Bayou

Disneyland is undoubtedly the happiest place in the world. Especially if the company is exquisite.

The Blue Bayou. The atmosphere of this particular restaurant is what you pay for. In one moment you may be braving the heat of high noon, the sun beats down upon you with what feels like a mallet made of magma. The next moment and you are traversing colonial Louisiana and it is night. The darkness is overwhelming, but the mural of a pallid blue glow on the western horizon appears to cloak the darkness in a gentle twilight. Old growth trees lean towards the sun, silhouetted against the false horizon as if weary from their old age. The ancient white architecture of an old French-style plantation looms over each table bringing with it the semblance of dining on an old street in the french quarter of New Orleans. Forty tables side by side each with a single solitary candle glowing morbidly upon the table. They give off a yellow luminscence with such stillness that they appear to each glow as a firefly resting on a white lily upon the stagnation of a moldy old swamp. Owls hoot and firefly's glow over the river. An old man sits rocking back and forth in front of his wood cabin at the waters edge. A pipe in his mouth and old Creole songs on his tongue. Slow barges carrying a dozen amused passengers slowly drift by, barely creating ripples in the water.

I sat and ate dinner here at this restaurant. Feeling like I stepped through the doors of time and fell upon an old world. Masticating upon gumbo and Cajun spiced Salmon I held Ashley's hand and enjoyed the atmosphere with her all the while conversing with young Lavi. This is the type of event that I experienced on my birthday. This is one hour in an entire day with some of my favorite people. Thus you can imagine what the rest must have been like.

San Diego, I will return to you

San Diego. I really do respect you.

My recent visit, in addition to my four year sojourn, into San Diego County has graced me with knowledge of what a city can be.

With the addition of just one AMF into my life I saw a plethora of locations in San Diego built for the purposes of entertainment. There are so many. I'd like to list a few of the things I've seen.

The San Diego Zoo. Arguably one of the best Zoo's in the world, both in its animal variety and botanical splendor. Even if there were no animals I think I would be intrigued to visit and walk through all the amazing plant-life.

Sea World. Who isn't intrigued by sea creatures. Nearly all of the worlds biota can be found in the oceans. Life found its start in these waters and so we find our curiosity dwelling in the depths as well. Amazing shows, amazing creatures, amazing views of the ocean. The tickets are also great. You can buy a two day pass and come back another time. When I went with AMF, the ticket this party bought was used both in December and in June.

Birch Aquarium. This series of giant fish tanks is associated with UCSD, the very school I once attended. It has an extremely diverse biota under its belt. Beautiful Sea Dragons, tiny Sea Horses, billowing Jellyfish, slow sea cucumbers. All with a wide range of colors and survival skills. On the first weekend of the month, you get in FREE with Bank of America card. How cool is that.

Seaport Village. In downtown San Diego you can walk and meander through the little streets of Seaport village. Visiting the shops and peering across the bay at La Jolla, Point Loma, Coronado (bridge and all) you will definitely enjoy yourself. They have a store there completely devoted to hot sauces and pepper flakes. A very quaint village with views of giant aircraft carriers, beautiful sunsets, giant statues, green grass and old trees. Very nice!

Point Loma: Lighthouse and statue of Cabrillo. This little park is off the beaten path. It hosts a private tide pool area with its own little beach. And one of the best views of all of San Diego found anywhere (minus a helicopter or hot air balloon). You stand 400 feet above sea level looking back at san diego from the tip of a little pennisula type thing. Maybe its an isthmus. I can't really recall the difference between the two. I'll google it later.

Hiking! Beaching! You can go to the beach, La Jolla Shores, Del Mar, Blacks Beach, Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Coronado and more! There are so many beautiful beaches with towering cliffs looming right next to you. Monumental structures appearing to have thrust themselves from the very earth, rising forth from the ocean's sand. There are places where you can tan; full body too, if thats your sort of things. Take a girl for a walk on the beach. Sounds like a splendid date doesn't it? Or maybe head to Torrey Pines for a walk through the mountains. Head to Mira Mesa to see a beautfiul waterfall cascading down boulders right behind civilization in a deceivingly seemingly remote location.

National Comedy Theatre. I want to take the AMF and Co. there. It is an amusing night of improv. They even have a late night show where a little alcohol is served and the jokes become uncensored. You sit in and they take suggestions from the audience to dictate the games they play and the scenes they act out. Located quaintly on India street near downtown.

Mall Hopping. There are so many malls. And a giant Fry's. Occasionally that just what you need to do. Forget nature for a second and embrace urban sprawl. It really is amazing sometimes what human's can create. Mission Valley for some reality and grit, Fashion Valley for high end retail (empty your checking account in a heatbeat here), University Town Center for a quaint outdoor mall that can cover most of your mall needs. Finally if you want to become lost in copious quantities of retail head down to San Diego's Center, the mall of Horton Plaza awaits. Four stories of food and shopping.

UCSD. People who attended this school might not agree because they are so used to it. But UCSD is part of the greatest Public College System in the World, the UC's. It has its A-game in Biology related sciences but its architecture is strikingly modern (pretty heavy in other academic areas too). Art pops up all over campus, try to find the giant chair, the talking tree, the stairway to heaven, the door in the forest, maybe even a 20 ton teddy bear boulder construction. It really is awe-inspiring to walk around campus, climb the snakes spine to the tree of knowledge; just past the garden of eden. There you will find massive stores of information sealed away in books.

Balboa Park. Whoah! Only recently was I exposed to this place. You should have to pay to walk around here. Beautiful gardens, beautiful paths and flowers. Giant trees, I mean HUGE. Oh and I guess there are like twenty giant musuems. If thats your thing. Free Tuesdays for San diego Residents. Be prepared though! You will be navigating through an ocean of adolescence. On these Tuesdays the musuems are so packed you almost want to pay the entry fee and gain some quiet. But then again its free! :) If the only place you go, is here, in San Diego you won't be dissappointed.

I could actually make this list go on and on. So now I will list some of the Amazing things I don't have time to talk about that are most enjoyable as well.

Resturaunts! Originals, diversity in the not so originals too, yum)

Extraordanairy Desserts (no not a topic, an actual place!)

Downtown La Jolla! (the cove)

Theatres (always amazing movie openings, replete with costumes and all!)

Google San Diego and my list will appear to be infinitismal, there are so many things you can do. As long as you have some amazing people to do them with, you will not be dissapointed. I am content to head to the beach book in hand and enjoy the beauty present there. (and when I get bored whoah look at this list, eeeny meeny miny moe!)

This is a strange post. Blogging has no rules right?

See ya later!

Shortfest as opposed to Longfest which exists later

Shortfest Palm Springs. It exists as a transient thing. A passing whimsy to most who see the posters plastered to the windows of local businesses. Citizens passing by watch as these displays slowly decay, the paper rusting at its edges. The colors faded from the sun, dull and disappear. Eventually, after the tape has melted into the window and the fest has long since been completed they are taken down either by business owners cleaning up their windows or by the methodical pounding of the harsh desert wind.

I have stood up though! I have said enough is enough what is all this ruckus about. And so I leapt into the fray offering both my time and experience in order that I might view the festival from all angles. In the few volunteer shifts I have done, I have met a fair amount of interesting people. A lady from Korea whose film was selected to appear. A couple from Austraila, a woman from England, a pair from Ireland. It is truly a diverse network. The local flair is no less satisfying. Hopefully this web being woven is lucrative in both entertainment and opportunities.

Sitting quietly in the brilliant lobby of the Palm Springs Hilton I wait. Interesting folk passing by ; coming and going as quickly as the icey chill of the desert night. The door to the pool area with a broken sensor opens and closes intermittently for some unseen ghostly entities. A breeze of heat passes through each time it does. These short films liven up the normally lethargic elderly into hustle and bustle. If you get the chance. Go and see one of the 90 minutes thematic selections. I presume you will not be disappointed.

Moussavi and Martyrdom

Continued Iranian bloodshed from Tehran this evening. It disgusts me to see the election turn so sour. All though my geographic isolation from all of the events surrounding Iran should push me toward ambivalence, I still feel pain at another term for President Ahmadinejad. A man who pushes hate and ignorance. A man who destroys economic prosperity and social advancement. How in the world could he have won when so many were ready for change.

Last night on the corner of Tahquitz Canyon and Palm Canyon four lonely protestors were holding signs to end the war. This image of a closed minded people is disturbing. Even in the calm of the desert night they think they are pushing the edge of activism. An astonishing action given the intense martyrdom of the millions of saddened Iranians hoping to spur the world to action. Moussavi has stated he is prepared to die in opposition to Ahmadinejad. A better protest in the shadow of Mt. San Jacinto on the streets of downtown Palm Springs would be one that supports Moussavi and perhaps an external system of vote counting for Iran. Why protest to bring our troops home when they are already scheduled to return. Isn't that a little bit of a waste of time. Now, I tend to be liberal on these issues but when ruminating upon it, I am reminded of why the rest of the world hates us. We, like the Catholic church in the Rennaissance, define the world only in relation to ourselves. To conservatives, America has become a giant all encompassing church. The only nation supported by God. Americacentric hypotheses flourish in this hostile environment. The nations of the world should revolve around us. Our small lacerations should be treated long before we mend the broken bones of Arab nations.

This situation reminds me of the PRI and their authoritative command of the voters throughout Mexico in the last half of the 20th century. It truly makes me wonder at the legitimacy of the vote. Is it possible that the ballots were rigged? Is our world so barbaric? Kim Jong Il step in and become a leader of heightened morality (please?). We need miracles in a world that has never known them.

A note on the title that is given for the name of this blog

Ruminant Mammal. Surely a much more sophisticated title. Inherent religious, evolutionary, even philosophical symbolism can be found in that title. Each of which very definitely pertains to my brother Danny. And although my title includes animals that are non-kosher it relates to my brothers blog that may be forever stopped. Ruminant mammals have a system that digests plants through a series of chambers in the abdomen. Clearly humans are not such creatures. Monogastric (pigs, humans, horses etc) creatures have only one chamber. A chamber which enjoys occasionally digesting meat.

By labeling myself as a Monogastric Mammal I reduce my title to pure adjectivity. I might as well call my blog Caucasian Male. I particularly do not want to write a blog like one writes a journal. After having read both my brother Danny's blog as well as the Guide to Writing Style in the Digital Age, I want something novel. Grammar, punctuation. Hah who needs them. Colloquial sayings and terse incomplete sentences. That is what writing online is all about.

This is not professional. This is not some analysis of business statistics or a report on chemical runoff from a nearby firm. This is, forgive the irony, the ruminations (philosophically) of a Monogastric Mammal sitting in the heat of an unforgiving desert in the middle of supreme economic turmoil.