Neurotic Nirvana

Unions today

2007-01-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

Over my morning coffee at my favorite internet café, an article in the NY Times sparked my interest. An article about something in America that's long overdue change.Labor unions.Unions once held a very important role in the development of the American economy. During the depression era many people had two choices, take whatever crappy job was made available to you, or watch your children

Two pieces

2006-11-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

Today, I was going to write about pettiness. Easy to do in Las Vegas. Vegas is one giant breeding ground for it. But one case caught my eye in particular. At a laundromat.The sign really exemplified the petty attitude in this city. Change for customers only. You can make a case for restrooms being for customers only, because sinks and toilets use water, which costs money. And soap and

Regaining the itch

2006-11-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

It's unseasonably warm for November. It was in the mid 70's during the day. In November. Gorgeous day. Should be a great night for camping. Driving out to my camping spot, I find some evil bastards camping in my spot!INFIDELS!Parked in their mini van in my regular camping spot. I knew I should have put up a No Trespassing sign. The nerve of these people, thinking they can just camp in my

Becoming addicted

2006-10-31T13:02:00.000-08:00

I've camped out three straight nights, now. Same spot in Lovell Canyon. I am starting to think I'm not such an etched-in-stone city mouse as I thought. I love it there. So far away from any thing. Up on Mount Potosi, you can still see city lights off in the far distance. Hear airplane traffic. Out in Lovell Canyon, there's nothing. You're so far away from everything, there's absolutely

Roughing it - Yuppie style

2006-10-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

This is my first article every written on location, directly to my computer. I often blog in the wild, but that effort includes pen and paper. This one goes straight to my laptop. That's the first indication that there is nothing remoted related to 'roughing it' involved in this camping trip. I got out of Vegas on the night that would be Halloween. All the parties and celebrating took place on

Yes, people. Water is wet.

2006-10-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ok. I've often written aabout what unpleasant, mean, angry people Las Vegans are. Today, I'm going to touch on another side of the general populace of this desert city.Stupidity.I did bite into the subject of the low education standards in a previous article, but what I'd like to illustrate this time around goes beyond education. Lack of raw intellect.For a very few minutes of a very few days

True Democrats

2006-09-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

I'm a republican.That's embarrasing to say, these days. I'd be less ashamed to say I'm a drunk, or a drug addict, or a kleptomaniac.The rampant corruption is always right-leaning. The congressmen that are ousted in shame for corruption crime and now with the Foley incident, being sexual predators are mainly from the right."Pro-life" is the religious right. And one of the great hypocrisies of

Christmas as a Weapon

2006-09-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

"That's Scott. He's a dick!"~ From South Park, season 7, episode 15 "It's Christmas in Canada"-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+The Email:(originally from Pastor James Pedigo )Christmas Cards!!!Good Idea!!!!!!!! Yes, Christmas cards. This is coming early (really early) so that you can get ready to include

Pancakes, and more Pancakes (Death as a Pastime, part 2)

2006-09-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

6am - BlechNever choose an ex-marine as a hiking buddy.I really detest people that can snap awake in the morning. Early morning. On an insufficient amount of sleep. Mark is up at 6am sharp. I'm up, but I feel like hell. I haven't slept well. My comfortable sleeping bag has been disposed of in a recent move, and all I have is my zero-degree rated mummy bag. Mark likes to keep his apartment

Death as a Pastime

2006-08-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

Part 1 - The Day BeforeDoesn't it sound like fun? Dying for recreational purposes. The best thing about it is that it's relatively inexpensive as far as hobbies go. Not like some of the hobbies I've been dragged into. By my "friend".Mark.Somehow, I get sucked into everything Mark decides to get into. Magic. Football cards. One hobby after another. Not that Mark is flakey. Quite the

The nouveau domain

2006-08-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

Dearest fans: (ok, ok. Dear mom:) I've made it easier for you all (all one of you) to get here, and saving wear-n-tear on your keyboard. This blog is now more easily located at [insert trumpet fanfare music here]:http://www.neurotic-nirvana.comYou're welcome

Lesson for the day: Don't write on your own face

2006-08-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

Ok. I'm a sucker for punishment. I am home.For those of you that follow my ramblings, you already know what I think about the people that co-reside in my home of Las Vegas. First day back, and already I'm surrounded by the reality of them.A public service announcement poster I've seen on bus stop shelters in both California, and now here in Nevada has set the current standard. It's your

Pat myself on the back day

2006-07-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Today, I made the world a better place. I didn't cure cancer, or eliminate world hunger.I bought a slushee.Living in Las Vegas for 13 years has poisoned my personality. The city's population makes New Yorkers look like the friendliest people on Earth. Strangers do not acknowledge each other, let alone say a polite greeting. I always have to remember myself when returning to California,

My new sub-career

2006-07-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

I have entered the music industry, at last.Not that music is anything new to me. I started playing the trumpet at age 8, way back in '78. Picked up the guitar in '80. Taught myself the piano in '85. So, there's plenty of experience there, but never any public performance. Until now.[a little background]There's a music production application called "Acid". You may or may not have heard of it

The Diet Coke taste test

2006-06-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

[This article is not recommended for the weak of stomach] My soda tasted funny. I was sure I had bought regular, but this didn't taste quite right.I grabbed the two liter bottle and checked the label. It says that it's regular cherry Coke, but I'd swear on my life this is diet. I have had diet before. I know how it tastes. It's horrid. It tastes JUST LIKE THIS!But behind the sickly sweet

A Vacation from my world

2006-03-19T00:48:00.000-08:00

Hi fans.Sorry there haven't been any articles lately. The way I stopped in the middle of my camping trip on Mount Potosi, you all probably thought I fell down the mountain on my way back and died. No such luck.I just have been on a mental vacation. A badly needed vacation.I was out on a little photo expedition today. Experimented with some time lapse photography, using my new tripod to help.

Camp Potosi - Part Five

2005-12-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Sleep has been fitful. I wake up often, will roll around to get comfortable, and then go back to sleep. It's still silent. The only sound being the air traffic from McCarron Airport 50 miles away. The planes fly over this way on their way to California. Carole Lombard, the actress and wife of Clark Gable died in a plane crash on this mountain. The wreckage is still there. Mostly looted, now,

I am man! I create fire! Fire is good!

2005-12-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

Luckily, I went home for Thanksgiving. Mark thinks it's funny, but I had no idea how to start a fire. It's not something I had really thought about. How hard is it to start a fire? You light a match, and burn the stuff. It had never occurred to me that you couldn't just light a big log on fire.It makes me sound incompetent, but really, it's just not something I've ever done. If nobody ever

Camp Potosi - Part Four

2005-12-10T10:20:00.000-08:00

It's already dusk. And it's already cold. And it's not even 5 yet.All the practicing out here in the wild, and setting up and breaking down the tent at Mark's house pays off. Even with making a bad mistake and threading one of the poles wrong, and having to go back and fix it, I set up the tent in under 5 minutes, and quickly have my gear unloaded and organized. Now, even in pitch black, as

Camp Potosi - Part Three

2005-12-10T01:55:00.000-08:00

Moving on after lunch, I fall back onto another animal trail. Almost expected, there are more signs of the burros. I am wondering if Mark phoned them, and told them to haunt me while I'm camping. I've heard stories from other campers that the burros will walk right up to sleepers and sniff at them from a few inches away. Not an exciting prospect...waking up with a giant face so close to your

Camp Potosi - Part Two

2005-12-10T00:49:00.000-08:00

After my break, I continue along road 582 C. The higher up I get, the more I can see that the road runs right along my route, pretty much. Going this way was a good choice. There are more signs of man. A car and a truck. I don't know enough about cars to say what make and models, but these are old. 50's era old. Completely rusted out. Both littered with bullet holes. Big piles of trash:

Camp Potosi - Part One

2005-12-09T11:06:00.000-08:00

Mark was sick.The original plan was two nights at my campsite on Mount Potosi. Sunday night, Mark looked like hell. He said he didn't know if he'd be able to drop me off on Tuesday. I was less concerned about the drop off, than I was the pick up. Last thing I wanted was to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere, with my ride home taking a long-term nap in the city morgue.Monday afternoon I sent

My first bout with altitude sickness [part two]

2005-12-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

10:02 - The split pointWe discuss the time of our meeting. Mark and Jeremy agree on 1pm. 3 hours. Plenty of time for us to hit the peak and back. I'm feeling better, now. Food and water have given me some more energy. I still have the headache, but the dizziness has passed for the most part.10:30 - Wild snacksI have been sucking down water the whole climb up. Every 50 steps or so I pause to suck

Truth in Advertising

2005-11-30T09:32:00.000-08:00

"The Garden State? Maybe if you're growing nuclear waste" ~ George Carlin [paraphrased]It came up in a political chat room. A chatter with a delicious wit tossed out a new state motto for New Jersey.I created this new license plate, using the chatter's slogan, for immediate submission. I wonder if they will accept it.

The long road to San Bernadi

2005-11-28T20:02:00.000-08:00

In case you've never been there, it is pronounced "san-ber-na-dAYE". I can't tell you how to get there. I can't offer you local fashion tips, or tell you how to properly dress for the climate.I can't, because it doesn't exist. It's an invention of a young man that has literally 'missed the bus'. Not that he was late. He and his three traveling companions were there in plenty of time. But