I happened upon the sound experience known as "The Field." They have a new album called Here We Go Sublime. It's trance/electronic of a higher caliber than I have listened to in a while. I recommend it.

Merry Go Round

I was sitting in traffic today for a few hours. I needed to run an errand. I needed a little pain I guess. Pain is a teacher. Here is what I learned:

While the sun blazed down upon the black curvature of my luxury auto, I had some time to think. I was in the middle of a 21st century rush hour. This is kinda crazy huh? We are crazy yeah? The orchestrated rush passing on one side and the fustrated crush on the other. Reving, Braking! Jousting, Quaking! Risking near fatality for a few seconds gained. Meaningless and less.

Like a live manequin on display there he was. A Fantastic Fitness patron in a window above us tredding on his mill. Another exercise in futility I thought. "What are you doing man!? Its a beautiful day outside. Liberate yourself!" I thought. Then, "What am I doing?"

Think about that. The man on a tredmill...chasing it. This is the symbol of our age I think. Like the commuter, he struggles with his machine. A machine that devolves you; that is going no where. The tredmillian man puts his faith in technology. Has a belief that his dollars have opened doors to freedom.

Are we free if we are always chasing? Do you know where your time and energy are going? Ask yourself what ultimately you are trying to accomplish. You cannot see the tredmill when it has become part of you. But glory to us that are free to run in place and look so good doing it.

But today I saw what happens when we all try to be free at once. A jam. Then out of the corner of you eye you see the people on the sidewalk out pacing you. "NOOOO!" You think, "I am capable of more than this." Green Light GOOOO! Rev that thing, and then...stop.
Stop.

Pretty Little Mistakes

Today I had the pleasure of listening to a wonderful author on NPR talking about the many choices we make in our lives and what they mean. Thought provoking. It seems kinda for the ladies but I really enjoyed it too. See link below.

The author: Heather McElhatton.
The book: Pretty Little Mistakes

You can listen to it online here:
128.208.34.90/ramgen/realarch/WeekdayB/WeekdayB20070611.rm

Mondays

As I stood in line this morning for my coffee ration I realized that I needed to speak out about this before its too late. First a poem by me.

Monday is not just any day.
There is a way in which it preys on your weekend dreams.
Monday, you don't need to live this way.
As alarm clocks, coffee and commuting try and extinguish that person you had been.


Monday mornings invoke a waking ritual that you could do in your sleep. Before you know it your bodies reflexive motions deliver you to work with is fluorescent lighting so bright forcing your gaze to the cold tiles passing underneath. By this time your mind is flickering on and aware...beware. Disbelief accompanies your internal alarm that all is not well. This place, these people...so strangely familiar. You feel like this is a dream you once had and now you are in it. Repressed memories of deadlines and "to do's" from Friday bubble up back into your conscientiousness. Slowly these responsibilities replace your weekend you. They displace the sense of clarity you were finally forming about your life. You forget that you ever experienced that Saturday daydream in the sun. Monday's devolve into survival.

As you stand in line for your coffee ration think about your feelings struggling within. How are you making sense of this Monday? How can Saturday and Sunday be so different? Who did you become? Don't forget you were different just last Saturday my friend.

On the first day Fireborn created blog.

Hi yall, I'm Nathan. Nathan "Fireborn". I'm thirty and a married guy. I live in Seattle. This is my first blog. I am a little tight.

I have been spending the first 10 mins of blogging customizing the colors and playing around with it. Making sure it has some sort of witty title and looks nice...Then I realized I needed to stop messing around. Why worry when no one will be reading this. No one but you huh?

Anyway, I now have learned lesson one for how to make the Fireborn Blog: Dont sweat the small stuff just make a direct connection between your mind and my fingers so they can type away. Free flow it all.

Why make a blog? Welp...my feelings are that life is fast and short. So much happens to me daily then I just forget most of it. My memory is terrible and anyways when I am not around who is going to remember the man that I was? I feel like someone may get a bit of entertainment if not knowledge from the life lessons I learn if only I can spend some time recording it. So in this blog I will endeavor to not only record facts of what I am up to but also my deeper thoughts with which I wrestle.

I also believe that this blog will facilitate my ability to express a deeper "self" in words. As I type you and I will learn more about myself as it is allowed to be exposed. Also I am hoping others see who I am and love me. I am so honest.

On that tip I want to say: Do know your friends and family because you see them each year on holiday to make jokes and drink? Its sad all the time wasted.

So lets stop wasting time and do that which is difficult...express our inner selves for us and others to better understand.