Journal - 2010

Is This Thing On?

Two days in a row. Will wonders ever cease? Two of my best friends in the world are visiting California. The first, my attorney, visited last weekend. We managed to find just the right amount of trouble for our long weekend. Along the way my attorney developed a crack-like addiction to one of my hot sauces. I also introduced him to what instantly nabbed the top spot on his Best Cheeseburgers Of All Time list. If anyone is jonesing for a wickedly good burger, stop by Beachwood BBQ is Seal Beach, CA. I recommend the blue cheese.

No Depression

It has been a hard year and a half. I've managed to survive, and it hasn't been without its triumphs, but this period has found me as the ball more than the bat. I don't have time to expound on how I feel about the voodoo economics bullshit that got us here. At least not now. I have a long laundry list of things I should be doing, including laundry. But for now the sun is shining, my windows are open and my other best friend is heading my way in the morning - provided he survives Vegas - which is where he's been for the last few days. He just might need a cheeseburger. 3.19.10



How Joe Missed The Aughts

Balls. I'm not sure how this slipped past me. Considering that it's the middle of March and I've just now added a 2010 page to my journal I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise. What slipped past, you may ask? Why, I somehow completely missed the chance to refer to twenty-AUGHT-anything for an entire decade. It seems so clever... so early twentieth century. I missed the boat, dropped the ball and screwed the pooch. As for how, I really couldn't tell you.

In Which Joe Gets Scolded By A Social Networking Guru

Tonight I went to a seminar on social networking at KPCC, my local public radio station. Call me what you will but I'm going on a decade of being an NPR junkie. Yeah, yeah, arugala, wine and cheese. Laugh it up. NPR has great news, no hype, calm DJs and NO COMMERICALS. I have an uncle who calls it National People's Radio... and I think his joke is pretty funny... but I'd rather listen to the sound of a dental drill resonating in the bones of my skull than certain faux news services.

So, I wasn't really scolded, per se. The Internets and I have been on sort of rocky terms lately. I've been developing a theory that states that the Internet has turned on us. When it was new I loved it. "Look at all the things I can do without getting up from my dotcom job Aeron chair! I can skip actual lines! I can order CDs! I can download this form that they always run out of at the library! This rules!" I was writing this journal before "blog" was a word. I've used the Internet virtually every day of my life for years. But now that the only way to get certain information is online the whole thing has lost its appeal. When it was an option that only us tech-savvy people knew how to use it was amazing. Now that it's the only way to do certain things it sort of sucks. Any shred of customer service has been obliterated. Just click here to send your resume! I might as well just poke myself in the eye.

But I digress. I wasn't scolded, but our host made a compelling case to use Facebook, Twitter and about 30 other websites every single day. I've been playing along for a while now, but I got exhausted just listening to her. I've run 26.2 miles in one morning... I've climbed mountains... but the thought of all that sitting still just wore me out. Come to think of it... I'm getting a little tired of the Internets right now. So, it's off to watch a Netflix movie and eat popcorn. The latter of which I bought after walking to the store with my own two feet. 3.18.10

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