Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Cuesta College Sunset ~ Moonrise

This evening I captured the sunset image above from the second floor of new library building at Cuesta College North County Campus. The moonrise image below I captured a short time later with the library building showing at the bottom of the image.
Photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Monday, November 26, 2012

Remembering My Father

In 1978, Dick Weiss co-founded along with son John, Coast Electronics , which they both co-owned for many years as Radio Shack franchise stores in Atascadero, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo. John now is sole owner of the remaining stores in Morro Bay and Los Osos.  My late father James Gordon Noyes worked at the Atascadero store in 1983-1985 and earned the respect of his coworkers and customers alike. Dick is now retired from Coast Electronics and for a number of years authored a community news column in the now-defunct Estero Bay area weekly newspaper the Sun-Bulletin. Dick appeared at the 2006 Autumn Cayucos Gem, Mineral, & Jewelry Show which was my second ever show during my run in the rock-selling business. At that time he and I had a pleasant little talk remembering my father and wondering at what a small world it is that he and I would cross paths as we did that day six years ago. In the October 18-24, 2006 issue of the Sun Bulletin, his column kindly mentioned my late father who died 27 years ago today as I described in Losing A Father:
"This being a small world, Kim Patrick Noyes of Atascadero was another new exhibitor.
His father, Jim Noyes worked for Coast Electronics/Radio Shack at our Atascadero store as a subcontractor when he had a tragic accident about 20 years ago.
Jim was a fine man."
Courtesy of the San Luis Obispo Tribune, owner of the Sun Bulletin at the time the above article was published.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Scripture of the Day - Paul (IICor.6:14-15)

This passage of scripture figures prominently in my life at present as I attempt to discern how precisely it does and does not apply to my situation in life in recent weeks and as I look forward to the future.
"Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what congruity has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what harmony has light with darkness? And what unity has Christ with Satan? or what compatibility has a believer with an unbeliever?"
~ II Corinthians 6:14-15 (Kimicus ad Absurdum translation)

Picture of the Day - November Moon

A quintessential Central Coast of California Autumn scene in Paso Robles this even that I captured while out taking a walk at sunset.  Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Friday, November 23, 2012

Picture of the Day - Mayor Bosco

Yesterday while my mother I were up visiting my grandmother for Thanksgiving in Fremont, CA, as I explained last night following our Thanksgiving dinner we took a short drive up Niles Canyon and a small walk at the turnaround point in Sunol, CA. There, my grandmother reminded me this town (which does not have an official mayor) had an unofficial mayor in the 1980's: a dog named Bosco. Right after she said that I noticed this monument to that dog whom gained nationwide fame during his "term" in office.  Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Picture of the Day - Concrete Railroad Ties

Today following Thanksgiving Dinner with my mother and grandmother at her senior living complex in Fremont, CA, the three of us went for a short drive up Niles Canyon to the old town of Sunol, CA. There we walked briefly to stretch our legs and while doing that I noticed that the railroad ties used by the Niles Canyon Railway line going through town are constructed of concrete, something I have somehow managed not to see anywhere else heretofore. What a great idea... surely more expensive to construct but cheaper over the long haul as they won't rot or burn. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Picture of the Day - Montrous Morning Glory

These beautiful morning glory are running amok in Cayucos, CA. It is devouring trees growing here in Little Cayucos Creek much like Kudzu does in the Southern United States. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

I Worship His Shadow

As I stated here the other day I am in the midst of completing watching the science fiction cult classic television series LEXX. I feel the pilot episode "I Worship His Shadow" is charming and entertaining and a good representation of how the entire series was not to mention importantly establishes much of the background of the show. Eva Habermann plays the main female lead Zev Bellringer in this program for only the first four episodes which comprise all of the first season. Nonetheless, she certainly left her mark which for many of us males is in the form rung bells and plenty of drool on our chins. One of the coolest television characters of all time is the undead Kai, "Last of the Brunen-G" played by Michael McManus. Below are links to that pilot episode in seven sections.I encourage you to click on the Full Screen feature to watch.







Quote Of The Day - Camelot Reprise

I have always been haunted by this final set of lines from the play Camelot, lines which were beloved by President John F. Kennedy, the irony of which cannot be ignored.

Don't let it be forgot

That once there was a spot

For one brief shining moment that was known

As Camelot.

Source: Allmusicals.com

Monday, November 19, 2012

"Silence" After The Tsunami

In 1999, Delerium released "Silence" (co-written and sung by Sarah McLachlan) which was subsequently  reformulated into a myriad of remixes by various musical artists mostly in the electronica music genre and more narrowly the trance and electronic dance music (EDM) subgenres. The best and most famous and commercially successful remix was Tiesto's In Search of Sunrise remix of it in 2000. This trance classic quickly became a staple in dance halls around the world and remains thus to do this day. In 2004, Indonesia and vicinity were rocked and then raked by the Andaman-Sumatra Earthquake and resulting Indian Ocean Tsunami. A few weeks later in early 2005 there was a "star-studded" televised telethon to raise money for survivors of the disaster. Arguably, the high point of this was McLachlan singing "Silence" in a live performance with Delerium for the first time (up to that point the world had been content to listen to the recording studio version only).

I first encountered this amazing trance track in 2001 during my Electronica Enlightenment. It was the first song featured on Disk One of the two-disk Club Nation America which was my first ever purchase of electronica or for that matter any CD, period!

I have placed the lyrics below the music player. Crank up your speakers and enjoy!  


Give me release
Witness me
I am outside
Give me peace
Heaven holds a sense of wonder
And I wanted to believe that I'd get caught up
When the rage in me subsides

Passion
Chokes the flower
Until she cries no more
Possessing all the beauty
Hungry still for more

Heaven holds a sense of wonder
And I wanted to believe that I'd get caught up
When the rage in me subsides

In this white wave
I am sinking
In this silence
In this white wave...
In this silence...

I believe I can't help this longing...
Comfort me I can't hold it all in...
If you won't let me...

Heaven holds a sense of wonder
And I wanted to believe that I'd get caught up
When the rage in me subsides

In this white wave
I am sinking
In this silence
In this white wave...
In this silence...

I believe I have seen you...
In this white wave
You are silent
You are breathing
In this white wave...

I am free


Lyrics courtesy of Lyrics007.com

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Random Musings of a Ramblin' Fool XLV

It has been about three months since I last posted one of these columns here just as it had been at the time of the previous posting. At that time this blog had been visited 137,575 times whereas now that number has risen to 168,278. The monthly visitation lingers just above 10,000 hits which is rather high compared to where this place languished for so long. I wish to convey my humble thanks for all of you who take the time to drop in and visit for whatever your reason(s) may be.

Fall 2012 Semester

It seems hard to believe (for me anyway) that the Fall 2012 semester at Cuesta College is nearly over with just about one month remaining before Winter Break. At last check or as well as I can determine I am nursing A's in all three of my current classes: A- in MATH123 (5 units); A in ENGLISH201A (4 units); A in HISTORY203A.
Last week I turned in my history term paper which I completed by the skin of my teeth given that I waited until the end to do it. That sort of procrastination is still a flaw I need to eliminate. It seems I need the pressure of looming deadlines to motivate me to actually get started on things. Most of the time I can pull it off but one of these days it will turn out poorly if I don't get this flaw removed.

The Tempest That Was My September-October

September 2012 was pretty much absorbed by rock shows for me. I started off the month working the Santa Barbara Gem Faire August 31-September 02. Then the following two weeks were consumed with preparations for the 21st Annual Rockhound Roundup in Paso Robles September 15-16, to which I was overall show chairman. The following weekend I traveled to Salt Lake City with my friend Dave Richter and helped him do the Gem Faire there in his Rocks & Relics booth. Following that I helped my friend Marybeth (widow of Steve Shears) in her Showcase Displays booth at the Monterey Gem & Mineral Show the last weekend of the month. October didn't let up much as the very next weekend (and first one in October) I worked for Kirk Brock in his Rock Solid Jade booth at the Big Sur Jade Festival. Following that I worked the Autumn Cayucos Gem, Mineral, & Jewelry Show the very next weekend. There I represented Marybeth again as well as worked a little for Dave Richter and helped put on the show as its publicity chairman. Finally, two weeks later on the last weekend of October I traveled to Santa Rosa with my friend Dave Richter once gain and helped work his booth at Gem Faire. In the midst of all of this I was busy with 12 units of coursework at Cuesta College and working minor general labor projects for my client list.

Changing Of The Seasons

I suffer from mild S.A.D. and in light of that I have been quite mindful of late how light of day is changing. I'm painfully aware of how short are the days and long are the nights now. Also, the weaker sunlight on my skin during the day and the low angle of the sunlight are quite noticeable to me. I used to much more effected by these annual changes to the point that I believe it fed into my overall mental illness during the span 1988 through mid-2000's. However, now that I am aware I suffer from this disorder I can mostly control it by force of will and the rest is resolved by exercise and light therapy and having my life much more filled with meaning than it ever has been.

Winterizing My Man-Cave

Early this year I installed a small swamp-cooler in the window of my living room but was never able to install an effective means of insulating the gaps in the window around it. This Summer that led to much heat getting into my home and my cooled air escaping. I realized his Winter would be another chilly one in this house but more so with the change to the window in my living room. With some of my college financial aid money I was able to afford to get two different insulting features installed in that window. One of those measures (cuttable insulating foam board with aluminum siding) I also installed in my bedroom window around the other and a bit larger swamp-cooler. That swamp-cooler came with the house and the patch-job on the window around it was much better but it nonetheless has bled much warmth in the Winter and much coolness in the Summer ever since I moved in here around this time three years ago.  After doing all of that work I then proceeded to clean my house "with a fine tooth comb" as it has not been thoroughly cleaned for most of the year. I also moved furniture around in my bedroom to free up space now that I can have my desk in front of the swamp-cooler now that it will remain unused until late next Spring.

I'm Dating Again... Finally!

I recently went on my first date since I became single in 2009. It has taken me this long for a variety of reasons, not the least of which has been my being in a "once bitten, twice shy" frame of mind. I rushed into the last relationship way too fast and have no intention of repeating that mistake. Also, my last relationship, unbeknownst to me at the time, was a rebound relationship from an emotional affair immediately prior. My desire since then has been to allow enough time and healing to occur since my last relationship before diving in again. The women I took to dinner and with whom I watched movie ("Prometheus" on DVD) is someone with whom I went to high school. At the time she was two grades behind me and had a crush on me while I did not even know she existed. She married young and had babies fairly early on and is now single following the myriad of moral shortcomings of her ex. We are not a "we" but have merely had the one date and a follow-up hanging out session watching "Blues Brothers". Another date is tentatively planned for this coming week.

Cliff's 7th Annual Rockhound Tailgater

Yesterday I elected to show up with a small amount of my remaining mineral inventory to Cliff Brewen's rockhound tailgate event north of Paso Robles near San Miguel. The rain kept the turnout frustratingly low but I was able to cover my costs, including those for the rock material I bought there to repay a debt for a jug of local homemade wine. Although not a Santa Lucia Rockhounds event it was affiliated with the club to the degree that only club members could sell there while anybody could visit. This was my first time at this event in three years as I missed it the previous two years as I was helping Dave Richter do the Oxnard Gem & Mineral Show which he did not do this year. 

Getting My LEXX Fix

Some years ago I randomly came across the series premier of the all-too-typically all-too-short-lived quirky and unique and irreverent and satirical (and frequently risque) television series LEXX. I must have seen it on Syfy Channel earlier in the 2000's back before that channel sucked and became unwatchable as it is now. I was very much taken with it but lost track of it in the course of my life and never saw it on television much again except for an episode here or there from time to time. Recently, I came across the entire series on DVD in two boxed sets at Target and the price was quite reasonable so I purchased it and have been enjoying it since... including as I compose this.

Post-Election Blahs

He-Whom-Shall-Remain-Unnamed won reelection to the Presidency of the United States earlier this month. This came as no surprise given the power of incumbency combined with the pathetic wretchedness of the Republican ticket (Romney-Ryan) along with the fact so many people are getting a free hand-out from the government and they don't want that to end and the degree to which the Fifth Column Fourth Estate shepherded the sheep-like masses towards reanointing their imaginary messiah. Following the first debate I was temporarily tantalized with the fleeting hope that perhaps we would be saved but such was fated not to be thus.

California Disasters On Facebook

I own California Disasters on Yahoo Groups. It was formed in 2007 and a few years later I formed a Facebook version of California Disasters. While I have faithfully kept the Yahoo Groups version up and running since its inception I have usually ignored the Facebook version. I have recently elected to keep it updated regularly after noticing the positive feedback from even limited postings there and the initial feedback has been great. While attempting during the same time period to maintenance the Myspace version of California Disasters I founded in 2007 I noticed that Myspace deleted all its groups which I feel is a shame.

Friday, November 16, 2012

3 Drives On A Vinyl

I became aware of the trance track "Greece 2000" by the Dutch progressive trance group 3 Drives On A Vinyl a number of years after the band released it in 1997. When it was released I had not yet come out of my fog of mental illness yet and the seclusion I placed myself within while dealing with it. Even after I discovered trance in 2001 as I described HERE it would not be until last year or the year before that I found "Greece 2000" while randomly following links through Youtube. When I first listened/watched the video below I fell in love with it immediately. Part of me regrets I missed the rave scene (sans the E, of course) and dancing to music like this when I was still twenty-something in the 1990's, but what happened was supposed to be and I am at peace with it.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

My Top 10 Favorite Short Stories

A convergence of realities occurred today which has prompted me to share this list with you. This semester at Cuesta College I am enrolled in a general education English Literature class. One part of the curriculum has been short stories which as most of you probably don't know is my favorite literary genre. This reality converged late this afternoon with the happenstance that while talking to my friend Marybeth the subject of short stories and our shared love of them was discussed. She asked me for some titles of my favorites and my mind nearly drew a blank other than the top two mentioned here. This has prompted me to compose my top ten list and share it with you here.

1). "The Most Dangerous Game" ~ By Richard Connell

2). "The Upper Berth" ~ By F. Marion Crawford

3). "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge" ~ By Ambrose Bierce

4). "To Build A Fire" ~ By Jack London

5). "The Fall Of The House Of Usher" ~ By Edgar Allan Poe

6). "The Necklace" ~ By Guy de Maupassant

7). "Harrison Bergeron" ~ By Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

8). "The Masque Of The Red Death" ~ By Edgar Allan Poe

9). "The Scarlet Ibis" ~ By James Hurst

10). "The Cask of Amontillado" ~ By Edgar Allan Poe

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

The Host of Seraphim

I have always been haunted by this song by Dead Can Dance and it's attendant video which reminds the viewer of the art film "Powaqqatsi". This song was featured at the tragic climax of the movie adaptation of Stephen King's "The Mist". The language being sung in this neo-gothic, ambient, world music piece is operatic glossolalia.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Veterans Day 2012

This Veterans Day morning I drove down to Atascadero and visited the Pine Mountain Cemetery where my late father, a U.S. Army veteran, is buried. He died 27 years ago this month as I explained in Losing A Father. I don't go to my father's grave much anymore and when I do it is usually on Memorial Day or Veterans Day. Once I was done visiting there I headed over to the Faces of Freedom Veterans Memorial across town where I visited for a short time although I missed the big Veterans Day celebration which was actually held there yesterday.
Pine Mountain Cemetery in Atascadero, CA.
Flags are placed on all the graves of veterans.
My father's grave: Rest In Peace James Gordon Noyes
.





Atascadero's Faces of Freedom Veterans Memorial




This memorial was dedicated on November 8, 2008.
This sculpture was created by Atascadero sculptor Mark Greenaway.
All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Sunday, November 11, 2012

My DeeDeeite Delight

As I shared with you here last August, I met Deedeeite (a fractured rhyolite with silica-filling of void spaces) discoveress and Orcutt Mineral Society member DeeDee Magri at the Nipomo Gem & Mineral Show this year and enjoyed meeting the woman and getting to know more about Deedeeite. Following posting of my article DeeDeeite, DeeDee Magri, & Me she was so pleased she kindly gave me a partially-cut piece of her namesake silicate that she herself had found which was a real honor. I recently had Santa Lucia Rockhound member Galen Moyer (the same guy who polished my biconoid I shared here recently in My Beloved Biconoid Tubes article here. I thank Galen for his wonderful work on this stone as well as on the biconoid.






All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Nocturnal Heavy Light

I'm currently watching/listening to this audio-video extravaganza as I troll the internet enjoying my new computer and monitor I purchased day-before-yesterday. The sound and look and theme and atmosphere of this piece remind me of and make me miss playing the online computer game Anarchy Online which I have not played in a couple of years due to chronic computer problems. With this new machine I hope to get back into playing that game once again. As most of you know I am a nocturnal creature by nature and also love electronic music and ancient ruins and thus when all three can be atmospherically blended in this fashion I can't resist. Crank this up on your speakers and go full-screen with it on your monitors.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

An Unexpectedly Beautiful Sunset

I worked for my friend Janet today out west of Paso Robles, CA, several miles. At the end of the day witnessed a gorgeous sunset, much more so than I had anticipated which made it all the sweeter. Below are the images I captured in the order I captured them and none are altered in any way.







All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Dog Day In Autumn

Today I spent several hours helping my friend Janet at her place get some projects finished up before she goes in for surgery on her hand this next Tuesday. My little pet feline monster Tequila always enjoys going to Janet's little homestead as it gives her a chance to socialize with other dogs and cats and get outdoors a bit not to mention bark at Janet's birds. Below are some images of my little dog's deeds today.
Tequila always tries to dominate Janet's puppy Ruby (left) while avoiding getting munched by Munch (top).
Munch (left) having just rolled around in the dirt being distrustfully watched by Tequila (right).
Munch ominously sniffing Tequila's butt as if to say, "out of my way, bitch!"
Tequila is relentless in her domination attempts on Ruby making Gizmo (top), Janet's other dog jealous.
Tequila "hitting that". All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Friday, November 9, 2012

Picture of the Day - Boycotting The Bag Ban

San Luis Obispo County recently enacted an insane bag ban that altogether bans plastic bags and requires a 10-cent charge for each paper bag accepted by a customer at all retail stores over 10,000 square feet. This ban places steep fines on those who violate it. Now dirty reuseable bags will be reused by most people while in the meantime the plastic and paper will continue be produced as bi-products of other industrial activities, to wit, the petroleum and forest products industries. This asinine piece of local law has been a flaming stick up my ass the past several weeks since it took force October 1st. I am indefinitely observing a boycott of this ban by simply loading up my cart with my groceries and then placing them in my car directly sans bags and then once home unloading them from my car sans bags. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

An Autumn Storm Skyscape

This afternoon my friend Janet called me up needing help getting some straps tossed over a trailer she needed to haul to the Justin Winery processing facility here in Paso Robles, CA. She was out at a vineyard over on the East Side from which Justin was purchasing grapes and the trailer loaded with grape-filled tubs was Janet's job to transfer Justin. It was a nice change of pace to get out onto a vineyard I would normally not be welcome to enter and while their get a great view of a the sky and the passing storm cells that were over us today. In town where I live such a skyscape is more obscured by trees and buildings and utility poles and cables but out on that vineyard I was in prime position to see the sky. Below is what I captured and are shown in order taken.
View looking southeast.
View looking south.
View looking west with foreboding sky looming over the truck.
View looking northwest with cirrus outflow and anvil clouds showing.
Mammatus clouds showing under the anvil of this storm.
View looking southeast again.
View looking east from the Justin processing plant in Paso Robles, CA.
View looking southwest from the Justin Winery processing facility. All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).