Catch-33 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs The Dregs Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:27:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Bonfires http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=209 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=209#comments Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:44:47 +0000 Pariahpism http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=209 Continue reading →]]> With any series of photos a good song should play to make it contiguous. Play this to set the mood:


So I've been staying with my friends in Pennsylvania. One of the things done here is Bonfires. Where I grew up, fire was a serious crime. And it made sense because one fire could, and often did, spread and burn down tons of real-estate. I once visited my cousins in Pennsylvania and the thing they did the first night was a huge bonfire fueled by diesel fuel. They laughed at my brothers and my awe of their conflagration. Next to fireworks, this was about as an amazing thing I could have seen. And now I get to see them regularly, well, as the weather permits.

This is from the bonfire last week. It was a smaller one mostly to get rid of some paper trash and do something for the evening.

Starts small...


...And then takes off.






The fire lit up the night.


Camera effects.



Fire is pretty.



I was trying to capture the wind currents. The fire tracers.



And then the fire was the marker on the dark canvas of night.



It was far too cold to be out here any longer.




This is from last night. There was a ton of dried Autumn Joy flowers on top. They went up like crazy.






After that fire flash of dried flowers, the local goers of the party came out to enjoy the huge fire.


A few more join the basking of light and warmth.



Suddenly this is the cool place to be. Everyone came on up, enjoyed the tranquility and then promptly said, "We have to get the kids to bed." and left.



Brad can't sit still. When he wasn't stoking the fire, his dad was.




And then a tire made it's way into our evening. It was so hot it chased everyone away and peeled the paint off the metal chairs that were too close.






It was a pretty awesome tire.

]]> http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?feed=rss2&p=209 0 Simple Ideas That Are Borderline Simple http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=190 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=190#comments Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:44:50 +0000 Pariahpism http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=190 Continue reading →]]> I was linked via StumbleUpon to this site a few times. It wasn't until I really paid attention that there is a whole series of these terrible things. They remind me of patent office rejects that got as far as a concept build.

The real trick is some of them are pretty good, making you believe the rest might have some merit. So as to have something to write about, I'm going to mock the really shitty ones with simple logic and omit the rest.



This is just more plastic shit from China. I've got to ask, "How long has it been hard to read a book for this specific reason?" I think a Amazon Kindle may be more up your alley. Or perhaps a comic book.



A man rushes into a store and says, "I've got over a dozen people coming over, most sandal-less, and no quality rug to speak of. Please tell my you have a single solution to this particular dilemma!"

The owner approaches and replies, "We did have a rug/sandal combo that would be perfect, but we just sold it to some campy hipster."



So I don't know the motivation here. If they can't be bothered to hold their wineglass, why not just set it down? If they don't want to transfer heat to the wine, do they think their chest will keep it cool? If they think this is a good idea, do they think their shirts won't be stained to shit after ten minutes of this?



Now kids no longer need to imagine. I like the name, AirForkOne.



Finger forks. Yes, someone thought, "I wish I could make the eating experience more visceral, more catlike, but I mostly wish there was a way to decrease the cleanliness of eating."



I've used scissors to cut pizza. I've used spatulas to serve Pizza. Never has the interim step made me demand a better way.



These can't be easy to get on. Even the picture has the kid's hands halfway out.



Cool roll-up chair, bro. Doesn't seem much smaller when rolled-up, though. Also, I don't often need my chairs rolled up. Also, they don't look very comfortable. Seems like it'd make more sense just to buy a normal chair. Anyways, cool chair, bro.



The situation in your head: I have over the girl of my dreams. I don't know if she likes me or not. She asks for a glass of water. I want to pour myself one too. But here's the rub, I don't want to serve to her first or she might think I like her and laugh at me. But I don't want to serve myself first because that's rude and she might think I'm selfish. Thank god I bought this to solve problems like these.

The situation in her head: What kind of weirdo decanters their water?



Gyroscopically stable bowl for use in moving vehicles. If you believe this will keep cereal from spilling all over your carseats, you deserve to have your money taken and your carseats ruined. Fuck; even in the pictures, they don't dare put milk with cereal.

Stumbleupon Twitter Google Buzz Digg it del.icio.us Facebook Reddit Yahoo Buzz]]> http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?feed=rss2&p=190 0 Seriously Internet, Thank You http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=175 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=175#comments Sun, 14 Nov 2010 09:56:03 +0000 Pariahpism http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=175 Continue reading →]]> Just when I was at my most finest, the most singular place in self hatred, the internet finds me a vent. First off, a good many doctors think fibromyalgia is made up. They can’t find a physical manifestation to this “pain” people feels so they can’t validate it. And you know, I’ve met a man who “suffered” from fibromyalgia and it was total shit. He suffered from it when he wasn’t rock climbing. Yeah, okay.

So you ask, what is fibromyalgia, Doctor Pariahpism? Well according to every website supporting this hypochondriac disorder it’s “a chronic disorder that causes stiffness, pain, and tenderness in the muscles, joints, and tendons” or “common condition characterized by long-term,body-wide pain and tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues.” So again, what is it? Nothing. Nothing! It’s the cause and effect of being lazy. I get body pains too if I don’t move a lot during a week.

It’s not a real problem. And people who “claim” to “suffer” from it are telling a little more that they expected. Has anyone ever heard of Münchausen syndrome? It’s the same thing but to a higher degree. These people, instead of making up a problem like the fibromyalgia folk, actually cause themselves the physical harm necessary of the attention they’re claiming they need. It’s all an attention game and I understand the desire, but it has no place in modern medicine. Psychosomatic mishmash has no place in the cause and effect, Gregory House-style medicine.

So along I went thinking the internet was a solid refuge from my pains of being too real in most circumstances. And then this came along.

Honestly I went down the list looking for a celebrity I knew to mock in my internal repertoire of mockery. But then when I hadn’t heard of a single one of them, it was perfect. It was perfect! I, being the average consumer of information that I am, was not within the purview of these “pained” celebrities normally so I was only made aware by the fact they suffered a made up celebrity prom-queen problem. Rarely do problems work out to such a perfect and simple solution.

Stumbleupon Twitter Google Buzz Digg it del.icio.us Facebook Reddit Yahoo Buzz ]]> http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?feed=rss2&p=175 0 Wanderlust: Getting in Shape http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=164 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=164#comments Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:14:14 +0000 Pariahpism http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=164 Continue reading →]]> I took it upon myself to prepare physically for the next few treks so I’ve taken to increasing the weight to a ridiculous amount or 50+ pounds. I did this by stuffing my awesome pack with two 2.5 gallon jugs of water as ballast and whatever else I needed for a good seven mile trudge. This was a serious step up from the 20+ pounds of skinny jeans I’d been hauling around. The weight was shocking but I soon got used to it and began to trace my previous hike.



Every time I took the pack off my muscles would try to force my head forward into the ground. They were overcompensation from being pulled the other way for so long.



A magical thing happened. I was in no hurry to finish because I was training so taking breaks which were not a necessity became supreme pleasure. My back and shoulders would alternately ache requiring me to find a nice dry log to take a seat on. The frequency of logs gave my pace a tempo that seemed almost planned but was also truly natural.



My legs threw me down these trails. They were tireless and I only breathed hard when scaling steep hills. My pace was enviable at least in my mind. At least until this fat gay guy with painted on Khaki short shorts and a girl’s day pack matched my pace. I changed my path to a different trail that was shorter but more rugged to avoid inviting conversation.



When I arrived back to my car I noticed the fat gay dude had beaten me back. For a fat gay dude, he sure knew how to speed walk.



Stumbleupon Twitter Google Buzz Digg it del.icio.us Facebook Reddit Yahoo Buzz]]> http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?feed=rss2&p=164 0 Wanderlust: Packing List; Part 2 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=152 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=152#comments Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:33:32 +0000 Pariahpism http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=152 Continue reading →]]> Shoes – In perhaps a bad line of thought, I hastily purchased the Teva Romero Trail Running Shoes (For Men) ($38.97). I looked and looked for something like, “Last boots you’ll ever wear” and “Best trail running shoes” and the like. Everything I found showed a haggard leather boot and a resounding review for some German leather worker who makes fifty boots a year. I idolize the idea of having a pair of boots that have become so ingrained into my feet that it feels weird and uncomfortable to wear any other shoe. Honestly it’s way too personal a choice to dig up online so I went impersonal. I read many good things for Teva so when I saw they had a cheap pair of shoes, I jumped.

Surprisingly, these shoes feel awesome. My feet generated only a few hot spots and not a single blister. And they fit perfectly. I’ve nothing but good things to say for now and if they wear out too soon at least they’re cheap enough to be disposable.



Backpack – From my trail hike you may have read I had the Osprey Atmos 50 Backpack ($179.06). Originally I’d been dead set on getting the Osprey Exos 58. The Exos is lighter, smarter, more svelte and holds more. But then I read a vein of reviews saying how it’s an advanced external frame pack and it’s very delicate. I’ve read nothing but bad things about external frames and how bad they are for you. And fragility, well, I want this to be my last pack I have to buy. The Atmos 50 lacked a single bad review. The Exos is a piece of equipment meant to be used by financed professionals who only rely on their pack briefly. The Atmos is more durable.

I can attest I felt next to nothing from my hike even near the end. I’m out of shape, so when I start loading the weight and getting in shape, this pack will really start to shine. Other than the way it feels, it’s very well made and I’ve yet to figure out the location of all the pockets.



Sleeping Sac – My sleeping sac, the Outbound Silk Sleeping Bag Liner – Rectangular ($34.36), has a blatant misnomer in the name. Can you guess it? When I first touched it my tactile alarms blared and I knew something was wrong. I checked the label and in bold clear text it says 100% Polyester, which is not silk. The entire point of having a silk sleeping sac is to keep your bag clean and for comfort in hostel beds and in said hostel beds to keep bed bugs away, of course beside the niceness of sleeping in silk. I don’t know what this will do against bed bugs, or any bugs, but I know it feels like polyester. I will still use it simply to keep my sleeping bag clean on the inside, which at my current price points is shaping up to be between $300-$500, but I’m not happy and severely dissuade anyone from making the same mistake of assuming something specified as “made of silk for amazing next-to-skin softness”, “Pure silk liner adds a comfortable layer to your rectangular bag” and “Material: 100% silk”. I will be arguing with Sierra Trading Post over this in hopes of getting a coupon or something.



Knife – I chose the Boker Skeleton Handle Knife - Straight Blade ($27.95) mostly because I read into the description that Skeleton Handel implied light weight. It’s still a very heavy knife (3.2oz). It doubles as a fist iron with a blade extended so I think I’ll use it in spite the weight.



Next week I'll start the sleeping system debate that raged in my head for a good two weeks. And a few odds and ends will be covered too.

Stumbleupon Twitter Google Buzz Digg it del.icio.us Facebook Reddit Yahoo Buzz]]> http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?feed=rss2&p=152 0 The Pyrite Mine Loop from MidAtlanticHikes http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=142 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=142#comments Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:11:50 +0000 Pariahpism http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=142 Continue reading →]]> My first solo hike and first voluntary one started off to a bumpy start. I was pretty hung over from a bottle of wine and four shots of whisky a few hours earlier. My pack (the Osprey Atmos 50) was loaded to the brim with all my old skinny jeans I’d paid too much for as ballast. I purchased a gallon of water and a pouch of Matador Beef Jerky from my local Wegmans. Travel weight I’m estimating to be about twenty five pounds. Less than I wanted because I’m looking at about forty in the lower bound as standard when I’m loaded for real. Probably better to ease into it anyway.



I chose this trail because it’s literally five minutes down the road from where I live. A trail this close to a major populous can’t be idyllic in the sense of “seeing nature”, but that’s not what I was looking for. This is training, pure and simple. It’s tantamount to running on a treadmill.

The Prince William National Park had no guard to charge me the $6.00 fee. I breezed through the gate house with the ambiguous message to “Check the Visitor Center if no one is present.” Advice I could take or leave and I’m sure they didn’t need six more dollars. Woods do not need to be watered or anything. “Maybe new paint every five years,” my friend said. Foot traffic keeps the trail worn. So I felt no obligation morally.

At the end of the parking lot walk north picking up the yellow blazed Laurel loop Trail.


My map was ambiguous but I am also a victim of a terrible sense of direction. The mote of a voice that whispers the right way to go is either stomped by thousands of other voices blaring in my head or more likely, it was never there. Finding the “Trail-Head” was an ordeal. I walked the length of the parking lot three times before calling my veteran hiker friend.



“What is a ‘Blaze’?” I asked.

“You’re hiking? That’s so strange.” He replied.

I re-walked the length of the parking lot once again while explaining by my best approximation which way north was. Items added to the pack list: Compass. Not finding any marked yellow “blazes” on the ground in the parking lot, I started increasing my walking loops breadth. I walked away from the parking lot in what I guessed was a northerly direction. I passed a picnic area and noticed three fat people stumbling out of the forest with that “hungry for chocolate” look. On a tree I noticed a tiny yellow square. This was a “blaze”. I’d been looking for a large marking on the ground. My journey had begun.



For the first mile or so, I saw people shuffling around and generally making my bile rise. Not them specifically so much. I was sickened by this cut of land, this paltry section of well groomed forest. It was dirty, dry, and boring. But this is the prescribed dose of nature that’s been afforded to us Americans. People load a cooler full of sweet drinks and candy bars into their SUV and zoom on down the nine lane freeway interstate to nature, now found in three convenient locations. Bumbling down the trail, they make it about a mile. Beads of sugary sweat and Off Bug Spray give the mosquitoes ambivalence. And back they trek to the picnic area for lunch, gasping for breath the entire time.

The parking lot was full but after the first mile, I was alone. Just me and hundreds of squirrels chasing after these nuts that constantly thumped in the distance.



Pyrite is also known as Fool’s Gold. For a time, around the late 1940s, it was also real gold. It can be refined into sulfates which were used in making several products of value. The land of this park was raped until a cheaper solution was found. The rivers ran yellow and smelled of rotten eggs. The area has been on the mend for a couple decades.



There was a picture what the original site of the Pyrate Mine and how terrible it looked in 1994. Compared to now, I’d have preferred that because at least it’d be a sight to see. It was a site of industry and labor. After which it was a site of an environmental disaster and neglect. Now it was a bog. I’ve seen plenty of those.



This is the problem Native American’s never understood. Shitty forests like these are endless. I’d have slash and burned them too after a week trouncing about in their like. Even the guide page I referenced for this hike suggests this hike is better during the winter. My veteran hiker friend spends his hikes in the Pennsylvanian woods, which are a little more rich, but not much. I kept looking for things to see. There were none. Am I the only one not impressed with this? Am I spoiled by seeing hiking pictures of beautiful landscapes, misty mountains, flowing rivers and majestic trees? Or is this just a husk of what was left of a once beautiful forest? No matter; it’s the perfect spot for city expansion. Keep the growth of the cities here, away from any real forests of value.

I was annoyed by all the dead trees along the way. It was like visiting a sick relative; I took the time today to see them, they should at least reciprocate by being alive. The trail was dotted with informational placards. They are the park service saying, we know there’s nothing worth seeing so this will keep you from being bored. I read each one in full detail.

Far deep in the loop, far from 99% of foot traffic, the North Valley Trail, things started looking a little less dead and dying. This also where I got lost and missed my trail. I preferred the feeling of not knowing exactly where I was. It engorged my wanderlust organ and it was the sole enjoyable part of the hike. Luckily for my crabby disposition, it’s pretty impossible to stay lost. Just keep going and you’ll make it somewhere.

I was soon on my way back. From the North Valley Trail, I’d missed the Quantico Falls Trail which made it impossible to find the Mary Bird Branch Trail from the Scenic Drive. I walked down the Scenic Drive until I met back up with South Valley Trail where I began retracing my paths.



I got back to my car and was struck by the fart I left earlier.

Stumbleupon Twitter Google Buzz Digg it del.icio.us Facebook Reddit Yahoo Buzz]]> http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?feed=rss2&p=142 1 Weird Dreams Lately http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=136 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=136#comments Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:37:58 +0000 admin http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=136 Continue reading →]]> Dream 1
I have had lucid dreams twice in my life, both by accident. Recently, I had a near-lucid dream, in which I was actually performing a "reality test" by checking my watch (1:21p.m.) and re-checking it again to make sure the time was not skewed--the equivalent of pinching myself to make sure I was awake. Funny thing is, I never checked my watch the second time. Instead, I distracted myself with my environment. I was about to walk into a tunnel, and I could feel a breeze coming out of it. I could smell the autumn air. I could look around and see all of my surroundings. I could hear traffic. "That's preposterous!" I thought. "How can I be dreaming if I can see, smell, hear and feel everything? Of course this is real!" and I went on my way, back into la-la land. The brain is really persistent about tricking the body into what it wants. It's kind of scary to think about the levels of reality our brain convinces us to accept; I was 100% sure I was seeing, smelling, hearing and feeling. That moment was as real as anything I've ever experienced, but it was all in my head.

Dream 2
Today began with a strangely peaceful dream in which I was murdered by a robber in an alley. As I lay there dying, I felt a calming warmth and saw the proverbial white light. I emerged alive and feeling great, at my home, but everything was different. There were remnants of a life I knew, but all the details were just a little "off." I intuitively understood that I had been reincarnated into an alternate universe, in which my life had a different outcome because of choices that I had made differently, and somehow better. I also understood that with every death, I would evolve to become closer to the perfect, immortal "me" who had made all the correct decisions in some alternate universe. I do not believe in any of this, but I awoke with a feeling of peace and confidence that was very real. I am continually amazed at what my mind creates in the subconscious or very-near subconscious, and how that can affect me in this reality, both physically and mentally.

Stumbleupon Twitter Google Buzz Digg it del.icio.us Facebook Reddit Yahoo Buzz]]> http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?feed=rss2&p=136 0 Wanderlust: Packing List; Part 1 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=114 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=114#comments Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:27:59 +0000 Pariahpism http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=114 Continue reading →]]> Shoes – There are a lot of different types of hiking shoes. I’ve decided on buying Trail Running boots specifically. The image of my partner and I fleeing from a butcher’s market with a string of sausages and a loaf of bread with a portly but scarily fast man in a bloody smock in close pursuit screaming some intelligible Gaelic enthralls me. That image aside, I know I won’t be taking any crazy mountain approaches so I don’t need any serious mountain boots. Water will be abound as a possibility, so I definitely need Gortex or a variant of it. Other than that, I’m looking for the shoe for me. I can read reviews all day but when it comes to shoe use, you have to at least put them on. In this case, Dick’s Sporting Goods had none.



Also, I plan to bring a pair of sandals with me as relaxing shoes. But there’s little choice in that. Actually there’s a good bit of choice, but since my feet won’t be depending on them, I don’t have too much weighing on my conscience for their purchase.

Backpack – Another extremely personal piece of property. Another thing you can’t buy off online advice only. The best way to go about it is to narrow it down off of online reviews and from there go in-store about it. Try it on and go from there.



Dick’s Sporting Goods has already failed me again in this regard. They had none of the brands, makes or models of the shoes or backpacks I would attempt to price check. I had a head full of information and none of it synced with what they showed. This could be a fault of the webpages I was frequenting and their not updating of the wares they hyped. Or it could be Dick’s not supplying the average hiker with adequate goods. Fuck. This is Virginia. It’s not like there’s any Appalachian Trails nearby with one-fourth of its bulk in this state alone. It wouldn’t be the first time this rotten state has failed itself at my expense. So no blame is deserved to the chain store, Dick's; It’s only as good as its local chattel.



From the sites, I’ve gathered that the pack I want is in the 35 to 40 liter size. I want something light with an internal frame. That’s all I know. Good zippers? Good straps? Fuck yeah, of course I {want} need that. Yeah, durability is a key issue. I don’t need zippers dying while I’m trekking the Adirondack. So yeah; they’re important. I’m technically being talked down in the general hiker's republic of hikers but that’s fine if it leads to my perdition. I just need a good backpack. One that is comfortable and won't get me dead. I've not made my choice yet.



Underwear, Three Sets – From what I’ve read, anything but cotton is the best choice here. I bought three Terramar Underwear Boxer Briefs with EC2® and Four-Way Stretch (For Men) ($23.04). Basically they’re cheap off-brand alternatives to Spandex. I know from my extended runs that my inner thighs become chapped without them. I don’t plan to walk for miles and miles without protection from that. No one wants that.



Shirts, Two – I bought one Terramar Dri-Release® T-Shirt - Short Sleeve (For Men) ($7.77), and I want to buy another long sleeve one. I went with the color white as it seemed the least “touristy.” Shirts like these look like someone with too much money went for a run. I’ve never abided by them as no one is running so hard for so long that they need to utilize moisture wicking technology; just that they like to look like they do and that they can afford it. Just thinking about them with their arm mounted iPads NANO and wrist-bands and short-shorts pisses me off. So yeah, obscuring that “look” is a personal priority.
The shirt came in and it does exactly what I wanted from it. It looks normal and feels normal in regards to what a plain white tee might look and feel. But I also feel the moisture wicking so that's good as well.



Also there’s the need to look passable sometimes, likely when grifting local businesses. A simple cotton polo will do in that case. I already own one of them so no extra purchase necessary.

Socks, Three Pair – Wool for socks seemed to be the unanimous type I would need for nigh any situation. Thickness and type were other factors. I bought three of the Bridgedale Explorer Socks - Merino Wool, Midweight (For Men) ($19.11).



I felt that Medium is a little too thick for regular socks, but unless they make my boots too tight, it should be a non-issue.

Pants, Two Pair – Jeans are out. I’ve read they get wet too easily, weigh too much and wear out too quickly. So that leaves cargo pants. I know a thing or two about durable cargo pants from my time in the military. I bought two pair from BDU.com, one olive and dark gray ($59.98). I made decided on the Polyester/Cotton fabric with the Ripstop weave. It seemed the perfect blend of materials and tempering process. It was the lightest, toughest, most durable, most stain resistant, most breathable and fastest drying and variant of all the pants.
They came in the other day and feel like they’re worth every penny. The material feels well made and extremely tough while light and airy. The waist sizes are right in the middle of where I am at either 31-34 to 35-38. I got the 31-34 inch waist and right now it’s a little snug, but losing weight seems inevitable as a transient so I’m not too worried.



In my delusions, I wish for a entire poncho made from the stuff of these pants in triple-ply. I’m fairly certain they’re knife resistant, not that I’m willing to bet on it if the situation were too arise.

A conflict of gear has already occurred. The underwear I bought doesn't ride high enough to protected the pants' sharp, hard, double sewn stitches along the waist. Two simple cures are options: One, lose weight as to be able to tuck in my shirt. Two, lose weight and they won't dig into me as hard. Plus as they get worn in, they will get softer.

Stumbleupon Twitter Google Buzz Digg it del.icio.us Facebook Reddit Yahoo Buzz]]> http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?feed=rss2&p=114 0 Wanderlust: Deciding destination http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=104 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=104#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:46:38 +0000 Pariahpism http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=104 Continue reading →]]> I’ve been taken with the idea of simply walking away and traveling the land. USA to start with, “to cut our teeth,” I should say. USA has several pros and cons for the vagabond:



Pro: You can never go hungry. No one with any amount of means can starve in mainland USA.
Con: You can never go hungry. It’s a safety net that debilitates a man to never truly testing wits and resourcefulness.



Pro: We speak the language. That’s one leg up to cultural acclimatization.
Con: We speak the language. There’s never any challenge to ordering a meal or bartering for nights stay.



Pro: USA is huge! There’re so many unsettled places to discover.
Con: USA is huge! There’re so many places to be buried in an unhallowed grave, that is, is there’s anything left to bury.



Con: USA was never designed for foot traffic. Most maps will have you sidling freeways.



Con: USA has an insane amount of insane murders an insane year, which is every year. Not ideal for a nameless vagabond.



Con: USA is very well armed. Not ideal for a nameless vagabond willing to steal to eat. Might catch a bullet right through my front teeth, smiling like a Cheshire cat.
Con: I’m an USA native so I’ve no revered exotic status which exclude getting some strange.

As you can see, there’s a lot not to like about bumming it in USA. It’s like a game on easy mode. Sure there are sites to see and I’ll enjoy seeing them, but there’s a strange duality. It’s convivial to life with its general care of homeless but also people get snuffed out on any moment’s notice by passing motorists and serial killers. Seems like as good as any place to start.

Stumbleupon Twitter Google Buzz Digg it del.icio.us Facebook Reddit Yahoo Buzz]]> http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?feed=rss2&p=104 0 Words of the Week http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=97 http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=97#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:27:12 +0000 Pariahpism http://www.dailyvillain.com/dregs/?p=97 Continue reading →]]> Here’s the words of the last week and a half:

acrimonious \ ac•ri•mo•ni•ous \ , adj. 1.Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous

As in, “I was acrimoniously dejected when I knocked on the back door.”

orthoepy \ awr-THOH-uh-pee \ , noun; 1.The study of correct pronunciation. 2.The study of the relationship between the pronunciation of words and their orthography.

Orthoepy is a literal and complete unknown to the internet youth.

couchant \ KOU-chuhnt \ , adjective; 1.Lying down; crouching; reclining. 2.Heraldry . (Of an animal) represented as lying on its stomach with its hind legs and forelegs pointed forward.

The penchant of a couch is satisfying couchant needs.

I recently found a website that is extremely bad for me. It houses almost every word that would be of interest to me. It's like a Rosetta Stone for forgotten English. The writers of The Simpsons likely have this site bookmarked for when they need to write dialogue for Mr. Burns. It's called Luciferous Logolepsy.

luciferous adj. - illuminating, literally and figuratively

logolepsy n. - an obsession with words

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