The Wisdom of a Redneck Scientist.

Happy (Chinese) New Year!

2011-02-03T10:33:00.003-05:00

OK. I doubt anyone is out there anymore. To say I have neglected this blog is an understatement. But that ends now. You see things at the end of my graduate career were nuts for...well for close to 2 years. I was constantly under the gun to finish something. Experiments writing etc........ BUT this is a new year and some things have changed. Let's catch up, shall we.

I am NOW, finally, Dr. Jeregano. After my department attempted to kick me out with my Master's and I fought it, after I changed labs/fields and started fresh when I should have been planning the end of my graduate student career, and after I spent 2 years learning new things I finally got to defend and earned my thesis on November 12th. I spent a little time getting the thesis submitted to the school etc... and finally in very early January I was considered as to having graduated in early December. I am no longer a graduate student. So what am I?

I am a Post-doctoral fellow. As of January 24th I am a "Post-doc". I am in the same lab that I finished my dissertation in, and it is a good place for me. Since I changed fields (I got my PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology, but the lab I finished my degree in is in the Environmental Health department, more specifically the Toxicology field) I have a lot still to learn about the field in which I am now working and spending a little more time in this lab will do me wonders both on a knowledge level and on the CV building front. My boss was very generous to allow it, and I am very lucky that he offered. Corky Cherrywood (aka. Mrs Jeregano) is in the process of finishing her Master's and becoming a Nurse Practitioner so staying in Cincy was a necessity.

Now because I was finished with my dissertation didn't mean I was FINISHED with my dissertation. I had to get the work published as a paper in a peer review journal. I had some reviewers that demanded a lot more work and SO finally this past Sunday I WAS finished with my dissertation! As of this Sunday my paper was accepted and BAM! Experiments and writing done I finally found some relief of some of the preasure that has plagued me this last 2 years. It is amazing the weight that finally feels REALLY lifted. I have to admit, for the last several years I have felt like I couldn't enjoy the things I should. When I was out doing something fun, when I was on a trip, when I was simply trying to relax I felt some guilt. "I should be working on my dissertation". "I should be at work." "I should be writing that paper." That was how I felt, what I thought and so now it is nice to finally feel free to enjoy the things that REALLY should be enjoyed. Things like live music, dinner out with friends, and time just chill-axing.

And the timing couldn't be more perfect because lots of great things are happening in my personal life now that will need to be properly enjoyed. On Nov. 12th I defended my thesis as you will remember. This of course lead to consuming alcohol with friends, general levity and lots of good times. That night, after having been enjoying champagne, beer, and wine all day Corky felt a little strange and decided she should take a pregnancy test (we had been trying a couple months) and so on the same day I was told I had earned the title Doctor I was told I would be receiving the just as exciting honorific Dad. Think about it, Dr. Daddy Jeregano. Now THAT is exciting. There was so much to think about. So much to be excited about! I myself am a big kid and started thinking about how sweet it will be to have all the toys around the house to play with. It is an amazing thing. Then this Sunday, after finding out my work was finally going to be published and I was done with experiments for that paper, Corky and I took advantage of a connection we have with some OB Gyns and got an early ultra-sound to see if we could determine sex. We were right at the earliest stage that you could easily determine it. We'll get an official conformation in about another 4 weeks or so, but right now we are 95% certain we are having a girl! We had long ago (actually before we were even married) stumbled upon a name we had liked. Corky had a dream one night that we had had a daughter and she was standing on the front porch of a house calling for her to come in. That name was Ivy. For a middle name, Corky wanted to name her after her favorite aunt. So now I am certain my firstborn will become a famous botanist named Ivy Rose. This has begun another change you may notice. In the sidebar over there on the left you will a new blog linked, it is called Letters to Ivy and this is where I am going to write letters to my daughter. Starting today, or maybe tomorrow, you will be able to take a peek into the thoughts and life of a Redneck Scientist who is preparing to have a daughter, and continue to read after Ivy comes and I continue to write messages to her.

I am unsure how I will do Letters to Ivy now. I don't know if I want it to be completely open for the trolls of the internet to critique my thoughts/fears/style/mistakes of parenting or if I want to make it readable by approval only. Right now I have had very few problems with readers of this blog so if I recognize your name from the comments of this blog (or facebook, or twitter, or any other means) I will probably approve you so don't be afraid to submit a request.

So today is the first day of the (Chinese) New Year, the year of the Rabbit. My daughter Ivy will be a rabbit and, according to What's your sign, rabbits are trustworthy, empathic, modest, diplomatic, sincere, sociable, and caretakers. I doubt that there is really much to the zodiac itself, but those all sound like great traits for Ivy to have.

So after more than a year of my negligence this truly is like a new start on this blog. So right now I raise a toast to New Years, new blogs, new beginnings on old blogs, and new generations! CHEERS!

April fools

2010-04-02T21:54:00.001-04:00

Yes Jay, it was April fools. Hope everyone loved their Rick roll.

-- Post From My iPhone

Video Blog...

2010-04-01T10:36:00.000-04:00

I have decided that, since I have been unable to actually take the time to write it out lately, I would start a video blog. I have started my own youtube account and I will sit in front of this little web cam and record short, 2-3 minute blogs of me ranting. Today I reveiw Alice in Wonderland in 3D and the new Shooter Jennings concept album...all in 3:33 sec! Check it out!

http://tinyurl.com/JereganoVlog1

Health Care Reform

2010-03-23T11:19:00.001-04:00

I'm not going to debate the values or the merits or problems of the bill that is about to pass. I don't have time right now. I am going to repeat something I placed on facebook earlier. It is not a valid argument for healthcare reform, it is just an anecdotal, emotional response I felt. Here it is:

I will say this, yesterday morning when I had heard it had passed, I teared up when I thought that in 2014, my mother, who at that time will not have been able to afford health insurance since her job that supplied it left the area in 1994 (two decades), will finally have help getting some real health insurance. Health insurance that covers preventative care so she doesn't have to wait until it is in emergence. Health insurance so that my mom isn't sentenced to die of some curable disease she couldn't get diagnosed until the last minute because at three weeks before her 17th birthday (and probably 4 before what should have been her high school graduation) she gave birth to, what I believe, was a pretty handsome baby boy and has been behind the 8 ball and poor ever since. Finally, luckily as she reaches the point in her life when she will need it most, someone has finally decided my mom should have the same chance to fight life threatening illnesses as members of congress. This is a right to life issue. As much if not more than abortion. As much if not more than euthanasia. Even if this program was all cost and no savings, which it isn't as it will cut the budget over $1.3 Trillion over 20 years that cost boil down to (using $940 BLN/10yrs as the cost per CBO and 308,778,000 as the population) a little over $3 per year per person...weighted a little more on those who can afford it to cover those who can't.

Lincoln and Darwin

2010-02-12T13:11:00.002-05:00

Today is Abe Lincoln and Charles Darwin's 201st birthday! Do something progressive and positive today, even if it isn't popular, and stand for your convictions!

-- Post From My iPhone

Blog ideas

2010-02-12T13:11:00.001-05:00

Still considering bitching about supreme court ruling.

Thoughts on Twitter.

SnOMG!!!

-- Post From My iPhone

Imaginary history and science and other fun facts and fictions.

2010-01-26T17:12:00.002-05:00

Creationism. It is a current movement in this country, and from watching my facebook friends (I am from a small town after all and many of my childhood friends might be considered fundamentalist to say the least) it seems to be growing. I'm an open minded fellow. I give every idea it's due (I don't know if I have posted about Scientology or not...it seems like I would have but a cursory search of the term in relation to this blog gives two small mentions but no post on the whole story) . And so this weekend I gave the creation museum just out side Cincy it's fair chance (and a bit of my money which is the most disheartening). I went in hoping that at least some attempt to portray their beliefs scientifically. I hoped that there would be the use of pseudo-science to try to refute actual science. Unfortunately this was not the case. The museum instead chooses to attack your, the visitors and any human being for that matter, ability to reason and the basis of the scientific method instead. The museum decides to force you to decide, "Who do you trust, the word of god (as written in the bible) or the reasoning of man?". This serves as a huge flaw for the museum both as an attempt at evangelicalism and in any attempt to actually serve as a teaching device for their cause. Using the writings of the bible as the basis for your reasoning about the historical truth of the bible forms a logical loop that cannot be opened. It is like saying that the story of Conan the Barbarian is history because it is written in a historical context with real historical peoples. R.E. Howard was a good study of the historical mythologies and "sterotypes" of certain peoples (Picts, Norse, and Saxons espescially) but a historian he most certainly was not. The fact that Conan is a text that takes place among real types of historical peoples doesn't make Conan a real person. Using the age of the story itself also doesn't make it a valid basis for beginning answering your questions with. No one turns to the epic of Beowulf as a guide to historical precedent. OK, so there is the basis of the UNDERLYING flaw that leads to all the problems that are associated with the creation museum. From there of course they begin, using the "Word" as the basis for what is essentially human reasoning, to explain the things that science explains using, in theory, no bias and only observation and experimentation. That is the part they attack, that you should come at the things you find and observe with no bias you see. You are, they contend, supposed to come at all your, essentially human, reasoning with a judeo-christian (mostly christian really as much of the Judaic religion is left out in the abbreviated text they use which we term "The Old Testement")bias.

Ok, so now the fun part. By using that bias they come up with a very interesting view of the history of the universe. We'll now address some of this from the beginning. In the beginning god created the heaven and the earth and it was good....ok, I am not going to go over the whole judeo-christian creation myth for you here so we'll hit the high points as pointed out by museum.

God created the world in 6, 24 hour, days. On Saturday he chilled and watched what he had TIVOed all week. (editors note: The last sentence is attributed to the author, not the museum.)
Day 3: God creates plants, doesn't give them life so they are not considered alive.
Day 4: I guess realizing that his newly made plants were starting to kinda turn yellow and...well not die because currently death doesn't exist and plants aren't alive but something not good...god creates the sun moon and stars. All the stars are set in place, there is no movement of the universe.
Day 5: God created every sky and sea creature...birds and fish rule the world...for one day
Day 6: God creates all other animals. It's important to note the phrase in both the 5th and 6th day in the English translation of the bible that he makes things "in/of their kind" this plays important part in later reasonings. Also he makes Adam and Eve, and gives them dominion over EVERYTHING. The world is man's to do with as he pleases.

OK, so now there is no death. Nothing has to die. All animals eat plants, which aren't alive, and nothing hurts anything else. All Adam and Eve have to do is avoid the fruits of the tree of knowledge. Live in obliviousness to knowledge and live in peace without sin. The accusor/Satan/The Light/Lucifer whatever, which is one of gods creations, poses as another of gods creations, fools the humans into eating of the tree of knowledge. They realize they are nude, put on fig leafs, and god gives them clothes from an animal. This skinning of animals is the first death in the world. That is just over 6300 years ago. This is when the universe began to age, this is when man and the earth began to age. This was the introduction of death. At this point animals became predatory, the mechanism for the development of the tools of this predation are either:1) changing mechanisms that were used for plant eating to meat eating , or 2) god built in the information for this into the animals and activated it upon the introduction of sin...kind of a fail safe in case some thing threw a monkey wrench into the all knowing/ all powerful gods plan that he didn't see coming. Venom and plant poisons are introduced now as well with the same reasoning on how, either chemicals for other uses were changed OR god had built it in as a fail safe for his plans not going as planned.

OK, lets review to this point:
1. The universe (stars moving away from center of the universe and moving at all in the case of the planets) and earth began aging at the introduction of sin 6300 years ago.
2. The first death was for clothes. (Picture from museum included to scare the kiddies)

3) The all knowing/ all powerful/all loving God was unable to stop this and as such either changed the things of the world to introduce predation and keep animals from becoming over populated, and to protect themselves from predation to keep them from being under populated...this includes the still not alive plants and poisons. He did this by either originally building in this cruel fail safe or just making the world a cruel mean place.

Now of course the biggest problems here mostly arise from the time line. All things made in 6, 24 hour days, and the world begins 6300 years ago. All the different types of animals that ever exist do, at this point exist, in some form or other. Note how I said that, because animals are TYPES not animals we know today but a type of animal. There are horse types (an example to return to later) and cat types and dog types etc etc etc....

Ok, it is important to note, at the beginning it was cool to marry siblings because,
1)God created a woman for every man meaning only men and women were to get together
2) The genetic mutations that caused diseases were just starting so there was no health problems brought about by this. OK, next part.

About 2000 years or so after this God looks down and says, you know what these people are wicked and nasty and have all these other religions...I got to wipe the slate and start fresh. Ok, so now people lived a long time then Methuselah would have lived in the time of both his ancestor Adam and his decendent Noah..cool huh. God tells Noah, "Build a boat, I'm flooding this place and we're getting a fresh start. I need you to put 2 of each KIND of animal on this boat." See that word again. KIND. So Noah didn't need a horse and a zebra. Just an "equid" kind. Ok, lets also address the obvious question of dinosaurs now too. YEP, in that first 2000 years and until Noah's time people, and dinosaurs lived right there together. Side by side. Who knows, I bet there were dino farms and dinosaurs made the best damned bacon. That is the way it was. Noah's told to take 2 of EVERY kind, so he took dinos. I got pictures!

Here you see, near the bottom after the giraffes, a brontosaurus type dino loading onto the ark

Cute mom and baby Velociraptors type in their stall

Their stall is next to the lions.

The flooding creates turmoil, death, and destruction all over the world. This creates, they say, the fossils we see now and accounts for the stratification of said fossils. Why human fossils are never found with similarly dense dino fossils aren't addressed. Why the process of fossilization, which typically takes millennium, happens in just the short 4300 years since the flood, isn't touched upon at the museum. (Yes I know about the "granite cowboy" fossilized foot in a boot, but trust me, any paleontologist would notice the differences in the two types of "fossilization" right away. While some types of fossilization happens quickly not all and not even most do.) Also the flood accounts for physical formations that modern human reasoning insist are older than the accepted 6300 years. Examples include the grand canyon and caves. These features were carved out during the upheaval that lead to the flood and during the flood itself. Before this time there were no caves, nor were there canyons I guess. You see, another important part of this is that you have to suspend the belief that the natural processes we can now see and observe worked the same way in the past. The fact that the Colorado river currently carves the grand canyon and looks like it has for centuries doesn't mean it did before the flood
.

OK, so after the flood we have all these KINDS of animals released into the world and here is what happens, they go out and multiply their kinds. Natural selection starts and each kind begats others of it's kind and they adjust to work in their new environments. Here is a point to make, natural selection is accepted as valid. Darwin's first book, The Origin of Species, I then imagine is also accepted. It's that Origin of Man that gets him in trouble. OK, so natural selection happens and you get the "Ark Kinds" giving way to the variety of life on earth, in just 4300 years. Pics real quick:

Horses do evolve due to natural selection. These horses match the evolution of the horse we see in fossil records. Also helpful is that the "Ark Equid" is small, good if you got limited space on you boat.

But, as you can see, even they recognize that natural selection takes a LONG time and 4300 years just won't cut it, so God made it happen faster. Even if we don't see that speedy natural selection today, the rules of logic of today's natural processes do not dictate the natural processes of the past (i.e. caves and canyons). You can't believe what you see.

So rather than one big bush from which all animals evolved over millions of years giving us the great diversity we see, there was originally a certain amount of limited diversity that over 4300 years lead, through a process much faster but similar to the natural selection we observe today, to all the diversity we see today. Millions of beetle types from the one beetle pair on the ark 4300 years ago. Millions of spider types from the one spider pair 4300 years ago. Alpacas, camels and llamas all from one camel type 4300 years ago. Mastadons, Mammoths, and Elephants, from one elephant type 4300 years ago...2300 BC have you. Now how they got spread around the globe is also only lightly touched upon. Global rafting is suggested, the animals caught rides on drift wood. This is important because we need to note that Pangea couldn't have existed post flood due to the long time frames continental plates move...now the split could have been part of the upheaval responsible for the global flood, but that makes no difference to the dissemination of species across the globe as they all died then and just emerged from the ark. The argument here now is that dinosaurs died after the flood due to a change in the weather(the Ice Age, which they say happened sometime after 2300 BC which I am fairly certain is impossible since there is no written record of an Ice Age nor signs of one in that time but the existence of an Ice Age is impossible to deny due to Mammoths etc... I guess.) and/or a loss of their foods after the flood (a loss of the vegetation these large dinos ate). This works ok for the herbivorous dinos but not so well for the carnivores which would have still had plenty of animals, mammals, to eat and plenty of warm places to do it. Of course, they say not all the dinos died off, and that can be seen as partially true (see crocodilians) but they argue for the world wide legends of dragons, even fire breathing ones, to be stories of species of dinos still alive. The bible discusses leviathan and behemoth which the museum holds describes dinos...leviathan breaths fire (See the book of Job). That of course begs the question where are the bones and bodies of all these post flood dinos that became trophies of men among other things in the post flood striations of the earth.

OK, so quickly, all of this has happend since 2300 BC. The thing is, this is not actually what we would call "Prehistory". This isn't before recorded time. This is nearly a thousand years after the Egyptians were building monuments and writing histories in hieroglyph. By 2100BC the Chinese had a dynasty, the Xia...oh lets discuss Babel.

OK, so that is a discussion of some animals and "natural selection/rapid unnatural selection lets quickly touch on the natural selection of people...or lack of it. You see, "God made man in his image" means we haven't changed, or evolved, or grown from any kind. We aren't a branch on the "Great ape kind" tree. After Noah we founded a civilization, Babel and grew there. We began a civilization and entered into a time of confusion at some point it seems. I don't recall seeing anywhere when exactly post-flood the tower of Babel and the the confusion began, but sometime. Interestingly I found it funny that the first thing noted in that time to cause us our problems: Human religion.

Human religion caused us our problems post-Noah.

So god spread us out and garbled our tongues. Here are where all the human are separated. Now it is important to go back to the point, we are a straight line in our family tree. Unlike the other KINDS we never branched or changed, we are made in gods image and don't have to. That means, Cro-magnon man and his remains, Neanderthal man and his remains, Lucy and her remains....all humans and all spread out after the fall of Babel, sometime after the flood, 4300 years ago...aka 2300 BC.So as I was saying, in 200 years after the flood Babel grew, fell, Chinese were sent packing, and they begin keeping RECORDS of their dynasties and other things. And 1000 years before the flood Egyptians began keeping records in hieroglyphs that continued through the flood and after god garbled the languages at the fall of Babel. In fact written records in cuinform date back to close to 1000 years before the flood and continue through and after the flood for 2000 years. You see, humans have records of the time that should be PRE and POST floods and then we are already separate, and we are not wiped out down to 1 family. The civilization of Egypt and it's written records alone begins before and survives through the flood time as listed my the museum. Written egyptian began before 3700 BC...600 years after original sin...and continued through the 17th century AD apparently in the form of Coptic Egyptian.

OK, so there you have that. You don't need to spend your money now, and I encourage you not to, to go to the creation museum. You have the idea of what they say. They don't attempt to show you scientific evidence, pseudo or otherwise, to try to convince you of their "truth". They simply ask you to abandon your god given gift of human reason, accept that all reason should first accept the bible as an infallible historical record (and not one of those "human religions"), and suspend disbelief that prior to now the natural laws worked differently than they do now. Thoughts?

Other weekend updates:

It was a pretty kick ass weekend.

Saw Legion for free onn Thursday night, which is really great because I wouldn't have paid to see it. It was pretty terrible. You know, when I was a shortie, I probably still would have thought it was terrible. (Joke about the movie) Lets just say, it was better when it was 2 different movies, The Terminator and The Nativity story. Who'd have thought you could even blend them. Interestingly, another key point of the movie is a God that doesn't know the whole plan or what is really best for his creation...Arch-angel Micheal to Gabriel: "Your giving him what he wants, I'm giving him what he needs."

My lovely wife, Corky Cherrywood had a wonderful girls weekend trip to Napa. She had a lot of fun, but it is bitter sweet for me because logic says to me that because she went I won't get to..certainly soon and maybe never...and it is a place I really would like to go. But why spend one of our vacations rehashing something one of us has already done, the world's a big place and we can find new experiences together and if plans are what they are soon our lives will probably preclude vacations where drinking alcohol is the primary attraction/distraction. I'm sad at the thought of not, soon, going to do a trip that focuses on the wine country in northern Cali, Napa and Sanoma both, but ce la vie. I guess it is one of those things I'll have to relegate to the "later in life...retirement maybe" column. She had a great trip,she saw some beautiful vineyards, tasted wine straight from the cask, ate at Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc (which strangely all she would say was it was good, but the soup was just ok), got hit on by old Viet Nam vets(as happens to her..well not Viet Nam vets but old dudes) and her friend had a nice hook up with an Argentinian and went a long way to support her not inconsiderable wine/booze habit for another year.

Skinny and Elolzibeth, came up and we hung out all weekend with Jase. Jase, Chris, Randa, Shoop, and Kent, Skinny, and Elolzibeth all were together for the adventure to the museum of imaginary natural history and science. Then Saturday night we did liters and pork at the always fun Haufbrau Haus. We also watched the awesome Saints/Viking game on Sunday. It was a really good weekend.

Wow this is a long post, hope you enjoyed.

Question

2010-01-24T15:27:00.001-05:00

Is the new Brett Farve sears commercial where he's in front of the TV with the green screen and he tells the salesman, "I used to like green." antvthe salesman responds "What if it was purple with horns and a Nordic theme?" in poor taste, funny, or both. I'm bordering between funny and both.

-- Post From My iPhone

Blog ideas

2010-01-23T17:05:00.001-05:00

Supreme court rules that the most money should equal loudest voice.

My visit to the imaginary science and natural history museum.

-- Post From My iPhone

OOPS.....

2010-01-20T19:31:00.000-05:00

So I have to apologize to my 4 followers who today probably got SEVERAL new post listed as coming from me because I at one point exported, deleted and reimported every post on this blog in an attempt to correct a formatting problem. Sorry.

Odin's Day.

2010-01-20T12:40:00.005-05:00

I saw this on facebook today:

Without God our week would be: Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday, Shatterday. If you are not ashamed of God then post this as your status for the day!!!!.... Seven days without God makes one weak

It made me laugh because of the origins of the actual names of the days of the week. So now I will relay this low worth knowledge to you, without actual religious commentary. If you want that may I suggest you check in with Skinnybeard.

Sunday: Literally the sun's day, originally Latin dies solis. A day devoted to the sun
Monday: From the anglo-saxon word for moon's day. Similar to Sunday a day actually devoted to the moon.

Tuesday: Tyr's Day. A day devoted to Tyr the original Germanic/Norse god of war. He's got one hand because the other one was bitten off by a wolf.

Wednesday: Woden's day. Woten is the germanic name for the Germanic/Norse god best known by his Norse name, Odin. Odin became the god of war later but was also the god of wisdom and poetry. He is also known as the all father. He takes many shapes, traded an eye for a drink from the Well of Wisdom and thus only has one, consumes nothing but wine, and rides and 8 legged horse. Odin's day, a day devoted to Odin.

Thursday: Thor's Day. A day named for the Marvel Comics hero with the long flowing hair. Just kidding. That character is based on Thor, the Germanic/Norse thunder god. He is known for his red beard, hammer Mjollnir, and serving as the protector of both man and the gods. Powerful, headstrong, and a little too careless Thor's heart was always in the right place and this made him among the most popular of the gods, even surpassing the all father...Sorry Odin.

Friday: Frigg's day. The day devoted to Frigg, Odin's wife and goddess of marriage, love, and motherhood. She got oath's from all things, except mistletoe which she forgot, to never harm her son Baldur (that is a mother-goddess's love there) . She is possibly also an aspect/version of Freya and/or Frigga.

There ya have it.

If you don't support Conan, you hate the troops

2010-01-19T09:45:00.004-05:00

I thought I would chime in on a couple things from my coming soon blog topics real quick and then try to get back to writing my dissertation.

"If you don't support the mission you don't support the troops." That is something someone tweeted at Kevin Smith a few days ago. (Yes I twitter now, yes I will try to find a way to get my tweets running on the side bar...Suggestions?) Smith had said something anti-war in Afghanistan. Some one said support the troops and he said "I do, bring them home." That is when some douche said the quote above. Think about that. That would be like saying, "If you don't support coal companies strip mining and/or mountain top removal mining then you don't support coal miners having jobs." How about, "I don't support NBC's policies on Conan O'brien so I hate Tina Fey and 30 Rock!" (More on that in a bit). Or, "I don't support the Venezuelan President's policies, so who cares about the Venezuelan people." How about, "I don't believe in Santa Claus, so I am anti-elf!" The troops aren't a policy. The troops are people, with their own thoughts and opinions. They have independently, and for reasons known only to each individual, volunteered to serve in an armed force with the intended purpose of protecting America. They may have signed up for a cause, for the pay check, for a college education, or because they always thought they would look cool in uniform. Whatever their reasons they signed up and swore to protect the constitution and to follow all legal and appropriate orders. This means they do as they are told to accomplish the mission. Supporting the troops means; looking out for their welfare, advocating for their safety, and ensuring their rewards equal their sacrifice and service. BUT THE TROOPS ARE NOT THE MISSION NOR ARE THEY THEMSELVES A POLICY!!! To say, "If you don't support mission you don't support the troops" is simple minded. The truth of the matter is that policies and missions can be wrong (see use of the rainbow of defoliants in the Viet Nam conflict...or maybe just the Viet Nam conflict). Supporting a wrong policy is not supporting the troops it is putting them in harms way for a misguided reason. In ANY conflict, supporting the troops is supporting advances in military science that saves lives, it is supporting getting the goods to them on the ground, and it is suporting their mental well being. But if you don't agree with the conflict, well that is a separate matter all together. Voice it. Vote based on it. Just remember to vote and voice your support for the well being of the troops as well. Now, as for my own opinions on the current wars themselves, so as to start a discussion and a fight, is that Conan was screwed by Leno and NBC...no wait that is the next section. I'm against the misguided, started under false-pretenses, distraction from the war on terror that is the war on terror. It took money and a great deal of resources from the real war and the real threats...money and resources that would have been really helpful in the real war on terror and in the recovery from financial disaster that has followed. I am FOR the original mission of the war in Afghanistan, which is the total annihilation of the leadership of Al Qaeda which planned malicious unprovoked attacks on US civilians. I'm only for nation building in that it hurts Al Qaeda recruiting, but had we not started a distraction war those efforts most likely would not be needed as Al Qaeda would most likely already be destroyed or at least severely disabled and we might still have much of the good will that came with the justified actions we took after 9/11. OK enough about that flim flam, on to serious subjects.

Did NBC screw Conan or what!?!?! I know they screwed Leno, but they screwed Conan more. They screwed Conan out of the millions he stood to gain in 2004 by going elsewhere, they screwed him out of the gig he had been dreaming of since at least taking over for Letterman in 1993, and probably longer, and they screwed him out of a chance to add a bit of freshness to late night talk shows. There is a lot of talks about winning and not winning the ratings. Conan's ratings were low, and he was second place to Letterman every week since Michael Jackson died (He was a slim first the week before Jackson's death and he was third, behind nightline and letterman the week Jackson died....that is why I used that time point). But it is important to remember that for the first year they competed Leno routinely lost to Letterman and even before Letterman got started his ratings were ABYSMAL. What was it that turned Jay's ratings around? Sex. With a prostitute. By Hugh Grant. That was it. That was when he took a firm, good lead in the ratings. What was the first cause of Conan loosing ratings to Letterman. One joke. About sex. Concerning a politician's oldest daughter. And the politicians unfounded outrage, and hunger for the spotlight, any spotlight. And a kind of apology, or at least explanation of a joke in bad taste, by Letterman. Further Conan had another problem. Prior to his getting the tonight show people were told, "Wait a couple months, and Leno will be right back! And earlier! Before Conan!". Then that actually happened. The Tonight Show viewers could now get their tonight show at 10pm! Great for them, bad for Conan. Not that all of the viewers chose to watch Jay that had watched him at 11:30 because lets face it the Jay Leno show sucked, the time slot took most of the bite out of the monologue and there are a lot better things on than a talk and variety show on at 10 most nights. So Jay's ratings sucked too. You got 2 sucky shows with ratings but one of them can be easily blamed for both. You got a leach sucking ratings from your later one and a late one that has yet to have it's watershed moment. Letterman cemented his lead with more scandal (Sex with interns) and apologies. Maybe Conan should have found some scandal then he would have had the ratings....perhaps he could have punched the head of NBC in public.

OK there you have Jeregano's two cents. Thoughts?

Blog idea to come VERY soon

2010-01-13T20:16:00.002-05:00

A response to the Twitter response to @ThatKevinSmith that if you don't support the mission you don't support the troops. You can expect it to be firey and perhaps offensive... Oh how I missed this soapbox! Get ready folks.

-- Post From My iPhone

Potential blog ideas

2010-01-12T21:42:00.003-05:00

Conan got screwed and should crush Leno, drive him before him, and hear the lamentations of his women.

Kentucky wine is pretty alright.

Urban farming as a cure for post-industrial blight.

Thoughts?

-- Post From My iPhone

REBOOT!!!!!!!!

2010-01-12T11:38:00.136-05:00

Those who know me recognize these old boots. Those who've known me a long time remember the identical pair I had before these. Those first boots I got early in college. They went through many miles up and down the WKU hill, around Walmart #299, and 3 soles. They lasted 7 years and saw some of my brightest and lowest points. I wore them the day I walked and received my BS. I wore them my first real science job interview at Vanderbilt. They were reliable, versatile, constant. The pair in the picture above I have had now over 6 years, and they have seen miles too. I got them early in my graduate student career. And for the 4 years I lived in Clifton I walked to UC everyday, in every kind of weather. These boots walked me to Arlin's bar and saw me home after late nights. With these boots I traveled far and wide. They have been through airport security. They have been in Hodgenville and Liberty, Kentucky and LA and Seattle. Vegas and San Fran. They got around. They have carried me down the aisle in both my wedding and at least one of my friends. I have had them in muddy fields and worn them when I gave platform talks at major national conferences. They've rarely slipped and never failed. Through snow my feet were always dry and warm. They have hidden my pocket knife, so I didn't loose it, going into concerts, passing through pat down (not a maneuver I suggest, leave your knife in the car..but if you forgot it was in your pocket, well what ya gonna do really). They have served for every occasion, and like me they have been both rustic and polished at times. They have been resoled once. The first pair I replaced when the shoe repair man told me that there was no way he could put another sole on them, the leather was too old and cracked. This pair just recently has had the insole worn down to where I am walking on the heads of the nails that hold the heel on, and I have probably let that go on too long (I might have a permanent indention in my heel now). My Redwings have served their purpose and done so well. More than that they were consistent, trustworthy, constant, comfortable, and reliable. They have been there, on my feet, often seeming like a part of me, for a long time. When the time came for replacements I considered sticking with the Redwings I know. I was going to but then I stumbled upon these:

A keen eye probably quickly notices the AIRWAIR loops on the back. A very observant eye is probably drawn to the yellow stitching that ties the upper to the sole, or the actual translucent yellowish tint of the sole itself. Yes an observant eye quickly and without hesitation notices that they are Doc Martens. I am sure many people recognize they are the classic 8 eyelet Doc Marten. This is the original style that Doc Marten released on April 1st, 1960 known as the 1460. I am sure many of you, my dear readers, also quickly have flash backs to days of yore. Perhaps you were a punk and you had a pair of 1460s of your own, maybe in some bright color, maybe in good ol' smooth black. Maybe they weren't the 1460s, maybe they had 10, 14, even up to 20 eyelets. Perhaps you were a child of the 90's grunge movement and along with your tattered jeans and sweaters Doc Marten 1460s were part of your uniform, your regalia, your identity. Now I hear the wheels turning and I hear the thought in your head already. "But Jeregano, you aren't a punk. Your not grunge. Your also not one I have ever taken as a poser, so what is up with the Doc's?" Well I am what I am and that is a person who loves durability, value, and a good pair of all purpose work boots. Now durability is the ability of something to take abuse and last, like a late 70s Ford truck with a 302, a Jeep 4.0 inline 6, or my old Redwings. Value is not a cheap price, but getting more than you paid for out of something, like the simple and inexpensive Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages, the Michael-David red wines (7 Deadly Zins and Earthquake Cab), or again my old Redwings. A good pair of all purpose work boots can go anywhere and almost with anything, like my old Redwings almost could (did I mention they'd still take a shine, thank you very much). So the question is, then why change it up Jeregano? Two words, Lifetime Guarantee. You see, Doc Marten has a shoe line known simply as For Life. It contains two styles of shoes, the 1460 boots and the 1461 3 eyelet shoes. Colors are limited as the special leather they uses is treated in only certain ways to ensure long life. That is what I have here, boots for life. Repairs are performed by Doc Marten. Now I don't know if Doc Marten expected guys like me, good ol' boys who do everything in their boots and don't give them up until they can no longer be repaired, to stumble across this deal. Maybe they thought we wouldn't know Doc's already legendary reputation for durability or that we'd be turned off by their previous associations. Well the Doc didn't count on me. I've been rebooted, and this time it should be for life.

New Year, New Boots, New Beginnings, and so NEW BLOG POST. I am rebooting the blog as I am rebooting my feet. I'll start by catching you all up. 2009 was, as predicted, a year of change. I married Corky Cherrywood (see the redheads diary to the right, shes been writing again and I bet if you leave a comment she may just keep it up...she loves attention). We bought a nice little house with a wooded back yard, a 2 car garage, and a concrete pond. I have give a talk at a major national conference and now I am writing my thesis hoping to get that PhD sooner rather than later. It has been a whirlwind and often chaotic year, and it has been pretty good, but man am I looking for some calm smooth times in 2010. I also got a new hat, pictures to come.

For those readers who've forgotten or for anyone new, this is where I rant. Sometimes it is offensive, sometimes heart breaking, sometimes funny, sometimes it is stream of consciousness and hard to follow, sometimes I am very well written and others I am barely coherent. I also have a phone app that will allow me to post blogs from it, and you can count on me putting short notes on blog ideas up from it which should turn into larger post at the computer. I intend to set down a time on my calender to update you once a week, and perhaps to rant a little. Many of you may recall that I like to end blog post with song lyrics. Sometimes a whole song, sometimes a fraction. Often the song is just something I am currently listening too, other times it has to do with the blog post, and still others it is just fun lyrics. For this post, I choose to honor my old Redwings and hope my Doc Martens fill the Redwings big shoes.

These boots have counted off many a band

Playing one night roadhouse stands
For tips in empty rooms

These boots have stood toe-to-toe

with some of the biggest baddest Joes'

like they had something to prove

these boots

Yeah these boots have more than once saved my ass

like that time they hid that grass

from those cops in Tupelo

And these boots have danced with the devil

and nearly lost that battle

to a Wild Irish Rose

I wore out more soles than I care to count

done more stupid things then most would dare to

I've kicked myself more times than not

for the roads they lead me down

but the damndest thing I've ever seen them do

is walking out on you

These boots had to see California

and an Arizona morning where God paints the sky

And these boots had to spur that beast in Cheyenne
thought that bull'd make me a real man

I still drag that leg sometimes

I wore out more soles than I care to count

done more stupid things than most would dare do

I've kicked myself more times than not

for the roads they lead me down

but the damndest thing I've seen them do

is walking out on you

These boots are one step from the door

they walked out years ago
I can almost see her now

these boots should kick that door aside

stomp out my foolish pride

but they just turn around

-"These Boots" Eric Church

Testing this app again.

2009-12-21T11:53:00.002-05:00

Is this thing still on?

Candid random phone pic test too.

-- Post From My iPhone

The viper ith coming!!!

2009-12-21T10:04:00.005-05:00

A line from an old GI Joe cartoon I remember (I think it is the only episode I remember in any detail) says, "The viper ith coming."
The joes kept getting phone calls telling them just that, "the vhiper ith coming," and some numbers. Using the numbers as clues the joes find a couple cobra bases and put a premature stop on some cobra plans and in the end realize the numbers are really a day and time. They go out side their base, grouped together at full combat readiness waiting for the coming attack. A small man with a large grey mustache and overalls on walks up with a pail and a squeegee in hand and says in a thick German accent, "I am the viper, I have come to vipe the vindows"

Much like the vhiper, a blog is coming.

Be prepared!!!!!!

2009-12-18T10:46:00.002-05:00

A change and a post are coming..........

Test

2009-11-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

I will reboot this blog before or in the new year. Be watching.
I hope there is still someone out there. Roll call?

-- Post From My iPhone

Large shoulders...

2009-05-27T13:14:00.002-04:00

I grow tired of carrying all the blame and making all the apologies. Particularly when I've been the calm, cool, rational one. Is this the burden of being a team, knowing who's the whipping boy?

-- Post From My iPhone

Still resting somethings.

2009-04-25T08:15:00.002-04:00

Test test test.... Yeah I'm the roadie.

-- Post From My iPhone

More testing

2009-04-24T12:29:00.002-04:00

I am testing things. Considering complete blog reboot in next couple weeks. Much new stuff going on so nows the time for new blog activity. Phone blogging could make it faster and fun. Maybe I'll do some blogging from the bathroom! Now does that sound awesome or what?
Let's look at some pictures on my phone lovelies:

No shelby's not dead, just sleeping I promise.

Pacific northwest Jeregano.

-- Post From My iPhone

2009-04-23T16:25:00.002-04:00

Testing some posting method

Gross...

2009-03-26T11:12:00.005-04:00

Take a close look at this picture, but not to close. This is one of the most disgusting things I may have ever seen. I typically don't do this kind of blogging here but I stumbled upon this picture as I was entering myspace and had to get a closer look. This picture is apparently from a pictorial of Lindsey Lohan in a magazine coming out this month. A PICTORIAL! You know this is a pic that has been touched up to make her look BETTER!

Unless this magazine is Heroin Chic Quarterly or Eating Disorders Monthly someone should feed this girl. With the flesh toned bathing suit she is wearing she looks like a sickly Barbie doll. Her legs are stick and she has no tone or shape to her at all. She's a stick figure with a members only jacket hanging off of her like a toga. She looks like that cigarette and evian water are all she puts in her mouth. Yuck. What happened to the more shapely girl who pulled off these faux Marilyn shots?

Well Deserved Apologies

2009-03-25T10:56:00.004-04:00

I am well aware of the many apologies I need to make and so I am goinig to do them now. I also know that some who need to hear them, won't read them here but I hope you do and when the moment comes I will also apologize in person, but here you have an apology in a public forum.

To my readers, the last couple months have been some of the busiest of my life to date. With several presentations intended to cover a couple years worth of work and only a hand full of months worth of work to show I have been hustling to fill in the void and prep the presentations. Finally finishing those last week I am busily preparing for my wedding this weekend while also trying to finish several end of the semester things for the graduate program and trying to get paperwork done before our graduate program administrator leaves at the end of the week, certainly leaving things to crumble for some short time in the interim as someone else learns the ropes.

To several of my family and friends: I have heard from others about your concerns and complaints. I know about your hurt feelings. This weekend I am having what is known to be a HUGE celebration to mark my marriage and you are wondering, "Where is my invite?" and "Am I supposed to show?" and more importantly I am sure, "Why wasn't I invited?". You are right to ask, and I am sorry but the fact that this is a HUGE celebration was never my intention. It is big, and I am sorry if you feel that in such a big production there should have been room for you. Well the problem is it has gotten far to big.
I invited family, but not all of them. I only really felt comfortable inviting blood relatives to my mother and father and their spouses. What this means is that my mothers 2 step siblings and my cousins through them I didn't send you an invite and that is why you don't have one. Buddah, Breana (who I am well aware is just across the river), Brent, Barb, Brooks, Rick, and Jenna I apologize to you.
Just as thoughtless of me is not giving previous explanation to all those friend who had expressed interest to me in being there that day and also didn't receive invites. This means you Jimmy Warren, Shoop, TJ and Sarah, Diego, Logan, Dionosaura and Bryce (who I am told would have cried of heartbreak seeing me married), and Eric. Take solace in knowing that I only invited 12 people outside of the wedding party and my parents immediate family And like I know every one of you all would have, they are all coming. Already we have to push out a planned budget for 180 to 200. I'm sorry guys but know you aren't alone. If the people on the above list would like to come together I can suggest Jeregano is a Real Kill-joy (JeRK) for a group name.

Ok, there are my apologies. If you got it here please take to heart that I put it out there, lame excuses and all, into the public so I can be properly shamed.

Money/Evil/Humor/Tears

2009-03-13T17:04:00.003-04:00

I'm going out of town tomorrow. I have been very busy. I did want to say, if you haven't seen the interview on the Daily Show with Jim Cramer then you should. I laughed at times, I almost cried at times when Stewert pointed out how Cramer and the big business cronies have duped all of America into basically bankrolling their weekend in vegas for the last 8 years, and litterally ROBBEBED middle class America with their "put your money in the stock market" snake oil (snake oil is stewert's comparison not mine but it is the best I can think of). When I think of how banks, lawyers, and CEOs of multinational multibillion dollar cooperations have swindled us all to finance their risky business I literally want to cry.

More later I promise.

Watch it, go see the interview at www.dailyshow.com, check it out on Hulu, or watch it tonight at 8 on comedy central (If I can keep from crying, or running down the road and burning a bank while watching it I will again too.)

Nullification.

2009-03-02T16:04:00.003-05:00

Nullification is the right of a state to nullify federal laws within its own borders. South Carolina has tried it before, and Andrew Jackson called them ridiculous and in the end it was decided against. So just for the record I will call them ridiculous for it today. And with them I will include New Hampshire, Michigan, Oklahoma, Missouri, and yes even you Rep. John Will Stacy of Kentucky. These states all have, right now, in their law making process bills or resolutions stating to the effect that they will grant themselves the power of nullification. In the 1830's when South Carolina tried it the first time it was over a tax, so that they could basically say that South Carolinians would not pay the tax and the federal government would have no power to collect the tax within their borders. Most of the resolutions currently in process in the states are nonbinding (meaning they aren't really enforceable by anyone) with Oklahoma being an exception that I know of. The belief is that most of them are in response to the stimulus package. Basically these states are saying they will not recognize the stimulus package as law, and can nullify any law that the federal government can throw at them. Michigan's was actually introduced last year and as such is not about the stimulus package just nullification I guess. In any case lets think about this closely and rationally now.

1. This basically COMPLETELY cuts ALL power from the federal government. While many people (Thomas Jefferson comes to mind) may think that this is a good thing I must say that I tend to disagree. The collection of this union is what gives it strength. While we are the United States of America those states CANNOT be completely autonomous soverign bodies. To do so would greatly undercut all our individual securities and rights. Had the tenents inheirent in the idea of nullification actually been allowed and accepted as OK the first time Andrew Jackson had to shoot it down then much progress to today would have been lost. How long would it take to get the Jim Crow laws off the books if the states could have just chose to make Null and Void the federal governments civil rights laws? How many crazy nut jobs from Montana with fully automatic assult weapons would kill someone in LA when their road rage got the better of them on vacation if Montana decided it would just nullify the federal governments assault weapons ban? What would happen to the national economy when all the rich people who run the state government of New York decide that paying capital gains taxes, or any taxes for that matter (Tennesee has no income tax, maybe they'd think the federal income tax unfair), is unconstitutional and they get that law nullified? Utah could nullify federal bigamy laws. Alaska could nullify the endangered species act, eat all the baby seal you want. California could nullify the federal drug regulations, Crack and Coke for everyone.

2. When the federal government can't create and enforce its laws there is no way to regulate and enforce laws between states. This was evident before Andrew Jackson and even between Jackson and Lincoln with the laws pertaining to slavery. Several states which did not recognize slavery would declare a slave free as soon as his master took him with him on a trip where he crossed into that state. You may think that this issue of interstate laws wouldn't be a problem now but you'd be seriously mistaken. Do you still live in the state you got married in? Is your marriage valid? Without federal regulations who's to say? States can nullify any marriage they choose not to recognize. Maybe Utah wants the marriage age to be 12, without parents consent, and only when performed by a mormon man of the cloth? Well then is the marriage of two 12 year olds from colorodo who run away on a bus and get married in Utah valid back in Colorodo? How about if you were married in a baptist church? How about interstate trade? Hell how about international trade? What if California wanted lower tarrifs for China? Nullify federal ones. What if Oklahoma wanted to tax everything traveling out of Texas through Oklahoma? nullify federal laws.

3. Who sets up security for the country? Maybe New York doesn't want its citizens to have to have a passport to travel into Canada, nullify federal law. Maybe Texas wants to completely negate all rights to non-native people from Mexico in its borders, nullify federal law.

I would like to point out that all these states that have soverignty laws in the process WILL take some or all of the stimulus money offered to them. They will jump through the hoops to get thier cash and most of this is partisan posturing in a hope no one notices them taking the money while speaking out in mock outrage. They will spend their money with glee on their face. and I have thoughts on the stimulus package too that I might share soon, but not now.

Nullification was one of the doctrines and thougths that led to the idea/ doctrine of succession. We tried it before and were rewarded with a bloody civil war. To believe that these ways of thinking will have any different result this time is silly, near sighted, and completely with out reflection on history. I guess we've had enough time pass now between when this nullification issue was last settled and now that we've forgotten that we are stomping over long trampled ground and beating the same dead horse.

There are Jeregano's 2 cents on Nullification.

200 Years of Change

2009-02-12T14:39:00.004-05:00

As I said in January this will be a year of f0r me. Lots of change coming. The same can be said for our country and the world over the next few years. But 200 years ago today a time of change, more precisely two of the authors of some of our greatest change, were born.

February 12th, 1809 in a small one room cabin on the frontier of what was then Hardin County Kentucky, what is now Hodgenville, Kentucky, was a boy born into poverty. His father was known for making bad business deals(before he was 7 his father would loose the family farm twice due to bad deals and difficult frontier style laws and force a move to Indiana).

On the same day in Shrewbury, Shropshire, England, which must have seemed a different world, a wealthy society doctor welcomed a son into the world.

The second's mother died in July, 1817 and the first lost his mother in October of 1818. Both were also strongly shaped by loosing their own children while the children were still young.

The first was never baptized, though he has been seen to be religious. He never joined any church as a member. He seemed to have been a religious man, but not a man of organized religion. He knew and could quote the Bible. He knew the Bible's stories, and told them well. He strongly believed in Christian values. The second came from a family of "nonconformist Unitarian" tradition. He was baptized in the Church of England and intended to become an Anglican Clergyman. He remained active throughout his life in his local churches and would quote the Bible as an authority on morality, believing his whole life that God was the Ultimate Lawgiver (despite later in life claiming he could best be described as Agnostic).

The first was taught to read under the pale glow of candle light by his step mother, while the second was sent to the best boarding schools. The first went on to teach himself the law and became a lawyer. The second began his higher education at University of Edinburgh to study medicine, but he thought the lectures were dull and had no stomach for surgery. He grew interested in naturalism and went off to Cambridge to become a Anglican Parson.

The first, as a young boy, saw slaves moved south along the road next to his boyhood home. As a young man he was again affected when he saw slaves working while he worked on ferries on the Mississippi River. The second had his interest in naturalism stoked when he learned taxidermy from a freed black slave who he noted was a very "pleasant and intelligent man" while still studying medicine.

The first would struggle in his chosen career, failing time after time after time, while the second would join a 5 year expedition immediately after graduating (he was 10th in his class of 178) that would become the basis of his most famous work. Both worked hard, and struggled under the pressure of their work. The first struggled with the stress he would face tirelessly, but visibly, and the second was diagnosed with stress related heart irregularities and illness through his whole life.

Both brought great change to society, change we deal with to this very day.

The first wrote and signed the Emancipation Proclamation. He had believed slavery's time would pass, but was firmly against its spread into the American Territories. He felt it should be allowed to slowly die where it was. He lead this nation through its toughest time and greatest divide. He had hoped to peaceably and "with malice towards none" lead the country into a new time of togetherness and acceptance. He had hoped to bring America easily back together, but his life was cut short before he could. The business he left unfinished would be poorly handled by his immediate successors and the hatred and distrust bred by the time that followed haunts our society to this very day. The changes he set in motion haven't always been easy, but they certainly have been for the better. On Feb. 12th 1809 Abraham Lincoln was born and he spent his life trying to make a better society, and I personally think he did better than anyone could have asked.

The second started life as a devout man of god. He didn't question the literalism of the Bible and while later in his life he lost his belief in a literal interpretation of the Bible he had faith in its morals until the end of his days. He was a man who observed details, in geography, in plants, and in animals (most notably finches I guess). He held to facts and published what he saw. He wasn't the first to propose much of the stuff he is credited with, but like all scientist built on the work of those before him as well as his contemporaries. But he is the one most associated with the end result, and several of the associated theories. Since his seminal work was published it has been debated. Despite being a having more data to affirm its validity than any other scientific work known to man...well this man. His work is still hotly debated and has shaped everything from laws to the way medicines are discovered. On Feb. 12th 1809 Charles Darwin came into this world and spent his life trying to advance the limits of human knowledge and thought. He shone a light on a process vital to the creation of the world we know and which we must understand in order to maintain the world we live in.

Both men have been demonized, both during their lives and after. Despite the fact that we have more data affirming the theory of evolution than the theory of the workings of gravity (which I am assuming no one questions exist) Darwin's work is still on of the most debated theories in the public domain (very few legitimate scientist question the validity of its basics in case you're curious). Lincoln was called a tyrant in his day (and if you look in the right places on the net still is today by some). But in the end both had a strongly positive impact on the world they left behind even now 200 years later.
Happy Birthday Fellas.

No surprise here...

2009-02-10T16:36:00.004-05:00

but relating to the last post:
This just in, stuff doesn't make you happy very long. 3 months at the max. It's all here.

Consumerisim...

2009-02-05T15:41:00.003-05:00

You know it's funny, I never really thought about if I lived a consumerist lifestyle. I'm no pinko commie railing against the evils of capitalism and I am certainly not opposed to paying a little too much for a cup of coffee that might have leave other men concerned if people question their sexuality (that is right, I ordered a Venti White Chocolate Mocha, and no you can't revoke my man card). I've never thought about it one way or another. I know the difference between the words need and want is more than just a matter of spelling. When it came to choosing a career path for myself money was always a secondary (hell maybe a tertiary) concern. When I went into college there were plenty of doors open for me. College itself was an unnecessary step for me if I wanted to make money. Certainly I could have gotten a job out of school, or stayed in the one I had in High School and easily advanced in that. That same option of advancing with that company (I stayed with them through college) was opened to me on several occasions. The money would have been comfortable and the work, while demanding and patience testing at times, not entirely un-rewarding (Am I right Fisher?). I could have done well for myself in that company and it is very respectable work. But I wanted to do other things. When I finished college I had before me three opportunities. One was great money with good future monetary prospects (I would have been the R and D for a company in Nashville developing new assays for diseases...I see on their web page they are just now starting to use the assay I would have been developing and that they also have another assay they've worked up with the potential to be a huge money maker). This would have given me stock in a small up and coming company and easily a future, fast leadership position within said company. But it wasn't the type of work I wanted to do with my life. Another was closer to the type of work I wanted to do and would have been a more stable less risky road for me, working on a Master's degree at the same college while working on a more broad view of biology. That would have been a safe choice. I choose a riskier path that had a greater chance to get me to doing the type of work I wanted to do, hell I was doing closer to the type of work I wanted to do. I was doing medical research and gaining experience that would be vital to getting me into grad school so eventually I could do the truly translational research I wanted to do.
When I came to grad school I took a pay cut, and moved to a place where I wouldn't have a partner to split all the big expenses with (I really miss Skinnybeard let me tell ya). But again I wasn't thinking about money I was thinking about doing the kinds of things I want to down the road.
The point is, I have not ever felt like I was really doing without. I had the things I needed. I never was depressed when I didn't get what I wanted. I just didn't think about them. I was only ever depressed when I didn't get to do things I wanted, and then usually only if some new budgetary constraint changed the plan to do that. Typically if I couldn't afford to do something I didn't plan on it and if I planned on it and something came up that later made it impossible only then did I find it depressing. I never felt the need to buy something until the needs were met, and I never felt deprived of anything I didn't buy. Don't worry I am coming to a point that is more current....
You see, soon there will come a time when I have to decide what the next phase of my life will look like. I still don't feel I need a lot for myself. I know that my future career, no matter what choice I make, will provide for the things I need and even for a few of the things I want. The thing is I will have to decide what kind of career do I want to shape coming next. Options will probably exist where I make a LOT of money with a type of job that I am not too greatly interested in. This will be the kind of job that I have not really put all this time and effort into grad school to get but it will become an available option with good monetary reward. Then there is the type of job that continues down the path to the things I have worked to do with my life. Up until now nothing has ever worn down my resolve to do this kind of work, and I have never asked myself, "Will I make enough money?" I've always known that money doesn't make me happy and the things money can buy me beyond the things I need don't really make me happy for long. I have also always known that work will provide me with ample money for someone as simple as myself. BUT I am starting to feel outside pressures to focus more on the money I will make, rather than the good I can do. I am feeling more pressure to focus on the things I want to OWN rather than the things I to LEAVE BEHIND. A simple legacy or working hard for a small improvement of the human condition. It seems there is pressure to gain the things I want now, as if having them immediately will make them more enjoyable than waiting for them to come in their proper time. It seems like there is a rush to sacrifice substance and significance for meaningless items. Perhaps this is something that happens to everyone as they grow older and they feel that outside forces are always telling them that to buy things is the most important virtue and the ability to buy things is the best goal to work towards.
I think if this is the case then it is sad. I think it is time for those of us who feel this pressure and those of us living this way to seriously re-evaluate our values. We are headed towards a rough financial time. This is going to be the case for everyone, not just those of us who choose passion over money but everyone in this country and possibly in the world. Being driven by a desire to own will lead to great depression when you find yourself constantly being let down by your means. Rather than making life decisions on acquiring the things we want I think we should learn to more enjoy the things that our life decisions have given us the ability to acquire. A time is coming, I am afraid, when we will have to find value and worth in the things money can't buy and place less emphasis in our getting what we want as a way to make us happy.
I guess that is why the page in that previous post made me so angry. It seems so clear that the values are wrong. Closer to the values of the pressures I am feeling. It is more important to have a rich sugar daddy than a real relationship of value with someone. What is hurtful to the woman on that page is the material goods and senseless services they have lost. It isn't about being out of a home when they have to down size, it is being out of the circle of prestige that the larger house created. Some of them seem to have learned immediately upon their husbands job struggles that they don't really care for him at all. It is obvious what they really loved about their husband, his wallet. Not this isn't always the case. I noticed in the comments of some of the stories interesting tales of "hardships" bringing couples together. I saw that one bankers wife said that since she can't afford her expensive spa days anymore she and her husband had started having massage nights. They would take turns massaging each other. While I imagine neither is good at it the fact that they try for the one they love is probably just as relaxing and far more satisfying than her old spa days. (Further research has shown that that kind of simple physical contact strengthens emotional bonds).

OK people, what do you think? Are you a person of substance? Do you feel you are living a life with meaning? Do you feel you have found your life to have a worth greater than your actual NET WORTH?

EAT THE RICH!

2009-01-30T13:40:00.003-05:00

Looking for someone to hate? Looking for some one so shallow that a Japanese beetle wouldn't get it's toes wet in the deepest pool of their existence? Looking for someone who is damn near expendable in the world? Are you looking for a reason to hate so very very many people in what is honestly MY generation? Look no further than HERE.
That is all.

More mobile blogging.

2009-01-16T17:03:00.002-05:00

This time using email so I am not limited to 160 charecters for when i really want to pontificate!

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

2009-01-16T16:57:00.001-05:00

Title: mobile blogging.
Now when ideas come I can quickly post them so they don't get lost. I see great trouble in my future from this!

2009-01-16T16:50:00.002-05:00

This is a mobile blog test. My first attempt to blog by text.

Change.

2009-01-09T14:59:00.005-05:00

That is the theme of the year. 2009 will be the year of change. I have a very big year ahead of me and I imagine more will change in the next year than at any other time in my life previously. The only time that came anywhere close was probably from September 2001 to September 2002, a time of great change and flux in my life.
Change typically has a good connotation, calling up images of motion forward and things getting better. But many people fear change. I am no alarmist and I am pretty fearless really. But those long time readers know I do have 1 big overshadowing fear, and while that fear isn't change itself times of great change in my own life bring on periods of overwhelming concern that the door is open for the object of that fear. You see, my only real fear is what I have always called The BFU.
New readers may not know what The BFU is, well it is The Big F*ck Up. It is the one life altering decision that when you look back you'll find that all your worst struggles, all your greatest woes, and all your saddest moments stem from this one choice. Maybe it is moving to the wrong city for the wrong job, or having that one drink too many and loosing control that one time, or...well trust me there are a lot of options. SO with this year of change before me the shadow of fear does loom just a little. I am fairly confident I will make the right choice, I haven't stumbled upon The BFU yet (so far I stick to little f*ck ups that I can with a little hard work always overcome) and so I feel I do pretty good in decision making, mistake recognition, and bouncing back.
But most of the changes from this perspective for the year are looking good, so be on the lookout for it.

Change number 1: Getting in touch!
I have found myself looking backward just recently. I have been terribly busy just recently and it has lead me to be very negligent of the things most important to me, the people in my life. This is especially true with those whom I have found myself physically separated from. This is an inexcusable thing for me to have done. SO I am now going to set aside time on every Sunday, between the hours of 2 and 4 (EST for those who might not know), which I will devote to catching up with all ya'll. This means you Skinny can be expecting a call. Same for the Peanut Butter King. Phone calls are coming you better have a list of things you want to catch me up on.

OK....now for lyrics:

Took a walk with you
In the shadow of my shoes
Danced around the broken blues
In the dirty summer rain
Moonlight on the cars
Parked in single file at bars
With a thick and rosy smoke
Waving its busted hand

Bringing you down, can't bring you down
Bring you down, can't bring you down
Bring you down, can't hear the sound
Run through the river and into town
Pretty little moon with it's head hung down
Chin up. Cheer up.

I took a walk with you
And I busted up my shoe
In an old yellow canoe
Out in Hollywood
You called the police
But they didn't care the lease
On your place had run out
Your landlord straightened his hat

Bringing you down, can't bring you down
Bringing you down, can't bring you down
Bringing you down, can't hear the sound
Run through the river and into town
Pretty little moon with it's head hung down
Chin up. Cheer up.
-"Chin Up Cheer Up" Ryan Adams
That one is for you Skinnybeard and Apple Strudel if your reading.

"We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal...

2008-11-05T09:49:00.010-05:00

that all men are created equal... That was the statement that starts the preamble of the Declaration of Independence. While not the first words of the document (it began with a sentence of explanation that at times people have the right to claim independence as long as the reasons for that declaration are reasonable and explainable and that this document was going to explain the colonies stance) they are the most memorable. It is said Jefferson borrowed them from an Italian friend and neighbor (JFK pointed it out himself in "A Nation of Immigrants") and the idea itself was far from new. As the first words of the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence those were the words this country chose to begin with. It was controversial at times. Much of the Declaration of Independence's original wording was changed because it smacked of a condemnation of slavery and the votes of approval from the important southern colonies couldn't be won with that in there (John Adams wanted no less than a unanimous vote on the Declaration knowing that the union they were forming would never be strong enough to survive if it began with less than everyone in 100%). Despite that, the words "We hold these truths to be self evident that ALL men are created equal..." survived in the document. As Jesus said to Peter, America said to that section of the preamble, "You are the rock on which this country will be built."
Nearly four score years later (that is 80 years for those who are curious, 20 is a score)Abraham Lincoln began to work to renew that promise Jefferson put into the Declaration of Independence. In 1854, 6 years before his election to President, in response to the idea of the expansion of slavery into the growing western frontier (ASIDE: it's important to note that Lincoln was not for the removal of slavery where it already existed because he understood the socio-economic impact that would have on the WHOLE US as much of the US's economy was based on textile exports centered around southern cotton...and only took that stance in 1863 when [a] it was noticed that slaves were an important part of the support system for the southern army and [b] he finally felt the need was imminent)
"Nearly eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men are created equal; but now from that beginning we have run down to the other declaration, that for some men to enslave others is a 'sacred right of self-government. ... Our republican robe is soiled and trailed in the dust. Let us repurify it. ...Let us re-adopt the Declaration of Independence, and with it, the practices, and policy, which harmonize with it. ... If we do this, we shall not only have saved the Union: but we shall have saved it, as to make, and keep it, forever worthy of the saving"
9 years after saying those words Lincoln went on to HIMSELF work to repurify the robes of our republic and re-adopt the promise of the Declaration of Independence when he stood on one of America's bloodiest battlegrounds, where every man slain was an American, and began what became his most famous speech with what would become his most memorable lines
""Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."
The promise of the American dream was made anew. The belief that all men should be given the same chance, and be viewed equal to with all others had been refreshed.

We as a country have worked continually towards that promise. It wasn't until 5 years after Lincoln's death that Black men got the right to vote. It took another 50 before that right was extended to women.

The promise is constantly coming closer. It has been hard at times to see proof of that promise. We are a country who are still working to over come our past and make that promise a true reality. It has always continued. On August 28th, 1963 the promise was envoked again, so again we could be reminded that we had to work to see it fulfilled, to see that America could become all it says it can be. Despite what many think it began not with the most famous words, but with a nod to the promise, standing in front of the monument where Lincoln sits and where his words renewing the American promise are carved large for all to read, Dr. Martin Luther King started his most famous speech
"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity."
Dr. King went on to review the American promise with these words'
"In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
And then of course these his most famous words,

"I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today."

I've told many people, many times, that I have ALWAYS been proud to be an American. That promise is why. The promise that every person,be they a man born on the frontier of Kentucky with no formal education and an unknown lawyer in Illinois, or if they were raised in/near poverty with few expectations but with a loving and supportive family, or if they are the half Kenyan son of a single mother with a Muslim sounding name and history against him they could become ANYTHING they wanted.

Yesterday the American people showed that WE ARE GROWING. As a country, as a collective people, as WE THE PEOPLE, we have shown that we are not what other countries, and even some of our own have claimed we are. We are not, as a people, unwilling to change and grow. We can look beyond ourselves and vote not based on any shallow prejudice but on what we think would be best for this country, OUR COUNTRY. It doesn't matter what the package looks like, is named, or where his family's roots lay, what matters is, Is it what is right for us, for WE THE PEOPLE. So today, on top of being proud to be an American, as I am everyday because we OWN the American promise, I am also proud of the AMERICAN PEOPLE."Today the rest of the world looks upon us and sees a new American people. We're living up to our promise, we are growing slowly, BUT NOTICEABLY, away from the mistakes of our past. Today we can all agree that for the most part the American people know that this country was built on these words:

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.....

Now for other thoughts:

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."- Abraham Lincoln 2nd inaugural address as the war was ending

I am sure many readers will be glad to hear that that will conclude the heavy political season here on the blog. I am happy to see it pass. I'll still state my sometimes offensive, often homespun, and certainly completely irrelevent veiws on politics here from time to time, but it won't be with such crazy regularity. You have much of me complaining about the mundane things like how Science is being ruined by big money and peer selection process, how my beloved Corkey is wonderful (despite her occasional spoiled princess tendencies and overly easily offended nature) and how I really really need to get out of grad school.

The joy I feel for the country today is muted by the fact that despite the promise of the country I am still suffering from what I am certain is a life threatening infection caused by a lack of any dental insurance that will not cover such a thing until it has reached the point of a life threatening infection! But the good news is that now that I am conviced it is as such, today I will be able to go the Doctor and hopefully pull out a last minute save hopefully before such a save requires the surgical removal of a significant portion of the bones in the right side of my face and jaw, AMEN PRAISE JESUS!

(Editors note added 11/6/08) To earlier readers who may have had difficulty with the red quotes I had forgotten that since changing the look of the page red quotes don't work so well. Sorry if I gave you a headache, hopefully the yellow is better.

Some public service announcements.

2008-10-20T16:11:00.003-04:00

I have some VERY important public service announcements here that I feel every one should watch. These were pointed out by Kate the Great so all kudos about spreading the word start with her. I would like to applaud Corkey who I know has done the responsible thing and schlepped it over to her grandfolks and had that all important talk with them.

Now go have this all important talk with your parents kids.... time is short and they could make a REAL BIG mistake!

Addicted

2008-10-08T11:21:00.004-04:00

I get a rush when I know I am about to have it given to me.
I get excited as I am about to get my first taste of it.
Sometimes I go looking for it daily.
I go to a lot of different places to find it, and will look for it long and hard.
I got a problem, and the current state of things makes me go looking for it far and wide.
Sometimes I just REALLY REALLY NEED IT!!!!
I gotta have some.
When I've just gotten it I feel special, and there is a rush of joy like I got something I enjoy so much the whole world should have it. I feel like what I have just gotten can change the world! It's a rush!

Those of you who've known Jeregano a while know I can get like this. In college it was the green can and sugar fueled endorphin rush of Mt. Dew. I still salivate as I walk by it, I'm more health conscious now.

Now my new high comes from the strangest of places. I need, hunger for, and gotta have FACTS! Thanks to the state of the country and the political season I am starving for the truth! I check the fact checking sites (see side bar) almost daily. I need the truth. I want to know who was lying to me. I sometimes even fact check the fact checkers, going to their citations to see if everything is in context. I LOVE THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!

I noticed today CNN has a fact checker too and they fact checked last nights debates. I love it, they mark it as simply true or misleading at the end of an article. I LOVE FACTS!!!!!!!!!

I am excited about the truth. When I find out someone was lying to me/the country I feel like I have something special. Like the truth is some rare hard to find treasure. I think finding out the facts for me is like the french farmer who just found a tree with 10 lbs of expensive truffles growing at the bottom, or like the guy who walks and walks to the end of the rainbow only half believing there is a pot of gold there only to discover there are two, and a pot of platinum bars too! FACTS MAKE ME GIDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, so I am happy about finding facts.....Anyway the point is, you should check out the CNN fact checker too in addition to the rest of the ones in my side bar. HERE IT IS!

Share in my elation, make informed decisions, get addicted to the truth. Sure there is less supply than crack, meth, or cocaine but I am telling ya man, once you get used to having the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth no watered down badly cut half truth will do and lies will make you down right nauseous. You'll need a dose of daily facts just like me, it's a rush.

The Economy

2008-10-03T10:38:00.005-04:00

I've been promising this for a while and have failed to deliver due too 2 very busy weeks, but I'm here now kiddies and I am going to give some opinions her about what will help us out and why I think so.

There was a time in the late 70's and early 80's when this country was in an economic downturn and we had to turn to big business to help us out. President Regan came up with his Reganomics and cut taxes for the wealthy surmising that those tax cuts would trickle down from big businesses and the rich through increased job markets to the middle class. It KIND OF worked. It didn't solve all our ills but some people got jobs. The thing is that then there was no mention of a WORLD economy and trickle down economics meant that American companies, particularly REALLY big ones like Ford, GM, AT&T, etc etc... had to use the AMERICAN work force to make their products and answer their calls.
In the 90's the world got smaller and 24/7. Suddenly, with the removal of tax disincentives on imports from certain countries, increased demand for 24 hour service, and near instantaneous transfer of information from any facility in the world to a CEO/manager sitting in Dearborn, Michigan or NYC there was an easy way for companies to reduce cost and therefore increase profits. You see Mexico, China, and India don't have the stringent, and costly, environmental regulations the United States has. Mexico, China, and India have a significantly poorer work force and MUCH more lax standards for working conditions. There people are a commodity where you get more for less. Suddenly American workers looked greedy with their need for a "living wage", "healthy working conditions", and "fair humane treatment." These corporations didn't need the greedy american workers that they said would no longer do these jobs. It's funny, if youwatch the show Dirty Jobs on the Discovery channel sometimes you'll see just what kind of hard shitty jobs the American worker will do, as long as you treat him like a himan being. The American worker isn't lazy like big business started to tell us they were, they are proud of what they do, even if it's destroying their health to dig a black rock that will burn out from 2 miles below the surface of the earth. They just demand you show them the respect that they deserve, and in America they have the right to demand that respect. Any manager in this country worth anything will tell you that all you need to do to get the most out of the American worker is tell them how much you appreciate what they do and show it when it comes time to negotiate their pay...but I am off track here..back to big business and the economy.
So, suddenly big business saw a way to expand their profits by cutting their cost and abandoning the American worker, but they forgot one very important detail. Their consumer is the American worker and when the American worker doesn't have a job or living wage they can't buy things, namely your goods.
OK, now then lets take a quick second to look at some things really quick outside the job market and then I'll come back to how big business helped screw themselves. Lets take a quick look at banking. Over the last several years (20 or so I think) a lot has been done by the government to help people own their own home. The removed some of the hurdles that banks had to go through to give people that normally would not be able to get a loan for a home a loan. The thing is that the government in this process often expected the BANKS to have the peoples best interest at heart and for the PEOPLE to be able to see through the banks double talk and difficult language to understand when the bank was trying to prey on them. With all this money available for houses anyone could get one and as more and more people bought it seemed a lot of things were going good. The thing is that often the banks had sometimes nefarious intentions. Ballooning payments, variable intrest rates (meaning variable payments), and other schemes that convinced people that the low payment they were making on their morgatge in their first month would be representitive of what it would be forever. It wasn't...and now we are back to those blue collar jobs going away.....
You see people without jobs can't pay morgatges and that leads to forclosures and that leads to banks owning houses, but as long as anyone can get a mortgage that is fine they can sell it again making them the money the previous owner has paid and whatever they get for selling that persons American dream to someone else. The problem came when it seemed more people were getting forclosed on than were buying. Now the banks are left with all these empty houses they can't sell and those are "bad assets." That is a loss of money for the banks, who not only lend money to us, but borrow money from us to invest into stock markets giving us a bit of the returns (in intrest) and using the rest to fund the loaning they do..and not just to us but to big businesses also.
Bringing us back again to big business. Suddenly big business is finding their consumers aren't spending as much money as they once were (this of course is because they are no longer paying them to work so how are they going to buy goods). Ford and GM have moved their plants to increase their profits, but their attention to quality declines and the buying power of their previous workers does as well. SO now their stocks plummet, as do those of all those banks who are seeing huge losses due to their own predetory lending practices and big business abandoning the American worker.
Suddenly we realize that EVERYONE is broke, from the top down. Now several years ago the President gave tax breaks to everyone so how is that possible? He gave a big tax break to the wealthy and the big corporations so why are people loosing jobs, this worked before to fix this problem, why not now?

It is the global economy. The problem isn't that giving tax breaks to corporations doesn't trickle down, it's that it no longer trickles down to the American worker/consumer. You see tax breaks trickle down to where workers are being hired, and that is Mexico, India, and China. Now the pay they get, and the economies many of those places have do not allow for the consumerisim that putting that money in American hands creates. As a result everyone suffers.

That is where the Bush tax cuts made their mistake. The idea behind them relies on an outdated trickle down idea. After making his tax cuts the economy was still in trouble so Bush tried, twice, to do what needed to be done in an insufficent way. He tried to infuse the middle class with money, but he did it by sending them a check. What was it, $300 each time. The American worker doesn't want a one time check. Ask around and you'll find out what the American worker wants: A JOB, A paycheck with which they can support their family, a little extra to put away for retirement/to ensure their kids are better off than they are/for a rainy day, and then a little extra to spend to help reinvigorate the businesses their friends work for. $300 per person just isn't going to do that. Giving tax breaks to big companies isn't going to give them those things. The trick is to help create jobs for them and let them keep as much of their paycheck as you can.

Now here is the way the economic policies of the two candidtates work.
John McCain:
His plan is to make the tax breaks of George W. Bush permenant. This means that the tax breaks Bush put in place that benifit the people making over $250,000 (single, $500,00 couple) the most will be kept. In this way, noone sees an increase in taxes but John McCain also includes in his to further decrease the taxes on anyone making $125,000 (single, $250,000 couple) so that they will see a further decrease in taxes. This also includes multi-billion dollar industries (like big oil and this is where the "tax breaks for big oil come from, they are the tax breaks for all industry...but that break goes to create jobs in oil feilds with blue collar middle eastern workers who don't much care for us and want to send their kids to schools that teach them about "America, the great devil") and so BILLIONS of dollars in tax dollars are lost to big industry so they can continue to increase their profits while the slack of that loss is taken up by the middle class workers who do not get the additional break. He says they will cut some programs, but never which ones. Will it be education? Your kids education? Will it be funds to build infastructure? The ones that build your roads? Will it be the funds states use for education/healthcare/infastructure? Will the states have to raise sales/property/income taxes on a state level just to keep themselves running? The thing is that we don't know where the money will come from or really where it will go....except that it won't be by making an exit strategy for the very expensive war in Iraq. There is no talk about making them capable and planning to hand over the reigns of self government from John McCain. I con't know how he intends to judge when they will be ready, but what I learned as a kid from my blue collar parents was they did what they could to prepare me and made sure I was ready, but when it came down to it I just had to be ready to go when I was on my own. Iraq has been trained, they have surplus ($20 some BILLION) start-up cash and a resource to sell, they are ready to be given a chance to fly and we have got to pull that money back here.

Obama: Obama's intention is to let congress do what it has already done. The Bush Tax cuts are set to expire and have been voted to be allowed to expire. (This is the vote to increase taxes on people making as little as $42,000 that McCain keep pointing too, but it doesn't take into account ANY tax proposals on the table, just letting Bush's economy go away). Then he proposes to decrease taxes on anyone making below $250,000 below what they are paying under Bush while leaving the rich at the pre-Bush levels. What does this mean? 95% of Americans see a tax cut, a few of the very rich see an INCREASE in taxes, but this is only a little percentage (3% to be exact) and it is still LOWER than it was during president Regan (and therefore at the level it was during president Clinton's administration, since the first Bush raised taxes). This means more money into into the middle class to spend on the things they need, and the taxes on those profits will make up for the loss.

OK, jobs. McCain is trusting big business to give you jobs when he gives them money. He trust that they won't use the cheaper workforce and cheaper working conditions/restrictions of other countries. I've learned not to trust big business. Obama is going to give tax breaks for companies with american workers, encouraging them to hire americans. Further he is going to invest money into developing the technology for the manufacture of "green industries". This is an attempt to kill 2 birds with 1 stone, weening us off foreign energy supplies (and off of a product that even if we began to drill for here we would still HAVE to be dependent on other countries for the bulk of it) while creating NEW manufacturing jobs. Jobs for blue collar workers, building the parts for windmills, making solar panels, and all the other bits and peices that we'll use to create power.

OK, now you see how I am leaning. It's not hidden. I can't help it. I come from a blue collar, rural, hard working background. I know the American blue collar worker intimately. They are my friends, my mom, my dad, my sisters, my grandparents, and until 5 years ago me. I know their values of
1. Work hard
2. Do your best
3. Respect the work of others and they'll respect yours
4. Do what you have to to survive, as long as it doesn't harm someone else
5. Take responsibility for your actions, hold others accountable for theirs
6. Be willing to forgive
7. Do everything you can to help others when you can
8. Pray for them when you can't help any other way
9. Do what's right
10. Stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves.

I am the product of hundreds of years of those values handed down parents to children, grandparents to grandchildren. I know that the American workers are the engine this country runs on, not big business, and that if we help them everything else will fall into place. I am living proof that the American dream works, the government just has to invest in it, and not big business.

OK, there you have my thoughts. There you have my opinions and a set of facts. (I can find locations of the tax plans for people that want them, but I am pretty sure a cursory search of the fact pages in the side bar can find them for you). Now you all tell me, what do you think? What do you think of my opinions? Am I a god damned fool? What are your thougts?

I'm gonna leave ya with some lyrics...it's a good one to.

I don't mind
Stealing Bread
From the mouths of decadence...
But I can't feed on the powerless
When my cup's already overfilled
But it's on the table,
The fire's cooking
And they're starving babies,
and the slaves are all working...
Blood is on the table,the mouths are chokin'...
I'm goin' hungry...
I don't mind
Stealing Bread
From the mouths of decadence...
But I can't feed on the powerless
When my cup's already overfilled
But it's on the table, The fire's cooking
And they're starving babies,
And the slaves are all working...
And it's on the table,
The mouths are choking...
I'm going hungry...
-"Hunger Strike" Pearl Jam

Wouldn't you like to get away.....

2008-09-12T13:18:00.004-04:00

to a place where everyone knows your name.

I decided the tone on the blog has been too serious, and may continue to be for about 50 some days. In an attempt to break it up I wanted to remind everyone that here, we are always glad you came and people are all the same.

Pull up a stool, ask for a beer, and listen to the FULL lyrics. If you haven't ever heard, haven't heard in a while, or just can't remember all the lyrics enjoy they are funny.

New Links.

2008-09-12T10:53:00.003-04:00

Finding so much bunk flying around this crazy world I decided to give you, my beloved readers, a way to cut through it all so that YOU will be the most informed voters/patriots/citizens available. You'll see a new set of links in the side bar where you can find all the facts you could ever want. Any other questions, ya'll ask me and I will find what I can.

Unmentionables

2008-09-11T13:54:00.007-04:00

So today I want to talk a little about sex education. There are a couple reasons why. First, Kate The Great mentioned that sex and politics are taboo topics (along with religion which I won't touch on today) and I thought that they sounded like fun. Secondly, I was again spurned in my attempts to infuse a few facts into my totalitarian Myspace friend's blog. He was fine with putting up my comment where I honored a soldiers sacrafice for our country and people he had no reason to sacrifice for, but where I posted indisputable facts pertaining to another of his post (thank you Factcheck ) he didn't post them and it was pertaining to sex ed policies. So here we go, you all can suffer my political ruminations.

Our country has the highest teen pregnancy rates in the industrialized world. 53 per 1000 young girls, 5 out of every 100 that is, becomes pregnant between the ages of 15 and 19. For comparrison, Switzerland has 5 per 1000, France has 9 per 1000, Ireland has 15 per 1000, Russia has 30 per 1000. Who is in our neighborhood lets see: Vanauatu has 52 per 1000, Pakistan has 50 per 1000, macronesia ties us with 53. In our defense this data is from 2002 and from an international source (data) According to a more local organization (the non-profit National Campaign) it did drop a little until 2005 as part of a trend that had begun when it peaked at 62 per 1000 in 1992. I don't know what changed in 1992 that started the downward trend in pregnancy but in 2002 I notice that the downward trend slows. Where the number of girls getting pregnant per 1000 was dropping by between 1 and 3 girls per 1000 each year until 2002, the drop slowed to less than 0.5 gilrs per 1000 each subsequent year (in a moment I might point out what I think changed around that time) and for 2006 it is projected that the prgnancy rate will rise for the first time in 15 years! And rise by 3% leaping by 1.5 girls per 1000! Now if you are keeping track of all the crazy boring numbers I have thrown at you let me put it this way, in 2006 we wiped out the last 3 years decreases in teenage pregnancies. That is 3 half steps forward and 1 and a half step back!
Now we have to ask ourselves, what is the cause of this!?!?!? Well I am going to give my opinion blameing the strangest culprits imaginable for all this teenage pregnancy. You see it is due to a team of seeming rivals. Teenage hormones, I don't think any one can argue, is partly to blame. They are a certainty. They are a fact of life. Whether people reach mental maturity in their teens or not there is no arguing that human beings begin to reach physical sexual maturity between the ages of 12 and 15 completing in females usually by 18 and males by 21. This means that between the ages of 15-21 (particularly 15-18) young people are assulted by their hormones, turning them into an adult sexual person with new and overwhelming thoughts sometimes that, I beleive, they certainly are not psycologically prepared for. But while hormones are to blame, and are in many ways the most nefarious of the culprits particularly due to the fact that they are UNAVOIDABLE, they don't act alone. The other factor that the hormones have teamed up with is one you would think would never be found in bed with hormones (I'm so punny) is ...wait for it.... ABSTINENCE!!!!
I hear ya, "JEREGANO, you're nuts!!!" "Jeregano, you are jumping off the deep end here." "Jeregano that is very counter -intuitive and I am not sure it would meet the requirements of Ockum's razor."(Hey I might have some scientific/eleitist/wordy readers who might say that). Bare with me for a moment.
In 1996 Title V began which created $50million in federal funding for sexual education that taught the benifits of sexual education and could only address the FAILURE rates of contraception. This money was quickly picked up by all states, with the exception of California. Due to "poor" oversight most of this money, it is beleived, was used to fund the states existing sex education. In 2000 there was a huge change though. That is when the government created Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE), an organization funded to the tune of $150 million in federal funding that directly (not through the states) funded abstinence only education. By 2002 more than 1/3 of all schools were on abstinance only(data) (After 5 years things didn't look good for abstinence only's results. In 2007 a study found that kids in abstinence only education were just as likely to be sexually active as those who didn't. (In case you are curious most every study shows that approx. 45% [and only 45% so no kids not everyone is doing it, not even most everyone] of 16 year olds are sexually active, and this holds true for the abstinence only kids too.)(data) That is the data for kids in an abstinence only program compared to NO program. Further more it shows that the kids in the program were more likely to think condoms NEVER prevented certain STDs than the kids in NO program at all.
OK here is what I am coming to, teaching kids abstinence only and not safe sex practices is a huge diservice to them and to society. Their hormones are going to attack them, as much as all the other kids hormones will attack them. If kids don't know how to be safe due to the education they got and they can't control their hormones it is a recipe for disaster. Kids need to know that (A) the majority of kids are NOT having sex (not a vast majority but the majority non the less), (B) abstinence is always the best policy (you don't have to have sex, no one should feel they have to have sex, and if you get yourself in a situation where someone is trying to make you feel that way walk away and say FUCK THEM..without of course actually..well you get my point) and(C) if/when you get to a point in your life you feel it is the right time and you are truely ready for sex it is important that for you/your partner/and others that you love that you are safe about it. These are the programs that have been proven to work and are known as comprehensive. They teach the sociological and psycological advantage of abstinence but also teach the methods, effectiveness, and importance of safe sex. (Information).

Ok that is that and now for some politics.
This is why Sarah Palin's daughter's pregnancy is relevant. Not to mention Britney Spears daughter and several hundred thousand other young american girls. These girls are where they are in part due to a failed political policy. The policy to not teach kids about safe sex and other sexual education is costing this country dearly. I understand that some people think that it sends mixed signals to tell the kids "You shouldn't have sex, but if you do here is how to play it safe" but why is that a mixed signal. We are telling them, eventually you will be an adult, and you will have to make adult decisions. Here are your options. This one is the best, but if you feel that you are going to take another road do this. We do it all the time. You shouldn't drink, but if you do have a DD. You shouldn't smoke, but if you do don't expose others to the harmful smoke, and don't do it when you are pregnant it's not safe for your child. Don't jump off of bridges/buildings/etc but if you do be sure to have a bungee cord. Kids engage in risky behavior. Telling them not to do something because it is risky is like trying to control the wind. You can try to box it in or direct it but eventually you just have to go with it or work around it. I think teaching kids to minimize the risk is best.
And now back to the policy. You should know that the policy that failed so many, including her own daughter, is strongly and wholly supported by Sarah Palin, and that is why that matters. It is also true that that is the case for John McCain. And furthermore you might see an ad. It says that Barak Obama wants to teach sex ed to kindergarteners. Well that isn't true per se. You can go to this fact check article to see the facts. It comes down to this: 1) Obama supported age appropriate sex education, which included education on "inappropriate touching" and 2) the bill gave parents the final say on if their kids would be involved in sex ed or not, with no repurcussions. So the thing is that this "explicit sex ed" (as the extreme likes to call it) would be teaching little kids where no one should be touching them, so that they would be able to report and recognize sexual abuse. For little kids this means teaching that it is ok to report pedophelia, not this is how you have sex and this is a condom. AGE APPROPRIATE!!! I know I would want young kids to know the truth about their swim suit areas and how they shouldn't be touched!

Good news is that lots of states are starting to turn that money down. They've seen the failings and are turning away from that way.

OK So now that I have bored you with facts about teenage sex and politics lets talk about something else. Not very happy thoughts but so you don't think my mind is just in the here and now and the future and forgotten about it but I will link the last time I posted on Sept. 11th September 2006: Here was my story and some love

Jamey Johnson. If you ain't heard his stuff and you like good country music check him out. Be forwarned though that the album is kinda sad. I'll give a more thorough reveiw when next I have time, but i have typed a lot and am out of time for this thursday...but here are some lyrics.

I was just a normal guy
Life was just a nine to five
With bills and pressure
Piled up to the sky
She never asked
She knew I’d be
Hangin’ with my wilder friends
Looking for some other way to fly

And three days straight was no big feat
Could get by with no food or sleep
And crazy was becoming my new norm

I’d pass out on the bedroom floor
And sleep right through the calm before the storm

My life was just an old routine
Every day the same damn thing
I couldn’t even tell I was aliveI tell you
The high cost of livin’
Ain’t nothing like the cost of livin’ high

That southern Baptist parking lot
Is where I’d go to smoke my pot
Sit there in my pickup truck and pray
Staring at that giant cross
Just reminded me that I was lost
And it just never seemed to point the way

As soon as Jesus turned his back
I find my way across the track
Lookin’ just to score . . . another deal
With my back against that damn eight ball
I didn’t have to think or talk . . . or feel

My life was just an old routine
Every day the same damn thing
I couldn’t even tell I was alive

I tell you
The high cost of livin’
Ain’t nothing like the cost of livin’ high My whole life went through my head
Layin’ in that motel bed
Watchin’ as the cops kicked in the door

I had a job and a piece of land
My sweet wife was my best friend
But I traded that for cocaine and a whore

With my new found sobriety
I’ve got the time to sit and think
Of all the things I had . . . and threw away

This prison is much colder than
That one that I was locked up in just yesterday

My life is just an old routine
Every day the same damn thing
Hell I can’t even tell if I’m alive

I tell you
The high cost of livin’
Ain’t nothing like the cost of livin’ high

I tell you
The high cost of livin’
Ain’t nothing like the cost of livin’ high

-Jamey Johnson "High Cost of Living"

Tax Cuts

2008-09-09T14:11:00.005-04:00

Everybody gets some and both candidates seem to be looking out for some one.

Thoughts?

First Thursday Blog

2008-09-04T15:49:00.004-04:00

I'm really looking forward to 9lb Hammer tonight with the Sandlins, I just hope to get to leave work early enough to get a much needed shower in before I go.

I am also eager to blog about politics, I want to have a frank discussion about why it is important to look at the recent events with Sarah Palin's daughter, not as Sarah Palin's daughter but as one of the rising number of teenage pregnancy and how that is the result of a failed policy supported by her mom, John McCain, and pushed forward by George W. Bush. I don't have time for that now. I want to take a fair and honest look at some economic plans, but I don't have time for that now either. I do have time for a couple things, one of which I think EVERYONE should be perusing themselves so they can make an informed decision in the next few months and one which I kinda find funny....very funny acutally.

First: FACTCHECK.ORG
Politicians say a lot of things, plan a lot of things, and do a lot of things. When politicians say, plan, or do, stuff they will either hide/miscunstrue/or shout from the roof tops whatever it is they have said, planned, or done. Fact check is a non-partisan place to go to get some facts, hence the name fact check. They will examine ads, speaches, and policy history to give you an honest feel for what a politician has done. It seems like a simple place to check facts for your own comments if you are going to talk politics and as such I check it frequently (and when I forget they email me the articles). If the facts are what you want to base your decisions on then I say that you can't afford to not use this fully cited, fully sourced, completely non-biased approach to politics. Use it. Now if you are wanting to base you decision on something else lie personality, party affiliation, or what a persons hair looks like....I got nothin' for ya, but you don't need my help to get you facts in those cases anyway.

Second: Watson, Biden, Iran, and Lies.
Watson, as many know is an...ummmmm...aquantince, as much as I'd like to deny it, of mine. He is pretty political, which I encourage. I also encourage facts, substance, open mindedness, and fair argument in equal doses of your politics. Well Watson likes politics, I can't speak for those other things. I recently mentioned how I liked how noone was responding to Watson's political blog post, at least not seriously, and that it seemed to me he had gone quite a long way to make himself a characiture of the staunch never say die conservitive. Actually I think, more honestly speaking, I said I liked how he had seemed to become marganized enough that no one responded because no one took him seriously. Recently Mr. Watson posted the following on his blog,
"I read this today and could not believe that a man running as the VP candidate for the US has no problem with Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and told Israel to get used to the idea. Here's the story:

Barack Obama's presidential running-mate Joseph Biden told Israeli officials that they need to accept the idea Iran will acquire nuclear weapons.

Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, visiting Israel several years ago, told Israeli officials diplomacy and sanctions would be futile against Iran.

On Monday Israel's Army Radio reported details of the comments Biden made when he met with "senior Israeli officials behind closed doors."

Reportedly Biden told the officials he opposed "opening a additional military and diplomatic front" against Iran.

"Israel will have to reconcile itself with the nuclearization of Iran," Army Radio quoted Biden as telling the Israelis.

Army Radio said that at that time Israeli officials were shocked by Biden's comments.

Within Israel, a consensus across the political spectrum has developed on the Iran matter. Iran's president Ahmadinejad has stated that he will wipe Israel off the map, making clear his use weapons of mass destruction against the Jewish state.

Biden has been an ardent supporter of the state of Israel in the Senate. His selection by Barack Obama was seen as an effort to shore up support with the U.S. Jewish community.

Obama has given mixed signals on the Iran threat. During the Democratic primary he argued for direct negotiations with Iran. He has avoided making any suggestion the U.S. should take military action against Iran.

Last Monday Obama said he would continue to use diplomatic means to stop Iran's nuclear program.

This is the man that is supposed to help with Obama's inexperience on foreign policy matters?"

I only post this for 1 reason. Someone did respond to this post to which Watson also responded (he always has a response for reasons I'll come to in a moment) , and as such I thought I would respond as well. This is what I pointed out:

First I linked to 3 sites:

This one from the Jerusalem Post

This one from Haaretz

and this one from an Iranian news site about a disagreement Joe had, publicly with the Iranian foreign minister.

I then pointed out that the original report he is speaking of is unsourced and uncited and every legitimate Israeli news source that published it after it first ran, namely the Jerusalem Post and Haaretz, went on to publish the statment that it was a lie. I went on to say that Senator Biden has been a long supporter of Israel and has been clear on his stance on a nuclear Iran, saying just 2 months ago in the foreign affairs committee, that he chairs, how it would destabalize the region and would not be in our best interest. I let Watson know that Mr. Biden had had a public disagreement with the Iranian foreign minister and implyed that the Bush administration may not be being HARD enough on Iran and armed conflict should be more strongly considered. Of course I thought Watson would be pleased to have the facts and happy to post the, researched cited articles with sourced quotes. But you see, Watson approves all the responses to his blog, and if he can't respond to something, is afraid it will hurt his argument, and/or may make him look less like an informed voice then he just doesn't print it. I had hit that situation with him before so I thought I would go ahead and let those who read this, and know Watson, who might have the opportunity call him on his obvious affront to free speech (one of his big "causes").
Now I will take a moment to laugh at his small minded expense.

OK enough for today. More and real politics to come later.

Time...

2008-09-02T10:36:00.003-04:00

has been short for me lately. I have a lot of blogging to do though, so I have decided to set aside some time on Thursdays specifically for blogging. This means that you can expect a blog from ol' Jeregano every Thursday evening. I have a lot I want to blog about. Politics, (Personal side note: I have recently checked out a blog of an aquantince of mine who is, I like to say, so conservitive as to be a near totalitarian and found that he has become seeminly so marganalized in his political opinions that noone seems to even bother to resond to his rants anymore. I hope that doesn't happen here, I really love open discussion and disagreement with my thougths) and DIY home exercise equipment among other topics. But first lets get some things out of the way here.

Kenny Rogers:
Due to a miscommunication, despite having great seats, we did not meet Kenny. So I can't answer questions about his face other than it still looks a bit messed up even in person. He did put on a good show still. He was funny, not above making fun of his audience (in good fun), and a great entertainer. Of course after so many decades one would think he'd been doing something right.

Shooter:
It was weird. I really enjoyed Shooter's recent show at the Madison in covington. It was a saturday show and I am learning that for both me and the entertainer the best shows are weekend shows. I found it a little disheartening to have the group of seemingly just turned 21 year old fools in front of me repeatedly screaming at every available moment to hear HonkyTonk Heros as if they came to hear Shooter channel his dad. I think if I were Shooter that would just frustrate me to no end. He's got some great rocking songs of his own and I imagine he get sick of being asked to play his dads. That is an aside though, what was really weird about the show was going alone. Sometimes, even when things are going great, I can feel alone in this city. Seperated from my family (hell lately it seems even my "cincinnati family" is saying they feel they've been alienated and I know I have felt like I haven't gotten to see them) and often from people who understand and enjoy ALL the different facets of Jeregano I feel like I am one of a kind and can fit in anywhere but belong really no where. That show really amplified that feeling I had been having lately so now my usual slow burning homesickness has become a raging fever.
On a different note about the Shooter show another high point was the opening band. If you like good Southern style rock and roll I will suggest you find a chance to see Dallas Moore and his band. I couldn't help but notice he plays soon with Jackyl at the local Harley dealer. That could be a fun show!

My homesickness was slightly satieated this weekend by a visit from my sisters, who I didn't get to see enough of as they were shopping for dresses and I had things to do early Sun morn whic kept me from rocking Sat night. It was a great time, and if you see me out be sure to ask me about the time I had with their boyfriends Tim and Billy and their friend Stinky. We'll have ourselves a real good laugh... I guess not everyone was blessed with the Jeregano family liver.

Also, Corky is contemplating getting her blog running again after a long long long disappoiniting hiatus. She could have a lot of wonderful things to say about wedding planning, what a pain I am to live with, and maybe if we are lucky Paper Fucking Cranes. To let her know you are still interested though quickly click on the link in the side bar to her blog and leave a comment to let her know that we want to hear from her, and soon!

OK, I'll see ya'll Thursday!

Time to find out about that face...

2008-08-19T15:53:00.003-04:00

Tonight I meet Kenny Rogers, so I have been told. More tomorrow.

Supporting Local Theater

2008-08-14T16:20:00.004-04:00

So this weekend was interesting. I found myself supporting local actors and their performance for a good cause. Ryan Nolder is a young local blind boy who is trying to get to China for potentially sight giving stem cell treatment (that is right, China is willing to give this boy his sight but we refuse to use the technology and resources available to us to potentially do advance stem cell research to help this little boy and countless others with other disorders...but all that is another blog now isn't it.) (Further aside: I would like to add, "CHINA FOR CHRISSAKE!!! THIS IS THE USA I CAN"T BELEIVE WE LET A FEW ZEALOTS MAKE US FALL BEHIND FRIGGIN CHINA IN OUR ADVANCEMENT OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES.") So to help raise money for little Ryan's trip a local acting troupe held an event for him....sort of an acting troupe. It was WWC, World Wrestling Coalition, out of Aberdeen, Ohio. That is right, this weekend I crammed in with a couple hundred other people in a hot, smelly, old municipal building gym to watch low level wrestling. I'm not talking greco roman here people. I am talking fake wrestling so bad you can see the 5 inches of air between the fist and the face when a man is punched! But it wasn't all amature professional wrestling. NO! NO! There was at least 2 real professional wrestlers there as well. From Total Non-stop Action (TNA) wrestling there was The Abyss and SHARK BOY!!!!! Needless to say a good time was had by all. I saw someone I knew. He picks up his weekly literary indulgences at the same place I did when I could afford such things. Yep, he was wrestling! Interestingly I was surprised at how packed this event was and how many of the kids knew the wrestlers. You could tell who were the "good guys" and who were the "bad guys" because people would cheer and jeer accordingly! It was fun to see. Further these wrestlers were treated during intermission like real stars. I saw arms, shirts, all sorts of things being autographed. It was a lot of fun to watch. And so this week I have supported the arts.

In other ways to support the arts:
I am surrently going into save money mode so that I can enjoy all the shows I want to see in the next month or so, comfortably and enjoyably. These include:

9lb Hammer: Yeah monk I hope to be counted in on Thursday the 4th at The Southgate House!

Shooter Jennings: Madison Theater in covington next Saturday, the 23rd. THAT IS RIGHT A SATURDAY SHOW IN THE TRI-STATE AREA!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!! $15 before the show, $18 at the door.

Johnny Barry and the Outliers: That is right, the Louisville area honky tonker is going to make a trip to the nortside tavern here in cincy for some honky tonkin fun. This show was originally scheduled to be at the Comet (which would have rocked due to a more roomy venue and the burritos of course) but got moved to NST, for reasons unknown to me. This is Sept 18th.

And I think I will leave you now with a little something of much importance to mull over in your heads and give me honest answers about.
Next week I will meet Kenny Rogers and my beloved Corky seems to think I shouldn't ask him just what the hell happened to his face, but I really think it is my civil duty to find out and put it here on the blog so such terrible accidents don't happen to you, my faithful readers. So, should I ask Kenny who is the blind 4 fingered clutz he let slice and dice on his face and if he is going to sue the pants off of that hack or not?!?!?!?

Economy

2008-08-07T15:49:00.004-04:00

I am worried about perspective. I heard someone say to me today that things "are hard for me... I am not shopping like I used to, I'm not buying coach purses of tiffany jewelry." Now while I realize that the person I was talking to were using the two examples as the extreme it hit me that maybe even I might have lost perspective. While it is true I feel like I am constantly sinking, and slipping behind monetarily I realize that my needed bills are paid. While not so long ago I considered cable tv a rediculous frivolous expense (and really I still do) it is something we have. I manage to go out and spend time (and money, dear god the money) with my beloved corky, and while sometimes I wish we could spend more quiet weekends at home so that our evenings out could truly be special, I make it work.

I realized that I am kind of ashamed of myself. I can't beleive some of the worthless shit I spend some of my money on. STARBUCKS!?!?!?!? It's just f'n coffee, why am I paying $3+ to have someone else brew 20oz of it for me? That is just one example. I can remember times (years, not days mind you) when I have done without a phone just happily. AS A TEEN!?!?!? God forbid, a teen without even a home phone to missuse, much less without a cell. It's true there is a lot I haven't done lately because of the prohibitive cost of gas/food/booze etc.. but I have also done a lot of things...not usually my plans but still a lot of things... that really were frivolous, worthless, waste of my money and for that I should be thankful. I can and, as long as I have no desire to get ahead, could continue to do so.

Tell me dear readers, where are you tightening your belts, but more importantly tell me where you have been blessed so far to NOT have to cut some money out. What is the one thing that you know is such a stupid waste of money you should cut it out but haven't? Look close and know that that thing is a blessing and notice it for what it is.

Back in the 'Nati

2008-08-05T17:33:00.003-04:00

So on the first of August I headed home. After several hours in airports and on airplanes I finally was back in the 'Nati.

I was tired but I had a GREAT experience at the Gordon Research Conference on Mechanisims of Toxicology. If ever you find yourself invited to a GRC ( they have them in a LOT of different feilds) I suggest you go. 1) It means you are already well respected in your professional community and 2) it is just a great conference environment. Unlike most conferences it is small. Just 120 or so at my conference. This allows for unprecedented access to the best in your field! I met almost everyone and just as importantly to a grad student hoping to be on the job market in a year or so they met me. From what I hear they were also impressed, which from my last few months is a nice feeling.

I have some things to say but not much time now. More on thursday.

Chickadees, Coon cats, Wild Blueberries, Dirigo: Maine

2008-07-28T18:56:00.003-04:00

Perhaps it is that I am located on one of those fabled New England small liberal arts colleges with beautiful landscaping and hundred year history and buildings (www.bates.edu) or maybe it is just that I am on that campus at the same time as the Bates Dance Festival, but Maine is beautiful.

I am learning a lot about toxicology, espescially how much I don't know. I don't have much for time now but I promise to discuss some stuff soon. Later.

Quick one: Airport Blog.

2008-07-27T09:58:00.003-04:00

Right now I am on my way to Maine for a conference on the Mechanisims ofToxicology. Wanted to drop a blog, from the Charolette, NC airport, to let you know why there may not be any post this week...though I guess that is nothing new lately is it. I'll give maine details later. Bye ya'll

REBOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-24T15:47:00.003-04:00

So it's been a while. Looking around I am sure you notice some things have changed. I have been looking at the blog and things haven't been caught up in a while because I am a bad bad boy. I am typically not one to make excuses but I have been very tied up recently (read the last 3-5 months) and really have let you guys down. Well let's get off to a fresh start, by catching up on all the things that I have not posted here that I should have.

I don't think I mentioned in late March that I got engaged. That was March 29th for those who are keeping track. I am engaged to the lovely Corky Cherrywood, who will soon loose her link in my blog sidebar due to inactivity I bet ya.

Very soon after that I moved in with Corky to begin our year of living in sin. Our grandparents are so proud. But now we live in a nice little house with a backyard, tomatoes, a guest room for people who may want to come to shows and need a place to crash (looking towards the sandlins) or may live a long way away and need to get away and see the ol Jeregano (looking toward you family and Skinnybeard), and a worm composting bin.

Immediately following that begins what could have easily been the end of my graduate career, and not the good end. My boss ran out of money, I wasn't making fast enough progress for him and so he told me to take the master's and get out. When I expressed I wanted a committee meeting he let me know he had already talked to 2 of the 5 committee members (he being one of the five brings them up to a quorum of 3) and they all agreed with him. I cried foul and demanded a meeting. They gave me a few days to put together an argument for me to stay. I showed what I had which boiled down to a project that wouldn't be publishable. Therefore I was done, get out find a nice job using your master's. With much fighting and convincing (where I didn't resort to finger pointing and name calling as I was often advised to do) I managed to save myself by entering a new lab. Now I have to start fresh in a whole new field and try to get 2-4 years worth of work out in 1 or so (I might be given a little extra time but there is no real reason to think so).

So now I am in a new field, I am way behind, and I am a little scared and a little proud at having come out the other side of that with my chance still intact. Now to just get all this work done. I have a new start in a new lab, a new home with my fiance, and I am off on a new start. I think I will be finding time to blog again, now if only I still have some readers left. Anyone out there?

End Game

2008-05-16T17:04:00.003-04:00

A couple weeks ago, 2 I think but it seems like an eternity, my boss told me he was out of money, so I was out of time. Since I had not completed my story I had not completed my thesis and since I had not completed my thesis I could have a Master's Degree and leave. I had until June to get out, so I should start looking for a job...you know for someone with a Master's.
I was PISSED!!!!!!!!!! Just a few weeks prior, before he found out he was out of money, he had told me I should be working towards finishing up in January '09. JANUARY '09 suddenly I have A MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I wasn't getting my PhD! And WHY? Because at every turn I proved the lab's hypotheisis wrong and so was constantly scrambling to find the peice of data I could use to tie all my work together in a nice neat package... Because my BOSS was WRONG and because I had allowed him to send me on several snipe hunts I WAS to NOT get my PhD.
Further he had told me he had already talked to several of my committee members, all his friends mind you, and they had all decided that they agreed that there was nothing really I could do to finish a thesis. I was livid and demanded a committee meeting. I tried to get myself ample time to prepare but they decided I should have 4 days! I managed to get all of my committee together in 4 days and get together my data in a form that presented the conclusions I had come to (i.e. the lab's hypothesis is WRONG...this is not just my works hypothesis but the basis for ALL the work in the lab, all the projects). I managed to meet the conditions that those who were not necessarily for keeping me around had said to me they were looking for, and it seems 1 (out of 5) of my committee members seem to think I was getting hurt by my bosses loss of money. (Which from every point of veiw I can find is the truth) and managed to somehow try to get something out of it...
I showed that I had 1 novel finding, and perhaps that finding could be turned into a Short Report if I had time to do 2 more experiments. They said write the manuscript, you have 1 week (writting a manuscript is a feat that usually takes 3-4x that amount of time when you ACTUALLY have all the data). They will decided if they feel I can complete the manuscript's experiments in a timely fashion and then allow that if they feel I can. (Note I was told that a timely fashion would be a matter of WEEKS). If they feel I can then they will give me the time to do those experiments, and then meet again to decide what constitutes a completed thesis and if I meet that.
Today I sent out the manuscript. If this is enough to please them then I will have pulled off my second impossible feat (the first being convincing a committee that 3 out of 5 had already decided a meeting wasn't even necessary that I deserved some kind of chance, even if it was just a week and a paper). If I get by that one I will have to then get EVERY experiment to work EVERY time so that I can finish in a matter of WEEKS, that will be a thrid impossible feat. If I get a PhD out of this place it will be a miracle, and just because my boss ran out of money.

UGH......I'm exhausted, I feel physically beaten up, and I have all weekend to think over the flaws to my manuscript and all the things I would have liked to have added....but what the hell are you going to do.

If praying is what you do, do it for me. If preying is more your style, do that for me too.

I'll be back in touch after I learn something next tuesday.

One more round.....

2008-05-07T14:29:00.005-04:00

I'm entering the 12th. Today was supposed to be doomsday for my career. I managed to convince my committee of the merit of what I have done, even if it hasn't completed any 1 story. Now I have one week to write a manuscript, proposing a complete story I might be able to finish soon, and give it to them on Friday May 16th. On Monday May 19th they want to meet and they will discuss the merits and perceived ability of me to finish that story in a timely fashion (read a matter of weeks). If it has merit and they think I can finish it I will have those weeks. If they don't I will have a master's and a boot to the ass.... and a need to QUICKLY (very quickly) find a job for that master's. Just a few more weeks of busting my ass and proving my point and I might, JUST MIGHT, get a PhD out off all this nearly wasted time after all.

Just keep my gloves up, swing when I see an opening, and know I can at least go the distance...maybe even all the way.

I am thinking about putting up the underdog lyrics again, but I am sure you all are sick of them....hummmm..

Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet,
Just a man, and his will to survive
So many times it happens to fast
you change your passion for glory
don't loose your grip on the dreams of the past
you must fight just to keep them alive......

yeah.

Two weeks peeps, update in two weeks at the longest.

As good as done....

2008-05-01T09:44:00.003-04:00

I'll talk more about it next week, but I have given my all to science. I have sacrificed so very very much. I have given and lost. There was a time I whistled while I worked and lately I find it hard to whistle when I am alone. Often I feel numb. Cynical, less hopeful, and hardened is what I have gotten from my time in grad school. Now I am as good as done. I'll have less than a month to find a job where I can put the master's degree I am obtaining to work and all hopes I ever had of running my own lab and/or being the idea guy and driving force behind the cures and breakthroughs of the future gone. I feel a little dead inside right now....
but I'm going to fight to the end, so more next week. Sorry so far between post kids, that'll change when I start working more regular hours...failure has it's upside, less responsibility and passion for what you do!

ugh......

Cardiff Lyrics

I'm Dying....

2008-04-29T15:03:00.003-04:00

Scientifc career wise that is. I said it last year that joining my lab might have been a mistake. Now it looks like I am proven correct. I am all but dead in the water. I'll get my master's and the boot, probably rather quickly. I am struggling to find a way to buy myself some more time, but even time may not get me the money I need to continue. I'm fucked. I'll give more details when I have more knowledge of if I can save myself.

If you do as such, prey for me. Think positive for me. Hope some karma does exist in this world. Hope, please hope for me.

Grass Roots

2008-04-04T13:29:00.004-04:00

Tons of change and events going on here I have been wanting to share with ya'll but the demands of all of that have seriously streached the time I would normally spend to blog. I will soon fill all ya'll in I swear. Right now I am feeling sapped of all my energy, positive and negative, and have completely run out of anything to keep me going through my day. We all know what it is that I really need, and I promise to you all that as soon as I can I am headed home.
Lyrics:

Yo I'm on the next train if you goin my way
Been on the west coast for about six days
And my heads spinnin, fast money, fast women
I'm tryna make it home to where my folks are just livin
The "Day-To-Day", and if ya broke thats okay
Come shack up at my crib, wit some liquor til we fade
and to the sweet serenade of a southern rock tune
we humble in kentucky, aint no lickin silver spoons
I hope I get home soon, I'll be whistlin dixie
My moms and my grandma, man i bet they miss me
Can't wait to have a conversation wit real people
Take me home to my grass roots where we all equal
Take me home to my grass roots
The only place that I can call my own ooooooh
Take me home to my grass roots
The only place where I don't feel alooone ooooooh
Well it's been a bit too long, but i'v enjoyed my stay
the golden state and i, well its time we parted our way's
i want my cigarettes cheap and my ladies relaxed
i wanna walk around the streets witout no buttons or slacks
i want all tha moms cookin, big smiles and friendly faces
down here we all got friends in both places
sweet smella home i miss that bluegrass fragrence
and this six hour flight has really test my patience
See I thought I knew the city till I left my home
Without a dollar in my pocket and a microphone
A couple fellas from the neighborhood, lost in the dream
Wit fast cars, fine women and the crown of a king
To be heard, or better yet known out in the street
And get blurred and make love to the finest of freaks
But now i wish i had a one-way ticket to home
I've been there I'v done that, and now i'm ready to go
I hope I get home soon, I'll be whistlin dixie
My moms and my grandma, man i bet they miss me
Can't wait to have a conversation wit real people
Take me home to my grass roots where we all equal
Take me home to my grass roots
The only place that I can call my own ooooooh
Take me home to my grass roots
The only place where I don't feel alooone ooooooh
Hey i'm on the way, brain is on the runway now
By the end today, I'll be on kentucky ground
feelin mighty fine, jetlag no sweat best bet
down here in our neck of woods never scared ta get wet
on a humid summer night, beer, sweat, bees
locust sound like symphonys are playin in the trees
sittin there in a lawnchair havin laughs
yea the beers cheep, and icecold and we'll make it last
Aren't you glad we made it, we californicated
Two hours into my trip and i'm faded Jaded,
WHOOOoooAAAAaaaahh
Headed to the top and i aint neva fallin off
you wanna see a star before they become stars
relax guy, where we go
into the westside, where wind blowin yeeaa
i feel a way i neva did befo
and here i opened doors that i neva could befo
with your help, and i thank you
I miss the K-Y, I'll be home soon
Take me home to my grass roots
The only place that I can call my own ooooooh
Take me home to my grass roots
The only place where I don't feel alooone ooooooh
-"Grass Roots" Villebillies

I'd Rather.....

2008-03-28T16:23:00.004-04:00

I heard this song from "The Lost Sessions" by Garth Brooks for the first time today and it really reflected the way I realize I feel. Lately more than ever it seems I have been faced with this truth about myself......

Jumped in the truck and headed for Kansas
Morning found me in Port Aranas
Sipping on rum
In that warm Texas sun
I've never been good at keeping direction
And i believe schedules are one of life's worst inflections
And i gotta be free
'Cause I'd rather nothing
Than a whole lot of something I don't need

I'd rather have nothing
Than a whole lot of something
That don't fit the life that i lead
material things and all that wealth brings
just must be for some other breed
'cause life ain't about the worries and doubts
That comes with the lust and the greed
and i'd rather have nothing
that a whole lot of something we don't need

I spent that evening in a tavern in town
with a bunch of my new friends my money brought 'round
and i told them 'bout you
and all the hell we'd been through
everyone there had a similar story
years full of tears from all the heartache and worry
and we all agreed
that we'd rather have nothing
than a whole lot of something we don't need

I'd rather have nothing
Than a whole lot of something
That don't fit the life that i lead
material things and all that wealth brings
just must be for some other breed
'cause life ain't about the worries and doubts
That comes with the lust and the greed
and i'd rather have nothing
that a whole lot of something we don't need
0h, i'd rhater have nothing
than a whole lot of someting i don't need
-"I'd Rather Have Nothing" Garth Brooks

A quick reminder, old school fashion.

2008-03-27T17:10:00.004-04:00

In this world, and particularly in science, it can often be difficult to remember why we started down the paths we did when we were young. Often once we get buried in the details of everyday life and the minutiae of our daily task we loose the awe and ideals that set us on the path that lead us to those daily task in the first place. I won't burden everyone to read the story of the little girl tossing star fish back into the ocean, I am sure you can find it on google if you don't know what I am talking about. But I am going to post some lyrics here to remind myself if nothing else that I do have a reason I started on this path and not to forget the end purpose, to hopefully have a hand in throwing at least a few starfish back into the surf, and everything else is just gravy not the meat.

I'm reaching way back to some Garth Brooks here, enjoy.

One hand
Reaches out
And pulls a lost soul from harm
While a thousand more go unspoken for
They say what good have you done
By saving just this one
Its like whispering a prayer
In the fury of a storm.

And I hear them saying youll never change things and no matter
What you do its still the same thing
But its not the world that I am changing I do this so this
World will know that it will not change me.

This heart
Still believes
The love and mercy still exist.
While all the hatred rage and so many say
That love is all but pointless in madness such as this
Its like trying to stop a fire
With the moisture from a kiss.

And I hear them saying you'll never change things and no matter
What you do its still the same thing
But its not the world that I am changing I do this so this
World will know that it will not change me.

This heart
Still believes
The love and mercy still exist.
While all the hatred rage and so many say
That love is all but pointless in madness such as this
Its like trying to stop a fire
With the moisture from a kiss.

And I hear them saying you'll never change things and no matter
What you do its still the same thing
But its not the world that I am changing I do this so this
World will know that it will not change me.

As long as one heart still holds on
Then hope is never really gone.

And I hear them saying you'll never change things and no matter
What you do its still the same thing
But its not the world that I am changing I do this so this
World will know that it will not change me.

What I do is so
This world will know
That it will not change me
-The Change, Garth Brooks

Has the world changed you? How? For the better?

Redwing, Black, Pull-ons Model 1125

2008-03-24T17:31:00.004-04:00

Those that know me well, can guess what the title refers to. For everyone else, it's a boot. More importantly they're my boots. I've been asked numerous times before, "Jeregano, why do you always wear cowboy boots?" Well today I'm gonna talk about my boots and maybe it'll answer that question, maybe it won't.

I got my first pair of boots most people would actually be OK wearing in public in 8th grade. More accurately in the summer after 7th grade. I had traveled to Illinois to stay with my uncle for the summer, it had been a year of change for me and my mom thought a summer away might do me some good. My unlce was in the Army and stationed at Ft. Sheridan. There I was made fun of for my accent and a lot of my uniqely KY personality traits by some of my cousins' friends. I quickly learned to be taken seriously my accent had to go. That was the last summer I wore tennis shoes as daily shoes. Where I come from "leather boots are still the fashion in manly footwear" (thanks merle) or were when I was growing up anyway. It was time to make that change and so I worked at the commisary bagging groceries all that summer for tips. This is where I learned to bag groceries VERY well (a skill that served me well in my time in retail cashier/whipping boy)as military people are very particular about these types of things, and also where I learned my register manner/customer relations skills since I worked primarily for tips (a skill that I generally was most complimented on as a whipping boy). I saved as much of my money as I could spare not to spend. I do remember buying some cheap starter Raider's tees from the PX because starter was cool and I couldn't pass the PX prices! Anyway I saved almost all my money and as soon as I got back to the bluegrass I was shopping for boots. I remember them well: Dingo, slouch top, black cowboy boots. I didn't want any silly design on the tow and slouch top seemed the most comfortable of the cowboy boots. I didn't really know what I was doing then, just what I wanted in a boot. I went through two pairs in 4 years. You see, dingos are a nice boot, but they aren't meant for everyday wear.
The summer of my junior year of high school I was working landscaping/mild construction and I had bought a pair of cheap work boots, lace ups, for the job. By the end of that summer I had learned what I needed to know about boots. By the begining of my senior year I had my first pair of redwings. I had my boot of choice.

So what about the redwings? Why do I wear the same shoes, boots no less, everyday? I'm going to tell you the things about my redwings. I have owned 3 pairs since 1996. The first pair I replaced when it's heel fell off, in 1999 after 21/2 years of everday wear. That is over 900 days of wear. I didn't know then that I could fix a problem like a bad heel, and the next pair, the pair I bought in 1999 for just over $100 would last me until 2002 of everyday wear with only $75 in maintenence (New soles once and 2 sets of new heels). I walked to all my classes and was on my feet at work 40+ hours a week for that whole time. Then I retired them not because I had to, but I graduated college and thought it time to try a new boot. I bought a pair of Harly Davidson (Made for them by Wolverine), steel toe, lace up boots. I learned that the lace-ups let my feet get wet in the rain and snow, the "high tech waterproof sole" wasn't replaceable when it started to go bad, and the leather pulled tightly over the steel toe quckly dried and cracked and pulled away from the sole. This wasn't a boot meant for everyday wear and by Christmas 2003 the old boots were out of retirement and another $50 was spent in repair (New soles and a patch in one at the ball of the foot). I bought the boots I wear now in 2005 and the price of the boot went up, $150 for close to the same boot. The price of repairs in cincy is higher than the little place in BG, just recently it was $75 for new soles (I could have gotten away with heels just heels) after over 2 1/2 years of wear but it will be another 2 before I need maintence again. My boots can look like a dress shoe under slacks when well polished, it works with jeans and a tee all the time, never looking gaudy or fancy. I've worn them to operas, I have worn them to rodeos. I've worn them in church and in vegas. My boots are dependable, functional, everything I need them to be, never presumptuous or pompous, they are hard working, never pretentious. The tag in them still says, in no boastful way mind you, made in the USA. They are handmade and the quality is good. They last and will take everyday wear. I guess my boots are like me; Simple, American, Hardy, and Versitile. And there you have it.

Lyrics for the day:

There only two things in life that make it worth livin'
That's guitars that tune good and firm feelin' women
I don't need my name in the marquis lights
I got my song and I got you with me tonight
Maybe it's time we got back to the basics of love

Let's go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we're livin' got us fueding
like the Hatfield and McCoys
Between Hank Williams pain songs, Newberry's train songs
and blue eyes cryin' in the rain out in Luckenbach Texas
ain't nobody feelin' no pain

So baby let's sell your diamond ring
Buy some boots and faded jeans and go away
This coat and tie is choking me
In your high socitey you cry all day
We've been so busy keepin' up with the Jones
Four car garage and we're still building on
Maby it's time we got back to the basics of love

Let's go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we're livin' got us fueding
like the Hatfield and McCoys
Between Hank Williams pain songs, Newberry's train songs
and blue eyes cryin' in the rain out in Luckenbach Texas
ain't nobody feelin' no pain

Let's go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we're livin' got us fueding
like the Hatfield and McCoys
Between Hank Williams pain songs, Newberry's train songs
and blue eyes cryin' in the rain out in Luckenbach Texas
ain't nobody feelin' no pain
-Luchenbach Texas, Waylon Jennings.

Happy Birthday.

2008-03-21T12:34:00.001-04:00

5 years old and counting....

This is my very first...

2008-03-10T22:36:00.002-04:00

This is my very first voice blog. I am hoping that it spells everything correctly and understands what I am saying. There should be a link, if it doesn't to hear what I am saying. listen

Powered by Jott

Jott blogging. If this...

2008-03-10T17:28:00.002-04:00

Jott blogging. If this works I will be able to blog by phone using my voice. Jott is like having a personal assistant

Powered by Jott

MALL NINJA's

2008-03-01T17:45:00.002-05:00

Thank god and thank american sensabilities that we have mall ninjas....that is all I am saying. Read this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More...

2008-02-29T14:21:00.003-05:00

junk for you to look through is all I have today. Really just one link I really liked. I haven't blogged since the super bowl but this onion story really struck a cord with me. That is some good fake reporting.

I got Lyrics today...it is election season, I just got the newest John Fogerty album which is full of some nice rock, this song is a really simple fast short rocker, and I liked it so lets listen.

I Can't Take It No More
I Can't Take It No MoreI
'm sick and tired of your dirty little war
I Can't Take It No More
You know you lied about the casualties
You know you lied about the WMD's
You know you lied about the detainees
All over this world
Stop talking about staying the course
You keep a-beating that old dead horse
You know you lied about how we went to war
I Can't Take It No More
I can't take itI can't take it
I bet you never saw the old school yard
I bet you never saw the national guard
Your daddy wrote a check and there you are
Another fortunate son
I can't take it no more
I can't take it no more
I'm sick and tired of your dirty little war
I can't take it no more
I can't take it no moreI
can't take it no more
I'm sick and tired of your dirty little war
I can't take it no more
-John Fogarty, "I Can't Take It No More"

If you like some old style rock I suggest the new Fogerty album, Revival. Is he playing on his CCR fame? Yes. Is that bad? Not if you like some CCR.

Also Magic is probably one of the best albums from the Boss in a while. I really really liked both Devisl and Dust as well as The Rising, but I think magic has them beat. Check it!

More politics and post to come as soon as I can.

The question has been posed:..

2008-02-26T12:00:00.003-05:00

Where the hell have I been? Working mostly, but also to cleveland, to rock shows, political rallies, and to the bodies exibit. I have not been to movies, several of which I have wanted to see. I have not been to ALL the rock shows I wanted to go to. I have not been home to see my family. And I have not been blogging like a good blogger should. In any case for some reason I felt a MAJOR drive to really honestly WASTE a little time today and so I thought I would take a few moments and waste a little of yours.

The best waste of time, and probably only smile I have had all day:

It's like a yard sale, except with robots.
Ok I am off to practice blocking the Pokeball.

Tasty!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-12-14T08:22:00.001-05:00

This started with a conversation I have had numerous times. And I love where it went! This sounds DEEEEELISH!!!!!!!!!! I am sure Corky will disapprove, as always, of my one other true love and the many places it turns up. This is for my love of bacon.

The Spirit and updates....

2007-12-13T11:54:00.001-05:00

So for years my mother has tossed around the idea of us, her children and herself, getting together for a meal sometime around the holiday when we have a chance and NOT exchanging gifts. We know we love one another, there is no need for us to buy one another things to show it. This year gas prices are up, the cost of everything is up and everyone is strapped for cash so this year my family is doing it. We will be getting gifts for my neices, aged 4 and 2...I think...., because that really is for the kids. The holidays aren't about shopping. They aren't about what you are getting, or what you didn't get for that matter. The holidays are about getting together with friends and family and thinking of the world as a better place, showing love, and celebrating love. That is what the holidays are all about. I'm proud of my family, when I see "The Housewives of Orange County" I am so proud because I know my family has it right.

My head has been a jumble for the last week. Some thoughts I don't like and can't get rid of keep rolling around in there. I don't really feel comfortable telling anyone about them because they will think more of it then they should, I can't tell the people they should matter too about them because they've already all but said it doesn't matter what I think/feel, and I have run out of forums to vent these things..and I worry soon that they will grow to effect the way I feel about some other things. Readers, have you ever had any thoughts/feelings you felt you couldn't share or vent to let go of? Did they feel like they kept growing in your head pushing out everything else?

Movies: Saw I am Legend in a sneek. It was OK, I enjoied myself for most of it but I think the end was kind of a cop out.

Music: I went to see American Bang at the Poison room last night. It rocked, this time they brought bands with them and those bands were more in line with American Bang so the show was MUCH better than last time when they were the rock band with a binch of punk bands. Also the bands were friends of theirs so there was a whole party atmosphere while all the bands played. And all the bands but 1 were REALLY good and that 1 was a local band that was ok. Check them out thouse bands if you can, Luna Halo, Absentstar, and Autovaughn..who I enjoied this time despite just thinking they were OK last time I saw them.

Books: I've been to busy for books.

TV: The new KITT for the coming made for TV Knight Rider movie has been revealed and he is a cool looking 2008 Shelby Mustang Cobra

I guess that is all I have for now...Let me find some lyrics.

girl when i look at you
you look through me like im not even there
i try not to give up to be strong but
im afraid to say im scared
i can't find the place your heart is hidin'
im no quitter but im tired of fightin'
baby i love you
dont wanna lose you
dont make me let you go
took such a long time
for me to find you
dont make me let you go
baby I'm beggin' please
and im down here on my knees
and i dont wanna have to set you free
dont make me
what if when im long gone
it dawns on you
you just might want me back
let me make myself clear
if i leave here
its done im gone thats that
you carry my love around
like its a heavy burden
im about to take it back
are you sure its worth it
baby i love you
dont wanna lose you
dont make me let you go
took such a long timefor me to find you
dont make me let you go
baby I'm begging please
and im down here on my knees
and i dont wanna have to set you free
dont make me
baby I'm beggin please
and im down here on my knees
i dont wanna have to set you free
dont make me
dont make me
stop lovin' you
stop needin' you
-Blake Shelton "Don't Make Me"

And from yahoo....

2007-12-07T15:19:00.001-05:00

I know if you haven't checked in for a few days it looks like you've missed a lot, but not really. I am just throwing up non-sense things right now. In relation to a recent topic of conversation here on the blog, emotional affairs, I thought this article posted on Yahoo was interesting.

So what are your thoughts?

And one you can change...

2007-12-07T14:13:00.002-05:00

This one, if you click on it you, dear readers, can tell it what you think of me and it will adjust my daemon accordingly. It will ask you how well you agreee with the traits they have assigned me, click on the dark brown tab in the lower right corner after saying how much you agree or disagree with each trait to move to the next one. Tell me what you think.

For Fun

2007-12-07T09:18:00.001-05:00

see if that worked

Why I owe an apology: in response to an email from the Apple Strudle.

2007-12-06T12:20:00.001-05:00

I used to have a friend. I've mentioned her a lot as of late because someone told me how badly and childishly I probably treated her. I think I might have caused her some pain and misery, and that makes me sad. It isn't something you do to someone you care about, but this poor girl was probably used to it. This is part of her story.

My friend had been married before we met. Her marriage seemed great. She once had a class where, a sociology class I beleive, and she told me that they had watched a video on abused women. Of course it was much of what we all have seen and some may not understand. When the women were asked why they stayed or why they stayed so long the most common response was, "because he loved me" and more importantly I think "because I loved him." At the end of the video the prof asked the class what they thought. Every woman in the class said that the first time a man hit her she was GONE... except my friend. She was deeply in love with the man who bacame her husband and she claimed that she wasn't sure what she would do. The first time a man hit her maybe she could rationalize it, perhapes her love would keep her in it for a while. She thought her love was strong enough to deal with a little misery inflicted by him, but she was also fairly certain in her relationship that he would never want to inflict that kind of misery. In the end he did do something that is unforgivable, and maybe even worse than any physical attack on her (those that know me know how high that ranks for me on the "you are sub-human" list of requirements). Needless to say he did finally do something that created too much pain, anger, heartbreak, and misery for even her to stand and the marriage ended. (I won't go into details, it is FAR to disqusting for me to go into).
She followed her marriage with a relationship that lasted years. The thing was that the whole time she was fairly certain that he was cheating. She stayed in the relationship, perhaps hoping eventually he would turn around or come to his senses. Who knows. She suffered a good bit of misery for love of him and hope. Sometimes it got to be too much for her and she played tit for tat, or if it is good for the gander, with him. Eventually she had had enough misery that she ended that relationship too. She had suffered a lot and how long she did surprised me because she was in every other way I could think of one of the strongest women I had met. She was a first born, and a high tolerance for compromise; a good deal of empathy; and good bit of sacrificing your own happiness for the ones you care about comes with that territory. Perhapes sometime to a disasterous mix.
That brings us to me. I never tried to do anything to make her miserable, I myself became miserable due to my own actions after some time and I was an ass as a result (I know it is astonishing). Did she do things to make me miserable? I don't think she knew some of the things she did was going to contribute to hurt, confused, or angry feelings on my part, and so no she never did anything that she KNEW would hurt my feelings. But I was an ass anyway. Then I did something that she told me would make her un-happy. I did something she explicitly said she didn't want. I am fairly certain that as a result I created some misery for her... I don't know how much. It doesn't matter really, because I broke one of my cardinal rules: don't do things that I know will hurt others when it is avoidable. So that is why I owe a huge apology. It was a childish and selfish thing to do. I think Apple Strudle was curious about this and I am terrible at long emails (but not long blogs), and so there it is. How much pain, heartache, and anger are you willing to accept from the ones you care about? How much are you willing to inflict for your own enjoyment?

The sunset is just my lightbulb burning out...

2007-12-03T11:27:00.002-05:00

I am getting that feeling of lonliness and not quite really belonging I get when I have been away too long from my family and my friends from Kentucky (Skinny, Monk, Randa, Shoop, Richie, Tim, et al). I am really glad I'll be home for christmas soon. Today I want to play a lyrics game with ya'll. It is skewed towards Apple Strudle and Skinny Beard, but I have posted these lyrics before so all the long time readers should know them. They are some of my favorites, and this line in particular is among the top 10 lyrics I love of all time. Lets play fill in the blank. I am going to give a few lyrics and someone tell me the ones that are missing.

"Up Here in this city it seems like things are closing in
The sunset is just my lightbulb burning out"
Insert Lyrics
Insert Lyrics
"Oh the sweetest winds they blow accross the south"

A post!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-30T12:39:00.001-05:00

Ok, it's been a while. Things have been a little crazy here. Today I am going to vaguely blog about a lot of things and as need be or as time goes on maybe those things will come into focus

Where have I been?
Recently, lets say since mid-late october, I haven't been blogging much. This begs the question, "Jeregano, just where the hell have you been." Well I was gone to California for 10 days or so and as soon as I got back I had a lot of presentations and the like to do for Science. She is cruel and demanding and at times I hate her but at others I still love her.

So how did it go?
Me and Science are getting along fairly well right now, so things went OK. I won't say great, but I got some very constructive critisizims and most of it was on presentation style, not science and as such that makes me very happy. I've never cared much for worrying about my presentation style because I get my point accross usually. I am a good speaker/presenter it turns out, and most importantly to me, a decent scientist.

How do I feel?
I feel good lately, thank you very much. The Mono is LONG gone, and I battled it hard and well the whole way. Keep your head down and keep plowing through, it has always worked for me before and EBV was no exception. Personally, I have worked hard to surround myself with positive, non-toxic influences in my personal life which allows me to not worry about what frictions I have allowed into my life and just deal with the ones that are the necessary day to day parts of life. I feel good in the people I have surrounded myself with!

So what am I thinking/doing?
Because isn't this what this whole blog is about, you all coming here to hear what the great sage has been thinking?

I have been thinking some about the questions I posed in the "This is your blog" post and some of the responses I got, and that gives me more specific questions. Do you all have answers for:
1. What do you think are emotional cheating?
2. What lines have to be crossed before a relationship becomes an aldulterous connection to you?
3. Have you been involved in a situation you think was emotional cheating, and did you have to cut it off before it became "something more?"
4. Does it matter to you if it became "something more?" (i.e. is an emotional affair just as bad as a physical one, is it worse)
5. What would be your personal reaction to someone cheating on you, in either a simply non-physical affair or an actual physical affair.
So you all let me know more of your thoughts on that topic and maybe I will get a good dialog going with what I think later. Responses, as always, can be anon.

I had a sit down with my boss today, after giving a presentation yesterday, and there was mention that perhaps in 1 year's, that is 12 months, time I could be considering finishing up here. This is a hopeful comment and it gets me thinking about the future. Those that know me best know that I am used to a lack of stability in my life. Growing up was what it was and being a single student for a decade is no way build a stable lifestyle. There have been breif moments in time when I thought I had started to get a grasp of what my future may hold, but then the future is sat on shifting sand and we really don't know do we. Along that vein I have found that stable feeling sometimes lately, with only brief glimpses of what could be shifting sands in my future. While I enjoy the stability I find myself worrying about the shifting sand. I am generally comfortable. I make decisions knowing that I can control, tough out, or walk away from any situations. I always make my decisions in such a way that I know I will be strong enough to do one of these. I'm strong, determined and smart enough to know which one to do and when. And from that comes a great deal of confidence. Knowing that you can find a way to make any outcome work for you, and knowing that you will always make the out come that is best for you from every situation come about give one a great deal of confidence to move forward with the decision you have made. This all comes of course with feeling that you have the most information you can gather. You don't know it all, but you can trust that you know everything you can. The problem with stability is that it gives you a false sense of security. If everything is going along smoothly, it is easy sometimes to forget that the shifting sand is there underneath. The strong pole you are leaning on today could fall out from underneath you dropping you into the quicksand of tomorrow VERY quickly, the longer you lean the more confident you become in the pole, and the more confident you become in the pole the more surprised and unprepared you'll be when it falls out from beneath you. What is funny is that I like the way my future looks like it could shape up now. I might be more prepared for it now than ever before in my life. I have let many of the dreams of the past (and reconnecting with it) go and replaced them with the ones being built now. For now I like to think I don't need those dreams to fall back on. I have cut connections that might interfer with a happy future (YEAH YOU BRADEN!!!!!!!). All this recent stability makes me worry about the shifting sands I occasionally glimpse though. Will I be smart enough to see them coming? Will I be strong enough to deal with the results? Will I be determined enough not to let them scare me? The future is bright, so maybe I should try not to look to closely at it.

I have found that recently I have come in contact with something I have avoided in the past; reality shows of people who are famous for being rich. As I watch these shows all I hear in my head are a few lines from John Lennon, recently revived in my head by Green Day:
"There's room at the top they're telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
if you want to be like all the folks on the hill"
(or is that like all the folks on The Hills?)
Perhaps they married into it, perhaps they were born into it but the one thing I seem to see running through as a common theme in these shows (and much of the other types of shows I see on TV for that matter) is that the reason to aspire to be Beautiful and Rich is for no other reason than to be Beautiful and Rich. It seems to be the only reason to live is to reach these goals for the sake of reaching these goals. It seems to me the only place we see that it is OK to be normal is on COMEDY SITCOMS. Being normal and having a moral to the story (something lots of sitcoms have at the end of each half hour section) has become a joke. Fame and fortune are their own reward....ugh. It makes me think of a line from a song I really like called "My Last Name" and it goes "I'll never make it famous, but I'll never bring it shame." And so I say this prayer, "Dear lord, I have moved forward in my life with little more intention than making the world I leave better than the one I was born into. I don't know that this will make me well known. I don't know if it will bring me any fortune, but dear lord if it does please never let me forget that if I am not doing that, making the world better, than all the rest is for naught and I have lost my way if not my soul."

I have been thinking about an apology I might owe someone, and even more so (looking back at my time in grad school) about a great deal of thanks I owe them. Perhaps it is time to open doors I thought best left closed.

How was my Thanksgiving?
It was very good, thank you. I had a great time at thanksgiving this year. I have learned that I have built a family here in Cincy (yeah I am shocked too) of great friends and I truly never have to worry about being alone. While I didn't get the chance to spend much time with this small family of friends, nor any time with my family of blood (and on both accounts I was sad) I was very pleased, honored, thankful that the Cherrywoods brought me into their fold and made me feel like one of their family, as they always do. I didn't get to spend time with any of the many families I can call my own, but I was made to feel part of the Cherrywood family and it is a good feeling to have and I had a GREAT time.

Hummmmmm.....so this has been a lot of random stuff. I want to thank you all for reading all of it and I will thank you more for commenting on at least some of it.

No lyrics today, I have already dragged on long enough.

The Children The World Almost Breaks

2007-11-16T08:33:00.001-05:00

So I have two ost to write today and the first one had a great title called: Getting Rid of an Ass or For the First Time In a Decade Living a Completely Ass Free Life.

Yesterday my old roommate defended his thesis. Tomorrow morning he'll be gone from this city and for the first time in almost a decade I will be completely without connection to him and I couldn't be happier. That isn't entirely true. I have been fairly free of him for months now. It was a while back I just quit beinig where he was. I quit answering his text with any thing other than variations of "I'm busy", often including some stupidly non-important thing I was busy with to let him know where he was ranking these days without saying "I DON'T WANT TO HANG OUT WITH YOU." At work when we saw each other we were pleasent. The friends he tried to slander my name/charecter with are now among my best, and he has been excluded from their activities for a while. I think, while I tried not to say he was the reason they began to notice that I would ask who was there when they invited me out and then whenever my old roommate was I found myself too tired or tied up in some other way. What I am saying is I am very pleased he's gone. Now I won't run into him anywhere any more and he will pass ENTIRELY into the realm of being a joke we tell.
Interestingly during his acknowledgements yesterday he almost broke down when he mentioned someones name and said "You can't make it through this without friends." We all found it funny that the person he mentioned always seemed to be more of a casual golf buddy and none of those who had spent hours and hours with him in high times and low got so much as an honorable mention. After finally having enough of him I really didn't expect to, but a lot of the others had put up with a lot of hsi stuff longer than they should and probably deserved to be acknowledged as taking up for him even when they weren't sure they should. Oh well. Good luck at Duke buddy! Praise Jeebus your gone!

The next little bit is going to be a bit of a rambling I am sure because I just read this thing and my head is a little dizzy with the quote. My buddy shoop made a post today about PostSecret. I myself have been a long time PostSecret reader. I love it. It makes me want to smile and cry all at once once a week. After reading Shoop's post I realized I hadn't been there yet this week and so there I was, looking today at the postcards that had been displayed since Sunday. Dispersed thoroughout the postcards often emails from readers are posted, often dealing with the postcard just previous, but not always. One of those emails today read:
Frank,
I saw you speak this week at UK. You said "the children the world almost breaks become the adults who save it". That is my secret. Thank you for giving it voice. I did not break. I did survive and now I am a therapist working with the most disturbed, most abused, but the most incredible children. I believe they can all be saved. I believe they are all worth saving. I am trying one at a time.

I took note of this for a couple reasons. First, I am fairly certain this poster was sitting in the room with Shoop just days ago thinking these thoughts and listening to his secret take voice from another person's mouth and second is what the secret was. I have the advantage/disadvantage (I'll tell you about it sometime) about being the guy strangers find comfortable. I can become a good friend really fast to people I just met, for reasons I have yet to understand. A good friend of mine once said that when I ask someone "How are you doing," its so genuine people just feel like telling the truth. I don't give the impression that I want to hear,"I'm alright." How are you doing isn't just a greeting to me. I love hearing the stories and as I read what that poster wrote I realized what he has quoted Frank as saying may be very true. I've known, very personally in some cases, alot of children the world could have/should have/almost broke. I've met the children the world did break too as well as the ones that were properly and in some cases overly sheilded from the world. Who knows what it is that causes the ones that have been to the edge of the breaking and never snapped from snapping but I can tell you that a lot of them are stronger than they should be. It is strange that so much of that strength so often get focused on others. When the world pushes against some they push back with kindness and a determination to leave some small, good, mark on the mean ol' world. So this post I dedicate to the children the world ALMOST broke, and to the further children the world will ATTEMPT to break. Because of them the world will be a better place.

Checked statcounter today and...

2007-11-14T12:56:00.001-05:00

several repeat readers didn't respond to the post below. I want peoples thoughts on Emotion Cheating! So tell me what you think. You can do it anon if you want.

This is your blog post:

2007-11-13T17:18:00.001-05:00

I am still very busy under Science's constant gaze and ceaseless demands. In a few moments to myself in the past 2 or 3 days I have been thinking about that ol' friend again. I have been thinking about how much time we spent togther, how much she confided in me, how well we got to know each other, and how she didn't didn't seem (in fact said, on a few occasions) that she did not seem to have that kind of connection to her boyfriend at the time. I have also been thinking about a term I have been hearing on morning TV "news" shows, daytime talk shows, and a lot of other soft news outlets. I must also say that an episode of King of Queens adressing it got me thinking about it too. Having no time to discuss it with you myself right now I want to throw the topic out there for you, dear readers, to discuss and know that when time permits I will chime back in with my thoughts. (Expect that to be sometime next week depending on if you all can give me enough of your own thoughts to run with.) So in essence this blog post is yours readers, make it a good one.

Your topic is:

Emotional Affairs, what has been described in the "news" lately as an emotional ,nearly romantic or romantic leaning or of romantic nature or just secret sometimes, connection with someone not you S.O.

Ok run with it.

I couldn't find more fitting lyrics, if you got those please share too.

Your cheatin' heart will make you weep
You'll cry and cry and try to sleep
But slee-eep won't come the whole night through
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you

When tears come down like fallin' rain
You'll toss around and call my name
You'll wa-alk the floor the way I do
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you

Your chea-eatin' heart will pine some day
And crave the love you threw away
The ti-ime will come when you'll be blue
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you

When tears come down like fallin' rain
You'll toss around and call my name
You'll wa-alk the floor the way I do
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you
-"Your Cheatin' Heart" Hank Williams...as if you didn't know that already.

Substitute

2007-11-10T14:45:00.001-05:00

Jeregano is unavailable to blog now due to being a slave to science, in his place we will run this video from Uncle Jay. Enjoy.

Running parallel

2007-11-01T17:06:00.001-04:00

I have been a terrible blogger. I know. I have great stuff coming, but I have little time to write right now. Today I was inspired not once but twice by things I read on the web.

First I was inspired by vision, vison I can understand, and vision I would like to think I could someday have....even if it may, in the long run, prove to be a little crazy. As a scientific insider I can tell you that desite the fact that the scientific world is fast paced, science itself takes baby steps. This has a lot to do with the peer review process, the value of the status quo, and the importance of precedence. I can discuss this in leanth with you sometime if you think that that would be good, just ask but for now I want to point, quickly, to the past. You see, I didn't get into science to take baby steps. I wanted always to make big differences. Most of those like me who do that ge tbeat down quickly and dug in deep in the mud of the everyday quagmire that is "progress" in science. You have to learn the value of reaching for the low lying fruit, that is who knowledge and cures are built. Engineering and technologies don't work like that. The problem is X we can bridge said problem with advancements in Y, Z advancements are needed, make them happen! Well I read an article in the washington post online today that reminded me that I used to approach my love of biology like an engineer. I came to grad school interested in Gene Therepy technology not just to put in fixed versions of bad genes, but maybe to design and put in genes to fix things that aren't normally there. So this guy made me smile. I think I might just get his book. I was willing to look into scientology and he can't be crazier then them. Again, I am open minded I'll give it a fair shake as I look it over with my over trained scientific eye.

The second thing that inspired me today was love and seeing someone else in the world who feels the same way I have been lately. Alexander (orbi) Orbison is the son of Roy Orbison and man to read his myspace blog today I found myself think this man has been sharing boots with me at times (you know aside from the grisly accident and the being the son of a rock star and all) . This story from his blog, his feelings, even his fears and the attempting "not listening to the load of shit my mind tries to dump on me anytime there is a second of silence or an inch of miscommunication. " I know where this guy is standing and it is a pretty cool place. His story about the gy on the beach also rocks. Read it, maybe the son of a rock star can teach us all a little somthing. (If for some reason you cannot go to the link of the blog, go to Orbi's myspace page, linked by his name, and read the blog "holding hands down the beach".

OK. So I have been to Cali and back, I have the new Shooter album to review, I have a lot to say, and I am low on time now so you can expect a lot of good blogs and pics to come.... I think I will throw up one pic now for fun:

Jeregano And Corky: Yep, I grabbed her butt.

HILE GUNSLINGERS, TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-16T11:56:00.001-04:00

They are a fixture in th history of nearly every society at some point. Groups of people who are some where between lord and servant. They are there to serve society by leading the people. In feudal europe knights were there lead the serfs and lower military men, but it was also their responsibility to protect them within their castle walls and maintain the order. In feudal japan much has been made of the right of a samurai to cut a commoner down with no reason, but it was a right rarely ever taken. The samurai had the responsibility to maintain peace in the society and to protect the commoners. Despite having noone to answer to, throughout history these classes have, with exceptions, generally performed their duties with honor and grace. They did their best to serve the people as was their responsibility and maintain society. They were the protectors of soceity as a whole.

That is the theme of the Stephen King Dark Tower series of novels, whcih actually seem to be part of all his novels. In this series the Gunslingers are the only ones with the right to carry a gun, they serve as knights leading the commoon folk and protecting the ideals of the white, or protecting all that is good. It is the responsiblity of the Gunslingers maintain order in the world. The novels are interesting and I always found them to be VERY good reads. They are different then a lot of your typical Stephen King fare. They are a new legend. They are a fairy tale epic for the 20th and 21st century. Think King Arthur meets Lord of the Rings meets Unforgiven meets the twilight zone at times. I am not going to go into a story synopsis and I am not going to go into a lot of other stuff about it, I just wanted to mention that roll of the gunslinger as protector of right and wrong. They were strong and they did what they had to do and they did it with as much restraint as possible. They stood tall, brave and proud, and wanted nothing more than peace when they could find it. When one of the charecters is still learing about what a gunslinger is she repeatedly recalls someone saying to her when JFK died that he was "the last of the Gunslingers." She didn't agree when she first heard it. JFK had shown himself to be a man of peace and so she didn't understand this person having the image of him as a gun toting cowboy. Later in the story she sees the difference and comes to understand JFK as a gunslinger.

Now you are asking yourself, WTF brought this on Jeregano. John Fogerty did. I got a free song from iTunes and Starbucks (like the good consumer whore I am) from his new album and I loved it. So I am going to post the lyrics and as we read them lets all think about the cowboy in the white house (that we let in by not properly tending our democratic fences people) and about new FCC rules from the last 8 years, the underfunded "No Child Left Behind", the changes to our poor ol' beat up judicial system, and the general climate of fear used to keep us in our homes lately. Yeah I gave it all away, I'm a blatant jack ass like that.

Lookin' out across this town
Kinda makes me wonder how
All the things that make us great
Got left so hard behind
This used to be a peaceful place
Decent folks hard workin' ways
Now they hide behind locked doors
Afraid to speak their minds
I think we need a gunslinger
Somebody tough to tame this town
I think we need a gunslinger
There'll be justice all around
Someone let the fences go
Wild eyed bunch moved in you know
Shootin' up the streets shoutin' everybody down
Dogs all runnin' loose
Wrecked the papers, closed the school
Tired old judge got roughed up too
No one left to make a stand
They whisper, "What's the use?"
I think we need a gunslinger
Somebody tough to tame this town
I think we need a gunslinger
There'll be justice all around
I think we need a gunslinger
Somebody tough to tame this town
I think we need a gunslinger
There'll be justice all around
I think we need a gunslinger
Somebody tough to tame this town
I think we need a gunslinger
There'll be justice all around
-"Gunslinger" John Fogerty

Integrity

2007-10-15T08:48:00.001-04:00

Those who know me know that my life has always been a struggle in doing what is right. Honor, integrity, compassion and fairness have been the guiding precepts I use to judge and guide my actions. I am not perfect at it. I faulter often and have to take a step back and re-examine my actions. I have suffered from time to time from cowardice leading to many different faults. In Bushido: The Soul Of Japan, it says In the absence of any positive commandment against bearing false witness, lying was not condemned as a sin, but simply denounced as weakness and as such highly dishonorable. According to the book Living the Martial Way, lying in japan was veiwed as weakness because it was a sign of cowardice, and I find that the times I have ommitted truths or told lies it was out of some fear. Often when I have stepped back and taken a moment to face my fear I come clean with the truth knowing that what I fear should not out weigh my desire to do what is right. My fears of very often not lived out as the truth shows the respect with which I have treated the person I could have lied to. I try to treat others with respect and giving the whole story is part of that respect. An old adage from an Agasawara school of classical Japanese etiquette is "The end of all etiquette is to so cultivate your mind that even when you are quietly seated, not the roughest ruffian can dare make onset on your person." Basically if you are courteous then you cannot be attacked, others will stand for your person even when you are quietly seated. It is breach of courtesy that stands often as my greatest self disappointments. The times when I loose that ability to control myself or when I have acted in an un-couth manner are among the times I have disappointed myself the most and the times that have cost me the most, I feel.

According to the date stamps on this blog one of the greatest moments of weakness I have had in this lifetime occured August 5 or so of last year. I stepped away from the dearest friend I had in this city because I didn't have the strength or courage to control myself. I knew that control was everything and if I couldn't control myself it was best to walk. And so from that next morning she ceased to exist in my life. I avoided her, over come with that cowardice that I would have no control over my feelings or actions. Typically I am a brave person, but my fear of the BFU (big fuck up, that life changeing mistake that will cost me everything and drive me down roads I can't control) can creap into the most begnin bits of my life at times. And that was this, I didn't know how I was going to regain control and I didn't know what steps I might take to regain my feelings and I was very worried I would miss something more important and fated with this distraction, so I walked. Recently I have felt very much back in control and maybe for the first time ever stable in my life. I feel comfrotable and confident. So a few nights ago I was a little surprised when I saw my old friend driving and she, like me, had a headlight out and my only thought was I should let Amy know she has a headlight out. It took me a while to find her number in my cell phones contacts, I had switched it to "Dont Call Amy" due to an accident where I dialed her number trying to call another friend Amy, and fire off the text message. I was just as surprised, pleasently so, when she responded and asked how I had been. A few text caught us up with all we wanted to know for now. She is well, I am well, she is on the verge of 2 papers, I am on the verge of something like always. I still owe her an apology, but at least now I know it can come, she'll respond to my messages. I don't know that I would invite her back into my life now, she is a peice of history and history is a thing best studied but not revisited, opened like a pandora's box, or relived.... I mean we all know how sad and a little disturbing those civil war reenactments are.

In Other News:
I have been a bad blogger. I know I am sorry. Later this week I am going out of town for 10 days and may try to blog on the road. I am taking a road trip vacation with the lovely Corky Cherrywood. It promises to be a good time. I also have a blog still in the waiting about birth order and it's effect on you and more. Maybe political commentary since Jason Watson has not done anything to wrile me up in a while.

I went to the Ohio Ren Festival this weekend. Another example of how sad it is to relive the past, but it is a great time all the same. It has the advantage of being very much NOT like the past and is as such really more entering a fantasy past, and who among us can't use a little fantasy in our lives.

Jeregano's Final Thoughts:
So I am left wondering after this blog what it takes to have the courage to live a life of integrity and what the definition of integrity truly is. I know plenty of christians who stand in judement over others who claim to live a life of integrity, while thier tendency to judge seems to argue the opposite case in and of itself. I have seen politicians make the claim of integrity while lying, cheating, and loosing all compation in the search for power. I am curious, who are some people YOU know who you feel have true integrity? What comprises integrity? Until next time everyone try to be kind to each other.

"Looking Back...

2007-09-21T17:06:00.001-04:00

on the dance we shared."

It's a song lyric. A good one. In a song sang by Garth Brooks. More on Garth later.

It is a fairly well known fact among my nearest and dearest that with February, September has traditionally been a month I would as soon skip than live through each year. Summer draws to a close, things begin to die, and I punish my self for various reasons. The reasons I have done this in the past has been varied and really not worth discussing now because the point of the matter is that it is past. This year I haven't drank. Hardly a drop all month. That has a lot to do with Epstien Barr Virus(EBV), I won't lie. But I have noticed that I haven't wanted to drink either. The fact that I couldn't hasn't made me miss it. In September this is something to note. I am sure why it is and that has got me thinking about some things and I want to blog about it.

1st, and I'll get this over quick. I have had mono, caused by EBV a member of the herpes virus family. I am WELL aware that there are some readers who may feel karmic vindication they have been waiting a year for in that statement and that is the only reason I put it out there. So readers who find it amusing and fun, please speak up and take a years worth of anger at me out. You know it will make you feel better.

Now to the matter I really want to discuss, reminiscing. We all know I have a tendency to look back sometimes. Lord knows I have taken a lashing from my dear skinny pirate Friend for it. I think that may even be in one of the post on the sidebar. The thing is that I find myself looking forward a lot more now. I know the value of reminiscing. I know the purpose it serves, when you are looking to find some way of moving forward it is sometimes good to look back at where you have been. Now then I want to note when reminiscing turns bad. You see, and this is an arguable point, I do not think that mine ever did. (Skinny may wish to dispute that.) I never once tried, attempted, or hoped, to drag the other parties of my reminiscence into it. There was no phone calls to say hey you remember when we did this and/or that or any letters to say I was sorry for the stupid things I did (though maybe I should have, it would have accomplished nothing but making every one of them, and myself, suffer more... and I worry if in the long run the discovery of my reminiscences by some members involved (who weren't intended to find them)in those moments might have led to undo suffering on their part). I also never tried to get anyone else to relive those old moments with me. Calling up old friends to get them to do the old things or trying to get new people to do the things I did with old people. I never did these things. I wonder, I am not going to claim to know, if these things are really healthy. Are you really moving forward trying to make new memories with these new people in your lives when you are asking them to do the things you did before with others? When you sit and reminisce with old friends about times gone by, and you are actually discussing it with them, are you dragging up old bones better left buried. The thing about looking back is that really too often, especially when you try to relive it or bring others in to reminisce with you is that it can hamper moving forward. It can hamper your moving at all. It can risk the road you've built so far. I am thinking that maybe for the first time in half a decade my September head is turned firmly towards the coming fall, winter, spring and summer rather than looking back on the summer that just passed me by. I have a 10 year class reunion in just a few weeks and I am not sure I am interested in going, I don't know what there is for me there at this point. I know my dear friend Shoop seems to be at a point now where looking forward feels dark and looking back seems like it might have some hidden answers. And I am thinking of him a lot these days and I hope he pulls through well. I worry, but I think that is one of the burdens of the first born (the effects of birth order on your personality, opinion by jeregano is a post that is VERY soon to come as I feel I am learning a lot about that lately). I have found myself looking to the future and not thinking about reliving, or repeating the past much lately. If I do the same things don't I risk going down the same roads? Thoughts and feelings people?

Now a little about reminiscing in song......
It is a well known fact that in my day (and his I would say) I was a huge fan of Garth Brooks. His songs spoke to me, and I seemed to always be able to relate to every one of them. Even as a teenager I related to Much too young, of course many who knew me then would agree that I was much too young to feel as old as I seemed at times I think. His song the dance is a wonderful song about reminiscing. And he has a new song I heard the other day that I found GREAT! It is called more than a memory and it was another reason I wrote this post. It reminded me of a time when I felt exactly the way the song said, and I think we have all had those moments. Something about the song and my current situation really got me thinking about another Garth song though. I remember it fondly and remember thinking that it was EXACTLY what I wanted, and now I think it is exactly what I have found. Without further ado, this post song lyrics, which are not about reminiscing really:

She's sun and rain, she's fire and ice
A little crazy but it's nice
And when she gets mad, you best leave her alone
'Cause she'll rage just like a river
Then she'll beg you to forgive her
She's every woman that I've ever known

She's so New York and then L.A.
And every town along the way
She's every place that I've never been
She's makin love on rainy nights
She's a stroll through Christmas lights
And she's everything I want to do again

It needs no explanation
'Cause it all makes perfect sense
For when it comes down to temptation
She's on both sides of the fence

No it needs no explanation
'Cause it all makes perfect sense
When it comes down to temptation
She's on both sides of the fence

She's anything but typical
She's so unpredictable
Oh but even at her worst it ain't that bad
She's as real as real can be
And she's every fantasy
Lord she's every lover that I've ever had
And she's every lover that I've never had
-"She's Every Woman" Garth Brooks

Sick and Tired..

2007-09-16T12:02:00.002-04:00

that is what I have been. There will be more blogging to come, I just haven't had time and energy lately and I'll discuss it in more detail later. I saw this and I knew I had to put it here. Enjoy this segment of In The Know:

In The Know: Are America's Rich Falling Behind The Super-Rich?

No surprise there...

2007-08-28T14:25:00.001-04:00

For those who know the geek I am and have partaken of the games with me this is no surprise. For those who know of games and the basics of them and also know me, this is no surprise. It may all be no suprise, but I am posting it anyway, maybe some people don't know what I am at heart.

You scored as Barbarian, From the frozen wastes of the north and the hellish jungles of the south come brave, even reckless, warriors. Civilized people call them Barbarians or Berserker's and suspect them of mayhem, impiety, and atrocities. These "Barbarians," however, have proven their mettle and their value to those who would be their allies. To enemies who underestimated them, they have proven their cunning, resourcefulness, persistence, and mercilessness.

Barbarian

80%

Fighter

70%

Druid

50%

Sorcerer

50%

Ranger

40%

Monk

40%

Rogue

40%

Paladin

40%

Cleric

20%

Bard

20%

Wizard

10%

Which D&D Class Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

Hey...

2007-08-28T09:50:00.002-04:00

there they are.

Things blogger won't do....

2007-08-28T09:48:00.002-04:00

Apparently blogger won't
1. Display my new post.
2. WHAT ELSE MATTERS IT'S WORTHLESS IF IT WON'T DISPLAY MY POST!!!!!

Test post:

2007-08-27T15:06:00.002-04:00

Blogger won't put up my post. So I am trying this. Maybe it'll post this

Songs and motion....

2007-08-27T14:50:00.001-04:00

Last week was stressful for me. My professional life was full of fear. I got through another meeting and despite my fears of doom and gloom I pulled through. I am hopeful now and have a better sense then ever that my thesis committee is actually on my side and want to see me get my PhD. That makes me very happy. That being said I am going to keep today's topic of conversation light. Music and motion.

Many many months ago in a bar I met a wonderful young lady with a ton of tattoos. I had recognized her as the myspace friend of a myspace friend. She was an anthropologist, she was interested in what I did (she had done some epidemiological work on diabetes in, I believe, the Hopi Indian tribe on a res in New Mexico), she was a comic geek, and she had a gamer geek BF. We had a few good conversations at that bar. One night I even saw here crying, despite the fact that she had just gotten on the cover of the local "What to do this week in the city" paper City Beat. She'd broken up with said BF. A little bit later we had decided to go see a band play together (my beloved sisters were also coming up to see it and I was joined as often is the case by my favorite bald Gypsy). That girl didn't join me, I quit mentioning the show when I saw her at the bar or posting things where it would remind her about it (chunk of sentence removed due to lack of relevance-editor). When she emailed me I told her I wasn't sure I wasn't still going (in defense of my lie, until the day before, when my sisters confirmed they were IN FACT, coming I had considered not going to the show and I felt AT THE TIME that it was the proper thing to do). I really haven't had any contact with her since, outside of waving across the bar. I DO however read her blog on occasion. She's been through the downs that came with her break up but recently seems to be on quite the upswing. She has graduated and is now on her way to becoming her own anthropologist (Indiana Jones look out and Lara Croft has nothing on this girl) and she has found herself in a new, hopefully better fit relationship. Soon she will be moving to a different place in her life and all of that is great but I have been digressing, you see one of her recent blogs starts with:

There are songs that make my heart jump, hit the pavement; run. Its nice out today, I am thinking of riding a bike to Sharon Woods, visit those places where I played when I was younger, listen to music; hit the pavement. Run.

Music can be like that a lot. It can feed your mood. It can relieve your mood. It can make you move. One of the songs at that show I was talking about going to with my sisters and the Gypsy was a song called Wagon Wheel. The lyrics have movement, but more so the songs rhythm has movement. It can really get you tapping your foot or just bouncing around like a crazy man. There are plenty of songs that get us moving at the gym (Eye of the Tiger, right Corky?) and I know that there are a group of songs that get me pumping my fist in anger (The whole Metallica St. Anger album and the Stone Sour songs Made of Scars and 30/150) and I know there are songs that when I hear them in the car make me drive a little more recklessly. So tell me what songs get ya'll moving? How do they make you move? How does that movement make you feel?

Lyrics:
No Lyrics today, here is the video for Old Crow Medicine Show's Wagon Wheel

Chickens

2007-08-21T08:37:00.001-04:00

It's a pretty well known fact that growing up my father filled the back yard with animals. Rabbits, sheep, ponies, cows, turkeys, and chickens to name a few. (after we moved out there was even a stint with some goats, but I wasn't living there then and it wasn't left to me to water them and care for them) Last night I got to thinking about the chickens. You see the chickens would get out of their coup from time to time but generally they never went very far. Chickens aren't smart animals, they aren't fast animals, and they can't fly but for short burst. We clipped the wings of our chickens so their burst were even shorter. But chickens are smart enough to know where they are fed. Chickens roost in the same place, tree, hen house, patch of grass every night. The chickens just wouldn't go far. This is why some places can grow "free range chickens". There really is no reason to keep chickens in a coup if the intention of the coup is to keep the chickens in. But then again the sticks of central kentucky gives you plenty of reason to put your chickens in a coup. You see chcikens can be very valuable in many different ways. A flock of chickens gives you a lot. A flock of chickens is a constant stream of meat and eggs. So you want that protected and there is why you can find plenty f reasons in central kentucky to keep your chickens in a coup. You aren't fencing in chickens, your are fencing out threats to chickens. Weasles, stray dogs, the ever present and clever coyote (pronounced KI-OAT). You make your coup big enough for your chickens to be comfortable and not fill it with their own excrement (a skill dad needed to work on but he always was one to worry too much and fence in his chickens too tightly) without leaving too much fence to maintain. You'd have a door to your coup but that is risky. Doors can get left open and an open door is an invitation for a predetor. Your chickens might get out and wander a ways but at sundown any that were left alive would certainly come back to the perceived saftey of the coup (I saw this many times, chickens out all day back in the tree in the middle of the coupe at night fall) but this is when the predetor comes. You might accidentally leave the cage door open for a few hours during the day, you might even let the chickens out to roam during the day but at night, if you value all the things your chickens have to offer, you'd make sure the gate is closed. You certainly wouldn't leave the gate open, inviting a predetor to have his fill, for even one night, certainly not 48 hours straight. Nope, not if you valued your chickens.

And there you have Jeregano's home spun wisdom from my overalls to your ears with love.

LYRICS:
I won't go away
Right, right here I stay

Stand silent in flames
Stand tall 'till it fades

Shoot me again
I ain't dead yet
C'mon, shoot me again
I ain't dead yet
I said, shoot me again
I ain't dead yet
C'mon, shoot me again
I ain't dead yet

C'mon, Shoot me again
Shoot me again
Shoot me
Shoot me again
Shoot me again
C'mon, Shoot me again
Shoot me again
Shoot me
Shoot me again
Shoot me again
C'mon

All the shots I take
I spit back at you
All the shit you fake
Comes back to haunt you

All the shots
All the shots
All the shots I take
What difference did I make?
All the shots I take
I spit back at you
(Haa)

I won't go away, with a bullet in my back
Right, Right here I stay, with a bullet in my back

Shoot me
Take a shot
Shoot me
Take a shot
Shoot me
Take a shot
Shoot me
Take a shot

I stand on my own, with a bullet in my back
I'm stranded and sold, with a bullet in my back

Shoot me again
I ain't dead yet
C'mon, shoot me again
I ain't dead yet
Yeah, shoot me again
I ain't dead yet
C'mon, shoot me again
I ain't dead yet

I Said, Shoot me again
Shoot me again
C'mon
Shoot me again
Shoot me again
C'mon
Shoot me again
Shoot me again
Shoot me
Shoot me again
Shoot me again
Yeah

All the shots I take
I spit back at you
All the shit you fake
Comes back to haunt you

All the shots
All the shots
All the shots I take
Hey, What difference did I make? What difference did I make?
All the shots I take
I spit back at you

Bite my tongue
Trying not to shoot back
No compromise
My heart won't pump the other way

Wake the sleeping giant
Wake the beast
Wake the sleeping dog
No, let him sleep...
Wake the sleeping giant
Wake the beast
Wake the sleeping dog
No, let him sleep...

Bite my tongue
Trying not to shoot back

All the shots I take
I spit back at you, Yeah
All the shit you fake
Comes back to haunt you

All the shots
All the shots
All the shots I take
Hey, What difference did I make? What difference did I make?
All the shots I take
I spit back at you
-"Shoot me again" Metallica

A quick reminder....

2007-08-20T15:23:00.002-04:00

Yes I am alive.

I have been very busy with work as I have a meeting coming up soon. Everything is NOT flowers and rainbows, but everything is not doom and gloom either.

I thought as a reminder to you, dear readers, and to myself I would quickly post some lyrics that I am sure many long term readers are sick of seeing. Think of it as Jeregano's theme song if you like. Those who have read it before and I are sick of reading it no need to continue, this is the end of the post really. Those needing a little inspiration and who feel like their back is ALWAYS up against the wall, where here are some lyrics for ya:

I will take that back, I have found the song on Youtube and therefore will embed it for you to actually listen to!

It sometimes seems that all my dream's are over 9 ft tall and I'm that little man with a rock in my hand....

Fuck yeah man. There is plenty of fight in this dog.
Later ya'll.

Bloggin'

2007-08-11T09:26:00.001-04:00

I've been really busy lately. Those who have been reading this blog a while knows that that is what it means when the blog post dwindle to a slow trickle. I haven't in the last few weeks had time to sit and enjoy just how good things have been lately or reflect upon many things the way I like too. While there is still a lot I want to blog about I am low on time so I will do the catching you up with what is going on with me thing.

Corky and I went to see BANG BANG BANG at the phoenix hill tavern last weekend. The show rocked, the band that played before them, the effects, was also good even if thier lead singer looked like he had to squeeze band practice in between home room and drivers ed. The band that played after them, AutoVaughn was OK but a totally different kind of music and certainly, in my opinion, not as good as BANG BANG BANG. Corky yelled out a request for one of their songs and the lead singer said "That's funny, you want to see some one really mess up?" but they played it anyway. After the show the drummer talked to us a bit and as it turns out the lead singer doesn't like to do things that are unrehersed and they hadn't played the song in 6 months so Corky getting her request played actually took the drummer by surprise too. The show rocked, and BANG BANG BANG has been signed by Warner now and are in LA recording their first major label album. They are blogging about it and you chan check it out HERE (that blog will make it's way to the side bar soon).

Work is hectic now because I have a meeting coming up. This is one of those meetings where they can decide to send me on my way with a master's so let's all keep our fingers crossed.

I saw Hairspray and that movie was hilarious! I loved it! We all know that John Travolta is a song and dance man, and that Christopher Walken is also a classically trained song and dance man. To see Travolta dance while wearing that fat suit and being in drag is cool to see though. All the parts were superbly acted. It was a good time.

I've been thinking lately I am becomeing a little more cynical and maybe a little less trusting... I think it is science doing this to me.

I noticed the effects are going to be playing at the Gateway Music and Arts Festival in Mt. Sterling Kentucky. It is small, and this is the first year for it. It is a camping music festival just down the road in Kentucky. I think it is $50 for all 4 days. It looks like most of the bands are less well known and a lot of local area talent. Could be fun.

A reminder of SHOOTER at Southgate house on Aug. 30th.

OK I'm done. Lets talk lyrics.

I'm through with standing in line to clubs we'll never get inI
t's like the bottom of the ninth and I'm never gonna win
This life hasn't turned out quite the way I want it to be
(Tell me what you want)
I want a brand new house on an episode of Cribs
And a bathroom I can play baseball in
And a king size tub big enough for ten plus me
(Tell me what you need)
I'll need a credit card that's got no limit
And a big black jet with a bedroom in it
Gonna join the mile high club At thirty-seven thousand feet
(Been there done that)
I want a new tour bus full of old guitars
My own star on Hollywood Boulevard
Somewhere between Cher and James Dean is fine for me
(So how ya gonna do it?)
I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair and change my name
'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny With her bleach blond hai
rHey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
I wanna be great like Elvis without the tassels
Hire eight body guards that love to beat up assholes
Sign a couple autographs So I can eat my meals for free
(I'll have a quesadilla on the house)
I'm gonna dress my ass with the latest fashion
Get a front door key to the Playboy mansion
Gonna date a centerfold that loves to blow my money for me
(So how ya gonna do it?)
I'm gonna trade this life For fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair And change my name
'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny With her bleach blond hair
And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and today's who's who
They'll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
I'm gonna sing those songs that offend the censors
Gonna pop my pills from a pez dispenser
Get washed-up singers writing all my songs
Lip sync em every night so I don't get 'em wrong
Well we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny With her bleach blond hair
And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and today's who's who
They'll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
-"Rockstar" Nickleback

I have been rebutted...

2007-08-02T10:21:00.001-04:00

and I guess that must mean I was in need of a new butt?

Check it out on Corky's blog.

Musica de August

2007-08-01T15:22:00.001-04:00

Shooter: August 30th at the South Gate House.
One should also note that there will be new music because Shooter's new album "The Wolf"
will drop October 23.

THIS WEEK: Saturday, BANG BANG BANG at Pheonix Hill Tavern in Louisville, be there or be square my squares. (Those of you in the BG could catch them tonight at one of my favorite BG haunts, Tidball's)

I am sure there is more but I'll think of it later.

Checking In.

2007-07-31T18:36:00.001-04:00

It is a fact of life in science. The better things are going the more there is to do. It is just the way things are. As a result I haven't lately been able to find the time to pop in here and post as frequently as I would like. I have a lot to say and not much time to say it. While I would love to post a lot here now, what I will do is catch you up on the little unimportant goings on in my life of which I am certain none of you have any interest.

My Weekend:
This past weekend was excellent. Shelby and I joined Corky Cherrywood and her dog Lola to her parents house for a relaxing weekend. I was extremely well fed. I think my caloric intake for the past weekend was higher than the whole previous week put together. We sat on the porch (both front and back) and drank chilled sweet wines on a typical southern Kentucky summer night. As you might imagine I felt right at home. Corky's family certainly made me feel at home and I had a GREAT time. I didn't want to come back to the 'Nati, you can be sure of that. Shelby was exhausted. She's done nothing but sleep for the two days since we got back. The Cherrywoods (she chose the name not me) have 2 goats. Shelby got a good run in chasing goats and I was pleased with how good she acted off leash (with one minor refusal to do as she was told apparently at one point when Corky's mother had to trick her into coming back to her by luring her back with a corn cob while chasing her down the road). Yep, I had a great weekend ya'll.

Work:
Work is going very good right now. What that means, as I mentioned, is that I also have a LOT to do. I am busy and often tired but it is nice to have somethings going on I feel convinced will work.

This Blog:
I have a lot I want to say here still. I really want to chime in on presidential candidates. Does anyone want to voice their opinion here so that I can voice mine. I beleive Randa still owes me her rebutal on one Republican already. Yes Corky, feel free to shout your love for Obama here as well.

August is coming that means I missed my mid-year progress report so I need to put that up only 2 months late.

OK, lets have some Lyrics. I wanted to put up the Lyrics to a Villebillies song, Greatest Moments, but I would have to transcribe that one myself and I am afraid I do not have the time right now. So instead I will put up an old country song from my youth. Enjoy.

LYRICS:
As the maid poured wine
and we prepared to dine
I know I was feeling out of place
At table as large
as a river barge and
I love you written all on your face
I appreciate your hospitality
but I wish that we would go
Let me drive us to McDonalds and Ill talk to you
concerning something you should really know
Im just a common man
I drive a common van
My dog aint got no pedigree
If I have my say,
gonna stay that way
Cause high-browed people lose their sanity
And a common man is what Ill be
Ill take a Chevrolet just any day
so give your daddy back his Mercedes Benz
And theres some common people that I hang out with
Theyre my good time buddies theyre my friends
And Id rather chug-a-lug a mug of Budweiser beer
then sip a crystal glass of wine
So wont you make your mind up to believe in me
and leave this high living world behind?
Im just a common man
drive a common van
My dog aint got no pedigree
If I have my say,
gonna stay that way
Cause high-browed people lose their sanity
And a common man is what Ill be
Yes Im happy just being free
And Im happy just being me
And I hope that you will see
Im just a common man
drive a common van
My dog aint got no pedigree
If I have my say,
gonna stay that way
Cause high-browed people lose their sanity
And a common man is what Ill be
Im just a common man
drive a common van
My dog aint got no pedigree
If I have my say,
gonna stay that way
Cause high-browed people lose their sanity
And a common man is what Ill be
-John Connoly "Common Man"

Called out.....

2007-07-19T14:09:00.001-04:00

Corky has called me out on not blogging (though I would point the finger at Skinny from me). Everyone should go to her blog and see what is going on in her life and read the entertaining stories of her dating life. Jailbirds and Trannys so far. I know that there are plenty of humorous stories yet to come so keep reading. Just so you know I do hear that she is currently dating a decent guy (I am sure if you asked around there may be those who think she can do better, but I know the guy and think he isn't too bad) so don't feel too bad for her as you read about her misadventures. Everyone be sure to comment so that she knows you're reading too!

As for me, things are going well right now. Work is moving along and not going terribly. It is very busy due to another looming committee meeting. One of my lab mates is starting to sweat as he recently got data that has him worried about the future of his project, but I haven't gotten that data yet...though if it is going to come it will be in the next couple weeks so everyone keep your eyes open for that potentially career ending event.

Personally I am at the happiest now I think I may have ever been. I am confident and comfortable with things in my personal life. So confident that I will even risk the bad luck of mentioning here that I have been seeing someone, and if I can just get her out to meet my friends, things are going great! She's a truly magnificent example of the female of the human race (despite the fact that she seems to prefer Deirks Bentley singing his songs to me singing them). I have tons of nice things to say about her, but she's listening so we'll have to play it cool. Everyone act like I haven't been mentioning her.

In Other News:

Expect political commentary soon. I read a thing about Edwards poverty initiatives today that has me excited and thinking.

Expect the Bonnaroo post. I have been waiting for when I have more time to type to get it done because it is going to probably be a long one. It was a good 4 days but it is hard to find the time to get it all into words.

Expect the unexpected, like Elephants on the streets of South American Countries. I am not prophesying anything here just saying, unexpected things happen.

Today, well NOW, I have a song in my head, so here are some lyrics

LYRICS:
I saw you staring at each other
I saw your eyes be-gin to glow
And I could tell you once were lover's
You ain't hideing nothing I don't know
There's an old flame, burning in your eyes
That tears can't drown,
and make-up can't disguise
That old flame may not be stronger,
but it's been burning longer
Than any spark I might have, started in your eyes
You said it ended when he left you
You say your love for him is gone
But those old memories still up set you
For I might be a memory before to long
There's an old flame, burning in your eyes
That tears can't drown,
and make-up can't disguise
That old flame may not be stronger,
but it's been burning longer
Than any spark I might have, started in your eyes
-"Old Flame" Alabama

There's your post Corky, Happy?

Always running....

2007-07-14T14:37:00.001-04:00

I am behind. In sleep, at work, in balancing my checkbook. I am just running behind. I'm used to it though. The being behind on sleep and work together though is really wearing me down. I feel the need to catch up on one, but it is going to proably have to be at the expense of the other. I am off target here. Despite being behind I feel good. I did something I have never done before. It makes me feel good to have done it. It makes me feel free to have done it. I feel great!!!!!!!!!!

But I got that whole being behind and stressed thing that is really putting a cramp in my high, in so VERY many more ways then one. And so, having done what I have done (sorry it will remain cryptic, we all know that if Jeregano mentions a good thing by name it will evaporate into nothingness) I have come to another conclusion as well. It is time to make a few changes. I have to reduce stress and create time while getting better at getting through the day. Here are some ideas.

1. First and foremost the gym moves BACK UP the list of priorities. Too often science tries to take over my whole life and the gym is always the first thing it bumps. Well no more. It'll have to bump things like a part of lunch and... well I don't know what else but not the gym.

2. Speaking of lunch, I am now officially calling an end to the slow suicide diet. Those who know me well know what this is. This is the fact that it seems I will eat as MUCH as I can of ANYTHING you put in front of me. I will still eat what is put in front of me for the most part but I am going to take my portions back into my own hands. Leave myself a little hungry.

3. In the same line... I might not be drinking as much any more. I think there are now adverse effects that I REFUSE to accept. Miller Lite, PBR, Makers I think we'll be seeing a lot less of each other. I'll be having an RC cola at Arlin's while I play my golden tee now I think. I wonder if they have moon pie?

4. Breaks. Notably, a 15 minute break for a few moments of silence to be given to me, by me, every afternoon to allow me to clear my head of, well, everything. Breaks are pretty common at most workplaces, but when I am breaking here I rarely ever walk away from the work space. Starting now I will.

5 Stricter adherence to my schedule. I've been letting this slide and as such I am feeling rushed a frazzled all the time. That HAS to stop. Meetings and feelings be damned, when I got something to do I am going to stand up, walk out, and do it.

6. More unscheduled time. Currently I only have, really, one night of the week where I do not have some pre-planned commitment. I can skip out on some of them occasionally (Mon, though I take shit I was clear I would not be able to commit to every Monday from the beginging; Tues, I don't have to show up on Tuesdays but I miss my friends if I miss it more than 2 or 3 weeks in a row; Fri is actually something I would like to do but rarely do, though the recent habit of going to watch my buddies play soft ball while eating $1.50 metts isn't bad either) This may mean missing some monday night gameing but I need it.

7. Perhapes most importantly I have got to relearn how to let go. I used to let go. I have faults and failings. I don't think any are critical and so it's all good.

8. There are otherthings I have been doing too much of that I think may also be contributing to putting a dampner on my general great mood. So I have decided to quit doing that as well, but it isn't for discussion in mixed company.

Music lyrics today...hummmmmmm.....well apple strudle has been emailing me and got me thinking about Ryan Adams, and I know that will please Skinny to no end so lets use some Ryan Adams....

She ain't lonely now
See her shuffle across the floor
Yeah, she's happier now
See her smile and say "come on"
Let's dance all night
Let's dance all night
Dance all night
Yeah, I think she'll be alright
I ain't lonely now
Yeah, I got someone I love
Someone I think about
Someone for me to take care of
Dance all night
Dance all night
Dance all night
Yeah, I think I'll be alright
She ain't lonely now
See her shuffle across the floor
Yeah, she's happier now
See her smile and say "come on"
Let's dance all night
Let's dance all night
Dance all night
I think she'll be alright
-"Dance All Night" Ryan Adams

Movie Reviews....

2007-07-09T11:08:00.001-04:00

and no, I haven't seen Transformers yet so that isn't one of the movies. But soon I'll see it and I will comment.

Jesus Camp
or brainwashing and indoctrination in America. This movie scares me. It's a documentary on an Evangelical summer camp and the kids that go to it. I understand that introducing your children to your values and religion is an important part of raising a child. It is very important that you instill in your children a sense of right and wrong and a belonging. I think that that is a very good thing. What this movies shows is different though. What this movie shows is evangelical Christians using the same techniques and tactics used by extremist everywhere to turn children into soldiers. While they are not arming the children they are creating a highly motivated political army dedicated to the extreme right (and G.W. Bush I might add). It is a scary thing to see, extremism, no matter the creed it takes to extremes. I could easily see one of these children, confused in their teenage years, acting out of a feeling of righteous superiority killing a lot of sinners. They do talk more than a few times in the movie dieing for Jesus. The kids are encouraged to talk in tongues and many of them seem to say they literally hear god talking to them. There is a point where a stand up of G.W. Bush is brought in and they sing his praises alongside the lords. I am afraid of an upcoming army of extremist right here in America. I do not like the idea at all. This will not have a good end.

Pan's Labyrinth:
You are thinking Jeregano, where the hell you been. BUSY OK! This movie was great I certainly suggest anyone and everyone see it. The effects are good but the story is awesome. I like it when you don't just dislike the main bad character you HATE him. You should, he's the bad guy. He's an ass.

Paris Je T'aime:
This was one of the best movies I had seen in a while. 18 different directors, 18 different stories about love. Some were funny (the Mimes are hilarious), some are about a mothers love, some were truly touching, some were silly. Not all were hits, but I found the movie very enjoyable to watch. My personal favorite came with a couple messages, hard to believe for a 5 minute short. The messages I want to relay to you all now, come from that short.
1) Love has ups and downs. Don't give up when things are low or tough and go on living like your in love even when you want to quit and you'll find that on the other side you never really stopped loving them at all. Love is more resilient than it is given credit for. Not everyday is roses and wine, getting through the weeks that all feel the same requires a little patience and a little appreciation of the small things...bringing us to

2)Life is short, you've heard it before. Often it is followed by some statement like life everyday as if it was your last. Well I think it isn't quite right. Life is indeed short, and as such you should live as though each day is your loved ones' last. Living as though every day is you last will lead to a lot of reckless, self-indulgent, sometimes childish behavior. If you live every day as if it is the last time you will see each of your loved ones and you will have to go on forever with just this moment with them you'll learn to appreciate the little things they do and you'll do what you can to enjoy them while they are there. You'll be happy, while making your loved ones happy.

OK so there we have movies and life lessons from Jeregano.

In Other News:

My good friend Rich from high school was in an accident at work this weekend. My thoughts and prayers are with him. He was the first brother I ever had.

I had a great weekend:

1)The cookout at the Sandlin's was the excellent time it always is. Some of those people I only see that one time a year and I don't see any of them nearly enough.

2) Sunday I was invited to another cookout and had an excellent time there as well. I lost a couple games of checkers, won a game of operation (against a nurse I should say...tsk tsk), and had some GREAT food. I am more well fed than I have been in a while. I am blessed.

OK....lets try to think of some lyrics.... lets stick with the Paris Je T'aime message. Here is a song about appreciating the smallest of things. Just getting up together in the morning.

Like a sail that's torn and can't ride the wind
Here I stand looking both ways again
I'm a dollar short on a three dollar night
Turning left cause I ain't got no right.
I keep thinking this time may be it
But somehow all the pieces just won't fit
But I'll always have a dream to hold on to
Just as long as I keep waking up with you.
You told me once that storms never last
I know it's true oh so true
Just when I think the clouds will never pass
Like a silver lining you come shining through.
I know you'll always be there right or wrong
Together we'll keep on keeping on
And I'll always have a dream to hold on to
Just as long as I keep waking up with you.
You told me once that storms never last
I know it's true oh so true
Just when I think the clouds will never pass
Like a silver lining you come shining through.
I know you'll always be there right or wrong
Together we'll keep on keeping on
And I'll always have a dream to hold on to
Just as long as I keep waking up with you.
I'll always have a dream to hold on to
Just as long as I keep waking up with you..
-"Waking Up With You" Waylon Jennings

News...

2007-07-04T10:21:00.001-04:00

MAN BITES DOG Turns out they were right it is news.

They hate you if your clever and they despise a fool...

2007-07-03T12:42:00.001-04:00

I found myself fired up yesterday afternoon. Maybe it is the coming election season. Maybe it was the total 2 hours sleep I had the night before. Maybe it was a need for some fire to start burning anew in my head. Maybe it was stumbling on the Green day video for Working Class Hero . I've always loved that song and hadn't heard it in a while. I really like their amped up version. I'll post a video with the Lennon version at the end of this post. We all know that no matter how many gowns or hoods you put on me or degrees you put on my wall my blue collar (and redneck) will always show through, as will the redwing work boots underneath it all. And with the state of the lower classes today that song really speaks to me more than ever. I really worry that when I get to making decent money at a job that is mostly academic I will have a lot of self-loathing. I think my kids are spoiled little rich punks already and there is no guarantee that I'll even have any.
Whatever it was it really got my it got my youthful idignation up! That means I did indeed add Jason Watson to my friend list so that I could comment on his blog. And just yesterday, luckily, he had posted something on the immigration bill. That gave me a chance to disagree (or agree in some instances) with Jason, a pass-time that I have missed since we first began doing it on Skinny's blog. I think I will be a subscriber to Jason's blog for a long time to come. I just wonder how long it will be before he doesn't post the things I say.....

Lennon

OK people get out there and eat the rich.

Time to think!!!!!!!!

2007-07-02T15:03:00.002-04:00

John Lennon Song.

A discussion of modern genocide.

Green Day..well they ain't bad.

Watch it! If you don't get pissed at genocide, then you don't get pissed at nothin' and man FUCK YOU YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, I want to go yell at Jason Watson... I think I am going to add that authoritarian fuck to my myspace friends right now!

Also there was never any response to the post I put up responding to what I thought of republican candidate for presidential nomination Ron Paul. That post was extra long so I will repost the Ron Paul Part here. Got a political bend to me this afternoon for some reason.

This from prvious post:
I find what Ron Paul has said on foreign policy, espescially on Iraq and the Middle East good at a superficial glance. Giving Gulliani reading list I found to be a great way to make a statement. I liked that he was trying to point out that the reason the extremist groups in the middle east can find recruits is due in part to our own foreign policy backing popularly despised governments at times and often ignoring problems that do not affect our immediate self interest while getting involved in some things we have no business in just because of some self interest. I like the way he preaches an idea much like the "every american boot on american soil" one. I like the IDEA of that, but I am a realist in that regard. We cannot remove ourselves from the UN as he seems to suggest or choose to abstain from all UN policeing actions. That would be isolationist and reckless. I think the ONLY people who should be performing policeing actions on an international scale is the UN with direct, equal support from all member states. We should never go to war, as he says, "as the result of a resolution that comes from an unelected, foreign body, such as the United Nations, " but we should never go to war on flimsy self interested and skewed data either. I know when war is necessary (Afganistan) and when it is a futile result of wanting to find a connection, no matter how well intentioned and I won't speak of intentions here at all, that just are not there. I like that he points out that just calling our enemies evil extreamist does not help solve the large problems that lead to the creation of the evil extreamist. In summary I like his approach to the Middle East and Iraq of see what causes the problems and fix it so we can LEAVE IT ALONE without our further interference but much of the rest of his foreign policy discussion, from trade agreements to border security, all sounds a little bit like New World Order conspiricy theories and maybe just a little half baked and over simplified. We need to work on creating GOOD trade relations that allow our goods to be sent to other countries and allow us to gain access to the goods we require from other countries at a fair price. This brings us to economics.
Ron Paul's economic statements, on his web page anyway, are terriblely over simplified and smack of the "READ MY LIPS NO NEW TAXES" lies we have all heard before. To me the way people propose to deal with the economy here at home is of utmost importance because as most of us who have lived in Kentucky (and espescially having seen actual poverty right here in America) know, the economy matters to everyone and affects everyone. He seems to propose an overall lowering of taxes. This always sounds good at first but you have to realize that due to cost of running a nation and a war we have a huge debt. That debt must be paid if our economy isn't to sink. The proper way to deal with taxes in my opinion (again often my opinion is skewed by having seen actual poverty in America and many of its effects on crime; foreign policy; birth rates; family values; etc all the things people use as issues almost always come back to the way we ignore/deal with poverty in America) is to create a strong middle class with a large purchasing power while taking the most from those who have the most. Currently the largest part of the tax burden falls on middle class (those house holds making less than $250,000 a year I beleive is what I read). As a percentage of income once you are above that point your taxes drop. I was, until recently a big fan of the FAIR TAX, but I was always a little leary of a few things about it. First it assumes that the large industries that make things and employ people would pass their tax savings on to the consumer and large industry is not someone I tend to trust, espescially when it comes to not robbing from the consumer. Second it assumes that the same big companies would pass on their savings in payroll taxes as higher wages, again asking me to trust big business. I was still interested in learning more. After reading the pro fair tax page I was almost sold. Recently I got an article from FactCheck.org (I get 'em in my email to keep me informed ya know) showed me the flawed math they used that showes it is just another way of burdening the middle class, but I was pleased to read it does remove a little burden from the impovrished and I was angry to read it also removed a LOT of burden from the already barely burdened disqustingly wealthy. Furthermore I have another concern about how poverty is defined for the fair tax and in this country anyway and that is in IMPORTANT part of how the fair tax works. My thoughts are this: a better way of taxing that taxes a more fair percentage to everyone, taking the money from the industries and companies that have more than enough profit while at the same time not over burdening smaller competetors of those companies (allowing them to compete to keep prices reasonable) and encouraging companies (even large ones) to employ American workers using tax breaks for workers, rather than payroll taxes, while reducing taxes on the MIDDLE and LOWER classes so that we create a middle class with the purcahsing power really drives a free market. Ron Paul's idea vague statements smacks a lot like trickle down economics that 1. require big companies to pass on the savings to the buyers, and 2. does little or nothing to actually help the middle class.

CONCLUSION: If I were just an Iraq War topic voter I would be down with this guy, but since I am not a single topic voter and due to his vague tax statements and my worry that future generations of Jeregano offspring will not be able to climb the social ladder due to the gulf between rich and poor I feel this MD can not have my vote.

OK there we have some political leanings from a nut job like me. I want thoughts people.