tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138710172012-02-08T09:21:37.719-06:00Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-64260761419944247622012-02-08T09:20:00.000-06:002012-02-08T09:20:04.394-06:00

I've been a Yahoo user for more than 10 years now, probably much closer to 20 years now that I think about it.  I hadn't been thinking about it so much in the last few years until the service went down yesterday for several hours. Years ago, I ran several Yahoo Groups and used Yahoo chat and irc channels a great deal. Of late, most of the groups have gone dormant, a testament of

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-9936002586780700602011-10-17T23:36:00.003-05:002011-10-17T23:36:45.459-05:00

An Apology for ... my spelling and word choice mistakes.  Today, I took the time to read my last several posts (I'm tempted to say call them 'rants' but I view rants as basically valueless outbursts and something to be avoided in type.) Seems the spell checker with my browser missed "a few errors" but more likely found are the problems with "wrong word" selection.  In the rush to get the

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-4505698410759827852010-10-12T07:05:00.002-05:002010-10-12T07:19:47.948-05:00

I started this blog along time ago. I originally thought "maybe I can make a difference" with the written word and started writing (infrequently) about things that apparently are difficult for people to see and do "The Right Thing."Yeah, I know. Not enough time in the day to nail 'em all and certainly not an uplifting line of writing. And of course, I am occasionally just wrong. Hell,

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-20964147792854927262010-10-12T05:23:00.006-05:002010-10-12T07:05:05.089-05:00

I recently was confronted with a recurring paradox. While I tried to ignore this paradox for years now, I finally "popped" and "took out" a friend.At issue is the increasing "radicalization" of the religious believers. A friend (granted not a close friend) was off on a subtile but public "I hate Muslims and you should to" while pretending that Christianity and his faith required him to sow his

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-66600019723760826772010-09-02T14:45:00.001-05:002010-09-02T14:47:18.816-05:00

How realistic can you be if you expect tomorrow will be perfect without first cleaning up the horrible mess from yesterday? Those people who refuse to associate the situations of yesterday and today with the rose-colored views of tomorrow as direct "cause and effect relationships" are doomed to repeat all the mistakes of all the yesterdays.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-30241862779073039362010-06-23T02:30:00.002-05:002010-06-23T02:35:47.007-05:00

Before you press that SEND or FORWARD button, stop and think about what you are REALLY saying in your message.I've been seeing rather nasty, narrow minded, and hate-inspiring messages via social networks lately, masquerading mostly as America Patriotism.America, Americans and especially The America Flag have much better uses than to be draped over hateful, xenophobic messages. We (People of the

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-62877795281150018682010-05-31T03:59:00.003-05:002010-05-31T06:57:16.044-05:00

EmpathyMain Entry: em·pa·thyPronunciation: \ˈem-pə-thē\Function: nounEtymology: Greek empatheia, literally, passion, from empathēs emotional, from em-pathos feelings, emotion — more at pathos +Date: 18501 : the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it2 : the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-64201502479123622672010-05-22T15:35:00.000-05:002010-05-22T15:28:52.361-05:00

Family ResponsibilitiesLast year about this time I got married to a lovely woman. Earlier this year I became a father to a lovely little girl. Part of both of these experiences is the continuing knowledge that I have to take more responsibility for my actions (and in-actions) to safeguard my new family and our future.A Texan And An AmericanI consider myself a Texan. Always have. I've been

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-62305815078988346652010-05-22T14:35:00.000-05:002010-05-22T15:27:46.334-05:00

Note: This post as originally started in 2008. I decided to finish and post it today.Ok, so you might be thinking "Hmm... what is Mike blowing out of proportion now?" Well, nothing.As a dutiful United States of America citizen, I wanted to vote. I wanted to vote:vote against tyranny disguised as democracy at home and abroadvote against encouraged rampant consumerism disguised as economic

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-69828151494242436772010-05-22T13:00:00.002-05:002010-05-22T16:05:18.004-05:00

Note: I originally started this entry last year but decided to finish it today.In less than a week, I will get married, for the first time. At 40-something, I wasn't sure that this would or could even happen. Change is good, if somethings a little scary. Change...in our little world where (at least in the US), "people who know more than I what's good for me" (also know as "The Government") can

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-2827984174017808842009-11-20T12:05:00.003-06:002009-11-20T12:16:20.331-06:00

Well, as things go, my new bride (of 6 months) and I are expecting a baby in 3 more months. Go figure.This is my wife's first child and she is occasionally a bit nervous. I do what I can to bring some calm and stability (I stopped drinking caffeinated soft drinks to be able do this.) We have two sets of doctors and related specialist, poring over lab reports and ultra-sound photos and videos,

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-47023004223185015342009-06-08T05:18:00.005-05:002009-07-26T04:48:17.005-05:00

Sunday May 31st, 2009 I got married to Liliana in downtown Sofia, Bulgaria. Since it was a "once in a life time experience" we choose to do all of the traditional Bulgarian traditions at the bride's door, at the wedding hall and at the reception hall.PreambleLili and I brought my mom and dad from Texas to Bulgaria over several days before hand. My best friend Wayne and his wife came also from

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-90758299716210464132008-09-20T11:41:00.007-05:002008-09-28T07:16:54.178-05:00

I bought a house I could afford. I borrowed less than I was offered. I paid my mortgage. I never missed a payment. I paid extra in the first year and every year after wards (even in years when I was unemployed.) I have watched my property taxes inflate to match the market value of my home for community services I couldn't use. I paid my taxes on time. I paid my house insurance on time. I

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-47963182848687723162008-09-11T01:42:00.006-05:002009-07-26T04:36:30.986-05:00

I've been working on a banner logo for a local Texas "Mom and Pop" store. Learned some new skills, like animated images and better web styling techniques (things I new but never really put into practice.) I also had to keep in mind that the target demographic for this shop are slow modem connected internet users so the site had to load quickly. Check out the results below. Better yet, stop by

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-50197567374817025612008-06-13T03:43:00.009-05:002008-06-16T02:33:54.987-05:00

I just realized my last blog entry has A) been up for a while and B) a bit of rant against litter in my email-box. So, to cover up "having an opinion" ( and wanting to be more in touch with cause-and-effects ), here's something else.Hungry bears don't dance.Funny, true and topical, at least for me. I've been told that (in the past) some Gypsies used to have traveling side shows though the

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-35067148862482759052008-03-19T10:34:00.001-05:002008-03-19T10:34:52.186-05:00

In reference to a forwarded email, as described here:http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/m/montebello-flag.htmDear Loved Ones,Good morning (actually it's afternoon by the time I finished this email.)  I trust you are well and I hope you will accept this email in the vain it was intended: to inform.The photos in your forwarded are 2 years old, as is the issue.  If you remember, the "issues" of "

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-28649312877485284042007-12-10T08:58:00.002-06:002008-03-18T02:45:15.070-05:00

Of Patriotism:The proper means of increasing the love we bear our native country is to reside some time in a foreign one. ~William ShenstoneBorrowed from: http://www.quotegarden.com/patriotism.html

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-60392865436315858542007-12-04T03:30:00.000-06:002007-12-04T04:38:35.624-06:00

Note: this blog entry was started in mid October and recently re-edited for posted.Part One - The StimulusI've been in Bulgaria for more than two months now and I take nothing for granted. The language is not only spoken differently, but so are the letters of the alphabet. I haven't learned to read them yet, though I can recognize a few words and say a few, mostly useless things in

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-53737922913825304832007-10-30T05:38:00.000-05:002007-10-30T04:51:43.931-05:00

A Golden Path is a Dune reference. Leto II sees "A Golden Path" to humanity's ultimate salvation. My goal is considerably less grand in scale: to become fully awake in life.This might seem very odd. At times, I seem "odd", even to myself. For a number of years (my early teens through early thirties,) I didn't feel really awake. These times were usually uninteresting.More interesting are

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-43211724887415166492007-10-17T02:29:00.000-05:002007-10-17T03:09:19.142-05:00

What?! In reading my previous entries, I have been baffled by a "missing word" issue. I finally saw it yesterday in action after hours of circular work.To IS NOT or to WAS NOT, that is the question:First: a sentence like -That is not the right thing to do or say.Next, we edit by double clicking on "is" in the sentence, press delete and then type "was".What we want is:That was not the right

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-66456500371525395182007-10-16T09:21:00.000-05:002007-10-16T10:38:54.555-05:00

I remember.More than 12 ago outside of Bryan Texas, Tom and I came to a small "hole in the wall" diner for lunch just off highway 6. In the thin gray skies of an occasionally overcast fall day, we had passed by our lunch time destination the first time without noticing it due to car ride conversation.The parking lot was east Texas gravel, like dirty limestone. It was rough to drive on and

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-8498501070387270012007-10-16T05:33:00.000-05:002007-10-16T05:52:57.529-05:00

Dune Genesis by Frank Herbert - http://www.dunenovels.com/news/genesis.htmlI found this article written by author Frank Herbert in 1980. In this article, he discusses his writing of Dune series and themes of human promise and human failings. That these themes are as-ever-important in the first decade of the 2000s as in 1980 (1959, 1937, 1914, ...) causes me to wonder if humanity is really

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-33958927162352760592007-10-11T08:51:00.000-05:002007-10-11T09:00:43.018-05:00

This week I had some new experiencesgot a spinal nerve block (2 I think- one per leg?)was a paraplegic (see #1, duration: 6 hours)toe surgery without noticeable pain or eventsheart rate at 46 to 50 beats during procedure (after all the shots were taken care of) - I got bored and found a reflective surface I could see some of the proceduretoe bone re-broken, repositioned and two screws placed to

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-38375715570725858172007-10-08T08:37:00.000-05:002007-10-11T09:09:11.545-05:00

Last week I went the doctor. It took two months but I finally had enough of the pain, and limited mobility. These things make Mike a "grumpy-boy."The hospital was nice, clean and orderly. It's a Japanese "chain" hospital in Sofia and I'd heard good things about it. My girlfriend had made the appointment but, as I am A) not Bulgarian, B) not employed with a Bulgarian company and C) uninsured,

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-13524738462610013582007-09-25T02:31:00.000-05:002007-09-25T03:30:46.165-05:00

Medium jacket on and backpack at the ready, I leap the car at the crosswalk after the brief pause and then Lili drives away. While not a designated debarkation site, most paved areas in Sofia are used to load and unload passengers. We simple choose a full crosswalk to minimize impact.I walk to the OMV, convenience store, refueling stop, auto wash and diner. It's a larger chain in Bulgaria and,

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-59806780903849766642007-09-20T07:50:00.000-05:002007-09-20T07:53:48.051-05:00

I'm having bouts of recursive déjà vu ( déjà vu of déjà vu of déjà vu, etc ). I'm sure I've been here several times before. I'm sure I've written this line of code, from this office, from this point in time. And I'm sure I remember experiencing déjà vu the last time this happened. I moved my work computer to a new place in the office this morning.Only difference this time: I blogged it.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-55598452975132789852007-09-13T02:25:00.000-05:002007-09-13T02:47:17.600-05:00

While Texas does not, Bulgaria has all four seasons! I'm pretty excited to experience them. I've "sent for my cold weather clothes" (thanks to fear, doubt and ignorance, it cost me extra to have them postal mailed but I'll grumble about politics and fear another time.) I'm glad I thought to pre-pack that box before I left.At the moment, Sofia is 15C (or 59F.) I call this kind of weather "

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-27267725049524353352007-08-30T14:10:00.000-05:002007-08-30T14:11:44.644-05:00

"Timing is everything... it's the third more powerful force in the universe, behind gravity and inertia!" -- M. Biggerstaff

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-36274391468611643472007-08-25T08:30:00.000-05:002007-08-25T08:53:01.299-05:00

Aside: this is a rough entry and very late. I've been busy lately. :)OK, so a few things have happened since my last post. As I left it in the last entry, I had gotten kind permission from my (former - nice foreshadowing, eh?) employer to visit Sofia and work remotely for 4 weeks. That went very well both professionally and personally. I'm not sure everyone on my team knew I was working 8

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-48969174915083142922007-05-03T21:49:00.000-05:002007-05-03T22:17:55.819-05:00

I have tickets booked. I fly to Sofia in a few weeks. I'll be there for four weeks. Unlike October where I quit my job, this time I have a leave of absence. Its taken me a long while to recover from my choices. I still have things that need to be finished here but I'm well over due.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1169626229322276852007-01-24T02:10:00.000-06:002007-05-03T21:48:30.609-05:00

I took a 2 week vacation in Bulgaria in October 2006. Here are my impressions of specific aspects of my trip.Entry status: not proof readCORRECTION: Vitosha is not part of the Balkan mountain range, which is further north of Sofia.Sofia (София) Bulgaria is an ancient and active city of 1.2 million eastern Europeans, living at the foot of the mountain Vitosha from the Balkan mountain

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1169015781733246552007-01-17T00:07:00.000-06:002007-01-24T01:36:12.816-06:00

Citizen of the WorldHas a nice ring, doesn't it? Unlike other people that want to put up walls and other destructive tactics, I want to go see the world, meet the people, see the sites, eat the food, be one with humanity, not just one from my country.Its hard and its frightening. All change requires risk but I know this desire is changing me. If I don't go, I will return to regretting having a

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1166076207423015572006-12-13T23:22:00.000-06:002007-01-24T02:24:45.293-06:00

took a 2 week vacation in Bulgaria in October 2006. Here are my impressions of specific aspects of my trip.Entry status: not proof readBefore I continue my (belated) descriptions of my trip to Bulgaria, I guess I should give some reasons for my trip to Sofia in the first place: Liliana.1999In or around September of 1999, I was working for a software company in north west Austin, Texas. As

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1163563159623331752006-11-14T21:23:00.000-06:002006-11-16T09:37:49.676-06:00

Since I've been unemployed for a more than a month now, I have commented to a few friends that I have been actually more busy now than when I was working. It's amazing to think that "having no job to go to" can very much mean "working your butt off" on all stuff that has to be done. To give you an example, here is how today went for me:1am - Left a friends house where I had been providing (free

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1162188967409678302006-10-30T00:00:00.000-06:002006-10-30T00:16:07.493-06:00

I took a 2 week vacation in Bulgaria in October 2006. Here are my impressions of specific aspects of my trip.Entry status: not proof read In addition to registering at the airport as to where I would be as previously undocumented visitor, Lili told me when I arrived that I had to get registered at the local police department. I wasn't terribly comfortable with this but I let it go. For me, the

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1162187452170383992006-10-29T23:13:00.000-06:002006-10-29T23:50:52.316-06:00

I took a 2 week vacation in Bulgaria in October 2006. Here are my impressions of specific aspects of my trip.Entry status: not proof readThe primary language in Bulgaria is (shock) Bulgarian, followed by Turkish and Roma. From my experience, most also spoke a fair amount of English. Most of Lili's friends were very competent if not fairly fluent in English even if they didn't feel they were (

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1162185169260913262006-10-29T23:04:00.000-06:002006-10-29T23:12:49.270-06:00

I took a 2 week vacation in Bulgaria in October 2006. Here are my impressions of specific aspects of my trip.Entry status: not proof readTaken from: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/print/bu.htmlThe Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1162076984890389582006-10-28T14:21:00.000-05:002006-10-29T23:01:13.873-06:00

I took a 2 week vacation in Bulgaria in October 2006. Here are my impressions of specific aspects of my trip.Entry status: not proof readI flew from Austin to Houston domestically. Then I flew Houston to London and then to Bulgaria. I started around 10am on a Thursday morning Texas time and arrive mid evening Friday Bulgarian time.I started packing two days before hand. Mostly the bulk

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1161781285951420942006-10-25T07:34:00.000-05:002006-10-25T08:01:26.010-05:00

I have traveled to a few country thus far in my life. Growing up I didn't expect to see any of the world that wasn't delivered by a teacher or splashed across the local news. To date, I have visited Ireland, Canada, Mexico, Denmark and recently Bulgaria.My desired to visit those countries, and other countries, comes from an inability to see "American Culture from within." (One might assert

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1161730698617954212006-10-24T17:45:00.000-05:002006-10-24T17:58:18.633-05:00

Back from Bulgaria after two weeks. Had a great visit. It was well worth letting a "difficult employment experience" go. I plan to blog my experiences and impressions including, but not limited to:Travel tipsHistoryLanguagespokenwritteninformation overloadRegistration in BulgariaSofia, Capital CityConstructionTraffic and CarsRoadsHousing and BusinessFoodCulture and Fashion

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1159882926102008412006-10-03T08:09:00.000-05:002006-10-03T08:42:35.436-05:00

Okay, so this a week old "news flash":Big change #1 : quit my jobFunny how 99.9% of a job can be "right", "workable" and "exciting" but this last 0.1% made it untenable. Thus, I gave a two week notice; they accepted a 1 week notice and then let me go after 2 1/2 days later. Seems they weren't used to people giving notice.Things I learned from the last year of employment: There isn't much I

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1156541406241951462006-08-25T16:30:00.000-05:002006-08-25T16:30:06.253-05:00

Seems like lately I've had Primary Tasks Frustrations.  Everything's high priority and nothing can slip.  For a change, I'm mostly OK with things.  Would like a little bit of time to myself, to focus on the "Mike Things". In due time.Many, many life changing things are spinning around me and they seem to be falling into place for some pretty big changes.  It's exciting and I am concerned that if

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1153976191119403872006-07-26T23:54:00.000-05:002006-07-27T00:04:07.700-05:00

Burn the flowersTear and rend the cardThrow the packageDrop the ringYell into the phoneLet the fists flyDisappointment and frustrationProfound loss and griefVengful anger and cutting wordsLover's rage and sorrowSit in the kitchen sobbingSlamming head into cabinetsSorrowful gulps of drinkSleep a nightmarish slumberSteeped in pain and heart breakFull of emotionall turbulanceall unsettledall

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1153975942272114822006-07-26T23:51:00.000-05:002006-07-27T00:04:22.303-05:00

Oh, Light of Life,Slayer of all things that frighten me,Chase away these shadows of fear,Free my golden wings that I may take flight once again.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1153975826680193942006-07-26T23:49:00.000-05:002006-07-27T00:04:35.046-05:00

I remember who I used to be.And Passion swells again.I taste art.I smell form.I touch sound.I see beauty again.Passion swells againAnd the line is drawn.Last steps up and out.Last stumbles forward.Last reach for the next completeness.At last my heart moves again.She.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1140207856838207722006-02-17T13:38:00.000-06:002006-07-26T23:48:13.106-05:00

Some days I listen to the radio on my way to and from work, more lately that my CD changer in the truck is inconstantly failing.I have my radio set with twelve preset stations of, what should be, music. Most mornings it's more talks shows than music. They talk about some acts of stupidity, what was on TV last night, or some trivial moment in their childhood that, for the sake of rating, is

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1140202977374968042006-02-17T12:52:00.000-06:002006-07-21T14:30:45.493-05:00

Seems bizarrely and sickeningly strange that humanity has become increasingly very impatient, very righteous, arrogant and ignorant people in the religious world. Clearly, any higher being (whether a omni-present Messiah, semi-god or full god) would be able to deal with believers and non-believers alike in a suitable fashion according to that higher being's ideals and rules. That suitable

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1132035876584296482006-02-09T20:00:00.009-06:002006-07-27T00:08:21.463-05:00

How long to hold my tongue?How long to bare someone else's cross?How long to curb my feelings for the sake of someone else?How long to service the ill, the lonely, the needy, the mislead and betrayed, and the forsaken?How long do I give my life away to create The Fragile Calm?

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1132036863768509812006-02-09T20:00:00.008-06:002006-07-27T00:08:05.346-05:00

The deep green, the hook and the sharpened ends lay in wait, eager to snare less aware tissues.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1132035169572418892006-02-09T20:00:00.007-06:002006-07-27T00:07:45.100-05:00

Feather by feather they fall.Too much stress upon borrowed wings and borrowed time,Too much heat circling so close to the fire.Not enough care given, not enough attention shared, not enough focus spared.Feather by feather they fall.I stand again, wholly human, not more than I am.I have to re-earn my special status...And I fear I have left too much debris to make the journey.Feather by feather

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1132034002089123562006-02-09T20:00:00.006-06:002006-07-27T00:07:28.146-05:00

Where is My Love?Have I passed her by already?Did she leave upon knowing meOr has she yet to discover me?Where is My Love?

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1132036414304285892006-02-09T20:00:00.005-06:002006-07-27T00:07:09.113-05:00

Nine stones mark the way.Nine travelers before me.Rounded and gray,That are stacked against The Wind and The Dark.Nice stones point the way,Not to home I have been to,But to the home I have yet to discover.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1132035641247651662006-02-09T20:00:00.004-06:002006-07-27T00:06:42.006-05:00

The dreams have returned again.I see the occasional color in select scenes,though mostly black and white.I feel the chill of evil lurking in shadowand the clairvoyance of dark deeds.I was lured into the trap I couldn't escape,and then discovered as I yearned to be away.I found my past twisted into slivers of my presence.But I found no future there.I have no constant companion in these dreams,each

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1132034583621004832006-02-09T20:00:00.003-06:002006-07-27T00:05:51.603-05:00

Unplugged, frayed line.I know it feels; I feel the sadness returning.The casual grace of a woman's smile,The warmth of her hand upon mine,The joy of her presence,I hunger for these again.Still fixed in my mind, for the heart does not forget so easily,the struggle, the frustration and finally surrender of past loves.I have healed enough I think.I stoke the furnace with hope,I peel away the

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1132033911580289712006-02-09T20:00:00.002-06:002006-07-27T00:04:57.450-05:00

Another sleepless night.She was here again.I didn't want her to stay but she didn't leave.I didn't turn her away but I wanted to.I didn't want her in my bed again but she desired to be there.I didn't lie about the others but she stayed anyway. (Honesty fails me again.)I didn't love her but I was with her.And, when she left, I was hollow again.I do not miss her.Sex isn't the start nor end of

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1128963153154743332006-02-09T20:00:00.001-06:002006-02-09T19:57:28.773-06:00

full article found here"PRIMM, Nev. — A driverless Volkswagen was declared the winner yesterday of a $2 million race across the rugged Nevada desert, beating four other robot-guided vehicles that completed a Pentagon-sponsored contest aimed at making warfare safer for humans."Is it just bad writting or the Pentagon's idea of the future of American Saftey?Let's break this down:.If this means "

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1132036227000795892006-02-09T20:00:00.000-06:002006-02-09T19:49:13.890-06:00

I've grown restless and ill-tempered. I have tried to pull these handicaps away from everyone but doing so compounds the problems. I don't want to explain my trivial life's aliments to those with a fragile calm but holding it back is hardening the response, shortening opportunties to mere reactions. I don't want to sit. I don't want to stand. I don't want to be awake and I don't want to

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1139535100749492642006-02-09T18:33:00.000-06:002006-02-09T19:32:09.996-06:00

On the way home, I have to travel a freeway that's under construction. For the trip home, freeway construction consists taking three lanes down to two. Skipping the obvious problem about the construction crews ability to find the exact wrong place the lane merge signs, there are some interest driving behaviors to witness.As you come up an overpass, the left most lane merges into the, then,

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1132036711628956122006-02-09T08:00:00.000-06:002006-07-27T00:09:00.583-05:00

Dawn, then twilight; the dew collects on a blade of grass. A single drop at the loped-over tip end of a wide grass blade dangles sweet and quiet the morning hues.As the sun slowly slips from it's other journeys into these skies, a golden shower of light, winding through the trees and meadows, finds it way to a drop of dew at the ends of a blade of grass.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1133928253841211862005-12-06T21:12:00.000-06:002005-12-21T18:01:30.853-06:00

Over the last several weeks, indeed, over the past year or more, it's comes to my attention that a few of the people that I know, loved and trusted shouldn't have been trusted. "Rumor has it..." has become a popular introductory phrase with some of my friends, some of which should know better than to ask privacy-invasive questions like that. Still others should know better because of the source

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1126931246103333042005-09-16T23:13:00.000-05:002005-10-19T21:54:08.263-05:00

Note: I have had this sitting around a while in my email. I wrote it many months back when someone was having trouble understanding "where I was coming from." After lengthy discourse, I came to realize that perhaps I think and feel differently that others. Here I attempt to capture who I choose to be and who I hope I am.Creed of IntegrityI am happy with who I am.I try to bring joy to everyone I

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1123570252900746022005-08-09T01:37:00.000-05:002005-08-09T01:50:52.906-05:00

I recieved a job offer last Friday. I accepted to it today. After four weeks, I glad to be getting back to work finally. This job will afford me some new skills and work with a new group of folks. I found myself without work just before the planning stages for my next European vacation and looks like I'll have to push that off for some time now. Too bad - I was very much looking forward to

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1123306347654759612005-08-06T00:32:00.000-05:002005-08-06T00:32:27.656-05:00

Now maybe I can sleep...

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1123306302297367052005-08-06T00:24:00.000-05:002005-08-06T00:31:42.296-05:00

She sings to me.Lite and bouncyor sullen and moody.I am happy to hear her in my ears.He just screams or speaks at me.Anger, fear or love,Urgency in every syllable,I am happy to hear him in my ears.They create dimensions in sound for me.I see the ribbons of interlacing vibrations,Twisting in a dance of motion and sound.I am happy to hear them in my ears.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1123305784844968222005-08-06T00:22:00.000-05:002005-08-06T00:23:04.843-05:00

Sometimes I want to cry, to weep.It comes when I am quiet and alone, not in turmoil.I remember those I loved and those who choose not to stay.I remember those that loved me and I could not choose to stay.I remember those I loved and I destroyed the possibilities by mis-step or ignorance.I remember those I loves that didn't get the chance to be.And I remember who I thought I wanted to be.But I

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1123305236687680782005-08-06T00:04:00.000-05:002005-08-08T10:56:10.803-05:00

In my youth, in my lucid dreams of self,I was a piercing white light,Scarcely outlined in human form.In this way I overcame the anger and the fear.I have traveled into dark gray shadow,The soul faintly lite by the echoes of myself.I have traveled darklyAnd then returned to shades of gray.I am a shudder of shadows now,The piercing white light flares over the dim gray,A remembrance of unworkable

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1123298171993726352005-08-05T22:00:00.000-05:002005-08-05T22:16:12.000-05:00

Not having a job for a few weeks has offered me a few unique opportunities. In addition to taking my Fridays off, I got to actually "live in my house" for the first time since I moved in two and half years ago. The American Life and it's "required" 40 to 90 hour work week often turns a house into a place to collect stuff and sleep, at least for some of we single people. Being home for three

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1122615464053446802005-07-28T22:45:00.000-05:002005-08-01T05:09:03.370-05:00

IntroductionHumanity isn't perfect but we could do a better job of protecting ourselves from ourselves. Government is where we traditionally look for this protection but it is also subject to the same failings of man. Over a significant period of time, government accumulates these failings and begins to fail it's primary goal. Hyperactive LegislationThe shortcomings of men collect in the

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1122607730955323752005-07-28T22:24:00.000-05:002005-07-28T22:28:50.966-05:00

It happened again.This evening, I got dressed up in my "going out" clothesand then ... I stayed home.Again.I think my vacation from my social group is coming to a close soon.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1122606543962708352005-07-28T21:57:00.000-05:002005-07-28T22:09:03.966-05:00

I've kept my tongue silent for a long time,Not feeling wise enough or smart enough to speak my thoughts and ideas.I've waited for wiser men and women to speak for me.Those people that speak loudest these days say they speak for me,And they speak misleading things, prejudiced things and commit to terrible actions.So I will speak.I'll do my best to apply wisdom and TruthBut I am not willing to

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1122597584012870812005-07-28T19:23:00.000-05:002005-07-28T19:39:44.020-05:00

"The notions of freedom and security seem to oppose each other. Security originates from the small, particular and definite. Freedom, on the other hand, is generated by the large, general and unlimited.Any demarcation, real or imagined, which limits someone or something becomes a boundary, and this is the determining factor in both freedom and security. Boundaries may be fences, laws or

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1122596620161865392005-07-28T19:17:00.000-05:002005-07-28T19:23:40.166-05:00

After one of the phone screenings I had this week, I ask "how did I do" on the part of the screening I thought I knew. Seems that I do, in fact, "know my [Java] stuff."Today I went to my free "career transition" service. I showed the resume I've been farming around as well as my "looking for work" log. "Very good!" I was told.So, despite not having a job or job offers, I seem to be doing

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1122423036284913452005-07-26T18:31:00.000-05:002005-07-26T19:14:25.776-05:00

I lost four jobs today. Okay, technically, I loss the opportunity at four jobs with the same company. That was kind of a draining phone call to take.It hasn't been quite two weeks since I lost my job. I've been keeping a log for my unemployment claim. To date, I have 59 entries of what I've been doing to get a job. Some are those are umbrella entries like "updated 15 job sites with my resume" or

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1122308070421577042005-07-25T11:03:00.000-05:002005-07-25T11:14:50.263-05:00

I just mailed my first mortgage payment while being unemployed.That was very unnerving.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1121890898551821372005-07-20T15:12:00.000-05:002006-07-27T00:10:25.476-05:00

I am not nearly as smart as I think I amAnd I know more than I think I do.It is not that I'm unawareBut that I am not aware enough.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1121440131879038372005-07-15T09:29:00.000-05:002005-07-15T10:08:51.896-05:00

Okay, so I got laid off this week. I worked Monday until late. I worked Tuesday even later. Wednesday "they" laid me (and a few others) off. That's gratitude. Looking the people they laid off, I've got to wonder "What were they thinking?!"Wednesday evening I choose not to go out drinking (in celebration of my forced freedom from my previous employer) and instead went to a sneak preview

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1120935836689755782005-07-09T14:02:00.000-05:002005-07-09T23:15:28.303-05:00

dis·tinc·tion (d-stngkshn) n. 1. The act of distinguishing; differentiation.2. The condition or fact of being dissimilar or distinct; difference: the crucial distinction between education and indoctrination (A. Bartlett Giamatti). See Synonyms at difference. 3. A distinguishing factor, attribute, or characteristic. 4. a. Excellence or eminence, as of performance, character, or reputation

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1120845396140497392005-07-08T12:55:00.000-05:002005-07-08T12:57:40.460-05:00

I wrote some apologies today. For one of them I didn't particular want to since I wrote them from the "willing to be responsible for everything" point of view. This point of view often lack of the distinctions necessary to completely describe the problems, issues or situations. But an apology isn't about describing, it's about letting go problems, issues and situations that don't work and asking

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1120576946875842412005-07-05T10:21:00.000-05:002005-07-05T10:22:26.880-05:00

I've had friends in town for most of this long weekend... Over the past few months, I've pulled back from my regular social activities and been keeping more to myself. I just wanted to get "grounded" in what it means to be me as well as get something things done. Somewhere along the way, I forgot something. I've had friends in town for most of this long weekend. We've been out running around,

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1120004027022569662005-06-28T19:09:00.000-05:002005-06-29T12:05:35.423-05:00

Terrorism uses Fear to drive social or political change.Doesn't that mean that anyonewho uses Fear to create social or political change,is a terrorist?

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1119927929623436552005-06-27T22:02:00.000-05:002005-06-27T22:06:40.376-05:00

"I must not fear.Fear is the mind-killer.Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.I will face my fear.I will permit it to pass over me and through me.And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.Only I will remain." - Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear - From Frank Herbert's Dune Book Series

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1119927662386576542005-06-27T21:53:00.000-05:002005-06-27T22:01:02.393-05:00

Sometimes I hear things that resonate with me. I'll post a few here, from time to time."Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13871017.post-1119450847264751442005-06-22T11:32:00.000-05:002005-06-22T09:37:15.216-05:00

"A Small Stone On Which To Sit", sometimes that's all we need. Just a comfortable place to examine on other things. A place to speak from. Welcome to my blog.

Mike B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00571637642438628173noreply@blogger.com1