Over the past few years my focus has been on skill acquisition and mastery. Haven’t really had a game plan other than first identifying a hole in my life and filling it with something new that would challenge me and would hopefully benefit me in some kind of serendipitous way.

‘Things always work out’ has been my motto forever. But this isn’t necessarily true anymore.

Things need triggers. People need to be pushed.

ohhh that’s soo hard for me to type out. I don’t believe that at all. I know things will work out. They always work out!!

People do need to take risks. Me. I’ve taken managed risks. That’s my thing. Baby steps. Micro assessments. And such.

But I’m doubting myself lately.

i’ve kept some things fairly constant (my job, my home) but for the most part i’ve been starting, stopping, trying, fiddling, and tweaking things.

major shit has happened (dad’s heart attack then stroke, grandpa’s cancer, grandma’s passing away, and more…)

i’ve worked on big projects… i’ve travelled.

i’ve learned about a new industries:  video games.

i’ve grown a beard, bought a hat, joined a softball team.

i’ve had ups and downs in relationships and even cut friends from my life.

i’ve read books, attended dozens of concerts, and even started to gain an understanding and appreciation for music created before i was.

i’m not optimistic by default as i once was.  i know shit sucks now.  but i kinda like knowing that.

all it took was hanging out with a few of my coworkers… and quality time in the meeting room.. and the blog was back.. and updated (to the newest version of wp) in no time…

let’s see what happens now…

Pretty awesome (and/or lame) huh?

Peace.

here it is… written by Tiffany Stone, from the book Baaaad Animals, © 2006, Tradewind Books…. enjoy.

Don’t Give a Magnet to an Elephant

Don’t give a magnet to an elephant.
He won’t handle it with care.
He’ll hold it high up in the sky
and pull planes out of the air.
He’ll get it stuck to delivery trucks
and bicycles and trains.
He’ll cause trouble at construction sites
by sticking to the cranes.
He’ll magnetize the city–
every car, bus, van and truck.
Then he’ll sneak home to the jungle
and leave everyone stuck.

it was the kind of morning where… the coffee grinder produces the perfect texture and amount of coffee to create a brew that just tastes right.

it was the kind of morning where… your digital media player’s shuffle plays all good songs and in an optimal order.

it was the kind of morning where… it is bright and dry outside but with just enough of a chill in the air to make you feel fully refreshed.

it was the kind of morning where… you are able to stand comfortably on the bus, with ample room to let your messenger bag hang freely and have the ability to swap handrails at will.

it was the kind of morning where… you eventually notice that you have a little skip in your step and that makes you want to stand up even straighter.

it was that kind of morning…

festive pops
Originally uploaded by velkr0.

so i’m heading home for christmas this year and i’m looking forward to the downtime and catching up with my family and all my old skool chums. i’m going to be spending plenty of time with my pops (well since i am not right now, while he lays in the hospital awaiting more tests) and with my grandpa, grandma, mom and sister. three weeks in onterrible is a long time, so i should be able to float around peacefully and chill out a lot. also going to be spending a lot of time with my friends as i usually do, but i think this time family is going to have a bit more priority… and well, ‘me time’ ranks right up there too…

that’s all for now, since thinking about xmas is really tough when it is sunny outside in vancouver in late november.

web: http://tumblr.velkr0.org/
rss: http://tumblr.velkr0.org/rss/

Download audio file (you-work-as-a-cash.mp3)

October 1998: Oxford’s WOXY-FM (97.7) begins streaming audio on www.WOXY.com.
May 2004: WOXY.com ceases operation after Doug and Linda Balogh sell WOXY-FM for $5.6 million.
July 2004: WOXY.com returns as an Internet-only radio station from Longworth Hall.
February 2005: Named “Internet radio station of the year” by the international Plug Independent Music Awards.
February 2006: Asks listeners to pay $9.95 for audio stream access.
Sept. 15, 2006: Shuts down from lack of funds.
Oct. 10, 2006: Resumes broadcasting at 10:10 a.m.

ohh btw.. i was totally obsessed with woxy.com until they betrayed me by sticking a hook into my free-loving musical heart.. and then had the nerve to ask for ten bucks a month… grrr…(shit… i hung up posters for them… damn it!!)

anyways… here’s to woxy’s return and proof that music wants to be free!

hope they don’t screw up again!… and can’t wait for the return of the higher quality streams!

woot!

to prevent this, i have always thought it was better to end something before it climaxed… intentional and definitive action can ensure nearly complete control over an outcome… unfortunately, this logical approach does not allow you to ever hit the absolute highest point… all it does, is protect you from hitting the lowest… in other words, it simply makes a great survival and proactive defense mechanism… however… can produce undesirable results during the best of times… during the discovery of great uncharted territories… in the places and situations that seem surreal and tend to excite… and it’s all these important experiences that suffer from this knee-jerk defensive reaction which can cause a premature retreat from your voyage…

i guess it’s still important not to jump off the edge… especially when there is still so much of the mountain to explore… but then again.. how else can i expect to use these wings i’ve grown and soar above the clouds…

And, here’s what the postcard said:

Because you’re a loyal auto-reload customer, we’re giving you a little gift: $15 loaded onto your Starbucks Card by August 23, 2006.

Use the $15 to treat yourself to that indulgent beverage you’ve always wanted to try, our latest musical offering or anything else you enjoy at Startbucks.

The choice is yours. Thank you and enjoy.

Your friends at Starbucks.

P.S. This amount will be loaded onto your Starbucks Card ending in 8529.

ok.. so on the surface, this is great… i open my mail box… and get told that i got $15 for free just for using a service that is absolutely the easiest, fastest and most convenient payment method around… also, just being acknowledged (albeit computer-generated) as a customer and rewarded for it… it’s this kind of stuff i am a sucker for (seriously, when was the last time ANY company gave you $15?)… which leads into why i am torn… since i know so many reasons why i should not—- naaa… no need to balance my argument… let’s leave this one open for debate… why should i feel fooled / hate starbucks?