Good News

Today I found out that my employer, The Apollo Group, has increased my annual vacation time from ten days to seventeen. Score! I think I am going to try to take a week off in October now and just spend it solely working on the book, bumming around the city, pretending that I’m a paid writer.

Justin and I also spoke about taking three of those days or so and going to OC for the weekend — he’s never been, and I have learned — to my horror — that he didn’t even know there was a pier in Huntington Beach. I guess it balances out because I am completely ignorant of his old stomping grounds of Rhode Island, Jersey, and Boston, but still. The time has come.

I’m still trying to convince him to ride the subway with me one day up to inner city L.A. just to bum around and get a pastrami sandwich from the Jewish delicatessian in Pershing Square, but he keeps saying no. But we are considering visiting for Knott’s Halloween Haunt this year. He’s never been there — or on a real roller coaster for that matter. Halloween Horror Nights, Ghostrider, and Xcelerator, here we come!

Anniversary

Today, my coworker Maria and myself celebrated 368 consecutive days of employment at The Apollo Group. We celebrated by eating stuff mushrooms and wine for lunch. Maria and I sat next to each other in training, were assigned to the same building, and now — after two or three company reorganizations — now sit next to each other.

Today we both applied, again, for new positions in the company.

Today, we left work promptly at 4pm.

Banner Pic #1

I think every week or so I’m going to continue rotating the banner pic at the top of this blog. Every pic is an image I have photographed on my travels. This current one is the fourth or so banner pic, but I think I will begin telling what exactly the picture is of and the story behind it.

This particular one was taken in Haifa, Israel during my first week there. It is of a pub on the top of Mount Carmel called The Beer House. One night when our friend David had to go do some work at a neighbor’s, he dropped Jamie and I off and told us to walk about half a block or so to French Carmel, an outdoor street similiar to the Promonade in Santa Monica, but on this huge top ridge of the mountain that Elijah once roamed, overlooking the sea. Well, we ended up walking for over eight miles round trip, because the signs for French Carmel were all facing the opposite direction of which we were walking. We eventually came to Carmel Center, which is another huge maze of hotels, clubs, restaurants and stores that sits just north of the Bahai Temple Gardens.

After climbing all over and stopping to view the Gardens from the top down onto the entire city of Haifa, we finally found this place, a Crusader-style cave built into the side of the mountain, surrounded by a little park on the side. We were the only people inside except for the two ladies and the cat who owened the joint. I chugged down a pint of specialty beer made by Catholic-Israeli monks, and we helped ourselves to bowls of free pretzels.

We paid our bill, and still getting used to the monatery routine of this foreign country, realized that I forgot to tip. I turned back inside and apologized, and laid a ten shekal coin on the counter and petted the cat one more time. The lady laughed the laugh that natives give to foreigners like myself, and I returned to the busy street and bustling city lights. We found David, who was looking for us along the main drag, and we rode back halfway down the mount in the cool Israeli night air.

Exhausted, I turned in and curled up in my bed at the end of the hallway, put in my earbuds to the tune of Blindside’s “Shakina,” and slept a sound and peaceful sleep of walking and alcohol, at least until the air raid sirens ringing through the city woke me up at 8am the next morning. I ran to the window and porch, and saw Haifa standing still, but not running. Then I remember the sirens were sounding for Holocaust Rememberance Day, and the city was safe.

Blessed be those who had to be scared of those same sirens a mere month-and-a-half later.

For the Drive to 32nd

Made myself a new mix cd for the drive to work before I left the apartment this morning, and must say I am very pleased. It is an odd mix, but it suprsingly flows very well together. It’s a good mix for when your feeling chill, but also a bit mischevious and sly:

1. “Apocalypse Please” by Muse (awesome lyrics, “It’s time we saw a miracle, it’s time for something Biblical”)

2. “The Fleecing” by Pedro the Lion (personal favorite, as it echoes many of my feelings about life’s struggles)

3. “On A Sunday” by Jimmy Eat World (a good song for sunny day driving or chilling at a rainy-day cabin).

4. “If You Could Read My Mind, Love” as performed by Johnny Cash (this song makes me melt every time I hear it).

5. “Put Back the Stars” by Blindside (awesome song about life’s journey, I played this on repeat on my ipod while jumping from rock to rock on the Mediterranian coast while walking between Tel Aviv and Jaffa).

6. “Starfuckers, Inc.” by Nine Inch Nails (great industrial instrumental piece, perfect transition piece)

7. “Hurt” as performed by Johnny Cash (the industrial guitar riffs of NIN slipping into the sudden acoustic guitar plucks of Johnny Cash on this dramatic of a song …. damn)

8. “Disintegration” by Jimmy Eat World (perfect for a brooding mood … “Hanging on a cigarette, you need me, you burn me.”)

9. “Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis” by Brand New (a bit mischevious and a bit sexual, a great atmosphere song)

10. “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails (I’ll leave this one alone)

11. “Sugar, We’re Going Down” by Fall Out Boy (I know it’s popular and uber-catchy, but so what? I love the lyrics).

12. “Okay, I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t” by Brand New (extremely cocky song, perfect for that “I’m on top of the world, bitch” attitude days). I must credit friends Jeramy Trapane and Chris Fischer for bringing this song to my attention.

13. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These)” as performed by Marilyn Manson (old, old song, but again, love the industrial sound of it).

14. “Mendacino County Line” by Willie Nelson (again, industrial paired with Outlaw guitar plucking)

15. “On Your Porch” by The Format (song reminds me of living on Mill Avenue, especially the line, “I was on your porch, the smoke sunk into my skin, so I came inside to be with you.”)

16. “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie (just one of my favorite lyrical songs)

17. “Silence” by Blindside (this song has had immense meaning for me ever since I first heard it, and then Tim and I made a video for it for our church camp. Another world, but a timeless song).

It’s Like A New CD

So yesterday morning, at 6am, I set out to venture on cleaning out my car. I practically live in my car, and have not cleaned out the glove box since I bought it, and the backseat and trunk were filled with the odds-and-ends remnants of three moves this last year (Gilbert to Tempe, Tempe to creepy east Mesa, creepy east Mesa towards somewhat regular Mesa).

Part of the joy was the resurfcing of several cd’s that I had all but written off to the ends of the earth — cd’s that I loved that I never even copied to my ipod.

One of the finds was Pedro the Lion’s final album, “Achilles Heel.” The lyrics of this album are some of the most tight and beautiful that I’ve heard. I bought this almost a year ago at Zia, and remember rocking it during those cold winter days (with no working heater) at the Mill Avenue house while wrapping up work on “Churches, Pubs & Hostels” during Christmas. This is one of those intensely lyrical albums that I STRONGLY suggest for purchase to add to your music collection.

Other cd’s found? “Clarity” and “Stay on My Side Tonight” EP from Jimmy Eat World, “The Great Divide” from Willie Nelson (this album also rocks), “Rent” soundtrack, and “Songs of Rodeo Life” by Chris LeDoux. Also found “Wounded Prophet: A Portrait of Henri Nouwen,” and “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway. I was reading both these books during my bus riding days up and down Broadway and never finished them. And if I may continue my rant of discoveries, I also found Hemingway’s “And the Sun Also Rises,” his book about running with the bulls in Spain, for a mere $2.50 in Flagstaff (their Starlight Bookstore is among the best I have ever been in).

So conclusion? I shall now live organized and maintained, and no longer loose vital items such as cd’s, books, and proof of insurance in the messy day-to-day of life.

Another Ear of Corn From the Steaming Bowl

Haven’t really felt like blogging the last week and a half. No reason. Both work and school have me swamped right now. I’m working on Peace & Destruction, and after having started work on it last November at the House on Mill, it is now almost a quarter wrapped. The next quarter should go a bit faster, as it will primarily be composed of large chunks of unused text from the now-defunct Avenue of the Giants manuscript. And there are other writing projects, the imaginary one with Dave Hart that we keep saying we will get to and the screenplay with the imaginary Israel Reznor, whom I can never seem to get ahold of when it’s time to write. I figured he would be more responsible then me about these things, but no, we have proved to be very much alike, which counteracts the whole purpose of why I chose to write with him. But what can you do?

I’ve also hung out with David, whom is home tempoarily, and spending quality time with Justin. We spent the weekend together in Flagstaff, and it was partly cloudy with a high of 75. Eat it, Phoenix.

Jewish Atonement

Mel Gibson has asked a “path to healing” from the Jewish community; the Jewish community has responded with “witty criticism”. Do I think that the media is blowing this instance out of proportion? Of course. Do I think that Mel Gibson himself was grossly irresponsible and foul and should be held fully accountable for his actions? Doubly of course. Do I think the Jewish community is extremely quick to pounce down Mel’s throat and play the guilt-laden race card in order to bring themselves “oh-poor-Jews-look-at-us-attention?” Tripply yes. Do I think that the Jews have a right to this attitude? Quadrupably yes.

Do I think that the Jewish community’s response to Mel is harsh and not representative at all of the values they claim and the forgiveness that Jews are supposed to be known for? Absolutely. Do I think Mel’s tirade, even induced by alcohol, was extremely inappropriate? Yes. Mel has made a fool of himself, and the Jewish Community has not done much better. Their interests are self-serving, harshly criticizing Mel for the portrayal of Jews killing Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ” on one side and then asking Mel to donate the $350 million in profits from “Passion” to Israel for restoration and defense efforts. It’s kind of like taking blood money from someone who profited off the murder of your son.

I love the Jewish people, and love Israel. I am a big fan of Mel Gibson, and think that his upcoming film “Apocolypto” makes him none short of a modern-day prophet. But damn — bad form, bad form. If this isn’t an example of Satan using someone’s weakness to undercut the good they’re doing, I don’t know what is.

But even as I criticize the Jewish response — I must also chuckle a bit at it — especially at this article detailing a interesting 12-step program suggestion for Mel to overcome any possible racism of the Jews:

A 12-step program for Gibson

1. Read “The Diary of Anne Frank”; “Night,” by Elie Wiesel; “The Chosen,” by Chaim Potok; “From Beirut to Jerusalem,” by Thomas L. Friedman, and “Maus,” by Art Spiegelman.

2. See the films “Life Is Beautiful,” “Sophie’s Choice,” “Schindler’s List,” even “Exodus.”

3. Watch “Paper Clips,” a documentary about Christian children who, to comprehend the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust, collected 6 million paper clips.

4. Visit the Holocaust museums in New York, Washington and Jerusalem.

5. Visit Auschwitz.

6. Or the Western Wall.

7. Read the Old Testament.

8. Go to a Passover Seder.

9. Or a Sabbath dinner.

10. Sit shiva.

11. Have a sitdown with Mel Brooks, Woody Allen and Billy Crystal.

12. As atonement, eat 10 pounds of pastrami, which Zero Mostel said “killed more Jews than Hitler.”

A Little Tipsy

A massive crane tipped over today and landed about 40 feet outside my window …. the crane is not part of the expansion project that is not happening at University of Phoenix on a dirt lot that is not next door ….

Because I Can