Alternate Vision

Turn to the left, then to the right, halt, reconsider your steps, but in fact you don't move at all. Where would you move if you had not one option in the world?
Please forget the words that I just blurted out,it wasn't me, it was my strange and creeping doubt,it keeps rattling my cage. And there's nothing in this world will keep it down,and even though I might, even though I try, I can't.

"FORGET drunken driving. When cruising along Namibia's long and empty roads, unsuspecting drivers face a no less dangerous hazard: sleeping donkeys. At night, the warm tarmac provides a much more comfortable bed than the vast expanses of land only a few yards away. Invisible in the dark, the dormant asses, which help plough Namibia's land and pull its carts, have become a cause of many a car crash, to the dismay of drivers and the police alike. In May, the head of the president's guard was killed—by a donkey. Russell Hay, a British businessman, is no stranger to asininity. While living in Namibia, he has twice driven into a donkey. On a lonely northern stretch, he swerved to avoid one, only to see it flattened by a lorry behind him. - The Economist

All it took was one brilliant Brit to experience the above and now the donkeys of Namibia have a reason to live again.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2005 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that theydon't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyoneis home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of thescreen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have thefirst 20 or 30or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around togo and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : ).

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't#9 on this list.AND NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

its Friday, got nothing better to do than be online? Get a life:)

Mardi Gras: Made in China follows the "bead trail" from the factory in China to Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras, poignantly exposing the inequities of globalization. First-time director David Redmon cleverly illuminates the clash of cultures by juxtaposing American excess and consumer ignorance against the harsh life of the Chinese factory worker.

I overheard someone talking about it and decided to look it up. I was hesitant about taking the 'globalization and design' class mostly due to time constriants. But after I found out its a mini course (which is only for a month and a half), their first assignment involves watching the above film, and their reading assignments are like this, I may just squeeze the three hour lecture on Tuesday evenings into my 26 hour- day-weeks. Just this afternoon while getting briefed on green design practises in the community by Barb for a project I am working on my eyes caught hold of something queer. In the corner of her office tucked under her desk was a whole carton full of water bottles labeled 'Green Practises Comission: Save the Environment'. Upon further inspection, I noticed they were all 'Made in China.' The irony of it all.

I don't know how I considered myself a percussion fanatic without having being enlightened by one of the most talented gurus alive. Give him the tabla, djembe, shakeray, trap set or any percussion intstrument and he will tear it up and leave you dumbfounded. I had originally heard some of his work without knowing he was at all involved. I just got done listening to an independent album he recorded. Phenomenal. Having only recently been introduced to his work I can't vouch for much except to say that anything that has his name on it is a mark of supreme quality. I need to see him live.

An insurgent, a totalitarian and a complete vagabond. As much as there aspects of his philosophy that I have fundamental issues with, from him I will always draw the art of revolutionary honesty, heroism and self-less sacrifice. Che's 30th death anniversary today.

Police clash with troops.

The dead were civilians caught in the crossfire of a battle that began when a soldier and policeman argued over who had the right to a free ride on a bus.
The police officer hit out at the soldier, who raised the alarm at a nearby barracks, sparking violence.
Soldiers and police then exchanged live fire across the main highway in Lagos, the country's largest city.
Some 60 vehicles, including 20 police cars, were set ablaze during the clashes. - BBC

All I have to say is why? And to think what spurred this was an argument over a free ride on the bus. Officers of the "law" are permanently on a power trip in that part of the world but this takes the cake. Ridiculous almost to the point of being hillarious. Am reminiscent of my last encounter with them this past December. When will we ever learn.

Svnethenesia - A condition where one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualization of a color.

Sven's got it down. Pity he is touring only in Belgium and Europe right now. Long night ahead; another soma night.

I realized yesterday that it had been close to three months since I had eaten Pho. What led me to that thought was the urgent need for quick and easy nutrition to aid my convalescing body and my sudden cravings for random things- this time Pho. Fever, body ache and all that goes with it creeped up on me suddenly when I was least prepared this weekend and my best response was and always will be Pho. Two hours later and am feeling new already.

Come Friday afternoon the weather was all too perfect and so the desire for some sort of outdoor activity was overbearing. So Larissa took me to this fantabulous little cafe/bar with a kickass padio on Walnut. Drinking outside is an outdoor activity is it not? Titilatting conversation ensued and hours passed by. The sun slowly made its way down and with that the temperature made a not-so-slow drop come sunset. So we moved across the road to get dinner and more drinks after which Om Shiva beckoned. Soft lighting, inviting silk cushions, watermellon shishah and tea with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan playing in the background. More evenings like that hold great potential to spice up my otherwise monotonous life here.

The weather here is erratic - overcast skies one minute and before your next glance up the sun is out and Schenley park is gorgeous again. Give it another hour and the cold weather sets in driving you indoors. Think I'm gonna bring the tradition of vietnamese spring roll parties to Pittsburgh. They need it, badly.