2012: my year in review by tweets/statuses

Submitted by Tom Swiss on Wed, 01/02/2013 - 19:07

For the past few years, I've made a habit of collecting the year's tweets/Facebook statuses into one post, as a way to look back over the year that was.

This one was certainly dramatic for me, featuring death, resurrection, heartbreak, international travel, minor medical drama...and a sudden pleasant surprise twist near the end of the year, that I don't really talk about here. We'll see where that one goes, don't want to jinx it. Anyway, here's what my 2012 was like. Hoping for a pleasant and serene 2013 for us all.


1) Happy new year! 2) Just got told I look like Guy Fawkes, a definite first.

Seido Karate classes start at the Catonsville Y tonight! http://catonsville.seidomd.com

Awoke to bug report. Irritated this is keeping me from usual Wed. AM run; on other hand, it's 20° out there. Can always run tomorrow morning

Still 20/20, though the bottom line of that eye chart is a wee bit fuzzier than I recall.

Roasted acorn squash and portabella mushrooms, w/ a Bombay Sapphire martini & an ep of ST:TNG on the tube. Not bad for a Friday night in.

Gray March @ Ottobar. Don't think I saw these guys in the 80s, but saw enough bands in the genre to make it sort of nostaglic.

Look, cold, you know I'm gonna kick your ass. We can do this easy or we can do it hard. Acupressure, moxa, herbs, vitamins, I got an arsenal

"You don’t have to specialize - do everything that you love and then, at some time, the future will come together for you..." - F.F. Coppola

Don't want to complain about nice weather on my bday, but, 61 degrees in January *is* kind of weird.

Fractal Cat @ Joe Squared. If you haven't checked these guys out yet, you oughta.

Got to teach karate, have vegan pizza, and catch a cool band tonight. A good bday. Thanks to all well-wishers.

This past weekend was a jewel. Thank you everyone who helped make it special.

I will listen to my body and not go running on my twisted ankle today. I will shiatsu it and rest it today, and I will run Sunday or Monday.

It is January 20th and there are robins in the tree outside my window. That's an early spring, my friends.

I will not go out dancing. I will rest this twisted ankle. Grr, this is frustrating, no running, no dancing! OTOH, plenty of work to do here

"...and falling, they are given wings." - Rumi ( http://www.cynthialarge.com/sufi/rumiboxpoem.html )

I hear that PDF tickets will go on sale earlier this spring, February 26 and March 19 -- pass it on.

Summary: "I'm getting a tattoo of a poem I just read for the 1st time." "Isn't that a quick decision?" "It's Rumi." "Ah, Rumi! Go for it!"

"At the foot of a lighthouse, it is dark." -- Japanese proverb

1st paycheck from teaching karate @ the Y is more that my net teaching on my own last year. Plus more students & use of fitness center. Win.

Weird dreams. Improv grocery-store comedy that turned into a performace piece of Scandal's "The Warrior", & the double-dog dream w/ Ringo.

Just saw a tow truck towing a tow truck. It's almost recursive.

Yes, lame to head to bed before 11 on a Fri., but I haven't gotten a good nights sleep all week. Promise I'll raise some heck tomorrow night

Great to see Jaqui MacMillan back behind a djembe at the Kiva show at New Deal Cafe last night.

Tell NPS that the First Amendment trumps camping rules: http://t.co/zHHkoTIz

Tell Homeland Security to fsck off by tweeting words like assassination, dirty bomb, and anthrax: http://bit.ly/wg1YlJ

Wasted time & stress over a new car battery. Ended up @ Advance Auto Parts -- free installation means they get the right part.

Will be in Manhattan this weekend. Anything cool going on up there I ought to know about? NYC peeps, let me know.

"You can't get something for nothing." Really? What'd you pay for sunlight? Or the night sky's beauty? For the very existence of the cosmos?

"Spock, what are the odds in getting a Royal Fizzbin?" "I've never computed them, Captain." -- Star Trek, "A Piece of the Action"

Oh, Magic Bus...

At the surprise party for the 70th birthday of Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura, founder and chairman of the World Seido Karate Organization. Osu!

"Hero, Villain, Yeti." Interesting exhibit on Tibet and comic books @ the Rubin Museum.

A karate master's birthday, time with a lovely lady, the best vegan brunch ever, and Tibetan comic books. A good weekend in NYC.

Challenge your muscles, and they will grow stronger. Challenge your heart, and it will grow stronger too.

Single malt Scotch dulls the pain.

Finally got to sleep...and dreamed about insomnia.

If Catholics won't pay for insurance that covers contraception, they shouldn't pay employees cash they could use to buy condoms, either.

Will be presenting at Ecumenicon, on "The Well-Tempered Male" (building a modern mythology of the mature masculine): http://bit.ly/yl98cs

The terrible, sinking feeling that I might have blown it.

There is pain and there is fear. But I have spend my life following the way of bushido, learning that pain and fear are not reasons to quit.

Long day at the dojo. Congratulations to all who promoted, including 5 of my students. (2 made green belt, so kumite begins soon, bwahahah.)

Frustration: in treating one minor injury, I caused myself another. Dammit.

"Machines just got workings, and they talk to me."

On the way to NYC for a Big Talk. Wish me luck.

Well. Nothing like finding out you've been operating under a miscommunication for months. Time for much reflection.

Somehow, having a train conductor with a European accent makes an Amtrak trip feel more civilized.

Kirk and Spock and Space Nazis, and a microwaved frozen tamale for dinner. Wallowing in geek bachelorhood on V day.

Looks like I'll be performing at the next Instant Gratification, March 11 at the new location in Hollins Market. Details will follow...

"Why do build such a mystique around a simple biological function?" "We enjoy it."

"But lengthen lives? Poppycock. I can do more for you if you just eat right and exercise regularly." -- Dr. McCoy

"You shouldn't drink alone at home." "That's why I have a dog..."

Saw billboard for hybrid Camry that made a pun about surprise and gas mileage, saying "Gas-p!". Thought it was a LISP joke at first. #geek

I am just as much a part of this universe as a rock or tree or star. Not created & therefore un-creatable, but emergent, rooted; one-with-it

Best part of continuing education classes for bodyworkers/massage therapists? We have to practice on each other.

Just spent 5 hours tracking down a bug that ended up being "i-i" where "i-1" was supposed to be. I love writing software. Grrrr.

Watching so many people baffled by a locked, broken door w/ a sign saying "Please use other door." How unobservant we are. (Me included!)

"'Don't know' is closest to it." ( http://www.nonduality.com/hl1804.htm )

(Forgive me, but I'm feeling this now.) "That unit is a woman." "A mass of conflicting impulses." - Spock and Nomad, "The Changeling" ST:TOS

Marot Adler @ AACC on Wednesday afternoon: https:aacc.edu/events/cultural/

CPR & first aid recertificated. Everyone around me just became marginally safer. You can thank me later. ;-)

Got my copy of Drawing Down the Moon signed by the author. @MargotAdler is an engaging speaker, glad she is a public face of Paganism.

Really? Really!? Sigh. Well, as a Discordian, I can take this chaos as a vindication of my faith. Hail Eris. Kallisti, dammit

"...but if your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet I will end you."

Still got those All Purpose Generic Blues. And I"ll sing about them Sunday: https://www.facebook.com/events/122957597830148/

Don't forget to "spring forward". Then you'll be on time to come see me play music, a 1/2 hr. set sometime after 4:30: http://on.fb.me/zotvIS

Fascinating fact for the day: "The collective noun for bastards is a shower." Yes, a shower of bastards, I've been caught in one of those...

"Less talking. More hitting."

Still have to figure out details (like how to pay for it), but planning to go to Japan for the Seido Karate tournament, at the end of April.

Happy Irish Pride Day!

"Four thousand throats may be cut in one night by a running man."

Toasting the memory of my grandmother, and all my Irish ancestors, with a shot of Jameson in a Baltimore corner dive.

Angry Orchard > Angry Birds

Booked my flight, I'm Nihon-bound.

If someone has a Facebook page about themselves titled "Joe Blow, Spiritual Teacher" -- run.

The inherent ambiguity of communication. The impossibility of gain without risk. Things discovered too late. No undo button for my heart.

Sidewalk chalk on the trail, stick figures holding hands, leading to "PROM? YES NO", big X next to NO. Mine not the only broken heart today.

"There is no remedy for love but to love more." - Thoreau. Like I need to stumble on that today. Damn Thoreau, always stirring up trouble.

Hate shiatsu no-shows; but kind of got the impression this guy was looking for "massage"-wink-wink when he called late & thought I was a spa

"Have you heard that it was good to gain the day? I also say it is good to fall...battles are lost in the same spirit in which they are won"

Someone claiming I negligently failed to do something, when in fact they helped me to do it? Bad idea. Considering unleashing hell.

False & libelous accusations of mismanagement during my FSA term have come to my attention. May even be forged e-mail involved. Details soon

Saw a fantastic talk by John Michael Greer, Druid & ecologist. He lives in MD now; hope he connects w/ the Bmore scene. http://bit.ly/enoJH7

What Ever Happened to Free Spirit Beltane? Conflict of interest in a Pagan org. May others learn from FSA's mistakes. http://bit.ly/HK9058

Walked Ringo by the school where they're having primary elections today. Hoped he would pee on a Santorum sign, but, no such luck.

Had two things happen in class tonight that I've never seen in karate before and could do with never seeing again. (Not serious, just odd.)

Repeating my mantra: "Some say he is a holy man. Other say he is a shithead." http://www.principiadiscordia.com/book/12.php

"I consider myself a road man for the lords of karma." -- Hunter S. Thompson

"The lady's charming personality must not be permitted to warp our judgment." -- Sherlock Holmes. So many times I wish I'd thought of that!

Use Firefox? (You should.) Ask it about robots. Klaatu barada nikto.

Oh, how I needed that.

Any IT folks about there familiar with Juniper routers? Contact me. I strongly suspect our current consultants are feeding us bullshit.

I have a publisher who's interested in "Why Buddha Touched the Earth"! Don't want to jinx it by saying more until we have a contract.

Kid w/ "Honk if you're happy" sign. I realize my heart is big enough to hold happiness & sadness, joy & sorrow, at the same time. I honk.

People are fascinating -- from a distance.

Rolling down the windows and cranking the radio when "Rock You Like A Hurricane" comes on is a guilty musical pleasure.

Looking for someone familiar with Juniper routers / JUNOS for some consulting. Got the skillz, or know someone who does? Contact me.

Whaddya mean, "last minute taxes"? I rendered unto Caesar w/ 8 minutes to spare. (A painful amount, hope Uncle Sam appreciates the honesty.)

"For it is not metres, but a metre-making argument, that makes a poem,--a thought so passionate and alive..." -- Emerson

Embarassment of realizing I forgot my wallet; joy of realizing this AM's shiatsu client paid cash, I had it in my pocket,could pay for lunch

Another roadside bodhisattva, the guy who makes my iced Americano at Starbucks, so I can stay vertical...

Please send all prayers and good thoughts to Ian Hesford of Telesma, who collapsed on stage tonight.

Finding your car broken into when you just left a friend on a ventilator in the ICU gives perspective. Just not that upset by the break-in.

Update: Ian is improving a little bit. Still quite serious but going about as well as can be hoped in such a case. Next few days will tell.

Update: news is still good so far, Ian is opening his eyes and moving a bit, breathing better though still assisted.

Glad I was able to help Fri. but please don't think this was something extraordinary. Many people there knew CPR & you can become one of us!

Just to complete the trifecta: heating oil tank spung a leak today. Still a tiny matter, all things considered. Now, to finish packing!

Nihon bound. Don't break the country while I'm gone.

Delayed flight. Feh. Looks like it will break my connection at Narita, making for An Adventure.

(Looks at sky) Oh, very funny. It is to laugh.

Wow, they've cancelled the flight. Won't be Nihon bound until tomorrow.

Ok, take 2. Nihon bound. Don't break the country while I'm gone.

After various drama and delays, arrived in Nagoya safe and sound and exhausted.

Why I may be the happiest man in Nagoya right now, & it's nothing to do with what's going on here, cool as that is: http://on.fb.me/JJFYDI

Got my rail pass, arrived in Tokyo. Big arigato gozaimashita to the train conductor who let me slide about the no-Nozomi-on-rail-pass thing.

It occurs to me that, despite the language barrier, announcements in Tokyo's subway system may be more comprehensible than in New York's.

Indian food in Kamakura, "home of the samurai". Because I roll international, baby.

Wonderful to see the Daibutsu and the Great Kannon at Kamakura; but more wonderful to sit facing the wall in my hotel room and breathe.

After a rainy day in Toyko, time to head for Osaka -- almost a homecoming of sorts.

Vending machine on the shinkansen ate my 1000 yen bill -- about $12.50! Trying to explain to the conductor and get a refund...

They got my refund straight at the end of the line. Almost feel like it was a Tokyo/Osaka, procedure vs. customer satisfaction thing.

At least when the folks in Osaka try to hustle me, they send a pretty lady to do it. But, no, I don't need a massage with "special service".

Drinking Jameson Irish whisky in a bar in Osaka. International, yada yada yada.

One moment of sunshine in the rain at the gardens of Tenryuji, the rain into the breeze-rippled pond, joy & sadness & longing all together

On the way to Nara to pay homage and give thanks to the Medicine Buddha, Yakushi, for the survival and healing of our friend Ian Hesford.

The Horned God in Nara? Deer *are* sacred here... http://twitpic.com/9hg1z4

1)I'll send an SOS to the world. I hope that someone gets my message in a bottle. 2)Dream life: return to Kansai for 1 week each month or 2.

Spent my last free night in Osaka seeing a good friend play & then ended up karaokeing with several lovely ladies until the wee hours. w00t!

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world without them." -- Sherlock Holmes

Shinkansen from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka: indulgent & only saves a few minutes vs. a rapid, but the only civilized way to travel. Rail pass FTW.

If anyone at home is wondering: was nowhere near the (rare) tornado in Tokyo, just seeing pictures of it on the news at Kansai airport now.

Well, they let me back into the country. Never quite sure about that. Long layover at JFK, back to Bmore tonight.

The problem with returning to the US from Japan, is noticing all the small things that work there but are broken or badly done here. Grumble

I get on interesting mailing lists. "WEBINAR on May 10, 2012 "You Have a Laser. Now What?"" Er...something with sharks?

13 hours sleep. Between a few late nights in Shinsaibashi and jet lag, I needed that.

Tuesday we practiced setting boundaries, taking stance & yelling STOP! Today I hear a student stood up to a bully w/ just that. #ProudSensei

Praying to the ancient deity fsck for protection against data loss...

Ian Hesford leaves the hospital today, 3 weeks after a sudden cardiac arrest. A walking miracle.

Ugh. Feeling lousy. Maybe from working to clean up the site of a heating oil spill yesterday, nasty stuff.

10 years later just seeing her photo on Facebook makes me numb & dizzy & unsure of myself.Ah, emotionally abusive relationships #ImBetterNow

Well, if I've got nothing else, at least my life is rich in irony.

Disaster strikes Tom's Secret Headquarters: kitchen sink overflows for perhaps several hours. 1st floor flooded, old hardwood floors a loss.

Now, water heater doesn't work, fixability unknown. All I can say: someone had to put all this chaos here. My faith is vindicated! #HailEris

Getting down for the BNote... http://twitpic.com/9mkvxa

Need a handyman for some painting & bit of drywall repair in Catonsville.

Hot water restored. Estimate for new floors ok'd by insurance. Disaster recovery on track. We can rebuild it, better than it was before.

Just noticed my laptop was still set to give me Osaka weather forecasts.

Damn Facebook and its ironic suggestions of whom I should add to my "close friends". Yeah, I really needed to be poked about that this week.

Remarkable hype over the SpaceX launch. Nice job; but private unmanned spaceflight has been around since 1980. http://bit.ly/KMAjKc

Well, is interesting news. Karma in action, perhaps? In a small community, lax business ethics will bite you. #SmallSchadenfreude

The Secret Headquarters now has nice bamboo & laminate floors. Big thanks to Rob at North County Floors. http://bit.ly/KCsSXy

Heading out to the Sowebo Festival.

Just ran into Ian Hesford at Sowebo! First time I've personally seen him conscious since his collapse. Joy & awe & a sense of interbeing.

From the 2nd Sowebo festival, years ago. http://twitpic.com/9q26ew

A Baltimore icon. http://twitpic.com/9q26tb

Remembering all victims of war: military and civilian; the dead, the wounded, the shattered, the grieving; victims of "good" causes or not.

I have a book deal! Why Buddha Touched the Earth will be published by Megalithica Books http://bit.ly/WBTTE Facebook: http://on.fb.me/ZenPagan

True fact: there is an acupuncturist in Baltimore named Hunter Thompson. Gonzo TCM? Res ipsa loquitur. Let the good times roll.

While repairing drywall damage from the flooding two weeks ago, handyman drove a screw into a water line. At least it's a smaller disaster.

First firefly of the year!

"I am not Herbert." -- Spock reaches space hippies. http://youtu.be/IsTQ1cM-Hpg

New York bound.

Saturday night in Manhattan. No plans, but if I can't find something interesting or amusing here it's time to pack it in.

When the subway preachers got homophobic, I had to shout them down. "Man and a woman! That's what God said!" "Lady, you heard God wrong."

F is a great key for love songs. "Can't Help Falling in Love With You", "Romeo and Juliet", "Punk Rock Girl"...

Feels sorry for hipsters who can only appreciate classic/oldies rock "ironically".

2:30 am, joking with the drunks and the late shift cops, seeing the bones of the city.

Caught the show at the Hayden Planetarium, just so Neil DeGrasse Tyson can get his nickel.

Clouds. No Venus transit for us. Foo.

I've 20 years of software development experience & an MS in comp sci. So if I say the problem isn't in foo.c, it's very likely not in foo.c.

Oh, Verizon. Still the suck in customer service. But "economy message rate" plan will give me cheap POTS & save ~$20/mo over Cavalier, so...

Thanks to Baltimore Equitable Insurance for large check, & North County Floors & Inner Circle Services. Repairs to the Secret HQ: complete.

Paused karate to look out the window @ double rainbow. One adult student had only seen a rainbow once before & never a double. Look up more.

When you call at 9:30pm & ask if I'm "the massage parlor", I'm not what you're looking for. Legalized brothels would simply life for LMTs...

Dit da jow. Just the thing for smushed fingers. #AncientChineseSecret

Ah, total incompetence. I remember why I left Verizon for a CLEC in the first place. You can't get POTS right but you wanna be my ISP? Ha!

"The Law of Fives is never wrong."

The key to meditation, shamanism, and magic in all their forms: change your mind, change the world.

"...burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night..."

There’s no shortcut, no way to avoid the necessity of thinking hard and living right.

At least while I'm waiting for the File System of Unusual Size to fsck, I can work on the book. Few more footnotes about Murray's Horned God

Manuscript for Why Buddha Touched the Earth is off to the publisher. w00t! http://bit.ly/KzXR5Z

Deep thanks to those who came out for my little Solstice circle.

An honor when I get to be the first to do bodywork on someone.

has somehow been nominated to organize the Kilt Parade at Starwood this year. Traditional or Utilikilt, pack 'em if you've got 'em!

If you're going to call me looking for not-really-massage at least have some class. Ask for "sensual", not "Do you touch d**k?" (Answer: no)

Dammit, now it seems the washing machine is broken. Think it needs a new pump. Any recommendations for appliance repair in Baltimore area?

Bound for PEX

Did a lap of Ramblewood reading out loud from Leaves Of Grass. "Clear and sweet is my soul...and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul"

Aquatic Calvinball with a bunch of burners. Improvised art + "The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play."

Mystery gifts left at my PEX campsite... http://twitpic.com/a34hif

Replaced the bathroom faucet. Plumbing is like math in this much: you either have the right answer, or not. Leaks = wrong, no partial credit

Happy birthday USA. It wasn't the immaculate conception some imagine, and you tend to believe your own press too much; still, I love ya.

If I stood in front of you house with a drum, you'd think me rude for the disturbing noise. Why do you think firecrackers near homes are ok?

On the road to X-Day & Starwood.

Netbook + cellphone + cellphone booster + bungee cords and a stick to get the antenna high enough for 3G connection. Can't stop the signal.

"Myself not least but honored of them all."

Guy dressed as the devil walks into the Green Man Tavern just as Steve Inglish starts playing Crossroad Blues. Starwood magick.

Ok, there's things I'm not satisfied with, but I have to admit it: sometimes, my life rocks. Thanks Starwood.

9am, WAMU FM, "On Point" has Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

So of *course* my teaching assistant from my shiatsu training is friends with Ian Hesford's mom. Smalltimore moment.

Will be playing music, and possibly presenting a workshop, at the Cornstalk Festival at Wisteria: ria: https://www.facebook.com/events/363968243674504/

So far just some pretty lightning way off in the sky, but I think I'd better put my batteries on the charger in case things get serious...

We need to focus on people, not things. This applies to spirit, economics, & also to dealing with violence: the problem is people, not guns.

Congratulations to students from Catonsville and Howard County Seido Karate programs who took promotion today. Osu!

Fact: according to the FBI UCR, 2010 violent crime rate was lowest since 1972 & 47% lower than 1991. Beware sensationalism & fearmongering.

"Exactly, this moment appears, then compose a poem." - Zen Master Seung Sahn http://bit.ly/N66iqA

Sometimes, you have to let students hit you. Repeatedly. Ouch.

I don't always drink Dos Equis, but when I do its the best of a mediocre bar's choices - The 512,172,342nd Most Interesting Man in the World

Open mic at Leadbetter's. Been a couple years since I took the stage here...

"There must be some humanoid platitude I can use to cheer you up." -- Odo, ST:DS9

Tried to teach zazen to the kids tonight. Appreciation for Alan Reese, who tried to teach it to us back in 7th grade. Guess his stuck a bit.

If I sometimes step on people's toes to get necessary things done...well, bruised toes heal. And I do try to give out arnica or dit da jow.

You think you're over something, then 5am proves you wrong...

Got carded, bless the doorman at Leadbetters...

Spent most of the day recreational hacking on Javascript & PHP to make a Facebook-like sharer for Drupal, with thumbnails & all. Fun! #geek

Restringing the guitar (the Ovation). There's something ritualistic or meditative about this that I like.

Balto. County FD tweets "NWS: tornado warning affects eastern Balto Co. Storm moving northeast toward Harford Co. Take cover now." Take care

"But, I'm tryin', Ringo, I'm trying real hard to be the Shepard."

Seeing reports of a major train derailment in Historic Ellicott City, at least 2 rumored dead. Thoughts are with all those affected.

Heading to Historic Ellicott City to play guitar at Wind River, my friend's shop. The town can use some support. http://on.fb.me/Rjy2f1

A little girl doubled back to drop a dollar in my guitar case, maybe the first time she's tipped a musician. Worth much more than a dollar.

Saddened to hear of the death of Neil Armstrong, first human to set foot on the moon, one giant leap for mankind. RIP. http://nbcnews.to/Qf27ge

Stunned by the sudden death of my aunt, Marsha Lyons. A great lady. Saw her at a family reunion just weeks ago, healthy and happy.

"The Republican Party included support of the ERA in its platform beginning in 1940...until 1980." http://bit.ly/PvBD4J How times change.

Playing tonight at the Green Man Tavern at the Cornstalk Festival, Wisteria. (Near Pomeroy, Ohio) Ths set dedicated to the memory of [Marsha Lyons]

Thanks to Wisteria and the Green Man Tavern for inviting me to play at the Cornstalk Festival. Good times, good times.

"I listened to your album, Kenny Klein and Kellianna..." Unexpected musical compliment to be mentioned in the same sentence w/ them, thanks!

Saddened to head of the death of Owain Phyfe, a great bard to the Pagan and Rennfest communities. https://www.facebook.com/owain.phyfe

Spent the past week looking at cloud and VPS hosting providers for a web project. I may never get the taste of marketing BS out of my mouth.

Looks like I'll be playing at the Main Street Music Fest, part of Ellicott City Fall Festival, July 29. Details TBA.

"It really can be done. Once you stop to think about it, there are plenty of ways to save everyone." -- Wolfwood, Trigun

My annual fall allergy attack. Ugh. Breaking out drugs, herbs, acupressure, moxa, everything to dry the ball of mucus that is my head.

I can breathe! Thank you rain for washing out the pollen or spores or whatever has been sending my sinuses on a rampage.

Remembering Tom Passaro, who passed today: one of my dad's best friends, my "uncle" and namegiver, a man of good humor and zest for life.

Ground & anchor those who would float away into mystic woo-woo. Give floating mystical balloons to those with leaden materialistic outlooks.

Start the day w/ a blocked sewer line & at least it's bound to go up from there. A koan says Buddha is dried shit on a stick; Buddha's here!

Free beer -- the most important part of paying the musician. (Reference: The Blues Brothers...)

Celebrating the successful end of a late-night round of testing and debugging with some midnight apple brandy.

Almost 12 miles on the bike this morning.

Broke my mobile phone. :-( Please send e-mail or call my landline if you need to reach me for the next few days.

Temps in the 40s tonight. Breaking out long underwear. We hates the cold, hates it. I am hereby excused from having to be nice until April.

RSS Graffiti says they can no longer forward my tweets to FB. What's up with that? Makes Twitter much less useful to me. #walledgardenssuck

Extra innings *again*?!

Baseball is the most magical of sports: the chants, superstitions, and curses; the fact that Abner Doubleday was a Theosophical leader...

@USPS Why the heck is my package, going from Philly to Bmore, in gorram NASHVILLE according to your tracking? That explains why it's late...

That's all right O's, walking on water wasn't built in a day. From the cellar to face the Damn Yankees as equals -- yes! Bmore loves you.

Phone replaced, rooted, & restored, but lost a few numbers (just from the past six months I think). Txt me if you want me to have yr digits.

30% of the reason I'm stalling on seeing a doc about the sprained ankle is fear of dealing with all the insurance BS. Single payer now, pls.

Realized that "small talk"has the deep meaning "I am a human being who's a bit befuddled by this big crazy universe. Are you like this too?"

7 minutes on hold to find out I can walk in for an X-ray. Hey Advanced Radiology (Maryland), it'd be nice to put that info on your website.

I love it when new karate students decide to buy gis. Investing that $25 means they plan on sticking around for a while.

"If you...vote with a great party either for the government or against it...I have difficulty to detect the precise man you are." - Emerson

Once again exposure to ionizing radiation has failed to give me superpowers, darn it.

Still arguing w/ myself as to whether sitting out karate tournament & classes this weekend due to ankle is prudent or wimping out. #machoBS

Hotels that charge $15 bucks a day for wifi == pathetic. Here in the 21st century that's like charging for heat. I'll tether my phone, thx.

I am officially a disgruntled guest at The Milford NYC -- there should never be a line this long at a hotel front desk. #CustomerServiceFail

Cheezy one-man karaoke at Madison Square Park is my lunchtime entertainment. http://twitpic.com/b5wlfj

Don't usually do this, but gave $10 to a homeless lady. Why her? Because she had a dog. The dog then licked my hand. My heart broke.

Contrast w/ how Bmore greeted the O's after their playoff loss. Yankees fans simply have no class. :-P http://twitpic.com/b5x3bo

Got the tour from the Belle of Roosevelt Island, Sara Michener. Lovely little piece of Bizarro Manhattan.

Any NYC peeps want to meet me for dinner, or a drink after? Text me. (# ican be found on my shiatsu page: http://earthtouchshiatsu.com/contact.php )

"I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees: all times I have enjoyed Greatly, have suffered greatly..." -- Tennyson, Ulysses

Great day at the Seido 36th Anniversary Tournament. Congratulations to all competitors.

"And the winner of tonight's #debate: the Military Industrial Complex!" -- @OccupyWallSt

On the advice of my physician, have wrapped my ankle in...duct tape. We'll see how this goes.

"Five is definitely the best number." -- Stephen Colbert, on NPR's "Fresh Air". Hail Eris!

Viral post by Doug Wright says R. voters "don't get to walk away clean" from homophobia. Then, O. voters don't get to walk away from drones.

No school for "stuents"? Res ipsa loquitur. The thing speaks for itself. http://twitpic.com/b7pc8k

The local Target has been stripped of flashlights as people prepare for Frankenstorm. http://twitpic.com/b7wx2e

Gallons of water stowed; charging 2 big batteries for backup power; rain gutters cleared. About as much as I can do. Rain, rain, go away.

Awaiting Sandy at Leadbetters...if the storm surge comes, we'll know it.

Seems the resident hawk took a sparrow or mourning dove in my backyard. I was raking feathers with the leaves this afternoon.

Mailman's out delivering in this mess. (Serious wind gusts happening.) USPS management may be whack, but respect your postal carrier.

Haven't seen my neighborhood this soaked since the thaw after Snowmagedon.The little drainage swales I dug then are a win now.

Bmore County officially under a State of Emergency. Shelters @ Eastern Technical High School, UMBC, & Owings Mills JCC. (ETHS takes pets.)

Protip: Turn temp down to max on your fridge now. If power goes out, it'll take longer to warm back up. Thx Glen Marshall.

The Catonsville Y will be closed tomorrow. No Seido Karate class Tuesday night,

Bmore city roads: travel restricted, 6pm tonite-12pm tomorrow. MD highways: speed limited to 45 mph. Stay home, stat safe.

Power has (knock wood) stayed on here, and winds fairly calm. But evacuation suggested down by the river in historic EC, & more rain coming.

I swear, if I hear in person some tinfoil hat PCTist talking about how H. Sandy was a plot created by HAARP, I will punch them in the face.

Beware of a FB phishing scheme that directs you to "album89 dot com" and then to a fake FB login page.

I feel a great disturbance in the Force...oh. Disney bought Lucasfilm. Well, there are enough pirated copies of eps 4-6 out there to survive

Road are clear, but wet and slick. Saw someone who had skidded off into the woods by the I-195 exit off 95. (Not hurt, I checked.)

LMT renewal submitted. Wanna talk about over-regulation of small business, ask any MD massage therapist.

If birds are dinosaurs..did stegosaurus sing? Did T-rex chirp?

Blessed Samhain / Happy Halloween. http://infamous.net/blog/Samhain_and_Halloween

Doc guesses the ankle has tibialis tendinitis. Orthodics in my shoes, getting a heavy-duty ankle brace and a course of PT, and we'll see.

Usually run with Ringo on Fridays. Can't run on the ankle for a while. So, bike ride with the dog running next to me. That was interesting.

So, I'm trying #NaNoWriMo. May not get 50k words by Nov. 30, but even 10k > 0. If you have words on the page, you win. http://bit.ly/Tsnbfp

Progressive? Remember: only electoral votes matter. If Obama is up/down > 9% in your state, don't waste your vote. Vote Green 4 real change.

Maryland: vote FOR Question 6, vote for equality and dignity. http://twitpic.com/baomzw

D&R candidates are psychopaths, gerrymandering & the EC mean yr vote hardly matters, & balloting system is corrupt & unreliable. Vote anyway

The bionic ankle... http://twitpic.com/bazquk

NPR just called Ohio for Obama. In their count that doesn't put him over the top yet.

CNN has called Ohio and the race for Obama.

Looks like Maryland approved Question 6! Marriage equality in the Free State! Proud of my state tonight.

The 2012 Election and the State of the Nation: http://unreasonable.org/node/3873

"You're a hearty soul!" -- just what I needed to hear this morning's 10 mile bike ride in the cold. Thanks stranger for the encouragement.

PT for the ankle starts November 21st...

I'd rather be thought offensive & graceless than silent in the face of evil; and this Obama policy (http://bitly.com/Sjjigz ) is evil. Sorry.

It's Carl Sagan Day. http://centerforinquiry.net/carlsaganday

Coffee with whiskey. Cabbage and potatoes in the oven. Irish blood will tell.

Past 10,000 words. At this rate, 30k by Nov 30th. Which isn't 50k but is many more than zero. Still, 50k could happen! Learning. #NaNoWriMo

Long day at the dojo. Congratulations to all who promoted today. Have I mentioned that as students advance, I get to hit them more? Bwahhaha

And this is the day when drinking begins before noon.

Almost 2,000 words tonight. I'm learning how to do this. #NaNoWriMo

We're done editing "Why Buddha Touched the Earth"! It will soon be off for layout and proofing. http://bit.ly/WBTTE http://on.fb.me/ZenPagan

"one need only accept creative disorder along with...creative order...reject destructive order...undesirable equal to destructive disorder."

Done properly, religion or spirituality is more like a poem than like a science. Hail Eris.

I give thanks for my unconquerable soul; for family, chosen & blood; for Bmore's best dive bar; for the sun & the earth; for fire & water.

The edited manuscript for "Why Buddha Touched the Earth" is off to Megalithica for layout and final proofing. Soon, now...soon.

I'm leading a ritual/mediation at Evolver Baltimore's "Eschaton: Toward 2013". Come work some Solstice 2012 magick. http://on.fb.me/10OBi53

Grr. Someone got in to my credit card account. Fortunately they got caught before racking up any charges. (Discover keeps a good eye out..)

"The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like." -- Neil Gaiman

Won't have 50k words for #NaNoWriMo, but could have 30k, & that's a good start to a novel. (Plus, I did finish this: http://bit.ly/WBTTE )

30k words in 30 days doesn't officially "win" #NaNoWriMo, but wins the goal I set myself. 100+ pages to start; I will make this novel happen

Baltimore activist live-tweeting his standoff w/ Bmore SWAT. Says he's being silenced for whistleblowing. https://twitter.com/BaltoSpectator

@BaltoSpectator @BaltimorePolice World is watching and listening. Everybody breathe, stay cool, don't escalate.

"Nor will my poems do good only, they will do just as much evil, perhaps more..." -- Walt Whitman

The Runners' and Bikers' Lament: why, oh why, is the way home always uphill and against the wind?

Suffering will not end suffering; what Sakyamuni learned in the mountains, in asceticism almost to death. Suffering will not end suffering.

Sad tomorrow's shiatsu client cancelled; happy this leaves a 60 degree December Saturday afternoon free. Probably give Ringo the dog a bath.

Midnight Madness in Historic Ellicott City. Taking a single malt (Oban) break from holiday shopping @ local small businesses.

"I said before, the most beautiful and most profound religious emotion that we can experience is the sensation of the mystical." -- Einstein

OMG it's a pit bull in a hoodie! I'm frightened! http://twitpic.com/bl7d4a

Geek e-mail trivia: Spamhaus's "Zen" DNSBL is named after a dog. Joins Biff, known to old-skool Unix hands from the "biff" and "xbiff" cmds.

It'd be nice if we had a moment of silence for the victims of this mass murder before jumping into politics. Argue tomorrow; mourn today.

An unexpected encounter with my favorite Platonic solid at Evolver Bmore's Eschaton: Toward 2013 event. http://twitpic.com/bm25sd

A healthy culture focuses on people rather than things. That includes both what it values, and how it tries to solve its problems.

Unfortunate that firearms' role as a shibboleth means many people are too culturally disgusted by them to learn basic gun facts.

"Magic and Change at the End of Time": my talk from Evolver Baltimore's "Eschaton: Towards 2013" event Friday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHh2_Q7tgz4

Wonder how many people took a break yesterday from mourning and outrage over Friday's killings to watch a show about a serial killer?

Before screaming "gun control!", please read this: http://hvrd.me/4sXfp7

U.S. murder rate in 2010 was 1/2 that of 1991, while most states liberalized CCW laws & "assault weapons" ban expired. http://1.usa.gov/qKTnPh

Took Ringo to the vet today; his sore ear might be due to "sarcoptic mange", aka scabies, a nasty little mite. Got meds for the mangy mutt.

Xmas bonus -- w00t! (Most of which will go to pay the medical bills for the ankle...)

Headed out to save the world. If we're still all here tomorrow, you'll know I succeeded.

We're still here, so the plan Superman, Bugs Bunny, Hagbard Celine, Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst, "Bob" Dobbs, and I set up worked. Happy Yule!

Too cloudy to see, but NWS & the clock say sunset. Happy longest night. I've put up holiday lights & set candles out to guide back the sun.

Can everyone back a massive PSA campaign, "If you live with kids or the mentally ill, keep your guns locked up"? Could we agree on that?

I didn't know that the inventor of Festivus died this year, & that he also wrote a book on magic. Salute him on Sunday! http://bit.ly/VhEh0j

Seeing my name rendered as "Tom Swift" never gets old.

"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster." An important idea as we think about preventing violence.

"Kennedy et al. (1998) demonstrated that income inequality was strongly correlated with firearm violent crime." http://bit.ly/U3SRtk #Occupy

So far each night of the new baktun I've been out late with wonderful people & dancing with beautiful women. Tiny sample size but nice trend

Happy Festivus!; on satire and parody religion http://bit.ly/VXZTiT

Hot sake on a cold night = one of the best things ever.

Giant tennis ball = best Chrismas EVAR! http://twitpic.com/bpa2eg

Bad weather inspired total downtime today. Slept in, spent the day watching anime & reading webcomics. Perfect day-after-the-best-Xmas-ever.

There's a type of pain that is weakness leaving the body, & another sort that is weakness entering the body. Trick is knowing the difference

2012: got heart broken again; helped save a life; Japan trip; found book publisher; lost some dear people; world still here; end upbeat note

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