RobZerrvations
Musings from a Meandering, Mischievous Mind
Majority Rules: Part II.
Sometimes I feel like I am beating my head against a wall. But being a stubborn German from the East of France, I just won't let things rest, particularly when our rights are being usurped by those who beat the chest of liberty who are really selling us a bunch of snake oil. So, from the bully pulpit, I will once again set some things straight about our country. First and foremost, unless you are a scholar and have studied the actual writings and philosophies of our forefathers extensively,...
We’re Exceptional? LMAO!
USA! USA! We're #1! We're #1! What's wrong with this? Besides the fact that there are no periods between the U, S and A, I mean. Yes, it's the fact that we're not #1 these days. I imagine we are in something, but not in any of the major areas we used to dominate. The sad fact is, we seem to have blinders on. And it's called American Exceptionalism. I only recently heard of the term. It seems to be getting a lot of media play these days as the world passes us by on the express lanes of progress...
There’s No Place Like Home…
I woke up in a sweat last night. It seems that I have been having this recurring dream, and I can't seem to shake the whole thing. It starts out with me living in Port Orchard. I was living in a world where no one seemed to understand me, me and my little dog, too. I guess I really didn't appreciate how good I had it there. I even thought about going to therapy, but as we all know, therapists hardly have a crystal ball that can see into your mind. I can just picture the whole interlude, me...
The Wonder Years.
The Wonder Years was on last night. Well, I guess it's on every night on the HUB channel. I always liked the show, even from the very beginning. It is in fact the reason I got my first and only speeding ticket. Before I move on to the wonder of the Wonder Years, I guess I should explain the ticket. This was back in the day before DVRs and I never seemed to get around to setting up my VCR so that it could record a specific time. I was over at my friend Cathy's house and was running late. By the...
Go Ahead. Wave It If You Want!
I saw in the news a couple months ago that a woman had to take down her flag. It was flying outside the Democratic headquarters in Lake County. The flag in question had horizontal red and white stripes, 13 of them to be exact. But instead of the stars there was a rendering of President Obama. Now, I know that this indeed can be interpreted as a breach of flag etiquette. But it certainly can be argued that it falls under freedom of speech as well. And quite frankly, I think we have a lot more...
I’m Just Stringing Everyone Along.
I went to a jam session for the first time two weeks ago. I am still laughing because I think my guitar was the real star of my show, not me. All the other musicians couldn't get enough of my little four string wonder. Yes, you read right - four strings. I had tried my best to master a six-string guitar. I even got pretty good with the C, G and D chords. But I could never get the F chord or any other chord that required much skill. This has been a lifelong problem for me. In band, I turned...
Rrruum, Rrum, Rum!
You may not know it, but Washington State is at the leading edge of making biofuels. These fuels no longer hinge on the fact that dinosaurs long ago died, melted and turned into the fuel we nozzle into our cars every couple days at $3 to $4 a gallon. Instead, they rely on a seemingly inexhaustible supply of organic materials to make the fuel. It can be corn, organisms and even sugar. Pretty amazing in concept, but I'm not so sure it holds water when it comes to using it en masse. This suddenly...
The Lady And The Tramp.
Sunday was a lackadaisical kind of day at the old housienda. The Janmeister was packing for her annual trip to her parent's cabin on the lake in New York and I was tasked with doing hum-drum tasks, such as putting the Washington state plates on the cars to make them legal. I eventually decided to take a little siesta, it being that kind of a day. As I plopped down in the bed in the cavernous room we call the master, I happened upon an old favorite of mine on the tube. Yes, Lady and the Tramp....
For Whom The Road Tolls.
When I lived in Florida, the nicest of all nice roads was the Turnpike. It shot you from one end of the state to the other (longwise) in style. There were even rest stops in the center that had the obligatory bathrooms, but also a convenience store, gas, restaurants and even a sunglass hut. Each one was slightly different, so if you didn't want crepes at one particular stop, head on down the road and there would be a Checkers, which served delicious burgers. This wasn't a free trip. To use the...
Some Of Us Are Gonors.
I am a very lucky man. I have managed, even through various misjudgments, miscalculations and severe cases of the hornies, to have avoided ever having a social disease. Having been a pirate all these years, especially, a Seafair Pirate in the 1980s, I am quite frankly both surprised and thankful that this is so. I used to kid myself that this was so because I was selective. But nowadays I'm not so sure that this was really the case. I instead think someone was watching over me. This was back...
The Weight Of The World.
I was surfing the Web yesterday and came upon a very interesting story. It was about the problem of being overweight. Not mildly overweight, as in 10 pounds or so, but obesity level overweight. I only learned that I was technically obese when I had a Wii. I bought the Wii Fit and thought I would try to get into shape. I really liked the thing, except for that admonishing little bitch who would say after each weigh in, "You're Obese." The only thing missing was a slight snicker or a snort at...
I’m Dying For Italian Food.
Returning to Seattle, I have noticed that a few things have changed. Not surprising, given that many years have passed since I last called the Emerald City home. Perhaps the most surprising, however, is that Mark Christopher is hosting all these specials on Channel 9. Mark and I go way back. We were pirates together back in my Seafair days. Initially, I wasn't that thrilled that he joined the group, he being younger than I, stealing my thunder as the youngest pirate. Eventually, however, we...