Broken Promises

I said I would write in here more often, but I haven't done that. Mainly it's because I haven't had a reliable internet signal and I've been a little busy. Well, I have a dedicated signal now, and all is good.

I have plenty of good things to talk about, like the giant moth that has been terrorizing me in my apartment, kitty visitors, my trip to Portland, and failed seances. I also hope to create a few audio entries (I won't call them podcasts yet) in order to explore this medium.

The newness begins this Saturday, I promise. In the meantime, enjoy this throat-singing movie.

Reality of the Homeless

Just returned from Portland. It's a beautiful city and when I get the time to go through the pictures I will put up an entry.

I was driving home from work when I saw a man on the side of the road. He had a huge cardboard box which he had taped to a stop sign. On it he had written something about being robbed and having nobody to help him. I couldn't see the rest of the sign, but I knew it ended with a plea for money. What else would he put on a sign? Regardless, I didn't give him any money and I drove off. I sense that spot was a bad place to panhandle.

A thought entered my mind: was he telling the truth, or lying to get money? I bet everyone driving around me had the same thought. We had all chosen to err on the side of caution (and comfort; I didn't want to cross three lanes to give him a dollar). I decided that he was probably just trying to get money for drugs or booze.

How depressing is it that I have come to regard homeless people with mistrust. I think about how hard I worked to get my money and I'm loathe to give it to someone else just sitting on the street. The harsh Protestant work ethic comes in too, if he is poor it is because he is lazy. Is this idea valid? Couldn't this man get a job anywhere and save his money, making sure to hide it or deposit it before he has a chance to get robbed? Perhaps he could do this. Maybe he has too much pride to do that...but what about begging? Isn't that below working at McDonald's? I can't diagnose this guy based on my twenty second observation of him.

Here is my opinion on the homeless. I think that there are some people who have fallen on tough times, be it because of drugs, alcohol or economic situations, that can be helped to live a better standard of life. And, I think there are some homeless people who are mentally unstable and would require medication or counseling to get off the streets. I also think that there are a group of homeless people who are there because they feel entitled to help without working. I think it is at best regrettable and at worst despicable that these people would take resources from those who need it and then continue to panhandle.

This idea might be controversial, and I've decided to stop it there. What do you think?

Number Five is Still Alive

And so am I. I was hoping I could easily set up my network today, but I can't seem to figure out how. I'm stealing this signal from someone else. I feel kind of bad about that, so I will try to get the network set up somehow.

I have made the decision to start selling Fire King stuff on Ebay. This seems only natural because I love Fire King and I can't possibly keep all of the things I have been getting lately. I have gone several times to the DI (a thrift store in Utah owned by the Mormons, if you didn't know) and I've found some good things. I haven't ever sold anything online, so it will be a good first experience I think. I'll let you know how things work out.

I'm going to Portland tomorrow, and I am quite excited. This should be fun not only because I'll be doing fun things, but also because I'll be discovering new places and seeing new things. It's a temporary shift for my normal life. I will definitely take some pictures and talk about my trip later.

I have been wanting to play with new media for some time, but I haven't yet decided what I should experiment with. I really like the idea of creating an audio record of some of the things I do and I would like to shoot some footage of activities I do while in the moment. Anyone have any suggestions? I would have to buy equipment either way.

As soon as I get my network set up I will write more meaningful posts. I also hope to start up the soda reviews again.

Blaze, More Cat Burglars and a Vacation

Still don't have the internet, but I should be able to reconnect come Wednesday. In the meantime, here are some highlights from my previous week.

It is interminably hot in my new apartment. While I enjoy living in an attic, I have come to understand certain principles of energy all too well: namely, that heat rises. There is an air conditioner in the bedroom so at least I don't have to suffer in the nighttime. I'll be happy when it cools down.

We had another kitty burglar, this time in my new place. It was a tiny furry kitten who meowed by our window to let him in. He was very adventurous and explored our apartment with feline bravado. Then, he got hungry and scared and wanted to go home. Unfortunately we couldn't figure out where his rightful home was. When I went outside with him he escaped and hid under a car. I am happy to say that he was thereafter found by his owner, my neighbor, and is fine. I don't mind these kitties sneaking into my place, I just want them to be safe.

Lastly, I am going on a vacation! We will be in Portland for four days. I am looking forward to the break from my regular life as well as the opportunity to do some exploring of my own. I will definitely keep a travel journal and take some pictures as well. Until then...

The Silence

Hello everyone. I broke my promise of writing in here everyday because I don't have regular access to the internet as of now. I'm working on getting something set up in my new place and I hope to reconnect by the end of the week. In the meantime, sit tight.

Cat Burglar

This is a photo of the culprit who broke into my apartment. I arrived from my new apartment to find this guy sitting on the couch, looking serene. He was a very friendly kitty and I figured he was somehow attached to my roommate. I texted my roommate and while waiting for a response I took a shower.

It turned out that my roommate didn't know the cat. In fact, he wasn't exactly sure how it got into the place. I managed to take a decent picture of it with my computer and then I picked up the cat to leave it outside. One of my neighbors told me that the cat had been around a couple of times before. Maybe he had been casing out the place. I managed to carry him just a few feet when he decided that a human sedan wasn't his style and he jumped out. I left him, figuring he was a cat and could figure out how to get home.

We had breakfast and walked back to the old apartment. After we got into the building we heard a jingling noise, and saw the cat coming down the stairs. This time we managed to get a hold of the owner and subsequently dropped the cat off at his home.

I kind of liked playing kitty delivery service. I like animals, and this guy was a real adventurer. He had decided to sneak into my apartment to see the great unknowns contained therein. He was nice and soft. I kind of wish I was a cat and could spend my days wandering the neighborhood exploring things.

On the Move

I have been moving my things into my new apartment all evening. Yes, we found a place. I'm too dog tired to write much about it here tonight. I'm going to relax by playing my Wii. Later.