A Daily View

June 01, 2009 - GM: Survival of the Weakest

2009-06-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

First off, let me clarify that I do not stand with those of general outrage at the Government bailing out a private sector corporation. I don't stand with those angry creditors and investors of GM who are effectively getting the shortest end of the stick. I don't even stand with those that rally against Government regulation, in fact, I'm generally in support of it.

I'm against the chainsaw for brain surgery approach that the Obama administration is taking to try to bolster out economy once again.

When Bush stole the $300 for everyone idea from Futurama to try and stimulate the economy, (See Futurama Ep 70, "Three Hundred Big Boys" and Bush Stimulus Plan, aka "WASTEDCASH",) I was among many to applaud the idea in theory (and in the form of a sweet tax rebate) and reject it in general practice. It seems that many moves are merely political in action, without taking the time to sit down and generate a detailed and thorough solution to the economic crisis.

GM is responsible for hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout its corporate structure and trickle-down links within the automotive industry, from dealerships to part manufacturers and so on. Its centralized focus is the mid-west, a vast realm of political support for the right wing; an area desperately courted by the Democratic party, often with the same results of taking your Prom date to White Castle.

Many cite the Chrysler deal as a representative of the possible success that GM could see post-bankruptcy. All it would take is for another incredibly unsuccessful company (Fiat) to make an amazing turnaround in sales to garner enough funds to buy out the broken company (Chrysler), leading to a practical marriage of universal need by two partners who could barely stand on their own. So who would marry GM? Step up ladies, as the perfect groom is here, a company run by greedy, self-wounding executives who learned the ultimate lesson that failure leads to success...at least for them, and not the hundreds of thousands out of work.

Excuse me for the digression. When you live in a state that represents, even at its worst, 10% of the nation's entire economy, it is tough to see our social services and education systems being left in the cold by the Federal Government, while a private corporation is given a sensual massage by the president himself.

So forgive my coldness to the matter. Oh, and a quick message to the bondholders who invested in GM and are crying sour because their money is gone. Congratulations, that's what happens when you invest in a company that fails. Move along. (Even worse is that the government is bailing out the "secured creditors", once again, we are paying as a people for others' foolish mistakes.)

Back to the matter previously mentioned, Obama's choice to bail out GM in hopes to stimulate the economy, rescue jobs in the long-term and support the "American Ideal" that GM is a company that represents the strength of American workers, is utter foolishness. The automotive industry represents approximately 2.5% of our national economy, with GM a sliver of that. The potential for success after bankruptcy for companies like GM and Chrysler are extremely slim, even with the European bail-out of Chrysler.

As for the "American Ideal", GM no longer represents the strength and integrity of American workers. All it represents now is that the incompetence of greedy executives comes with little consequence and that failure is rewarded and success punished.

If we want the economy to thrive, we need to encourage the growth of healthy business practices, reward those companies that succeed or else risk never evolving in a world economy eager to leave us behind. Survival of the weakest doesn't work in the wild, and it certainly won't work in the world of business.

One Story, One Draft - Preface

2009-04-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

Since I never seem to actually write anything on this blog, or rather, I do in such sparse and infrequent ways, I want to try a writing exercise.

One story, one draft, unedited, just written and posted. Not sure where it's going or what exactly the story will be, but perhaps this is a great way to encourage even further writing. Writing that's random enough to spark a brainstorm, but hopefully good enough to be posted publicly.

Where it starts, here, where it goes, who knows?

Wish me luck.

October 21, 2008 - Gift Wrap

2008-10-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

Socialist.

A word that rings with negativity. Designed to invoke negative imagery when spoken, and stuck like an ugly red bow onto the name "Barack Obama" by the McCain political campaign. The advantage of attaching a bow onto something is that you don't need to know what the present actually holds inside. Facts, content, the truth about someone, is completely irrelevant, as we decide between which gift to open November 4. Will it be the box, a little battered by time, perhaps looking a bit like it's been sitting in the closet too long, but wrapped in amazing Red, White & Blue gaudy patriotic colors? Or will it be the shiny new box, the one that seems like it actually has something new inside?

Perhaps it's the holidays that causes me to utilize the "present" metaphor, but it doesn't change that ugly words are being used to try and denigrate Obama's campaign.

Terrorist.

A dark black stain splashed onto Obama's record. However, the stain didn't seem to exist prior to the campaign...a complex chain of events and misdirections have allowed McCain's attack dogs to slander their opponent even further. But truth doesn't matter. Sound bites do.

How many read the headline without reading the article? How many will see the quick note on a news website, without checking the facts? Sitting around the clichéd water cooler, it's easy to posit "Obama's a ____________" without having to explain the history behind the statement.

Muslim.

And there are some marks that in no way should be regarded as pejorative. Soldiers. Doctors. Lawyers. Workers. Americans. All share the Muslim faith. While Obama is not a Muslim, to associate him with that faith is being regarded by many Americans as a horrific taint, a smear.

Why use ten words when you can use one? Why describe millions of people, when one simple word will define them all? Let's make the sounds gentle and easy on the soft ears of American voters. We don't want them to have to listen to more than three seconds of definition, let's just give them one word at a time.

I'm not asking voters to pick a side, I'm asking voters to give their candidates a few second more of their time. Those people that only read the labels and grab for the package that looks nicest on the outside may realize that they may not get what they want.

Personally this year I'm hoping for a brand new clean suit shirt...as opposed to say, a pair of old itchy socks. I got that the last few years, and frankly, I've had enough.

September 28, 2008 - Motivation.

2008-09-28T21:36:00.001-07:00

Life and what we accomplish can be defined by three simple questions and three very common answers.

1. What do we want?

Answer: Something.

2. When do we want it?

Answer: Now.

3. How are we going to get it?

Answer: Not my concern, but if you'd be so kind as to leave it on the doorstep, I'm sure after I've had my coffee I'll go right out and drag it inside.

Dreams and desires exist in every single person; the ranges of which vary from the wealth of kings to an extra sugar packet. A simple dream for one may be the lifelong goal for another. And of course, desires always make for good conversation. At least, we always think so when telling the neighbor, "Oh yes, I've got big plans for **goal/accomplishment/large electronic device** and as soon as **slight obstacle** pays off/is paid off, then me and the **wife/dog/iPhone** will be completely **set/happy/drunk**."

It's a horizon, and we often stare off, hoping it will come closer to us, hoping that for once, the sun will listen to our protests, and hold off on setting on another day no closer to our aspirations. Most of us will curse the sun, curse the horizon and probably curse me for pointing these things out.

At the end of the day, we are the ones who must take the step forward.

How we push ourselves is our choice, but finding that motivation is the key to crossing the finish line. Is it a spark of competition? Is it the fear of disappointing all those watching us? Is it the desire burning so strong we must proceed?

The struggle with discovering one's motivation to continue after failure, or even to press forward in times of stress is difficult...and personally I think...pointless.

Wait, hear me out before running for your **antidepressants/alcohol/more humorous website**.

Some people get caught up in the search for motivation, the search for "why". Deep down, we all know what we want. Deep down, there is something we desire that for whatever reason we have pushed aside, ignored, or boarded up and locked away, because simply thinking about what we cannot have is too painful to bear.

The search for why is pointless because we are given opportunity, we are given resources, we are given love and support, and we are given time. We have hands, we have minds, we have an entire world. So don't ask yourself "Why?" Don't even ask yourself "Why not?"

Ask yourself "How?"

All of a sudden, you may find you have created the motivation you've been looking for all this time, simply by asking the right question, and hopefully, finding the right answer.

---

P.S. Forgive the rant, I've cluttered up an entire page with sentences that could simply have been spelled out by saying, "I can get what I want simply by focusing on how to get it as opposed to pondering over where I'll find the motivation to get it." I know this is the 10,000 piece puzzle, simple on the outside of the box, but a complicated mess if you get into it, but I hope that I've at least put forward one good idea. At the very least, I'm motivated to do so.

September 26, 2008 - The Presidential Debate

2008-09-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

Who won the debate?

In a match where some punches were pulled, others were glancing uppercuts, but none seemed to be the knockout blow. Even debate helmsman Jim Lehrer urged the competitors on, insisting they direct their responses to one another as opposed to the blind cameras. Not to say some blows weren't landed; Obama sharply criticized McCain's tired politics and a faithfulness to the Bush Administration Johnny M couldn't seem to distance himself away from enough, while John McCain seemed to stress that Obama's plans would merely result in emptying the pockets of America.

Points, arguments, attacks, the only true way to measure the debate is by content. What did each potential candidate bring to the table fresh that wasn't repeated a mere 15 seconds earlier? Some answers became tired, repetitive...and were there a drinking game tied to the number of mentions of "cutting spending" by McCain, I would be far beyond the ability to write out this blog, or even a coherent sentence.

You cannot fault either candidate for mispronouncing a name, or forgetting a word here and there. What you can fault them for, are blatant lies, and lining up a pathway that will send our country into utter turmoil. There is only one candidate tonight who outlined a road that is different than the one we have been traveling. Both purported change, one represented it.

It's our tax money, where do we want it to go...into programs that reduce the cost of health care and gasoline, or into the pockets of the wealthy.

October 25, 2007 - Image #0019 - "Parallel Universes, Science Fiction of Fact? (In another universe I wrote a better Headline)"

2007-10-26T11:50:00.001-07:00

(image to be posted later)

It has been postulated since 1954, when Hugh Everett III came up with the idea, that multiple universes exist parallel to our own, where our choices and actions have come up different than what we have chosen here, in our universe. Multiple works of science fiction have entertained this idea, from the television show Sliders to Futurama. However, scientists now, like Dr. Michio Kaku, inventor of "string theory" and others believe that parallel universes could be more real than we think.

Think about it. Perhaps, this morning you had eggs for breakfast. Another you could have had ham, or skipped breakfast entirely...the theory claims that for every decision you could possibly make, there is an infinite number of universes created for every single one. Richard Feynman and Stephen Hawking both ascribe to this theory, as do many others.

To break it down, quantum particles, the things everything is made of, split, much like when we decide whether we want French Toast or Microwave Waffles in the morning, it's a decision, but at the subatomic level. So when the particles split, they do so on separate levels, on universes that can never interact with one another. They split when an irreversible decision is made, basically, when something has happened. (For an example, albeit probably more confusing, look of Schrodinger's poor kitty.) Seems easy, right? Well, of course, I have to throw a spanner into the works.

This is solely my opinion, and is open for debunking, but theories are theories, I suppose. Let's say you did decide to eat Microwave Waffles this morning, but you considered every other decision. Well, the issue with that decision were the millions of other decisions that fueled yours. Not just the facts that Cold Waffles were the only thing in the fridge, and you can' t put Maple Syrup on cereal, (well you could, but let's leave that to any other parallel universe.) Think of the fact that those waffles were created by a company that sold them to you at a set price, the store that decided to sell them, the store being built, an inherent desire for something to go with Maple Syrup based on childhood experience perhaps, having a microwave, living in a country where that is available, and so on, and so on. Decisions that travel back to the beginning of time if you go far enough.

So this leaves us with one sole consideration; that if parallel universes exist, they must have solely been created before the birth of time, though if basic logic exists on all planes of existence, then logically, there could only be one possible outcome, the current universe within which we exist. The only variable is the modification of Quantum logic, but even that defies parallel universe theory.

My sincerest apologies to those who were hoping that somewhere out there, a parallel version of yourself is enjoying a fancy well-prepared breakfast of Lobster Omelettes and Crepes, but think of it this way, you can either enjoy life as it is, and has been given to you, and relish in every decision that you make, knowing that it is yours and yours alone....or you can buy a cookbook, and save the Microwave Waffles for someone else.

(Fun Fact[?]!: Based on the laws of the Copenhagen view, observation is necessary for physical existence, but parallel universes can never be observed, therefore denying their possibility within our range of existence! Schrodinger's Cat is Hungry/not hungry.)

Quick Add: Referencing activity in the macroscopic universe, parallel actions are unlikely due to the setup for said actions. Parallel existence is referring to the wavelength collapse of quantum particles, and the possibilities of multiple functions of said particles. I may be unable to "disprove" the existence of a parallel universe, but I am hypothesizing that any parallel universe that operates under the identical logic of our universe cannot exist because it would recreate itself identically to ours.

So there is the possibility that a parallel universe exists, but is completely identical, but because it cannot be observed, under Copenhagen views, keeps a Schrodinger's Cat type balance, where it exists and not exists...so perhaps our universe is always the one that exists.

March 3, 2007 - Image #0018 - "Ce N'est Pas Un Crayon"

2007-03-03T23:28:00.000-08:00

Rene Magritte's art stretched the boundaries of our perception, challenging viewers to alter the way they look at the world and reality as we know it. Accepting what we see as real is different from acknowledging what we know to exist and how we perceive it. Magritte's Treachery of Images is a simple painting of a pipe with the statement, "Ce n'est pas une pipe." Simply stating that the image of the pipe is not a pipe itself, but an image of one. This question of perception has inspired thousands of artists and millions of those who are willing to accept an alternate view.

We viewed his works at a special show at the Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art, along with the works of other modern artists and surrealists. Inspired by Magritte, artists created pieces that challenge logic and cause you to look at the world with an adjusted viewpoint.

The Ladder of Fire displays three items, a scrap of paper, a chair and an elaborate Horn, all engulfed in flame and shown as such left to right. The complexity and "value" of each item increases from left to right from the paper to the horn, so our brain may give off feelings of concern for the items, although, within the picture, although they are covered in flame, they appear unharmed. This also brings us to the final point, that in the end, it is also not an actual fire, but simply an image of one.

The limitations of our perception stretch beyond an understanding of Modern Art and into every decision we make on a daily basis. Opening your mind to a myriad of possibilities, even unrealistic and illogical ones gives you a wider worldview and a new way of appreciating the world around us.

February 28, 2007 - Image #0017 - "..."

2007-02-28T22:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes words are unnecessary.

Cluttering up the silence that ceases to exist upon their arrival.

February 27, 2007 - Image #0016 - "Millions"

2007-02-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

All of reality is based on millions and billions of tiny particles from which all matter and energy are created. The building blocks of reality are constantly being speculated upon by philosophers and quantum physicists. Everything we do, everything we are and everything we will be is based on precise mathematic calculations. Today, we offered our own speculation on exactly what the universe is based on.

"String theory," a recent theory, is the idea that all particles are created by vibrations of "strings" that exist on a subatomic level. They exist as bosons (particles that transmit force or energy), and fermions (particles that become matter). The strings rely on what is called supersymmetry, which is the belief that for every action the strings take, there is a simultaneous action, i.e. one boson string may react with another symmetrically and create an electron.

The strings show just how interconnected and unending all life and all reality is. Chaos and Order rule over all reality. The actions of particles, the movement of energy; all are tracked by specific mathematic equations and the reactions of actions can be calculated down to the last decimal point. However, the strings, due to their existence outside of time and our three dimensions of movement (they create the particles that exist within our four dimensions), are free from the restrictions of our Order, and their Chaos is what creates the initial beginning of all reality.

Everything that happens is due to the expenditure and conversion of a type of energy: moving your hand is taking the electrical energy from your brain and converting it to kinetic energy in movement, and a star being born is the modification of gases to a new form, which is simply the changing of thermal energy. So even if an action you take is "chaotic," it is facilitated by the expenditures of energy that led to that action, as the amount of sleep you get, the amount of nutrients in your body, electrical reactions in your brain and all other outstanding energies which contribute to your "decision" and can be calculated like any other measurement of an energy-related equation.

According to the first law of thermodynamics, energy can never be destroyed, it can only be changed or transferred. When energy first began, created from the strings that exist outside of our own time and entering the dimensions in which we exist and perceive, it changed and modified itself, while more and more particles were created, and more energy existed. This same energy has changed itself from stars to cosmic radiation to the spark on a planet's surface to the crashing of an ocean wave to the movement of a creature from the sea onto land to the kinetic energy burned to create a life of our own and on to ourselves.

Today, we are no longer afraid of death. We have come to the conclusion that we exist as beings of energy. As stated earlier, every action we take from thought to motion, are all based on energy, and it is the same energy that existed at the beginning of time and will continue to the end of time. We are not linear or finite, but all beings within a constant stream of energy that stretches from the beginning of infinity to the expanse of forever.

February 26, 2007 - Images #0014 and 0015 - "Portraits"

2007-02-26T22:54:00.000-08:00

The love we have for photography and filmmaking is second only to the love we have for each other. For Oscar Night, we decided to get dressed up to celebrate with friends and family, and just prior to the show, we snapped a few photographs of one another. Soon, simple pictures became experiments in lighting and minor shots became complex set-ups. Color, lighting, even the way our heads were tilted, all became aspects of the image we were capturing.

Caroline was beginning to learn more, not only about the lighting set up, but how to be a director as well. All the while, I was teaching as much as the few memories from film school would bring back clear, but also rekindling my love for directing; setting up shots and capturing a single image that matches one that I pictured in my mind.

Despite a daily photographic regimen, our focus has been on writing our other projects, leaving little time to appreciate and experiment with visual arts like photography. It was a fantastic escape and inspirational learning experience.

February 23, 2007 - Image #0013 - "I'll Never Let Go"

2007-02-23T23:39:00.001-08:00

It's amazing what you can pull off in one evening.

A last minute production created a 15-second spot spoofing a famous movie scene, and starring the two of us for a contest requesting an advert for theaters with the phrase "Turn Off Your Cell Phones." Tonight we were lucky enough to screen the spot in front of the Fallbrook Film Factory.

The night we created this film, the time limitations were fierce, and filming didn't start until we haphazardly arrived at someone's backyard in Costa Mesa, CA, borrowing a swimming pool and trying our best to not wake the neighbors.

The family really came through and all showed up, Clint, Brandon, Janie and Clint's girlfriend Courtney. 15 seconds was a short time to fill a scene, but the setup took much longer than expected. The late evening and the necessary near-silence kept us at a disadvantage, but nothing was worse than the temperature of the pool, which we are certain, if not for the chlorine, would have been iced over.

When you are up to your midsection in freezing water, you realize that 15 seconds is a lot longer than it seems on tape. Especially when there are multiple takes. You reach a point where your body refuses to go under the water. Your brain sends signals demanding a response, but at some point there is a subconscious refusal and the top half remains stubborn and motionless.

At around 1 a.m., shrouded in towels, we wrapped production, satisfied with the shots, and ending up with an excellent clip. Shows you what you can do with a small amount of time, some determination, and the willingness to freeze off your toes. During the screening, our spot was met with a positive response. It was worth every degree below 40. (5 for you Canucks.)

To those that want to see the spot, here's the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGqtcErSUeg

Enjoy!

February 22, 2007 - Photo #0012 - "Le Feu Magique"

2007-02-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

Magic is science we haven't figured out yet.

We are members of the Magic Castle and I have been known to have my own bits of prestidigitation with a deck of cards or simple coin. I have pulled cards out of thin air and read people's minds, but is this magic, or simple parlor trickery?

While the supernatural seems real with some sleight-of-hand, magic happens each and every day, in everything around us at every moment. What causes a plant to grow, or for atoms to hold themselves together? How do our wounds heal and why can't energy be destroyed? Scientific questions? Or concepts we have yet to grasp? We understand how certain things happen, but few understand the why. Avoiding conversations related to a "higher power's intent" I am referring to the aspects of our world we have yet to discover.

We often think about what it would be like to live in the Middle Ages or during the times of the Greeks, and I wonder if perhaps scientific explanations have dulled our storytelling abilities. While we are aware that the tides are not the will of Poseidon, but more influenced by our lunar counterpart, the creativity and "magic" is lost when you rely completely on scientific explanation. The further question is what brings magic into it. If gravity pulls us to the earth, what causes gravity to occur? What force pulls us down to the earth and keeps us from becoming so much driftwood in space? It seems almost magical when you really think about it.

Science is magic we've already figured out.

(And btw, the picture isn't photoshopped.)

February 21, 2007 - Image #0011 - "The Nuart"

2007-02-21T23:49:00.000-08:00

Discovering the world of independent cinema has been a breath of fresh air and a much sought out alternative to the formulaic films that Hollywood pumps out every year. Throughout our lives, we have hungered for movies that not only break the mold, but create new molds to which other films can be forged.

The Nuart, shown in a music video by Michel Gondry for the artist Beck (to our surprise), is a theatre house owned by Landmark Theatres that dedicates its single screening room to independent films. Studios mass produce "filler films" with shallow content in hopes of big theatre sales and so on to DVD, circulating around the idea that film is a commodity and nothing more. Film is, and always will be, an art form. Too often the motivation for creating this art is driven by the need for profits, a dividing line that similarly separates graphic arts and simple advertising.

The Nuart is a gallery for cinematic art, portraying views and ideas from films and documentaries around the world, as well as those shot for virtually nothing; guerilla filmmaking at its finest. Films that evoke emotions, teach lessons, speak in different languages, bring you into a foreign world and truly affect your life are the kinds supported and displayed by this bright neon moving picture house on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Much like some of the films it shows on its Midnight runs, the Nuart is an older building, a landmark that has withstood time and multiple owners to maintain its dedication to art on the silver screen.

The Nuart will be the theatre that showcases our first feature film...and the rest that follow!

February 17-20, 2007 - Photo #0010 - "Snowed In"

2007-02-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

For the past four days, we have taken a brief sabbatical from the daily photo blog, as we took time to relax and enjoy the crisp winter of Montreal and the wonderful company of friends and family.

Trekking through the snow and experiencing (for Travis) negative temperatures (in Fahrenheit) for the first time was incredible and a fantastic break. We were so grateful to see everyone during the trip and cannot wait for our next venture up north into the Hinterlands.

We were thankful to be able to celebrate our engagement in so many different ways. We had a fantastic trip. Expect to return to your regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. Thanks for reading so far.

February 16, 2007 - Photo #0009 - "Two Handfuls of Frozen Water"

2007-02-16T20:09:00.000-08:00

Growing up in Montreal, snow was always seen as a cold, wintry, achromatic adversary. Road blocker, car staller, toe freezer and general miscreant. This is a basic fact of life here in Montreal; snow is not something to be marveled, it just exists and can be counted on every year.

Tonight though, I watched Travis touch it and feel it like it was something magical and foreign. His eyes sparkled like a child's. The texture, he said, was soft and light, but sparkled like a handful of powdered diamonds. This was just a statement of the obvious, and seemed unimportant until I realized that to someone who has never really seen snow, it truly is a marvel, a force of nature that is, on its own, beautiful.

Holding aloft two handfuls of frozen water seemed so meaningless until now, but it gave me pause to realize that the mundane can become exciting, and that nothing should be taken for granted.

I'm happy to be home.

February 15, 2007 - Photo #0008 - "Etched In Stone"

2007-02-15T22:59:00.000-08:00

First off, sorry about the day off yesterday, but if there is a day to take off, it's Valentine's Day. Not that we wholly support a day bent on consumerism and so on, but it seemed like a good excuse.

There are those who hate Valentine's Day, those that write it off as a day pushed on us by stores and corporations to sell roses at triple price. There are those that love Valentine's Day, that take time to appreciate the one they love, and go all out for this single special day. Then there are those that say that Valentine's Day is every day with the person that they're with, that there is no reason to celebrate a single day when every day with them is worth celebrating.

Debate can rage on all it wants, but the important issue is that regardless of the reason or the day, spreading love and showing the person that you love how much you appreciate them is what is most important.

Love doesn't need to be etched in stone, or preserved in the annals of time to be special, but if a patch of wet cement is near your work, and your first attempt was found and paved over, and you're on your lunch break, and you have to use your car key because the cement is almost completely hardened, then exceptions can be made.

Love is a sensitive topic, so we'll keep it brief. Love is not only appreciating every moment you spend with the one you love, but anticipating every moment as well.

February 13, 2007 - Photo #0007 - "Winged Beauty"

2007-02-13T22:19:00.000-08:00

Majesty within nature is not a foreign concept. Finding something astounding or an unforgettable sight within the confines of the animal kingdom is not a daunting or difficult task. The true beauty is knowing that nature is just beyond our doorsteps, residing in our backyards or only a few minutes from our very homes.

We are lucky to live next to a wetlands preserve, where many fauna, including the Great Blue Heron, make their home. Unfortunately, our housing complex, Villa Venetia, is planning on expanding their apartments, and demolishing a large group of Cypress trees that are homes for these beautiful avians. Protesting before a census taker for the apartment group, we learned of the plight and made attempts at researching the subject.

Apparently this has been an issue within the area for the past few years, even getting to the point where some residents climbed into the trees to prevent their destruction. The main complaint against the herons is their noisemaking.

We invite anyone who lives or visits the Marina Del Rey area to relax at Fisherman's Wharf or near Villa Venetia and listen at 7 a.m. to what you will hear. We have been awoken by the blasts of the miniature cruise lines as they set off for another tour. The screech of whistles blown every few minutes by the UCLA rowing teams cut through the air. Boat motors and car noises are minimal problems at best, but when you hear the birds crying out, (and from a few months of living here, is about as often as we hear the sea lions), it is a beautiful noise that combines with the natural feel of living so close to a home for true wildlife.

While the vast majority of those who will read this are not from the area, we suggest that you find out about the preserves and natural areas near where you live and find out if developers may be destroying homes and displacing animals right in your backyard. The excitement of sharing a backyard with true wildlife is indescribable, to have sea lions sleeping only yards away, ducks swimming in our pool and the Heron, proudly displaying itself just beyond our window, is a blessing many are misconstruing as a curse.

You can argue the rights as humans to lay claim to the earth, but in the end, we are all living entities on this planet, and we must offer all wildlife help and respect whenever we can.

February 12, 2007 - Photo #0006 - "Days Unseized"

2007-02-12T23:39:00.000-08:00

Carpe Diem...or Carpe Noctis, since it's late.

Some of the bikes within the garage's "cage" have gone unused for years, if not decades. Verified by the property manager and the layers of dust. Adjacent to our parking spaces, we can stare through a webbed-over chain link fence at the line of dusty metal, and know that when we can afford our own bikes, and soon, we will do everything we can to ensure that not a single micron of dust settles on their frames.

A day spent with whistles of wind cutting through your hair and the ground pulling under you is a day never wasted.

Sorry if the blog is short tonight, but as they say...Carpe Noctis, since it's late.

February 11, 2007 - Photo #0005 - "Battling Insomnia"

2007-02-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

My eyes opened at 2 a.m. and a bit of motion and sound turned my head towards Caroline. A gray blur was descending from the darkness barreling towards Caroline's face. 2 a.m. is not the time for quick thinking and immediate action. By the time my brain had gathered the information necessary to form a coherent thought, let alone a reaction, Miracle had already crashed, got up and stumbled off into the night. At 2 a.m., events like this incur whispered death threats from the victim and bits of laughter from the witness, wisely quieted under my blankets.

In a house with two rambunctious felines, sleep must be grasped whenever possible. This, however, is not a problem solely within the confines of our apartment, few people get the sleep they require to make it through the day.

No explanations of anything are more interesting that the causes of insomnia. The humorous as per the case of our young felines who insist on running full-speed into walls and trouncing our faces if we offer the slightest twitch during a deep slumber, often intermingles with more serious concerns, those that worry, that fear, and that may even be afraid of what dreams may visit them during the night.

Or maybe it's just that sleep seems like a waste of time. Hours spent, eyes shut, body prone, wastefully idle. Sleep has become an enemy, a wastrel met with bitter scorn in a world where every minute awake is for one reason or another, vital.

Each night before I shut my eyes, I let my worries drift away. If there is ever an absence of positive thought, I can relax knowing that for the next 8 hours, I have nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. I will not hunger, I will not want, I will know that for however long I sleep, any crisis will have to wait until morning, and I prioritize my recovery and rest. For the next 8 hours, I will be unable to act upon my worries, so why worry at all?

Caroline takes this all a proper step further, and "de-dramatizes" her problems. When tired, molehills become mountains. A problem echoes in a dark, empty room. But no problem is so fierce that it cannot wait until morning, and problems are best tackled when your mind has had time to recuperate. Nothing is as bad as it seems, even at 2 a.m. And if you have a warm bed and a soft pillow, then life cannot be all that bad.

Tonight, though, the cats are getting locked out.

February 10, 2007 - Photo #0004 - "The Art of Cooking"

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The kitchen is my favorite room in the house.

If you must eat three times a day, it seems logical to develop the skills necessary to make those tri-daily sessions as enjoyable as possible. (I use the term tri-daily loosely, as too often breakfast, lunch and dinner are replaced with Starbucks, Nothing, and Tacos.)

Cooking is, however, an art through and through, and a unique one at that. Recipes quickly become guidelines, and slight modifications make them all your own. In cooking, you can take what you like, mix with things you enjoy and create something completely new.

Chaos combines with order, an unknown "pinch" of medium-ground pepper comes just after a specific method of stirring together egg yolks, defined down to the exact turn of the wrist. Methods for creation could have been handed down for hundreds of years, then improvised upon at a moment's notice.

What makes this art truly great is the ability to share so easily with those around you, those that may enjoy your cooking once it is done, and those that may take on your recipe and not only enjoy its replication, but modify it and create something new for themselves.

Today's Breakfast:

Trav's Bell Pepper Cheese Eggs

1/2 Red Bell Pepper 5 Eggs
1/2 Green Bell Pepper 1 tbsp Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic
1/2 cup Grated Pepper Jack 1 tbsp or so of Medium Ground Pepper
Pinches of Salt, Pepper and Paprika
A small bit of milk
Some cooking oil and a tiny pat of butter.

Combine the eggs, stirring with a fork, lifting as you stir. Add the pinches of Salt, Pepper and Paprika, and the small bit of milk, approximately 1/8 cup. Stir until almost completely yellow.

Heat skillet at medium-high until hot. Add small bit of oil. Dice bell peppers and add with tiny bit of butter. Make sure butter covers the bottom of the skillet lightly.

Add the egg mixture and stir. If the skillet is large, keep the eggs and peppers all to one side, so as not to reduce thickness. It is important not to chop the eggs as you cook. Cook it similar to an omelette, only breaking it up lightly if necessary.

Once one side of the eggs begin to harden slightly, begin to add the cheese. Add more or less to your liking. Then add 1/2 tbsp of pepper and poultry magic and stir everything. Cook until the eggs are firm and add the second 1/2 tbsps of seasoning. Continue to stir, not breaking the eggs up too much so they remain firm and fluffy.

Serve while still hot. Modify as you wish.

February 9, 2007 - Photo #0003 - "Little Victories"

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In each and every day, battles are lost and won in every person's life. Life presents to us a multitude of competitions, ranging from a blurry-eyed attempt to silence an early alarm clock to battling your own memory in an attempt to locate just enough quarters to get in a load of laundry.

Daily challenges are often cursed as obstacles to an ultimate goal, time-wasters, frustrators and so on. But who doesn't take in that sweet moment of victory, that breath of relief, when a goal is completed?

Leaning against itself in pieces and unfinished, the nightstand lay apart, a small pile of screws, hinges and wood rapidly becoming a staple of our bedroom. Where does a nightstand rank on levels of importance? Isn't there better things to do with your time than put together another of IKEA's patchwork furnishings? Caroline defied the female stereotype, and furthered the lazy Travis stereotype, and took a piece of the day to battle a bit of wood gathered in China, sent across the sea to Canada and trucked to Southern California for us to cobble together. When you consider the effort and travel put into this simple cube, the complication of the assembly seems insignificant and almost obligatory.

Failure is giving in to the hesitation and fear that success may be out of your reach. Determined to not be branded as the incapable damsel, waiting for her knight to rescue her and show her how to properly attach a hinge, Caroline took on the nightstand. At the start, the little box seemed as if it would barely measure over a few inches tall if completed successfully, but would tower over the room if assembled incorrectly.

Determination and a screwdriver were all Caroline needed to put the pieces together, and be lucky enough to not end up with an extra bolt with no home.

No matter how simple or difficult a challenge, you can still cherish that final moment, when you take an unfinished task and cross it off the list. Realize that accomplishing something...anything...is a worthwhile venture. Accomplishment and our small victories are feelings to be relished, moments to be savored, a statement to one's self where you can say, "Hey, I did this." The next step is simple, "Hey, what can I do next?"

Every victory, no matter how small, is still a victory, and should be celebrated as such.
Every challenge, no matter how large, is a potential victory just waiting to happen.

February 8, 2007 - Photo #0002 - "Our Furry Child"

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Few can truly appreciate the intelligence of a cat. They are the one animal I believe operates a thought process beyond any in the world. Instinct and a slight learning curve bely every action, and darting after a bit of dust flittering in the apartment to pressing a soft paw against our sleeping noses, the "little ones" seem to take actions based upon a mysterious unknown decision, that can change at any moment.

Miracle, the older gray, and Sadie, our little calico, attack the invisible that wanders our apartment, spectors which I am certain only appear in their imaginative minds filled with clandestine thoughts.

Tonight was one of those nights where you realize the true joy of being a cat owner. Defying the stereotype of the unfriendly layabout, we were treated to an evening of romps through recently washed laundry, sharing the plastic wrap off a newly opened gift and the warmth of a small feline curled up next to your lap as you type away on the computer.

Most importantly though, these two bring life to a space that would simply remain stale and empty. Whereever they roam, there is always a story, always a bit of mischief, or a simple scene played out by two players with imaginary roles.

And no matter how many times I watch them, or how often I ponder, everytime they crawl up my chest to stare me face to face, they never betray a single clue as to what ideas may be hiding behind those huge round eyes.

February 7, 2007 - Photo #0001 - "The Board"

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And so, the daily photo journal begins.

Each day one photo will be taken to represent the most important event of the day, or something interesting that happened, or a story that can be told with a thousand words all in one image.

There are thousands of moments in a day, and to recognize at least one is to exemplify the value of every moment. Each one is worthwhile, and we hope to show one each day that meant a lot to us.

We start with Image #0001, dated February 7, 2007. "The Board"

Obtaining what you want out of life is all about visualization. When you visualize something, it will eventually become reality. We create for ourselves our own reality, and from that, we can obtain anything.

Caroline took the board into our bedroom and we stayed up past midnight filling it with all the things that we want out of life...goals that we will achieve. From simple things like Coachella Tickets and Bikes to World Travel and Film Festivals to Marriage and Politics. As we wrote each one they no longer were fleeting wants in our minds, no longer simple thoughts to perhaps grasp at, they were real goals, real futures, things that went from vague desires to future realities.

We hope that this journal will also show each of these goals as we obtain them, and the joy in each and every day.

Thanks for reading.