Wacky Road Trips

Well, tomorrow myself and five trusted companions are off to Washington D.C., our nations capitol. This voyage is what My People call 'Wacky Road Trip'. This being the third such trip, My People have named this Wacky Road Trip III.

Some basic concepts to keep in mind with Wacky Road Trip are: It’s on the cheap. The journey is part of the point, the destination the point at the end of the journey. Don’t stop driving until you get there. It is Wacky.

Wacky Road Trip I: Why My Space Shuttle Ain’t Workin’? This trip took kwik2jujj, Deej, Dtorg and 3XHAR to Cape Canaveral, Florida, to see the space shuttle launch. The shuttle did not launch because the Russians backed their space capsule’s big ass into the space station. Other items of note: The Worst Coffee Ever; Patches Of Re-Animating Fog; The Saturn Blimp Of Desire; The Magic Of Epcot Blesses Dtorg!; When Dtorg Sleeps His New Car Goes Fast!; Stay Out Of My Bathroom Old Man!; Fascinating Post 9/11 Security.

Wacky Road Trip II: Why My Grand Canyon Ain’t Workin’? This trip took Thaa Rev, Deej, Dtorg and 3XHAR to Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, The Desert, A Green Bay Packer Game, Taliesin and Not The Grand Canyon. Firstly, there was the thirty two hour drive from Madison, Wisconsin, to Las Vegas Nevada. On Wacky Road Trip, you take turns driving in shifts. We do not stop in a hotel until we reach the destination. The journey, you see, is a big part of the fun. If you were to say something like, ‘Oh my! Thirty two hours in a car with some of my closest friends! How ghastly!’ Then Wacky Road Trip is not for you. Anyway, we didn’t get to see the Grand Canyon because of a series of delaying events culminating in a long stretch of Arizona road work (and by ‘work’ I mean Arizona highway workers sleeping on the side of the road with their little orange reflective vests). To this day Thaa Rev curses Arizona highway sleepers. Other items of note: Blisters; Star Trek Thongs; The Buffet Of The Gods; Gasless In The Desert; Vegas Hotel Room Crime Scene; Broken Vehicle Window Induces Odor; Flat!; Warning Signs; Hot Packer Game; Damming Arizona.

Wacky Road Trip III: The American Edition! On this voyage there are a total of six travelers. We will be crammed into a mini-van headed from Madison, Wisconsin, to Washington D.C., our nations capitol! We leave tomorrow! Huzzah!

Blogpiphany

Hmmm… Where to begin? Years of Stein Training? I suppose that’s as good a place as any. Wavy lines, harp music…

Years ago, myself, 3XHAR, and some co-workers began a monthly journey to The Come Back In. Each month we’d drink German bier, eat cheap food, and discuss and debate any topic that crossed the table. Free will? Done. The war in Iraq? Did it. The evil Clinton? Of course. Frozen wooly mammoths? Cannibalism? Films? Movies? Yes, yes, yes. The good Clinton… Hmmm… Don’t remember that one.

Anyway, on these nights I can be somewhat confrontational. I don’t particularly care what you believe, but I will have some respect for you if you know why you believe something. I’ll try to use what-if situations to draw people out (plane crash in the Andes… what would you do?). If your why’s don’t satisfy me I tend to pursue, to ask more questions. I try to attack the argument, not the arguer. I try to follow Carl Sagan’s rules of argument from (I think) ‘Demon Haunted World.’

On occasion I’ll take an absurd position and goad people into dismantling it. This should be easy. People should be able to explain why slavery is morally and ethically corrupt; why Keanu Reeves did not deserve an Oscar for Matrix III; why prisoners should not have their arms and legs removed (Head On A Box Prison). I believe there is a baseline value to debate and discussion. And if I have to annoy someone to get them talking… well, I’m just the man to do it. You see, I am good at annoying people. I have a gift. HARHARHAR.

Anyway, I responded to a post on Manual Override’s blog a couple days ago. The topic was Terry Schiavo’s situation. My response was crass and rude, but I think reflected my belief. It elicited this comment in response:

"The Supreme Court enshrined the right to kill in Roe v. Wade.

As long as the American government and the American people tolerate the pro-death activism of judges, then bullshit like the Schiavo case will continue.

3XHAR, you are a monster. As one should expect of a fiend like yourself, you are too cowardly to give your real name.
Posted by: David C | 20 March 2005"

My first reaction was to laugh. I found this post funny in the extreme. To jump to name calling so quickly (granted: I started using the term Veggie Girl first) instead of even attempting to refute any of my statements was funny. It was kind of a thrill to elicit such a visceral response from a complete stranger. My second reaction was to be a little creeped out and a little relieved that I am using a moniker, 3XHAR. My third reaction was, ‘Dam, I am a coward!’ So, this David C was at least right about that.

The Blogpiphany: I realized from David C’s post that I have to become more proficient with blogging. I was treating this sort of like Stein Night, firing comments carelessly, surrounded by friends and acquaintances who know where I’m coming from. But this is different. Once it’s out there it can be read by anyone, friend or enemy, sensible or senseless, fanatic or wiseman.

Smarch Stein Topics

A brief and incomplete list of topics from last night's Stein Night: Predictability And Predetermination; Doggie Hazmat Zone; Big Trees; The Resurrection Of Don Knotts; To Evil And Hot French Sex; Rik Wayward; Dalrymple; Wisconsin Film Festival; Shakespeare On The Sun; Jedi Tax Tricks; The Benefits Of A Workplace Sans Coworkers; And I Thought Porn Was My Friend; Those Brady's; Critical Moment Force Dynamics; I Am The Little Tugboat!; Diplomacy, Supremacy, And HOTW; The Bellydancer At The Morocco Cafe; Metaphysical Dreamteam: Ayn Rand And Walt Disney!; Nasty Tricksy Senate Rules; Lisa May Show Up, Then Again She May Not; The Strange Feeling Of Enjoying Your Work; 3XHAR Has Run And Will Run Again!; Millenium: Better Than Remembered; Wacky Road Trip III, The American Edition; The Bourne Book: No Thank You, My Darling; Milan Or Minsk?; Dream: Kilts And Space Aliens; Joe's Big Blue Screen Fear; Indestructible Young Guys, With Guns And The Funny Bangledeshi; The French Maid Costume Conundrum; The Soloist; The Answer To Any Question (Other Than Complex Math) Is Located; Louis And Clarke And Those Cute And Murderous Bears, Oh My; Mr. Stephenson's Books Are A Deep Plunge From The High Board; The Possibilities Of A Short, Lethal Gaming Session; The Annoyer Has Spoken, And Spoken, And Spoken; The Importance And Paradox Of Manners; Twenty Pages Of Six Days; When Elms Almost Attack!; Medicare Drug Benefit; Underwater Adventures; Blogs; Civil War, Democracy And The Middle East; Dubya: Visionary Or Histories Greatest Monster?; Exploding Whales: Innately Gross And Funny; Stein Membership Commodities Market; Susan And The Bookstore; The Nearly Three Billion Women I Have Not Slept With Will Remain Un-Named; The Gas/Money/Time Calculation; That Parisian Monstrosity (And I Don't Mean The French); Haiki; The Mysterious Salvius; Haiku.

Dog Detonation

So, I get home from work tonight and immediately determine three things: the dog is ill, the dog is a genius, and procrastination pays. I shall explain.

My Co-Dog Owner, Lis, and 3XHAR have been on and off trying to get around to painting the downstairs. Many things have stood in our way. Sinus infections, migraines, cold drafts, overly dry air, must-see TV, naps... Many things. So, the downstairs, post-roomie lower level is all prepped to be painted (buckets of paint, plastic covered furniture, brushes, rollers, plastic tarps on the floor, blue tape bordering the walls) but no final coat has been applied (the priming is finished!). Lucky us!

When I got home today Lis explained that the dog was ill. The dog, Hondo, barfed at the front door. This was unfortunate but not unusual and easy to clean. If the dog is going to vomit it's always at the front door on the linoleum. Genius. It was also stated by Lis that there was a larger, more formidable mess downstairs. And it was not vomit. I grimaced.

The dog had diarrhea. I feel for him. He knows he is supposed to go outside, so actually going inside must have pained him. It goes against years of conditioning. Fortunately for me, he only went on the plastic tarps we had put down for painting! Huzzah! Luck? Please. He could have gone anywhere in the house. The boy is a genius.

Of course, this will entail another delay in painting. Have to get new tarps.