Just a quick note to let everyone know I am back. Not really battered so much and "tossed about". If you have never spent a week on a moving ship at sea (something much smaller than a cruise ship) then you don't know the adjustment time necessary to stand, bend over, sit or even walk on land. Even though most of the ship movement was subtle, there is ALWAYS movement. Then picture taking a shower in a phone booth with the boat pitching from side to side. A couple nights the sleeping was like a baby in a womb...only without the feeling of drowning.
Anyway, I have pictures to process, a journal to finish, some videos to post and a lot to catch up on. Work this week will be the insanest of my summer since the end of the month falls right on Saturday. I will be somewhat scarce this week and then next week back in full action. I'll try and post a few tidbits of the trip this week. Most of this week the temps are going to be in the hundreds so Holy Hell is back on Earth for another summer in Dallas.
I am also thinking of writing the trip as a short story of some kind. And Pat, I read Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas while I was gone and it was fantastic!! I am going to methodically read all of HST books until done.
Until the next time, it's good to be back and I really missed reading you all...I may never catch up. Then, I'll always have something to do!
PS. The Bruise was my LEFT big toe this vacation. If that means nothing to you please read this from last year's trip. The Burnt was my forehead...in case you were not sure, you can peel TWICE from the same burn. Near Equator + 45 minutes in the Sun first day = Arrgggghhhhh!!!!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: End Of June Weekend Graphs
I am back from vacay and since this is a prepost I am going out on a limb and say I survived and it was fantastic. In two weeks from now (6/9/12) I will see how will I predict the future.
Until then (which is now, now) here are this weeks graphs, brought to you by Belikin Beer! Official beer of Belize.
Enjoy!
Until then (which is now, now) here are this weeks graphs, brought to you by Belikin Beer! Official beer of Belize.
Enjoy!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: As Real As It Ever Was...
I am still in Belize, curiously without YOU! Sorry, I am sure I am having a good time. I'll be back soon.
Here is another early post that seems to have gone dormant as a news item. There were only two orignal comments (Pat and Jesse) so I thought I would rekindle the memory of this heinous story.
-------------------------------------------------------
March 20th, 2010
The Hand Of God (And A Priest) Are Upon You
I tried to find a font that would be reverent enough for this post. I do not want God associating me with this subject matter in case rapture happens while I am asleep tonight. No accidental damnation for me...I will earn it on my own merits.
This subject is not new...hell the Catholic church being involved in it is not new. What IS new is that the church is now seemingly willing to enter the realm of full disclosure...at least that is what they say.
I am not a Catholic, or a particularly religious person. I was raised going to church on Sunday's and learned right from wrong from a strong family environment. I grew up knowing plenty of Catholics as my friends and classmates. I made no judgements on one religion being better or worse than the next. I guess you could say I was an equal opportunity religion friend.
I say that to hopefully not offend anyone who is a practicing Catholic by anything I may say in this post.
However...WTF is wrong with the Catholic church??
The church, any church, is supposed to be fundamentally on the side of right (not wrong) and good (not evil)...right? At least this is what I was taught in Sunday school oh those many years ago.
While the Catholic church (one of the largest religions in the world) has some differing views on sexual conduct of priests (mainly they must be male and they must be celibate), I would think that covering up this pedophillic abuse could not rank them high in God's eyes. If God has his own TopTen of religions, I have to think that the Branch Davidians and the wackos waiting for aliens to take them to heaven in a spaceship have just moved up a notch or two.
I was perusing the Catholic American website and grabbed some copy that is stunning to me:
The Los Angeles Archdiocese July 15 announced the largest church settlement of sexual abuse lawsuits to date, agreeing to pay more than 500 alleged victims a total of $660 million.
Last December, the archdiocese announced the settlement of 45 lawsuits for $60 million.
Under the latest agreement, the archdiocese will pay $250 million and the balance will come from a combination of payments from insurance carriers and religious orders whose members have been accused in the abuse cases.
According to a tally prepared by the Los Angeles Times, the previous largest settlement of abuse cases in the United States since 2002 was the $157 million the Boston Archdiocese agreed to pay to 983 claimants in several different settlement agreements. The Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., agreed to pay $129 million to 315 claimants; the Diocese of Orange, Calif., agreed to pay $100 million to 90 claimants, and the Diocese of Covington, Ky., settled with 350 claimants for $85 million.
Cardinal Mahony said the new settlement and the one for $60 million announced in November "will have very serious and painful consequences for the archdiocese." He said the archdiocese will re-evaluate all ministries and services, "since we will not be able to offer them at the same levels as in the past."
--------------------------------------
For those of you scoring at home that totals 2283 victims of priest abuse that cost the church $1.441 BILLION!!! There are certainly more victims that have never come forward or have passed away or are locked up in prison...maybe even in mental hospitals.
Which of Dante's levels of Hell do you think is reserved for these so called "men of God"?
Do you think it could be the inner Ring of the 7th Circle (Violence):
Inner ring: Here the violent against God (blasphemers) and the violent against nature (sodomites and, as explained in the sixth circle, usurers) all reside in a desert of flaming sand with fiery flakes raining from the sky. The blasphemers lie on the sand, the usurers sit, and the sodomites wander about in groups.
Or perhaps it is as it should be, the very center of Hell itself:
In the very centre of Hell, condemned for committing the ultimate sin (personal treachery against God), is Satan (Lucifer). Satan is described as a giant, terrifying beast with three faces, one red, one black, and one a pale yellow:
I personally like the "personal treachery against God" part of the last one. Maybe shared time between several levels might be an answer. Don't want them to get too comfortable in any one pain.
When did becoming a priest turn into a breeding ground for child abusers? What other industry (oh yes, religion is an industry) fosters so many abusers under the guise of some righteous cause? None that I can think of.
Then the church for years and years was able to sweep this "problem" under the rug. Several priests were just simply relocated...and of course, they started their abuse all over again. Some were sent to counseling (presumably by other priests). This is a clear case of the fox guarding the hen house. And then they were sent to new parishes where of course, they started their abuse all over again.
Now even the pope is calling for the police to be contacted when there is evidence of claimed sexual abuse. Shouldn't the police have been involved all along? What other industry is allowed to circumvent the legal system and solve their criminal sexual child abuse problems in house? The Mafia maybe, but not any legitimate organization.
These priests should be prosecuted under the law and sentenced to what ever time is legally mandated...preferrably with a cellmate named Bubba or Big Tank. This would certainly get them praying fervently again.
These were criminal activities and should have always been handled that way. For any other approach to be allowed was a signal to every child molester to become a priest and enter the endless buffet of children. In case you think that sounds too crude, do you really believe all these priests developed this affinity for children after becoming priests? And if so why does that happen?
I say the church should lighten up on the celibacy thing. By letting priests get married, date and have real sex, they could have saved themselves $1 billion...and given it to a good cause like earthquake victims in Haiti, Chile, and Turkey.
May whatever God you pray to be with you...
Amen
**This should conclude my religious themed posts for a while, unless of course something comes along that just can't be ignored.
Here is another early post that seems to have gone dormant as a news item. There were only two orignal comments (Pat and Jesse) so I thought I would rekindle the memory of this heinous story.
-------------------------------------------------------
March 20th, 2010
The Hand Of God (And A Priest) Are Upon You
I tried to find a font that would be reverent enough for this post. I do not want God associating me with this subject matter in case rapture happens while I am asleep tonight. No accidental damnation for me...I will earn it on my own merits.This subject is not new...hell the Catholic church being involved in it is not new. What IS new is that the church is now seemingly willing to enter the realm of full disclosure...at least that is what they say.
I am not a Catholic, or a particularly religious person. I was raised going to church on Sunday's and learned right from wrong from a strong family environment. I grew up knowing plenty of Catholics as my friends and classmates. I made no judgements on one religion being better or worse than the next. I guess you could say I was an equal opportunity religion friend.
I say that to hopefully not offend anyone who is a practicing Catholic by anything I may say in this post.
However...WTF is wrong with the Catholic church??
The church, any church, is supposed to be fundamentally on the side of right (not wrong) and good (not evil)...right? At least this is what I was taught in Sunday school oh those many years ago.
While the Catholic church (one of the largest religions in the world) has some differing views on sexual conduct of priests (mainly they must be male and they must be celibate), I would think that covering up this pedophillic abuse could not rank them high in God's eyes. If God has his own TopTen of religions, I have to think that the Branch Davidians and the wackos waiting for aliens to take them to heaven in a spaceship have just moved up a notch or two.
I was perusing the Catholic American website and grabbed some copy that is stunning to me:
The Los Angeles Archdiocese July 15 announced the largest church settlement of sexual abuse lawsuits to date, agreeing to pay more than 500 alleged victims a total of $660 million.
Last December, the archdiocese announced the settlement of 45 lawsuits for $60 million.
Under the latest agreement, the archdiocese will pay $250 million and the balance will come from a combination of payments from insurance carriers and religious orders whose members have been accused in the abuse cases.
According to a tally prepared by the Los Angeles Times, the previous largest settlement of abuse cases in the United States since 2002 was the $157 million the Boston Archdiocese agreed to pay to 983 claimants in several different settlement agreements. The Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., agreed to pay $129 million to 315 claimants; the Diocese of Orange, Calif., agreed to pay $100 million to 90 claimants, and the Diocese of Covington, Ky., settled with 350 claimants for $85 million.
Cardinal Mahony said the new settlement and the one for $60 million announced in November "will have very serious and painful consequences for the archdiocese." He said the archdiocese will re-evaluate all ministries and services, "since we will not be able to offer them at the same levels as in the past."
--------------------------------------
For those of you scoring at home that totals 2283 victims of priest abuse that cost the church $1.441 BILLION!!! There are certainly more victims that have never come forward or have passed away or are locked up in prison...maybe even in mental hospitals.
Which of Dante's levels of Hell do you think is reserved for these so called "men of God"?
Do you think it could be the inner Ring of the 7th Circle (Violence):
Inner ring: Here the violent against God (blasphemers) and the violent against nature (sodomites and, as explained in the sixth circle, usurers) all reside in a desert of flaming sand with fiery flakes raining from the sky. The blasphemers lie on the sand, the usurers sit, and the sodomites wander about in groups.
Or perhaps it is as it should be, the very center of Hell itself:
In the very centre of Hell, condemned for committing the ultimate sin (personal treachery against God), is Satan (Lucifer). Satan is described as a giant, terrifying beast with three faces, one red, one black, and one a pale yellow:
I personally like the "personal treachery against God" part of the last one. Maybe shared time between several levels might be an answer. Don't want them to get too comfortable in any one pain.
When did becoming a priest turn into a breeding ground for child abusers? What other industry (oh yes, religion is an industry) fosters so many abusers under the guise of some righteous cause? None that I can think of.
Then the church for years and years was able to sweep this "problem" under the rug. Several priests were just simply relocated...and of course, they started their abuse all over again. Some were sent to counseling (presumably by other priests). This is a clear case of the fox guarding the hen house. And then they were sent to new parishes where of course, they started their abuse all over again.
Now even the pope is calling for the police to be contacted when there is evidence of claimed sexual abuse. Shouldn't the police have been involved all along? What other industry is allowed to circumvent the legal system and solve their criminal sexual child abuse problems in house? The Mafia maybe, but not any legitimate organization.
These priests should be prosecuted under the law and sentenced to what ever time is legally mandated...preferrably with a cellmate named Bubba or Big Tank. This would certainly get them praying fervently again.
These were criminal activities and should have always been handled that way. For any other approach to be allowed was a signal to every child molester to become a priest and enter the endless buffet of children. In case you think that sounds too crude, do you really believe all these priests developed this affinity for children after becoming priests? And if so why does that happen?
I say the church should lighten up on the celibacy thing. By letting priests get married, date and have real sex, they could have saved themselves $1 billion...and given it to a good cause like earthquake victims in Haiti, Chile, and Turkey.
May whatever God you pray to be with you...
Amen
**This should conclude my religious themed posts for a while, unless of course something comes along that just can't be ignored.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: While On Vacation I Leave You With This
I am in Belize this week and you are not :p
I want to credit Lucy Corrander from the photography blog Message In a Milk Bottle for inspiring this repost of a very early missive on suicide. Originally had five comments. I hope you find this interesting and entertaining. Thanks Lucy!!
------------------------------------------------------------------
March 10th, 2010
Ivy League Suicide
The shocking stories of things that happen on college campuses these days are many and diverse. Topping the list is the incidence of suicide at many universities. None more so than the tragic year Cornell University of the Ivy League is having.
So far six students have jumped/fallen to their death from the 90-foot high suspension bridge that serves as a entrance from town to the campus. It is a bridge that I would have an apprehension of crossing on a good day. Me and heights are not friends in any sense of the word.
Samuell Cornell back in the late 1800's decided the best place to build a prestigious university that bares his name was right between two gorges. And you gotta be pretty damn deep to call yourself a gorge.
They even have a nickname for the suicides here... "gorging out". Macabe to say the least.
Even back in the early years of this university and through the 40's, 50's, 60's and heavily in the 90's suicides were happening here. What was it about this university that triggered the big bungee jump of life without the bungee? Was it just the lure of the bridge like a Siren song?
And what about jumping to your death as a suicide in general? It is a precarious thing to do. If you are not up high enough there is a chance you may not die and end up living like Stephen Hawking for the rest of your now incredibily worse off life. Too high you could get sucked into a jet engine (probably not, unless you pick a really bad place to jump from) but more importantly you have all that time from fatal step until terminal velocity impact to think about whether this is really what you wanted to do. No take backs. No do overs.
But what would make a college student (and at Cornell a fairly smart one) decide on this course of action?
1. Was pressured all through high school to get into the Ivy League but maybe that was not your idea of fun.
2. Once you got to Cornell you found out there were really some smart fuckers here and you weren't one of them (see #1 above).
3. Date after date seems to end really badly and instead of calling Hitch you decide life is not worth living.
4. Oooooh, there's something shiny down there!
5. I learned about updrafts in Physics...here, I'll show you.
6. Sorry, looks like it's Animal House for you Stevie!
7. If my parents find out I'm failing every class they'll kill me anyway (tuition, bye bye)
I'll stop at 7 so this doesn't turn into some macabe/gallows humor Top Ten.
This is a serious issue for a University that has picked up the nickname of Suicide U. Below is video and an excerpt from a CNN site:
The national average for school suicides is 7.29 per year for every 100,000 students, said Paula Clayton, medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. That means Cornell, with 19,639 students, should average fewer than two suicides a year.
Cornell had no suicides from 2005 to 2008, according to Marchell. And the school has consistently fallen within or below the national average, said Karen Carr, assistant dean of students at Cornell.
The school has been praised by psychologists such as Keith Anderson, chairman of the American College Health Association's Mental Health Best Practices Task Force, for counseling and prevention programs that confront the issue of student suicide with comprehensive training and understanding.
Cornell responded to a cluster of suicides in the late 1990s with comprehensive training for members of the university community.
By Ross Levitt and Susan Candiotti, CNN
--------------------------------------------------
I for one cannot imagine what it would take to make someone walk over to the railing of a bridge and jump off. I also cannot imagine why they do not have the same kind of covering over these bridges by now that you see on walk-ways over freeway so whackos can't throw a cinder block through your windshield. I get the aesthetics angle and all that but really, if this suicide epidemic is a decison of opportunity, simply remove the opportunity.
Just one more justification for always carrying a parachute!
With that said:
ALERT ALERT ALERT
STM Update
9761 Followers (closing in on the big ten grand)
4,530,231 Unique Vistors (this is an increase of 103,000 from yesterday)
What a gig...one short little post and I mean short and BAM...100,000 tune in to read. Crazy!
Stay thirsty my friends...
I want to credit Lucy Corrander from the photography blog Message In a Milk Bottle for inspiring this repost of a very early missive on suicide. Originally had five comments. I hope you find this interesting and entertaining. Thanks Lucy!!
------------------------------------------------------------------
March 10th, 2010
Ivy League Suicide
The shocking stories of things that happen on college campuses these days are many and diverse. Topping the list is the incidence of suicide at many universities. None more so than the tragic year Cornell University of the Ivy League is having.
So far six students have jumped/fallen to their death from the 90-foot high suspension bridge that serves as a entrance from town to the campus. It is a bridge that I would have an apprehension of crossing on a good day. Me and heights are not friends in any sense of the word.
Samuell Cornell back in the late 1800's decided the best place to build a prestigious university that bares his name was right between two gorges. And you gotta be pretty damn deep to call yourself a gorge.
They even have a nickname for the suicides here... "gorging out". Macabe to say the least.
Even back in the early years of this university and through the 40's, 50's, 60's and heavily in the 90's suicides were happening here. What was it about this university that triggered the big bungee jump of life without the bungee? Was it just the lure of the bridge like a Siren song?
And what about jumping to your death as a suicide in general? It is a precarious thing to do. If you are not up high enough there is a chance you may not die and end up living like Stephen Hawking for the rest of your now incredibily worse off life. Too high you could get sucked into a jet engine (probably not, unless you pick a really bad place to jump from) but more importantly you have all that time from fatal step until terminal velocity impact to think about whether this is really what you wanted to do. No take backs. No do overs.
Stephen Hawking
But what would make a college student (and at Cornell a fairly smart one) decide on this course of action?
1. Was pressured all through high school to get into the Ivy League but maybe that was not your idea of fun.
2. Once you got to Cornell you found out there were really some smart fuckers here and you weren't one of them (see #1 above).
3. Date after date seems to end really badly and instead of calling Hitch you decide life is not worth living.
4. Oooooh, there's something shiny down there!
5. I learned about updrafts in Physics...here, I'll show you.
6. Sorry, looks like it's Animal House for you Stevie!
7. If my parents find out I'm failing every class they'll kill me anyway (tuition, bye bye)
I'll stop at 7 so this doesn't turn into some macabe/gallows humor Top Ten.
This is a serious issue for a University that has picked up the nickname of Suicide U. Below is video and an excerpt from a CNN site:
The national average for school suicides is 7.29 per year for every 100,000 students, said Paula Clayton, medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. That means Cornell, with 19,639 students, should average fewer than two suicides a year.
Cornell had no suicides from 2005 to 2008, according to Marchell. And the school has consistently fallen within or below the national average, said Karen Carr, assistant dean of students at Cornell.
The school has been praised by psychologists such as Keith Anderson, chairman of the American College Health Association's Mental Health Best Practices Task Force, for counseling and prevention programs that confront the issue of student suicide with comprehensive training and understanding.
Cornell responded to a cluster of suicides in the late 1990s with comprehensive training for members of the university community.
By Ross Levitt and Susan Candiotti, CNN
--------------------------------------------------
I for one cannot imagine what it would take to make someone walk over to the railing of a bridge and jump off. I also cannot imagine why they do not have the same kind of covering over these bridges by now that you see on walk-ways over freeway so whackos can't throw a cinder block through your windshield. I get the aesthetics angle and all that but really, if this suicide epidemic is a decison of opportunity, simply remove the opportunity.
Just one more justification for always carrying a parachute!
With that said:
ALERT ALERT ALERT
STM Update
9761 Followers (closing in on the big ten grand)
4,530,231 Unique Vistors (this is an increase of 103,000 from yesterday)
What a gig...one short little post and I mean short and BAM...100,000 tune in to read. Crazy!
Stay thirsty my friends...
Monday, June 18, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: Vacation iPod Monday
Preposted for your listening pleasure.
Since I knew I would be on vacation today I smartly listened to the random sounds of my iPod in advance (pretty damn clever, eh). Below are today's gentle sounds of a mid-June day.
I hope you enjoy and yes, I am sure I am enjoying myself in Belize. Right. Now
1. Punch Brothers - How To Grow A Woman From The Ground (this is a haunting song that if you listen to it a few times will stick with you. Watched this video a hundred times. I really like it.) Chris Thile has an amazing voice.
2. Soggy Bottom Boys - A Man Of Constant Sorrow (first time I watched O Brother Where Art Thou, I was hooked on this song) I love this Coen Bros movie!!
3. J Geils Band - House Party (if you are having a house party, and who isn't this summer, this song is a must...as are several other J Geils songs)how can you not love a band whose harmonica player is called Magic Dick! The intro to Whammer Jammer is priceless, "On your lickin' stick Mr Magic Dick!"
4. Stabbing Westward - Save Yourself (very melodic and very final...if you find yourself a little too happy, this song will certainly bring you back to reality, oops there goes gravity, sorry) really intense video. Too bad this band didn't last.
5. Tommy Bolin - Post Toastee (1975 release Private Eyes by the guitarist from Deep Purple, great in every sense of the word...love the line, "Don't let your mind post toastee, like a lot of my friends did".)Ironically he died of a drug OD the day after oncoring this song at a Jeff Beck concert. Last Song he ever played. Play it loud!!
Since I knew I would be on vacation today I smartly listened to the random sounds of my iPod in advance (pretty damn clever, eh). Below are today's gentle sounds of a mid-June day.
I hope you enjoy and yes, I am sure I am enjoying myself in Belize. Right. Now
1. Punch Brothers - How To Grow A Woman From The Ground (this is a haunting song that if you listen to it a few times will stick with you. Watched this video a hundred times. I really like it.) Chris Thile has an amazing voice.
2. Soggy Bottom Boys - A Man Of Constant Sorrow (first time I watched O Brother Where Art Thou, I was hooked on this song) I love this Coen Bros movie!!
3. J Geils Band - House Party (if you are having a house party, and who isn't this summer, this song is a must...as are several other J Geils songs)how can you not love a band whose harmonica player is called Magic Dick! The intro to Whammer Jammer is priceless, "On your lickin' stick Mr Magic Dick!"
4. Stabbing Westward - Save Yourself (very melodic and very final...if you find yourself a little too happy, this song will certainly bring you back to reality, oops there goes gravity, sorry) really intense video. Too bad this band didn't last.
5. Tommy Bolin - Post Toastee (1975 release Private Eyes by the guitarist from Deep Purple, great in every sense of the word...love the line, "Don't let your mind post toastee, like a lot of my friends did".)Ironically he died of a drug OD the day after oncoring this song at a Jeff Beck concert. Last Song he ever played. Play it loud!!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: Vacation Weekend Graphs
Since I am gone (on vacation that is) I leave you with some high class entertainment. Get real close to the screen and don't blink!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: Sleep Talking Man - Redux
Periodically I am going to laze my way to a post by reposting some of my very earliest posts that still entertain me and got ZERO comments the first go round. Hopefully they will entertain you too and give you a glimpse as to where I once was at.
This following post was originally published on January 22nd, 2010. If you have not been to this guys site you must check it out. After two and a half years you can see what a mention on the Today show will get you.
STM Site
Followers: 12,159
Unique Vistors: 12,034,753
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 22nd, 2010
As fate would have it I just recently had hit upon the Sleep Talking Man blog as I was reviewing the Blogger Blogs of Note. I even read a few of them to my wife. Some lines were funny, some over-the-top vulgar (not that it bothered me of course) and some nightly ramblings that appear to conceal some underlying childhood issues.
Then what to my wondering eyes should appear (definitely NOT Santa and 8 tiny reindeer) but a blurb about this husband and wife comedy act on my local news this morning. That's right, right here in Big D a mention of the sleep talking utterances of the UK man. Having read the blog and actually remembered it a few days ago, my curiousity was predicably peaked.
After a brief mention at the end of the local news cast the Today show loads up and Matt is running down the days top stories and WTF!...HE mentions the Sleep Talking Man, his blog, him and his wife in bed, etc. Well I missed the story as I had to bounce to work but resisted the urge to DVR it for later viewing. Obviously I started my morning a little stunned both at the fact that I knew about this story BEFORE it was on the news and that it was actually ON the news!
I confess, as soon as I got home tonight I entered the blogosphere to see what was on the Sleep Talking Man's blog. [If you have not read any of his blog at least check it out.] His viewing audience as of tonight is over 5700 followers. Very sadly (for journalistic learning purposes only) I added his blog to my list.
Now let's break this whole thing down:
A. The ramblings and utterances could just as easily be posted on a blog titled - Whiskey River Tourettes or Magic Mushroom Musings or whatever. Point is, this stuff is easily made up after a twelve-pack of Shiner shared with one of my friends. But sleep talking apparently has its charm and you can plead ignorance of all of it!
B. The strategy is good though...short posts (easy & quick to do), stringing shit together that makes no sense, shocking vulgarity interspersed just enough to keep you coming back. Brilliant!
C. Tee-Shirts? Now we are getting somewhere. The money making angle. This I like...this I will copy. In fact I am thinking of dusting off an old website concept I dabbled in 10 years ago just for the opportunity to monetize.
D. They were on the friggin' Today show y'all!!! I wish I had written down how many followers they had when I first went to the site. I remember it being a lot because I commented to my wife about it but I don't remember the number. Fudge monkeys!...hey! I can do this shit to, yo! I want to see how this beanstalk grows.
How about Pyschotic Typing Man, here goes...
Caged shrimp puppies...I don't like their wings...fly pups, fly, fly, fly
Eating time is no good...not now not ever...tomorrow is good for me...tough shit for you
Throw it out...out with the mouse..the mouse is about the house...eh hoser
---------------
No problem...and no beer was harmed in this post
Later
This following post was originally published on January 22nd, 2010. If you have not been to this guys site you must check it out. After two and a half years you can see what a mention on the Today show will get you.
STM Site
Followers: 12,159
Unique Vistors: 12,034,753
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 22nd, 2010
As fate would have it I just recently had hit upon the Sleep Talking Man blog as I was reviewing the Blogger Blogs of Note. I even read a few of them to my wife. Some lines were funny, some over-the-top vulgar (not that it bothered me of course) and some nightly ramblings that appear to conceal some underlying childhood issues.
Then what to my wondering eyes should appear (definitely NOT Santa and 8 tiny reindeer) but a blurb about this husband and wife comedy act on my local news this morning. That's right, right here in Big D a mention of the sleep talking utterances of the UK man. Having read the blog and actually remembered it a few days ago, my curiousity was predicably peaked.
After a brief mention at the end of the local news cast the Today show loads up and Matt is running down the days top stories and WTF!...HE mentions the Sleep Talking Man, his blog, him and his wife in bed, etc. Well I missed the story as I had to bounce to work but resisted the urge to DVR it for later viewing. Obviously I started my morning a little stunned both at the fact that I knew about this story BEFORE it was on the news and that it was actually ON the news!
I confess, as soon as I got home tonight I entered the blogosphere to see what was on the Sleep Talking Man's blog. [If you have not read any of his blog at least check it out.] His viewing audience as of tonight is over 5700 followers. Very sadly (for journalistic learning purposes only) I added his blog to my list.
Now let's break this whole thing down:
A. The ramblings and utterances could just as easily be posted on a blog titled - Whiskey River Tourettes or Magic Mushroom Musings or whatever. Point is, this stuff is easily made up after a twelve-pack of Shiner shared with one of my friends. But sleep talking apparently has its charm and you can plead ignorance of all of it!
B. The strategy is good though...short posts (easy & quick to do), stringing shit together that makes no sense, shocking vulgarity interspersed just enough to keep you coming back. Brilliant!
C. Tee-Shirts? Now we are getting somewhere. The money making angle. This I like...this I will copy. In fact I am thinking of dusting off an old website concept I dabbled in 10 years ago just for the opportunity to monetize.
D. They were on the friggin' Today show y'all!!! I wish I had written down how many followers they had when I first went to the site. I remember it being a lot because I commented to my wife about it but I don't remember the number. Fudge monkeys!...hey! I can do this shit to, yo! I want to see how this beanstalk grows.
How about Pyschotic Typing Man, here goes...
Caged shrimp puppies...I don't like their wings...fly pups, fly, fly, fly
Eating time is no good...not now not ever...tomorrow is good for me...tough shit for you
Throw it out...out with the mouse..the mouse is about the house...eh hoser
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No problem...and no beer was harmed in this post
Later
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: Vacation Prep Fully Underway
I will be quite busy this week both at work and at home as I prepare to leave Saturday morning for vacation. I have preposted several post for this week and next (you'll get your graphs and iPod Monday's). I have reposted a couple more early blog entries if you are interested.
My wife and I made a list for things needing done each of the next 5 days since once we are on the boat, what you got is what you got!
Anyway, I will still be reading your sites up until I leave and not having to write posts will give me time to do that. I will probably throw an "Adios" post up Friday night after dropping the dogs off at their sitters and then it will be off to Belize! I will share of course when I get back.
This is all I got today! Have a great week!
My wife and I made a list for things needing done each of the next 5 days since once we are on the boat, what you got is what you got!
Anyway, I will still be reading your sites up until I leave and not having to write posts will give me time to do that. I will probably throw an "Adios" post up Friday night after dropping the dogs off at their sitters and then it will be off to Belize! I will share of course when I get back.
This is all I got today! Have a great week!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: iPod Monday Strikes Again!
Those who have not been here before, this is becoming a weekly post of the first 5 songs I listen to (random shuffle mode) on my iPod when I get home from work on Monday. I hope this introduces you to some new listening and maybe rekindles some memories. Either way, I hope you find something to enjoy!
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Here is this weeks 5 wildly diverse sounds...
1. Avenged Sevenfold - Almost Easy (this will get you energized and ready to rock)
2. Ben Harper - Steal My Kisses (aww...how sweet is this song, share with your mate)
3. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Faith Healer (if you are new to Alex Harvey and like this, pick The Sensation Alex Harvey Band album/CD/download and listen to Swamp Snake, Midnight Moses, The Tomahawk Kid, etc. Love this band from the 70's)
4. The Byrds - 8 Miles High (60's, psychedelic, nuff said)
5. The Cars - Candy O (music from this band could put you in as trance, At least that's what I've heard. At least Moving In Stereo.)
Are any of these familar? Hear anything knew? Comments?
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Here is this weeks 5 wildly diverse sounds...
1. Avenged Sevenfold - Almost Easy (this will get you energized and ready to rock)
2. Ben Harper - Steal My Kisses (aww...how sweet is this song, share with your mate)
3. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Faith Healer (if you are new to Alex Harvey and like this, pick The Sensation Alex Harvey Band album/CD/download and listen to Swamp Snake, Midnight Moses, The Tomahawk Kid, etc. Love this band from the 70's)
4. The Byrds - 8 Miles High (60's, psychedelic, nuff said)
5. The Cars - Candy O (music from this band could put you in as trance, At least that's what I've heard. At least Moving In Stereo.)
Are any of these familar? Hear anything knew? Comments?
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: Weekend Graphs Of Summer
**I'm sure you were getting tired, and maybe a bit dizzy, by the old blog header so I decided to get a little more festive for the summer with a header make over**
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Now that summer is upon us (at least the "us" that live in the south) it is time to fade some heat with the entertainment that is the Weekend Graphs. And for those of you that live in Siberia, you probably need to laugh to keep warm in the summer too, am I right?
With no further babble, I present this weeks editions of visual humor.
Enjoy....
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Now that summer is upon us (at least the "us" that live in the south) it is time to fade some heat with the entertainment that is the Weekend Graphs. And for those of you that live in Siberia, you probably need to laugh to keep warm in the summer too, am I right?
With no further babble, I present this weeks editions of visual humor.
Enjoy....
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: My Andy Rooney-ish Side, Briefly
I read an article today in a magazine, it was by Dr. Alex Mustard (no shit). Does anyone else think to themselves "Dr Mustard, in the Conservatory, with the Candlestick" ?
On the Viagra commercial you are supposed to call a doctor for any erection lasting longer than 4 hours (you wish). But can you really do that if some of the side effects are loss of vision and hearing?
This is how I know kids are not getting any brighter...
I am absolutely sure there is more to come...
On the Viagra commercial you are supposed to call a doctor for any erection lasting longer than 4 hours (you wish). But can you really do that if some of the side effects are loss of vision and hearing?
This is how I know kids are not getting any brighter...
I am absolutely sure there is more to come...
Friday, June 8, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: You Call It OCD, I Call It Organized
My wife and I have had a running battle over OCD vs Organization. It's quite funny and I am sure others out there have the same situation (if they married their opposite). I thought I would share a few tidbits.
I'll start by saying there a few things I must, absolutely must, know where they are at all times. My keys, my cell phone, my money clip (with DL, credit card, other card things, and of course money), my Burt's Bees lip balm, and my sunglasses. These are non-negotiable. No matter where I am, knowing their whereabouts is sacred. I prepare breakfast each morning exactly the same way in the same order. I am accused of being OCD...I say it is a well-honed routine.
My wife on the other hand has what I term a "put it down and walk away" view of life. Then the funniest thing of all, I'll hear, "Honey, have you seen my ______". At which point I immediately laugh my ass off. Then she expects me to stop whatever I am doing and go off Indiana Jones-style and search for the item with no map or compass or clue as to where it could be. She'll get mad when I search an area she has already searched right before she searches an area I just searched. Also it is always the last minute and it is something like her iPhone or car keys. And we are at defcon 5. Even the dogs leave the room.
"Where the F&^% could it be," she screams and I reply, "almost anywhere I imagine". Of course the humor is completely lost on her and I now I'm a "f&*^ing ass!"
Sometimes I head off the tragedy but spotting an item that is sure to be missed later (or very soon). An open Dr Pepper she was carrying a few minutes earlier, or a dinner fork. I will make a pre-emptive strike and pick up said item and take it to her before it can become "missing".
The latest game of "who the hell knows where it is" was played out when she decided to trim the dogs nails with the Dremel. I of course was busy with a blog post and really in a zone, when I hear, "Chuck, where the F*&# is the Dremel"? Since I don't immediately recall the last time I used the Dremel let alone the last time I saw it, I knew what was coming. I tried to beg out by saying, "I have no earthly idea, I wasn't the last one to use it". That bought me about 5 minutes.
Then she comes bursting into the room and says, "Will you please help me find it." Shit. "Where would you like me to look?", I say. "I don't know but just don't sit there, get up and help me find it", she glares.
I know what is coming next...since she has been looking for 15 minutes already I am sure to retrace her steps and start looking in the same places. This garners responses like, "don't you think I already looked there." "I already looked in that room". etc. I am like a wounded animal bouncing from previously looked at logical places to the most impossible of locations (think toliet tank).
After ten minutes of tearing apart two or three rooms (including the disaster of a craft room) we still cannot find it. The next phase of this nightmare is someone must have come in to our home and taken it. I logically reply that is unlikely, very unlikely. To which I get, "Well then where the hell did it go!!" Got me! I have no answer.
She gives up and I go back to my keyboard. Twenty minutes later she comes in the room and tells me she found it and the dogs nails are done. I am sure I asked her where she found it but to this day I have absolutely no idea where that was. So....
I am sure we will do this dance the next time the dogs nails need trimmed.
I'll start by saying there a few things I must, absolutely must, know where they are at all times. My keys, my cell phone, my money clip (with DL, credit card, other card things, and of course money), my Burt's Bees lip balm, and my sunglasses. These are non-negotiable. No matter where I am, knowing their whereabouts is sacred. I prepare breakfast each morning exactly the same way in the same order. I am accused of being OCD...I say it is a well-honed routine.
My wife on the other hand has what I term a "put it down and walk away" view of life. Then the funniest thing of all, I'll hear, "Honey, have you seen my ______". At which point I immediately laugh my ass off. Then she expects me to stop whatever I am doing and go off Indiana Jones-style and search for the item with no map or compass or clue as to where it could be. She'll get mad when I search an area she has already searched right before she searches an area I just searched. Also it is always the last minute and it is something like her iPhone or car keys. And we are at defcon 5. Even the dogs leave the room.
"Where the F&^% could it be," she screams and I reply, "almost anywhere I imagine". Of course the humor is completely lost on her and I now I'm a "f&*^ing ass!"
Sometimes I head off the tragedy but spotting an item that is sure to be missed later (or very soon). An open Dr Pepper she was carrying a few minutes earlier, or a dinner fork. I will make a pre-emptive strike and pick up said item and take it to her before it can become "missing".
The latest game of "who the hell knows where it is" was played out when she decided to trim the dogs nails with the Dremel. I of course was busy with a blog post and really in a zone, when I hear, "Chuck, where the F*&# is the Dremel"? Since I don't immediately recall the last time I used the Dremel let alone the last time I saw it, I knew what was coming. I tried to beg out by saying, "I have no earthly idea, I wasn't the last one to use it". That bought me about 5 minutes.
Then she comes bursting into the room and says, "Will you please help me find it." Shit. "Where would you like me to look?", I say. "I don't know but just don't sit there, get up and help me find it", she glares.
I know what is coming next...since she has been looking for 15 minutes already I am sure to retrace her steps and start looking in the same places. This garners responses like, "don't you think I already looked there." "I already looked in that room". etc. I am like a wounded animal bouncing from previously looked at logical places to the most impossible of locations (think toliet tank).
After ten minutes of tearing apart two or three rooms (including the disaster of a craft room) we still cannot find it. The next phase of this nightmare is someone must have come in to our home and taken it. I logically reply that is unlikely, very unlikely. To which I get, "Well then where the hell did it go!!" Got me! I have no answer.
She gives up and I go back to my keyboard. Twenty minutes later she comes in the room and tells me she found it and the dogs nails are done. I am sure I asked her where she found it but to this day I have absolutely no idea where that was. So....
I am sure we will do this dance the next time the dogs nails need trimmed.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: Back To The Future
In honor of my 400th post I am reposting my very first post on this blog from January 16th, 2010. (How about that for overuse of the word "post") I got the inspiration for this from a surprising comment left by Arlee Bird on that post just today (6/1/12). At that time I had no readers, no direction, and no idea about this thing called blogging. Yes I knew what a blog was and that there were millions of them out there but the actual nuts and bolts were foreign to me.
To this day I cannot tell you why I chose Apocalypse Now as my blog name. It is one of my favorite movies for sure but beyond that... To say that whatever my original idea was and where I am today, well, there are probably miles of difference. It was truly a dive in - sink or swim type of thing. I was either going to get bored and never have any readers and quit or I would achieve a reason to continue to WANT to post.
Well fortunately that reason came to pass. Due to all of YOU who choose to spend some amount of your precious time humoring me. And sometimes letting me know your thoughts and opinions in the comments. Pat, you being my first follower and loyal reader, I have come to believe that beyond our online friendship we could truly have a great time over a couple cold beers and some story telling.
Alex, Jesse...you two weren't far behind Pat in coming aboard. I think sitting around a table with you and Pat would be quite a get together. Pat's pictures and travels and war stories...Alex's writing and music/movie knowledge...Jesse your "out there" way of thinking, all fascinating stuff to me.
For all those who came after, this following post has only one comment (Lee's on 6/1/12). So even though the subject matter is 2 1/2 years old, I feel the sentiment is just as real today. Plug in any recent disaster it reads the same for me. I hope you enjoy the beginnings of this web adventure I have joined... thanks for reading!
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January 16th, 2010 (shortly after the new year's disaster in Haiti)
With the disaster in Haiti monopolizing the news for the last week, I thought it time to reflect on what is really a tragedy. I am speaking of course about the relief efforts. Oh, don't get me wrong, I believe that the world (and the US specifically) is swiftly coming to the aid of one of the poorest countries in the western world. What I am concerned about is the manner in which the US relief is being funded.
Before getting into the full roll here, I would like to set the playing field.
1. Haiti is a very poor country. Infrastructure is barely above primitive man in many areas. Unsanitary conditions, tin shacks, unpaved roads and THEN a 7.0 earthquake. Nothing could be more devastating.
2. Hundreds of thousands of people, many of them women and children, are now homeless. Many are injured and some at risk for amputation of arms or legs. The streets of Port Au Prince are literally bedrooms, hospital rooms, and morgues. People are being flown out to moored ships for surgery.
3. With almost 2 million people crammed into a small area of land bordered by ocean and only one barely paved road to the Dominican Republic on the other side of the island, the risk of widespread disease could rise to epidemic levels in short order...especially with the temperature and humidity in the area creating a fertile breeding ground along with the limited sanitation.
4. So much relief is coming in so fast there is no place to handle it all. Planes are circling the small airport for hours. Soon the airport will be so crowded with relief planes, supplies, and personnel there will be no room for any more planes to land. Supplies being trucked from the Dominican Republic are on the road for almost 10 hours to reach P-A-P. In the coming days these caravans could be subject to hijackings by desperate Haitians.
5. There appears to be no coordinated effort of the various factions of the relief efforts so there is just a lot of action. In the early days this may suffice but shortly chaos will start creeping in.
I am sure many additional observations could be made but I will stop at 5.
Ever since Hurricane Katrina and the relief debacle that followed, the US has been quick on the trigger whenever catastrophic events have taken place. First the tsunami halfway around the world and now the Haitian earthquake. Both possible signs the apocalypse could be upon us.
The Myans may have it right about 2012.
Here is the motivation for this blog and for this first post.
Getting money to agencies that need it and getting supplies bought with said money to those who ultimately need it.
First for donations...there are many who are asking for donations, some like the Red Cross are certainly trustworthy to donate to...others are complete scams. As always the worst in times brings out the worst in human nature. Many people have already been scammed by Haitian relief frauds.
The texting to 90999 goes somewhere and adds $10 to your phone bill and then the money goes somewhere...I've seen lots of ads for this but cannot for the life of me remember the agency THIS money is going to. Stick with the Red Cross if you want to help and be sure your donation will really help.
Second, I want to explore what to me is always the obvious in these situations. Why couldn't the top 100 richest people on the face of the earth donate $10 million each? This would be an immediate windfall of $1 billion in the coffers to provide any damn thing needed right now and the short-term future.
Further more, put these same people in a room to decide on a board of directors to oversee the management of this money in the relief effort. They are all shrewd business men of some sort and know how to prudently spend money to get the maximum effect. Cut the red tape, get shit done, and move this thing along at light speed...that would be their mantra.
Besides the human factor that the relief efforts must urgently address, someone has to start addressing the rebuilding that will certainly have to take place. With the potential of 10's of thousands of bodies buried beneath the rubble and the risk of all sorts of disease sprouting up, this group can begin the task of coordinating the shipments of heavy machinery (many of them have friends in construction and should be able to get either donations of equipment or great deals on the purchase) and other items required for what will surely be a massive and long-lasting rebuilding effort. If it actually gets started.
I don't want to attempt to layout a whole plan here, but you get the idea. By God those who have, need to help! They should be ashamed to just sit back and let the ones who can afford it least, shoulder the load. I watched a show the other night on TV and one of the actor's lines stuck with me. When an FBI agent was using a big-time arms dealer to help him catch a not so nice arms dealer, he asked him, "How much money does one man need? It's about doing the right thing."
I say Amen twice to that. Mr Gates, Mr Buffett, and yes even you Mr Cuban and all the others on the Top 100 Richest list...you've worked hard for what you have earned, I say "How much money does one man need? It's about doing the right thing." And Bill...let's be honest, you could and probably should pony up the billion by yourself. Then Warren wouldn't want to be outdone so maybe we start a humanitarian tsunami...what a thought.
I will leave you with this...NASA is selling two space shuttles for the discounted price of $28 million each. They have 20 bidders lined up so far. I say let those 20 bidders put their $28 million each to better use...that would be $560 million dollars to go to the relief efforts. Ya see, getting 3 or 4 billion dollars pulled together in short order is no real trick at all.
And the bonus...we are not relying on or asking ordinary everyday people who barely have enough to live on, lost their home, have been downsized, or are just simply struggling in today's economy to donate what little they are gladly donating to help people in another country to try and survive.
Because right now, as it is, if not them then who?
Monday, June 4, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: iPod Monday
Backstory
To those who have not seen this before, for the past couple weeks I have come home from work and sat down with the dogs while listening to 5 songs randomly shuffled on my iPod. This is becoming my Monday Winddown. Then in a fit of purely divine inspirational laziness, I thought, "Hey, why not post those songs (with accompanying videos) and entertain my readers to start the week." So there you are.
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Continuing on in this two-week old tradition, I present this Monday's 5 random iPod sounds to calm and soothe after a hard days work:
Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers (the link on the song title is worth looking at to gain some insight as to the meaning of the song)
The Beatles - Nowhere Man (always been one of my favorite Beatles tunes)
Fleetwood Mac - Stand Back (was any front woman sexier then Steve back in the heyday of F-Mac)
Phil Collins (Genesis) - Invisible Touch (odd that this would come up after former Genesis front man Peter Gabriel led off the night. Peter obviously went on to a rather successful solo career.)
The Allman Brothers - Southbound (All-Bros were inspirational to the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Tom Petty among others)
Are you familiar with all these bands and songs? Any favorites songs by any of them?
Til next week...keep jamming!
To those who have not seen this before, for the past couple weeks I have come home from work and sat down with the dogs while listening to 5 songs randomly shuffled on my iPod. This is becoming my Monday Winddown. Then in a fit of purely divine inspirational laziness, I thought, "Hey, why not post those songs (with accompanying videos) and entertain my readers to start the week." So there you are.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continuing on in this two-week old tradition, I present this Monday's 5 random iPod sounds to calm and soothe after a hard days work:
Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers (the link on the song title is worth looking at to gain some insight as to the meaning of the song)
The Beatles - Nowhere Man (always been one of my favorite Beatles tunes)
Fleetwood Mac - Stand Back (was any front woman sexier then Steve back in the heyday of F-Mac)
Phil Collins (Genesis) - Invisible Touch (odd that this would come up after former Genesis front man Peter Gabriel led off the night. Peter obviously went on to a rather successful solo career.)
The Allman Brothers - Southbound (All-Bros were inspirational to the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Tom Petty among others)
Are you familiar with all these bands and songs? Any favorites songs by any of them?
Til next week...keep jamming!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: My Birthday Weekend Graphs!!
Well today being my birthday and getting to the age where they need to come waaaay slower than they do, I offer up not 5 but 6 scintillating bits of entertainment for your viewing pleasure.
Happy birthday to me and good luck to you!
Enjoy...
Just in case you like to frequent the Bell at midnight, this is for you!
Happy birthday to me and good luck to you!
Enjoy...
Just in case you like to frequent the Bell at midnight, this is for you!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Today's Apocalypse Sign: He Went Out With A Bang!
Hunter S Thompson - 1937 to 2005
I watched the incredible documentary film Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S Thompson on Sunday night. It was the most interesting production of this man's life.
Starting with his embedding into the Hells Angels for a year...writing about and living the life. There was an interview with Sonny Barger (leader of the angels) who I must admit does not look quite so badass as an aged biker breathing through a trach hole in his throat. And Thompson actually got his ass kicked by 3 or 4 of the Angels right before he was ousted from their clan. This story did bring him some national acclaim.
His writing gained the most rabid following once he started writing for Rolling Stone magazine. And while there, almost never made a deadline. His 3 or 4 pages of copy were worth holding up the publishing. The interview with his old publisher was insightful and a look at the outlet for most of Thompson's rants on American politics and the failure of the American Dream.
One of my favorite parts of this film was the coverage of his failed attempt to win the 1970 Sheriffs election in Aspen, CO. His platform was as outrageous as his campaign logo of a fist with two thumbs holding a peyote bud with a Sheriff's badge as the background shape.
One plank of his campaign had to do with instituting the resurrection of the stockade. He wanted to install them on the front lawn of the Aspen courthouse to be used on drug dealers who sold inferior drugs or somesuch. He also wanted to change the name of the city from Aspen to Fat City so no one would be able to use the word Aspen to promote the town. And a couple others I don't rightly remember at this time. He was actually winning the election for most of the night and then somehow the final tally had him with less votes then he had early in the evening. Apparently the fix was in.
Through his days of covering the 1968 Democratic presidential convention in Chicago (and getting beaten and arrested at that time) to his drug-induced journey through Las Vegas (in Fear and Loathing) his endless search for the American Dream is what fueled his writing...and mostly because of his failure to find it.
I can attest to one absolute fact: Bill Murray should have won an Oscar for his portrayal of Thompson in Where The Buffalo Roam. Much of the dialogue in Gonzo proves how much Murray nailed the role. The affects, the voice...I closed my eyes when Hunter was talking and it was Murray. They were one and the same. They even look like brothers. The testament to Murray developing his character by spending time with Thompson during the filming is the fact that many of his friends say he never really came back to himself, even long after the movie was out and mostly forgotten. He remained in the Thompson character. I love Johnny Depp, but his Hunter is a little over the top for me. While good just not Murray good. Curious though, Depp adopts the Thompson affect when talking about him. I saw that when he was last on the Letterman Show. Still not Murray.
His love of guns and gun play led to the only possible conclusion in his mind for the end of his time. At the age of 67 and more than a little bummed that GW had been elected to a second term, Hunter took one of his guns and shot himself in the head. The end. I hope he found what was on the other side of "the edge" as he so often called it. He said the only people who knew where the "edge" truly was were those that had gone over. He went over. He did it his way, all the way. Drugs, alcohol, guns...full tilt or not at all.
If you are curious, if you are a Gonzo fan, if you never have heard or know anything about the man, I still recommend this movie/documentary. It is entertaining and enlightening for 2 hours. And you may want more, like I did. For those of you who are writers, I recommend it to explore a style that was renegade in its time.
Sorry you're gone Doc...you're on my list of people I want to meet on the other side. Because it still hasn't got weird enough for me either...
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| Could be Bill Murray, Right? |
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