Bandwagon Jumping.

I've never been tagged to do anything online, so when the invitation came today, I imagined that I should follow suit.

Pictures of my life.
1.Age at my next Birthday: 39.



I'm wondering why Engine Number 39 came up, but then the inevitable epiphany came: It's a big, bad, beautiful Steam Engine, that's why.



2. A place I'd Like to travel to and visit: Belize City, Belize.
Latitude: 17.48333. Longitude: -88.18333

Once, a good friend of mine described it to me thus: "Essentially, it's like a little chunk of Canada in the middle of violent Drug Cartel territory." With the fabulous, unfounded rumours of Mexican police and their unfettered power over their own people and anyone who dares to cross their borders and spend tourist pesos, I imagine that I'd prefer to scuba in a place like this rather than in Baja California. Call me crazy!

3. My Favorite Place: It's new to me, but it's four billion years old. It's as West Coast as you can get. It's Nye Beach in Newport, Oregon. I would love to have my family here to visit, and would love to take them here. Granted, it's not Iowa, but it's beautiful (and loud!) nonetheless.


4. Favorite Object(s). Now this one posed a series of questions: Objects I own? Objects I want to own? Objects that are publicly owned? Here are one of each, as I'm far too simple to cut it down. Here's our soundboard that lives in the Office. Inputs. Outputs. Onboard Effects. Effects Loops. XLR in/outputs. Stereo. Mono. Pan Left. Pan Right. Computer in. Computer out. Build your own D.I.Y Audio Multiple Orgasm. Careful kids, you'll go blind.



Object I hope to own someday: a nice, A-Frame home tucked away somewhere. Vaulted ceilings. Wall-sized windows. Wood stove. Rugs here and there over nice hardwood floors. Oh, and a nice little soundproofed studio tucked inside somewhere.

Favorite Publicly Owned Object: The Mardasson Memorial outside of Bastogne, Belgium.

A gift from the Belgian Government to those in the American Armed Forces who suffered, sacrificed, and died to forcefully remove Fascist Totalitarianism from their beautiful country. I wept openly when I was there, faced with the unimaginable loss of life and hope that this beautiful place endured. It is surrounded by peacefully rolling hills, bordered by tall, dark straight conifers, and time passes slowly for the amazing, gentle, kindly people who are lucky enough to live in La belle Belgique méridionale. May their farmlands never again echo from the obscenity of a machine gun. Salud.

5. Favorite Food.

Look. I'm a fat guy. I got this way because I like a LOT of foods, and am too lazy to work any of them off in any fashion. Today. Maybe different tomorrow. Until then, I'll settle with eating Salmon Nigiri every day until I overdose horribly on Omega 3 fatty acids.

6. Favorite Animal.

Honestly? I admire the Human Animal the most. We have the capacity (far too seldom used) for incredible altruism. We have the capacity (far too often used) to put others like ourselves, in a shower room with poisonous gas to kill ourselves out. We have the capacity for beautiful, meaningful Art, Literature, Medicine, Agriculture, Science, Faith, Hope and Love. We have the capacity to aim rockets at celestial objects to take close up photographs. We have the capacity to aim rockets at foriegn cities which would kill every single person there, yet leave their structures relatively intact. We are, quite possibly, the ultimate evolutionary experiment in Polar Duality.

...Specifically? I prefer Women. They smell better and generally are nicer to be around.

7. Favorite color: Green.

Flavor? Aurora Borealis Green.
Like the kind of green I saw in Manitoba.

8. Nickname:
I won't tell you why. It wouldn't make any sense outside of the context in which it was given. Let's just say it was in Duluth, at a campus party. It involved someone's discussion of King Crimson, how i must have listened to them all of the time, and a question, which i mistook for an offer: "wanna get high?" "Sure." "Right on! Got any weed?"

King Wolfgoat the Charismatic. The photo is from the 2nd stage at Jazzfest, 2006.

9. Town I was born in: Sheldon, Iowa.

It looks like this from a couple miles out.

10. Bad habit i have:

Sorry, Mom. It's always been a weakness of mine, and I still indulge when i can. Which is, in all actuality, probably far too often. It's okay. I enjoy my life as it is. As the Process advises, "As it is, So be It."

the best of the best, ranked by geographic location:

1. Holland

2. Belgium

3. Canada

4. Oregon, US

5. Your house, when you offer it to me.

6. My house, when I offer it to you.

Tag.