tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:32:31 +0000http://www.eclectika.com/noreply@blogger.com (Nobula)Blogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-5669448380492799901Wed, 26 Dec 2007 10:57:00 +00002007-12-26T04:29:08.207-07:00Christmas is often described with many extremes—the happiest time of the year, one of the most emotionally difficult days for many who suffer depression, a controversial affront to the politically correct and even a giant commercial ploy to extract cash from all of the aforementioned. My Christmas day is finally coming to a close and I’m sitting here thinking to myself, “If today isn’t the reasonhttp://www.eclectika.com/2007/12/if-not-now.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-3779217312557888618Mon, 30 Apr 2007 08:14:00 +00002007-05-27T03:36:44.750-06:00“Life’s too short” is a phrase often used to begin arguments for seizing some opportunity or another. I know, I’ve used this well-worn phrase myself on numerous occasions. The most curious thing to me is how often opportunities flutter past me un-seized. It isn’t until the moment is well beyond my grasp that I notice how beautiful it would have been in my collection of life experiences. Each timehttp://www.eclectika.com/2007/04/net-for-flutterbys.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-2008521200482651884Sun, 11 Mar 2007 08:36:00 +00002007-05-27T03:37:02.528-06:00Life, especially for me, is full of surprises. I’d like to say I was one of those amazing people who have it all figured out. I’d love to say that my life has turned out exactly the way I planned but I can’t. The honest truth is that the closest thing to a plan for my life was the vague and arrogant thought that I was meant for something more than whatever I was currently doing. Looking at it nowhttp://www.eclectika.com/2007/03/piecing-it-all-together.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-3660126068621571104Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:12:00 +00002007-05-27T03:37:19.449-06:00 My son and I were playing yesterday and, as often as I can, I had music playing in the background. We have a wonderful device called a Sonos which allows me to select and play my MP3s anywhere in the house. I remember that, as a child, there always seemed to be music playing somewhere in our house. I also remember the house not feeling like home unless there was something playing: Calypso, http://www.eclectika.com/2007/01/still-here.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-115865393872071852Tue, 19 Sep 2006 06:12:00 +00002007-05-27T03:37:38.753-06:00 I saw this swami once. He told me that my life would shape the world. I hadn't thought too much about that flattering moment until today. I met a very interesting young woman this evening at dinner. My wife and I decided to try a new restaurant which recently opened and, much to my wife's delight, our server was someone she knew. It turns out that my wife and our waitress are both currently http://www.eclectika.com/2006/09/power-within.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-113861355367860248Mon, 30 Jan 2006 08:47:00 +00002007-05-27T03:37:55.792-06:00 So I've spent quite a bit of time away from here. While there is a giant gap in content since my last post, I thought I'd offer up this post as a form of explaination. I've been going through a lot of changes lately. You might say I've been evolving. Yeah, I think evolve is a good word to use here. Now that my children are running the house, I have been forced to re-examine my purpose in life. http://www.eclectika.com/2006/01/more-things-change.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112773503692217310Thu, 29 Sep 2005 18:55:00 +00002007-05-27T03:44:22.246-06:00I’ve always tried to keep things simple. You could say that my gift to the world was to simplify the many things we’ve made so complicated. When a family member or a friend had trouble with one of their gizmos, gadgets and whatnots, I’m usually the one that fields the call. Most of the time I can decipher where their problem is and explain the solution clearly and generally quickly—it really all http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/machinations-madmen-and-mercy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112773404863655359Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:27:00 +00002007-05-27T03:44:39.700-06:00 My Friend, Warm, yet I remain cold. Calm, yet I grow upset. I long to be around you. I wish upon you happiness. I know you've always brought me bliss, But friend, I now must tell you this: Something now between us comes; I fear 'tis all because of me. The things which bring you happiness, leave for me the sad. The things which bring you trauma, tempt to make me glad. "Oh God I pray to be http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/dark-disease.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112699848750501816Sat, 17 Sep 2005 23:00:00 +00002007-05-27T03:45:23.066-06:00 i think i am dead. i believe they killed me but i can still feel it. i can feel its heartless beat, gaze, and breath upon my carcass. It did this to me—it's what left me here. It's what calls the shots, watches your moves and pronounces judgment. i hate it, but i obey its call anyway . . . George Larmer stared into his square mirror on the morning of Public Festival. He studied his face. It http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/accurate-account.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112650447110619334Mon, 12 Sep 2005 06:05:00 +00002007-05-27T03:44:58.985-06:00In the mid-sixteenth century, there was a ship commissioned to bring fear to those traveling to the West Indies. Armed to the teeth, the galleon was said to be capable of cutting a vessel in half with a single volley of cannon fire. The hull’s exterior was coated in a tarry pitch that gave it a black shimmer when slicing through the waves. To match the hull, the rest of the ship was finished in http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/lost-and-found.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112643729538730243Sun, 11 Sep 2005 11:14:00 +00002007-05-27T03:45:49.758-06:00Not being what one would call an ideal student, my report cards were usually less than impressive. So under-whelming were these progress reports that the bonus toy surprise in each package was a day’s worth of queasy feelings. Report card days were when I had to own up to all the schoolwork I had not been doing that semester. Often I already knew how bad the report would be long before receiving http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/ignorance-is-bliss.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112625940157856592Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:50:00 +00002007-05-27T03:46:11.017-06:00Every once in a while, as I stand in some supermarket checkout line, I’ll glance at the tabloids: The National Enquirer, The Weekly World News or The Star. Often, I’m satisfied to just laugh at the paper right there in the stand. Sometimes, the headlines catch my curiosity enough that I’ll actually purchase the rag and take it home for a few laughs. While there may be some that consider these http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/shrink-wrapped-opinions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112617364935733589Thu, 08 Sep 2005 10:00:00 +00002007-05-27T03:46:25.475-06:00Victor was one of those children with an overdeveloped mean streak—if there was a fly to lose its wings or an ant to be burned, he was the chief executioner. Victor was also one of those kids always being sent to the principal’s office or running laps for the coach. Most parents had Victor’s parents on speed dial. When it was time to learn a new dirty word, we’d all go to Victor for our next http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/devil-inside.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112608213399067246Wed, 07 Sep 2005 08:35:00 +00002007-05-27T03:46:42.929-06:00When I was roughly six years old, my father took me to track and field day at the college where he was teaching. There were events taking place all over the field: the high jump, the long jump, throwing activities and some assortment of gymnastic events. Surrounding all of these was a giant ring of dirt where runners were warming up for different track competitions. My father needed to do http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/shaping-human-tree.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112600266488031732Tue, 06 Sep 2005 10:31:00 +00002007-05-27T03:47:00.701-06:00Once upon a time there was a pear. This pear was quite plump and all the other pears aspired to be as juicy. On sunny days, the pear would make sure to find a leaf or two that could provide adequate shade. No one knew exactly how the pear had become so plump and juicy. Some of the other pears speculated that it had retained all the water intended for some of the less fortunate pears on the branchhttp://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/prickly-pear.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112595816317083326Mon, 05 Sep 2005 22:09:00 +00002007-05-27T03:47:16.475-06:00Labor Day has always been a time of rest and relaxation for me. It was also a big holiday for my mother who might spend up to a month prior to this weekend pulling together an amazing event—a massive family gathering. Our family would rent a beach house for the long weekend and gather as many relatives under one roof as possible. The kitchen was constantly in use—sometimes hectic but always http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/one-more-walk-on-beach.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112586631808960824Sun, 04 Sep 2005 19:32:00 +00002007-05-27T03:47:30.959-06:00I have a confession to make. I’ve been having an affair now for the past several years. I've known her since we were kids but grew distant in high school. It wasn't until many years later when standing in line at the DMV that I bumped into her again. Having her with me in that line reminded me how much I enjoyed her company. We saw each other quite regularly after that until I met my wife a few http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/affair-of-convenience.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112573443953752265Sat, 03 Sep 2005 06:56:00 +00002007-05-27T03:47:45.771-06:00During my elementary and high school years, my father and I spent quite a bit of time discussing my future. I was of the opinion that school was simply a waste of my time and true potential. He thought I was going to be homeless. I say that my father and I discussed this during my elementary and high school years but the debate actually chased me into college. Eventually my dad gave up the fight http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/getting-ahead.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112569799927826782Fri, 02 Sep 2005 17:00:00 +00002007-08-09T20:58:48.424-06:00My wife has secretly replaced her breasts with methane cannisters. Every time she feeds our new baby girl, it isn't long before my daughter sounds like the trombone section of my high school band. While amusing, it loses its charm at 2am. I spend most of the evening between burping her and fearing the diaper change. Why fear change? Changing this baby's diaper is much like taking the cover off a http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/it-could-be-worse.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112564196824769615Fri, 02 Sep 2005 06:20:00 +00002007-05-27T03:48:18.262-06:00 When I was a much younger child than I am now, there was a song we used to sing called, "This little light of mine." I think the words were something along the lines of, "this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...all around the neighborhood, I'm gonna let it shine...hide it under a bushel? NO! I'm gonna let it shine...let it shine, let it shine, let it shine..." The lyrics were about http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/this-little-light-of-mine.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112563842491350282Thu, 01 Sep 2005 06:01:00 +00002007-05-27T03:48:37.888-06:00It's now September. More importantly, it is the 1st of the month. What, you might ask, is so important about the 1st of the month? It is an opportunity to gather a little extra luck for the month ahead. If you don't believe in luck, that's ok too because for those of us who do, there'll be more to go around. At this point, most people figure they've got nothing to lose and ask, "alright, how can http://www.eclectika.com/2005/09/rabbit-rabbit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112552856186242960Wed, 31 Aug 2005 21:21:00 +00002007-05-27T03:48:53.525-06:00Just off the well-traveled road of life is an interesting detour through a field of tidbits that surround the mountain obscura—its highest peaks cradling the Shrine of Trivia. Many have made the trip but few have done more than gather at the mountain's base for a spell before finding something useful to do. Guarded closely by irrelevance, the mighty walls of this great temple allow passage to a http://www.eclectika.com/2005/08/shrine-of-trivia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112543977393036236Tue, 30 Aug 2005 21:14:00 +00002007-05-27T03:49:08.485-06:00Something is wrong with me. I no longer seem able to reconcile every aspect of my tidy and organized life. Somewhere, somehow, someone or something has sabotaged the simple order of my world. I'm not sure exactly when I first noticed it but things aren't working the way they're supposed to anymore. The many pieces of my life no longer fit together as perfectly as they once did. Like an old http://www.eclectika.com/2005/08/looking-for-good-wrench.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112538643935876281Tue, 30 Aug 2005 06:48:00 +00002006-11-16T11:16:56.472-07:00I saw this cheerful image (courtesy of the RIAA) and found myself smiling. "When you pirate MP3s, you're downloading COMMUNISM"—the very thing erroding our fine society today. The U.S.S.R. didn't dissolve, they simply became hackers and have secretly been uploading 'communism' to the internet. What began as a 'hippie' open-source mentality was really communism striking back at our capitalist way http://www.eclectika.com/2005/08/download-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714890.post-112527171755959086Sun, 28 Aug 2005 22:56:00 +00002006-11-16T11:16:56.306-07:00I remember looking at old photographs of my father and laughing at how silly he looked. His response always began with, "well back then..." or "in those days..." And I'd laugh some more as he'd patiently explain that it was once considered 'cool' to look that way. I can clearly recall lecturing my dad on the perils of black socks and tennis shoes as I made swishing sounds pacing in my parachute http://www.eclectika.com/2005/08/old-enough-to-look-back.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nobula)