Death of a Disco Fly

...well it happens a lot 'round here. And if you think peace is a common goal, just wait till four or five of these nasty-ass creatures start buzzing around your ears. I wonder if the power could somehow be amp up... then maybe they would make more of an explosion when they die. Die! Die! Die! Disco Fly.

Click to Enlarage

Dark and Frantic Transatlactic Miles

Seat backs and tables to there original positions, once again it is time to brave a ride on todays commercial flying experience. Due to security restrictions, no robot pirate monkey... alas, fret not friendly American friend, for your pleasure I bring you the next best thing: a real live German wine-killer named Dirk.

So hi-yah, America! If you have a little time to get sucked up into some vacation mode fun, send me an email, adjusting the seatbelt to fit low and snug on the hips. Naturally, this is all very spontaneous, poorly planed, typical baden stuff---but what better way to have an adventure? One sketch of a plan* just might initially look something like:

-----October 2005-------
18: Fly to USA
19 - 21: San Francisco
22: Rod's wedding in Yontville
23: Sacramento
25ish: Drive motor home down to San Diego
27ish: Los Angeles
29ish: Round Mountain
-----November 2005----------
2ish: Seattle/Bellingham
5ish: Bellingham/Vancouver
8ish: Reno/Tahoe
9ish: Sacramento
12ish: San Francisco
14: Fly back to Deutschland
-------------------------------
*Everything except flights and the wedding is subject to change.

Since there is a motor home and foreign national involved, there will most likely be road-tripping in plentiful supply interspersed Chinese fire drills, visiting with friends like you... and the much needed day or three to simply chill.

All the best, and hope to see you soon!

Baden

iBad Newsy

The iPod craze is going hemeroidal again with the release of both the 'iTunsey Rokr' and the new iPod Nano. Well, since the Rokr is only available in the States, I don't have much to say on that excpet it's not as cool as it needed to be. Nanos? I just might buy one of thoes Nanos.

Also in the offering is the new iTunes. Now, iTunes, I use on a daily basis. Big fan of the, iTunes, i am -- use it all the time on my PC laptop. I now have the new version, and oh how I pine for the old iTunes. This new one, feh. What with its new 'sleaker' look, has some not-so-sleak problems. What happend to my ogg files, can't play them any more. Well they play, techically, but no sound. And once one has started, forget it... crash-bang-boom if you so much as look at the player. Just learn to enjoy the song-lenght moments of silence. Guess Apple must have either changed foulder structure or I'll have to find a new plugin. Also it seems to hog alot more resources, so I get more skipping digital arrrrg! Where I never had a problem with the old iTunes.

Typical Friday Night

What are you doing on a typical Friday night?

Is this a game-show question or what? Ok, sure, I will play along...
[Cut to me]

Me: You want the one-word answer?
(canned laughter/uncomfortable pause)

Game Show Guy: Heh-Heh, sure-sure, heh-heh, go ons and give us a little for instance.

Me: Well, I very rarely ever am home, so my for instance would be come home after a crazy week, and enjoy as much sun as I could. Then I might just chill down into my home zone with some good music, light my two Candles. Read a little, write a little, then call up some friends and see what is going on.

Game Show Guy. Wow, are you wacky or what!
(Applause! Applause!)

[fade out]

Flughaufen Diarys

Not much luck here at the CGN. This time I arrived early to pick up my e-ticket on Lufthansa. However, as it turns out, this is not possible from Köln to Florence. Therefor I needed to purchase the ticket here, not possible on account that I have no credit card. Beat down from the early wake-up, then further pummeled by spending my day sitting at this airport waiting to inform my team of the problem and start working on a solution. First thing I have learned is that I need to verify the tickets further in advance, and be sure of the particulars. Second, I need a credit card—can't seem to earn much wiggle-room without one these days.

This little mistake might end up costing me $400 in missing a day, one that can not be made up. Depressing? Yes, but what can I do at the moment but learn from this experience best I can.

Sam is informed, he is working on his own end of the problem, it sure would help to be more involved on this level of the project. I wonder who is working this? I imagine normally the travel is handled by the client. But since this project was such last-minute, Sam must have had to arrange this himself using Matinz ( ? )

Handy at my side, tick-tock... tick-tock, waiting some solution bringers to arrive at work and deal with this little issue on the Stateside. I imagine Sam will sent me a text message when he knows how I am to proceed. Until then, guess I should figure out every airline offering connections to Florence.

The enclosed spreadsheet list out every possible connection in my general area to either Munich (more connections), Rome (many connections to Florence), or as close to Florence as I can possibly get (Pisa, Tuscany in general). I even found some pretty decent prices, however I don't have the time I need to jack around with prices.

Sam text me back, the Americanos are working out what went wrong on there end, and how to do it right.

Keep getting bit by this credit card issue. Got to have one to travel on business, this is clear.

Ok, problem solved. I need to go home, press Ctrl+Alt+Del and start all over again tomorrow.

For as many beautiful women that live in Köln, they sure are not very well represented at the Airport. Come to think of it, the airport is not really known for it's display of beautiful people, don't know why I find this suprising.

Of note: I am not impressed with Lufthansa. Really, how can e-tickets not be possible to anywhere in this day and age. But then the same could be said for people without credit cards. I should have a credit card from Deutsche Postbank, but not sure what happened to that. I will make a point to check into that today when I go home.

Flowers for My Mom

Long day today. The kind of long that only flying home to the states can be. Stressful enough on it's own merit, unlike other times, mom was going to meet me at the gate. It has been a long time since mom and I have seen each other, and I was pretty nervous about meeting her after all this time. The smart Baden decided he might trump any Bad Son stories by bringing a nice bouquet of flowers. Not the plastic airport/gas station variety, but something that was truly beautiful.

That is not as easy as one might think on an International Flight to Today's US of A.

Lets say by some chance one makes it past the outgoing security. After all, many Europeans travel with flowers.

Also, with a bit of imagination, the flowers might survive transport along todays commercial flying experience.

U.S. Customs. Homeland Security. Department of Agriculture? I just hope the American people remember that once our ancestors traveled with fowers. Or at least give a son the honor of arriving with flowers for his mother.

Lord of the flyswatter

Feh. Today I am trying to kill as many flys as possible. For some reason flys have decided to create a new nation in my office. After searching for the obligatory forgotten severed head of pig stuck atop spear, the honing of my fly killing skills commenced! I purchased a highly effective electric fly killing device. It looks like a small racket, but instead of string it features electro-shock fly sparkers. Although fly killing is not exactly my lifes work--life is a string of days. Today I am a calculated killer.

Perfect day in San Sebastian

Today I made some new friends in San Sebastian, Spain. Funny enough, they both spoke German as well as English... not to mention Spanish -- sexy, eh? Conversation started with: Offering a bottle of water.

Click to Enlarage

Bang Boom Biarritz

Three days in France and one becomes convinced all french women have their noses stuck a bit to high in the air. Then, in a small cafe in Biarritz the very thing that repelled, suddenly attracts. Alle in all, Chicago just got bumped of my top-five favorite destinations list.

Click to Enlarage

Noordwijkerhout

Tuesday, May 24th (12:14 a.m. Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands)

Today started strange and just keep getting stranger. I got out of bed at 8:27, showered, packed and caught my 12:00 noon flight to Dallas, via Detroit, via Amsterdam... from Köln. After checking in, I watched the second season finally of Deadwood (damn straight great, by the way) that finished downloading the night before.

Then I waited some more.

Then the lady came.

The lady announced that the plane was late 'due to some technical difficulties' and that any missed connection issues would be dealt with in Amsterdam.

Understandably, some people did not like this situation —at all. Times like this, where unexpected monkey wrenches get tossed into the plans people make really separate the how-dare-you-mess-up my-lifers from the huh-...-wonder-how-this-turns-outers

Amsterdam Schiphol was an aggravated sea of pissed off people. At it happened, the Air Traffic Control system had a glitch, and the missed flights tumbled down like dominoes. People got bitchy and took out their fustration on the airline staff that was trying to help. In situations
like this, I -- not unlike my father -- dive right into the churning chaos.

No flights out to the States this day, so everything was rescheduled for the next day, and I was kindly put up in a nice 4 star hotel, taxied there and given a handful of other little tings to ease my travel pains and —such as being upgraded to business class. On a 13 hour flight a few extra inches makes all the difference.

To be honest I was all giddy with 'oh boy, a Amsterbaden night on the teat of KLM! Well they shipped me instead to this sleepy seaside town called Noordwijkerhout. So amongst the tulips and half excited half grumpy co-passengers, we all started to 'deal with it'.

I checked in, showered, asked for a map and headed to the sea. Weather was sloppy, but I found what I was looking for: A walk along the ocean eating oorlog frijts (french fry war).

Then a mini adventure transpired like a blur, but went something like this:
Long walk...
Asked a kite surfer dude if there where any Coffeehouses in the area.
More walking, then ran into this dude named Lodi.
He invites me to his pad where we sat around and talked.
Lodi's friend came over and we visit he backpacker hostel for Happy Hour
Meet more people
Watch an intense game of Chess
Walked home

Drink my free drink, informed my pickup buddy I will be a day late Ok, I have an ass-crack-of-dawn wakeup call I need to get ready for.

4:30 am wakeup, showered and checked out. 5:30 buss ride driven my some type of demon driver whipping through those round-a-bouts like a man possessed. Normally something I find enjoyable-- the bit-to-fast curve--just not while eating my good-morning yogurt.

Nice that KLM could get me back to the airport on time for my flight. Plenty of time. One might even say way too much time. Good thing AMS has an abundant supply of eye candy.

Punta Mita, Mexico

First time in Mexico. I have lived in LA and Dallas and driven near the border more than a few times. I know all the Spanish words needed to prevent getting oneself killed in a Mexican restaurant. I have flown over this land on my way to Guatemala, but this marks the first time I crossed the border. For the next few days I am working at the Four Seasons in Punta Mita, Mexico. Posh? Very much indeed. Satisfying work in a luxurious environment--I hope I don't get use to this as it would be hard to top. At this writing I have garnished at least two good stories, one of which entails me being pulled over by a Mexican police for 'speeding and swerving', earning me the nickname of 'Autobahn.' Gotta run, more to come.

Click to Enlarage

"Dearest of my friends" - Dirk Worring

Evil Dirk. This guy is my German brother. Our kids will raise some hell together, of that I am sure. One of the many reasons I toy with the idea of getting my tubes tied.

Dirk is also the greatest contributer to my "Wine Bottle Corks" collection. That he will die before me, of this I am certain. If what Morrissey said is true, it's nice to know someone will be there reserving the good seats.

O happy day! > email ahoy from yer ol pal baden

Ok, ok, ok... it seems I have been more than a bit remiss at staying in touch. It is simply not in my nature... and I've been a busy boy lately. And aren't we all. Busy that is—naturally not the boy part. Please forgive the not-so-tailored-to-you mass email-o-gram. As always, these things are intended only as something to nibble, not unlike the fist full of m&m's dispensed from the unhygienic catch of a coin operated machine. Also, if you have (or wish you had) forgotten me... well then you should know that I am not the sort that would put a soggy wet mitten in your lunch bag.

I am returning to the states May 24 - June 22ish for another whirlwind business / pleasure / friends-n-family tour. If you are in, or are going to be in: Dallas, Sacramento, Tuscon, S.F., L.A., Punta Mita or the far North West corner of Washington State—chances are it is to visit you. As my robot monkey is not fully operational yet, I am still lacking my complete set of organizational skills... however I do have a loose schedule starting to take form. So then, who wants to buy me lunch? I will regale you with stories culled from events loosely based on fact and undoubtedly embellished... any takers?

Now I shall return to whatever it was I was doing previous to this. In closing, I have included some links that someone might-could find interesting. Can't get enough of that might-could business, It just kills me. It's my new favorite expression.

<tech>
Windows has released a new version of there Windows Mobile. Smart phones are one of the fastest-growing segments of the tech industry with sales expected to increase 67 per cent this year (32.2 million units). It seems people will be needing/wanting applications that run on this handy platform, no? Hmmm.
http://digital-lifestyles.info/display_page.asp?section=platforms&id=2206
</tech>

<geek>
I found a great little website (with firefox extension) called bug-me-not. Basically a huge annoyance saver every time one is asked to 'register' for free access to a website (i.e. NY Times). Simple, straight forward and free. Should have though of this back in the CLBN 'psychographical profiling' years.
</geek>

<tunes>
Not really a link, but I though I would list some great music to check out if you have not already. Iron and Wine (great cover of Such Great Heights by The Postal Service.) If you don't like the writing or voice of Ben Gibbard from The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie, I assume you have never enjoyed road trips. Oh the joy of The Ditty Bops... or anyone that wants to 'shimmy like sister Kate'. Finally, there is Ryan...that's Ryan with an 'R' Adams. Check out his version of Wonderwall.
</tunes>

Warmest regards, after all...
it's Springtime...
for Baden...
in Germany

Broke Another Mirror...

...and maybe I am turning into something I am not.

Living in Germany the last few years has offered many worthwhile challenges. A new language, for one. Not that I will ever speak it beyond the eloquence of a five-year-old, but still—it is communication of a sort. The down side to this is less obvious; what passed as my spoken English has taking quite a beating. It is surprising how many gems in my mother-tongue vernacular need a good polishing.

Maybe I am addicted to what my father calls “The Order of Chaos.” Just leaping into the fray, and navigating by feel. It is exciting and rewarding... but it is not really the kind of skill one brags about on a resume.

The mirror is only cracked, and still usable. Could just be that the daily loop was getting too predicable for my little addiction, and I needed another ingredient of chaos added into the mix.

Jet Lag

I recently returned from an transatlantic trip. Well, not exactly recently... I have been back for a week already. One might think, that after a week's time, that whole whacked out bio-clock thing would get with the new-old program. When the waking hours are filled with stifled yawns and sleep peppered with same—no fun, no fun at all.

But on a more medically intriguing note: I have discovered a new kind of cramp! There is apparently some muscle that is located just back under the chin, and when that baby starts to cramp up during a yawn, better hang on tight for one painful ride. I would rather be stabbed through the knee with a pair of rusty garden shears then another lower mandibular yawn cramp.

I blame KLM and there Oompa Loompa designed Boeing 777.

Monkeys

Monkeys are fast. You can't catch a monkey, they are very fast.
You might can try, and even feel that you are closing in on sucess--but no.
They are only toying with you.

Unless of course you happen to be a pirate. Pirates have a special power over the monkey.

So, if you are lacking pirate blood, don't wast time trying to catch your own monkey.
A better idea would build your own robot monkey.
Saves on the poop flinging bills too.