Wisdom Beyond Kings

Priorities

2009-07-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

I have had no internet for a while. And a sick laptop. I'm back now. I've been up to other stuff.

Saw just chillin'

2009-03-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Syosset to fly my radio glider at Stillwell Woods park. It was a fine day to do it, and there were others from the Long Island Silent Flyers club with the same idea.

The park is so beautiful and spacious, it is difficult to remember that I am only a 40 minute drive from the urban landscape of the New York City boroughs. Different from Central Park. This is like a secret hideout in comparison. Central Park is packed with people and idiot children.

The RC glider is just like an RC plane, except, as you might imagine, it has no means of propulsion and requires an initial launch. I used what is called a hi-start which is essentially a giant sling-shot pegged into the ground. I was able to fly and trim out the glider with plenty of help and advice from the club members. The soar has an added element of challenge and that is staying aloft using only patches of warm air called thermals. These are not visible, believe it or not. You have to hunt and feel around for them.

Presidents Daze

2009-02-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

The wind picked up a little today and Astoria was brought down to a brisk 30 something.
Did laundry today, and read the Watchmen.

Yes yes I gave into the spell of the black-and-yellow-bound picture book that's been published practically since my birth and ignored until a flashy Hollywood trailer slapped me in the face.

Dear Reader, you are not a tool for not having read this before. I give you permission to read it just because they're making it a movie. And I'm not saying this because it's what I did, either.

While a lot about this story might seem borrowed, I still loved it, for a lot of reasons. I particularly enjoyed the play on the big bad G.I. Joe brute with the Comedian character. The fact that they wrote the character to be actually playing this part ironically made it especially fun. Like a super-Colbert. This was in 1986!

Good fun.

Painting, hulu

2009-02-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

Presenting the thing I just finished:

And now....

A shameless video link.
If you're like me and both (a) love Bjork and (b) are not sure what to think of the newish female SNL staffer who is in 90% of the sketches now,
then you no longer are like me because (b) was put to rest when I saw the weekend update dead-on impression of Bjork:

The great Norwhal robbery

Washington DC

2009-01-25T12:33:00.000-08:00

Gitmo protesters, less than a week from their goal.
Early morning monument.

Air and Space.

I found some pictures of a trip some people took to Washington DC. Unfortunately I was home sick and that's that.

But if I was there, I'm sure it was a very historic occasion with millions of people in a pretty good mood.

We went to Boston Quite some Time Ago

2008-11-11T17:49:00.001-08:00

and it was a good trip. We drove up through southern New England right as autumn was yawning and rubbing her eyes. Boston offered some nice distractions, not the least of which were the eats. The north church part of town was so old I couldn't stand to stay there for too long. Just like when you were in your grandparents' bedroom as a child and looking around at the old pictures and letters, felt a surging spike in your sense of mortality, though at the time, you didn't know that's what it was, you just wanted to go outside and run around and play until you didn't know up from down. Or play video games until your eyes rotted. Yeah. Just like that. Here... are some photos.

Brazil Day

2008-09-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Jorge on the big screen. They had these huge monitors and entire set of amplifiers for every block or so. The police started restricting movement from block to block once the main stage fired up.

Miranda and a samba dancer. A lot of birds died so you could enjoy this photograph.

These guys were playing on Little Brazil street. In the background some travel ads. Apparently Julio Bogoricin is the place to be.

August 31 was Brazilian Day. We were able to see Jorge Benjor perform. He's gotten along in years but I am here to say that he rocks the block. This was free by the way. Just one of those goings-on about town.

The Home Stretch

2008-09-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

Northward on 35th

(Glancing behind)

It has since grown back, a little

2008-09-07T15:56:00.001-07:00

My hair-growing capacity remains (more than can be said for ET)

I also shaved my hair right off

2008-09-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

What do you propose to do about it?

September, is that you?

2008-09-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, here's what happened in August.
I saw Radiohead at All Points West. I was extremely close. They were incredibly loud. Here are some shots!
That last one was during National Anthem and gives you an idea of the sort of lighting capabilities they brought on this tour. Pretty magnificent.
I also got a job working for Industrial Acoustics Company (IAC) located in the Bronx. (website: www.industrialacoustics.com) They are a niche company specializing in the design and manufacturing of acoustically-rated structures.
I am working as a contract mechanical engineer, preparing drawings and releasing orders to the shop. It's a good thing to be having an income that's for sure. The smaller scope of the company (compared to LM) makes everything a bit more real... visibility is higher. It makes your contributions more rewarding and your mistakes more 'educational' (everyone sees you f'ed up).

After my first week at work Miranda and I flew to Colorado to visit her dad. He had organized a party of about a dozen of his friends to take a ride on the Winter Park train. This takes you from Denver up into well, Winter Park. The beautiful views gained from the passenger cars were only enhanced by the encyclopoedic knowledge of our railfanning hosts. "This is where Train x de-railed and crashed into the ravine", "These dummy cars were placed to block the severe winds which were frequently dismantling freight trains".
I didn't have my camera for this but you can find plenty of pictures of Winter Park on a google search.
I also had my first encounter with an 'alpine slide' at our destination. This is basically a downhill concrete bobsled course to be taken at high speeds by the rider, by means of a small personal cart with a simple brake mechanism. Now, I'm not saying you should go out of your way to experience this, but if any form of opportunity even begins to arise, my advice is to cease upon it fully. I nearly compromised the cleanliness of my trousers.
Here's a poached shot of one of the turns:

More later folks. Ta ta for now.

No News is No News

2008-07-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

Waiting on job offers, looking for interviews. Bored a lot, ho hum dee dum. Here are some things I've been up to:

1. Playing classical guitar.
Right now I'm learning Chopin mazurkas arranged for guitar.
2. Watching all of The Mighty Boosh episodes on Youtube.
3. Watched Good Bye Lenin yesterday. I recommend it. Very original concept and clever writing. Set in Berlin, about a young man who works to convince his heart-attack prone mother that the wall never collapsed after she awakes from an 8 month coma during which the wall did in fact, come down. You are led to believe the motive for this is the doctor's warning of 'no big surprises' for the mom, but it becomes clear that maybe this is something the main character is also a little obsessed with. The score is also quite beautiful. Yann Tiersen composes. Check it out.
Laters.

It is Official

2008-07-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

I now reside with Miranda Payton in Astoria New York on 35th Street and 23rd Avenue in a studio apartment. Let me tell you: it is hard rock. If you ever think about dropping what you're doing to go live in New York for a while, consider this a resounding wink of affirmation and pat on the back. You made a good choice. On the other hand don't feel too bad if you're not up for it. It's really none of my business. I did just get back from the kickest assest bicycle journey of my entire living days. My apartment is only ~4 miles from midtown Manhattan, and taking the bike path on the Queensborough Bridge it's a pretty straightforward shot. Everyone who has been to NYC doesn't need to be told just how stimulating it is to walk up and down its vivacious avenues and boulevards. But hear this from me now: next time you're here (if NYC's your bag) make it a point to bring or rent a bicycle and tour the city in this medium. It is incredible. I am still reeling from it as I sit typing. Maybe I'm still in bright-eyed pilgrim mode but I doubt it. The very fact that I am a pilgrim who has spent his 24 years outside of anything like this place, seems to preclude my being desensitized for a very long time. Also, I really really love this place. Austin, you cool, but if you're going to be a city, take notes from this place. Seriously. Alright, enough words, Time for some pictures.

The precarious jalopy. Pretty much everything we own is on or inside this vehicle.

Nice countryside. Tennessee or Georgia, I can't remember.
We were driving through a nice storm here. The lighting was interesting.

The room with all the stuff thrown on the floor. There's a bed there now.

This is a shot of the northern tip of Roosevelt Island from a park in Queens. Manhattan towers behind.

A view of the Southern bit of Randalls Island from Queens.
I'll put up some more later.

Fiasco, More Like

2008-05-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

Well loyal readers I dropped the ball this week. No posts for a long time and a shame too because I had some pretty swell adventures since. Last weekend a handful of buddies and me went to San Antonio to see what all the fuss is about. I guess we were around for Fiesta but I don't know if we actually participated officially in the event, oh ... wait I guess we did see the parade.

Grendel the... Stegosaurus? Not what I envisioned

That was alright. What blew my mind the most was a visit to Natural Bridge Caverns, and while this might be the most touristey thing to do around this area, it sure was more fun than a gaggle of police motorcycles cruising slowly down a crowded street in formation with strobes ablaze. I had a whole lot to write about this trip but it is late right now, perhaps I'll revisit it in later posts. I can say this: if you think descending into the caverns is boring or stupid you lack any kind of spark of wonderment and appreciation of any and all things mindboggling.

I call this one "Cthulu Rock"; unfortunately someone else gave it a much lamer name a long time ago

Flyday

2008-04-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I took my Great Planes PT-40 to the Johnson Space Center Radio Control Club (JSCRCC) field and did some pattern work, and loop-the-loops of course. Constructing this plane was a labor of love that I undertook during the winter of my freshman year in college. It was a good distraction from some pretty heavy things happening at the time. Family deaths, pet deaths, having no idea what to do with life and knowing it, the sorts of things that keep you in bed all day if you concentrate on them. Wow. Buzzkill!

Believe it or be stupid, I had a lot of fun, and here I have some photos of the wonderful day I spent with model aeronautics.

Here she is on the pit, fueled up and ready for action. That shoe and leg on the right side of the photo belong to Dave, my instructor who kept me from totally demolishing my plane and looking the fool. Out of two flights of 12 minutes or so, he only had to take over twice. Not bad considering I revived it from about a four-year hibernation in storage.

While I was prepping at the field I got to see some of the other club members' flying art. Above is a scale North American P-51 Mustang in flight and just after landing. The pilot was the president of the Club, and the flying was deft indeed. I can understand why people get into scales, when you do it right it can fool you into thinking this is a full scale warbird, it only looks small because it's further away....

Somehow I neglected to have someone to take pictures of my craft in the air. It's sort of tricky to get a good shot of these things flying (as seen above), so it's probably nothing to toss about in the night over. Here I have quickly arranged an even BETTER view of the PT-40 as it might have looked, tearing through the cloud-blanketed sky:

I can tell you are totally jealous of my photo splicing abilities. Try to hide it a little more.

Start me

2008-04-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

"So hey. You work out?"
No no no no that's weak.
In this house party called life I have lingered across the room from online journaling, biding my time and waiting for the right words.... What will impress her, what will make her think I've got "it", and without even trying? If I look like I'm trying I'm done for! ... Aha! I've got it! Something that shows a deeper connection, one that no other two people can accomplish for as long as both of their lives run their course... Yes yes now I am ready. I approach her, pull out a cigarette, start to light it, then pause briefly prior to, make eye contact and pull a facial expression that says 'hey this is the first time i am seeing you just now' and dish out the genius:
"Hey. I like your t-shirt."

So, my name is Drew. I will start to place here little tidbits and snapshots of my existence. I have a story, just like everyone else, but my posts herein won't necessarily cover that explicitly. Just like a guy, huh?