It’s running, of course, on the most excellent WordPress blog platform, while the photo gallery uses Gallery. The two are combined using the WPG2 WordPress plugin, which allows (after some tweaking and hacking of code) a nice, seamless integration of these two great open-source applications.

I created the nifty slideshow header by writing a small PHP script that utilizes an existing slideshow script, which in turn uses the Mootools Javascript class. You gotta love those crafty programmers who give away their code and help me look good.

All the slideshow images also exist in the gallery. The slideshow creates a randomized array of all files in a specified directory, and then iterates through them with that cool pan-across, fade-in transition effect. The initial image is created by grabbing a random single image and cropping it to an appropriate size for the header using PHP.

That’s about it. Should you so desire, please let me know what you think.

I gotta say, the country has changed in the fifteen years since I was first there. I’ve been there four times now. Although I’ve never seen all that much of the country, this last time I was struck by a couple of things. The first is that it’s becoming overrun by tourists, and the second is that it’s getting pretty damn expensive, which is not good for either low budget travelers, such as myself, or the locals. Wages have not come close to keeping pace with the rising cost of living.

Which leads inevitably to property theft, which in turn leads inevitably to the main reason for my discontent, namely, I got frickin’ robbed in Jacó! Not just robbed, but fleeced, in fact. I lost my laptop, which I was silly enough to bring along, my camera, passport, iPod, reading glasses, cell phone, books, etc. Yeah, so it was stupid to have all that in one bag, I admit. Still, that’s the only time in my semi-extensive travels that I’ve been so thoroughly jacked.

I won’t go into the gruesome details, because I don’t really want to relive them any more than I have to. Suffice to say, it was an unpleasant experience in the extreme, and I would still cheerfully bullwhip the parasitic douche bags responsible. But, every event is an opportunity to learn, right? From this I learned that all possessions are transitory, and the important things to remember are the good times from the trip; seeing my sister, playing in the surf with my niece munchkins, and drinking Guaro and Pilsens while playing Nintendo with my sister and brother-in-law that last night.

Still, it’s kinda sad to see such a lovely country go down the road to rampant over-development. I mean, I don’t think Costa Rica is really anything to write home about culturally. Give me Mexico or Bolivia any time. But, it’s hard to deny it’s a very beautiful place. It’s also had the good luck of having a fairly broad base, economically and politically, and avoiding the typical oligarchy/military dictatorship to support an export based economy that typifies other countries in Central America. Maybe that’s what provided the basis for the extreme tourism and hence development. It’s a stable social democracy, and therefor is able to attract the normally cautious or paranoid (American) traveler.

I met a Costa Rican guy on the plane home who told me that CR gets two million tourist every year, and the native population is only four million. Imagine 150 million tourists visiting the states every year, and the effect that might have. My impression is that rich developers in Costa Rica, coupled with an influx of baby boomer expat dollars has a lot to do with it. And, let’s face it, some people look at a beautiful wetlands bordering a pristine beach, and all they can see are hotels, luxury condos, and the local version of Señor Frog’s.

Now, the cost of living for normal folks is way up, and consequently so is property theft. Prices in San Jose seemed to be almost as high as Portland, but your average working stiff is still only making a few hundred bucks a month. Hard to reconcile those two things. I’ve never spent much time in San Jose, but it seemed to me there were more homeless folks this time around.

Walking down the street in San Jose my last night, I had an experience that left an image I won’t soon forget. As I walked down the sidewalk, a junkie scuttled out of a doorway, spoon in hand, and squatted in the gutter to scoop up a bit of greasy water. I passed him on the way to the bodega on the corner, and thought to myself “please tell me you’re not going to cook up your fix with that nasty shit.” Sure enough, on my way back there he was, patiently holding a butane lighter under that same spoon, a tiny little white rock in the middle of a pool of that same water.

Now, I don’t know if you can blame that on over-development and greed, but hey, why not do it anyway? In the meantime, I think I’ll focus on traveling to other places I’ve never been, so Costa Rica shall lose my meager dollars. I might still go hang out at my cousin’s place some time, but otherwise, it’s a big damn world out there, most of which I’ve still never seen.

None of this is meant to dissuade anyone from going, of course. But unless you’re a white, middle-aged prevert, I’d stay the hell away from Jacó.

It’s funny though, but walking back to my car through the drizzly streets of Portland, I was struck by a profound sense of despair. This is not uncommon, because I happen to read from time to time, and pay attention to what’s going on in the world. Yeah, it’s a curse. This particular bout of despair I treated with the usual; beer, human contact, and some more beer, with mixed success.

Alas, this is always a temporary relief, because let’s face it, there’s reason to despair these days. Global warming, environmental degradation, peak oil, ignorance, hate — it’s a goddamn smorgasbord of reasons to feel blue. Also, I prefer to temporarily numb my brain with alcohol, as opposed to permanently reprogramming it with television. I’m sure I could buy a big flat screen and spend my evenings zoning out on the latest pablum, instead of, say, reading and thinking about shit. I’m sure all those irritating concerns would wither under a daily onslaught of consumerist propaganda. Frankly, I’d rather be depressed.

Recently, I’ve been exposed to the ideas of several people that have enhanced my understanding of the world and it’s trajectory, and helped dispel a tiny bit of my profound ignorance. I’d highly recommend reading all these cats (or looking them up on Google Video), in no particular order; Derrick Jensen, Terrence McKenna, and Ken Wilber.

I’m going to go ahead and blame Jensen for my recent bout of despair. He’s big on bashing hope, which he defines as a longing for a future condition over which you have no agency. That pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it? I don’t hope I’m going to eat tomorrow. I’m fucking committed to it. I’m going to get hungry, and I’m going to eat. That’s simple. On the other hand, I hope I don’t get cancer from all those cigarettes I used to smoke. Big difference.

And, I think there was a little death of hope in me that night. Or, maybe it’s been a long time coming, and reading Jensen was just a nail in the coffin. Let’s face it, the shit’s going to hit the fan in the next decade or so, and hope’s not going to change that. Neither is technology, regardless of what some evangelists might like to believe. The only thing that is going to effect the outcome, and the future viability of human civilization (or the human species), is a radical shift in human consciousness.

Personally, I think this shift in human consciousness is a requirement for the long term survival of the ecosystem as we know it. At this point in time, human civilization, the survival of the human species, and by extension, the survival of higher life forms, are all inextricably tied together. So, while Jensen calls for taking down civilization, I don’t think that’s even possible without an accompanying change in how humans view the world, and their relation to it. Trying to undermine civilization at this point would be the most divisive event in human history, leading to civil unrest, state repression, civil war, and ultimately global war, and the end of almost all life on the planet.

Well, that’s my prediction anyway. I could be wrong. I just think the too many people, mainly “civilized”, western people, are so entrenched in their materialist, consumer identities that they’ll fight to the death to keep them, clinging to their self-delusions until their dying breath. Most of us already accept the idea that grinding up the planet and turning it into cars and flat-screen TV’s and Britney Spears CD’s and cheap, plastic crap from Walmart is not only a fine idea, but the very essence of advanced, human existence.

People who view the world as an infinite resource to be exploited, and an infinite toilet in which to shit, will not tolerate, much less understand the rationale behind, blowing up a damn, or a factory, or a bulldozer about to scrape the living soil from yet another patch of ground in order to erect yet another scab of prefab homes. We are, as a society, committed to growth at any cost. It’s the very basis for the economy. Anyone who seriously threatens that will be labeled a terrorist, and “right thinking” people will cheer as Blackwater goons beat them with clubs and then ship them off to Gitmo.

Yeah, I guess I’m a cynic. No, actually I know I’m a cynic, in the classical Greek sense of the word. And, although I can’t (yet) agree with Jensen’s solution, I think he’s invaluable to read. Everybody should read him, because his indictments and premises are challenging, heartbreaking, and spot on.

And, after reading him, be sure to check out what Terrence McKenna has to say, and it might save you from either blowing something up, or tumbling into a pit of despair. My idea that the human race needs a radical shift in consciousness comes from him, and I’ll let you discover his solution on your own. Suffice to say he’s brilliant and incredibly insightful, and one of the most entertaining and witty people you’ll ever hear talk about such important issues.

But that’s it for me. Tomorrow I fly to Costa Rica to enjoy some tropical heat, and a meander up through Nicaragua, where people (I expect) are not quite so insane, and have their priorities a bit more in order. One can hope, anyway.

Happy New Year, y’all. May 2008 bring you health, happiness and growth. Enjoy what you find, enjoy the moment, enjoy the beauty of it all.

Peace.

However, a consistent theme in these missives has come to my attention of late which I feel I must address. Put simply, my illustrious, single-digit fan base of those with, shall we say, less than stellar social lives demands to know the reason for my long absence. Where, they ask, is the self-indulgent prattle, the long-winded ranting about President Monkey Boy and the declining state of everything, and the impotent shaking of the pudgy fist at the world’s injustices and their perpetrators?

That’s a question I’ve been asking my own self. I mean, I pay the hosting for this silly blog, so why not use it. I do have a lot to say, and I write at least as well as the average hack stringer for Newsweek. Well, more entertainingly at least. Syntax isn’t everything. I should get points for bong water references, if nothing else.

But seriously folks, lemme break it down for you. It goes something like this, in no particular order; apathy, confusion, conflict, misguided attempts at reconciliation, heart break, avarice, boat varnishing, bong hits, self-indulgence, laziness, rage, self-consciousness, laziness again, masturbation and ignorance. That’s the short list.

And then, in a blinding fit of unbridled epiphany, it came to me. This goofy shit isn’t about you, or bettering the world, or, god forbid, trying to educate people. It’s all about me. Praise Jebus! What a load off. Nobody reads this crap anyway, so why not spew my thoughts down here after a half-dozen PBR’s. It’s not like anybody’s paying attention. I can’t tell you what a relief that’s been, because come to realize, I actually enjoy spewing. So, from now on, I shall endeavor to share my thoughts on a semi-regular basis, and the world shall be absolutely no better for it. You’re welcome.

Maybe it has more to do with my inner sense of the absurd. Take aforementioned President Monkey Boy, for instance. Used to be, just the sound of his voice, the squint of his eyes, his stuttering, retard drawl was enough to send me into a fit of rage. No longer. For one thing, I studiously avoid having to see, hear or think about him. No, I haven’t become one of those too-school-for-school, above it all, cynical, hipster douche bags. I’d rather castrate myself with a rusty tuna can lid than indulge in that level or pretension.

I still give a shit, fear not. I think I give even more of shit than before, because now my “consciousness”, such as it is, has at least moved beyond blind rage for the half-witted, Mayberry jackals currently running the world. And now I feel, oddly enough, some sense of peace. It’s also a sort of breathy weightlessness, like the heady feeling you get right after the roller coaster crests that first big hill, and right before it starts plummeting into the abyss.

Because, let’s face it, the abyss is what we’re all staring into. I guess I just stopped trying to deny that that’s where we’re heading, and now I’m going to try to enjoy the ride. I’m also going to work at it, build my websites to educate people on how to fuck up the world a little bit less, and try to live in loving kindness, or, failing that, self-righteous indignation and rage.

I’m going to try to shorten the length of time I spend in self-indulgent despair, and appreciate all those little beauties; the sunlight on the water, the cry of a raven, the sound of crashing surf, a good bourbon and ginger ale, a smile from a cute girl, love of family and friends, and a good chat with a like-minded stranger.

Cuz, this crazy experiment is all we got, and it’s ugly and brutish and mean, and also so damn precious and beautiful. And who says we can’t give a shit and still have a good time, or live in loving kindness and also seriously break some shit? As we witness the spastic death rattle of modern civilization in the coming few decades, something tells me we’re all going to find out.

As I was in the neighborhood, I felt it behooved me to stop in and check out the Arcosanti, the work-in-progress model sustainable city, and brain child of architect Paolo Soleri.

I’d heard of the Arcosanti, as I’m into learning about all things sustainable. If there could in fact be such a thing as a sustainable city, well, I’m all ears. Turns out, Soleri is a fascinating human being. Born in Italy, he came to the states in 1947 to study under famous architect and reputed autocratic hard-ass Frank Lloyd Wright, with mixed success. He settled in Scottsdale in 1956, and thus began the Arcosanti project.

Far be it from me to try to communicate Soleri’s visionary ideas, so if you’re interested in a brief and fascinating overview, I’d recommend the short collection of interviews, The Urban Ideal. It’s a quicky glimpse into the mind of a truly deep and compassionate thinker. And, if you’re interested in a mind blowing and very beautiful coffee table book full of his conceptual drawings, take a look at Arcology: The City in the Image of Man.

And, since we on the subject, here are few other things I loved in Az:

• The very quaint and charming, but not obnoxious and shee-shee, mining town of Jerome. Beautiful location, interesting history, and one of the best artists co-ops I’ve ever visited. Don’t miss it if you’re in Jerome.
• The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside of Tucson. I got photos. Tucson was pretty damn cool, too. I had a great time getting liquored up at a String Cheese Incident show there one night. I was the guy yelling “stop pandering to the crowd” after they mentioned Edward Abbey for literally the fortieth time. I like Ed’s books too, but c’mon. Good band though.
• The still semi-off-the-beaten and pre-fucked-up-by-tourism mining town of Bisbee, down near the Mexican border. My three favorite things about Bisbee? I’m so glad you asked.
  • One, the Shady Dell RV Park, home of a multitude of lovingly restored, bad-ass vintage trailers (and one Chris Craft yacht), which they rent out at reasonable rates. I recommend the 12′ Crown, which is cozy as hell, and a great place to sit out a blizzard.
  • Two, the cool little old-school diner right next store. Great breakfast, nice owner (I think his name mighta been Paul, but don’t quote me), interesting patrons, and very good pie.
  • And three, that exceptionally cute woman I had a brief but lovely chat with in the diner one morning, before I had to head back home to go to work. Yet another example of work cramping my limited style. Talk about stupid shit. I can’t remember her name, but her cuteness and sartorial splendor, oh yes. Ain’t life just like that sometimes?

Anyway, that’s my babble for the evening. Go check out Arizona if you get a chance, but stay away from Phoenix if you can avoid it. Talk about a shithole.

Peace out, yo.

Chomsky’s probably best known for his unrelenting criticism of US foreign policy, his incisive commentary on the role of media and doctrinal systems in our society, and the withering scorn he heaps upon the inept, lackey stooges who comprise the majority of public intellectuals in this great land.

Whatever you might think of what he has to say, it’s hard to deny the power and honesty of his intellect, or his commitment to peace and justice. In addition to being a full time professor, he’s written dozens of books and speaks all over the world to packed houses. Ask anybody who’s ever tried to schedule him for an event and they’ll tell you he’s booked solid two or three years in advance.

He’s a giant nerd, a warrior of peace, a great American, a braniac, and one of the closest things I have to a hero in this f’ed up world. Rock on, Professor. Keep fighting the good fight.

March 19th marked the third anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, and consequently there were numerous demonstrations around the world. There was one here in Portland, which I attended, well, just cuz. The cops later said there were five to ten thousand people marching, but I’d put it at more like twenty at least, maybe more. I say this because the powers that be always underestimate these things. Plus, I just don’t really like cops.

The police were out in force however, earning time and a half (or is it double time?) to protect and serve the people of Portland through a show of authority and force. Who knows what might have happened otherwise with this crowd of unruly hippies and peaceniks. Personally, I was struck by the number of coppers dressed up like members of Delta Force, with the low-slung holsters, extra magazines, mace canisters, beat down sticks, etc. Seemed like overkill to me, but like I said, I don’t really like cops so I tend to be suspicious and overly biased. But, so far as I can tell, the only thing Portland cops have going for them are the mounted patrol units, with their beautiful, giant horses.

But, I digress, as usual. I have photos and some video of all this, but alas, I have no data cable to transfer them from camera to computer. I must have left that back on the boat. Suffice to say, like the last time, it was an assembly of like minded folks getting together to walk in the street and feel some sense of unity, and that they weren’t alone in thinking this war is just one big crock of shit. And, also like last time, the marching band rocked, Portland style, meaning lots of piercings, whack clothing, and tattoos.

Other than that, there were the usual onlookers, both silent and encouraging. There were no counter protesters, but there was one middle eastern looking guy with a sign that said something like “according to Sharia, if you’re not fundamentalist, you’re infidel”. I guess it’s obvious where he’s coming from, although I’m not sure the irony wasn’t lost on him.

In Washington, the collective yawn was heard for miles. Let’s face it, nobody in power gives a shit about these people demonstrating and marching in the street. More’s the pity, but that’s how it is. They’d probably care if there were millions marching in the street, or boycotting General Electric, or burning their mansions to the ground. But one day of protest doesn’t even raise an eyebrow.

And really, why should it. We’re now gradually seeing a shift in popular perception of the war. According to most polls, a majority of Americans now think the war was a mistake. It was a mistake because we’re losing, not because it was fundamentally wrong or immoral. It was a mistake because it can’t be wrapped up in a nice little bow and delivered with trumpets and fanfare, not because it was predicated on lies and distortions. It’s inconvenient now because of its obvious status as a money pit and quagmire, not necessarily because of the one or two hundred thousand dead Iraqi civilians, bombed and shot and melted by phosphorous for an egregious lie.

Where am I going with all this? That’s a good question, and one I guess I’m trying to answer as I write this. It’s a question of finding a way to deal with the anger I feel over this gross injustice, not just at the Bush administration and other obvious criminals, but the blind, ignorant, and apathetic Americans who allow it to take place and who finance it with their tax dollars.

I’d be the first to admit that I’m complicit as well, and taking a day out of my life to walk in the street doesn’t excuse me from blame. But it’s hard not to feel righteous to some degree, and I think there are many others who feel the same way. Hence, the tendency is to react to the “others” in our society who haven’t seen the light, and who let their fear blind them to the blatant manipulation that led to this war.

But the fact is, that’s just a continuation of the same dehumanization that’s been alienating us, that allows many of us to see the innocent Iraqis as lesser beings. Dismissing the ignorant redneck crackers who continue to support Bush, or the codependent enabler upper-middle class Repulicans, or the fundamentalist Christians waiting for the end of days, doesn’t address the problems at the root of our militarist society, it reinforces them.

This isn’t an original thought on my part obviously, but it’s such a conundrum that it’s hard to face. However, it’s also just a fundamental truth that it will only be through love and acceptance that we’re ever going to overcome the fear, intolerance, and violence that rules us. Because, as I’ve started to make a habit of telling people, almost all Americans have much more in common with each other, and by extension, Andean peasants and taxi drivers in Bangkok, than we do with the corporate elite that’s calling the shots in this world.

I had to rehash all these feelings when I went to see V for Vendetta the other night. I case you haven’t heard, it’s about a dystopian future United Kingdom ruled by a fascist big brother type who manipulates the populace through fear and propaganda. I don’t want to give too much away, but suffice to say it was a chilling parallel to our own country. Enough of a parallel to make me angry, and almost wish for the righteous retribution delivered by the anti-hero protagonist.

But alas, in the end, it’s the people uniting that effects change. They’re just encouraged by some well placed explosives, and only the bad guys get killed, Wachowski style. I like to think that’s a metaphor, and the true message of the film is embodied in the one line – “people should not fear their governments, governments should fear their people.”

It’s true, you know?

Lerner’s just published a book called The Left Hand of God, which is his take on how the religious right has gained so much power in this country. Lerner’s background gives him some interesting insight into the question. He spent several years as a therapist and social activist studying the attitudes and personal concerns of a cross section of American working people. So he does come at this question with some expertise. I have to admit that I’ve only read the first fifty or so pages of the book, but based on that and the talk the other night, his thesis boils down to two main points.

First, there is a widespread spiritual crisis in this country. People in all walks of life, and from all socio-economic classes, feel a deep sense of alienation and dissatisfaction with their lives. As our society has become more materialistic, and we’ve come to commodify not just goods and services, but each other, we’ve lost a very important and critical component of any healthy community. That missing component is, well, community.

In the world of work, Lerner argues, most people experience an everyone-for-themselves mentality. This flows from the top down, as the giant corporations commodify their workers, so do the workers commodify each other, until everyone’s relationship with everyone else is defined by one single factor: what can you do for me?

These ideas are not exactly new to me. I’ve felt this way on some level my whole life, which is the main reason I’ve largely avoided “regular work”, and have sought to work more on my own terms, to subsidize the travel and experience that was most important to me. But Lerner’s take on how the religious right capitalizes on this alienation, and how the Left misses the boat, is quite interesting.

Lerner argues that the reason the religious right has been so successful in wooing legions of Americans to vote against their own economic and other interests is because they’ve chosen to speak to this alienation and spiritual void. They may do it by demonizing gays, Hollywood, or secular humanism, but what they’re doing is addressing a fundamental human need – that of community, meaning, and a relationship, in whatever way fits the individual, to god.

I use the small ‘g’ there because I don’t think this relationship has anything to do with any particular religious dogma. I just happen to believe that there is something innately human about looking at our world, at creation, and seeking to understand it’s wonder, and that which really cannot be understood. It’s part of our nature as conscious and self-conscious beings to try to make sense of that which we can barely begin to comprehend. Whether we do that as Christians, Buddhists, Muslims or Atheists, I think is irrelevant. The underlying need is the same, whether you believe you live in the loving embrace of Jesus, or you think you’re just monkey meat destined to be worm food and nothing more. Both require a leap of faith, and both stem from the need to ‘know’.

And, speaking of Atheism, that brings me to Lerner’s second point of the evening. That is, we on the ‘Left’, whatever the hell that means, need to learn to address this spiritual need if we’re to ever speak to the millions of folks out there who feel this sense of emptiness. Lerner claims, quite rightly I think, that there’s a significant anti-religious bias out there among progressives and liberals. I would agree. I feel that bias myself, which I would blame mostly on the hacks and snake oil salesmen that presume to speak for Christ these days. That, and I’ve never been much of a joiner, or been particularly drawn to dogma and ritual in general.

But the spiritual need I can relate to in a big way. More and more so all the time, what with the state of the country and world being what it is. Which is perhaps why this message is so important right now. We live in a remarkable time in human history, and a pivotal time in modern history. The global capitalist cluster fuck we worship as a society is fundamentally untenable, as those of us who choose to keep our eyes open are witnessing.

Global warming is becoming so obvious that even the most deluded ditto-head has a hard time denouncing it with a straight face. The abundant and cheap fossil fuels that have fueled the requisite perpetual growth are soon to become perpetually shrinking resources on the down side of the bell curve, while our economy requires continual growth in energy and resource use to prevent depression. Sound problematic? Oh, hell yes.

But, at the very least it’ll be interesting. I don’t claim to know what’s going to happen, and I think anybody who does is a crackpot. The equation is too complex, and the variables are too numerous, for anybody to really know. What I do know is that our way of life is going to change dramatically over the next few decades. This is not me being a fear monger, it’s just simple arithmetic.

What this change will entail exactly, nobody knows. But I think we can be assured that the survival of the human race, or at least the survival of what we like to call civilization, is going to require that we promote what Lerner calls the left hand of God, as opposed to the right. In other words, peace, progress, and inclusion, instead of fear, intolerance and hate.

It’s a very simple formula, and it’s laid out there for everyone to see. For the last five years we’ve followed the right hand path. But, as the situation becomes more critical, it’s not hard to predict where it will lead us. Take one part over-population, two parts energy resource depletion, a dash of fear, intolerance and hatred, shake vigorously and pour over melting polar ice caps. What do you get? Well, I’m sure you can see it just as well as I, and it ain’t pretty.

Like I said, interesting times. I’m not sure, had I the choice, that I would have chosen to live at this time in history. Maybe, had I been asked, I would have been born in 1869 instead of 1969, rode the Oregon trail west, homesteaded a piece of land and raised sheep. But this is the hand I was dealt, and I really can’t complain. I’ve had a good life, and like I said, the rest of it’s bound to be interesting.

Peace.

After a suitable period of mourning and despair, I faced the inevitable fact that I’d need a replacement. A friend sent me a link to this review of the Seagate Momentus. It sounded great, until I found out that it’s a Serial ATA, and not compatible with my Powerbook. At least that was the word I received from the sages at macfixit.com.

Instead, I went for what I believe is the next best thing – the Hitachi Travelstar 7K100. This drive is pretty sweet, spins at 7200 RPM’s and has an 8 meg cache. After putting it in, I have to say there’s a noticeable improvement in performance, not to mention the extra 20 gigs from the old 80 gig Toshiba that came with the Powerbook.

I was a bit wary about the installation. I’ve taken this laptop apart before to install an external wireless antenna. That was fairly easy, although getting it back together just right was a bit of a pain. I’d never replaced a hard drive though, so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect.

Fortunately, a Google search came up with this excellent guide at ifixit.com. I printed out the PDF version, which includes step-by-step instructions, along with a handy screw guide, and a couple of pages in the back that included little circles where you can place your screws as you remove them. I didn’t actually know about that until I was done taking it apart, but I just kept the screws in groups according to where I’d removed them, and that made it pretty easy to put it all back together.

I think the whole replacement process only took an hour or so. No problem putting it back together, although one caveat I would give is to be careful of the little tab in the front, which is easily mishapen, as is the aluminum top case itself. Other than that, removing the ribbon cables for the trackpad and keyboard was a bit sketchy, but I’m still typing and tracking, so I guess it worked okay.

I hope these tips can perhaps help somebody else who’s in the same boat. I’ve never had a problem with Mac hardware before, but I think the Toshiba drives do go out from time to time. Maybe this post will help save some folks some time.

I mostly go for the music, particularly Monday nights, which feature both a very popular open mike, and dollar pints of Miller High Life. Hard to beat that. The only thing that really gets me down is the damn cigarette smoke, since everybody and their dog seems to smoke. Granted, I smoked on and off for twenty years. But now that I’ve been done with that for awhile, my lungs tend to object, as does my poor pterygium. Yeah, that’s gross.

But hey, it’s all worth it for some good tunes, and good tunes are to be had at open mike night at the Green Room, not to mention arcane learning experiences. Last night, for instance, I learned that dragsters are fueled entirely by ethanol, have eight thousand horse power engines, and can accelerate faster than most jet airplanes. That’s just downright amazing. Also, their engines must be rebuilt after only about a minute of actual use, at a cost of up to $350,000. And I thought cocaine was an expensive hobby!

Now, had I not ventured down to the pub last night and met Ted, the gap toothed fellow who imparted this information, I might still not be aware of these facts. I’d still be living in ignorance, blissfully unaware of the complexities of drag racing. Ted and I also discussed our preferences in whiskey (Ted’s a Jack Daniels man), God, grandparents, home remodeling, and many of the people singing, among other subjects.

Some of the people playing were quite good, too. It’s always inspiring to me to see folks get up on stage and perform for a bunch of strangers for no other reason than to do so. It almost re-instills my faith in mankind. Perhaps someday I’ll even get up there and contribute my own special brand of twangy, twelve bar blues. Probably not though, unless I can find a cool front to play harmonica and sing. Singing and playing just ain’t my forte.

Earlier this afternoon I was down at the bookstore and I picked up Kurt Vonnegut’s latest, A Man Without a Country. By “picked up”, I mean I picked it up and read it in the store for thirty or forty minutes, not that I actually paid for it and brought it home. I mean, it costs twenty-three dollars, and it’s a thin little book with large print. Kurt’s got plenty of money already, and I read half of it in that short time. Plus, let’s face it, I’m a cheap bastard.

The book reminded me why I’ve always loved Vonnegut, and why he used to provide so much solace from the bleak depression I often felt in my teenage years. Nobody does ironic, world-weary yet kindly insight into the human condition like Kurt.

From the sound of this book, however, he’s all but given up on the human race. Can’t blame him really. He observes that this country, and hence the world, is being run by a bunch of psychopaths and “guessers”. The latter is my favorite observation, drawing a parallel between deranged morons such as Donald Rumsfeld, and surgeons in the last century who mocked Louis Pasteur for his suggestion that they might wash their hands before performing surgery.

But it seems even the snake oil salesmen and women have inherent limits in their ability to cuckold the public. Even the usual host of pseudo-intellectual popinjays, such as William F. Buckley and Andrew Sullivan, are being forced to admit that the war in Iraq is a complete disaster, about to become a full blown civil war, and, gee whiz, maybe the invasion wasn’t such a smart idea after all.

Golly boys, aren’t you lucky we’re not in any danger of actually losing the war and having to surrender to Iraq? Otherwise, you and your ilk might end up being tried for war crimes and having your necks stretched by a tribunal of Shia holy men. I guess it’s good to be an American, all safe and comfy, far away from any of that icky death and destruction stuff.

Actually, to be fair, neither of these twats really admit to the fundamental insanity of killing hundreds of thousands of people, and destroying a country in order to save it, deliver it from the horror of Saddam and into the warm embrace of western style democracy. No, Sullivan prefers to blame Rumsfeld for the failure of this otherwise noble cause, while Buckley points to more general failings of the post war operation.

What these codependent enablers fail to address is their own complicity in the whole fiasco. I guess I was lucky enough to be ignorant of foreign policy nuance back in 2003, and had to rely on my gut instinct and common sense to smell a rat. Now these two world class “guessers” get to explain away their own abysmal judgement, and chastise psychopaths like Rumsfeld for mere errors in judgement. Let’s face it, boys. If you couldn’t tell the people selling this war to begin with were psychopaths, then you obviously aren’t observant or insightful enough to write a sports column for a small town weekly, much less preen and prattle on national television.

But, as they say, nobody ever went broke over-estimating the human capacity for self-delusion. Alas, none of the psychopaths will ever be tried for war crimes. Andy and Bill will never visit an Iraqi hospital, and see the tiny torsoes of limbless brown children they helped to create. The American taxpayer will foot the two trillion odd dollar bill for this shit, and life will go on. Except that now, life is far more dangerous and less secure here in the US of A, as Katrina so aptly demonstrated. Incompetence has a price, and sometimes it’s higher than merely having to try to save face with finger pointing and half assed mea culpas.

As for me, perhaps I’ll go check out the Green Room again. Tonight’s the Portland Songwriter’s Classic. That sounds like a lot more fun than reading Andrew Sullivan, or listening, as I just heard on NPR, to Generalisimo Bush appealing to the Iraqis’ sense of “unity”. Now that’s just priceless. John Stewart couldn’t write that shit if he tried.