Measuring (and) progress

Workin on telling y'all how to measure your feet for shoes. Soon (today? tomorrow? by Monday for sure) kits will be available to order at masteristvan.com.

Make your own damn shoes! ;o)

How do you get a whale's attention with a needle?

My old boot. I suppose you could say I'm putting my foot down, here.


If the United States was a store I was visiting, with our elected officials as the staff, I would leave the store and never return.

Have you ever written Congress? They write back with all the sincerity and interest of a Walmart "associate." Action? Don't expect it. You don't set their agenda, any more than you set Walmart's.

Why are we so apathetic about politics? Because America is Walmart: crappy products and crappier customer service. The thing is just too damn big. How can you expect to get a whale's attention with a needle?


If anything, the Bush administration has only worsened this situation. Their unilateral bullying of congress and other nations, as advised by CEOs of all the American institutions that matter, tells the rest of us -implicitly-- that we simply don't count (this is literally true, too, as they often don't even count our ballots).

Why was there no outrage when we invaded Iraq? Well in fact, there was. Scores of millions of people took to the streets in early March of 2003 (I was there, I saw thousands in Lawrence KS alone), but America TM didn't listen. Hundreds of millions of letters opposing the occupation have by now been sent to Congress, and been ignored. Thousands of phone calls have been made for the same reasons, and have been similarly ignored. Try it yourself: their manners are impeccable, and you might even feel better for a minute, but ultimately you'll be ignored too. Because America TM is not about you, or even us; it's about business.

It's as if the rules have been changed on us, without us having been told. One day, we lived in a democratic republic. Now, we live in a Walmart.

the Lists

Sun on the roof. Yes, that's moss; it grows on rooftops here. It'll grow out of control if you let it, so I'll need to get up there to treat it, soon. It's on The Big List of Things To Do.

Er, on one of my two Big Lists, anyway. The other, bigger, list is of things I need to do for the business/shop. I was so happy to have launched my web site, but as soon as I did, I began to think about/remember all of the things I don't have represented there yet, like boots (!!), belts, measuring instructions, 'care and feeding' instructions, etc etc ETC. When will it end? Apparently not at the beginning, which is of course where I am right now. Duh.

I read a few news-analysis-related blogs along with the rest of the news, and the Winter Patriot caught my attention this morning with this, an excellent refutation/deconstruction of today's predominant myth. It's short, readable, fascinating, and most importantly for me, confirming. It's what I have been trying to write for six and a half years.

Big Sleep

Yeah, I'll say it: I was right. Not that I was the only one, but I know a lie when I hear one.

And if that lie wasn't dangerous enough for you, think about this: the next lie they tell could be about you.

Mt. Hood sunset

Caught this one through the car window yesterday. I was stopped (well, almost) in traffic on I-5, coming home from meeting a potential model. He wasn't the kind of guy I need for the shots I want, but I didn't mind the drive- it's been a long time since we've been able to see Mt. Hood.

kaboom!

I know this is a difficult, confusing story to follow, but I think it's going to be bigger than any American media outlet can suppress (more analysis here and here). This is beyond mere criminality, folks; this is Treason.

Oh, I hope this blows up as big as I think it should. I've been following her story for a long time now...