Outline of the trees and silhouettes are caste at sunset.
May 182012
Just a few new picture of me taken on May 17th.
After going through your twenties and hitting thirty you realize how being a bit more on the serious side is actually a good thing. I learned long ago that people who are a bit more serious contemplate life on a more substantial level, and tend to be more witty than those who are always over compensating with sarcastic quips. If you need to be the center of attention then you might think of a myriad of sarcastic remarks and jokes to indulge a crowd with, but these will fall short with people who have a more picky sense of humor. I can laugh at a funny joke, but I cannot pretend to laugh if I find something is just not humorous to me. If you are a bit on the sarcastic side, it comes across that you are over compensating. Although it might get you the wet blanket label, it is good to be a bit serious now and again, and it is a true art. People who tell me stories about their adventures, who are contemplative, and who sit under the trees and sketch the mountains, they always have the most amusing stories of all. While others are always trying to crack a joke, I find I am always drawn to the bohemian types who are truly observing the details of life, and garnering the bits and pieces that are truly laugh-worthy. I would rather share a subdued chuckle with such a soul rather than the cacophony laugh fest with those who need the stimulation of a captive audience.
May 172012
I love Mexican food and I love pizza, so I decide to combine these two loves by making two pizzas with spicy cut up peppers, cilantro, and turkey pepperoni.
The video above is from the Mexican inspired pizza that I made last Wednesday.
Above are two photographs I took of the cilantro, spicy pepper, and pepperoni pizza that I made the other day. I make the dough from scratch with all purpose flour and I knead it by hand, which is actually quite fun to do. Yes, making pizza is a chore and a half in that you have a big mess to clean up afterwards, but it is a lot cheaper than buying a pizza, and it tastes so good once you master the art of making the dough after a few attempts.
I actually used to make pizza a lot when I was younger, and a few months back I thought about why was I ordering and buying frozen pizza, especially when I am perfectly capable of making my own. Making pizza again is like riding a bike, and you simply have to get into the grove and mixing and kneading the proper dough. Some people use fancy and newfangled mixers, but I prefer blending and kneading by hand. The more I make pizza dough, the more I realize I can make it a bit different each time by adding some dough, seasonings, or even a bit of minced garlic. Thus, homemade pizza dough never has to be regimented or uniform like when you buy pizza at the store or at a take-out restaurant.
The ten or so photos above are of the second pizza I made last night. I put more ground up peppers in the crust of this pizza, so it was a bit spicier than the first.
May 152012
It is easy to make your own salad for lunch rather than hitting the fast food drive through. People are under the illusion that fast food is more expeditious, but I often see people sitting in the drive through longer to get their hamburger and fries than the two to three minutes it would take to chop up a salad in the morning. By eating salad for lunch you are getting yourself to eat more vegetables, and you can even add protein to it such as beans and tuna. On weeks when I eat salad for lunch I find it so much easier to maintain my weight, which is a good thought to keep in mind for people who want to lose a bit of weight, or just remain at a certain number. Do not starve yourself at lunch, but rather make a tasty salad to take with you!
I have learned how to take self-portraits for my profile page because I do not have anyone else to take pictures of me. Sure you can hire a photographer to take your picture, but in the age of the digital camera that is a bit silly. I just set the timer on my camera and then pose for the picture. Here are a couple of self-portrait photos I took today.
RedGage is one way that I talk about how to take self-portrait photography, and this site is great for sharing and seeing others pictures.
Apr 302012
I opened up the rough draft of my novel and realized this was the first time in two days since I had edited on it. Oh well, I am busy and get to editing when I can.
People love to argue about weather the US is a republic or a democracy, but the more accurate answer is we are a republic with a strong democratic tradition. When the Constitution was written it gave us a superb plan for how our country should be structured and organized, but it was not a set in stone way of how to do everything. As much as I have admired the founding father’s, I have always thought about how they had short comings. They lived in a time when owning slaves weighed upon their conscience, but none of the men who formed our country were going to let go of theirs. Our founding fathers made the grave mistake of not banning slavery from the get go wishing to foster a union that would soon erupt in Civil War.
Today it is becoming increasingly popular for Confederate nostalgics to talk about how the South will rise again, and how the Civil War was primarily about state’s rights. Yes it was a battle about state’s rights, but there were also many Americans who were opposed to the institution of slavery. Anyone who is pro-American should not be cheering the cause of the South or talking about how the Confederates represented the ideal of the founding fathers succeeding from the union. This is inaccurate because what the founding father’s were protesting and eventually starting a revolution over was taxation without representation. The South had representation in the US Congress, and to be honest the free states were way too delicate about not pushing for an end to slavery earlier in our country’s history.
Thus, the Constitution is a beautiful plan for our country, but it is not an absolute as it was written in 1789, which is why we have an amendment process. The Constitution can be likened to an old fashion set of plans for building a log cabin. Many people love to build log cabins according to old ideas, but they also want to add new features, such as in door plumbing and electricity. There was no electricity in 1789 and it was not in our Constitution, but I have a feeling our founding father’s would not be opposed to the regulation of this industry today. We need government to keep the private sector in check to some extent, and the private sector is beholden to keep government in check. We would not want to live in a world were either is unbridled and unrestrained to do as they wish on whims. This is why our government is built on checks and balances, and this is why I still admire our form of government.
People love to declare how America is going down he wrong path and how our country is lost, but I highly disagree. We have come through much as a nation, and I believe we still have much to accomplish and do. On a personal level I would like to see less involvement in foreign countries and allow for the self-determination of people, and to see more resources directed towards our own brethren. We may be a republic, but we are this form of government with a strong democratic tradition. Our founding father’s had a great plan and vision, but they also had some flaws. As we progress and evolve we can rectify past wrongs, and make our republic a bit more of a direct democracy. In our state of California we actually have quite a bit representative government, and I like that I live in state where our voices are heard through the initiative ballot process. For instance, when some Texas oil backed corporations were trying to overturn our clean energy laws a few years ago, they did so by getting this measure put on the state ballot. However, the California people voted it down, and this is an example of the people triumphing over corporations trying to boss us around. Maybe some states do not care about their air quality, but the people of California like me have seen how the air has actually become less smoggy over the last two decades, and we are not turning the clock back.
Turning the clock forward means that there is more to come, and there is more to look forward to. Perhaps there will be an amendment to our Constitution that would eliminate the electoral college, that would actually be a good thing. I am not one of those Americans who goes around lamenting how my fellow Americans should not have a right to vote unless they think exactly like me, and I cringe when I hear people say that. That thought is the one of an entitled group of individuals who want to run a dictatorship! If you want more people to think and vote similar to how you do, then get out there and share your ideas. Putting people down will just make you seem like a sour grapes adult who did not get their way. There is also a lot of talk on some conservative sites about how America is a republic to protect us from mob rule, but this simplistic chant discounts democratic tradition of our republic in the US. A republic, like the Roman Empire, could shut many people out from voting, as used to happen in our country when women and African-Americans were not allowed to vote. Many immigrants were not even allowed to become US citizens because of their ethnicity, and it is because people pushed to have more egalitarian laws to be passed that we have made headway towards a better and brighter future. Thus, I am highly skeptical of anyone who argues against things that have helped our country, such as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. You sound like a dictator if you want to turn the clock back on either of these amendments, and you are not going to be able to anyway.
So I am pro-American and I still believe in my country. I refuse to be a disenfranchised person who thinks the best years were during the Reagan or Clinton years. I am looking to the future and the promise we have as Americans. We no longer live in a time when an exclusive group of men can ponder how they are terrified of “the mob,” and the reality is with more literacy and education our republic will become somewhat more of a direct democracy over time. Well some corporations might try prevent that from happening with the citizens united ruling, but corporations are not people. Only individuals are people, and we can all have more of a direct say in our form of government.
In group dynamics or one-on-one conversation there is often a person who needs to be the top dog. I experienced this growing up in the competitive culture of Southern California where people always strive to look like magazine photo shoots, or make certain everyone around them knows about their material wealth. A few years ago I used to like to get my hair done at the salon occasionally because I wanted to try and be accepted, but then I realized I hate paying so much money just to have an elaborate hairdo I am not interested in. I love my dark hair and prefer to wash it and just pull some of it back, or wear it in a braid for the last few years. I know I am not going to get lots of compliments from those who go and get their hair done, but that is actually fine. I have learned over the years I enjoy my hair being shiny and drying naturally as I go on a long walk. I do not need to use a flat iron to try and make my wavy hair something it is not, and I actually prefer it with a bit of texture anyway.
When it comes to material wealth I have also learned to dismiss certain comments. Since I am a pedestrian I have learned I could care less about what kind of car people drive, and I not fazed just because people feel sorry for me because I walk. I like to walk and I am in really good shape because of it, and I have learned over time when you just are who you are then you do not need to worry about all of these comments people use to compete with each other. Sure I can admire a beautiful car or a beautiful blow-out, but that does not necessarily mean I would want any of those things. I can braid my hair or curl it on my own and achieve a look I desire. So being low maintenance
in a bad economy when you are on a tight budget is a good thing anyway. I could not afford to compete with those who want to be top dog anyway, and when I see the sunlight sparkling on a palm tree during my walks I really only care about enjoying the beauty of nature.
Why Spammers Need Not Bother Commenting On This Blog
I have learned most of the spam is automated, but it would probably be in the best interest of spammers not to bother commenting on this blog. My blog is about my writing, cooking, art, and musings about life, and if you are unable to leave genuine and real comments on this site, then yours will be deleted.