Kind of depressing, but a lot of folks have been down this path. I think most get out of it, but end up miserable for years. I don’t know your philosophy on life, or if you even have one but I can tell you how to move the ball forward just a bit. You should devote tomorrow to cleaning your apartment. Not picking it up and moving the garbage around clean it. Stop at nothing until it is perfectly spotless. When you have finished that task start to organize your life on paper. Work at it. Do it better than you have ever done anything. I am much older than you and I’ll tell you one lesson I’ve learned …

People who work hard, and focus their minds on any task no matter how menial and then do it well, they become happy people. When you don’t work hard, the world gets you by the ass one way or the other. When you do work hard you begin to progress. Not just in terms of money, but in terms of a logical security. When you realize that you can work hard and focus your mind, you realize that you can take care of yourself. Only when you have this can you pursuit as Aristotle says, “pleasant activities”. That reality you are escaping from was built by you. You live in a free country, and no one person, or government is trying to kill you. This is rarer in human history than all of us would like to believe. By definition the only way to create a better reality, is to start creating something. I don’t mean be an artist, inventor, or industrialist, unless that is your desire, but create something better. And I would suggest starting with yourself.

Here’s the thing; you only get this one life. You can stay apart from the world and continue to make your own reality a horrible one, or you can put a smile on your face, set an impossible goal, and go about making it possible. I’ll guarantee you this, if you do just the first steps I suggested, you will notice a huge change in your life in just one or two weeks. While you’re at the work part I would suggest you pick up two twenty pound dumbbells and start exercising, and go by some fruit and vegetables. If nothing else by some of that V-8 Fusion stuff. Get some healthy fuel in your body.

Good luck to you my friend, and sorry if I gave you more information than you were looking for. It’s just that sometimes young people only listen to each other, and politicians who want them to do something for them. This creates angst. I’m older than you, and older is wiser, almost without fail.

So today, Jackie and I decided we were finally going to fill some frames we got as wedding gifts with said photos.  We had them quickly printed at Walgreens, and when we arrived to pick them up we were greeted by a smiling Walgreens employee who promptly asked if we had a waiver from the photographer to print these photos.

Huh?

After asking a couple questions, it became clear that we had to drive all the way home, dig up our photographer’s contract and drive back to Walgreens.  When we got back, we were helped by the Assistant Manager.  I asked him a few questions:

When did this policy start?

We’ve always had it.

How do you know they are professional photos?

We can tell by looking at them.

What happens when my friends and family try to print these photos?

You’ll have to give them a copy of the release.

This seems kind of ridiculous.

Well, it’s the law.  We just want to sell photos, but we have to protect the photographers who make them because that’s their livelihood.

I just had to nod.

It is fairly obvious that this is pure legal bullshit on the part of Walgreens.  I mean, had I actually been printing something without permission, how easy would it be for me to get around it?  First of all, I could have just said that I took those photos.  They would have no way to prove otherwise.

Secondly, what’s stopping me from typing the following release letter?

To Whom It May Concern:

I hereby authorize Brian Lindenau to print any of my photos.

Sincerely,

Theodore Roosevelt

I mean, they don’t even know who took the photograph.

This seems like this is an issue that could be easily handled by a simple checkbox, similar to what Facebook asks you: “I certify that I have the right to distribute this picture and that it does not violate the Terms of Use.”

It might save everyone some time and headache, and would be equally toothless.

For now, I guess I’ll just print my photos at a place that doesn’t place arbitrary legal barriers in front of me.

I know that I harp on this a lot, but it’s something that I think people need to be reminded of, because it’s one of those things that doesn’t get a lot of press. So here goes:

The bailout worked.  The stress tests worked.  Tim Geithner did a good job.

There’s a good article in The New Yorker this week making this case, and it also does a good job of highlighting how politically repugnant this entire process was:

In the history of product launches, the rollout of the Obama Administration’s plan to stabilize the financial system was in the category of “Ishtar,” smokeless cigarettes, and New Coke.

The bottom line, though, is that these policies were a smashing success.  Banks are more capitalized than they’ve been in over 70 years, GDP is growing, and at the end of the day, the federal government will be out only 117 billion dollars, most of which didn’t even go to Wall Street (*cough* GM *cough*).

I could end up quoting this article all day, so you should just go read it, but I particularly liked the closing line from Geithner himself:

“Why do policymakers screw up financial crises?” he said before I left his office. “They screw up financial crises because the politics are horrible, and that deters action. They are slow and late and tentative and weak because they are scared to death of the politics. But sometimes a policymaker has to say, I’ll take pain now against pain later.”

There’s at least one adult in Washington, and his name is Timothy Franz Geithner.

MikroKopter – HexaKopter from Holger Buss on Vimeo.

You can order the parts & plans to build one yourself, but it’s going to run you about 1200 Euros.

MikroKopter Website: http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/MikroKopter/

Joey had a slushy (sp?) that was filled with the nectar of the gods, aka two shots of 190 proof grain alcohol. We then all took naps, and played some serious Ninja Gaiden. We’re on our way to the night scene by the river, hopefully in for another night of insanity.

BTW NOTES:
- Colin’s doing ok. He got his knee wound (it’s nothing to worry about) all disinfected.

- Ninja Gaiden for the NES is fucking hard.

- Yoosy. MmmHmm.

Thank you for playing!

I’m going to try to keep this updated every hour with our progress.

* Note: I know Sherman’s March was originally from Atlanta to Savannah, and that it took place during one of the darkest eras of our history’s past, but I believe this endevour will prove to be more… pleasant.

8:27 AM (EST): We’re just getting out of New Jersey, and it’s foggy as all get-out. Colin has to pee, and Joey seems apprehensive about stopping.

Stay tuned.

8:56 AM (EST): Success.

Colin’s bladder is relieved.

Also, Joey has Gobstoppers and we’re just driving by Baltimore. I’d make a The Wire related joke, but I can imagine the disapproving grimace Eric would make upon reading it, so I will refrain.

More updates comin’, hopefully less about Colin’s innards.

10:27 AM (EST):
Colin – “I’ve got to pee again.”
Adam – “You’re a woman.”

Number of songs from RENT we’ve listened to in the last hour: About 10.

We saw a truck carrying what Adam stated was the successor to the Hummer. It looked badass as hell. It also had “Osh-Kosh” branding on the front. Does the children’s clothing company have a defense arm?

We just passed the Virginian border, and are rocketing our way ever Southward.

1:30 PM (EST) :

Sorry for the lack of updates, we’re super tired. Joey and Adam have switched places, so Adam’s now commanding the wheel.

(And doing a good job, might I add.)

We’re just hangin’ out, listening to the Avett Brothers. Modern GPS technology still has our position mapped as in Virginia. I’m personally excited to stop by South of the Border, right over the border of N. Carolina to S. Carolina. It’s a rad joint, with fireworks and mini golf and other mischievous activities/trinkets.

Also, Maggie, message recieved, Colin’s applying a herculean effort to control his bladder.

I leave you with what I believe to be a beautiful picture. Sleep easy guy, you deserve it:

3:58 PM (EST):

That was a good nap, now time for an update.

We’re currently in the middle of North Carolina, rapidly approaching the border for South Carolina. About 10 minutes after the last update, we ran into a fair amount of rain. It’s still raining, but not as much.

Driver update: Joey and Adam have switched again.

Colin urinary syatus update: He just peed again, sorry Maggie. He tried.

Current ETA (as per Joey’s TomTom): 8:05 PM; 244 miles to go.

Current cacaphony: Plastic Beach

Eric: Enjoy the Magnetic Fields show tonight! Can’t wait to see you tomorrow!

Kyle: We love you, and will be there soon.

9:51 PM (EST):

We had a car crash and everyone died but me.

…Just kidding. We’re with Kyle now, eatin’ pizza.

Bonus!

I’ll end with a quote from Adam:

“This heat lamp is stepping on my dick.”

Cya on Monday for the ride back!

I WANT TO SEE THEM.

I WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU’VE DONE.

I’m so happy I get to use the “hallandoatesfuckyeah” tag again!