SOLVANG_A quaint little drinking village with A Danish problem

As a Senior in high school, I had a Civics class that was taught by your run of the mill public school tenured, Vietnam Flashbacking psycho son of a bitch weirdo who combo'd as a metal hucking ( I still have the scar)welding teacher. I liked Dave Smith, and I still do to this day, and I love calling him Dave now---not Mr. Smith.

So in this class, we were broken up into three groups to represent the three staple government systems-Communism, Socialism, and Capitalism: Each group was supposed to present the best case that each was the way to go. This was 12th grade non prep Civics. Most in the class had to leave early to pick up their kids, or go to English as a second language tutoring - so as not to provide an unrealistic backdrop for the following story. Which is that I was so convincing in my presentation to the class that Socialism, on paper, is the best economic system of the three for the following reasons. 1.) Private property rights exist, therefore capitalism exists. 2.) Medical benefits, good education yada, yada. 3.) Drinking age is non existent. BOOM! Come time to vote, Socialism won in a landslide.!! It drove Dave absolutely insane that I convinced the class for Socialism. I remember the day fondly.

Fear of something that we kinda are right before our feet - Socialist I mean(think public school, libraries, National Parks, National Forest, Postal Service, Medi-care, Social Security, roads, bridges, etc, etc.) is the flavor to pitch from the right now. Hannity will never conced that Capitalists need control, of themselves- period. But even with all his Obama Socialism bashing, 99.79 percent of America's corporations are not owned by the U.S. government. No matter what that douche bag Glenn Beck says, its not true, we are not going to be a nation of complete state controlled industry. This includes all this B.S. going on with GM. If you think that then you think small. Bottom line is we are not giving up on our constitutional clause of the "right to prosper." What we want is to live as good a life as we can within our priorities I think. Which brings me to Solvang.

Solvang, to me, is the epitome of Socialism. Denmark was not socialist at the time of their settlement in the Santa Ynez valley. But socialist theory was a large movement underground, and most likely, they just got the hell outta Dodge, chuck all the war mongering, and to build themselves a better life -- like all immigrants do. They bring with them one crucial element, which is their highly clarified sense of community. They know what that really is. Similar minded through heritage and probably religion, they now rule both sides of the corner of the monopoly board colored yellow and green. I could never imagine a group of new age settlers, say in Palmdale, or something, do anything like it again. Developers would have to provide that cheesy American home dream/ strip mall feel for them. Not these Danes---they want something, they all go out together, work their asses off during the day, get drunk at night, so on and so forth until the task is done. They build, they bank, they feed, and they party. Not afraid to argue,serious people with the hardest heads, almost mulelike stubborn, but overall surging toward the common goal which was to build a town the way they wanted to see it. And today, it is one of the most traveled to destinations in California. That's socialism to me. They personally made well for themselves AND they made well for their entire community with this formation of a Danish Village in the middle of Spanish, American territory. Amazing.

What I think __

How about a food t.v. program that is more like Cooks vs. Chefs? How about a different kind of Top Chef? One where you see them eat normal food--- that isn't consisting of pureed monk fish curdled inside a waffle cone sprinkled with beluga caviar on top. RALPH! I say to you Mr. Thomas Keller, of the famed French Laundry Restaurant in Napa with all of your wonderful genius, will never an opportunity arise for me to try your stuff - your out of reach for mere mortals like me.. There are fantastic cooks everywhere, that love what they do. It is true that some produce slop, but some produce really great slop! I think of the South and all the ways to BBQ, and I think of the Pacific Northwest with some of the best seafood imaginable, and the central mountains with the game choices available---these are not culinary trained people, but homestyle aficionado's that know how to please people. Anthony Bourdain has made a killing traveling around exploiting these treasures. Plus - I think some really funny folk reign in kitchens around America, and the World. You have to be happy right?---You're always warm, there's great food everywhere around you, and drink --- and usually very beautiful company to talk to. Chefs vs. Cooks is what I would call it. I'd think that there would have to be judges that are a realistic sampling of our red/blue nation, meaning some pretty well to do's to the down home blue collars. And it would make better T.V.

Bankruptcy Court: A range of real legitimate Broken Heartedness to sheer amazement of grand scale greed and recklessness. I just had a friend go through it, and she told me the stories of what she saw. Without ever having been to watch, which I now will put on my to-do list, I can imagine so easily the variety of tales there are to be told. That stuff would be interesting for anyone to watch I'd assume. Put that in your stats! my boy Stevie would say!

Or how about a better ad campaign to Stop The Idiots that open unsolicited emails with hidden viral's, that then go on to infect ..you know....the rest of the WORLD? Morons?? I think there's about a dozen hidden trojan.zbots. in my computer watching me type right now even. Or how about a computer that doesn't get viruses? Oh yeah, they have one---and there called Mac's----is what they tell me. I seriously think that's bullshit--open an email whether it's Mac or P.C. and>>>>POOF!!>>>>> The "Cyberchainmail Bodacious 2000_Conficker Worm> " has infected your, and all your Facebook friends, and all of their facebook Friends, and so on, and so on. ---"Fucking Shalhoob"_ I've seen enough jokes OKAY?

Or how about a credit card processing center that puts the swiped money into your account___immediately! For me as a restaurant owner, I have to wait about two or three days to get my settlement money. This includes tips that I have to pay out to servers__so I'm money short in two ways, the check, and the tip, for over two fucking days~! I can do a test, that I'm sure will be true, and that would be to go to the corner liquor store at 8:50 a.m. and swipe purchase an L.A Times, a Lotto ticket, and a mini bar size Johnny Walker Red - and at 9:03 A.M. when I go back to my office and check my account online, that money is posted and ga, ga, ga, GONE! They take the money immediately, but that poor small business owner waits three days sometimes to get my $7.25. This is a sham, because for almost three days, they can play that money on the stock market, or some AIG -scandal ridden Credit Default Swap game for two days---a lifetime in high finance these days, blow it all, and come up with a way to get that $7.25 to the store owner. Bullshit. Create a method where they get paid just as fast as the cock suckers take it out. It can be done.

Which of these ideas shall I work on?___or maybe I'm just high and won't act on any of it? Any thoughts or comments?

Limbo

Since I almost got hammered by an oncoming semi this morning in some bullshit traffic control setup on San Marcos Pass -- I immediately snapped into a contemplative mood.....again. This seems to happen to me all the time. Which is why I am reading the book I am.

So my reading of the 4 - Hour Workweek is progressing along okay, and here's some of my thoughts along the way so far:

I truly think the author, Tim Ferris has some methods, and thinking points that fit well with me. Things like simplification, elimination, thinking in the opposite such as - " I really don't have to wait for some fictitious point to make my move--some bogus mark set that when reached, triggers some radical life changing milestone. Work for works sake is his phrase that captures the lameness of having the need to be busy all the time. I get it--I really do, on what is being said.

However - hard work never hurt anyone. People scam their lives away thinking of better mousetraps to avoid the work--in the process of making the superior trap - the work increases ten fold, when the simple o'l spring loaded bait and pin model works so efficiently! Working smart is the key - we know that as obvious - but easier said than done. The key element for me to achieving the dream life is to quit worrying about what other people like, and to focus on what I like. Be smart, be responsible. I've done pretty good so far in my life with minor lapses in discipline - And I have accomplished a lot, which I am proud of. I just can't be fearful of change anymore---nobody's going to eat me once I make my move toward achieving my lifestyle by design.

What I really don't like is Boredom and this is where I am. This is my Limbo. I have to change my life, or else I will go even more insane. So what the book is teaching me so far is -- firstly, define what do you want? For me the answer to this question is simple. I want more time. The most valued treasure on earth. It is finite, it is dynamic, and it is oh so precious. So how am I going to get there? A lifestyle with more free time to do what I want to do -- enjoy my family, do exciting and challenging things - and never ever have to be anywhere I don't want to be. So I say this as I sit at work today analysing a set of plans 100 sheets thick for some Isla Vista road project - page after page of monotonous insignificant construction notes, 124 ADA approved wheelchair ramps, decorative concrete crosswalks, road signage everywhere all on 2 dimensional prints in a 3 dimensional world. Sheet after sheet of traffic control plans, mind numbingly complex for the sole purpose of minimum inconvenience to the traveling public---UGHHHHHHHHHH!!

I am starting thinking about that truck that I'm kinda of hoping next time does hit me unless I get the fuck out of this trap - I would deserve it for lack of a set of balls.

This should not be only in the imagination of any man, let alone a husband and a father: Having breakfast every morning with your family, taking your kids to school, heading to the tennis courts for a morning match with some mates, having a nice lunch at the beach, playing music, playing with the kids, helping the homework, eating with your family, then chilling out in the garage with a fat bowl of your best output from the agriculture project in the back green house writing, reading or chilling - then to make sweet passionate love to your partner. Everyday, with replaceable action events that me and my wife like to do. I would have the chance to surf when its good, to cook when I want, to live out all the things I want to do and accomplish ----which is not infinite, but not a short list either.

Life is too short to be bored. Time is always ticking away, but I can't see it as a race against the clock for the sole purpose is to really and truly stop and smell the roses. I love roses, and ganja. I just have to learn to stop.

Or maybe Tim Ferris just wrote the book to make a ton of money and all that stuff I've read so far is a scam? People hating their jobs is no brain challenge of being popular? The topic is an easy seller to the masses for sure - who knows? All I know is I like it so far.