November 17

It's a lovely, sunny 51-degrees in Annapolis today. Harper had a great morning, and I'm looking forward to finishing up this project I'm working on so that I can begin the next one. ;-)

Starting to think about my next job. The resumes are just about ready to be released to the world again.

Addiction

Friends,

Hi, my name is Byron, and I am an addict. Since joining the cult of the iPhone, I have been dazzled by all the shiny apps that come from the App Store and Cydia (or, if you prefer, Icy). My latest crazes have been Vampire Live and Zombies Live. These two games have been responsible for major time-suck in my life lately. The two games have a similar format: level up and gain income by attacking other players and buying. "slaves" that earn you income every hour. That is genius. You keep coming back every hour or so to prevent other players from attacking you and stealing your hard-earned income (blood in Vampires and flesh in Zombies). It tugs at my soul. I can't stop thinking about the times i get "paid" in each game. I religiously log in to each of the games to save my income in my virtual bank vaults or to turn the income into greater abilities so that I can defeat more players. It's insidious. I should be spending my time perfecting my javascript, but I play these games instead. I earn money doing the latter, but the former is somehow more satisfying. Help.

Where, oh where?

So, I've become one of those bloggers who doesn't actually blog anymore. I recently joined the Facebook cult and have used that as my "outlet". That said, I just updated my status after not having done so for a week or so. Sigh. Don't feel sorry for me, friends (as if you actually would)! As soon as I can figure out how best to integrate the two, look out, web world!

4.8 Km

4.8 Km. That's how close I was to Roland Garros this June. The French Open was going on at the time. It was Day 8 at the tournament. Ana Ivanovic and Rafael Nadal were 3 matches away from winning the Championship in their respective draws. I was on my way to Zagreb, Croatia to attend a film festival with my filmmaker friend, Eric. Our flight from Dulles was late getting into Paris, so we missed our connecting flight. Despite how tired we were from the long travel, we were pretty excited to be in Paris. A quick ride on the RER and we're in the center of Paris! Eric and I got off at Saint-Michel, walked east to the Seine, then across to Notre Dame.

I had never walked the streets of Paris before and was somewhat apprehensive, given the reputation of the French with those who haven't perfectly mastered their language. I have first-hand experience of this from when I was in Annecy the prior year...

Feeling somewhat brave, we dared to stop at a restaurant to eat and face the wrath of "le garçon". The food was bad (I didn't know that was possible in Paris), but my French held and we got pretty good service.

Paris is everything that is lovely about life. You REALLY feel that when walking the streets. I never felt that way walking around New York. Perhaps, New York is just too familiar. I don't know NYC well, but it is still America. There are rules to American cities that I know inherently. Paris is different. I want to go back.

Things on my mind.

Given the date of my last post, it's fair to say that it's been a while. There is much on my mind these days. In no particular order (save for the first two):

1. The future of my family.
   
2. MLK's Legacy.
3. The hopeless Isreali/Palestinian conflict.
4. Friendship.
5. The presidential race.
6. The return of Portishead.
   
7. The format change at College Callgirl.
8. Guitar Hero III
9. Books I'm behind on.
   

Hit the slopes!

I went snowboarding this weekend! My long drought ended with a near, spur of the moment trip to Liberty. The conditions were less than ideal with 50-degree weather and slushy, crowded slopes, but I didn't care! It was nice just to be out again on the new board. The Jussi was perfect! It's light, flexible, and forgiving of my n00bishness. By the way, the pic above is in Tahoe.

For more on Jussi Oksanen, check this and this! Oh, how I aspire to ride like that Finn...

What I aspire to in the near term is to return to Park City, UT. Sundance or not, I just want to get back to slopes like this:

This is a recent shot taken at the Canyons. Since the riding season goes so long out there, maybe there's hope...

Snow bound!

Baltimore received a decent snowfall last week. At least, it was decent for our part of the country, where the occurrence of good snow is few and far between. It makes a snowboarder want to weep... The plan was to pick up some new snow pants for M and some beer. The parking lot of The Old Vine is somewhat sloped, but the GTI is front-drive and my tires are in good shape, so I didn't think about it. Mistake.

I used to drive one of these:



I would've been better off and I could've ticked off that time without any sort of acknowledgment. Sometimes, I miss my Rangie, but it broke down. Alot. Of course, buying a British car of somewhat indeterminate mileage probably wasn't smart to begin with. In fairness, that's how everyone bought their used Range Rovers back then. There's also the fact that filling up said beast with petrol would cost me over $80 each time. I could pretend that I'm very concerned with global warming and that my car purchases are thus affected. Actually, that's the truth. My '06 GTI gets around 25 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway despite its sporting nature. That and good snow tires would've made for a completely uninteresting anecdote.

No one likes getting stuck in the snow, but it's particularly abhorrent to me since I'm used to driving vehicles quite proficient in the slippery stuff. I rescue - I don't get rescued! After trying for an hour to drive/race up all possible side streets to the mecca of the main road, I gave up, called for help and walked 2.7 miles to meet my ride. The walk was nice, despite getting splashed by a dorkus in a Jetta, because: 1. I had beer to keep me warm and 2. I like a quiet walk now and again. It's probably as close as I'll ever get to being on Survivor.

My lovely bride came to rescue me, and all was well. My folly in the snow was rewarded with a bike ride back to Mt. Washington to get the car a few days later. Thankfully, the car was where I'd left it. I guess it's off to get new tires for me!

2008 Australian Open

The first Grand Slam of the year is here! It always seems to creep up on me after the holidays. I nearly missed last year's Open save for the finals. This year's finals may look like last year's on one side of the net. On the men's side as usual, Roger Federer is the one to beat. Not much more can be said other than it would be nice to see another player lift the trophy at Grand Slam events. I'm rooting for Blake (12), Roddick (6), Nadal (2), and Davydenko (4).

On the women's tour, a fitter-than-ever Serena Williams (7) looks to repeat another win. Maria Sharapova (5) has improved her serve and is playing well, but she has Serena, Henin (1), and Jankovic (3) in her portion of the draw. Of course, I'm with Henin all the way.

The new Plexi-Cushion surface is getting good reviews from the players and looks and sounds great from out in TV Land. From the Plexipave site, you can even mix and match colors for your custom court! Now all I need is some unclaimed land in the city...

I'm already behind on my matches, so I anticipate late nights and a long weekend of nothing but tennis!

This actually happened...

I am bald. This is (obviously) no secret to all who can see me. I don't wear any sort of protective headgear. I never had a comb-over, nor was I ever "hanging on to scraps". I'm very comfortable with my head shape and I enjoy the low maintenance. That said, I was a little floored when walking out and about recently. I passed this elderly "gentleman" who looked me in the eyes and asked, "What? Are you going to the barbershop to get a haircut?". My defenses were defeated. I had no reply. For the first time in over a decade, I felt a little sorry I was bald. I don't really feel that way. I think it was just that I didn't have time to react and responded spinally. Once I gathered myself, I knew I had something new to write about...

Jacked!

Yesterday, while driving home, I saw four young men engaged in what appeared to be an intense conversation in a not-so-nice section of town. Living in Baltimore as I proudly do, having to drive through not-so-nice sections of town is par for the course. That does not mean that Baltimore is not a beautiful and prosperous city - far from it. Often called a "City of Neighborhoods", the city is laid out such that rich and poor often live within blocks of each other. I find that fact enriching; isolation and ignorance breed contempt. If you do not know your neighbors, how can you empathize with them? That's not to say that there aren't well-to-do neighborhoods in Baltimore that work very hard to keep those less-fortunate as far away as possible. I can site a number of neighborhoods who've hired private security to perpetuate a feeling of "safety". More on that some other time (maybe).

Back to my story. Three of the four young men were hooded and surrounding the fourth, who looked visibly frightened. It seems that they were robbing him and threatening violence if he resisted. The poor kid was pushed to the ground. He then got up, took off his coat, and then handed it to one of his attackers. I didn't see what happened next, because I drove off when the light changed. I dialed 911 and gave a description of the muggers and the location of the crime. "Don't snitch"? Fuck that.

Why didn't I do more? Why didn't I get out of the car, get the kid's stuff back then take him home? Honestly, because I was afraid of what might happen to me. I am not afraid to get into a fight. I've been in enough in my lifetime to know what to expect. These days however, kids bring guns to fight, so I'd be at a competitive disadvantage, having only brought fists to the fight. I don't watch enough TV to think I could disarm someone wielding a gun. Not even The Shield could pull that off. I have young children. They didn't ask to be given life, so I shouldn't play around with mine when they need me most.

I felt really sorry for the kid. I felt sorry for him not because he was losing his possessions, but because he was genuinely frightened. I've been mugged in a violent way before. I know what it's like to feel powerless and to not know what's going to happen to you next. That feeling is as basic as breathing. Either you try to get away at all costs, or you fight as though you know you are about to die. The victim didn't appear to be at that stage yet, but I could tell he wasn't far. He had gotten past the paralyzed phase and had moved into the phase where he accepted that he was in fact going to lose his possessions. At this point, you begin to "bargain" to see what your muggers are going to let you walk/run away with. It is also at this point that your mugger(s) will decide whether or not to use violence. Since the muggers didn't immediately descend on the kid and beat him down, that means that they were willing to take the kid's stuff and walk away if he'd just given it up. A simple transaction. Since the victim was resisting, the muggers decided that it was worth increasing the pressure to see how far the kid would go before relenting. The muggers didn't start beating the kid after he resisted a little, so it was obvious that they didn't want to take the exchange too far.

I have no idea how the scene resolved. I left my name and number with the police, but never received a call. I hope the kid made it home in one piece.

Lunch date with the health inspector

Everyone who knows me knows that I enjoy the occasional meal alone. It has nothing to do with misanthropy or depression, but doing Indian buffet solo is doubly efficient; no waiting, unnecessary chit-chat, etc.

The other day, I was craving Indian buffet. My 2nd favorite Indian restaurant, which is closest to my office, was closed, maybe for good? Instead, I headed over to Mughal Garden. After having filled my plate, I noticed a man with a clipboard walking up and down the buffet, as if he might start scooping food onto the clipboard. It became clear right away that the gentleman was a city health inspector. Among his complaints, I heard him mention that the rice was not hot enough. Following the inspector closely were two of the restaurant's staff, one likely the manager. They looked about as nervous as I was at that moment. That was certainly a new experience for me. For whatever reason, I kept eating. I even got seconds before paying the bill and heading back to work.

Lately though, I've been feeling resigned to eat whatever poison comes from a commercial kitchen because of this book. It's a great read, but be warned; you're thoughts of dining out will be forever changed.

What I take from this experience is that the food at Mughal Garden is tasty, and probably not bad for me, as the health inspector didn't immediately close the place while I was there. What I also take away is that Baltimore City is taking food safety seriously. A restaurant near my office wasn't so lucky and had to shut down for a few days. Ick. Lots of the staff left and now the place has new management. Save for an occasional latte, I don't think I'll darken their doors again.

It's the economy stupid, part deux

I received a response a previous post:

CC said...

"I agree w/you, except the more taxes bit. I wouldn't volunteer to throw more money into a mismanaged mutual fund, ya know?"

I thought a new post as response would be a better idea than another comment under the original comment.

I agree with CC. I don't like the idea of higher taxes any more than the next person. Americans, and by extension, Marylanders need to decide what we really want our taxes to be used for. Most people feel that government services are lacking, but those same people hate the idea of tax increases. I don't know of a nation that pays more taxes than the Danish, but if you consider their great health care, the cleanliness of their cities, and the amount of services available to all, it seems to be worth it.

You may be scared off by their quasi-socialist social services, but they're doing something that's working. Of course, comparing Denmark to the US is a bit of a stretch, but comparing Denmark to Maryland isn't. The problem is that both Liberals/Progressives and Conservatives want it both ways. Liberals want to spend more and more on social services, but don't have the guts to fend off cries of "unfettered socialism" and to spend what it truly takes to develop social programs for the good of all. Conservatives would rather leave your money in your bank account and shrink the government, but don't have the guts to fend off cries of "heartless robber-barons" and admit that they believe that you cannot depend on the government for anything. This is certainly an oversimplification of the two groups, but isn't that how they play to the voting public when we vote? I can almost hear the ad now, "It's a simple choice of A or B. There's no middle ground!".

It's the economy, stupid

Soon, our governor plans to propose the legalization of slot machine gambling to the General Assembly in a late-October special session. The idea of gambling isn't new in Maryland, with Lotto (is this still around?), the multi-state Big Game, Pick 3/4, and of course Keno. What is also not new is the idea of attempting to fix budget shenanigans at the expense of the least of us. I don't know about where you shop, but at the majority of places where I might see people buying lottery tickets, I see people who might be best served by saving their money. As for slots, there have been initiatives to legalize them for nearly 12 years, but only now does it seem likely to happen. How will it happen? Slots will be legalized either by General Assembly vote or referendum. I would prefer a voter referendum despite the 2004 Gonzales survey stating that the majority of Marylanders want slots.



The argument for expanded gambling is that the revenues could be used to help relieve Maryland's $1.7 billion budget deficit and to pay for essential services. One look at the Baltimore City School system, once a supposed beneficiary of gambling revenues, and you can clearly see that approach doesn't work. What's more, the lottery was state-run at the time. Now, you can expect an out-of-state entity to reap the majority of gambling revenue. The other problem is where do you put the machines? I don't know anyone who'd want gambling sites in their neighborhoods. Placing the machines at horse racing tracks isn't a good idea either. That will ensure larger purses for horse owners, and less revenue for the state. Ironically, slots get more people to go to race tracks, but not to see the running of the horses.

I am not against preserving the horse racing industry or gambling in general, but I believe there has to be a better way to fix our budget short-fall (higher taxes, better efficiency, and less spending). Horse racing is a rich part of Maryland's heritage, but it isn't a right. If track owners cannot increase attendance at their tracks, it shouldn't be the government's problem to fix. As well, relying on gambling revenue as a stable source of income is stupid and immoral.

Only time will tell what happens with expanded gambling in Maryland, but I'm hoping that there are a majority of legislators in the House and Senate that agree with me.

Harper speaks!

Here you can see and hear my adorable daughter, Harper saying a few "words". Usually, at 8 weeks, babies are only interested in complaining about how they think you're neglecting them. Harper is really starting to recognize faces. Of course, the person she smiles at the most is her big sis, Merriwether.

Tell me about yourself

Everyone who knows me knows my love of "stuff". Somewhere I heard or read about being able to describe yourself in 6 words. I chose "I am awesome. Let's get stuff." Immodesty aside, that's how I would describe my unchained consumerism. How would you describe yourself in 6 words?

Sticker shock

I had a recruiter call me yesterday to discuss a possible job with the Dept. of State in VA. First of all, commuting to VA when I have 2 small children is out of the question. Secondly, even if the commute wasn't onerous, I know how inflexible gov't contracts can be.

Just to see how interested the recruiter was, I floated a very hourly high rate for which I would consider the position. After a brief pause from the other end of the line, there was a barely audible "wow". I love it.

Number 1 Males

As the resident of a city like Baltimore, you get used to the idea of crime. By saying "get used to..." I, by no support those who feel they can proffer at the expense of others. This last statement includes white-collar perps as well.

There is a lot of crime in Baltimore. My neighborhood has recently been suffering a wave of crime perpetrated by a few brazen individuals who would dare attempt to break in to someone's house in broad daylight. What is common about these individuals is that they are African American. (Sigh) Being African American myself, it saddens me that my neighbors will invariably view us all as suspect. It happened tonight in fact. I was out in the alley behind my house with my dogs. One of my more paranoid neighbors happened to see me walking down the alley. I could tell that when I caught her glance that she presumed I was up to no good. Fortunately, she recognized me at the last minute before the police were called. Am I paranoid? Not at all. Take an African American friend to any of the pricey boutique stores in your town for a lesson in soft racism. Notice the helpful clerk who just happens to need to fold every item in your vicinity... Yeah...

The idea is floating around to hire a private security force for the neighborhood. I want to live in a safe neighborhood where I don't have to worry about knuckleheads trying to steal my stuff. What I don't want is to live in a fortress neighborhood where we don't trust anyone outside of our blocks. I feel that that is the root of the problem. I seem to live near a surplus of "scared white people" (not my words) who flinch every time someone new walks down our streets. What's the solution? I feel that the first step would be to partner with the other neighborhoods near us to join forces against the nuisance of crime that we ALL hate. There is safety in numbers; our neighborhood watch could work another watch to patrol our combined areas. Taking an interest in each other's safety will foster trust and break down biases against those different from us. We could all certainly use that lesson.

Poesia

This poem comes from a film producer in LA named Helen Kwang. I met her at Sundance this year. I'm using her work without her permission, but she was drunk when she wrote it on my arm in ink, so I don't think she'll remember. Besides, who reads this blog anyway?


"intrepid as a drunken sorority girl, Myron will ask you for your bra, then leave as you unsnap it."

This actually happened...

As usual, a bunch of us at work were ordering out for lunch. My cube-mate and I took the orders. Today we dined at 5 Guys. There are lots of Indians working here, so ordering from a burger joint requires some sensitivity. Most of them NEVER eat red meat, but there are a few who do. Because of this, I wasn't surprised when 2 of my Indian colleagues ordered cheeseburgers.

A colleague and I got the food and brought it back. After inspecting his order, one of the burger-ordering Indians was shocked, SHOCKED to find out the cheeseburgers have... GASP... RED MEAT!

You can't tell me there are Indians who've been within earshot of an American for more than 15 minutes who don't know that hamburgers are made of cow!

Why I love where I work.

#1. It's Beer Friday.
#2. I just saw some guys "driving" a pair of remote controlled Sumo wrestlers.